Encouragement for Newton, Connecticut Families

Asking the Lord to show me what it is I can say or do to be light and love to you (the people impacted by the Newton, Connecticut Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre Dec 14, 2012).

I know you are hurting and all I know to do is point you to the best counselor and healer of them all - Jesus Christ. My life is a testimony to His faithfulness and I know that I know He is Lord and available to you when you turn to Him for comfort, answers, and salvation from all of this pain & sufferring.

Here is what I believe He led me to share with you this evening. His Word will be medicine to your soul. Please turn to Him for your comfort and He will comfort you and never leave or forsake you. You can trust Him to sustain you in peace and guide you on your journey. 

Psalm 55

 

Give ear to my prayer, O God,

And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.

Attend to me, and hear me;

I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,

 

Because of the voice of the enemy*,

Because of the oppression of the wicked;

For they bring down trouble upon me,

And in wrath they hate me.

 

My heart is severely pained within me,

And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me,

And horror has overwhelmed me.

 

So I said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest.

Indeed, I would wander far off,

And remain in the wilderness.

I would hasten my escape

From the windy storm and tempest."

 

Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues,

For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

Day and night they go around it on its walls;

Iniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it.

Destruction is in its midst;

Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.

 

For it is not an enemy who reproaches me;

then I could bear it.

nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me;

then I could hide from him.

But it was you, a man my equal,

My companion and my acquaintance.

We took sweet counsel together 

And walked to the house of God in the throng.

 Let death seize them;

Let them go down alive into hell,

For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.

 

As for me, I will call upon God,

And the LORD shall save me.

Evening and morning and at noon

I will pray, and cry aloud,

And He shall hear my voice.

He has redeemed my soul in peace

    from the battle that was against me,

 

For there were many against me.

God will hear, and afflict them,

Even He who abides from of old.

 

Because they do not change,

Therefore they do not fear God.

 

He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him;

He has broken his covenant.

The words of his mouth were smoother than butter,

But war was in his heart;

His words were softer than oil,

Yet they were drawn swords.

 

Cast your burden on the LORD,

And He shall sustain you;

He shall never permit the righteous** to be moved.

 

But you, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction;

Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shal not live out half their days;

But I will trust in You.

 

~ Psalm 55 New King James Version

SideNote about Psalm 55:

"We took sweet counsel together"

(makes me think of the family commenting they had just gone tricker treating at the shooters home)

 

Please consider printing this and trying to memorize the bold font - so you may recite this over and over as fear, guilt, anxiety, depression, grief, unforgiveness, anger trying to evolve into sin, and any other spirit that is from the evil one tries to oppress your mind, thoughts, and spirit. You are an overcomer in Christ Jesus and He will help you overcome. You shall NOT be moved (Ps 55:22)!

 

 

Q: *Who is your enemy?

A: Our enemy is NOT Adam Lanza nor his family, friends, or relatives. It is the spiritual forces of evil.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12 NKJV

Q: **Who are the righteous?

A: God's Word says we are when we are in Christ Jesus.

"Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore [you] on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him [Jesus Christ] who knew no sin [to be] sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

2Cr 5:20-21 NKJV

Q: What should you do now?

A: If you have never made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, right now is time to make that committment so you too can have all the benefits the Lord offers to you, His righteous one, when you trust and obey Him (see Psalm 103).  Here is a sample prayer:

 

"Heavenly Father, in the Name of Jesus, I present myself to You.

I pray and ask Jesus to be Lord over my life.
I believe it in my heart, so I say it with my mouth: 'Jesus has been raised from the dead.'
This moment, I make Him the Lord over my life.

Jesus, come into my heart.
I believe this moment that I am saved, I say it now:
'I am reborn. I am a Christian. I am a child of Almighty God.'" 
Read more about how to become a Christian from this source here.

 

Now, you need to renew your mind to the Word of God. 
If you need a Bible, please contact me
(my phone number is in the top right corner of my Beyond Organic Foods Business website)

and I will send you one (absolutely free) as our family's gift to you.

 

If Jesus already IS the Lord of your life, I believe you need to have your Bible at hand 24/7 during this time of trial.

 

You are in a battle. 

 

This too shall pass.

