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WHY THE RAPID INCREASE IN VIOLENCE? THE TRUE REASON
We are now witnessing levels of violence and types of violent acts, which as a society we have never seen in our nation’s history. What makes much of the violence that we are now seeing so unique, is the very nature of much of this over the top brutality: We are now seeing killings and mass murders being done, just for the sake of killing.
There is now no aspect of our societal landscape that is immune, in that this senseless brutality and heartless massacring , is an equal opportunist inflictor of pain suffering and death. It seems that the end is endless, and seemingly before we can catch our breath, and try to digest, one murderous event, another one shows up on the horizon, with even another after that.
There is now a call that is growing louder and louder, for something to be done to curb the over the top violence that we are now being faced with. And in the midst of this turmoil is the question that looms over us, " WHY THE VIOLENCE AND WHY NOW??" As we shall see, God answered this question thousands of years ago, (more on this shortly)
A gunman opened fire in a Brooklyn subway, wounding 10 people, A mall shooting in South Carolina wounded 10. A gang shootout this in Sacramento killed six and wounded 12 more. In Uvalde Texas, 19 children and two teachers were brutally killed, when a gunman opened fire in a Texas elementary school. In some states road rage violence and shootings appear to be up. These are but a examples of America’s recent violent turn.
Those who are deemed to be experts in compiling and explaining the data, gives us several key items that they say, have greatly attributed to this rapid increase in violence. One explanation is that the Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns disrupted all aspects of life, including the social services that experts say can help tame crime and violence.
Another explanation is that there have been several high-profile police killings of individuals that many in the public at large deemed to be unjust. the violent protests that followed help foster a mindset of a violent response, and strained police-community relations. As people lose faith in their institutions and each other, they are more likely to lash out — sometimes in violent ways.
It has been said that people who feel victimized, tend to have a long memory and a short fuse. Another explanation is that the rapid increase in violence against innocent victims has caused many to buy guns in record numbers, thereby making guns more easily accessible.
Others explains that besides Covid and police brutality, the country’s increasingly polarized politics and poor economic conditions have also fueled this discord. That helps explain the murder spike.
While much of the information given by the experts, in regards to the dramatic increase in violence, the Bible gives us the very best expilation: The Bible reveals to us the entire scope of human history, from the events that occurred just prior to the creation, to the tragic events that occurred in Eden, and all the way to the events which takes place on the other side of death. No human can consistently tell and foretell the past present, and futuristic events, Only God could be the source of such accurate information.
Contained in this God inspired information, is the explanation as to why the levels of violence are increasing so expeditiously. A truth that many today refuse to accept, is the fact that God is far smarter than us, the reason being He knows everything: He knows the past because He was there, He knows the present because He is here, and he know the future, because He is already in all of our tomorrows waiting for us to show up.
Can you imagine being hired as a news reporter, and the job description called for certain seemingly impossible skills. Your job requirement called for you to be able to tell of news worthy events a year in advance. But this is not the only requirement, along with reporting the news a year in advance, you are also required to give advice, in regards to the best way to deal with these futuristic evets. Would you take the job???
When it comes to reporting the news, the best we can hope for is that the new reporter gives us accurate information about current events. Whereas God on the other hand called and appointed His special reporters, to give us the news thousands of years in advance. He did so with the intent of confirming the validity of His word, and to prepare for the future that we have now arrived at.
Near the end of His earthly ministry Christ departed from the temple for the last time, just prior to His crucifixion. As He did so he made reference to certain futuristic events, which we now know would not take place until two thousands years would pass. Upon hearing these things his disciples became very intrigued, therefore certain of His disciples asked Him privately “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? Matt 24:3.
In response to their question Christ explianed that as this world is coming to a close, there will be a return to the moral climate that existed during the days of Noah amd Lot. 'But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Matt 24:37-37. 'Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; Lk 17:28-30.
According to the scriptures the fact that the end time generation, will by modes of conduct and mind set, recreate the same conditions, that were prevalent during the days of Noah and Lot. A quick glimpse of scripture will show that the days of Noah and Lot were times when violence, abuse, sexual promiscuity and perversion were the rule of the day.
The NOAH‘S DAY - Consisted of violence, wickedness, twisted and corrupted minds. Genesis 6:5,11,12 ...'And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart (mind), was only evil continually. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.’
