How Well Are You Doing Raising Your Children?

"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." ~ Hebrews 12:11, ESV

This verse popped into my head as I was talking to my beautiful sister on the phone a bit ago and we were discussing how obvious it is that man is depraved from birth. For instance, consider a new born infant.   What is the first thing that baby does after it's gone through the birthing process and been poked and prodded, swatted and swaddled, and lets us know its displeasure?  I mean after you get the baby home and the loving and doting attention it receives begins?  The baby screams at you, makes its demands because its inherent inclination is to let you know it's hungry or needs cuddled; complains about its discomfort over a dirty diaper; throws a hissy fit when a toy is taken away, and I'm sure we can think of many more examples.  And as the child grows, he or she begins to figure out that pouting, crying, or a temper tantrum will oftentimes get them what they want, especially in today's culture where parents are forbidden to immediately address such behavior, or have fallen for the ill advice received from "experts" who probably never raised children, or even from well-meaning parents.

 So, when do we begin the godly discipline process to insure that our children become responsible, honest and, more importantly, respectful adults? Some of you may disagree, but it should start from the beginning.  This is not to say that the discipline you mete out isn't different for an infant, a toddler, or a juvenile.  The method varies in degree by age and maturity in understanding their offense and how well they are able to grasp the instruction and discipline we give them.  It begins with words, then redirection and, if necessary, a good old-fashioned swat on the backside followed up by a heartfelt explanation why it was necessary.

You see, we don't give babies or toddlers enough credit for being as smart, manipulating, and conniving as they can be.  Through careful study, it's determined a child develops their personality by the time they are 3 years old. That's one year after the dreaded "terrible 2's" so many parents suffer through.  We all remember that stage of our child's life.  We are only given a very narrow window of opportunity to set the stage and it's critical that we pay very close attention to them during that time and gently correct them when necessary.   If we fail to do that, instead of the "trusting 3's" and "pleasing 4's," the "terrible 2's" are apt to become the disappointing 3's, the shocking 8's, or the horrific teens.

In other words, it's what we put into our children that spills out of them as they grow.  If you teach your children they are the center of the universe, if you allow them to manipulate you, control you, and answer to all of their demands, they will continue that pattern throughout the rest of their lives and yours, and they will more than likely recreate the same attitude with their own children because that’s what they were taught.   Once this behavior is established, there will be no turning back and undoing the grave errors parents made when they had the opportunity to make the right choices and choose the proper discipline.

Why did I add the above verse to this post? Most Christians would apply it to the discipline God finds necessary to dole out upon adult Christians who are straying from the truth, not heeding His Word, or discipline being used to draw them back into the fold.  But it can also be applied to our children.   If we faithfully train our children with the instruction God has given us, then the harvest we see when they are finally grown will be fruitful, righteous, and pleasing to the LORD, and to ourselves and everyone the child comes in contact with, whether it's with family, at school, in play, or at work. And society will be much better for it.

But if we fail to raise them as they should be, if we fail to teach them proper godly behavior and refuse to discipline them when they demonstrate the depravity they were born with, we not only have failed them, we have failed ourselves by creating the proverbial monster our society is being plagued with.

I’ll end with one of the most important proverbs relating to raising a child in the Word of God, Proverb 22:6, and I hope all young parents will take it to heart.   I’ll be praying and trusting in God to make it so.

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."

The Expectation of Thanks

For the last twenty years, I have been watching a growing problem in society.  Well, let's say that it's just one of many that rubs me the wrong way.  None of us are so blind that we don't see the degrading of Godly morals and values and the world's population becoming more centered on self.  As is commonly opined, when society begins to crumble, the first place to look is in the home and how it's structured and how our children are being raised.  And the problem I will be referring to begins there.

Gratitude and thankfulness for the things we do for others is on the wane.  I am seeing it far too often in today's youth.   I can't tell you the number of times my husband and I have done things for family members that puts a strain on our pocketbook, only to receive no thanks.  What's worse is when we do get that telephone call, only to find out later that the caller had to be reminded to make it.  When that happens, it causes me to wonder if the response was genuine, or if it was only uttered to silence a harping parent.  However, if a child is raised right, a reminder shouldn't be necessary, even if the thanks you receive is only viewed as a duty.

