"We were lifeguards together. He was hilarious. The community loved him and he loved the community." - Co-Worker of Tamerlan Tsarnaev (Alleged Boston Marathon Bomber)
As details pour in about the two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing, people are in shock about how "normal" and "likable" these alleged killers were. It is causing the nation to wonder who else might be here pretending to be an average American with intentions to kill and destroy. Where is God in all of this? Does He have anything to say about it?
The answer is, yes, God does have something to say about it. He is at work. Jesus Christ is not a little man dead on a cross. He is not merely a historical figure who healed blind people and taught His followers to love each other. Jesus is Lord of all the world, not just inside the four walls of the church.
The two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing killed an MIT police officer and hurled explosives at police in a car chase and gun battle overnight that left one of them dead and his brother on the loose, authorities said Friday as thousands of officers swarmed the streets in a manhunt that all but paralyzed the Boston area.
The suspects were identified by law enforcement officials and a family member as Dzhokhar, 19, and Tamerlan, 26, Tsarnaev, brothers from a Russian region near Chechnya, which has been plagued by an Islamic insurgency that has carried out deadly bombings.
A U.S. law enforcement official and the uncle of the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings are confirming that the name of the second suspect is Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older brother of Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a gun battle with police in Massachusetts overnight.
All Government Is Established By God
"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.The authorities that exist have been established by God." (Romans 13:1)
Every kind of government is established by God. Wait, that can't be right. That must mean only godly government, where people pray, stop abortions, and say "one nation under God" right? Wrong. It means every government.
This scripture was written by Paul in his letter to Christians in Rome. Rome was ruled by Caesar. It was a government that worshiped Caesar as "god" and filled with idol worship. The Roman empire was corrupt, brutal, and violent. Paul was writing about the Roman government.
God hates chaos. He would rather have ungodly order than godly chaos. God decides who comes to power in every generation. He also decides what nation will fall out of power. Every great empire, from the Mongols to the Babylonians, the British to the Soviet Union, was established by God himself.
"From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries." (Acts 17:26)
Government: Agent of God's Wrath to Punish Evildoers
"For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer." (Romans 13:4)
Government is given a sword. Today, swords have been replaced by guns. God has given them a gun to bring punishment do those who do evil.
The law enforcement agencies - federal, state, and local - and their full complement of investigative and police resources serve the purposes of God in pursuing and punishing evil.
God Is At Work
This is God's world. Every person, animal, and all of the powers in creation are under God's control. He knows the future. He knows your future. He has already seen it. "Many are the plans of a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."
We do not have to be anxious or afraid. God is not surprised. He is not shocked. He is at work. Even when we wonder where He is. When the final chapter is written in history, it will be HIS-story.
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