31/12/2017 modified
I was about to send out my work last night, but I decided to wait until the Sunday worship was ended this morning. This is the last Sunday of 2017, it was refreshing to have Pastor Mark, the pastor of the Chinese congregation to preach. Without fail, he gave out a spirit-led sermon, and I was pointed to one of a verse of scriptures from the book of Isaiah from the pulpit as I thought of Mrs. Pinckey and all the people who were traumatized by the church shooting from my rework last night.
Isaiah 60:2-3
See, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the people, but the LORD rises upon you…Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
30/12/2017
2 days ago, I was thrilled with the thought that I had put up my last draft before the end of 2017. This morning, When CNN briefly mentioned about the church killing two days ago, in Cairo, I was led to rework and share the following piece that I did it in 2015 on church shooting, in case, people ask why it’s happening in churches and where was God when it happens? Especially for the pre-believers.
26/06/2015
The Massacre Of South Carolina Church
On Wednesday, the 17th of June 2015 nine people were shot dead during a bible study group at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. The local police identified a man as 21-years-old. Witnesses said he spent around 50-minutes inside with the Bible studies group before opening fire then running away. The late Rev. Clementa Pinckey was facilitating the Bible study. What got into the shooter’s mind that he would do such cruel and horrific thing?
Did God allow it to happen to nine of HIS beloved children? If HE is all present, the pre-believers may ask that where was HE on that day when the shooting started? My heart went out not only to the victims who died but more of the surviving family members and their loved ones. They must be totally shocked and devastated that beyond comfort. I am sure people around the world would join hands in one spirit to pray to my dear Lord, Jesus to bring healing and restoration to those who suffered the loss.
Why South Carolina, I asked? Arthur and I had many fond memories of that part of the world. In the late 90s,’ we were invited to visit Greenville, South Carolina twice as guests to observe events that organized by the Executive Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ ( the new name is now ‘Cru’ since 2011). We met many lovely people and befriended with a lot of God-fearing and God-serving Christians there. And we also took an execution of touring the renowned Biltmore Estate Asheville, North Carolina. (1)
We saw the bowling alley inside the Estate; we saw the room that fills with all the Halloween costumes as part of the places for children; and of course the garden, it was Spring during our visit. It was really an eye-opening trip for us and its the showcase of how one of the US pioneers lived at the time. We also visited the city of Atlanta, GA. Before the trip I was hoping to see some of the big roomy houses like the settings of the movie of “Gone With The Wind,” and the reality usually differs from fantasy.
The tour at the Civil War Museum was educational, it said the tour guide that ‘the war was never ended.‘ Therefore, keywords as ‘federal flag” or “federal hate crime charges ” been added to my vocabularies ever since. Now with the heated ‘Gun Control’ debate and the most recent federal hate crime issues in the US, I felt for the country, and I would always have a special place in my heart for the US, maybe because I spent many years there for my advanced education.
In tune with what says in the following passage of scriptures (Jere 17:9) that I am at easy not to ask a question as to why the gunman did what he did to the innocent people. With our sinful nature, we probably would ask that did God allow this tragedy to surface, and of course, HE would not? People would continue to follow the graphic coverage of the Charleston Church shooting as things evolve.
It is reported that when Armed police rescued Mrs. Pinckney with her young daughter; when the police confirmed the death of her husband, she placed her head in her mother Mrs. Benjamin’s lap; and she started to pray on her knees. And she stood up, held hands with her daughters and said to them that:
” something terrible has happened to your dad’ but we are Pinckney girls, and we are going to stay strong, and we are going to get through this. “We have a lot of families who love us.'” (2)
Dylann Roof is an American white supremacist, and all the victims were African Americans. The mass murderer was convicted of 33 federal hate crimes and murder charges. I was stunned to notice that he had been entirely showing no remorse for what he did to the victims during his court hearings.
Sadly we had another gunman killed at least 26 in an attack at a small town of Sutherland Springs, Texas, in the last quarter of 2017, The gunman was gun down by one church member. So no one knew the motive of the shooter. And with the deep grief of loss, church members decided to continue to turn up the following week for Sunday worship.
The verse of scripture on Jeremiah 17:9 pretty much gives us the profile of both gunmen, but where was God when shootings taking place in the churches? First of all, as Christians, we shall know that the Church is not just a building. Apostle Peter so well puts it that Church as God’s household, the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). It says, Apostel Paul, that ‘and for through HIM all of us as God’s worshippers are as ONE Body, have access by ONE Spirit to the Father (Ephesians 2:18). ‘
Mrs. Pinckey was brutally being attacked emotionally, spiritually and physically, and Jesus was evidently seen in her suffering so she can face the blow and take a stand for herself and bring glory to her Savior. As for members of that small church in Texas, with Jesus‘ extra dosage of grace and power, they resume worship service the following Sunday after the shooting. Information on the Cairo church shooting was only limited to the death toll of 9 people, and no one has claimed to be responsible for it.
More and more, we know that we can’t afford to take things too much for granted. And there are people, Christians are hurting every day around the world. As we may in a different part of the world, but we Christians are together as ONE if Mrs. Pinckey suffered a great loss her loved one, we grief with her if she overcomes then we rejoice with her in Jesus’ name. She would never be alone, as what she puts that she has a lot of families love her and her daughters, and most importantly, Jesus loves her!
Jeremiah 17:9 – NIV
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
- And images of a place or buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States of America. Its reference number is 66000586 for more images of Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina, the USA
- read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-31321/How-wife-Reverend-Pinckney-hid-desk-nearby-church-office-six-year-olddaughter-beloved-husband-gunned-Dylann-Roof.html#ixzz3e2FQ,\mK2w
- Dylann Roff: Charleston Church Shooter Gets Nine Life Sentences in… https://www.nbcnews.com
The Light Of Faith 