There is no point in asking why. At no point will we say, "Ohhhhh, THAT'S why that guy murdered 20 sweet babies and several of their caretakers!"
But I want to tell you a couple things. In my Bible Study, I try to give one encouragement and one challenge. I think we should start with the encouragement, don't you? We all need it.
God is "Jehova Rapha"...God Our Healer.
“If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord
your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His
commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases
on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.” - Exodus 15:26
Some names of God are ones that were assigned to Him by people who experienced Him in a unique way. This one, He gave Himself. He wanted us to know that He is the Healer, whether we'd experienced it yet or not.
Trust me, my dear friends. You are currently being healed. The minute the horrific tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary struck, God began the healing process.
You do not feel it, you cannot see it. You probably don't think it will ever happen for you, let alone for those poor parents of those children.
But, God is in the business of healing. One definition of "Jehova Rapha" is that He Restores Us. If God can do the impossible and restore a fallen race of man to their Holy Heavenly Father, He can heal you from the senseless evil in the world. Our hearts may have a scar, but we will heal.
I won't go on. You need to grieve and be sad. But, please, if it helps at all...know that even as you grieve you are currently being healed. The only thing that would stand in the way is your own anger toward God. Let Him heal. And be patient.
God is Emmanuel....God With Us.
I hate to do this to you. But I have a challenge. The name Emmanuel was given in a prophecy regarding Christ's birth. "God"..."with us"...was an incredible concept to the Israelites, who had to contain God (in a sense) in the Holy of Holies for fear of being struck dead at the sight of Him.
There is alot of public outrage against our schools for the "lack of God in our schools". I get it. Trust me. I fight it on a daily basis. My kids don't want to pray or share their faith because they think they are not allowed to do it. My husband and I are constantly working to correct that notion.
Right now...in the wake of grotesque tragedy...is not the time for Christian Indignance. Its time for Christian Compassion. Write your school administrators and teachers and let them know you are praying for them. They are having a tough tough time. Most are good people.
But the real challenge is this. If God is "With Us", then He is in our schools. If we are going to assign blame by saying that there is no God in our schools, then we need to shoulder some of that responsibility for not letting God show THROUGH US in our schools.
If you are a Believer and have set foot in a public school...God is in that school.
I am NOT trying to assign blame. Again, we will never know why this happened. But instead of defaming good people who are also grieving, and throwing our hands up as if helpless to ever see God in our schools again, lets do something!
Take this tragedy and do NOT let evil have the last word. Set foot in your kids' schools and let God show!
I am having a hard time abiding this notion that "God is not allowed in our schools". What?!? When, in the history of mankind, has the Supreme Ruler of the Universe ever cowed in fear at the Laws of Man? Do you think there is a piece of legislation anywhere that will keep God from advancing His Kingdom? If this notion were valid, the Middle East would not enjoy the many many conversions to Christ that it is currently experiencing. China would not have an ever-expanding labyrinth of underground churches. Christendom, as a movement, would have died before it even began. The traditional seat of Christianity is in Rome...at the time of Paul's imprisonment in Rome, Christianity was spreading like wildfire in a completely Pagan city that used Believers as Gladiator-bate.
Do laws expand God's Kingdom? No. People do. HIS people.
Christians, I love you, but wake up. You are living in a dream world if you think prayer is going to be established in school again. You are refusing to acknowledge major portions of Scripture if you think the world is somehow going to become easier for followers of Christ.
I want all the things you want. But, lets face it, establishing some sort of public prayer in school just means that a bunch of people will spit out a prayer without any personal relationship with Jesus. Our seemingly lofty aspiration is really a temporary, earthly one. Its relying on the government to "fix things" by legislating morality. Its lazy. Its beneath...way beneath...God's calling for our lives to "shine like stars in the universe...in a crooked and deperaved generation" (paraphrase of Phillipians 2:15)
WE...our message...the hope we hide in our heart where no one can see it...can turn the tide in this nation! But who is willing to make a stand? And, no, I don't mean the kind of stand where you picket with angry signs in front of a courthouse. This kind of stand...
"For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for the salvation of souls." Romans 1:16
Its time to stop hoping for Revival. Its time to go past praying for Revival.
Its time to BE the Revival.
How? Hm...sounds like a Yankee Peach series to me...
Some names of God are ones that were assigned to Him by people who experienced Him in a unique way. This one, He gave Himself. He wanted us to know that He is the Healer, whether we'd experienced it yet or not.