I don't give gifts because I want gushing praise.  I don't expect anything, except that the recipient understand how much I love them, regardless of the size or cost of the gift.  A gift is an expression of how much that person means to me.  And the response I receive - a phone call or silence - may tell me how much I mean to that person.  Others I know have expressed the same disappointment and, sadly, this behavior is a heart problem.  As Charles Spurgeon once said, "For the most part, nothing is more easily blotted out than a good turn."

I don't expect others to shower me with gifts.  Money and things aren't important to me.  A simple card with a hand-written note, or a phone call just to let me know I am loved, lifts my spirits more than material things ever could.  They are ways of letting me know that I am important to that person, and they are more than enough.  But when the occasion to exchange gifts becomes a one-sided event with nothing in the way of reciprocation, it can be hurtful.  To draw once again from Charles Spurgeon, "The foal drains his mother, and then kicks her.  The old saying is, 'I taught you to swim, and now you would drown me,' and many a time it comes true. The dog wags his tail till he gets the bone, and then he snaps and bites at the man who fed him."  Spurgeon's metaphor describes the harshest response and, sadly, I have been the recipient of such heartlessness.  As I did with my children, my parents instilled in me a heart of gratitude, especially when it came to thanking others for their thoughtfulness.  But today's youth are either not being taught the proper response, or are, and just don't care.

So, with that thought in mind, let's move on to how God may feel about how we respond to the gifts He faithfully and continually bestows on us.  When His providence continues without fail, do we thank Him, or are we the "dog [that] wags his tail till he gets the bone, and then...snaps and bites" His gracious hand?  Do we even acknowledge the fact that, without Him, we couldn't draw a single breath?  When we rise in the morning, do we thank Him for giving us one more day?  As meals are being prepared, do we pause to consider that if He had not provided the ingredients, we would go hungry?  The roof over our head?  The clothes on our backs?  The job that guarantees our family will be cared for?  Even things as simple as the weather and His creation that surrounds us?  The bounties God pours out upon us are endless, yet how often do we thank Him for the simplest and most basic things?

Not often enough.  And I am just as guilty as the rest who daily fail to recognize His magnificent beneficence.

What is even more astounding is the fact that God provides life and its necessities even for those who hate Him:

"For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."

 (Matthew 5:45)

Now that is definitely something worthy of serious thought!

But there's one difference between how we respond to gifts we receive from others and the response God desires when He gives them.  We may not get the thanks we think we should get, but we can live with it.  God, however, wants to be thanked for the gifts He daily pours out upon us.  He wants to be praised for His benevolence in giving the gift.  He wants to receive the glory He so richly deserves when we acknowledge that it is Him, and only Him, that makes the gift possible.  We were created for His glory, and God is greatly honored by our reciprocation and delights in it.  King David, as well as others, understood that God deserved all of our worship and praise for everything from deliverance from trials and tribulations to merely living and breathing.  The book of Psalms is replete with words of thanksgiving and are too numerous to mention here.  But here is one very small example that sums it up quite nicely:

"Praise the Lord!
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
    for His steadfast love endures forever!"

 (Psalm 106:1)

Throughout the entire Bible, men gave praise where praise was due, for they knew from whom it was the gift came.  Just a couple more examples:

"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 

(Matthew 7:11)

 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

 (James 1:17) 

  

When we receive gifts, although we desire it, there should be no overabundant expectation of thanks, especially in light of today's messed up civilization and the lack of parental guidance.  A hug and the simple words, "thank you," should be sufficient.  But with God, there is an expectation of thankfulness.  After all, He is the giver of all things and His greatest desire is that we acknowledge the tremendous love He has for man and all that He does for us.  When He honors us with a gift, whatever that gift may be, small or large, our response should be continual overwhelming gratitude.

