Lesson 12-16 Orlando Shootings – What Is the Cause?

Our number one desire for these Bible lessons are for them to be understandable, defendable, and for the Holy Spirit to bear witness that the conclusions are the true, and correct interpretation of the Holy Scriptures.

Guidelines for our Bible studies on this website:

1.  We treat the living words of the living God as spoken by the Lord Jesus and given to the Apostle Paul for the Body of Christ the same importance, as the words of the Lord Jesus recorded in red letters in the books of Matthew – Acts Chp. 8, as what should be known as the instructions to the nation Israel.      
2. We will not be wresting the scriptures against each other, we will look at the verses in their context, and will not try to make the scriptures say anything, but what they say.
3. We will be using the verses out of the Authorized Version, commonly known as the KJV. It is fine if you want to look the verses up in other translations if you like, but we will consider the Authorized Version as our final written authority.
4. We do not and will not use the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, or Latin languages to prove any points, or give any indication that the Authorized Version has been incorrectly translated. 

First let me say the tragic event that took place in Orlando on June 12, 2016 was both an act of terrorism and a hate crime.

The direct cause of the event in Orlando was no different from the mass murder/suicide of individuals in 1978 after they joined the Peoples Temple of the Disciples of Christ.

It is the result of a false religion, and it does not matter whether it is one derived from Judaism or Christianity, which teaches false ideals and principles to anyone who will follow and support their cause. The end result is always the same, people hurt, killed, and robbed of any true hope!

Now I am a firm believer that the living words of the living God are simple to understand! The problem most people, believers and unbelievers, have is not with being able to understand the words of the living God, but which verses or part of the Bible applies to them today.

It might surprise you but the killings in Orlando are a direct result of individuals not knowing what scriptures apply to people living in the Year of Our Lord 2016.

This is and always will be a problem as long as people are following the wrong scriptures , whether it is verses out of the Quran/Koran, or verses out of the Old Testament in the Bible, that do not apply to this current time period.

The Quran/Koran, which is the equivalent of the Bible for Muslims, was written between 609-632 AD.

The Islamic faith has only been around since that time period, and as such is younger than Judaism and Christianity.

Islam is considered to be an Abrahamic religion along with Judaism, and Christianity since it claims Abraham as it’s father. It adheres to a religious text that parallels many of the Old Testament Laws.

Muslims do not believe Jesus Christ was holy, or that he was God manifest in the flesh.

The Islamic faith like Judaism rejects the New Testament, and as such the teachings of Jesus Christ as given to the apostle Paul for the believers of this dispensation.

Also extreme prejudice remains, both socially and legally, in much of the Islamic world against people who engage in homosexual acts. In Afghanistan, Brunei, Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates and Yemen, homosexual activity carries the death penalty, so it is no surprise that the followers of Islam wouldn’t think it was wrong to kill homosexuals.

This attitude comes from verses in the Quran that speak against homosexuality and support the death penalty. 

Christians and Jews who adhere to the Old Testament also hold similar views.

Now let’s take a look at another dark time in the United States when the Salem Witch Trials were taking place.

The Salem Witch Trials are a good example and demonstration of what happens when religious people fail to understand which parts of the Bible apply to them, and the correct time period in history to which the verses apply.

The Salem Witch Trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. The trials resulted in the executions of twenty people, fourteen of them women, and all but one by hanging.

Now the culprits of the Salem witch trials were a group of Calvinist, or today they like to be referred to as Christians of “Reformed Theology”, no matter which name you call it, Reformed Theology or Calvinism, it is one in the same.

Now how did they arrive at the death penalty for being a witch, they simply used the Bible. “Exodus 22 [18] Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”

They took one Old Testament verse, and decided to enforce it. The sad part is the Old Testament was written to the Jews, and were laws for the Jews. They were not, and are not, for Christians living in the dispensation of Grace.

When you take Bible verses that do not apply to Christians living today and enforce them, this is the kind of results that you get.

Now let’s look at a few more Bible verses from the Old Testament to give you more food for thought.

Deuteronomy 21 [18] If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: [19] Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; [20] And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. [21] And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

If my mom and dad had been a follower of the Old Testament laws out of the Bible, I have to tell you that I would not be sharing these Bible lessons with you today. I would have met my fate with the elders of the city and would have been stoned to death, glad my mom and dad knew we were not under those Old Testament laws.

Here are some more for your discernment.

Leviticus 20 [8] And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.

[9] For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

[10] And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

[11] And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

[12] And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.

[13] If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

[14] And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you.

[15] And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.

