The Night Is Coming

Oct 20, 2014

Redeemed Unredeemable - When America's Most Notorious Criminals Came Face to Face with God

By Thomas R. Horn and Donna Howell

PART ONE

When Forgiveness Seems Impossible

In February 2014, a ten-year-old girl from Springfield, Missouri (within an hour’s drive from Defender Publishing), was kidnapped, raped, and murdered, allegedly by her school sports coach. In spite of several eyewitnesses at the site of the abduction and a long list of mounting evidence (including the body) found at this man’s home only hours after the child was publicly taken from the street, this man is currently awaiting trial with a not-guilty plea. Immediately following the announcement of the girl’s death, a candlelight vigil was held in her memory. Several staff members of Defender Publishing attended this vigil.

The new investigative book Redeemed Unredeemable was being written at that time.

The Candlelight Vigil

Approximately ten thousand people marched at eight o’clock that night. The city of Springfield closed a number of high-traffic roads and coned off many popular alleyways as the crowds pushed in closer around the family in support of this young girl. Scores of those attending were wearing shirts that said, “[Victim’s name] has left her footprint for the world to see.” Every kind of personality, ethnicity, and community group was present and unified under one common moral law; the crowd included conservative and religious families with kids, homosexual couples, the elderly, men, women, children, gothic teens, rough and muscular motorcyclists, city officials, court officials, members of law enforcement, close family members, and friends of the victim, as well as those who had never heard of the girl prior to her murder.

As the march began, everyone lined up along the sides of the street held their candles high, respectfully allowing the victim’s family to pass to the front, some straining to catch a glimpse of the young girl’s mother, who led the march, others standing still with heads bowed in prayer. The victim’s mother did not cry, nor did she make eye contact with anyone. In a sort of mechanical or survival mode, she simply kept her legs moving, an odd expression on her face revealing devastation edged with a contrasting refusal of defeat. The sniffles of thousands echoed off the quiet buildings along the usually bustling streets. Then, from somewhere in the back of the group, a single, brave voice rose in the silence: “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine…” The air was emotionally charged as an unspoken determination to remember the girl the way she was in her innocence swept over everyone present. Voices joined in the singing. Candles flickered. Grown men cried.

Slowly, the people made their way down the street. Apartments, homes, and places of business were filled with onlookers sitting or leaning out of their windows, the lights from the rooms behind them extinguished reverently, their handheld candles swaying with the song. Suddenly, bursts of wild cheering that can only be described as an uplifting excitement dominated the march from one side. As heads turned to find the source of the curious enthusiasm, handmade cardboard signs were hoisted high: “Let him hang!” “We need harsher punishments for crimes against women and children!” Amidst this group was one man who was quickly identified in the waves of whispers preceding his position in the march. It was the prosecuting attorney, a man who had been on the news earlier that day stating that the victim’s legal team planned to seek the death penalty. Although the multitudes continued to sing “Let It Shine” until they reached the end of the road, spontaneous chanting of the victim’s name rose and quieted in response to signs, shouted statements, or relatives of the victim who inspired a more passionate, eager, and fervent reaction from those who came in support.

Our staff, who have since agreed that one sound from our throats would have uncorked a cascade of choking sobs, marched in silence, unable to sing or chant or cheer while our tears remained concealed only by the sheer force of our will. When the crowds reached the final cross street of the march, everyone grew quiet as one girl stood and sang “Amazing Grace.” The candles were raised again until the hymn was completed. Then, everyone was asked to take a moment of silence. The silence increased into around a full minute as many bowed their heads, lifting up unspoken prayers to whatever higher power they believed in.

Immediately afterward, members of the local motorcycle community offered to give rides for a small fee to raise money for the victim’s family. Attention turned to the tattooed and bandana-adorned men and women, as they regarded those around them softly and soberly, revving their engines. Candles from almost ten thousand hands were then blown out, the waxy smell permeating our senses, and the smoky haze lifting into the light of the streetlamps, wordlessly announcing the end of the march.

Though there were thousands of footsteps on the ground—and shortly thereafter, the thousands of vehicles were starting all at once across the city—few voices could be heard as the masses headed to leave. It was only after our staff was a mile or so away from the event that we could take a deep breath and gather ourselves. We will never forget that night.

One of many aerial shots taken by the present news crews the night of the candlelight vigil

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FORGIVABLE?

The issue with criminals giving their hearts to the Lord post-crime and post-incarceration, at least in the minds of most, is the underlying question of whether their conversion can possibly be sincere. Ultimately, of course, that question can only be answered by God. Despite this, many on the outside do hear the stories of these transformations and cast their opinions immediately—without knowing, or even wanting to know, all the details.

The crowds at that candlelight vigil were angry, and to say that they had every right to be angry is the understatement of the century. Anger is a powerful force of human nature, and though it is often destructive, there are times, such as when someone is murdered, when the emotion can inspire change or action toward good. In these cases, anger is even encouraged by many. One might say that we should all be angry when the life of an innocent person is taken for such detestable and selfish gains. (Based on our conversations on the ride home, we at Defender Publishing are also incredibly angry at the person who did this to that little girl.) Without passionate, righteous anger against violent crime, we would have no justice system, for the very meaning of justice is rendered void by the absence of the passion that drives it.

However, God in His seat on high doesn’t follow the same justice system or emotional patterns as we do. The Bible is clear that He does feel emotion, including anger, and when He walked the earth as a Man, He certainly felt human emotions. According to Scripture, He feels compassion (Psalms 135:14; Judges 2:18; Deuteronomy 32:36), grief (Genesis 6:6; Psalms 78:40; Isaiah 66:10), love (1 John 4:8; John 3:16; Jeremiah 31:3), hate (Proverbs 6:16), jealousy (Exodus 20:5; Exodus 34:14; Joshua 24:19), joy (Zephaniah 3:17; Isaiah 62:5; Jeremiah 32:41), and yes, anger (Psalms 7:11; Deuteronomy 9:22; Romans 1:18). But where God trumps our finiteness is when the balance of anger versus forgiveness comes into the equation; He has the ability to feel several emotions for every person at once as it is deemed divinely appropriate to Him. His emotions are never limited to our predetermined, fragmented, human expectations. He does not experience “mood swings on high.” He is emotion, and it is only by our humanness corrupting His ultimate design that we move so quickly from one emotion to another or stay longer than we should on a single emotion, never fully understanding His perfect balance of emotions (anger and love) with their corresponding or opposing actions (wrath or forgiveness).

We, as people and as victims of others’ selfishness, may never find the strength to forgive some acts against humanity.

The same cannot be said of God.

Can God forgive even the sins of one as terrible as the man who murdered that little girl? What about others like Ted Bundy or David Berkowitz?

This brings us to an issue that will be addressed once, early on: It is NOT necessarily the opinion of this author that all of the criminals whose stories are included in Redeemed Unredeemable are completely sincere and will therefore spend eternity with God; it is NOT necessarily the opinion of this author that these criminals are insincere and will therefore spend eternity in hell. It is only the opinion of this author that the Bible clearly says that all sins are forgivable (except for two: blasphemy of the Spirit [Matthew 12:31; Mark 3:29] and those who take the mark of the beast [Revelation 14:9]).

Read the rest of this article at - http://www.raidersnewsupdate.com/Redeemed1.htm

Spurgeon's Service at Surrey Gardens

London was all astir with talk of the young preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon. He lacked the flowery, elaborate sentences of most preachers, but his simple directness spoke to the hearts of his audience. His passion for truth was as strong as the older Puritans he loved and studied, yet there was nothing stale and musty about his preaching. Almost as soon as the nineteen year old began his ministry at New Park Street Chapel on London's south side, the Chapel became too small for the congregation. Though the Chapel could seat twelve hundred, seats, aisles, and even window-sills were overflowing whenever Spurgeon preached.

A year after he arrived at New Park Street, the chapel was expanded, but the larger fifteen-hundred capacity building was not sufficient for the thousands thronging to hear Charles Haddon Spurgeon. For a time the congregation rented Exeter Hall, which seated forty-five hundred people, but it soon proved too small as well.

As the crowds expanded, Spurgeon leased the Surrey Music Hall in the Royal Surrey Gardens for services. This was London's "largest, most commodious and most beautiful building, erected for public amusements, carnivals of wild beasts and wilder men." Many criticized Spurgeon for leasing a building designed for worldly amusements, but the hall held ten to twelve thousand people and that number packed the building for the first service on this day, October 19, 1856. It seemed at least as many people were outside the building as were inside.

The service had only gone a few minutes when there was the frightening cry of "Fire! the galleries are giving away, the place is falling!" In the ensuing panic to flee the building, many people were trampled. Seven died and others were seriously injured.

Spurgeon was tremendously depressed over the event, and his grief was so deep some feared his reason had left him. He spent hours "in tears by day, and dreams of terror by night." Within two weeks, however, Spurgeon had recovered sufficiently to preach again. The crowds were even bigger than before.

In the spring of 1861, the Metropolitan Tabernacle was completed; this was to be Spurgeon's pulpit for the next thirty-one years. Throughout those years an average of five thousand people attended each morning and evening Sunday service. Spurgeon's was the megachurch of nineteenth century London.

Though he constantly preached to a sea of faces, Spurgeon trembled at the multitudes who came to hear him. He was aware of the awesome responsibility of giving them the truth and not just tickling their ears. In his last sermon at Surrey Hall before moving into the Metropolitan Tabernacle he urged his listeners, "In God's name, I beseech you, flee to Christ for refuge! Shall there be any of you, whom I shall see on my death bed, who shall charge me with being unfaithful? Shall these eyes be haunted with visions of men whom I have amused, but into whose heart I have never sought to convey the truth?...God avert that worst of ills --unfaithfulness from my head! I pray you, in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God!"

Bibliography:

Adapted from an earlier Christian History Institute story.
"Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens; the Surrey Gardens Music Hall Ministry." http://www.reformedreader.org/spurgeon/mhrsg.htm)/li>
Conwell, Russell. Life of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Edgewood, 1892.

Read this article at - http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1801-1900/spurgeons-service-at-surrey-gardens-11630503.html

Mutant Ebola: Leading U.S. scientist warns deadly virus is already changing to become more contagious

October 2014 – AFRICA – The deadly Ebola virus could be mutating to become even more contagious, a leading U.S scientist has warned. The disease has killed nearly 4,000 people, infecting in excess of 8,000 – the majority in the West African nations of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Communities lie in ruins, thousands of children have been orphaned, millions face starvation but the virus continues its unprecedented pace, invading and destroying vast swathes of these countries. Meanwhile three nurses, two in the U.S. and one in Spain have caught the infection while treating Ebola patients, despite wearing protective suits. Now U.S. scientist Peter Jahrling of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease believes the current Ebola outbreak may be caused by an infection that spreads more easily than it did before.

Dr. Jahrling explained that his team, who are working in the epicenter of the crisis in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, are seeing that the viral loads in Ebola patients are much higher than they are used to seeing. He told Vox.com: ‘We are using tests now that weren’t using in the past, but there seems to be a belief that the virus load is higher in these patients [today] than what we have seen before. If true, that’s a very different bug. ‘I have a field team in Monrovia. They are running [tests]. They are telling me that viral loads are coming up very quickly and really high, higher than they are used to seeing. ‘It may be that the virus burns hotter and quicker.’

Dr Jahrling’s warning comes amid calls for the international community to step up their efforts to tackle the Ebola epidemic. Yesterday the World Health Organization admitted it blundered in its efforts to halt the outbreak of the virus in Africa, blaming incompetent staff and a lack of information for the failure. Now British Prime Minister David Cameron has urged the EU to stump up £800millon (1billion euros) to pay for 2,000 health workers to fly out to the affected West African countries, to help stem the spread of the disease. He has insisted that the UK is ‘leading the way’ in providing assistance to West Africa as he backed a call by United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon for other countries to deliver more in the way of funding and resources.

Read this article at -http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/2014/10/19/mutant-ebola-leading-u-s-scientist-warns-deadly-virus-is-already-changing-to-become-more-contagious/

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Birth of Abbot, Manslaying Bible Translator

Do you think that a man who has killed someone ought to be archbishop? That question troubled England. George Abbot, was a prominent translator of the King James Bible and became archbishop of Canterbury. He was also guilty of manslaughter.

Abbot was born on this day, October 19, 1562 in Guildford, England. His Protestant parents suffered persecution during the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary. Their boy grew into a Calvinist and Puritan. When he was fourteen, he went to Oxford University where he became a popular preacher. Twenty-one years later, he was master of University College. When King James I agreed to a new translation of the Bible, Abbot was appointed to the team responsible for the gospels, Acts and Revelation.

Beginning in 1609, James rewarded him with rapid promotions. He had made himself useful to the king, persuading Scotland to adopt a modified episcopal arrangement for its churches. In less than two years, Abbot became Archbishop of Canterbury. Critics said he was made "a shepherd of shepherds before he had been a shepherd of sheep."

Yet Abbot was no toady to the crown. He opposed James when necessary. When the king pushed for sports laws that would have defiled Sunday, Abbot firmly resisted. He spoke out against a scheme to marry Prince Charles to the infanta of Spain. In spite of his opposition, James always liked him and had him at his bedside when he was dying.

On his doctor's orders, Abbot hunted as a form of exercise. In 1621, the same year that he founded a hospital at his own expense in Guildford, he killed a man. He was hunting and his arrow glanced off a tree. Enemies, led by William Laud, who would later lose his head for cruelty, said Abbot should no longer serve as archbishop: he was a man of blood. James appointed a commission to decide the question, but they were evenly divided. The king ruled in Abbot's favor.

Abbot never overcame his sorrow and shame. He seems not to have learned to cast his care on Christ. To the end of his life, he kept regular fasts for the accident and he made the best amends he could to the man's widow. But he could not live the incident down. Once he grumbled when a group of women gathered around his coach to stare at him. He was cut to the heart when one of them taunted him that perhaps he should shoot at them, too.