The gifts we give our children and grandchildren are only material things that will not last.  But God the Father gave to mankind the ultimate gift that will last forever:  His Son Jesus Christ.  Through His death and resurrection, Jesus secured us a way back to the Father.  He is the Giver of Life, our Provider, our Protector, our Comforter, and the only way to have eternal life.  We may not receive much in the way of thanks from others, but our deep gratitude and sincere thankfulness to God should be such that there is never any question where we stand.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

 (1 Thessalonians 5:16)

 

There is an old song from Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, "Teach Your Children," that parents should take to heart.  By instilling in yourself and your child a heart of gratitude towards God and others, you will know they love Him and you.

May grace and peace, and a heart of gratitude, abound to all who have visited. 

 

 

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Editors note:  This was originally published in September, 2011, but is, unfortunately, relevant for today.  I hope my words are encouraging to parents and grandparents who may be facing the same problems.  If you are, give your children and grandchildren over to the LORD and travail in prayer for changed hearts.

In 1967, a R & B singer by the name of Aretha Franklin reintroduced a  song that quickly became a hit.  "Respect" was originally released by Otis Redding in 1965, but the two versions were uniquely different.  Redding's version, a blues tune, sang about a "desperate man" pleading with a woman to respect him.  Franklin's interpretation, which had a more up-beat tempo, impressed that she deserved respect, rather than begging for it, and the sexual connotations were evident in the lyrics, "sock it to me," that are sung over and over again. 

The song has been touted as a "landmark for the feminist movement" and has continued to be one of the genre's greatest hits.  In fact, Franklin's version continues to be profiled in movies and television, including Steven Spielberg's animated television series, "Tiny Toons" that was produced for children.  "Babs Bunny," the young female rabbit in the series, lip synchs the song as the rest of the cast back her up.  So much for healthy Saturday morning cartoons.

It is disturbing to think that the word "respect" has lost its original meaning, as is evident in the example above.  When one considers how it was implied in the song that bears its title, the definition of the word is no longer used in its proper context to direct one how to either apply it or receive it.  And I think it can be safely said that there is a general, overall disregard for the necessity of respect in today's culture, especially among our youth.  They are simply not being taught the original purpose of the word and the importance of putting it into practice.   Recently, I learned that lesson the hard way through a grandchild's bad behavior and disrespect, and it prompted me to write this.

Webster defines "respect" as having high regard or esteem for a particular person, idea, situation, or thing.  To be "respected" is to have others display esteem upon your person, indicating that the level  of authority you are conveying is worthy of the application.  Everyone wants respect, some demand it, but not all of us receive it, or even deserve it, for that matter.  It can also be said that we must earn respect, and this is accomplished by demonstrating to others something within us that is deserving of the honor.

However, if we take a Biblical look at the word and see how God applies it to all of us, it is possible that we find ourselves recognizing the error in our thinking and how we may have misinterpreted and misused the application of "earning" and applying respect.

One of the most troubling demonstrations of the lack of respect in our society, and a pet peeve of mine, is the refusal of young people to grant it to their elders and those of authority over them.  I don't need to detail the evidence.  It is glaringly obvious in every aspect of society, including the media, the internet, television, schools, and their behavior outside their homes.  There's not a lot of difference between the present and what it was like when Jeremiah lamented over the sins of Israel.  The youth had no respect for the elderly then, either (Lam. 5:12), and the elderly could no longer be found at the city gates where they taught and instructed them (Lam. 5:14).  Children still want to challenge the authority of their parents, their teachers, law enforcement, and even their church leaders who are attempting to guide them.  However, the degree to which they practice disrespect has grown exponentially since the 1960's and has become a serious problem as our youth wallow in "self".

In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus told the parable about two men, one a tax collector and the other a Pharisee, who had gone to the temple to pray.  The crowd that had gathered around Him to hear the lesson considered themselves to be "righteous" and "viewed others with contempt."  As Jesus told the parable, I've often wondered how many hearts understood what He was telling them.  The contrast between the self-righteous Pharisee and the repentant tax collector was vivid.  The LORD'S conclusion to His parable can also be applied to respect or the lack of it:  "...for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 

The "contempt" our children have for society, their parents, their grandparents, and others who have been placed in authority over them have thrust them into a position of "exalting" themselves over others.  It goes without saying that unless they are taught what true respect means, their attitude will never be replaced with a humble one.  If they are living in a home where the husband has no Godly love for his wife and she doesn't respect him (Eph. 5:33), if they are working in an environment where they have no respect for their employers or their job (1Peter 2:18-19), or if they have no regard for their nation and those God has put in place to govern them (1Peter 2:13-17), then we can expect them to continue to be disobedient and stay on a pathway to destruction.

