[Darris McNeely] Radical Islam has again inspired an attack in America in Orlando, Florida, in what is being called one of the biggest mass attacks by a lone gunman in American history. Forty-nine people have been killed and dozens have been left wounded in Orlando, Florida over this past weekend in a violent and horrific act of terror.

As people are sorting this out, as we’re trying to find out exactly what has happened, we are getting bits and pieces of news and no one knows all the reasons here, but we look at who and what has caused this. There are some things that we need to sift through and sort through to look at this.

The attack took place in Orlando upon a gay nightclub. The killer went in and began shooting. He actually stopped and called 911 and pledged allegiance to ISIS, the radical Islamic terrorist group operating out of Iraq and Syria, and then proceeded to load and reload and create the mass carnage that he did.

Radical Islam targets all people of all faith, all types of people from every walk of life, no matter the sexual orientation, no matter the race, no matter the ethnicity. This is something we need to understand as we sort through this and look at this. This should not be left undiscussed as we go forward. I’ve heard a lot commentary regarding this. America has seen mass shootings in recent months in black churches in South Carolina. We have seen people shot up in workplaces and parties, such as in San Bernardino last year where they were gathered for an end-of-the-year office party. We have seen a lone gunman walk into movie theaters in suburban America and kill people, as well. And so, when these acts of evil take place, whether they are motivated by radical Islam or some other ideology or just plain evil, everyone is targeted, regardless of who they are or where they might happen to be at that time. That is something that we do need to understand.

What is important about this horrific act here is that radical Islam is not the sole cause. Homophobia is not the sole cause of this particular action, even though the shooter here in Orlando not only expressed a hatred toward gays but also a hatred toward women and, it seems like from early reports, anyone who is different from him, in whatever way that might have been.

Hatred and evil – these are the root causes of so many of these horrific acts by one individual, by several individuals, as in Paris last year, or one nation upon another. What we should understand as we sort through the wreckage out of this most recent crime, this terrorist attack, is that evil and hatred and a spiritual warfare is taking place at a high level in this world today among nations, by individuals against others, and in small groups, at such a level that perhaps it is reaching a point that we have not seen before. Certainly with the mass communication, we find out more details and more information than we would about anything in the past.

As we seek to seek not only who, but understand what and why all of this has happened, let’s keep our eyes upon the larger spiritual battle that we are fighting. Here on Beyond Today, we go directly to the Bible and to the story of prophecy and the great battle between good and evil that we see waged throughout Bible prophecy. And we also see, as we have covered in some of our most recent programs – entitled “Kingdoms at War”, for instance – we have seen that there is a great spiritual battle that is taking place. And at the heart of it is a powerful spirit being named Satan the Devil, who hates not only God, but hates mankind, and pits nation against nation, people against people. That key understanding is what is most important for us to understand, beyond all the other details of what has happened in Orlando, or what is yet to happen in the future. We are in a spiritual battle and therefore for you and I, there is a need to not only understand, but to recognize that this is a critical moment. This is a time for us all to examine ourselves, our relationship with God, even, yes, some of our own beliefs about what is right and wrong, what is true and what is reality. Reality came into a nightclub for a lot of people and for America once again over this past weekend. And that reality should draw us to God and to ask some serious and some hard questions about what God is doing, what is happening in this world, and what you and I can do about it to get right with God.

That’s BT Daily. Join us next time.