Thought for the Month - October 2004

Russian Massacre - By Pastor Ian Wilson

During the years of the troubles in N. Ireland often it could have been said that terrorists had sunk to a new low.
The names of La Mon, Enniskillen and Loughinisland are but a few. We could go on and on and yet when we recall the events in Beslan even many who lived through terrible times here are shocked and horrified at the new depths to which some would stoop to achieve their goals.

On Wednesday 1st September young children in many places in the world started their new school term. I left two of my children to school on that day and collected them again as normal. That wasn’t the case in Beslan some parents along with their children were seized and held captive by Chechen gunmen.

One mum was held along with her baby and seven year old son. Mums with babies were released; this mum had to leave behind her seven year old in the school with the gunmen and gunwomen as she took her child out to safety. Her seven year old child didn’t survive the siege. Can you imagine how that mum must feel?

All of God’s people would want to pray for the injured and bereaved that God would really help them at this terrible time.

2 Cor. 1:3 "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort"

In scripture there are a number of times when children have been murdered.

Exodus 1:22 "And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive"

Pharaoh feared the growing Hebrew nation.
At the time of the birth of Christ we read of a similar event.

Matthew 2:16 "Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men"

Herod wanted to kill Jesus.
In both these incidents Satan was the driving force. If the Hebrew race could be wiped out in Pharaoh’s time Christ would never be born. If the Jewish babies could be destroyed in Herod’s time Christ would be killed.

Satan’s desire was to thwart Christ’s work here on earth. He wanted to keep Christ from coming to the world, now he wants to keep the world from coming to Christ.

Has he succeeded with you?

John 6:37 “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out”

Are you SURE that you have your place booked in Heaven? Read this if you're not!