When God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, the directive He gave in the fifth was aimed at the youth and included a blessing upon them if they followed it.  “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you."  (Ex 20:12).  Honoring parents and grandparents is a form of respect that is necessary for a healthy and spiritual well-being.  Without it, the child becomes selfish, disrespectful, insolent, manipulating, and demanding.  And as he matures, he will carry those qualities on into every aspect of his life and pass it on to his own children, to the detriment of society as a whole.

Proverbs were penned by King Solomon as a way to instruct his children in the ways of God.  The profound wisdom he impressed upon them would help them to mature into righteous and just men able to keep peace among his people, and the wisdom they would need to attain these things would be proved later in their lives.  As Prov 16:31 impresses, "Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life..." and, "The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old."  (Prov 20:29)  Young people need to be taught that what they mistakenly perceive to be their own fair-haired "wisdom" is nothing more than an immature and disobedient way of thinking and that those with more years and experience should be respected for what they can teach them.

It's time that parents, and even grandparents, started to demand the respect they have earned through a lifetime of experience and God-given wisdom.  If you were raised in a home like mine that taught you to respect your elders, even if you believed they weren't worthy of it, then you need to start teaching your children the same thing and enforcing the necessary discipline upon them when they don't.  When children are taught to REFLECT Jesus Christ, they will also earn the RESPECT they desire.

It's up to you to learn what Scripture can teach you about respect, not what the secular world and its music, videos, and literature want to impress upon you.  Recording artists Redding and Franklin got it wrong.  Get it right and then pass it onto your children and grandchildren.

It's Time To Grow Up, Christian

I thought the recent vampire mania that was mainly brought on by the "Twilight" books and movies was bad enough, luring even so-called "mature" Christians to wait with excited anticipation for the next sequel because of the "romance" that was depicted.   I shouldn't have to point out that it was spiritually unhealthy, demonic and, not to mention, it caused many misguided children and adults to act out the more sinister side of their imaginations by having their teeth surgically altered to reflect pointed fangs, taking on the practice of drinking blood, and actually biting others.

As the old saying goes:  garbage in, garbage out. 

For the last couple of years, another disturbing fad has been sweeping around the world.  Scores of people, mostly young adults, have embraced a fascination with Zombies, modeling themselves after the gory visage of the "walking dead" who are mysteriously "resurrected" from their graves and, with outstretched arms, stumble through the streets and malls pretending to seek and devour the brains (and other body parts) of the living.  It's a ridiculous trend and large groups of them have popped up everywhere.

To make matters worse, governments in certain countries, including our own, have seized the mania and used it in a tongue-in-cheek manner as a way to prepare society for a national emergency, or a "Zombie Apocalypse."  Precious tax dollars were recently wasted on a campaign initiated by the Department of Homeland Security because of the rash of natural disasters that the United States has experienced in the last decade, enlisting the aid of the Center for Disease Control who jokingly used the phrase to encourage Americans to put together "disaster kits" in the event that another should occur.  Mind you, I see nothing wrong with preparing oneself for an emergency, but when it happens, no one is laughing.

Hollywood continues to pump out low budget, B-rated Zombie movies to "entertain" movie-goers and pad their already bulging pockets with cash from the easily entertained.  Toy store shelves sport Zombie action figures that lure the eyes of children and their imaginations into the occult and darkness.  And there are dozens of websites that shill everything from "Zombie Apocalypse" preparedness books and kits, to the top 10 vehicles that are designed to withstand such an assault. 

Unfortunately, there is also no shortage of the use of the term "Zombie" in Christian literature and Christian blogs whose authors borrow the term "undead" to describe the condition of many of today's churches.  If you're interested in how it's applied to a sermon or exhortation, Google it.   Granted, they are correct in their assumption, but I'm sure that Scripture could provide them with a more eloquent and affective way of describing their sorry state.

