Fear and Virginia Tech

Fear and Virginia Tech
©copyright 2007 Bonita M Quesinberry, R.C.

Proverbs 10:12— Hatred stirreth up strifes . . .

Matthew 5:44-48— But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Proverbs says it all; for the young Virginia Tech man, Cho, who fired his guns indiscriminately, was filled with rage and hate, as evidenced by some of his writings and recordings revealed since the massacre he waged: over what and/or at whom, we do not know for certain and might never know. In his own words, it does seem that his rage was fueled by depression, being an outsider and a loaner, the inequity of greed and horror of pedophilia: this latter quite possibly an indication that he might once have been a victim.

Matthew's admonition, however, is what we all need to keep in mind during the days and months of grieving that already have begun. Satan would like nothing better than for us to seek revenge, find someone to blame and hold accountable in a court of law: none of which would serve to good. Therefore, let us NOT fall into Satan's trap of anger and revenge and non-forgiveness. Cho is the one we need to forgive; that forgiveness is about the person, not the crime he or she commits against others and God. Forgiveness is the crucial key to healing the wounds caused by this atrocity. And, true forgiveness comes only by "perfect love" within each person.

Having buried two children of my own, I fully understand what the families of those killed are going through: the anger at young Cho's audacity, grief over the loss of a loved one, and even blaming self for some imagined failure to protect them along with a sense of helplessness. The gamut of emotions experienced at this time can be almost overwhelming as the victims' families move through our world in a haze of shock and disbelief: it is a time to embrace God and Christ; for only They can pull each person involved through this dark nightmare and back into His light of wisdom.

Already, many are questioning the actions of Virginia Tech officials and the local police: an effort in futility; for there is not one thing any of us can do to prevent such tragedies from occurring. There is no law, neither man's nor God's, that can enforce morality; for every human is born with a power of choice, over which we have no control except within self.

In light of evidence to date, Cho had carefully and methodically planned not only the death of as many as he could reach but also his own; and, despite the fact he previously had been declared a danger to himself, there was no way anyone could have predicted he would be a danger to others. And, under current laws, there is little anyone can do to prevent possibilities; man's laws can prevent only additional acts by a known criminal, if utililized to their maximum capability: Cho was not a known criminal.

As much as we want to believe we can protect our loved ones, and do our best to do just that, not one human is infallible; not even man's laws: only God holds this distinction. What we need to question at this time is whether or not we, the survivors, are living our lives in accordance with God's Word and His Ways; for, in the end, this is all that will matter and will determine whether or not we see our departed loved ones again.

We also need to remember that we are living in earth's end days; a period the Bible describes as a time of horrors; God's last-ditch effort to get wayward people to repent and turn back to Him and His ways: He is pouring out His wrath— not by Cho's act, rather in the elements and wars— showing us that we cannot prevent Him, no matter how arrogantly man seems to think he can. Jesus, however, assures His sheep that He will cut short this painful age so accurately described in Psalm c.91, paraphrased: "Though a thousand fall at my side, and ten thousand at my right hand, I shall not fear and the [last] plagues shall not come near me."

Isaiah 57:1-2
"The righteous perish and no one takes it to heart; and, merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness."

The comfort in Isaiah's words is that when we lose those we love from acts of violence in these end days, God is actually sparing them from even worse to come. As He tells us in prophecy about these end days, "The wicked grow worse and worse." Thus, we cannot expect things to improve or form new laws or other so called preventive measures that will put a stop to many of the terrors we have witnessed since 1991: the likes of Columbine and other pre-college schools, 9/11, the Amish murders, and now Virginia Tech. Add to these the death tolls from various natural elements, such as the Indian Ocean tsunami, as well as wars. Each year, since 1991, has been exponentially worse than the year before.

So many are living in fear, more so today than ever before: fear of events like Virginia Tech or deadly storms or earthquakes or volcanoes or death in combat. We have no need to live in fear; for the Word tells us that, if we have the "perfect love" of God within us, then "perfect love casts out fear." We should not fear anything that mankind or the elements can do to these flesh bodies; after all, these bodies are not who we are.

We must grieve with those who are grieving, weep with them, and pray for them, asking that God have mercy on us all; including Cho. Time is short and death is no respecter of age, young or old: it makes no difference. Any of us could die in the wink of an eye, so it doesn't even matter that earth might go on for another 6000 years or end tomorrow. What matters is whether or not we live up to God's Doctrine, and only His, and have the faith of and in His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: bottomline, there is nothing and no one else by which we are judged.

If you were to die unexpectedly tomorrow, as did those massacred at Virginia Tech, would all of your personal affairs be in order? More importantly, are you living God's Word instead of "man's commandments and traditions taught in God's name?" Suppose, for a moment, that you had heard and even read God's Truth and, at the time knew it was the truth, perhaps even followed it for awhile, then turned from it in favor of man's teachings, wherein the majority walk: because it seems the easier, the more comfortable thing to do.

Do you really want to risk discovering you were wrong to refuse full and permanent compliance AFTER it is too late to change? Don't think this will not happen. According to God's Word, "the wicked die at the brightness of Christ's coming and instantly know perfectly why they are left behind dead." Death of the flesh is final; thus, at the time our bodies die, we are stuck with and judged according to where we stood spiritually in that precise moment: one position guarantees life eternal, while the other warrants everlasting death; the second death to follow, as it were.

Let us not fall into Satan's trap of fear, anger, revenge and unforgiving spirits. Let us remember the Amish, who reached out in forgiveness for the man who murdered their children. Let us reach out in forgiveness for Cho, for he was a hurting young man; one to whom no one had reached out in love to sooth his wounds. Rather, only authorities had reached out in ways that hurt him more and fueled his indignation and rage.

There is only one proven way to eliminate fear from our lives: "Love God with all your heart and soul and might and mind; and, love your neighbor as you love yourself. Upon these two depend all the Law." The Bible further clarifies: "We know we love God, and the children of God, because we obey His [Ten] Commandments . . . as given in the beginning."

It is unequivocally testified here that God's Word is true and it does eliminate all fear when we obey Him and have faith like that of Jesus. We make the choice to live in fear or to live without fear; which is to say, we choose our master: Lucifer or God. Revelation clearly states that the "fearful" will not enter the gates of heaven; rather, they are counted among the wicked. Therefore, fear, at the deeper level of our spiritual being, definitely is a fear of the second death; which is utter destruction to nevermore exist. Our spirit being knows, without doubt, whether we are or are not in compliance with God. If we experience fear, we are not obedient to God and His Christ.

It is an awesome feeling to experience a total lack of fear of dying by any manner, whether by disease or drunk driver or murderer or horrendous natural elements or even by God's Almighty Hand. When He slays the flesh body of His children, it is to give us rest and to spare us from the horrors of these end days. It is a different matter altogether for those who die without Christ: their spirit being weeps and wails and grinds their teeth, knowing a second death is the only thing yet to come.

Living without a drop of fear definitely is one of God's blessings in this temporary here and now. It simply doesn't matter what happens to this flesh body. What matters is the spirit being who gives the flesh it's temporary life; for that is who we truly are. Praise the Lord, we are not these pitiful, defiled bodies!

Let us love and forgive and love even more; for in these fear cannot exist.

~~ end Sabbath Lesson of 04/21/07
Truth Seekers and Speakers 

excerpt Bind Up the Testimony, Seal the Law, a spiritual/Biblical interpretation of The Revelation, paraphrased chronologically; ref: redemption. Order from any local or online bookstore. Amazon.com offers lowest pricing.