“Thou shall not kill” (Exo. 20:13 KJV) were the words burning in my spirit in the aftermath of the Aurora, Colorado shootings this past week. All day Saturday as I prayed and grieved in my spirit over the condition of our nation these words seemed to be fire branded in my spirit as if the Lord Himself were shouting the answer to our problems as a nation. Many people are asking themselves questions like “Will this ever stop?” and “How did this happen?” but the answers to these questions are very simple… remove the Word of God and the Ten Commandments from society and the lawlessness displayed last week will only increase. It doesn’t take a prophet to predict a nation without moral foundations given to us by the Creator will soon plunge into chaos and judgment. Sadly, these types of outbursts of violence cannot and will not be silenced without re-digging the wells of morality and godliness in our nation.
“Thou shall not murder” (ESV) needs to be something heralded in every school, courtroom, and for sure, church in our great nation. We have dismissed these potent words with our political correctness and silenced the preaching of those who would boom God’s perfect law from the pulpit. In our attempt to be relevant and filled with “love” (really just false humility and ambition) we have ignored the stone tablets of God’s justice and made a softer easier way the twists the amazing merits of grace to suit a society thumbing their noses as our Jesus. Far be it from me to ever ignore the perfect law of God! As for those who would say the Ten Commandments is OT and don’t have any relevance for today I would quote you Matt. 24:35NLT where Jesus declared, “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.”
“Thou Shall NOT Kill” is a bridge that our nation has crossed over and over again with the legalization of abortion. God’s command to Noah that if anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands has been ignored for another way that is justified by the minds of man ignoring God’s law. We cannot see these types of direct disobedience of God’s law go on day after day and then expect not to reap the harvest of consequences associated with this all important boundary of respect for human life. I leave you today with passion to see God’s Word heralded and His perfect law communicated to spouses, children, neighbors, co-workers and anyone that will listen to our cry. Don’t assume anyone knows the Ten Commandments and be sure to have them ready on your lips. Thank God for the new covenant and the NT but let us not forget the rest of the Word of God that still lives on in power and truth.
And I will require the blood of anyone who takes another person’s life. If a wild animal kills a person, it must die. And anyone who murders a fellow human must die. 6If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image. Gen. 9:5-6
Amen Pastor Joel!
WOW,Im so on fire and want to take this subject to my listeners in Houston this Saturday. Thank you so much Pastor !!!
You are truly the voice.
As every “expert” weighs in on why this young man did this, the bottom line is that he did not value the lives of these people. He obviously didn’t know, understand, or rejected the truth that we are created in the image of God. His actions serve as another reminder of a meriful but just God that we are in the last days before the coming of the Lord
Couldn’t agree with you more Joel.
Amen, P Joel. Not too many years ago, I might have thought of a Biblical response as far-fetched & full of agenda. I’m so glad today to know the church is not about condemning individuals or avoiding accountability but worshipping a holy God. Many pray that God’s will is done & justice is served in the criminal’s courtroom, but we need that in all of our courtrooms, not to mention our schools, clinics, & homes where mothers might be encouraged to, Lord help us, preserve their future & act responsibly by taking a life. Our God is not only merciful & just, but He is a teaching God. While trying to get an apology out of my 6 year old this week, I told her saying “I’m sorry” is like reaching out to take a present someone is offering. As she must know an apology is necessary, it may be difficult for people who decided upon abortion as a solution to move into a place of repentance when our laws & culture suggest the killing was rightful. To some arguments people have against outlawing abortion, I would ask them to consider that a baby might be a channel of forgiveness & love where abortion is a seed of hate & apathy. In Genesis 50, Joseph tells his brothers who sold him into slavery: “Am I in the place of God? Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good.” I was reminded this morning, there are 12 tribes of Israel, & Israel’s beloved wife died giving birth to the last. Jeremiah describes sorrow they’ll experience before our Savior redeems us: “lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” Abortion can turn well-meaning people into Herods, trading life for peace of mind that never comes. Abortion, it seems to me, like any evil, is a false promise. Isaiah 35 speaks of the Holy Way: “it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it.” Praise God.
Everytime I hear someone speak on that horrible tragedy….I hear these words… You do something about it (to me). I am reminded about Matthew 14 when Jesus said “You feed them”. He was telling the disciples to handle a situation that seemed impossible to them. I believe that is true for us today. God has equipped us with everything we need to love the hell out of people. That is what his anointing is for. Peter, do you love me? Feed my sheep. When everyone else is condemning that man for his aweful aweful deeds… Jesus is running straight to Him and stroking his head and saying I love you. Yes the new testament does not take away the old testament…..but it shows how much value Jesus has to the guilty (all of us)….if they are able to hear his voice. If indeed that man were to get the death penalty….and he should….Jesus would be with him until the end to take him with HIM…should he repent. One thing is for sure….nothing is going to happen apart from our churches getting on our knees….from the head to the toe….continually…..pleading for our nation and reminding God what He said….if my people who are called by my name, humble themselves and pray, then I will hear from Heaven….and forgive their sin….and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7
Recently at work people have been stealing items at work and in my spirit I’ve heard thou shall not steal. The 10 commandments can not be done outside the blood of the Jesus and the Holy Spirit. As we seen in history every nation that has disregarded the moral law has been destroyed. Prayerfully God will have mercy on the USA and give us a historic outpouring to turn the tide for America. Thanks for speaking the truth and loving a generation!