The words of the wise are like cattle prods--painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep. -- Ecclesiastes 12: 11 (NLT)
I was half-way through a devotional tonight about the horrific tragedy in Connecticut when God stopped me. The words were eloquent but empty. There is no sense to be made from this senseless act. The pundits and psycho-babblers are already painting us the usual picture. A young man with a history of mental problems. A crazy man. Who else would wantonly slaughter 20 children under the age of ten as well as his own mother? As the psychiatrists stuff Adam Lanza into their crazy box, the media will play it over in our heads on a loop so we can feel a little saner in a world that has clearly lost its mind. So we can all rationalize evil away and blame it on some other guy. The crazy guy. Until the next elementary school. Until the next Colorado theater. Until the next Columbine. Then we will all hold hands again and mourn the loss of life without considering the lessons from death.
The key verse above is where God led me. He often leads me where I never would have gone. I think when tragedies like this occur we all want to hear someone say that it is all going to be ok. Everything is going to be all right. The word from God tonight is that it will not all be ok. A painful cattle prod of a word to our collective humanity but it is time to have a serious and frank discussion about the truth behind something so horrific. It is time to take a serious look at where this world is and what the signs of the times are:
Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. -- Matthew 24: 12 (NLT)
For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. -- 2Timothy 3: 2-3 (NLT)
These are two different portions of Scripture; one from Jesus and the other from the Apostle Paul -- both dealing with what the end times will look like. What happened today was not the inner workings of a deranged mind. It was not an isolated incident resulting from mental illness. It was not whatever box we all want to put it in so we can file it away and not have to ask the hard questions. Because while we argue over minutia such as the right to bear arms the devil is having a field day in this world and in the church. Quite frankly we can have the right to arm bears and it wouldn't change anything. We could take away all gun rights and it wouldn't change anything. This is about evil and sin as Jesus says in the Matthew verse. The Timothy verses hit even closer to home. Disobedient to parents? This man killed his mother today before killing the 20 children. I think it is fair to say he considered nothing sacred when he walked into that school.
Why do I bring this up? Because if these signs are indeed coming true, which they are, then we are in fact living in the end times. Jesus is coming back soon. Now, the devil is good at misdirection beloved and he will use events such as today to have us scrambling in every direction but the one we should be heading towards -- the cross. Listen to me very carefully. Fighting for tougher gun laws will get nobody into heaven. Pleading to put "God back in the classroom" is chasing fool's gold. Making unbelieving children recite a prayer each morning is not going to save them. Fighting an imaginary war on Christmas is worse than fool's gold. Too many Christian leaders are enamored with politics and culture instead of the cross and the Gospel. Too many Christian leaders are attending leadership seminars instead of organizing prayer vigils. Too many Christian leaders are trying to change society instead of change hearts.
I know this is a tough word -- like a nail studded stick. It is at times like this that we seek solace to make ourselves feel better within our own humanity. God is saying forget your humanity and start focusing on your eternity. This world is passing away. It is eroding with each passing day. There is only one issue that is going to matter when the trumpet sounds. It will not be gun control. It will not be mental illness. It will not be abortion or gay marriage. It will not be any of the vast distractions the devil has so easily occupied our minds and time with. The only thing that will matter is whether or not we have a relationship with Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord:
There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved." -- Acts 4: 12 (NLT)
No other name has been given beloved. Today in Connecticut there was warning issued. It was not a warning about guns and psychiatry. It was a warning to the church. Wake up! I am coming soon! Will we be about the Father's work? Or will we be chasing fool's gold; dancing to the devil's tune. Wake up! The time is short! How is the state of salvation in our families? In our homes? How about even in our churches? Will we be found lacking on the scales of God? Lord Lord -- did we not prophesy in Your name? Did we not hate gays in Your name? Did we not protest abortion clinics in Your name? Did we not demand the manger in the town square in Your name? Sweet Jesus, what did we do with the talent the Father entrusted to us? Did we multiply it or bury it in the sand? Were we salt and light or pepper and glitter?
Twenty children died today in Connecticut and that is a human tragedy beyond the capability of words to sooth. We stand in the gap and pray for the families but we turn our eyes towards the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross which bridges the gap between God and man. The word today is not an easy one. It is not a light one. It is a heavy word designed to remind us that while we sift through the heartbreak of lost life let us not lose sight of the true price of death. Time is running out. Jesus is coming back. It is time the church stop chasing the wind the devil blows by our ears and get back to doing the work God has set aside for us.
Rev. Anthony
