The "why" and "how" of Las Vegas - Bill Wilson -
I read a heart-wrenching story about a Martinsburg, WV woman who was killed during the Las Vegas massacre. She and her husband where shown kissing at the concert beforehand. They had saved up to attend. She died in his arms. There are families and friends of 59 others who were murdered and over 500 wounded or injured who will spend a lifetime trying to figure out the "why" such a thing happened. It is a horror, a senseless horror. Part of the "why" has to be that we live in an evil world and people who give in to evil are controlled by it. This guy, Stephen Paddock, obviously was influenced by satan to do such a brutal and horrendous act.
Paddock's brother was quoted as saying that Stephen was not affiliated with any politics or religion. The brother could not even venture a guess why Stephen would plan and execute such an act. There are a lot of theories, even conspiracy theories, populating the internet about Stephen Paddock's affiliations and a great deal of speculation as to why he would seek to kill so many innocent people. But there is one picture that is posted on pamelageller.com that speaks volumes to me if it is not photo-shopped. Pamela Geller traditionally has been a whistle-blower on Islam and is considered by many an excellent source of both facts and commentary, so I don't have reason to believe that the picture is a fake.
The picture shows Stephen Paddock and his girlfriend Marilou Danley protesting at an anti-Trump rally in Reno. He is in a pink NASA shirt wearing the pink vagina hat that became the trademark of radical anti-Trump protesters during the inauguration. Geller was able to get a screenshot of Paddock from a video that was posted on youtube. Youtube, however, has removed the video, saying it violated their policy on spam, deceptive practices and scams. I was able to find the footage on several other websites, including a youtube posting that wasn't removed. Notwithstanding, the photos and video appear legitimate after scouring several independent sources. Here is the point I am trying to make:
CNN Senior White House Correspondent Jeff Zeleny pointed out after President Trump made his remarks of condolence that most of the victims were country music fans and were likely Trump supporters. CBS Executive VP and Counsel Hayley Geftman-Gold said, "I'm not even sympathetic bc country music fans are often Republican gun toters." She was fired for her remarks. The hate rhetoric among the anti-Trump left has been so visceral and nonstop for so long that it is impacting the psyche of weak-minded people who live and die by it, and they are willing to act upon it. It is bad for the country and bad for individuals living here.
Remember in June the assassination attempt of Congressional Republicans by Illinois leftist James Hodgkinson, who wounded four and left Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) in critical condition? Hate-filled inflammatory rhetoric by Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, the ex-"president," Keith Ellison, Ashley Judd, Madonna, and so on, has people so stirred up that it was only a matter of time when a nut-case like Hodgkinson took matters into his own hands. I wrote at the time that Hodgkinson was not alone. Now Paddock. Who next? Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." The "why" is satan. The "how" are those who act out his ways.
Daily Devotion: The Mandalay Massacre - By Greg Laurie -
"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you." -1 Peter 4:12
A 64-year-old man armed with more than 10 rifles shot and killed 58 people in what is being called, "the largest mass shooting in U.S. history." Hundreds more were wounded.
The question that comes to mind at a time like this is. . . Why? Why did God allow such a horrible thing to happen?
A Barna Poll asked, "If you could ask God one question and you knew He would give you an answer, what would you ask?" The most common response was, "Why is there pain and suffering in the world?" If you are sharing the gospel, it won't be long before someone asks, "How could a God of love allow tragedy, pain, and suffering?" C.S. Lewis said that the "problem of pain is atheism's most potent weapon against the Christian faith." More people point to the problem of evil and suffering as their reason for not believing in God than any other. It is not merely a problem; it is the problem.
So, why does God allow tragedy? If God can prevent such terrible tragedies, why does He allow them to take place? Here's the classic statement of the problem: Either God is all powerful but not all good, and therefore He doesn't stop evil-or He's all good but not all powerful, and therefore He can't stop evil.
The general tendency, of course, is to blame God for evil and suffering, transferring all responsibility to Him. So let's look closer at the core question: If God is so good and loving, why does He allow evil?
The first part of this question is based on a false premise. People who express those words are essentially suggesting (or saying outright) that God must meet their own criteria of goodness. But who are they to set standards for God? When did they become the moral center of the universe? God isn't good just because that's my opinion of Him, or because I personally agree with His words or actions. God is good because He says He is! Jesus said, "No one is good-except God alone" (Luke 18:19 NIV).
God is good, whether I believe it or not. He and He alone is the final court of arbitration. As Paul said, "Let God be true, but every man a liar" (Romans 3:4 KJV). And what is "good"? Good is whatever God approves. And it's good because He approves it! "That's circular reasoning!" Well, maybe, but everything begins and ends with God. I think of it more as biblical reasoning. In Isaiah 1:18, God invites, "Come now, and let us reason together" (NKJV) or "Come. Sit down. Let's argue this out" (MSG). You see, God's thoughts are above our thoughts. There's no higher standard of goodness than God's own character-and His approval of whatever's consistent with that character. So God is good. Period.