The LOT‘S DAY –Was a time of abuse, violence, sexual perversion, and lawlessness Jude 1:7 ...'Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.'
Not only does the Bible tell that the end times will be most violent and brutal, but it also tells us why it will be so.
The conditions that existed during these two time frames is outlined in Genesis the 6th and 19th chapters, and Romans the 1st chapter.
In order to help contain the tendencies of many to violently act out, nations have enacted certain laws. In the West, much of this legislation is based on a Judeo-Christian code of morality: “Thou shalt not kill,” “Thou shalt not steal,” etc. From these simple statements come countless anti-violence laws on child abuse, rape, battery and disorderly conduct, with a law for every type of murder—first degree, second degree, manslaughter and wrongful death.
While much of this moral code is apparently pulled from the Bible, many tend to ignore the fact, that behind God’s guidelines is the scriptural reality that due to the fall in Eden man now has a fallen sinful nature. Not only does the Bible give us a list of “ thou shalt nots” but the Bible also contains a complete map of human nature, and explains how and why widespread violence persists today.
Chapter 17 of the book of Jeremiah states, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (vs. 9). Take this verse at face value. Each person’s heart is deceitful above all things—with all things meaning all things!—and each person is desperately wicked.
The epistle of James begins to explain the motivations behind widespread violence: “From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not…” (4:1-2).
Human beings are driven by their lusts—what they want. They attempt to satiate their lusts by whatever means, even if it means violence.
In these end times this terminal generation is more and more giving themselves to act out their most basest desires, as was the case during the days of Noah and Lot. In His word God tells us how to have victory over these desires. Unfortunately, as was the case back then so it is now. More and more people have no interest in hearing what God has to say: Much less to do what He days.
In the days before Noah entered the ark, the entire Earth was filled with violence, with evil having free rein over the land. Yet life continued “business as usual.”
Matthew 24 describes this time: “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage…” (vs. 38-39).
With a world overrun with violence, how could no one think anything was wrong? People began to view violence as a fact of life and believed conditions were better than they actually were.
Sound familiar? Of a truth we have once again by way of our attitudes and modes of conduct, returned back to the violent conditions of Noah's and Lot's day.
A RETURN TO THE DAYS OF NOAH AND LOT------MY PERSONAL OBSERVATION---Even though I had initially done this book and taught from it a while back, I moved on to other books. It was after certain events transpired, that I witnessed first hand, that I was motivated to readdress much of the contents in this book.
These events began to take place the week of my wife and I 29th wedding anniversary. taking place. I suggested to honey that we take a quick trip down to Charleston, where we were married, to celebrate our anniversary. Even though my wife’s family for the most part still lives in Charleston, and we normally stay with her mom when we go there, we like to go down and play tourist.
Anytime we go down to Charleston we like to revisit various sites and take in the cordial atmosphere, which is very unique to that area. Our plan was to get a hotel room, take in the sights, and visit her mom the next day. Once we arrived in Charleston we got a room, went out to dinner and as usual we went to the battery which is one of our favorite places.
May 17th was a beautiful evening, and the battery was the perfect place to be to watch the sun set. As usual honey began to take pictures of the scenery, especially the sail boats which effortlessly glided by. The sunset was simply breathtaking as we stood there on the battery, soaking it all in. The pictures on the right are the actual ones honey took of sailboats passing by. She even took a picture of the sunset.
After leaving the battery we decided to take a casual ride through the city. At approximately 8:30, I turned on Calhoun street, honey and I did what we usually did, we looked at the building and talked. At approximately 8:30 and 9:00 we were in front of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church . I distinctly remember it because I remember honey pointing out the fact that they were during some type of construction work on the church. From there we went back to our hotel.
It was not until the next morning that we heard the news of what had happened on the inside of the church. Nine souls were merciless gunned down in the church, during Bible study. It’s our understanding that the shooter, appeared to have some very unstable mental issues. When we heard the news of the tragic shooting which took place, we realized that while we were actually right there at just before it happened.
The shooter was actually sitting in the Bible study as we went by. It was with heavy hearts that a day or so later we returned back to Columbia. The next week saw funeral after funeral taking place for those who were killed at the church. (One of the victims was my mother in laws cousin). Friday June 26 was a very emotional time for many of us in South Carolina.
