What About...

Please listen to this song. Especially the third line, it applies especially to this post- the Joker more specifically.

Most of you have probably heard about the shootings in Colorado. Some guy dressed up as the Joker from the movie "The Dark Knight Rises" went into a movie theater and started shooting people. (Find the details here: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/07/20/witnesses-to-batman-massacre-describe-terrifying-scene/ and here: http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2012/07/23/shooting-suspect-in-court-with-orange-red-hair224093/ )

The stories I have been hearing about the heroic acts of others have been on my mind lately. Three guys and their girlfriends entered that theater. One guy and three girls made it out alive. When the shooting started the men either pushed those girls to the floor or threw themselves on top of them in order to save their lives. Two men died, the third was shot three times .
One of the men who died had earlier (in life) told his buddies that he wanted to die a hero.
Men and women died in that shooting. Children died in that shooting.

Children.

People all over the country are praying for the families who have lost loved ones.

What about the Joker*? Is anyone praying for him?

What about that young girl that could have been in the audience? What if she was totally excited for her birthday the following week because she would finally get to see her over-worked dad? What if she died?

What about the Joker? What traumatized him so much as a child that he would grow to hate mankind?

What about the rest of us? What are we supposed to do with this catastrophic even that just rocked so many of our worlds?

What about the Joker? What if he really is sitting in a jail cell grinning evilly at the chaos he has created? What if he really is crazy? Is there any hope for him- at all?

What about the mother ready to commit suicide because her husband and son are dead? Who will comfort her?

What about the Joker? Can he come to his senses and realize what he has done? Will he be the old man in a jail cell waiting to die? Will he be the one begging God for mercy when no one else will?

What about you and I? What will happen when we are put to the test?

“If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” Proverbs 24:10 (KJV)

What about the Joker? Is anyone praying for him? Would I? If I gain the strength to pray for him, will I?

“And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32 (KJV)

“forbearing one another and forgiving one another. If any man hath a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” Colossians 3:13 (KJV)

… will I?

Tirzah

* I am calling the murder suspect "Joker".

Who are you?

If you are between the ages of 13 and 19, ask yourself these questions:

What are you?

What are you supposed to be?

Who are you?

Who should you be?

What is your goal in life?

What is your purpose in life?

What are you doing with your life?

What should you be doing with your life?

Did you answer the questions truthfully?

It seems that in this day and age that the world around us, the culture, the entertainment and even the way we speak is centered around the teen. So, what are you? Are you a teen? Are you a young adult? What is the difference and why does it matter?

Did you know that the word teen was not used until an author for the magazine Readers Digest wrote an article about work-ethic? The word was only used once to describe people from the ages of 12-19.

So, what are you supposed to be? Are you supposed to be a teen that is living for self, having fun, being cool? Are you supposed to be a young adult that is training to be a godly young man or young lady, to work to train for when you are married and have children and must lead your family through troubled times? Will you be ready when it is time to do the Lords will?

Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs23:22 “Listen to your father who begot you , and do not despise your mother when she is old.

Who are you? Are you trying to fit in with the world around us, trying to hang out with the people that are cool? Are you trying to fit in to the mold that the world has made for us and want to push us through? Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefor brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present you bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your responsible service. And donot be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of you mind,that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Who should you be? We should be children of God trying to serve Him as best we can, giving Him our all!

What is your goal in life? Is it to have fun and do what you want to do? Are your goals what God want of you?

What is your purpose in life? God want us to serve Him with our lives. As Christian, we must be willing to give our all for God, including our relationships, money and even our lives! 1 Cor. 10:31 “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or what so ever you do, doall to the glory of God.”

What are you doing with your life? Are you submitting to God or the world. Are you doing Gods will or are you doing the will of the devil? There are only two people that youcan serve, God or Satin?

What should yoube doing with your life? You need to give your life to Christ to take and fix. Let God in to your life and NEVER let Him out!

Now ask yourself these questions again, examine your life and then go pray that God will change your life to do HIS will!

Matt