Now let's come back to the second part of the question. Why does He allow evil?
Remember that mankind was not created evil. In their original state, Adam and Eve were innocent, ageless, and immortal. But from the very beginning-from the time that God gave life to Adam and Eve, man has had the ability to choose right or wrong. He made his choice (and then his choice made him!).
Had man never sinned, there would have been no resulting curse. But now it's too late. Romans 5:12 says, "When Adam sinned, sin entered the [entire human race]. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned" (NLT).
What this man in Las Vegas did is pure evil. The point to keep in mind here is that humanity-not God-is responsible for sin.
So why didn't God create human beings to be incapable of sin? If God hadn't given us a free will, we would merely be puppets on a string, remote-controlled robots that bow before Him at the touch of a button. God wants to be loved and obeyed by creatures who voluntarily choose to do so. Love cannot be genuine if there's no other option. You and I can choose to love God. And if we're realistic, we have every reason in the world to make that choice.
Most of us can accept the idea of suffering in general, especially when it happens as a consequence of bad behavior. When bad things happen to bad people it seems appropriate, fitting, understandable. So, its' not suffering that troubles us; it's undeserved suffering.
Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? Even more, why do bad things happen to godly people? There are times I just don't know why God does or does not do certain things. I, like you, am mystified by a lot of it. So here is my answer: I just don't know!
Listen: being a Christian does not mean you will not suffer. We may ask the question, "Why me?" but we could more easily ask, "Why not me?" As 1 Peter 4:12 tells us "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you" (ESV). Our trials and sufferings should not be seen as strange but expected. Jesus Himself assured us that there will be suffering in our lives: "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33 NKJV).
Here is what we need to know: we need to prepare for suffering. Suffering will come; it's not a matter of if, but when and how much.
As you read this, and you do not have any suffering or tragedy, I would say, "Rejoice, and enjoy it!" But know that hardship will come. Here is the bottom line: you are either coming out of a storm or headed into another. "People are born for trouble as readily as sparks fly up from a fire" (Job 5:7 NLT). It's just a matter of time. In this life, the only way to avoid suffering is to die. So like the diligent squirrel gathering nuts for winter, store these truths in your heart.
As Randy Alcorn says in his book If God Is Good, Why? "Most of us don't give focused thought to evil and suffering until we experience them. This forces us to formulate perspective on the fly, at a time when our thinking is muddled and we're exhausted and consumed by pressing issues. People who have "been there" will attest that it's far better to think through suffering in advance." In other words, be prepared ahead of time!
Our hearts go out to the families of those that were killed. We need to pray for them.
We thank God for the courageous first responders who are still on the scene. And we pray for the hundreds of wounded people. May God extend His comfort to them.
Events like this remind us that life is short and eternity is real and very close. This is why all of us should always be ready to stand before God. And the only way to be ready is by having put your faith in Jesus Christ.
Massacre in Las Vegas: Our Father Is Grieving with Us - By Jim Denison - http://www.christianpost.com/news/massacre-in-las-vegas-our-father-is-grieving-with-us-201305/
A gunman opened fire last night at a music concert in Las Vegas. More than fifty people were killed and more than four hundred were injured. This is the worst mass shooting in US history.
Here's what we know so far.
The Route 91 Harvest country music festival was taking place across the road from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, near McCarran International Airport on the south side of the Las Vegas Strip. The gunman opened fire from a perch high up in the Mandalay Bay casino.
Police are now confirming that the main suspect is dead. Stephen Paddock, age sixty-four, was a resident of Mesquite, Nevada. He was apprehended on the thirty-second floor of Mandalay Bay, where he died. Las Vegas Sheriff Joe Lombardo does not believe there are any more shooters.
Authorities just announced that they have located Marilou Danley, a woman who was traveling with Paddock before the shooting. The victims have not yet been identified. They include two police officers who were on duty and were shot. One is in critical condition. According to the sheriff, other officers who were off duty were shot and killed at the concert.
Our first question is whether this was an act of terrorism. Sheriff Lombardo told reporters that he did not believe it was. He added that "because it's an ongoing investigation, we don't know what his belief system was at this time," but the suspect has no known terrorist connections.
Not much else is known about Stephen Paddock at this hour. He was a white male and was not a military veteran. He had no criminal convictions in Nevada or run-ins with Mesquite police. He lived in a retirement community and apparently acted alone. Marilou Danley lived with him.
I am writing this Daily Article with a grieving heart, just as I am sure you are reading it in stunned disbelief and sadness as well. I hate that we live in a world where a single person can inflict such horrific pain. I hate that our world is so unpredictable that what happened last night in Las Vegas could happen anywhere at any time. I hate this feeling of impotence, this sense that we can do nothing to prevent such atrocities from continuing. I know you feel the same way.
But I also know that our Father is grieving with us.
