Thursday, July 23, 2020

Frustrated with the way the world is going.

Each morning I get up and watch the news. That is my first mistake. It seems as though watching the news is bad for your health. I know it is bad for my health. I watch the news and listen to the reports of murder and mayhem. Yes, murder. How many people were shot over night in the cities around the nation. Chicago has this many, New York has that many. How many can be shot and killed at a funeral? How many children are shot? How many children died?

And then there is mayhem. Portland is on its 56th night of protests. These aren't protests. They are riots. They wait till the sun goes down, then they begin their destruction. They burn things. They put graffitti all over the buildings. They attack police. They set out to hurt people and destroy property. And they accomplish both. How can you have that many nights of "peaceful protests"? I watch the report of how a police officer in Chicago hit and hurt a peaceful protester. She did nothing but stand there. And she was attacked! Can you believe it? Can you imagine that police would just lash out that way? Or wait, was that a frozen water bottle that was thrown at the police officer? Was that a black unbrella used as a weapon against the police? Are those rocks being thrown at the officers? But it wasn't her. She was innocent. She was just standing there. Yeah, right. When things get violent, I wouldn't be just standing there. I would head the other way. The police are supposed to allow themselves to be beat on, cursed at, abused, hurt, attacked and hospitalized, all in the name of peaceful protests.

They aren't peaceful protests. You can trot out some that are peaceful. They usually take place during the day. And remain peaceful. But then folks that are out to cause problems get involved and hijack peaceful protests. Wait, was that a rally in support of police in New York City where a group of thugs, not involved in the rally, came up and attacked the officers? Yes, it turned nasty. Why? Not because of the police. But because of those who have a total and complete lack of respect or any sort of moral character.

Destroying property is not peaceful protests. Putting graffitti on buildings is not peaceful protests. Setting out to hurt people is not peaceful protests. Plain and simple, this is anarchy. And there are those who support, those in positions of authority and leadership. Why? I have no way of knowing why. I have ideas. They think that by giving in, they will gain support. They want to hurt America. They want to work to keep Trump from being reelected. They have other agendas. Why does the media report as it does? There is a narrative out there.

Now I know that some of you will disagree with me. You will tell me how terrible Trump and all his followers are. You will show some thing that Trump said that is terrible or wrong. And you would be right. He isn't perfect. He makes mistakes (remember, that is what you call it when you or someone you support says or does something wrong, you call it a mistake in order t o make it sound like it istn' so bad). But when was the last time you watched a group of conservatives out burning down buildings or writing "F-U" on buildings or throwing frozen water bottles at police or breaking windows of buildings and destroying police cars?

You can say that this is just pent up feelings from years of frutration. Let me ask, do you think that it is only a certain group of people that get frustrated? Does that frustration give you the right to hurt others? To destroy property?

Defund the police. That is so stupid. Really. It is stupid. Send an unarmed social worker into a domestic dispute. Really? After you hear of how police officers are assaulted by people in those situations? And don't say it happens because they are police officers. If you will become violent with police, what is to stop you from being violent without them? A social worker? When the man is beating on his wife and the social worker comes to the door, do you really think that standing there, asking him to stop and talk about his feelings is going to make him stop? Of course - not. That is lunacy. When someone breaks into your house, are you going to call a social worker or a police officer? When your wife or daughter is being raped, do you want a social worker or a police officer? You can say those are extreme cases but what happens when there is no police available because they have been defunded? What is to stop the criminal from acting? And don't you dare pull out your gun, for then you are a bad person. Reason with the criminal. That will work.

I just shake my head. The law is given as a curb - to control violent outbursts of sin and keep order in the world. The law is specific. And it needs inforced. If you attack someone, you should be arrested and convicted. If you burn a building, you should be arrested and convicted. If you destroy someone's car, you should be arrested and convicted. It doesn't matter how "frustrated" you feel. You do not have the right to act in that way. Plain and simple.

What is the real problem going on? We have left behind God. When you remove God form society, from the moral fabric of society and life, all you have left is sin. Sin. Each and every person is sinful. Born sinful, they will follow their sinful desires and actions if there is nothing to stop them. It looks like it was before the flood. The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5 ESV) When you are not raised with the morality of God and His Word, the wickedness of the heart shows itself in the many sinful actions. Original sin leads to actual sin. If morality is not taught, you will not acted in a morally acceptable fashion. If you do not have to answer to God, you can do as you wish because you have no one to answer to. Sin will run rampant. And we are seeing that today. We see it every time we see the violent clashes between peaceful protesters and police. We see it every time that gun is fired by someone who should not even have the gun in the first place. We see it in gang activity. We see it anarchy and the related organizations. We see it when we watch the police officer attacked and the protester hit. We are seeing it more and more because we have turnes away from God. We have turned away from God.

Yes, there are good people who are trying to do what is right. There are people following the Lord and living as His children. We give thanks for them and for all those who do live morally correct lives according to the will of God (and not the will of the world).

This is why we continue to proclaim the message of the Gospel. We proclaim the need for the Holy Spirit to change the heart and life of each one of us. We focus attention on Jesus Christ and what He has done upon the cross. Yes, we continue to keep our eyes focused on the cross of Jesus Christ. We continue to proclaim Christ. Plain and simple. That is what we do.

Yes, the world needs Jesus. And that is why He came into the world.

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