 

Be strong and of good courage, because the Lord your God will be with you and will fight for you (ref Deut 31:6). 

 

Call on the name of the Lord, and you shall be saved! (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13; cf. Joel 2:32)

 

Remember Romans 8:28 and hold on to this promise that all things (good or bad) work together for good to those who love God. 

 

When you love Him (Jesus defined as obeying Him), he can and will work even this out for good (I believe yours and for the good of others who also love Him).

 

I do not mean this was good that it happened, and I don't believe it was God's will for it to.... but when you choose to love and obey Him, and draw near to Him (and He promises to draw near to you when you do according to James 4:8), you will be blessed with much fruit, and in the end (this moment, this day, this year, this life and eternally), this evil the devil has purposed - will not prosper (Isaiah 54:17).

 

Your ongoing demonstration of your love for God and others (including the one who played this out) will conquer all (I Corinthians 13:8).  Just like Joseph overcame and made this amazing statement, you too one day will be able to say to the devil, "But as for you, you meant evil against me; [but] God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as [it is] this day, to save many people alive."

You have no way of changing the past, but you can choose today to let God use you, through the light you bring in the midst of this darkness, in order to bring others to know Him - thus saving them for eternity.

 

In the meantime, here are some passages I have marked in the back of my Bible to help me know the truth about death. Things I'd like read at my funeral. We must keep our grief over what has occurred to the "deceased" in perspective.  I hope they bless you with the truth.  Jesus says the truth is what sets us free.  I believe if you'll take the time to look these up, and meditate on their meaning, it will ease your pain and sufferring.

 

 I Thessalonians 4:13-18

 I Corinthians 15:51-54

 Ecclesiastes 7:1

 John 8:51

 2 Corinthians 5: 1-8

 Hebrews 9:27

 

I don't believe, as those precious children's bodies were horrifically shot, they felt any pain, but rather the Lord was with them guiding them to shut their eyes and open them in His presence in Heaven. Yes, they are absent from their bodies, but they are now present with the Lord. They are His children. He foreknew them. He knit them together.  He HATES the shedding of innocent blood (Proverbs 6) - which I ironically had read the morning this happened.

 

Choose to not let the enemies (see above re: Ephesians 6) let you feel unnecessary pain. John 10:10 tells us Satan comes only to steal, kill, and destroy.  he wants you to hurt and wallow in your grief and pain over and over and over again.  The world will let you do it too, as the media continues to cover this "story".  But, refuse this into your mind day after day.  We are to NOT be conformed to this world, but are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  When we do that, we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God, according to Romans 12:2.  His Word will guide you, NOT the news broadcasts or people's opinions (including even mine). 

 

If you were ever to retaliate, I would think it would be by drawing as close to God as you can - God will change you from the inside out and your life will bear much fruit of His Spirit including, but not limited to .... LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE (LONGSUFFERING), KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL (Gal 5:22).

 

I don't believe your babies felt any pain, by the mercy & grace of the Lord. Please don't let the devil torture you. You have the power to choose life or death by your words and actions. Choose life in Christ Jesus.

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Jesus was an overcomer!
Jesus said: "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." ~ John 16:33

 

You too are an overcomer!

"Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." ~Romans 8:37-39

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Please read this to your children, who have such potential to overcome this with strength and new knowledge of how much God loves them and provides them answers for every situation in their life. The truth will set them free!

Psalm 56:3-4, 8-11, 13

"Whenever I am afraid,

I will trust in You.

In God (I will praise his word),

In God I have put my trust;

I will not fear.

What can flesh do to me?...

You number my wanderings;

Put my tears into Your bottle;

Are they not in Your book?

When I cry out to You,

Then my enemies will turn back;

This I know, because God is for me.

In God (I will praise His word),

In the LORD (I will praise His word),

In God I have put my trust;

I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?...

For You have delivered my soul from death.

Have You not kept my feet from falling,

That I may walk before God

In the light of the living?"

 

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Tags: Newton, Connecticut, Sandy Hook Elementary, Massacre, School Shooting 2012, Help for Victims, Counseling Resource for Death, Grieving parents friends relatives, Where Was God?, answers for hurting parents of elementary children killed, what do I tell my child, turning to God's Word for help, prayers to pray in crisis, forgiveness for Adam Lanza