Orlando and Its Aftermath: It's Spiritual

It takes an unspeakable evil to murder.

There's a phenomenon that happens during deer season called "buck fever." This is when a first-time hunter has a buck in his sights for the first time. The adrenaline of bagging your first trophy buck, combined with the focus to keep the deer in your cross-hairs while squeezing the trigger without flinching and missing the shot can wreak havoc on a hunter's steady hand. Many a hunter missed their first shot at a buck as a result.

Recently where I live, a gunman grabbed a rifle, went to his neighbors house, killing them and their dogs for no other reason than one of the dogs had "used" his yard. Police responded, and immediately came under fire from this deranged individual. As the responding officer was pinned down by the gunman's rapid fire, another neighbor retrieved a pistol, and "neutralized" the shooter, killing him with about three shots fired. The good neighbor, later dubbed "the Good Samaritan Shooter" was honored by the local Sheriff's Office, the County Commissioners and the Governor of Texas.

During one of the ceremonies, a war veteran approached me, and said, "His hand must have been shaking something fierce. Buck fever doesn't even begin to describe what you go through when it's another man in your sights." The veteran then shared with me his first combat experience.

Here you have two men, the Good Samaritan Shooter and the War Veteran, placed in a position where they had no choice but to take the life of someone to either (a) end a murderous rampage, or (b) survive combat and defend the country. Both expressed the anguish and intensity of having to make that choice. In situations where the shooting was completely justified, it troubled these men to have to do it. This is the natural reaction for most people.

However, for the hundreds, if not thousands of people who commit murder each year, and those who have perpetrated terrorist attacks, that anguish seems absent. The idea of taking human life is no big deal to them. In fact, it becomes their means to an end. It's the vehicle they use to achieve their goals.

The Orlando shooter was evil. Plain and simple. There are those who say I shouldn't judge. If you cannot call someone who takes 50 lives and wounds 53 others, who carried out this attack for three hours evil, then what can you call it? Whereas most people shutter to think they could take another person's life, and whereas most hunters shutter before they bag their first deer, the Orlando shooter placed another person in his sights and pulled the trigger no less than 103 times. This is evil personified.

The tragic part about this is that we've seen this evil manifest itself many times, in America and around the world. Whether it's the San Bernadino shooting, Aurora, Newtown, Virginia Tech, or Charleston, the root cause of these tragedies is evil. The motives are different, but the root cause is evil.

From where does evil originate? Satan. Satan was the one who entered into Judas' heart, prompting him to betray Jesus. Isaiah 14:16 says Satan has made the earth tremble and has shaken kingdoms. On three different occasions, Jesus referred to him as the "prince of this world." Satan is evil, and he influences men, and human events.

Why are we experiencing so many mass shootings and terror attacks? Simple. Evil. And Satan is the one influencing that evil. If it seems like all of this is part of some well-coordinated conspiracy, well, it is. However, it's not the so-called Illuminati coordinating these events... it's Satan.

Which brings me to the coordinated response to these shootings, particularly the one in Orlando. In the aftermath of the Orlando shooting, there was the predictable call to enact more gun control. There was the predictable outcry about the persecution of homosexuals. And, I'd be remiss if I didn't include the predictable call to "not judge all Muslims by the actions of this one."

While there was outcry that we shouldn't judge all Muslims, suddenly there was a backlash against Christians. While there are extremists all over the internet who post insanity on Twitter, I was shocked to find that a high-profile cable news commentator decided to lash out at Christianity.

In a series of tweets following the Orlando shooting, CNN's Sally Kohn called Christians who offered prayers and comfort to the victims of the shooting as "hypocrites" whose "guilt was showing." In the aftermath of a massive terrorist attack on homosexuals perpetrated by an Islamic extremist, Kohn said that Christians value the humanity of homosexuals less than moderate Muslims do. That must be why homosexuality is a crime punishable by death in many Middle Eastern countries, but I digress.

Meanwhile, according to the Washington Examiner, an ACLU attorney tweeted that the Orlando shooting was caused by a homophobic atmosphere cultivated by Christians.

Somehow, these commentators, as well as a number of others not worth mentioning, have found a way to blame Christians for a terrorist attack committed by a man who pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State, who professed Islam, who claimed to represent a religion that dominates the Middle Eastern countries that execute homosexuals. An Islamic extremist representing a religion that bans homosexuality kills homosexuals, and Christianity is blamed. How can any reasonable person follow that logic? Simple. It's not logic. It's evil.

The same spiritual force that influenced the attack is influencing the reactions.

Satan opposes Christ. He opposes Christianity. His name literally means "opponent." So, it should make sense that, given the opportunity, he would try to steer the rage of a nation against Christians. So, he puts it in the mind of political influencers that Christianity bred the homophobic atmosphere that led to the attack. If people don't believe that argument, simply state that Christians are no better than the Orlando shooter. The only way to prove that they are better is to reverse Bible doctrine and accept homosexuality as a righteous behavior. Many Christians are following that path today.

Stephen Colbert said it best. He said it is as if we have adopted a national script, and we follow that script every time. If it all seems collaborated and coordinated, it is. Where there is a script, there is a screen writer. In this case, that screen writer is Satan.

We are in a Spiritual battle. Satan, his demons and his followers are seeking to turn the world away from God and toward destruction. God, and His followers, seek to lead the world to repentance and restoration. The battlefield is the heart and minds of all people. The battle will continue until Christ returns and wins the final victory.

Our role as Christians is to wage that battle by speaking the truth in love, and spreading the Gospel of salvation. As we do this, we recognize the Spiritual battle for what it is, and look forward to the return of Christ.

