Shooting, Massacre, Tragedy

Perhaps you have heard about the recent shooting that happened, CNN reported "A heavily armed gunman attacked an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater early Friday, tossing tear gas before opening fire on the terrified audience and killing 12 and wounding 38, authorities said."

You must know that anytime these sort of things go on we have to know that it's the handy work of the devil. You see the devil comes to do harm but the Lord comes to heal. Yes it's true that God has sovereign control over all things, but it's important to remember that God is not the source of tragedy.

John 10:10-11 says, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep."

Jesus is the Author of life and laid down His life for us so we can be saved and be with Him forever. We don't understand how or why this evil stuff happens but we know it's from the enemy. Some people become angry at God, but we must not trade in what we know to be true for what we don't know. We know that God is a good God, that He is loving, gentle, compassionate, merciful, forgiving. So based on what we know about Him and have experienced with Him, we know that we can trust Him.

The enemy seeks to get us to point the finger at someone and try to blame someone for the evil going on in the world today. But we are the ones to blame, we through Adam brought sin and suffering and death into the world. It was the devil that thief that came to destroy us in the Garden of Eden and tempted Adam to rebel against God, but Jesus came to undo all of that. Jesus came to give us life, and to rescue us from death. Jesus came to heal our broken hearts. Our only hope, and peace can be found in Jesus.

"Tragic events remind us not only that we live in an imperfect and fallen world, but that there is a God who loves us and wants something better for us than the world has to offer." (http://www.gotquestions.org/meaning-in-tragedy.html). Jesus is coming back soon, and will one day put a stop to all that it wrong. But when people are suffering, it then becomes our responsibility to minister to them, care for them, pray for them, and comfort them.

I would encourage you to join us today to pray for these people and for their family. Pray for healing, for physical, mental, emotional, and most importantly spiritual healing. Pray for their salvation if they don't know God. Pray that as you encounter this type of stuff in the news daily that you can use it to point people to Jesus. Pray that the Lord will come back soon.

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In the video below Mark Cahill asks the question "What if you were at Virginia Tech?" to university students at their chapel. This is a very sobering message, and will encourage you to share the Gospel. (MarkCahill.org)

You're Invited

Do you know that there are people who are just waiting for an opportunity to give their life to the Lord?

Did you know that salvation is a two-sided thing? You see, on God's part it consists in giving something, and on our part it consists in receiving something, but the thing given by God and received by us is not a thing at all, but a person [1]. To be saved you must trust in the finished work of Jesus (John 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4), and invite Jesus to come into your life (John 1:12-13).

"And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5:11-12.

Here are just a few examples of Invitations given to us from God in the Bible:

• Genesis 3:9 - "Where are you?"
• Joshua 24:15 - "Chose this day whom you will serve."
• Joel 2:32, Acts 2:21, Romans 10:13 - "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'
• Isaiah 1:18 - "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD.
• Matthew 11:28 - Jesus said, "Come to me" 
• Matthew 22:1-14 "Come, for all things are now ready." The Parable of the Great Supper
  
• Luke 14:15–24  "For many are called". The Parable of the Wedding Feast
  
• John 7:37-39 - Jesus said "If any man thirst let him come unto Me and drink"
• Acts 2:14-38 - 5000 responded to the invitation by Peter to receive Jesus as their Lord.
• Revelation 3:20 - "If anyone hears My voice and opens the door." He only comes in by invitation.
• Revelation 22:17 - "And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely."

Can you see that you are invited to have a relationship with Jesus? Maybe you already have one, but are you inviting others to also have a relationship with Jesus? It's not about giving an altar call, but an invitation to people to come to Christ. Share the Gospel and leave the results up to God.

If you are a Pastor or a Bible Teacher then for more encouragement please listen to these two audio messages from two Calvary Chapel Pastors:

• "Giving an Evangelistic Message" by Greg Laurie   
• "Pulpit Evangelism" by Bob Coy 

1. RA Torrey. How to Promote and Conduct a Successful Revival: With Suggestive Outlines, Quoted by H.W. Pope, Decision-Day in the Sunday School. Page 84.