A National Heart Attack

by Greg Quinn

June 7th, 2022

The recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas has captured the heart of America and the world. It was horrible what an unstable teenager did in that school, by murdering children and teachers. Of course, the fallout has mainly called for new gun control measures and new school procedures which miss the true problem. This is not an issue of gun control; there are enough gun control measures in place already. There are more effective solutions such as arming teachers and having more effective school officers in place. And, as the case of Uvalde, proper protocol and better officer training on dealing with these kinds of issues in the future. But this isn't the real problem. The real problem is not an issue of guns or police protocols. The real issue is a heart issue.

It's been a long time since America took prayer out of our public schools. Look what has happened since that time. Since prayer was removed from our schools, there have been ever-increasing levels of juvenile crime, suicides, murders, gang activity, drug abuse, you name it. By taking the prayer out of our schools, along with removing Bibles and taking the Ten Commandments off the walls, and educational curriculums removing any hint of Biblical history, the outcome has resulted in increased violence in our society. The first students to suffer the loss of Bible-based morality from the school system have long been adults now, and it is easy to see the trends that have occurred and continue to grow from our societal decision to remove God from our schools, and from our society as a whole.

America has a heart problem.

 Mark 7:21-23

21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride,    foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man." The only solution to the heart problem of America and the world is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The proclamation of the Gospel is still the most desperate need of men today. As Billy Graham put it, "We are never going to reverse the moral trends without a spiritual awakening, and we are never going to have a spiritual awakening until the cross of Jesus Christ is central in all our teaching, preaching, and practice."

If we went to the doctor and were told we have a physical heart problem, and the doctor said, "If you want to live, you need to do this and this", then most likely, we would do it. Now, the Creator of the Universe (and Creator of each of us) tells us we have a spiritual heart problem, and to fix this problem we need to do this and this, yet we turn a blind eye. To fix our heart problem we must focus on "putting on" different thoughts, attitudes, ideals, and actions.

Ephesians 4

20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. 26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give [g]place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary [h]edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, [i]clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 6

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the [b]wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of [c]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

Colossians 3 

1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. 12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. 

We in America have a severe heart problem. Our lives are clogged with the filth of the anti-god society in which we live. We are bombarded with negative, Satanic information daily. We must resist this information; we need to "put it off" from our minds and actions. We need to replace it, to "put on", the love of mankind that can only come through a relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lest we forget..

John 3

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

We have the solution to problems such as school shootings. It isn't new legislature for gun control. It isn't taking rights away from honest Americans. It isn't even weaponizing schoolteachers. It is going back to a Biblical standard of beliefs as a society, and this starts with each of us. Let's go back to the Bible teachings of our youth and share these teachings with as many as we can. If we are to protest, protest to put the Bible and prayer back in our schools. If we are to act, begin by taking your family to a good Bible-based church. If we are to teach, then teach our children the proper way to live as outlined in the Bible. If we are to love, then share the love of Christ who died for us all.

We can make a difference in society. We can help stop the pointless attacks of our children and people in our nation. We turn back to God.

God bless you, and God bless America.

Greg Quinn