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God is in "Control"!


The students who marched boldly, stepped out and reached out to gain the attention of our leaders. It is a sad situation and the act of violence that truly needs to cease! As I briefly listened, the stories were not just with our schools, but in our communities, our homes, and our jobs. We are in harms way every where we go. It's not the guns, or is it poverty, wealth or the situation our lives have turned to; it's deeper than that! It comes back to the fear, the anger, and the hate that is warring in our spirit and soul to ignite the violence and use weapons that destroy and kill. 
Picture Courtesy of my nephew Dere

While listening to the protestors, I heard anger, fear, and exhaustion in their voices also; because they too want change that moves all of us to a state of "Peace" and "Love"! 
Not so long ago, we heard, "Black lives matter"; and now it's back to addressing the numerous and continuous shootings in the schools.  The struggles are real; but so is God! The effort to enforce safety is there; however, will it solve the problem? I'm not sure either, but I am confident in Him who can!  God our Father! He is the one and only one who protects all of us from harm.

When we have a relationship with God, nothing or no one can harm us. No matter how powerful they seem. how big, how strong, how wealthy or how numerous; God is God all by himself, who can put ten thousand to flight without conflict.

King Harod was one of many in the bible who thought he was ALL powerful too; and nothing could prevail against his earthly kingdom. He secured Peter in prison with 16 armed guards, steel gates, and shackled to the wall. In King Herod's mind, Peter could not break free of such a powerful group of armed guards. He just knew it would be impossible for anyone to break free of what he ordered. To King Herod and the guards surprise, Peter escaped unnoticed and without a sound being heard; and no one, but those who were praying, knew who freed Peter. When Peter showed up at the house of those who were praying, he informed them, "It was an Angel of God"!
 
Peter's story is opposite of the school shootings. Society is wanting to secure our children from harm while they are in school, and the story about Peter is how a king thought himself more powerful than God to enforce his military to secure Peter behind bars.
 
It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 
2. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 
3. When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 
4. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
5. So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. 
6. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 
7. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. 
8. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. 
9. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 
10. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. 
11. Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen. (Acts 12:1-11 NIV)      
Note: Please finish reading the full chapter at home

Notice it said that while Peter was kept in prison, the church was earnestly praying to God for him (verse 5). Prayer is powerful and effective. The angel did not harm anyone along the way, nor did he alert no one but Peter. That's how powerful God's love is for us. However, we push Him aside to exalt our own strength and power. You can secure the schools with all of the military available and if Satan wants to do harm, He will; however, when God puts His hedge of protection around ANYTHING, Satan cannot penetrate His mighty armor or keep us in bondage to anything!

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:10-20 ESV)

God is our protector and healer; nonetheless, He also wants to be our friend. He does not want us to call on Him in crisis situations only! Our society has several warnings, yet we ignore them; and push God in a corner as if to say, “We got this”! We cannot see danger up ahead like God who is omnipotent and sovereign. He knows all and sees all; but if we are not in a relationship with Him, then all it takes is for us to take off our armor and Satan runs quickly to the battlefield to harm us; and in most instances, destroy us!

The king of Nineveh held a day of fasting for ALL his people, when Jonah was sent by God to tell the people He was going to destroy them because of their sinful ways. Instead of ignoring Jonah's speech, the king believed him and took quick action that saved a large city! God allowed this city years to repent of their evil ways and return to Him; and they too ignored God. When we ignore Him, he turns us over to Satan, who destroys and tears us down.

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2.“Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”
3. Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. 
4. Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” 
 5. The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
6. When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7. This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:
“By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 
8. But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 
9. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
10. When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. (Jonah 3 NIV)
The City of Nineveh had been acting out of godly character for generations; this was not something that just started happening. We all know how news spreads and Jonah was aware of this city and all the evil it had been known for, and because of His resistance to saving it, God put Him in the belly of a whale for 3 days. Once inside, he realized himself that God gives us all a chance to repent, but when we are disobedient to His Word, then we too can suffer unnecessarily.

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). John 10:10   

The thief is Satan, who is doing a good job killing and destroying us through those who are weak in spirit and heart. He is everything that God is not; which is:
22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  23 gentleness and self-control; and here there is no conflict with Jewish laws. (Galatians 5:22-23

 
I cannot sit back and be silent either. I listen to the riots, the marches, and the protest, but it is to no prevail, because those who are protesting are directing their attention towards man to stop or fix the problem; when man is powerless! Unless they know and understand who God is; and how deep His love is for those who truly love Him, a positive change will not come!


Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love Me and respect Me and welcome Me gladly, for I proceeded (came forth) from God [out of His very presence]. I did not even come on My own authority or of My own accord (as self-appointed); but He sent Me.
43. Why do you misunderstand what I say? It is because you are unable to hear what I am saying. [You cannot bear to listen to My message; your ears are shut to My teaching.]
44. You are of your father, the devil, and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false. (John 8:42-44 AMPC)
When we sit back and ask, “WHERE IS GOD?”, He's just like me, in tears too; because so many DO NOT Trust in Him or love Him enough to say, “God, Help us!” We need You Lord! Give us back our rightful inheritance; which is to live in “Peace” and “Joy” with others!


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