I remember when I heard about the shooting in South Carolina. A friend called and asked if I had seen the news and at that time I had not. He told me what had happened and asked if we could pray for those folk, and we did. People have been taking their hate out on other people ever since the Garden of Eden. They will continue to do it until Jesus comes and sets up His Kingdom. You may think that I am a pessimist; no, I just remember what Jesus says. "In this world you will have tribulation (troubles), but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." At our church one of our ushers asked what could we do to secure our church better. Nothing, I told him. We can not guard against such things. In fact we invite non church people to come to church, if we were afraid they would kill us we would not invite them would we? Jesus said that we were not to fear those who kill the body but Him who can kill body and soul! The guy that killed the bodies of those Christians in that church did not kill their souls. The One who created their soul has them with Him today; and they will be with Him from now on. We are all going to live forever, somewhere. Fear is the enemy of faith. Fear causes us to think there are things we cannot control thereby making us the keeper of our selves. There are things we cannot control, such as being shot by a hater. Fearing that we will be erodes our faith in life after death. It is unlikely that any of us would voluntarily have a hater shoot us but Jesus let haters kill Him. He said if they hate us not to worry, they hated Him first.It is tragic that people do such things, but be honest; are you really surprised? We live in a world plagued by haters. Tares in the wheat is what Jesus called them. Both will grow together until the time for harvest. They believe the only way to feel better or to save themselves is to get rid of those they hate. Jesus stepped out of glory into a world filled with haters. He went back to glory and sent the Holy Spirit who now lives in us, and we live in a world of haters. Being killed in church is not a guarantee that you will end up in heaven. Being born again is the only way we will get there, and that is accomplished through faith in Jesus Christ. If Christ lives in you, the same Spirit that raised Him from the dead will raise you up also, the Bible teaches. Haters will keep on hating but Jesus will keep on loving them. He died for them too you know. Pray for the families of those killed and for that Church. Pray for the shooter and his family too.