On February 11th of this year, a hacker was able to infiltrate a Montana television station and "alert" its viewers that "dead bodies were rising from graves in different counties of the state" and "attacking the living."  It was reported that at least four viewers believed the story and called local police to investigate.
 
In June of 2012, the Westboro Baptist bunch protested outside Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state.  Among those who protested the appearance of Westboro Baptist was a group dressed like Zombies, some holding signs that said, "God loves everyone."  A "bloodied" woman who was interviewed stated, "Jesus wasn't a hateful person.  He loved everybody."   Were their genuine Christians among the protesters?  That's a good question, but it will have to remain unanswered, merely because there was no one there who demonstrated Christ-likeness.  Dressing up like a Zombie and speaking of the Savior is a bit of an oxymoron.  However, if there were true believers present, dressing like a ghoul probably didn't leave much of an impression on Westboro, or alter their ideals, other than to confirm in their depraved minds what they believe and represent.

I could add more of this nonsense, but I think you get my drift.  It's a "brainless" (no pun intended) and Godless activity and I'm not looking forward to the next demonic fad that hits the streets.

Naysayers will tell me that I'm an old stick in the mud, that this new craze is only temporary until the next one comes along, that "kids" are only having fun, and that I should lighten up a little.  I will be the first to admit that as I was growing up, my vivid imagination conjured up various forms of play to entertain me and my friends, and some of it came from the old horror movies we watched at the local theater which, by the way, were tame and almost laughable, compared to the special effects today's Hollywood is capable of producing.  But I was a child then, and what should be ignorant child's play is being acted out in this day and age by adults.  As we physically mature, so should our intellect, reason, and logic.  At least, that's what should happen.  Instead, an alarming number of this coddled and pampered generation refuses to grow up.  They seek after any form of entertainment to fill their vacant lives.  They view the world and their future through the eyes of the Zombie they're pretending to be: fixed, vacuous, mindless, and void of true and meaningful life.  Even professing Christians will say that it's all innocent fun, or that they're able to watch unwholesome television and movies and overlook sinful behavior because, after all, it's just entertainment.  In other words, they are trying to convince us that, while involving themselves in these things, they are capable of separating their hearts and minds from the world and the smut it has to offer.  They must be pretty special, because when I see images and hear things that disturb me, they stick to me like glue.

Is it any wonder that our society and the church is seriously messed up?

If the Apostle Paul was living in the world today, I am confident he would build upon his exhortation to the Corinthians, when he told them, "Brothers, do not be children in your thinking.  Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature."  (1Cor 14:20).  The nonsensical babbling that was occurring in the church at the time, or what is grossly misinterpreted by our charismatic friends as "speaking in tongues," was no less disruptive then us watching today's adults gather to immaturely playact like children.  Their behavior defies any level of maturity, causing me to wonder if they ever will grow up.  Factor in that the source of things like vampires and Zombies rises from the occult, a creation from dark and sinister minds, and have no redeeming quality that can benefit Christians.

When I consider the dire seriousness of mankind's eternal destination, the last thing I want to do is make a joke of it.  The whole notion behind vampires and Zombies, who are the "undead" who rise from their cold, dark graves and are never at rest for eternity unless they are beheaded (or done in by other violent methods), is insidious and flies in the face of the truth of the Gospel.  The trend should be avoided by every Christian who views the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the blessed hope that we also will be resurrected to an eternal life full of rejoicing and peace.  If you don't believe that we should avoid these kinds of fads, check out Google images , and for a real "thrill," these from Zombie fan clubs:  The Last Supper and Zombie Jesus

Pretty offensive for those of us who love Jesus Christ, aren't they?  Do you see the point I'm trying to make?

