Daily Devotional for Tuesday May 27, 2014
The Real Causes of the Mass Shooting in California
(John 17:31; Romans 14:17; Nehemiah 8:10)
***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, what does the Bible mean by "filled with the holy spirit" in the Books of Acts?
ANSWER: It was the initial infilling of Believers with the Holy Spirit, "the Comforter" Jesus promised would come after He was gone. Now, ALL receive the Holy Spirit at the moment they accept the Lord by faith. Yielding to the power of the Holy Spirit to be guided "by the Spirit and not the flesh" is the challenge of every Believer each and every day.
The real causes of the mass shooting in California this past weekend. After listening to the tortured explanations the last few days for the horrific and senseless killings in California, let me share with you the REAL answers to the question people are asking. Why? That answer is simple. We are literally living in an environment that nurtures acts of violence like this, and I am shocked we don't see them occur more often. For the past two generations, we have cultivated a culture of death. Couple that with the purposeful removal of God from every aspect of public life, is it any wonder why people commit these types of horrific acts of violence?
The media, Hollywood, TV, the internet, have for several decades now mocked and demeaned people of faith, and fought to exclude a Biblcial worldview of daily life. In its place, they have proffered every type of Godless act. God's Holy Institution of Marriage and the family have been perverted and decimated. We have the better part of two generations who have never been to church and thus have no faith background. Those people have grown up from birth being exposed to every kind of evil in this world, and indoctrinated to believe everything God's Word stands against. It is in this evil and sinful environment that diminishes the value of human life we are now living.
There is a culture of death hanging over this nation like a black cloud!!!
The other part of the answer is the role mental health plays in these mass killings. THIS IS NOT ABOUT GUNS, AS ANTI-GUN ADVOCATES LIKE PIERS MORGAN, SOME POLITICIANS, AND OTHER TALKING HEADS WANT YOU TO BELIEVE! THAT IS A RED HERRING FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO DESIRE TO DEAL WITH THE REAL ISSUE WE FACE AS A NATION WHICH IS MENTAL HEALTH! From Columbine, to Virginia Tech, to Tucson, to a movie theater in Aurora, Co, to Sandy Hook elementary, to the shooting in California over the weekend, those responsible were people with a long history of MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES that should have never even been walking the streets!
When I was growing up in the 60's, there was a beautiful gated complex a few miles from my home that housed people with mental illnesses. These facilities existed throughout the nation. I am NOT in any way condoning the horrific things that happened in some of these facilities, but for the most part, they served a critical need for society by providing a place for those who were mentally ill, those whose families simply weren't equipped to care for them.
During the 70's, the majority of these facilities were closed due to the influx of liberal, privacy, and individual rights legislation passed during that era. It made it very difficult to identify or even treat those individuals who had legitimate mental health issues. Sadly, today the only institution in place to deal with these people is the prison system. The prison system was NEVER designed to be a defacto mental health complex, however, that is exactly what it has become. Over 60% of those incarcerated today in cities, counties, state, and federal jails have legitimate mental health issues.
Due to the breakdown of marriage and the family that I have been talking about for over 15 years now, we have an entirely new generation of people with mental illness brought on by the broken, blended, and destructive conditions they have grown up in. Exponential increases in sexual, physical, and emotional abuse of children has created a new generation of people who grow up with very real mental health issues! Factor in violent video games, a culture that fosters every kind of perversion and evil the mind can imagine, a society that devalues life, and you have generations now growing up with mental health issues our society is not equipped to handle!
What would be a legitimate plan to deal with this societal issue? You can make coffee with your cell phone today! With the incredible technology and brainpower that exists, the private sector (though they will have to fight the privacy advocates) needs to develop a mental health data base. Screen children when they start elementary school, junior high, senior high, college if a person enrolls, and during any job application. This would create a data base of people that need to be watched and insure they are getting the proper help and treatment for any sort of mental health issues they may have!
This is an issue the church and most people refuse to deal with. The mental illness and depression that so many suffer from is a legitimate issue! Let me say right up front. Mental illness is just as real as a broken leg. Just because it is not a visible illness, does not mean it is not as real as someone with a broken bone, a bad heart, or any other illness. MENTAL ILLNESS AND DEPRESSION ARE REAL!
I want to encourage anyone today that is suffering from any form of mental illness or depression to seek out the best professional help possible. God has raised up mental health professionals and given men the wisdom to create drugs to treat mental illness, so that you can live a normal and productive life. Just like there is no reason to be ashamed to see a doctor if you break your arm, just like there is no reason to be ashamed if you have to take medicine to treat a kidney problem, there is no reason to be ashamed to see a doctor or take the proper medication if you suffer from mental illness or depression!
I love you and care about you so much. With the culture of death hanging over the nation and a rise in people with mental health issues, we will sadly see these types of mass killings frequently. This is why taking a stand for LIFE is so important. I also realize many people suffer from some form of mental illness that is just as real as any other type of illness. I will be praying today that those who are suffering from some form of mental illness, will seek out the best professional help possible and take advantage of whatever medication that is prescribed to treat you. God is still in the healing business, and GOD CAN BRING HEALING TO THOSE SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS.
I pray that this word today will help you understand the importance of standing for life. I also pray it will be a breakthrough in your life if you are battling with mental illness or depression. God loves you very much. He wants you to have joy in your life, despite whatever trials and tribulations you may be experiencing. That joy comes from knowing Christ as our Savior. When we know Christ, there is no such thing as being hopeless. It is through Christ that you can find healing from mental illness!
In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller