Posted on 01/18/2013 4:36:29 AM PST by ducttape45
My daughter-in-law asked me a question today. She asked me:
So I'm curious- COMPLETELY disregarding Obama, terrorism, muslims, etc- what do you think would be a solid solution to reduce gun violence?
This is my answer. It's long, but I hope you take the time to read it.
This is going to be a very difficult question to answer, mainly because there are no simple answers. But one thing is certain: guns, and the availability of them, are not the problem. I’m going to reach into the Bible tonight because the only answer(s) I can give you are found in the scriptures and nowhere else.
The problems with guns, and all forms of violence, all boils down to one inescapable truth: Man has a sin problem. Now before everyone says “oh there he goes again” please read what I have to say.
There are many passages in the Bible that talk about the condition of a man’s heart.
Proverbs 12:20, “Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.”
Ecclesiastes 9:3, “This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.”
Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Jeremiah 23:26, “How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart”
Matthew 12:35, “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.”
Matthew 15:18, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.”
Matthew 15:19, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies”
Mark 7:21, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders”
Luke 6:45, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”
You’re all probably asking yourselves, “Why is he bringing this up?” I’ll tell you. The founders of our nation built the Constitution upon one immutable principle, “A free people cannot survive under a representative republican constitution unless they remain virtuous and morally strong.” They also maintained that “without religion the government of a free people cannot be maintained.”
Up until the early 1960’s these principles were maintained. Sure, there were, and are going to be, people who did not follow biblical teachings, but on the whole the society was maintained at a level of morality and spirituality that was in keeping with basic Judeo/Christian values, and that in turn kept society strong and vibrant.
However, in the 1960’s all that changed.
1. In 1963 Madalyn Murray O’Hair brought a lawsuit that was called “Murray vs Curlett” which led to the end of Bible reading in American public schools. God got kicked out of school.
2. The legalization of abortion in 1973 has led to the deaths of nearly 50,000,000 children.
3. Pluralism and tolerance for anti and non-Christian religions, teachings and institutions have reared a generation who do not hold to the teachings of the Bible regarding salvation, holiness, love of their fellow man, intolerance towards evil, the concept of hell and a future judgment of man’s souls.
4. Teaching that everyone is right in their own eyes and using a Bible passage out of context “judge not lest you be judged” have given us a culture that would tolerate even someone like Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin, two people who killed millions of innocent men, women and children to further their socialistic agendas. (Communism killed over 500,000,000 million people in the 20th century alone)
Since the 1960’s a generation of people have arisen who “know not the Lord.” 2nd Thessalonians 2:1-4 says;
“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”
The falling away spoken of in this passage directly correlates to Matthew 24:24-25 where it says, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.”
That falling away has manifested itself, today, in a generation of people characterized by the following passage from the Book to the Romans, 1:18-32. It says:
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
Now notice what it says. They did not “retain God in their knowledge.” Think of it this way. They chose not to acknowledge God. It was not because they could not, but because they were displeased with God, and chose to forsake him, and follow their own passions and lusts. This was the true source of their crimes.
Now we can start to arrive to an answer to Kayla’s question. “What do you think would be a solid solution to reduce gun violence?” With the class of people described in the passage above, there is not a single thing that can be done. These kind of people are “full of unrighteousness, wickedness, murders, inventors of evil things……” These are the people of today (granted, this doesn’t apply to everyone of course, but the ruling elite to be sure and many others). These are the people who rule this nation right now, and many others around the globe. Without the restraining influence of the Spirit of God in their lives, which came about because God was taken out of the schools and immorality was allowed into the vacuum that resulted, this country is now led by a class of citizens who have no real regard the well-being of the people they govern.
Oh, to be sure, there are people who do not fall into this group. There are many, thankfully like you kids and many of our friends and family here on Facebook, who still have a knowledge of God and sensitivity to His Spirit and who have not chosen to completely disregard Him, and to those belong the salvation of the nation if they so chose to rise up and bring about the right kind of societal change. But you see the problem?
Unless the condition of the heart is changed, there is no gun law in the world that will stop someone from killing another human being with it, or by any other means for that matter. So for politicians, college professors, liberal elitists in the media, and so on who say that guns are the problem, they are completely wrong!
The problem is the human heart. Remember what Mark 7:21 said above? “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders.” It’s what is within a man’s heart, his soul, his very being, that commits the crime, not the instrument he chooses to do so with. You solve the “heart problem” and you arrive at the answer to your question.
And there is only one true solution to the problem of the heart. If there were others then this nation wouldn’t be in the mess it’s in now. But since all the others failed, that is proof enough that they don’t work, no matter how much it is argued otherwise. In Matthew 22:36-40 it reads as follows:
“Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Notice the words “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.” The word “thy” is singular. Jesus is speaking directly to the individual. And the word “love” is from the Greek word “agapao.” It’s where we get our word “agape” which by translation means “love that is affectionate, benevolent.” If the people in this nation once again had this type of love in their hearts, there would be no need for gun laws. That would be the solution. That would be the answer to your question.
Do I personally expect that type of heart change happen? No, I don’t. Can it happen? Yes, it can. One only has to read the Book of Jonah to understand that. Jonah, a prophet of God from Israel, was told in Jonah 1:2, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.”
He chose instead to head off in completely the other direction, hundreds of miles in the other direction! He said to himself, “there’s no way I’m going to go there.” You see, he hated the Ninevites because of the cruelty by which they plundered Israel and murdered its people. They were a truly despicable, evil people. But we know that God caused him to be swallowed by a great fish and taken to Nineveh, the hard way.
When he got there, and the fish vomited him upon the land, you can imagine the local folks went wild with fear and bewilderment. And for a city that was so huge that it took 3 whole days to go through it, that’s a lot of people to get excited. So when Jonah finally preached his message, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh will be overthrown” they believed him. Everyone from the king down to the stable animals wore sackcloth and sat in ashes in repentence. Jonah 3:10 says, “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”
So, can that happen here, can the heart of men and women in the USA be changed, and thereby solve not only the gun problem but all sorts of violent crimes, yes, but only if the condition of the heart is cured by the only means that can truly remedy the problem; sin, and that remedy is in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the answer to your question Kayla. Nothing, or no one, else can work the kind of miracle that is needed now. John 3:5-7 says,
“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” And the heart change that we so desperately crave will happen!
One of the best Bible studies I ever had was "Experiencing God" by Blackaby. It was explained to me "Things only God can do". One of the principles was No one comes to belief without the Spirit calling them. A dead person cannot and will not have any thoughts about God unless the Spirit is planting seeds and tilling the soil. Never hide your faith, but don't try to force it. She will come to you when she wants to know. If and when she does, that means God is calling her. NEVER say, "I'll get back to you." God wants to use you to witness a miracle. Most of all, pray for her everyday. God will hear and give her the Bread of Life. Luke 11:5-13.
When she believes, she will transform. Abortion will become murder, Homosexuality becomes an abomination, and God's Word is necessary for abundant life for America. Arguments will cease. Liberals lose and Satan gets angry.
Thanks again for all your responses.
A quick follow up, my daughter has regretted some of her words and all of her attitude regarding what she posted on FB. She thought she "lost her Papa Bear" over what she said.
I assured her she did not and I even sent her a Youtube link to one of our favorite songs "You'll Be in My Heart" from the Disney Tarzan movie and sung by Phil Collins. She cried...... :D
Happy tears of course, and a few tears of regret were mingled in there too.
I am gratified to read that your daughter has repented of some of the things she said.
Your response was not only Christian, it was appropriate, healing, and conciliatory. (If you were NOT a Christian, she may have indeed lost her “Papa Bear”.)
Perhaps she will remember this the next time she feels like mouthing off liberal talking points instead of thinking things through.
May you and she be Blessed forever.
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