Without repentance, belief, and faith in the One Who secured reconciliation with the Father and eternal life for us, there are dead men walking the mean streets of today's world, and there certainly will be those in hell who are "undead," and who will stumble blindly in torment for all eternity.  And believe me, it won't be child's play.  There won't be any chance to go home, clean off all the fake gore, and reenter your normal every day routine.  Our departure here in this life means that our souls will leave our earthly bodies, and those who are in Christ will be given a glorified (beautiful, perfect, sinless) body.  But those who remain unbelieving and unrepentant, their bodies will rise from the grave to be reunited with the soul and be cast into utter darkness and torment.  It will be genuine horror, and it will be permanent.  (Rev 20:11-15)

But it doesn't have to be that way.  Jesus Christ purchased our salvation by becoming our substitute and taking upon Himself God's punishment that we deserved for our sinfulness.  He died and then He rose from death.  Not to remain "undead," but to be resurrected unto life so that we also may have true life - and that life, eternal.

"When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.  For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."  ~ 1Cor 3:11-12

If you're a Christian reading this, one who still plays dress up, it's time to grow up and forever end your "childish ways."  Stop playacting and start living out your profession of faith in Jesus Christ.

He was serious.  It's time you were, too.

   


    

Newtown, Connecticut and the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Why is it so difficult for some to acknowledge that man, from the first man, Adam, until today, is fallen from grace, depraved, wicked, evil, and quite capable of the grossest offense?

And why, when atrocious crimes are committed against innocent people, does the question, "Why would God allow this?" continually arise?

I know the answer to both questions.  And it's not as difficult as one would assume.

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ~ Genesis 6:5, ESV

We live in a depraved world; a world that's becoming more and more wicked with each collective breath.  Every human being is guilty of total depravity.  The crux of the problem is that the majority attempt to justify living outside of God's righteous standards.  When atrocities like the one that took place yesterday in Newtown, Connecticut occur, man begins pointing the finger away from the true cause -  himself - and assigns psychological labels, prescribes psychotropic drugs to numb emotions and control behavior, and goes so far as to blame an inert, ineffective object that is incapable of such horror without a human mind initially concocting the scenario and activating the mechanism that brings destruction...and unimaginable grief.

"Evil does not exist within a gun.  It exists in the minds and hearts of those who pull the trigger for evil purposes." ~ From The Soldier's Sanctuary 

Twenty children and six adults are dead.  They are dead not because our freedoms allow us to legally own and carry guns, but because a twenty-year old man influenced by a sinful society void of values and fast becoming a moral-less community, took that inanimate object and pulled the trigger.  When he was done, he turned the gun on himself, adding one more dead to the tally and ending the terror he brought to Newtown, Connecticut.

"How many today will ask, 'Why is such evil flourishing in our land?' Most will focus on 'sickness,' or guns, or anything but the real issue." ~  Dr. James R. White

Americans are in shock and wanting answers.  Who can blame us?  The majority of the victims were children between the age of five and ten years old.  Their peers heard the gunshots and the screams of the injured and dying and for a long time to come, they will go to their beds with the echoes and the images playing over and over again in their little minds.  Their parents will draw them close and comfort them the best way they know how.  And parents all across the country will briefly pay closer attention to their own children.  Many may even reconsider home schooling, instead of a secular public school environment.

Psychologists and psychiatrists will see an increase in business as they ineffectively attempt to quell the nightmares and provide the victims with their brand of secular and worthless counseling.

Following the shooting, politicians and special interest groups wasted no time finding the first news camera, grabbing the opportunity to grandstand and proclaim the time has come to end all gun ownership.

In the days, weeks, and months to come, debates will be held, tempers will flare, lawsuits will inevitably be filed for any reason the ambulance chasers can create to line their pockets, and many will feel threatened by an all-too intrusive government that is, in itself, as depraved as the men and women who elected them.  The violence is already being called a "tipping point" to stricter gun control, and a "dichotomy" between the right to bear arms and the ill-perceived right of others to take that freedom from us.  The circumstances surrounding this incident have opened up a window of opportunity for the liberal left, and they expect and demand their President follow through with his promise to "take meaningful action."

Many will blame Hollywood and the unwholesome entertainment, for lack of a better word, that is created there.   The finger will be pointed at violent video games that our children spend time playing, declaring that they have become desensitized to violence and have no understanding that to pull the imaginary trigger is far different than pulling the hammer back on a real gun.

Yet, with all the outcries and the anger and the outrage, they will fail to come close to an answer without first recognizing from where the horror came.  And until that moment of acknowledgement arrives, we will continue to see an increase in violence such as we saw yesterday.

