Human beings have been both incredibly evil and incredibly good throughout history. People showed remarkable, selfless heroism in that theater in Colorado that far surpassed one man's inner darkness. The same is true for every tragedy, from 9/11/2001, back through history, from those who sheltered Jews and other people in the Nazi Holocaust to those who helped black slaves escape from the Ante-Bellum South, etc. etc. For every act of evil, there have been many, many acts of goodness.
Of course, there’s always great evil among men and women, but we ALWAYS have a choice to act well or badly. Even Cain, the son of Adam, the Biblical First Man, was said to have been given a choice by God, and he was told he could act EITHER way: "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but YOU MUST RULE OVER IT." (Gen. 4:7 my emphasis.)
Through this story, we learn that we always have a choice, and that we CAN and (if we believe in the God of the Bible) we MUST choose to do good.
Jesus taught that we were made to obey God, and gave every indication that we could do so. In fact, our obedience, and our seeking of forgiveness from God when we fail to live up to His high standards, is a requirement of our eternal salvation.
For as John wrote, "By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk the same way in which he walked." (1 John 2:5-6.) That, along with Jesus's own admonitions and urgings to be perfect, to forgive as God forgives, and to seek God's kingdom here on earth, ought to solidify our belief that we enjoy God's precious gift of freedom of choice, and that we must use it to seek goodness in all our acts.
(Please SHARE this to facebook or twitter. Thank you! Comments welcome.)
Abbott ePublishing Bestsellers For the First Half of 2012:
1. Forty Ways to Make a Fortune with MicroBusinesses - Retaining it's position on the top of the Abbott ePub Top Ten List is this amazing eBook detailing 40 of the HOTTEST small businesses one can start on your kitchen table and make a fortune doing it!
2. Unsent Memos: Short Letters to Myself -
The word is really getting out about this awesomely beautiful collection of 50 thought-provoking, life-changing "memos" that will have you reassessing your life and thinking about your next chapter.
3. The AeP Tyndale21 Version of the Gospels -
The Gospels never sounded so good! This tribute to a pioneer of Bible translation, William Tyndale, is a fresh take on Tyndale's 1526 translation of the four Gospels breathes new life into the Word of God.
4. Secret Religions & Obscure Faiths -
Remaining high on the list again this quarter was this incredible look behind the scenes of religions that most people have no idea exist - and most of them want it to stay that way! But this eBook blows their cover, and you'll learn about these secretive groups and how they worship the divine.
5. 2012: A New Calendar for a New Age - The world may not end in December, 2012, but even if it doesn't, the attention being paid to the calendar we use (and the one the Mayans allegedly used) makes us wonder why we still use an antiquated, poorly designed timekeeping mechanism like the Gregorian Calendar. This eBook starts a conversation about "what's next" when it comes to calendars.
6. Prophesies of Madame Mary Ordana for the 2010s - Is this woman predicting the future, as it happens? Prophesies published by Abbott ePublishing in January, 2010 are seemingly coming true, right before our eyes! Wars, revolutions and insane weather patterns - all predicted in beautifully rendered
7. A Scientist Reflects on Life and Society by Dr. Alexis Carrel - Dr. Carrel's "A Scientist Reflects on Life and Society" is a stern wake-up call for civilization to embrace "Rules of Life" that will help humanity continue on as a civilization into the future. This eBook is a fresh splash of cold water to the face of society. It needs it!
8. Sherlock Holmes in a Flash - These 13 clever, insightful and at times mind-blowing stories and ruminations were written in the style of the original Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by a team of international authors. It remains an Abbott ePublishing favorite.
9. The Book of Jeraneck - A book of scripture, a revolutionary history of early, Ancient Britain and an eBook that tells an amazing adventure story. However you slice it, the Book of Jeraneck demands attention and is getting it!
10. The Buck-Fifty KICK IN THE BUTT! - Do you need a wake-up call? This eBook is for you! If offers fifty sobering life-lessons that maybe need a bit of a resurgence in today's materialistic, self-centered and often unfriendly society. This book will help you re-center your life onto what's important and re-direct it towards something positive.
