11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Oh, how my heart breaks today. In fact, the flag of my heart is at half-staff in the wake of another evil deed by one of the enemy's chief servants who massacred all those little kids in a Connecticut elementary school. Our prayers are with all those people in and around Newtown, CT.
Goodness! I try to put myself into those people's sandals, the parents, granparents, siblings and other loved ones of those who perished, just prior to Christmas. I think of the law enforcement officers and other first responders. None of them will sleep through the night for a long time. I mourn for the employees of that school, that community. Their world will never be the same. Really, none of us will ever fully recover from this tragedy in this life. Because of the heinous, senseless wickedness of this act, it is like the 9/11 of our decade. The enemy has attacked again, no turbans this time, but camouflage. Airplanes were used to change how we do things. Now semi-autos are being used to alter the landscape of how our institutions will operate. That never-really-safe feeling that we have all carried with us for the past 11 years has just been exacerbated.
What can we do? That will be the question asked on the 24/7 news outlets for a while to come. It will be argued in coffee shops and in congress. "Ban guns!" will surely be a common mantra, now more than ever. Others will call for more psychiatric control on imbalanced people. Is there an answer? Must our free society concede cherished rights to make our society safer?
The answer is what it has always been - Jesus is still the answer! EVERYBODY needs Jesus.
That phrase uttered by the angels at the appearance of God on earth so long ago almost seems to ring hollow today. But, if you think about it, they are more powerful than ever.
You see, mankind is fallen, depraved. The heart of man is desperately wicked and only evil continually. The only answer to this total depravity of every human heart is Jesus and the peace He brings when we say, "Come into my heart, Lord Jesus!" Goodwill proceeds from a redeemed heart which understands grace, love, mercy and forgiveness.
Christ came into this world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. Too bad this shooter never learned about the true meaning of Christmas. Too bad God was kicked out of schools 39 years ago.
But you have an opportunity right now to have true peace and goodwill. Trust Him while you can!
Gary, thank you for bringing us bank to the heart of America's need.
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