Horror and Hope in Newtown

Last Friday reporters began breaking the horrific reports of 20 children and 6 adults murdered at a school in Newtown, Conneticut.  More and more details are coming out of how and why a disturbed young man would kill his mother and then commit such a horrific crime.
 
At times like this it's easy for people to look for someone or something to blame, or to make rash statements of what needs to be done by our govern-ment to curtail such violence.   Perhaps it would be good for us to take a step back and remember the words of our Lord Jesus who said, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander." (Matt. 15:19)   It's what goes on in the heart of a person that produces their behaviors.

Scripture reveals that murder began in the heart of Satan.  Jesus said, "He (the devil) was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him," (John 8:44b).  Satan used the murder weapon of sin to bring death into the Garden of Eden, and inspired Cain
to kill his brother  (Gen. 3:1-6,4:8, 1 John 3:12).

We ask why would anyone want to kill innocent children?  When we walk through the pages of Scripture and of history we find accounts of Satan
working through people to kill infants and children.
   1.  Pharoah, motivated by fear and hatred, gave the order for all       
        Israelite male babies to be murdered by the midwives  when   
       they were born.  However, the midwives feared God and loved
        life and disobeyed Pharoah.  He was so angry he ordered all the
        Egyptians to murder baby boys to throw them into the Nile river.
        (Ex. 1:15-22).
   2.  King Herod was motivated by jealousy and a fear of losing power and
         tried to find out where the Christ child was born so he could murder
         Him.  The wise men and Joseph were warned by God of Herod's
         intent and acted to protect the baby Jesus so Herod didn't succeed in 
         murdering Him.  However, in a rage inspired by Satan, "he gave
         orders to kill all the boys in Bethelehem and its vicinity who were two
         years old and under," (Matt. 2:16b).  The prophet Jerimiah had pro-
         phecied this murderous event in Jer. 31:15.  The weeping and mourning
         of parents and loved ones in that community was like the weeping and
         mourning of parents and loved ones in Newtown, CT. 
   3.  Ancient and modern history has recorded many atrocities against
        humanity that include the killing of children and even the unborn.
        a. When Titus destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD. multitudes of children
             were among the murdered.
        b. Hitler rounded up over 6 million Jews and had them murdered. 
            Many of them were children.  Today, President Assad in Syria is
            unleashing his military on his own people including children.
        c. Muslim terrorists kill innocent children as a part of the "holy war"
            they are waging against "unbelievers" (Jews and Christians).
        d. Mass murders in recent years at schools such as Columbine in
            Colorado, and Virginia Tech, and Red Lake High School in
            Minnesota, or the Amish schoolhouse  massacre in Pennsylvania,
            and now 20 children at Sandy Hook elementary in Newtown.
        e. Let's not forget to mourn the millions of abortions that have
           taken place since abortion was legalized.  Over 1 million
           legalized abortions take place in the U.S. every  year.  That is over
          2800 per day.  Oh that our leaders and nation would mourn for
           the babies that died by abortion each and every day as we mourn the
           tragic deaths of the 20 children in this horrible shooting.

This horrific act and those like it are inspired by Satan and demons gaining influence into peoples lives and their thoughts, so they become destroyers.
The doors can be opened to demonic activity in a child's life through sinful and destructive influences.  Parents, grandparents, and mentors of children must be vigilant.

In view of Satan's desire to destroy children, what must we do?  
   1.  Love the children in a way that helps them feel and believe
        they are trully valuable to God and to us.  This means being  
        involved with them as parents and grandparents so we are in tune
        with what is really going on within them and we express love in ways
        that result in them feeling loved and valued.  God's love is always more
        powerful than hatred.  The Lord Jesus loved children and interacted in
        a way that made them feel and experience His love (Mark 10:13-16)
   2. Protect our children and grandchildren.  We must do our part to
        be vigilant about the influences in their lives.  Who are their friends?
        What are they watching, listening to, or playing?  There are video games
        and movies, books and media that can open them to demonic influ-
        ences that distorts their thinking and will desensitize them so they lose
        their ability to feel and show compassion.  The shooter at Sandy Hook
        hardened his heart long before beginning his murderous rampage.  
        Scripture warns us "Do not give the devil a foothold." (Eph. 4:27).  A 
        person who commits such acts has been giving the devil and demons
        a stronghold in their lives so they begin to take on the nature of the evil
        one.  We as parents must love our children enough protect them from
        influences that will open their minds to the influence of demons.
   3. Pray consistently for God to deliver our children and grand-
        children from evil and the schemes of the evil one.  One of the
        requests in the Lord's prayer is "deliver us from evil (the evil one)." My
        wife and I pray regularily for God to deliver our children and grand-
        children from the destructive schemes of the devil and his demons.
   4.  Trust God and look forward to the future with hope in Jesus
         Christ.  The book of Revelation  was written to encourage Christians
         when we are facing the evil of this world system.  In it the Lord reveals
         a day is coming in which He as the Judge of the universe will judge evil
         and the evil one and those who have followed his murderous ways.  I
         would encourage you to read through the book of Revelation, not
         fearing the future, but looking for the words of encouragement
         and promises the Lord gives believers living in difficult days. 
         (Rev. 21:1-8, 22:1-17, 20b-21).  In Rev. 22:20 the Lord promises, "Yes, I
         am coming soon."  John's reply to that is "Amen, Come, Lord Jesus. 
         The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people." There is hope for us
         and those in Newtown who put our confidence in the Lord Jesus as
         our Lord and Savior.