Reflections on "The News" - Osama Bin-Laden is Dead

If you didn't hear, Osama Bin-Laden is dead.

Once upon a time I gave a sermon entitled "Do you really want it all to stop?"
Version one is on line in other places, I'll make you look for it. Revision two will appear here soon. It deals with injustice, and God's punishment for it. I've been working on it, but realized that in order to do a thorough revision, I would have to give people a basis for understanding my theology before they would understand what I was saying about "Bringing justice to this world."

So before reading this today you need to read these posts:

• Philosophy of Ministry
• And "Shirt, Tie, and Mohawk"

Then you'll be able to understand what I will briefly say about this passage:

8 Whoever plans to do evil
will be called a schemer.
9 The devising of folly is sin,
and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.

10 If you faint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small.
11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death;
hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, "Behold, we did not know this,"
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,
and will he not repay man according to his work?

13 My son, eat honey, for it is good,
and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
14 Know that wisdom is such to your soul;
if you find it, there will be a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.

15 Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous;
do no violence to his home;
16 for the righteous falls seven times and rises again,
but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.

17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
18 lest the LORD see it and be displeased,
and turn away his anger from him.

19 Fret not yourself because of evildoers,
and be not envious of the wicked,
20 for the evil man has no future;
the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

21 My son, fear the LORD and the king,
and do not join with those who do otherwise,
22 for disaster will arise suddenly from them,
and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?

Proverbs 24:8-22

I added some boldness to a couple of verses that highlight the simple point I want to make.

Christians aren't like other people, we should have a better understanding of justice. There's two things we need to remember:1. God gives the Government the sword for a reason. 2. When the sword falls, it's not a happy time, it's just a part of the inevitability of justice coming to the unrighteous.

Every time the sword is brought is sobering news because it's a reminder that a final judgment is coming, and there are many yet who are not ready for that day!
Let's make our hearts ready for the Day of the Lord!