THE RIPPLE EFFECT

THE RIPPLE EFFECT

Self-deceived mass murderer, Anders Breivik of Norway, shocked the world when he bombed several buildings in Oslo and then went on to massacre young people at a political youth camp. The Norwegian terrorist fancied himself as a savior and warrior of Western Europe. One person referred to him, and rightly so, as ‘total evil’.

Today a nation is in mourning over the senseless killings. So far they have recorded 92 fatalities and body parts are still being recovered in the bombed out buildings.

Breivik made himself a highly potent drug cocktail to give him increased aggressiveness, physical performance and mental focus. The cocktail, called ‘ECA stack’ included ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin. Athletes have been known to use this cocktail to enhance their physical abilities.

Unbelievably the blonde-haired blue-eyed Norwegian wanted to know how many he killed and then use the courtroom as a platform to brag about his plan to save Europe from the ‘Muslim invasion’. The judge denied him that opportunity.

His attorney has stated his client is ‘probably insane’. He said that Brevik believes he’s in a war and that you can do things like that without pleading guilty. Breivik pleaded not guilty to the killings.

I can’t even imagine what the parents of these massacred children are going through right now. What a senseless and vile thing to have happen.

Recently there has been a rash of kidnappings throughout our country, even one right near us in Macon, GA. The kidnappers weren’t content to only kill their victims, but many of them went on to dismember them as well.

When Paul the Apostle described how life would be in the last days he hit the nail on the head. 2 Timothy 3:1-4 “But mark this: There will be TERRIBLE TIMES in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, BRUTAL, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”

Now, I realize that there has always been immorality, brutality and wickedness in our world, but there is no doubt in my mind that we are living in unusual times of accelerated sin and debauchery.

When singer Amy Winehouse died this past week, several groups of her followers celebrated by getting stone drunk and strung out on drugs. The police were at a loss in London as to what to do about the mass of bodies lying everywhere in their drunken stupor bemoaning her death.

It’s unbelievable how the world could elevate a person who was so obviously strung out on drugs and headed for self-destruction. The Bible says, “Woe to those who call good evil and evil good.”

When offered help, Winehouse refused. In her hit song, “Rehab” we see a hint of her mindset in this stanza: “They tried to make me go to rehab but I said 'no, no, no'.”

How it must grieve God to see his creatures on such terrible paths of destruction. Breivik and Winehouse made bad choices. Breivik chose to destroy others, while Winehouse made the choice to self-destruct. Unfortunately there will be those who will seek to emulate both of these sad, misdirected individuals.

In both cases many have been and will be destroyed. The obvious is through Breivik’s influence…but possibly even more devastating will be those that Winehouse will take down with her. How many will follow her footsteps into alcohol and drug abuse?

Man does not sin unto himself. I’m sure if you had asked Winehouse she would have said, “I’m only hurting myself.” However, sin has a ripple effect, just like a stone in tossed in a lake.

When Jonah ran away from God, he nearly caused all his fellow passengers in his get-away ship to die. In fact, the captain of the ship lost all his cargo. Trying to lighten the ship in the storm the sailors tossed everything overboard. What is your sin costing others?