Trust me, my dear friends. You are currently being healed. The minute the horrific tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary struck, God began the healing process.
You do not feel it, you cannot see it. You probably don't think it will ever happen for you, let alone for those poor parents of those children.
But, God is in the business of healing. One definition of "Jehova Rapha" is that He Restores Us. If God can do the impossible and restore a fallen race of man to their Holy Heavenly Father, He can heal you from the senseless evil in the world. Our hearts may have a scar, but we will heal.
I won't go on. You need to grieve and be sad. But, please, if it helps at all...know that even as you grieve you are currently being healed. The only thing that would stand in the way is your own anger toward God. Let Him heal. And be patient.
God is Emmanuel....God With Us.
I hate to do this to you. But I have a challenge. The name Emmanuel was given in a prophecy regarding Christ's birth. "God"..."with us"...was an incredible concept to the Israelites, who had to contain God (in a sense) in the Holy of Holies for fear of being struck dead at the sight of Him.
There is alot of public outrage against our schools for the "lack of God in our schools". I get it. Trust me. I fight it on a daily basis. My kids don't want to pray or share their faith because they think they are not allowed to do it. My husband and I are constantly working to correct that notion.
Right now...in the wake of grotesque tragedy...is not the time for Christian Indignance. Its time for Christian Compassion. Write your school administrators and teachers and let them know you are praying for them. They are having a tough tough time. Most are good people.
But the real challenge is this. If God is "With Us", then He is in our schools. If we are going to assign blame by saying that there is no God in our schools, then we need to shoulder some of that responsibility for not letting God show THROUGH US in our schools.
If you are a Believer and have set foot in a public school...God is in that school.
I am NOT trying to assign blame. Again, we will never know why this happened. But instead of defaming good people who are also grieving, and throwing our hands up as if helpless to ever see God in our schools again, lets do something!
Take this tragedy and do NOT let evil have the last word. Set foot in your kids' schools and let God show!
I am having a hard time abiding this notion that "God is not allowed in our schools". What?!? When, in the history of mankind, has the Supreme Ruler of the Universe ever cowed in fear at the Laws of Man? Do you think there is a piece of legislation anywhere that will keep God from advancing His Kingdom? If this notion were valid, the Middle East would not enjoy the many many conversions to Christ that it is currently experiencing. China would not have an ever-expanding labyrinth of underground churches. Christendom, as a movement, would have died before it even began. The traditional seat of Christianity is in Rome...at the time of Paul's imprisonment in Rome, Christianity was spreading like wildfire in a completely Pagan city that used Believers as Gladiator-bate.
Do laws expand God's Kingdom? No. People do. HIS people.
Christians, I love you, but wake up. You are living in a dream world if you think prayer is going to be established in school again. You are refusing to acknowledge major portions of Scripture if you think the world is somehow going to become easier for followers of Christ.
I want all the things you want. But, lets face it, establishing some sort of public prayer in school just means that a bunch of people will spit out a prayer without any personal relationship with Jesus. Our seemingly lofty aspiration is really a temporary, earthly one. Its relying on the government to "fix things" by legislating morality. Its lazy. Its beneath...way beneath...God's calling for our lives to "shine like stars in the universe...in a crooked and deperaved generation" (paraphrase of Phillipians 2:15)
WE...our message...the hope we hide in our heart where no one can see it...can turn the tide in this nation! But who is willing to make a stand? And, no, I don't mean the kind of stand where you picket with angry signs in front of a courthouse. This kind of stand...
"For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for the salvation of souls." Romans 1:16
Its time to stop hoping for Revival. Its time to go past praying for Revival.
Its time to BE the Revival.
How? Hm...sounds like a Yankee Peach series to me...
Very insightful. As a parent, I try to teach my children of God's goodness and love. God is with them when they walk into a classroom each day, and I am hopeful that His love shows through them through their actions. Compassion, love, kindness and much, much more. As adults, it is up to each one of us to let Him shine through us.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this. It is so true!
Thank you, Jenny! I think you are on to something by not just setting the bar at "get good grades in school kids", but asking them to be compassionate, loving, and kind people. Such a great example!
DeleteI love this.. although we are very lucky that our primary school is an academy and public (free) for all... They teach the true meaning of Christmas and put on a navitity as well as the true meaning of easter. .which does unsettle the non christian households. . But I try to teach the girls that being a Christian is a daily thing as well..and to encourage them to talk about church with their friends.. I think.it is important at the young age to start like this..
ReplyDelete