Bad Days Getting Even Badder

The scene of another shooting on a Chicago area expressway

Count them: There have already been 16 shootings on Chicago area expressways since the beginning of the year. Last year, the total was 40. In 2010, there were only six.

The latest shooting involved a young man and woman who were shot dead as they traveled in the northbound lanes of the Kennedy Expressway in the early morning hours of May 15.

Their vehicle, a silver Chevy Tahoe, was riddled with bullets, indicating that the shooting was likely gang-related. Police found a semi-automatic weapon on the floor of the SUV, which reveals the murder victims knew they were targets. 

It's gotten so bad these days on Chicago expressways that the Illinois State Police have dispatched special patrols to watch for shooters and road rage incidents. State Police Captain Tad Williams says that "people should not have to worry about their safety while driving on the expressways." 

But in fact, they are worried because things are getting much worse. Chicago is home to hundreds of violent, heavily armed gangs that have taken control of the streets and are terrorizing residents who are too old, infirm or poor to escape the city for safer venues. 

How bad has it gotten in the Windy City? 

Murders in the nation's third-largest city are up about 72 percent, while shootings have surged more than 88 percent in the first three months of 2016 compared with the same period last year, according to data released by the Chicago Police Department. The grim rise in violence comes after the Chicago Police Department reported 468 murders in 2015, a 12.5 percent increase from the year before. There were 2,900 shootings in 2015, 13 percent more than the year before, according to Police Department records. 

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Barack Obama's mini-me, typically blames the increasing violence on the availability of guns rather than on the obvious; a godless and immoral culture. Here's what mini-me said: 

We have a challenge right now, specifically but not limited to the South and West Sides. We have a level of shootings and gun violence that's unacceptable and must come to an end. It means we have to have a leadership and lead from the front and get not only our officers' morale level up but our violence level down.

That's political speech that means absolutely nothing. Getting rid of guns and increasing leadership won't get rid of violence. But instilling biblical Judeo-Christian values such as the fear of God and respect for authority will. Emanuel won't say that because he knows what would happen if he does. And so, he takes the easy way out by mouthing empty platitudes that are politically-correct bull-sheist.

Certainly, the increasing violence isn't limited to Chicago. It's increasing all over the United States and the world, which isn't an anomaly. It's the fulfillment of ancient biblical prophecy that warned of terrible times in the end times directly preceding the return of Jesus Christ. In fact, Christ said this: "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." (Matthew 24:12-13)

The apostle Paul also warned that the last days will be exceedingly wicked: 

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—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

The increasing wickedness is directly related to the increasing godlessness that's spreading across the world like a deadly malignancy. Though many folks love to complicate things, it's really very simple: People can't live without God. When God's laws are impugned and mocked, people turn to evil. And yet tragically, most people can't figure that out.

What's equally tragic is the fact that where the epicenter of violence exists in Chicago's inner city neighborhoods, you can find dozens of churches from simple storefronts to ornate buildings. And yet very few of those churches have any impact on the streets. Most are surrounded by drug dealers, prostitutes, alcoholics, drug-addicts and gang-bangers. The inner city churches lost their influence over the culture a long time ago.

But don't worry. The government will ride to the rescue with draconian laws that will spy on everyone, seize their guns and smother their freedoms. That eventually leads to Martial Law which eventually leads to totalitarianism. And that eventually leads to an oppressive global government where we're headed toward, according to biblical prophecy. (Daniel 7:7, Revelation 13)