My heart, and prayers go out to the victims of the Orlando shooting, and their families. The last thing I wanted for them was what happened this past weekend. May God comfort them, may God help the rest of us to know how to minister to them, and may God forgive us where we fall short.

From Pulpit To Pundit: When Pastors Enter The Political Fray

Pastor Robert Jeffress has been a lightning rod since becoming pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. He has consistently weighed in on the issues of the day, often promoting Biblically correct, yet politically incorrect positions. The first time I saw Dr. Jeffress on television, he was giving a statement from the pulpit of First Baptist Church in Dallas, addressing negative press he had received from the Dallas Morning News. He was not explaining his comment, nor was he apologizing. He was doubling down, and giving new information to back up his position, concluding his remarks that his position was the result of research, and that he was not "ignorant on this topic."

Initially, I was skeptical of his ministry, but after hearing one of his sermons via KCBI in Dallas, I began to appreciate his ministry a little more. (Ironically, his sermon was on the role of being a culture warrior AND a representative of Christ.)

Typically, when a pastor enters the fray of political discourse, he angers many, and people leave the church. Meanwhile, at First Baptist Church of Dallas, the congregation grows and efforts to build a new campus are currently underway.

While I can't say I endorse everything Dr. Jeffress has said (I haven't researched his positions on every topic on which he has weighed in,) I do appreciate his boldness in speaking out. In the above-posted video, Dr. Jeffress highlights the differences between Christianity and Islam.

Faith is not just something we feel on Sundays. Our faith is what shapes our lives, and drives our decisions. Which means our faith involves every single aspect of our lives, from how we behave at work, to how we vote, to whether or not we truly represent Christ. Indeed, our faith affects how we interpret the news and issues of the day. For that reason, pastors such as Dr. Jeffress weigh in, providing Biblical perspective to the events of our day.

Perhaps I should say that more strongly. Pastors such as Dr. Jeffress tell us what God says about the events of our day.

The goal here is not to deliver votes to the Republican Party, neither is it to force views onto others. It is an attempt to give Spiritual guidance to those who follow Christ, and to influence others into seeing the Christian point of view. Ultimately, we (Christians) all want a nation that pleases God, a nation that He blesses.

For that reason, it is incumbent upon pastors to give Biblical insight into the issues of the day, and a Godly perspective into the news of the day. All too often, pastors avoid this in order to avoid controversy which could impact the church. There are a few, however, that are willing to take on the controversy if it means that the truth gets spoken. And that's why pastors like Dr. Jeffress should be congratulated, even if we don't always agree with them. Pastors like Dr. Jefffress actually have core beliefs and convictions, and act out on them, and that is something that we call can appreciate.

But those are just my thoughts... what are yours? Should pastors use their platform to weigh in on the issues of the day?

Why You Should Pay Attention to the Middle East Protests and Uprisings

When protests gave way to an uprising in Egypt, the bigger picture of civil unrest in the Middle East became front page news. While the media tends to zoom in on one country at a time (right now, all eyes are on Libya), uprisings have taken place all across the Middle East and North Africa. From peaceful protests in Morocco, to the flight of the Tunisian president to Saudi Arabia, to protests against the King of Jordan, to uprisings in Bahrain and Yemen, uprisings are becoming so numerous it is difficult to keep track of them all.

When the departure of Hosni Mubarak became apparent in Egypt, talk in U.S. media centered around the Muslim Brotherhood, a political organization operating in many Middle Eastern countries. Conservative pundits like Sean Hannity began to compare the ouster of Mubarak to the Ayatollahs returning to Iran. Many feared that the Muslim Brotherhood would install an anti-American, pro-terror government in Egypt. The Israeli-Palestinian peace process is now in question and many fear war.

During times like these, it is important to avoid hysteria. Still, one needs to be informed about what is going on. Whether the Muslim Brotherhood will install an Anti-American, pro-terror regime in Egypt is still in question. (The Egyptian military is still in control of the country.) However, even if the Muslim Brotherhood installs a relatively peaceful government, there is still cause for concern.

The Muslim Brotherhood's Wikipedia page describes the group as non-violent, however the book Milestones, written by prominent brotherhood member Sayyid Qutb, is often cited by those who advocate for jihad.

The Muslim Brotherhood's goals include establishing the Qur'an as the sole reference point for ordering the life of the individual, family and state. One of the primary goals is the reinstatement of the caliphate.

Referencing the book, Milestones, the Muslim Brotherhood believes that Western civilization is in decline because of its moral decline, and the Brotherhood seeks to build Islam as the lead civilization in the world.

All of these factors should be an eye opener for the Christian who is well studied in end-times prophecy. Imagine, a religious movement that rides the back of, and helps prop up a world government. That religion would be the most powerful religion in the world. It would be able to persecute other religions with little or no consequence.

That scenario matches up with Revelation 17:3-6. That passage depicts a woman riding on the back of a beast. The beast is identified as the Antichrist and his one-world government, while the woman is identified in Revelation 17:8 as being the city of Babylon. However, it is also worthy to note that scripture uses women as symbols of religious movements in apocolyptic passages like Revelation 17. So the woman is not just representative of the city (as in buildings and streets) but also of the religious nature of the city. Babylon will be home to the one-world religion, which will not be any form of Christianity.

Over the years, end times scholars have tried to forecast which players on their respective world stages would eventually be players in the end times. More often than not, these forecasts are wrong. However, I believe that it is entirely possible the dominant world religion in the Tribulation period will be some form of Islam. If indeed the Muslim Brotherhood is successful in taking control of the governments of the Middle East, you could see the foundations being laid to shift the center of power from the Judeo-Christian West to the Islamic East.

We may still have decades before the Tribulation begins. Still, we need to be mindful of how the groundwork is being laid today to usher in that time period. We should be obedient to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who said, "Watch, and pray."