A View from the Nest

A View from the Nest

Random Ramblings from the Resident Raptor

Insight from the Journey across the Sky

By Allen Scott

Good people do the good things that are in them. But evil people do the evil things that are in them. _{Matt 12:35 (GW)–}

Investigators searched on Friday for the motive behind a mass shooting at a sprawling U.S. Army base in Texas, in which an Army psychiatrist trained to treat war wounded is suspected of killing 13 people.

The suspected gunman, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a Muslim born in the United States of immigrant parents, was shot four times by police, a base spokesman said. He was unconscious but in stable condition.

The Army declined to discuss possible motives while the investigation was under way. “We have to understand what caused the suspect to act in the way that he did,” Army Secretary John McHugh said after observing a moment of silence at the base. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091107/ts_nm/us_texas_shooting

And thus the speculation begins. Was he suffering from Post Traumatic Stress disorder, an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat. Or could it be that Hasan was an Islamic terrorist, acting out a personal jihad? Perhaps he was emotionally disturbed. Perhaps there is a simpler explanation.

Good people do good things and evil people do evil things. Yes that’s right there are evil people in the world. Because of the effects of sin in the world the capacity for evil greatly increases as more and more of the world is removed from the saving grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When the good news of the renewing effects of the Gospel is replaced with some other religion or teaching then there is no help for a sin-sick heart. There remains therefore no hope for those who are found under the influence of the evil within. Being left to their own devises they continue in their evil inclinations.

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. _{Gen 6:5 (ESV)–}

A good-for-nothing man is an evil-doer; he goes on his way causing trouble with false words; His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts. _{Prov 6:12 & 14 (BBE)}

For out of the heart come evil thoughts, the taking of life, broken faith between the married, unclean desires of the flesh, taking of property, false witness, bitter words: _{Matt 15:19 (BBE)–}

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it? _{Jer 17:9 (RSV)–}

There is hope however, if we acknowledge our evil heart with it’s evil intentions and pray for God to deliver us from evil, and lead us not into temptation.

And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. _{Matt 6:13 (RSV)–}

In order to free us from this present evil world, Christ took the punishment for our sins, because that was what our God and Father wanted _{Gal 1:4 (GW)–}

The world is looking for answers. Inquiring minds want to know why. Those who were victimized by evil want to understand how this could happen. Why is there evil in the world? Simply because man is evil and desperately wicked and in need of a savior which is Christ the Lord. Without the preaching of the gospel there is no hope of eradicating evil from the heart of man. And as long as there is evil in the heart of man and man refuses to ask for a “new heart” from God then there will be more Fort Hoods and similar incidents until evil is eradicated from the world through the return of Christ as final arbiter and judge.

And [how you] look forward to and await the coming of His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead—Jesus, Who personally rescues and delivers us out of and from the wrath [bringing punishment] which is coming [upon the impenitent] and draws us to Himself [ investing us with all the privileges and rewards of the new life in Christ, the Messiah]. _{1 Thess 1:10 (AMP)–}

Make a clean heart in me, O God; give me a right spirit again. _{Psalms 51:10 (BBE)–}

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” _{Rev 21:1-4 (NKJV)–}

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; and in that day the heavens will be rolled up with a great noise, and the substance of the earth will be changed by violent heat, and the world and everything in it will be burned up. Seeing then that all these things are coming to such an end, what sort of persons is it right for you to be, in all holy behaviour and righteousness, Looking for and truly desiring the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will come to an end through fire, and the substance of the earth will be changed by the great heat? But having faith in his word, we are looking for a new heaven and a new earth, which will be the resting-place of righteousness. For this reason, my loved ones, as you are looking for these things, take great care that when he comes you may be in peace before him, free from sin and every evil thing. _{2 Peter 3:10-14 (BBE)–}

I saw a large, white throne and the one who was sitting on it. The earth and the sky fled from his presence, but no place was found for them. I saw the dead, both important and unimportant people, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened, including the Book of Life. The dead were judged on the basis of what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead. Death and hell gave up their dead. People were judged based on what they had done. Death and hell were thrown into the fiery lake. (The fiery lake is the second death.) Those whose names were not found in the Book of Life were thrown into the fiery lake. _{Rev 20:11-15 (GW)–}

Yes America sometimes it really is what it is, evil, wickedness, sin. Let us call sin sin and evil evil. Let us not attempt to explain away the obvious effects of sin in the world. Sin will increase until it becomes exceedingly sinful. In other words, it is going to get worse before it can get better. And it will get worse so that even those who today are scrambling to try to explain away this evil will have to say, indeed it is what it is evil.

Evil and false men will become worse and worse, using deceit and themselves overcome by deceit. _{2 Tim 3:13 (BBE)–}

So instead of turning to psychology and science. Instead of looking to each other for reason and understand, why not look to the redeemer and ask Him to redeem you from the effects of sin and wickedness? Ask Jesus to save you from yourself and pray for your neighbors so they too can be rescued from the evil effects of sin. Until we all come to the full understanding of God’s love through Christ Jesus there can be no hope of peace on earth and good will toward men. There is no other name under heaven whereby man can be rescued from the evil of sin. It is what it is. And this is a view from the nest.

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. _{Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)}

Along for the journey

Additional resources

Good Versus Evil in America

War and the Soul: Healing Our Nation’s Veterans from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder