In the wake of what has taken place this week, I want to repeat the message
that I shared with you on April 25, 1999, the Sunday after 'Columbine'. It
is as true today as it was then.

"...Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." 1 John 4:4

The nation has seen and heard such chilling and tragic scenes of pain and
destruction this past week. The contrast between the carnage that went on
and the quickly turning to God for solace and comfort was also before us.
Let's stand together that in the midst of the suffering, hearts will be open
to Christ Jesus -- to receive Him as Savior and Lord.

The Psalms tell us much about the wicked and evildoers and what happens
to them. In the same Psalms, the Psalmist turns our focus to the security of
those who trust in the Lord. Psalm 1 immediately gives us the contrast.

"How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season,
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assemble of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish."

Psalm 37 clearly talks of this very thing. (Read the whole Psalm) There is
a warning for those who belong to the Lord here, also.

"Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do no fret, it leads only to evildoing.
For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land." Vs. 7-9

We must keep a guard on our hearts for anger can be a very destructive
thing. Even "righteous" anger must be turned over to Christ, put under His
control; for it, too, could lead to wrath and evildoing. Are we not hearing
that anger, violent and out of control, played a major role in the Littleton
tragedy? (I add here, the Virginia Tech tragedy!)

Ephesians 4:26-27 says,
"Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
and do not give the devil an opportunity."

Let us trust our sovereign Lord in the midst of all that is taking place for
He knows the beginning from the end! He is Almighty God!

"Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask
or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory
in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.
Amen."   Ephesians 3:20-21