Education and the Heart
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In October of 2009, a terrible gang rape happened in California.  An estimated 10 males gang raped a girl for over two hours after a homecoming dance one evening.  As if that wasn’t tragic and horrifying enough, an additional 10 or more people were standing around watching this atrocity go on. 

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Shortly after the news hit the airwaves, media outlets immediately launched in to discussions about how such a horrible thing could have happened.  Yes, it is indeed a terrible, terrible thing that happened to this young girl.  What prompts such acts to evil?  How do we prevent such acts of evil? 

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The parents of the young girl released a statement⁽¹⁾ urging people in their outrage over the issue, to please take a constructive approach to resolving this issue.  They then implied about the need for better education, and a change in atmosphere within schools, to prevent this type of thing from happening again.  News outlets discussed with several people about ‘the solution’ for this problem over the next few days… Better security and better education were the top listed ideas.

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The Trials [part 3]

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

In this third and final part, I want to just wrap up…

In the book of Matthew it says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.  (11)  “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me.  (12)  Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12 HCSB)

As Christians, sometimes we expect things to get easier for us, since we are on God’s side…  We face Trials…  Besides persecution, I’m sure you can think of 100 other examples of types of trials we might face in life…  Why do we have to go through them in the first place?!

I dealt with that question a little bit previously in a post called The Suffering, but perhaps that is a question left to God.  Perhaps each time, there is a different reason with each person.  Perhaps there is only one reason.  I do not know exactly.  But what I do know is that there is a reason.  There is a hope at the end of all the trials, the suffering and the pain.  A true hope.  One that will not fail us.  One who knows and has felt all that we have been through…

At the end of time, billions of people were scattered on the vast plain before God’s Throne. Some shrank back from the brilliant light before them. But many other groups talked heatedly, not cringing with shame, but with belligerence.

“Can God judge us? How can He know about suffering?”, snapped a pert brunette. She ripped open a sleeve to reveal a tattooed number from a Nazi concentration camp. “We endured terror … beating … torture … death!”

 
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The Trials, Part 2

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Let’s look at one story…  The Persecuted…

In Daniel 3, King Nebuchadnezzar has ordered a decree that all people must bow down and worship a golden statue that he has built.  Whoever does not will be cast in to the furnace of blazing fire.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refuse to do this, in spite of King Nebuchadnezzar’s command to worship a god.  The King vows to kill them if they do not obey him, giving them a second chance…

Daniel 3:15-28 (HCSB/(JKP edit)) says, “Now if you’re ready, when you hear the sound of the (music), fall down and worship the statue I made. But if you don’t worship it, you will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire–and who is the god who can rescue you from my power?”  (16) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question.  (17) If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king.”

But notice what else they say…
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The Trials, Part 1

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

As a Christian, Trials will come

2 Timothy 3:12 (HCSB) says, “In fact, all those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” (emphasis mine).

Also, in James 1:2-3 (HCSB) it says, “Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, (3) knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”

So now, just because we have become Christians, does this mean that life will get easy now?  No more hardships, trials, bad things happening?  No!  Bad things happen.  Bad things happen to good people and bad people alike.  Bad things even happen to the best of people.

In India in 2008, over 50,000 Christians were displace, and lost their homes for the sole purpose that they were Christians!
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Christmas Eve. A surgeon, Turk, has been asked to work a 24 hour, overnight shift at the hospital because it is one of the busiest nights of the year for trauma and the emergency room. He tries to get some shut-eye in a bunk room for the doctors, and just as he lies down, his pager goes off and he gets up and rushes off to the ER. Some time later he comes back to the room to try to squeeze in 30 minutes of rest when again, his pager goes off just as he lies down, so up and out he goes. This cycle continues the entire night and he rushes out some 12 times throughout the night. After the final return, he slumps on the bed looking absolutely depressed and hopeless and tired.
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At 6:30 Christmas morning, Carla, Turks wife, is waiting at home for him, so that they can go to church. Just then Turk walks in the door.
“Hey! You better hurry up, mass starts in fifteen minutes,” Carla says.
“I’m not going. I’m not going… ever,” and Turk goes into his room and shuts the door.
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Several months back, I saw someone talking about having 100 trillion dollars.  They proceeded to pull it out of their wallet, and show it.  Sure enough, it was a 100 Trillion Dollar bill… from Zimbabwe.  So, I decided to search out where I might be able to get my hands on one of these, and sure enough, a few days ago, I found someone online, and purchased my first 100 Trillion Dollar bill…
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ABC Nightline aired a debate on the 26th between author and philosopher Deepak Chopra and Bishop Carlton Pearson facing-off against Pastor Mark Driscoll (Pastor of the Mars Hill Church) and Annie Lobert (founder of a Christian ministry “Hookers for Jesus”) on the topic “Does Satan Exist?”
I’ve watched all of it now on the ABC website, and would suggest either watching it when you have a chance.

So, does Satan exist?  What do you think?
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