There is no greater evidence that evil exists in the world today than the horrific incidents that happened near Fort Worth, Texas and in New York this past weekend.
God’s word tells us that this will happen and will even continue to get worse.
2 Timothy 3: 1-7 says this:
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
So with the knowledge that evil will continue to get worse, how should we Christian’s react and even more importantly how should we be proactive?
Unfortunately, many take the stance that God will protect us when we are in our church buildings. Others are reluctant or even refuse to put even minimal security measures in place.
Thankfully that wasn’t the case at West Freeway Church of Christ near Fort Worth.
They were trained for the worst and the worst, pure evil showed up on Sunday.
In just 6 seconds, 3 lives were taken, but there was the potential for up to 240 more lives that could have been lost had Jack Wilson, a reluctant new American hero not have been prepared for the evil that approached.
Wilson said, “I just want to thank all who have sent their prayers and comments on the events of today. The events at West Freeway Church of Christ put me in a position that I would hope no one would have to be in, but evil exists and I had to take out an active shooter in church.”
Then there is this report from CBN News:
What should have been a joyous holiday occasion turned into tragedy for some Hasidic Jews gathered for a Hanukkah dinner. They were at the home of their rabbi when a man entered wielding a machete.
“He took out his knife from a holder and started hitting people back and forth. He didn’t say anything. He went into the dining room and hit a few people there and then he went to the kitchen and hit one guy there and then he came back to the dining room,” witness Joseph Gluck explained.
To not be prepared for the evil that is guaranteed in the bible is just plain irresponsible.
I will finish out with more scripture of a long list of evil that the Apostle Paul warned the church in Rome about.
Roman’s 1: 24-32 tells us this:
Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Prepare yourself and others for what evil situations that may present themselves. Prayer most certainly is the first step in this preparation, but I’m reminded that faith without works is dead.
Pastor Ed Boston 