Another tragic school shooting and it's our human nature to want to pin the blame on someone. How about the Republicans, or the Democrats, or the guns? Let's take a look to see if our blame is misplaced.
The world is constantly asking questions such as, "If God's such a good God why did He allow all those children to die?" Or how about this one -- "If they call a storm an 'act of God' why then did God let all those people die from the recent hurricanes?" The truth is God didn't do these things. You're blaming the wrong person.
The "food" I'm about to give you may be something you're not ready to eat -- just yet. When you go to the grocery store you don't eat everything you bought that day, but what you're not able to eat (that day) you put in the pantry. So some of what I'm about to tell you just might have to go into your pantry until the time comes when you're ready to take it out and eat it. It may just be a little too much for you to swallow right now. Maybe in a month from now you'll go back to the pantry and say, "Now I remember what that guy said. I think I'll take it off the shelf. I'm ready for it now."
I'm about to rattle a few cages -- but the earth, and all that is in it, is under the wrong management (for now) and has been for a long, long time. And guess what -- JESUS KNEW IT!!
Come with me up onto a high mountain -- the same one Jesus was on when Satan tried to tempt Him. We have to climb up that mountain, but you probably didn't know that Satan actually took Jesus up onto that "exceedingly high mountain" then showed Him "all the kingdoms of the world and their glory." Then Satan says to Jesus, "All these things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me." (See Matthew 4:8)
Think about that one for a minute. Did Jesus tell Satan, "Who do you think you are? You can't offer me all the kingdoms of the earth and their glory because they're not yours to give. You don't have the authority to do that."
But here's the shocker -- Jesus knew Satan DID have that authority!
Instead, Jesus said, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only you shall serve.'" (Matthew 4:10)
Let's take that thought a little further. You also probably didn't know that just prior to his arrest and crucifixion Jesus said, "I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me." (John 14:30) That bears repeating. Jesus called Satan "the ruler of this world." And, the Apostle Paul called Satan "the god of this world." (2 Corinthians 4:4).
If this world was not Satan's domain then why did Jesus have to cast demons out of so many people? Why were so many sick and diseased and He had to heal them? Why all the wars, and famines, plagues that sometimes ravage whole nations? Why are the most innocent of all, babies not yet out of the womb, slaughtered because they were "inconvenient?" Why, why, why?
There is, however, a distinction to be made here. Satan's power over the earth is limited (by God), and the only power, or dominion that Satan has over a follower of Jesus is what we allow him to have, either through weakness or ignorance. There have been so many times that Satan's evil (demonic) spirits had to obey me because I was operating under the anointing of the Holy Spirit of God. And, there were times I was operating without the anointing and the demonic spirits just ignored me.
Back to the "food" issue, here's some more food for thought. As we said earlier, if weather disasters are called "an act of God," and if the weather was under God's control, then why did Jesus have to rebuke the storm when the boat was about to capsize? (see Mark 4:35 - 41). Jesus certainly didn't rebuke His Father.
This is a broken and cursed world, not at all the way God intended it to be in the first place. Political Correctness says you can't make a judgment call and say that something is "evil," nevertheless evil runs rampant through our world. Political systems and governments are corrupt. "Lies" have now become "the truth," and "the truth" has now become a "lie." In this world people would rather sin than serve God. It's part of our carnal, unredeemed nature. And, we live in a world filled with spiritual darkness. Jesus said, "the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." (John 3:19) You can be a light in the darkness. We've always had "free will" and so long as those who love the darkness are free to choose the darkness instead of the light things will continue to be in a mess.
Let's look at "this world" from a different perspective. In the New Testament we are instructed: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." I John 2:15-17 (NKJV)
For whatever reason, God, in His wisdom, has chosen to honor -- faith! And only when we learn to exercise faith (hopefully we can muster up some of that mustard seed faith that Jesus talked about) can we heal the sick, cast out demons, and call people out of darkness and into the light. But, like the disciples, we often hear Him say, "Oh ye of little faith."
Don't you think it's time we stopped blaming God for what our sworn enemy, the Devil, is doing? We were never promised an easy road, but for those of us who know what's ultimately awaiting us at the end of that road it's all worth it. But through it all He promised us "peace that passes all human understanding." (Philippians 4:17).
(NOTE: This does not suggest that God cannot use the weather or the natural elements to bring about change, or even judgment if He chooses to do so. He exercised His authority over Satan's domain when He caused the great flood in Noah's day, and when He sent fire and brimstone to Sodom and Gomorrah in the book of Genesis. By faIth the prophet Elijah declared it would not rain on the earth for 3 1/2 years, and then at his word he caused the rain to return. -- See I Kings 17:1.)
Thank God that he has ultimately promised us “a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away . . . (RevelatIon 21:1)
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If you would like to schedule Ken to speak to your church or organization he can be contacted at: Ken Simmons Ministries, Ontario, California, kensimmonsministries@gmail.com or call at (909) 957-8882.