[16] And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

I believe if you are still with me at this time, you surely realize that if Christians are going to follow all the laws in the whole Bible, it’s going to be a brutal place to live.

Now most Christians will tell you that not all of those things apply but some of them, actually there is nowhere in the Bible from Acts Chapter 9 and backwards to Genesis Chapter 1, that the Jews or anyone else were ever told that they did not have to keep all of those Laws. 

Jesus speaking in Matt. 5 [17] Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. [18] For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. [19] Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus was a law keeper and taught nothing in the first four books of the New Testament but the Law, and that the Law was to be kept! Stay with me and I will get to the point of this lesson.

Exodus 31 [15] Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

Now in the verse above we see that if a man worked on the sabbath day or seventh day of the week he was to be put to death. I bet a lot of people reading this have worked on the sabbath day and if you are wondering what day that is, it is Saturday. If you don’t believe me ask any Jew, or Seventh Day Adventist, or Seventh Day Baptist, or Seventh Day Church of God and they will confirm it for you.

As we see more and more people adopt Reformed Theology or Calvinism, we will see more and more people revert back to trying to observe or keep the Old Testament Laws.

Leviticus 20 [13] If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Now back to the Orlando incident and root cause, we have a multitude of people that go and take a verse like the one above out of the Bible, and use it to justify their hatred of a certain group of people.

For Christians living in the dispensation of grace, we can rest easy in our confidence that Paul did not encourage such destructive behavior for any human, believers or otherwise.

I wonder why the people who want to enforce the Old Testament laws on people only pick a few of them to enforce?  James said if you keep the whole law yet offend in one point you are guilty of all, in other words you deserve the death penalty.

James 2 [8] If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: [9] But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. [10] For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

Now let’s bring this lesson to a final conclusion.

The Bible is a record of God’s interaction with men and mankind. It only includes enough information for us to come to know the Living God who revealed himself to mankind as the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is not only the God of the Old Testament, but the God of the New Testament.

The Bible does not contain a record of everything God has done in eternity past. It is a brief summary of some of his dealings with man.

John.20 [28] And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. [29] Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. [30] And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: [31] But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

John.21 [25] And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

I had group come to my house the other day passing out literature about their understanding of the Bible, and what they believe.

I accepted and read it because I like to know what others believe, this helps me to be able to share with others the truth of God’s Holy Word. 

You see I don’t believe everyone can be teaching so many different things, and everyone be right. I believe there is a right way and wrong way to discern the Bible.

If you read the Bible and claim any and every verse as your verses, you will forever be trapped in Bible ignorance.

You can do this same thing with any novel. Get a copy of Gone with the Wind, go to a chapter pick one line, and say that is your verse, and claim it.  You’re actually better off doing that, than picking random verses out of the Bible that don’t apply to you and trying to live by them today. Doing so can bring harm to yourself and others.

Misapplying Bible verses can have eternal consequences! If you are trying to live by the words of Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the first eight chapters of the book of Acts you are in for a big surprise.

The instructions for Christians living today are found in the epistles given to Paul by the Lord Jesus after his return to heaven, not the words given to the nation Israel during his time on Earth.

Back to the group that came to my house after reading their literature it was obvious that are trying to reach heaven the wrong way. There were Bible verses in their pamphlet, but not one verse out of the books written by Paul in the Bible, Romans – Philemon.

If I am correct in my belief, teaching, and understanding of the scriptures that the instructions and doctrine for Christians are found in the Pauline Epistles, then it is no wonder that people are confused and Christianity has lost it’s standing in the world.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, your life is short and if you have been slack concerning Bible study, it is high time for you to get back to studying the living words of the living God or begin studying if you have not in times past.

"The crowd that will not accept one truth will decay to the point that it does not accept one God: many denominations, many translations, many gods."

All of the confusion among Christianity/Christians today can be attributed to the simple fact that the church, the Body of Christ, does not recognize the separate, distinct, and unique apostleship, ministry, and message of Paul.

If you fail to understand, or fail to learn how to rightly divide the word of truth, you can never come to the knowledge of the truth, and sound doctrine.

Romans 10 [8] But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; [9] That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

The words of our Apostle Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles!

2Tim.2 [15] Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Come join with us as we study God’s Holy Word!

Remember most unsound Bible Doctrine, is sound Bible Doctrine misapplied to the wrong time period, or wrong group of people.

The next lesson is in work, and will be posted when done!  

Please Subscribe by email, and you will be notified when new lessons are posted 

Remember if you like these lessons, don't just like them, share them!

Contact us at: biblerightlydivided@gmail.com