It’s only been in the past few decades that we are seeing the type of violence, that has now become the norm. This is random violence where the shooter does not even know his victims. They simple randomly kill total strangers (in mass) just for the sake of killing. Just as Christ foretold as it was during the days of Noah, and Lot so it has become now. "The earth is filled with violence.“ Gen 6:13.
As we look at our world today, we see that violence is now a major form of entertainment. Many of the video games are programing todays generation to act out violently, which is resulting in many of our young people acting this violence out in real life. We are shocked at the violent crimes, the drive-by shootings, the killing sprees, where total strangers to the perpetrator are randomly killed, just for the sake of killing.
Terrorist broadcasting their slaughter over the airwaves, where victims or beheaded and burned alive for all the world to see. Exposure to continual violent situation, has caused many to become jaded to the point that there is a loss of both empathy and sympathy. We note a few tragic examples.
| The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting- On December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, 20-year-old Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children aged between 6 and 7 years old, as well as six adult staff members. Prior to driving to the school, Lanza shot and killed his mother at their Newtown home.
As first responders arrived at the scene, Lanza committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. The incident was the deadliest mass shooting at a high school or grade school in U.S. history and the third-deadliest mass shooting by a single person in U.S. history.’ (wikipedia.com).
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| Mandalay Bay- On the evening of October 1, 2017, Stephen Paddock, a 64-year-old man from Mesquite Navada, opened fire upon the crowd attending the Route 91 Harvest music festival on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. Between 10:05 p.m. and 10:15 p.m, he fired more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition from his 32nd-floor suites in the Mandalay Bay Hotel, which killed 60 people and wounded 411, with the ensuing panic bringing the injury total to 867.
About an hour later, Paddock was found dead in his room from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His motive remains officially undetermined. The incident is the deadliest mass shooting committed by an individual in United States history.
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The Pulse night Club --On June 12, 2016 in Orlando Fl, one of the deadliest shooting in U.S. history took place at the Pulse night Club ,(at a popular gay nightclub ). At least 49 precious souls were killed, and 53 more were injured. Some who disagree with the LGBTQ lifestyle coldly stated, “they got just what they deserved.’
In response to this mindset, I would ask suppose it was your child of loved one that was killed, in that club, how would you feel if this was said about them?? In fact prior to my personal encounter with Christ, on May 21st 1974, It was not unusual for me to party with my gay friends, even though I am not gay. I have not forgotten where God brought me from.
Therefore it could have easily have been me in that club. “11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” 1st Cor 6:11.
On my part I was moved to tears, I was deeply saddened that these precious souls were killed in such a senseless way. Even though I firmly disagree with the LGBTQ lifestyle, I will quickly add that I fervently LOVE those who are LGBTQ. For those of us who disagree with this lifestyle, we must also agree that no one has the right murder those individuals, they disagree with.
As was the case of Noah’s and Lot’s day so it is today. All manner of sinfulness violence, and perversion was found among the people: For it was said, (Gen : 11) that the earth was, Corrupt before God, that is, in the matters of God worship; either they had other gods before Him, or they worshipped Him by images. Their mindset, thoughts and imaginations became so corrupted that they actually pushed God out of their thoughts.
Their disgust and contempt toward God was so intense that they purposely did things in such a way as to defy God to His face. Even the most basic guidelines that God established to help maintain an orderly society, I.E The male female role, marriage, no abuse or murder, the sanctity of the family, ect, all this and more was being violently attacked. There was no order nor regular government; no man was safe in the possession of that which he had the most clear and incontestable right to, no, not the most innocent life; there was nothing but murders, rapes, abuse, and brutality. Unrestrained violence and wickedness, is both the shame of human nature, and so the ruin of human society. Take away conscience and the fear of God, and men become beasts and devils to one another.
Because of man’s wickedness, God decreed that He would send the flood, 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Gen 6:12-13. We are once again at the place where God is giving most of humankind over to this same mind, and sadly most are blind to the fact.
Paul tells us that the people of these two generation willfully allowed their minds to be manipulated to the point that God saw that there was no remedy. As a result, God gave up on them and gave them over to themselves. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts.
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections:
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, Roms 1:21-31.
In the next portion of this study we will address the items that we list below. It is these specific items, that the Bible tells us is the cause of the end time increase in violence.
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