One can be grazed by an assassin’s bullet in a miraculous act of deliverance and then praise God for sparing his life. Another can take a fatal bullet in an act of heroism. Both cause us to seek God’s truth and meaning.
That is what happened this last weekend on Saturday, July 13, 2024 during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a would-be assassin’s bullet ripped the top off former President Trump’s ear. Had President Trump not rotated his head to his right, the story would have been horrifically much different.
From my Christian perspective, Mr. Trump rightfully gave credit to God for saving his life and we are left to see how his spiritual life will be strengthened by such divine intervention.
Yet tragedy struck at the same moment killing a father protecting his family.
Being Delivered from (or enduring) Crisis
How we respond to a crisis, how we view life, and our ultimate destination depends on the object of our faith. It influences how we process miraculous type events in life. When a life changing deliverance from grave harm happens to you, does it move you to any greater understanding of life? As a Christian, how does it move you in your relation to the sovereign God of the universe?
How we process events can change substantially through the chain of crises in life. I definitely know my attitude towards Jesus changed drastically after I consciously surrendered my life to Christ. My prior attitude exacerbate things, because pleasing God and giving thanks to God for all things was not one of my priorities. it was easy to co-exist with a worldly philosophy that harmonized with my idolatry-containing moral relativism.
A word of caution (which is the primary focus of this website, seeking the “narrow gate” or “narrow way” spoken of by Jesus Christ): Places of worship can help or hinder your path towards the truth.
Some churches do not emphasize God’s moral law, how God will judge sinners, and how Jesus Christ is meant to be Lord and Savior in the life of a Christian, not just Savior. Teaching partial truths harmonizes to the average person’s desire to maintain their secular lifestyles,
It’s an easy but misleading message to preach: Jesus saves and accepts you as you are. Yetthe message of partial truth leaves most congregants to either lead a life that is neither dedicated to God through Christ, nor is it one of repentance. Acceptance of Jesus as only the Savior message puts people in sleep walking mode, where they are very likely to live a life without building their relationship with Christ and seeking to obey His teachings and commands.
One way of putting it is the average church goer, and often times, church leaders, are in practice, theological and doctrinal accommodation. In other words, a marketing-centered approach to running a church rather than a biblically-centered approach. Although it doesn’t take much clear theology to be saved, to walk with the Lord means getting to know Him and what is important to HIm. A desire to know to live by God’s law is important, therefore some diligence is necessary to live a life of a believer.
Proverbs 28:9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.
Proverbs 19:16 Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life; he who despises [his, the Lord’s, God’s, the word] ways will die.
What are some indications one is on the wrong path? If in one’s life he feels no closer to Christ than when he began, or that they have no desire to know Jesus as a disciple desires to learn from his master, this should be a warning sign. In some cases, some people have rejected their “faith” by their experiences in the church, this ought to be a big warning signal that they never received God’s calling to begin with. It may be that they were not exposed to a clear proclamation or explanation of the gospel. Often disingenuous experiences at a church can cause callousness from half-truths from both the pulpit, congregants, or their false doctrine. Other times, people can be so entrenched in a life of self-righteousness or worldly pride, they remain a living barrier to the truth.
In my case, despite being delivered from several dire situations in my life, I did not understand how I was really living to serve my own self-centered interests and not of the Lord who had bestowed grace upon grace in my life. At least not all at once was I able to reach a critical tipping point. Looking back, it is as though I squandered many opportunities to serve Him. I was delivered many times and did not come to surrender my life to the Lord. It’s evidence to how being steeped in worldly ways had influenced me for most of my adult life (and yet the process of change is never complete until death).
A hint. The prayer life of a person who only views Christ as a Savior is likely to be filled with requests for favors, treating Christ like a cosmic get-out-of-jail card standing by to make your life easier, with less pain and suffering. That can go hand-in-hand with the disease of the entitlement mentality that permeates the fabric of our materialistic, get-it-on-demand society.
A helpful treatment for this one dimensional prayer life is to humbly seek God’s will, especially in the midst of suffering and crisis, and by learning God’s character and instruction through Scripture, letting the Light of God’s word reveal the barnacles of sin from within.
WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH BEING DELIVERED OR HAVING TO ENDURE A DIRE LIFE CIRCUMSTANCE?
“What about Corey Comperatore?” How was this heroic father part of God’s plan and God’s blessing?
Much like a soldier in combat is a Christian in life, knowing that at any time he could be called to be with the Lord. Corey’s act of heroism will remain like a shining star in the memory of many in the nation and around the world. His life of service and courageous act of sacrificial love will remain in the hearts and minds of his family.
A Christian looks forward to the eternal glory of being with the Lord after passing through death. It’s a vital part of the faith in the truth Jesus taught, made accessible to all who come to the Lord in faith and repentance.
While President Trump survived the assassination attempt, Corey paid the ultimate price. A father and husband, an innocent bystander, Corey paid with his life to protect his family.
President Trump survives and must further comprehend what God’s will is for his life as a leader and as a vessel of God’s will or one called by Christ for work in the world.
One thing you will learn as a Christian is not to judge the state of a person’s salvation. Judgment is reserved for God alone. Believers are commanded to spread the gospel and proclaim the truth, to love others, and not to judge.
We can be troubled by the results of acts of wickedness but rest in ultimate victory. We cannot suppose we know how these events will ultimately work out, but as a Christian we take heart in the Lord’s victory no matter the circumstances in life. The Holy Spirit resides within us and secures our salvation and helps guide us through both the valley of the shadow of death and the doorway of death itself.
We cannot see the future road map that God has in store that aligned in that traumatic moment on July 13, 2024 on a field in Butler, Pennsylvania. A Christian will come to acceptance, with joy, inspiration, suffering and grief, from what to many seems like Russian roulette.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:7
The Lord leads to green pastures and still waters through the Holy Spirit. A growing and maturing relationship of a child of God with God brings about greater peace.
Understanding that we all have an appointment with death and judgment by a righteous, just, and holy God and how we live our life in the face of that eventuality shapes how we live as Christians. Although we exercise and experience the consequences of free-will from our finite perspectives, God’s plans will not be thwarted. God is omniscient and works blessings for the survivor and for the victim. Despite the evil that exists in the world, God is both good and sovereign, knowing these truths as a child of God are important in coming to grips with any situation.
For a detailed explanation of who Jesus Christ is from the Bible’s perspective go to the video in this website , “Who is Jesus Christ?”
For a one minute explanation of the Gospel, watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCP9UcC7BzE
For a review of the Ten Commandments: https://www.challenyee.com/the-ten-commandments/
CKY
P.S. Typos and all, I do not use AI.
Sunset photo in Hawaii (Maui) is from my personal stock.