Only Violence Continually

This Sunday morning between services I was in the church office as one of our men checked the Internet. He scrolled down and read to me the first news of the 24 year old gunmen who took the lives of four of our brothers and sisters in Christ in Colorado.

"I can't believe this is happening!" "There must be some mistake!" " Why attack young people who are seeking to be trained to take Jesus' Good News around the world?" My heart struggled to handle the fact that again believers have been killed right here in the U.S.

This spring my youngest son and his wife completed three years of graduate school in New Haven, Connecticut. The Youth with a Mission students and teachers in the city became their local spiritual family and gave them biblical support. During the graduation week I watched my son play ultimate Frisbee with his YWAM friends. After the game, I got to chat with some of them about their future plans. What an encouragement to interact with young people in their twenties committed to Jesus and looking forward to going overseas and sharing His truth and love with others. Now Tiffany Johnson (26) , an easy going, friendly, adventuresome young lady and Philip Crouse (24), who had helped to build a foster home on the Crow Indian reservation in Montana, will not be able to continue Christ's mission here on earth.

When God looked at the pre-flood world, He saw that it was "corrupt and full of violence." (Gen. 6.11). What does He see when He looks at our nation?

I'm praying that God will open hearts to the power of the crucified and resurrected Jesus. He alone can conquer violence, bring His forgiveness and mercy, and awaken consciences all over our land and soften hearts, including mine. We must not allow murder, especially when it is caused by those who hate Christians, to become only another headline.

God is still the Sovereign Lord who sent His Son into the violent world of Herod and Caesar. Though He was murdered, death could not hold Him and His resurrection power will allow us to keep going into all the world to make disciples in every nation.