Sunday, December 15, 2019
Sunday message: Two thoughts.
I cannot say I have an organized post here, but I do have two thoughts I wanted to share. First one is a mini debate I had on Twitter with a gun control activist who proudly proclaims that his purpose is "to drive conservatives to their safe zones by making them block him." Our debate started with the latest knife attack in London, which I TRIED to point out was an example that while man is fallen, gun control laws are no answer. As usual with these things, it went round and round and grazed past the situation in Chicago, where tight gun control laws have minimal effect on high gun crimes. His response to that was that " Can’t have a gun control when the town next door is dumping weapons onto the black market." And I agreed; but I also pointed out that as long as there IS a black market, you could have the same laws all over the world and the gun crime would keep going on, as long as man is fallen. His response: "So that’s a success. You’re straw manning by saying all murder has to end or there’s no point."
Now I could make a big deal of the quite obvious fact that, like most liberals, when he runs out of intellectual steam, and he's for a change above insults, he wheels in the old "straw man"- essentially saying, "You're argument is not valid because it is not MINE." But no, I want to go back to the point before.
You cannot overlay gun control over mental illness and expect it to work. You can't overlay gun control over racial hatred, over "thug life", over drug deals, over radical beliefs, or over radical false religions and expect it to work. Every year I see at least two mass-murders in China involving machetes or long knives. Or in the UK. Or bombs. Or just this week, plowing a car into a crowd. If all you want to do is remove guns from the equation, even then gun control doesn't work. And if you aren't married to your agenda, you can see that.
The problem isn't guns. It is that man is in a fallen state. So many people want to make themselves feel good by believing, "man is essentially good." You tell me. When we have people actively looking at the way the GOVERNMENT of Israel treats the TERRORISTS of Palestine and because of that, the Ten Commandments are racist and should be replaced with a 'law code' that allows the utter domination and beating of women, the rape of children, and complete control of life by Imans who essentially would like to cull the earth's population down to the members of HIS sect. When a duly elected Congresswoman of the United States can look at a crime where black radicals kill Jewish merchants and call it "white supremacy". Where the same liberal talk show host who condemns Christians for not being 'inclusive' can berate a woman on his show for HER Christianity.
No, man is NOT essentially good. He is fallen, and only Christ can heal what is broken in him. That is not a 'straw man.' That is a fact. And as long as all you want to do is address guns, you're addressing nothing.
**********************************************************
The other thought came to me during a message reminding me that the entire Old Testament points to Christ. And I mused to myself how that ties to a question I've always had. Namely: In the book of Esther (the one book of the Bible in which God is NEVER mentioned), why is it that Esther's plan to expose Haman involved TWO dinners with him and Ahasuerus- one of which only contained the invitation to the other? The other, of course, being the one in which she finally accused Haman and he was judged.
Picture it this way, as I did this morning: Jesus comes the first time- like Esther, at the risk of His own life- to issue an invitation. The second time, Jesus comes to JUDGE fallen mankind, and save His people. Esther was, in her way, foretelling the mission of Christ on earth.
Thank you, Lord. I am always in awe when You explain something to me.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Some good food for thought here
ReplyDeleteHope you were hungry!
DeleteOn your first point, I wholeheartedly agree with you. It's like we keep going in circles about it and still, nothing gets done. Nothing is dealt with.
ReplyDeleteOn your second point. Wow, I had not realized that about the book of Esther. Looks like I'll be doing some reading tonight. I am so glad you shared this. It amazes me how God speaks to us so simply yet we are the stubborn ones that fail to really listen. But when we do, oh wow! It's awesome!
Like I said I think on your blog, the more you seek God, the more He shows you. I was stunned myself on this one!
Delete