Shocked, Confused, Broken and Angry…

Perry Noble

Yesterday rocked me to the core...this story sums up two separate incidents in Colorado where a total of three people were killed and several others were wounded.

In the first incident a gunman entered a YWAM facility and opened fire, killing two people and wounding two others…in the second a gunman opened fire in the parking lot of New Life Church, killing one church member and wounding four others.

I found out about the New Life shooting after leaving church last night…and I was speechless all the way home.  What in the world is going on?  Why did this happen?  I was confused AND angry at the same time and had several thoughts…

#1 - God Is In Control!

God is NOT in heaven right now wringing His hands and wondering what to do next.  Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that He makes all things beautiful in His time.  I don’t understand that…but because Scripture says that I’ve got to believe it.  Romans 8:28 says that God works all things for the good of those who love Him.  Once again…I don’t understand that—especially when it comes to something like this.  But God is still God…and I’ve got to believe that EVEN when He allows evil to manifest itself in this way.

I have to be honest…it is times like these that allow doubts to creep in my mind in regards to God’s Sovereignty…but there are things about Him that I will never know or understand.  Scripture says in Isaiah 55:8 that His thoughts are not our thoughts…and at the end of the day I just have to trust that He is BIGGER than me, SMARTER than me and BETTER than me…and because of that He will work all of this out in His time.

#2 - This Could Happen To Anyone, Anywhere

Last night I walked into my home and kissed Lucretia and Charisse with this thought in my mind, “That could have happened at NewSpring…it could have happened to me.”  Then I thought about the countless number of friends that I have in the ministry…and the fact that this could have happened to them.  It caused me to be even more desperate for God and HIS protection over all of us.

#3 - The War Is Real

When things like this happen it really refocuses me on the fact that evil and satan are real…and that because of that I need to place my focus on people who need Jesus and not some idiot with a blog or website that doesn’t happen to like me or the way I do ministry.  Seriously…I cannot waste my time on stupidity and foolishness when things like this are happening in the world.  Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that the battle is REAL.

Christians are not winning the battle for this world because we keep freakin’ shooting one another!  Uh, folks…satan is real and active and the battle must be taken to him and NOT the church that doesn’t happen to be fitting into your ministry box!

#4 - PRAY!

Last night all I could do was pray for these people and their families.  I have no idea what they are feeling…but I know that God works through prayer.  I would ask that each one reading this blog right now take a time out and say and prayer for YWAM, New Life Church and the families of all those involved.  God is in control…pray that through this tragedy that He will bring more people to Him.

Prayer is the one thing right now that can bring us together and make a world of difference.  To all of the people at New Life and YWAM…our prayers our with you…may the Lord bless you and keep you and may His face shine upon you, may His strength be made perfect in your weakness and through this may He be exalted and may we all learn that though we can’t see Him we can still trust Him.