Shooting and Killing

by James Baker

Across the world in every community, people are killing each other. Local officials are holding forums discussing ways to stop the violence in their cities and so far, it continues.
 
So why? What is the problem? Why won’t murder and mayhem disappear? I believe that it can go away, but I sincerely doubt that it will. When crime is discussed, we are talking about individual action. People making wicked, poor and bad choices; that touch many who have no connection to the offenders.
 
For example, three men shoot up the neighborhood or job site. Their names are Jack, Scott and Herman. Because they lack respect for law and order, the decision they made threatens everyone living on that block or employed at that company. The neighborhood or job site is made unsafe because of the actions these three individuals made.
  
Jesus taught us that evil originates with the mind. Matt 15.19-20. No police department or crime forum can stop the decisions that people decide to make. The actions began in the heart of those who committed the crime. No one knows what evil is lurking within the mind of a person. Jer 17.9
 
If I wanted to shoot up a barbershop, what police department or city council could stop me? I’m not going to tell them what my plans are; so how will they prevent me? Answer is, they can’t. They don’t know I’m planning such an evil act. They won’t know until after the evil has been done and they rush to the scene.
 
Gun violence isn’t based upon lack of jobs. I tell you that because some officials said, if people had jobs, the shooting would cease. Allow me to comment about jobs. Yes, people having jobs would indeed help them build material lives for the better. But we are sadly mistaken believing a job and money will stop evil. This gun problem is of an evil of the heart and not of the empty wallet. Many shooters have income, a cash flow that is legal and also illegal. The decision to start shooting didn’t originate because of an empty wallet. It came into existence because of some other reason.
 
A man who hates America and works at a supermarket goes on a spree in the name of Islam. Another man has a nice job at a bank and he kills his wife and children and several neighbors. And as the police close in, he kills himself. I could go on with other examples, but these two will do.
 
Moral decay is what fuels gun violence and only the acceptance of the gospel of Christ, will make a difference so that the crime wave stops. The ills of society exist because of the breakdown of personal responsibility. We must work on ourselves and we can do so by allowing the word of God to change our thoughts, speech and actions. You get all of that? Making choices based upon ungodly dogma is what keeps the gun violence rolling right along. 2 Tim 3.13.
 
The gospel of Christ is the message of salvation that changes a dirty soul into a clean one. Roman 6:1-17. The gospel of Christ teaches man to love his Creator, his fellowman and himself. When that is done, men won’t anger God because of ungodly conduct. Man won’t do harm to his fellow man. because he will be taught to love and treat others as he wishes to be treated. And the law of doing to others as you want done to you, is divine because no one can create a law that is better. Matt 7:12.
 
Romans 1.16, teaches that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who will believe. People must accept the gospel of Christ and begin living in a holy way. The hating will turn to love and the guns will be replaced with Bibles.