The Creator of the universe is a Father who loves his children so much that his Son died for us (Romans 5:8). He feels all that we feel, including our pain and grief (John 11:35). "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted" (Psalm 34:18).
He wants us to "weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15), but he also wants us to do all we can to heal our broken world. If we give up, the criminals win. If we give up, Satan wins. He was "a murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44) who "comes only to steal and kill and destroy," but Jesus "came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10).
John Wesley: "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." Never give up. The more our world despairs, the more it needs the hope of Jesus.
One last word: When the shooting occurred, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman tweeted, "Pray for Las Vegas." Please do so, right now.
Las Vegas Terror - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com
An outdoor country western concert in Las Vegas turned deadly as a shooter rained down bullets on the crowd, leaving at least 58 dead and another 500 wounded or injured. Police found the suspected gunman, Stephen Paddock, on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel, cornered him and shot him dead. While little is known about Paddock, 64, at this time, it is not expected that he is part of any militant organization and he is considered a "lone wolf" shooter. He is a resident of Nevada. Authorities are seeking insight into what motivated Paddock to his hateful and deadly act. Prayers go out to those in Vegas.
Surely all the leftists will be demanding guns be taken away from the citizenry-which is their pat response to any violence involving a gun. Maybe they should look at the cities with the highest gun murder rates, and who is running those cities, and that these cities also have the most restrictive gun laws in the nation. The answer isn't banning guns. The answer goes far deeper than that. The atmosphere of the country has become violent. Television, movies, video games seem to be obsessed with death and violence. The political climate is also aggressively visceral. The news, as well as its reporters and commentators, is clothed in violence, strife, social envy, racism, bigotry, name calling, and incivility.
And so we have this picture of America and no one knows the number of people who cannot handle the pressure. They are empty, angry people, and no one knows who they are until they snap. They snap in many ways--Could be radical Islam where they are weaponized by hate and false religion; could be militant hate organizations brainwashing people to think and do awful things; could be just someone who is unstable and thinks and acts on the unthinkable. This is where we are today as a nation where we should be circumspect about where we go, how we go and what we do in public. Vegas is a reminder of the dark and dying world and the threat it is to living life in freedom and safety.
What is our answer to these types of events that are increasingly occurring? First, prayer. Then action. Jesus told us in Matthew 5:13-16, "You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. You are the light of the world...Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." As Christians, we cannot be looking inward and still be doing what the Lord expects of us. God's love overcomes hate, fear, trepidation. We can make a difference in this world by reaching out to others. If it results in changing just one person's life, it could save hundreds in many different ways-physically or spiritually. Share your salt and light with someone today.
Incitement - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com
In the days after the horrendous massacre of 59 people and wounding/injuring of over 500, the visceral rhetoric continues. Almost immediately, even before condolences and prayers were offered for the families and friends of the victims in Las Vegas, the drone of leftists calling for gun control could be heard loud and clear across the airwaves. "Disarm the public and there will be no more killing," they cry. We can look at Chicago, Baltimore, Washington, DC., Detroit, Los Angeles and numerous other places that have the most restrictive gun laws in the free world and they are among the highest in gun-related fatalities. Guns don't kill people, people using them do. But there is even a bigger problem. Incitement.
Celebrities and politicians of the left have pounded the airwaves and social media with extreme and aggressive comments calling for gun control. They are sarcastic, mean-spirited and demeaning to anyone who disagrees with their beliefs. This is a continuation of the same kind of rhetoric they have spewed forth since the election of Donald Trump as President. Anyone who disagrees with them is some sort of label from racist to bigot to misogynist to idiot. This rhetoric is pounded into people 24 hours a day, seven days a week on talk shows, news programs, social media, websites, emails and most any other form of communication. It has people so distraught, angry and edgy that it is the only thing many can talk about.
Whether it is Congressional shooter James Hodgkinson or mass killer Stephen Paddock or the next person who snaps, we as a nation have to be asking ourselves, "How much visceral can a person take?" How much negativity aimed at one group of people-Christian, conservative Americans-can a person take before they snap? How many words from Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Nancy Pelosi, Kathi Griffin, the ex-"president" Keith Ellison, Ashley Judd, Madonna, CNN, MSNBC, and others fill the container of hatred so much that it boils over in violence? What is the last full measure? Hodgkinson and Paddock knew, because they reached it. This incitement must end. These people must tone it down. This type of free speech has become akin to yelling "fire" in a crowded theatre.
George Washington, in his 1796 Farewell Speech, warned against divisions when he said, "The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations. With slight shades of difference, you have the same religion, manners, habits, and political principles." We should act as such. Jesus said in Mark 3:25, "And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand." There are ways to disagree without being disagreeable. As Christians, we know how Christ taught civility and solving our differences without hate and vulgarity. For the sake of our way of life and our eternal hope, let us first be an example of Christ in our discussions, and also call on everyone to tone down the rhetoric in this atmosphere of hate.
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