"The demons of violence and lawlessness are on the loose all across America - in Newtown, Connecticut….in Aurora, Colorado….in Oak Creek, Wisconsin….just as they were in Littleton, Colorado and at Virginia Tech in years gone by. But why? How is it possible that violent crime in the United States has surged by more than 460 percent since 1960?

"The answer is as painful as it is simple: the further we turn away from God in our nation -- the further we drive Him out of our society, out of our schools and courts, and out of our media and out of our homes, or the more we give mere lip service to religion, the more men are 'holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power' (2 Timothy 3:5) -- the worse things are getting." ~ Joel Rosenberg

There is your answer.  I told you it was simple.  But will you believe it?  And if so, what will you do about it?

It is a given that prayers abounded for the victims and their families. If my Facebook page was a good indication, the world responded overwhelmingly.  But perhaps the most telling are the posts that portray how God is viewed in our society.  As Joel Rosenberg stated, we have done all we can possibly do, short of outlawing religion and imprisoning Christians, to remove God from nearly every aspect of our culture.  And the most evident place of His removal is in our schools.

Neil Cavuto interviewed Mike Huckabee on his FoxNews program, asking the question that far too many ask: "How could God let this happen?"  Huckabee's response echoed that of Joel Rosenberg:

“ 'We ask why there’s violence in our schools, but we have systematically removed God from our schools.  Should we be so surprised that schools would become a place of carnage? Because we’ve made it a place where we don’t want to talk about eternity, life, what responsibility means, accountability. That we’re not just going to have to be accountable to the police if they catch us, but one day we stand before a holy God in judgment.  If we don’t believe that, then we don’t fear that,” said Huckabee.  He added, 'Maybe we ought to let (God) in on the front end and we wouldn’t have to call Him to show up when it’s all said and done at the back end.' ”

Today's headlines scream "Search For Answers Begins As Nation Mourns."  Instead, the headlines should read, "Search For Jesus Christ Begins As Nation Mourns."  It's time that Christians start giving the singular answer to the world's question, and do so with boldness and without fear of persecution.

"And He [Jesus] said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.' " ~ Mark 16:15-16, ESV

Christians need to put away the thinking that they are not equipped to witness to this debauched world.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." ~ Romans 1:16, ESV

Do Christians bear a certain responsibility for the massacre yesterday?  That's a pretty hard question, but I believe that, to a degree, we do.

How often do we go out of our comfort zone to witness to others?   Most people surround themselves with others who are of the same mind, have the same interests, even resembling those we associate with in dress, style, preferences, and the like.  We keep in our tight little circles, speaking Christianeese to each other, post our encouragements on social websites, and even mindlessly fail to sit next to a newcomer to our church.  We may reach into our pockets and pull out a dollar for a wretch on the street.  But do we sit down with them and tell them about Jesus Christ?  Are we doing all that we can to further His kingdom?  Although I don't know the answer, did anyone reach out to the Lanza family?  

By refusing to stand up for Christ is admitting we love Him less than we ought, making our shame glaringly overt and events like that of yesterday more probable.  The Word of God is available to every thinking, speaking creature on this planet.  It's time for proclaiming Christians to dust off the Bible, learn from it, and begin telling a dead and dying world of Jesus Christ, the One Who holds all Hope for humanity.

"Look forward, look onward and forward to the end! Your best things are yet to come.  Time is short.  The end is drawing near.  The latter days of the world are upon us.  Fight the good fight.  Labor on.  Work on. Strive on.   Pray on.  Read on.  Labor hard for your own soul’s prosperity.  Labor hard for the prosperity of the souls of others.  Strive to bring a few more with you to heaven, and by all means to save some.  Do something, by God’s help, to make heaven more full and hell more empty.  Speak to that young man by your side, and to that old person who lives near to your house.  Speak to that neighbor who never goes to a place of worship.   Speak to that relative who never reads the Bible in private, and makes a mockery of serious religion.  Entreat them all to think about their souls.  Beg them to go and hear something on Sundays which will be for their good unto everlasting life. Try to persuade them to live, not like the beasts which perish, but like people who desire to be saved.  Great is your reward in heaven, if you try to do good to souls. Great is the reward of all who confess Christ before others." ~ J.C. Ryle

Perhaps if a Christian had reached out to Adam Lanza and his family, twenty children and seven adults would still be alive.  I know in my heart of hearts where those children are.  The tears have been wiped from their eyes, the echoes of the terror and the images they experienced are gone forever, and they are held for all eternity in the safe arms of their Savior and their God Jesus Christ.

