Our country has rejected God's standards

The question that arises after a school shooting is, "Why did this happen?" Nobody seems to know. Experts give opinions. They say that kids who shoot kids are victims themselves. They say that they have been hurt, and therefore harbor hatred which manifests itself in a murderous rage. But there is another reason kids kill kids. In the 1960's, authorities saw fit to remove the Ten Commandments from the walls of our schools. It seems that they didn't like our youth being given moral guidelines, such as "You shall not lie," "You shall not steal," and "You shall not kill." No doubt they thought that they were liberating a generation. It worked. We now have a generation who feels that they have the liberty to lie, steal, and even kill, without qualms of conscience. We, as a nation, must bear some of the responsibility for school shootings. After all, who is to blame when moral light is removed those who remove the light, or those who stumble in the darkness?

People don't fear the consequences of their actions

A wise man once said, "First, I fear God. Next, I fear him who fears Him not." To "fear" God means to judge every thought and action in the light of God's approval or disapproval. The First Commandment, "I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before Me" means that we should love God above all else, and love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves . Someone who fears God will not lie to, steal from, or kill his neighbor. But a person who doesn't fear God will esteem his own happiness to be of greater importance than God's favor. He will lie, steal and even commit murder. There are more than 200,000 people who could attest to that fact . . . if they were still alive. That's how many have been murdered in the United States in the last ten years - 200,000 people.

Realize that you deserve God's judgment

Have you loved God and put Him first in your life? Have you lied or stolen? Be brutally honest about your past sins, because the Bible says that on Judgment Day they will be used as evidence against us. We will even be judged for our "idle" words. Jesus said that if we have looked with lust, we have committed adultery in our heart. If we have hated someone, we have committed murder as far as God is concerned. Think of it, if God judges us by that standard, we will be found guilty and end up in Hell. God, however, doesn't want any to perish. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to suffer and die on the Cross, so that we could be free from His wrath. It's as simple as this - we broke God's Law, and Jesus paid our fine. God commended His love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Then He rose from the dead and defeated death. The moment you repent and trust in Him, God will forgive you for your sins, and grant you the gift of everlasting life. Do it today (you may not have tomorrow), then read the Bible daily and obey what you read . . . God will never let you down.