The Evil of Attempted Assassination
The attempted assassination of the former President, Donald Trump, on July 13, 2024, the murder of an innocent father and husband, and the wounding of at least two others, is a stark reminder that:
- Evil is everywhere.
- Evil is non-partisan, regardless of one’s political affiliation.
- The level of hate for opposing views has never been higher.
- The level of vitriol in mass media and on college campuses is unprecedented.
What We Know About Evil
- Evil on this earth will continue until the Day of the Lord, which is when God’s ultimate intervention in human events will establish His authority over the nations, punish sin, and restore the faithfulness of His people. It will be realized upon the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
- Love for others is only love if there is no love for others.
- There is eternal evil in a place called hell. People who go to hell, the majority of the human race, will be forever evil. Mark 9:47-48 “…hell, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.”
What We Can Do About Evil
- Pray. When we pray to God, we can be sure that he hears us and will answer our prayers that are in accordance with His will.
- “And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him” (1 John 5:14–15).
- Use our wallets and pocketbooks against those who finance the dissemination of vitriol and evil by spending money with businesses who do not endorse or promote hate.
- Vote at the ballot box for to institute policies that honor God such as putting prayer and the Ten Commandments back into schools and protecting innocent lives from abortion killings.
- Understand the true struggle against evil: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
The Good News
- Jesus the Conqueror is coming soon. The next event to happen in Biblical prophecy is the Rapture of the Church which occurs when God “snatches away” all Christians from this world so that, during the tribulation period, His just judgment will be poured out on the planet. The two main texts that explain The Rapture are 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50–54.
- All Christians who have died will be raised from the dead, given glorified bodies, and taken from this world along with all believers who are still alive, who will also receive glorified bodies at that time. The dead in Christ will rise first:
- “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
The Divine Providence of God
I believe that it was the divine providence of God that saved Donald Trump. Scripture gives much reason to this thinking that everything is entirely under God’s control.
- The cosmos
- “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens; And His sovereignty rules over all” (Psalm 103:19)
- The material world
- “But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45).
- International politics
- “He rules by His might forever; His eyes keep watch on the nations; Let not the rebellious exalt themselves” (Psalm 66:7).
- Human destiny
- “But when He who had set me apart, even from my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased…” (Galatians 1:15)
- Human achievements and failings
- “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble” (Luke 1:52).
- The defense of His people
- “In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For Thou alone, O LORD, dost make me to dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).
Blessings to you and your loved ones,
Pastor John Haggard
All scripture quoted is from the NASB translation unless otherwise noted.
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