These random violent shootings drive me to my knees in grief and prayer. How will the families of the victims every recover? How wil those who witness this horrific mahem recover? How can we go forward without fear? How could this happen?
Those of us who read the Bible know the answers to those questions. “You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth.” John 8:44
Men and women can be evil, but not so evil they can or will do this kind of killing without the help of evil demonic spirits, that entice, control and drive them to acts we see as insanity. We look at them and say, “they are mentally ill.” Mentally deranged, yes, with real supernatural help from the real ‘dark side.’
It is devilish ironic that this happened in a movie by a similar name. One critic said it had truly gone to the dark side. We as people, rational people, need to acknowledge the supernatural is reality, and stop playing with it in games, movies and opening ourselves and our children to this demonic enemy. Am I suggesting we do away with all of that? Of course not, fat chance anyway. I am saying we must overcome evil with good…. and ever so strong in the movies….the good guys should not be whimps or jerks.
We need to know what our children and young people are reading, watching and spending their time with. That will not be the whole answer to the problem, but it will help. I ask one of my sons, who is raising four great kids….”when do you tell them about demons?” His answer was, “When they start watching cartoons on TV, we tell them the bad guys have demons and the good guys have Jesus and Jesus always wins. As they get older we share more and more as they are old enough and ready about the facts from the Bible, the enemy and their authority to overcome.”
In recent years as they became teenagers they were allowed to watch some semi-dark films and then their parents discussed with them the content, asking their view on what was presented. The kids are smarter than we adults when it comes to seeing things and understanding when they have been given a basis for decent moral views–they will make good decisions.
We in the church should teach more on loving Jesus, how much He loves us, the authority of believers to overcome and be victorious over the enemy, the devil—more on his wiles and his ways. Many are afraid that they will scare people….well, that is a possibility if not handled with personal authority, and faith in God, themselves.
There is a lot of teaching in the church today that the battle is in the mind and the devil has no power except to deceive and lie to us. If that is true how did the devil show Jesus all the nations of the earth, when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness?
How did he put Jesus on the pinnacle of the temple and tell Jesus to throw Himself off? A vision? Was it physical? The Book says he did it…..how?
The Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all talk about Jesus healing and throwing demons out of people. If they didn’t have demons in them why would Jesus command them out? If the devil and his demons have no power why were people healed when they were delivered? Working in the ministry and healing area we have experienced things that cannot be explained in any other way than miraculous, and supernatural both of evil spirits, and of Angels, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and our Heavenly Father.
How did this happen to this young man who did this sadomasochistic shooting, who appeared to all as intelligent, normal, etc? Was it something he did on the Internet that was a clever game or sadistic themes of evil that desensitized him to the real world. Was it TV, movies, books or a person who had a violent influence on him? There are hundreds of scenarios that could qualify. If you listen closely to all the serial killers they will at some point say, “The voices told them to do it.”
Another question….was he loved, had he lost his ability to love and feel pain of others? Bottom line we need to love more, teach, educate young people of the pitfalls and the truth of how they can be sucked into and overtaken to commit terrible crimes. We must pray over our families and friends daily, not in fear, but in faith in the blood and Name of Jesus to protect and keep them safe. We must pray over their schools, our work places, and everywhere we go. Is that a big job….no, no definitely not….it just takes faith and about the amount of time men set a time for golf or women plan a menu for dinner.
Thank God, He is always with us and will comfort and bless those families as they struggle with the horrific pain and grief caused by a senseless act of violence from the dark side of our world.
Our prayers are with all the victims and their families; and for the shooter’s family as all are victims and need mercy and compassion. For more help and prayer click here: WWW.PrayerAgainstViolence.com
Pressing in and pressing on….