Preacher’s Point

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By Timothy Johnson

There is still debate on whether or not the attacks in Chattanooga last week were an act of terrorism or simply a crime.

Four people were killed, or were they murdered, slain, assassinated, executed, annihilated, destroyed, bumped off, done in, iced, knocked off, liquidated, neutralized, snuffed, terminated, done away with, or whacked?

Do you see the absurdity of debating the terminology? Shakespeare’s lesson is still true; a rose by any other name is still a rose. An act of war is still an act of war.

What happened in Chattanooga was an attack on the American military and, therefore, an attack on the United States.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, there have 45 dates in which there were Muslim “terror attacks” inside the United States (for a list see: http://www.wnd.com/2015/07/big-list-of-muslim-terror-attacks-in-u-s-since-911/). Some of these dates include more than one attack, such as Sept. 21, 2002, when Muslim snipers killed three people in Georgia and Alabama.

The longest gap of time between events is nearly a year and a half from July 2006 when Naveed Afzal shot six women, killing one in Seattle and January 2008 when a man kills his two daughters in Irving Texas for dating non-Muslim boys.

Some will argue that some of the things on the list are not crimes against America because they are personal, like the man above killing his daughters. Some will argue the list is exaggerated because the list includes multiple acts by the same individuals as in the case of the snipers.

These are all arguments attempting to call a rose a daisy. The killing of the daughters is the carrying out of Sharia law, not American law. Supersede our laws with another set of laws is an attack on the United States.

If we are still trying to decide if Chattanooga is a crime or terrorism, have we still not decided what has been going on the last 14 years?

There are more than Muslim attacks. We are killing ourselves. There have been at least 71 mass shootings in the last three decades (http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/mass-shootings-map). A mass shooting is a shooting where at least four people are killed (not including the assailant). There are countless more shootings where at least four people have been shot, but less than four died.

America is coming apart at the seems; from forces without and within, all on American soil.

Why do we argue over terminology and worry so much about symbolism? If every racist is forced to burn his Confederate flag, they would still be a racist (SIGNIFICANT NOTE: not all racist own Confederate flags and not all Confederate flags are owned by racists).

The root of the problem is in the heart of people.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?” – Jeremiah 17:9.

The list of “solutions” seems as long as the list of attacks. Education, gun control, giving everyone a sidearm, closing the borders, airport security, new immigration laws, depending on who you talk to one or more of these things and countless more are solutions to all the problems. It would also be amiss here if I did not mention that there are some people who don’t believe anything is seriously wrong.

Can God fix America? The answer is yes, but a better question is: Will God fix America? The answer to that is – I don’t know.

There are two main reasons I don’t know if God will save America.

1. The world’s proximity to the end times. Ever since the recreation of the nation of Israel Christians have believed, the return of Jesus Christ is at hand. The Bible tells us that the world will be in an awful mess before His return. If His return is close, then we are going through the falling away that is to come before the final seven years before His return (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

2. The sinfulness of Christians. The Bible tells us, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” – Psalm 66:18.

All the rhetoric, all the arguing about how we describe an attack, all the political correctness will only be fixed when hearts change.

As mentioned in previous columns, the responsibility for the health of the nation is in the hands of the Christians. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Are we in a crime wave? Are we in a rash of terrorism? Does it matter what we call it? We are in a spiritual war.

http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2015/07/web1_TimJohnson_3.jpg
Crime, terrorism or war?

By Timothy Johnson

Preacher Johnson is Pastor of Countryside Baptist Church in Parke County Indiana. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.preacherjohnson.com. E-book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TUJTV2A If you email, inform me where you have seen Preacher’s Point. Viewpoints expressed in the article are the work of the author. The Daily Advocate does not endorse these viewpoints or the independent activities of the author.Reach

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