Monday, December 7, 2015

GOD WILL FIX THIS!

Dear friends,
           Another week has come and gone with yet another terrorist act, this time in California. Again we have watched with concern, compassion and not a little weariness the reports of the first responders and the reactions of those who were there and knew the injured or the dead. And again most of us have wondered what it all means for today and when it will happen again, because we know it will.
          One new wrinkle this time came in the criticism by elements of the press of those who said they were praying for the injured and families of the deceased and also for our nation. This provoked a brief debate about the propriety of expressing "thoughts and prayers" about the killings, and it was accompanied by the usual backlash over the state of America's gun laws.
          But this time the debate was ratcheted up a notch. A New York Daily News headline proclaimed, “God Isn’t Fixing This,” and referred to those expressing prayers as cowards who hid behind meaningless platitudes. The point of the News article was that prayer was merely an avoidance tool that keeps us from passing legislation that could “truly end the gun scourge,” which would presumably end terrorist acts as well. In other words, the writers think prayer is hiding us from relying on the true god, Big Government.
          Christians have always urged prayer to God, and critics of religion have always felt people can solve problems better. While it’s true God can and probably will use people in His solutions, prayer is not the coward’s way out. Indeed, prayer is often the most courageous thing to do. When the arguments have been exhausted and the ammunition has run out, prayer still remains. Soldiers in foxholes or captives in offices know what I mean. The last cry of a mortally wounded person is never for more legislation.
          We can talk about God or we can talk to God. Those who believe and trust in Him will talk to Him, argue with Him, and maybe even be angry with Him. But they will not stop talking to Him in prayer. Those who talk about God will tend to criticize Him or those who trust Him.
          And not just some generic form of God. Allah is not just another name for the God of heaven and earth. Actually, Allah is the name of a moon god the Babylonians abandoned a thousand years before Muhammed resurrected and re-shaped him in the Seventh Century AD. Despite Muslim denial of this, Allah is a small-time player pushed into the Big Leagues by a frustrated Arab.
          I urge you to talk to the true God of the Bible instead of merely about Him. He does listen to you, and He will help you, despite what secularists may say. He did send His only Son to die for our sins and promises heaven to those who trust Him. It is not wise to abandon the Creator of the Universe due to threats of evil people who would rather kill than show you kindness. God can and will help us in all our times of need.

“Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will act.” (Psalm 37:5)

Rev. Bob Tasler
www.bobtasler.com

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