God's word explains why things happen

Greetings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! Once again today I want to say how thankful I am for the privilege of being born and of living in the United States of America and of the freedoms that we have enjoyed here. Most of all I want to thank God for the privilege of hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of love, of hope, of life and of real peace and joy and happiness. But today, when we look at what is happening in the world and all around us, the violence, the hate and the toll it is taking on us and the freedoms that we have enjoyed, we come up with the questions: What is happening, and why is it happening?

In God?s Word, the Bible, it makes a statement that I believe tells us why this is happening. In 2 Timothy 3, beginning with Verse 1, the Bible says, ?But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.? It also states in 1 Timothy 4:1, ?Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and the doctrines of demons.? I think of how much opposite this is of what the Bible says about Jesus, who said, ?I come that you might have life and have it abundantly.? The Bible tells us about Jesus in the book of Acts, ?How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.? Then God showed the greatness of His love for us when He sent Jesus to die on the Cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus, the One whose love reaches out to all humanity, for there is not a one that He doesn?t love or does not make a way for. But we have to accept that love and accept it according to His Word and His way. If we had that love in our hearts, then the violence and the crazy things that are happening in our society today would not be happening.

The Bible says, ?The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.? That is why we need a new heart and God has said in His Word, ?I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.? That is why the Word of God says, ?You must be born again.? The heart that He is talking about here is our innermost being, our spirit within us. We can make all kinds of laws, have all kinds of teaching on what is right and wrong, but until we have the right heart within us, we will be facing the same kind of things that we face today. Christ can make the difference!

There is going to be a tent crusade held at the First Assembly of God here in Washington beginning at 7 p.m., Monday, Aug. 1, and continuing through Friday night, Aug. 5, each night beginning at 7 p.m. We invite you to come and hear the rest of the story. Evangelist Robert Newton will be bringing a message each night as there will also be anointed praise and worship. You will be blessed!