"Refrain from undue weeping, for they shall come again from the land of their captivity. Thy dead ones shall live again. Mother of mortals, thou didst well to weep; but thy children live, so that thou art the mother of immortals; then, why canst thou sorrow? Dry thine eyes, and bless God that thou hast another link with heaven, and that thou hast helped to fill the choirs that, day without night, circle the throne of God with hallelujahs." ~ C.H. Spurgeon

What troubles me most, however, is that I also suspect where Adam Lanza is spending eternity, and it's not a comforting thought.  He made a choice to serve Satan and allowed himself to be manipulated into committing an evil that far surpasses our understanding.

"Murderers themselves arise from the evil passions of the human heart. If the fire was not there temptation could not fan it to a flame. Is it not because men love themselves better than their neighbours that they commit murder?" 

"Murder is but hate ripened into deed; and therefore the least degree of hate is a violation of the command, 'Thou shalt not kill.' ” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

There is a place reserved for all law breakers, not just those who take another life...

"Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted." ~ 1Timothy 1:8-11, ESV

...and the world needs to know and understand this.  Like Paul, all Christians have been entrusted with the Gospel, and all have been commanded to give it.

I'm praying that among the families of these victims are many Christians who know and cling to the promise Jesus made.  They will still grieve over their loss, but they will be comforted and given peace by the only One able to give it.  One day, they will be reunited with their loved ones in glory and all the depravity and wickedness of this world will finally be over.

Until that day arrives, we would all do well to remember the apostle Paul's charge to Timothy:

"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.  As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." ~ 2Timothy 4:1-5, ESV

As stated at the beginning, while we draw closer to our LORD'S return, we will see an increase in wickedness.  America doesn't hold exclusive rights to the escalation of violence we are experiencing.  The evidence of it can be found all around the world, if one opens their eyes and takes a moment out of their busy schedule to look.  Even the violence perpetrated against children isn't confined solely to Newtown Connecticut, as this article demonstrates.

Needless to say, even though a knife and not a gun was used in this attack on Chinese children, the reporter states that it is giving more "fodder to both sides of the gun control debate."  The problem with this assumption is that the writer of the article can't see beyond his prejudices.  Until he does, the difference between a knife and a gun and the person wielding them will remain unanswered.

What can often be considered short-lived outrage over crimes committed against innocents should not be limited to what happens inside our own borders.  It should extend to all mankind, and so should the Gospel of Jesus Christ be spread abroad to all nations.  Unless we rouse ourselves from our lethargic indifference over how God is received in our society - accompanied by our occasional bursts of outrage over circumstances that violate our own accepted standards of behavior - we will have no effect on the lost.

The consequences of Adam Lanza's actions spread much farther than a small Connecticut community.  He had a father and a brother who must suffer through the hatred and condemnation I am sure is being thrown their way, in spite of the fact they had no immediate control of the situation.  They, too, will have to bury their dead.  They, too, will grieve and mourn for the ones they lost.  But, maybe, just maybe, someone will approach them and give them the answer they also seek, and the peace and comfort they long for will be given, as well. 

I think Robbie Parker, the father of six year old Emily Parker who lost her life in her classroom, understands this.  In his television statement, Mr. Parker encouraged others to pray for the Lanza family, reminding everyone they have also lost and will also grieve.

There is only one answer to the opening questions; only one viable solution for fallen man:  Jesus Christ and His Gospel of Salvation.

Go out into the world and give it.  Tell people about their God and His desire for all men to believe in His Son and to receive salvation.  Who knows.  Maybe the insanity we found ourselves in will be minimized if our nation returns to being a God-fearing society and allows Him back into our public institutions and, more importantly, into our lives.