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Articles
America Under Attack
On September 11, 2001, 4 airplanes were hijacked by 19 terrorists. The first one crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center at 8:45AM. About 15 minutes later a second plane crashed into the second tower of the World Trade Center. About a half hour after that, one of the planes crashed in the Pentagon. And a half hour after this, the 4th plane crashed into a field in rural western Pennsylvania. The death toll is over 6000 as of time of this writing. I think there are several lessons to observe about the tragic events that took place.
1. The Uncertainties of Life. James points out to us the brevity and the uncertainty of life. "Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." I wonder how many thought as they got up that morning, went to the airport, went to work at the World Trade Center, or went to the Pentagon, that that would be the last day of their life? Who has a guaranteed promise of life tomorrow? Do any of us have a "lease on life"?
2. Run for Safety. In watching the video on TV, of people in the area when the building collapsed in New York, you could see people running, trying to escape the dust and smoke as it would come around a building like a huge monster. Then the dust came from another way, and the people turn to run in a different direction. Yet they did not escape. This is a perfect illustration of the return of Christ. When the Lord comes back the second time, there will be no escape from this event. As Paul said, "For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." 1Thess.5:3.
3. Islam Scares Me. I think it will prove out, that a group of Muslim religious fanatics who think they were serving God, was behind these evil deeds. I would imagine that they had been falsely taught, that if they die for "Allah and his prophet Mohammed" that eternal glory awaits them. If we could borrow the words of Jesus, "They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service." Jn.16:2. Islam scares me, because when you have the kind of error that these folks get off into, they go about seeking to kill and destroy innocent lives as seen in the events of 9-11-01. Now when you have folks going into denominationalism, they are just as wrong religiously, but they don’t go around hijacking planes and crashing them into buildings.
4. False Teachers Heyday. I figured when these events were happening that the premillennialist who see "signs of the times" in just about every event that happens, that they would have heyday about these incidents. Some said they thought the rapture had taken place. The "Left Behind" series of books have taught that when the rapture takes place, airplanes and cars will be crashing into things, because the pilots and drivers were raptured into glory, and the unbelievers are left behind in a chaotic world. I got an e-mail asking last week "Is this the end?" Someone asked Luke at the store, if I had made any comment about the events of these terrorists, they said I would say this was in the Bible. Yes, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." I Jn.4:1. There are NO signs of the times, 1 Thess. 5:1-2.
5. Sin Wastes... In Luke 15:13, "And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living." As the prodigal was off in the far country, Jesus said that he was wasting his substance in riotous living. Sin wastes so many things as we see in this attack on America, by these evil & sinful men. There was a waste of over 5000 lives as of the count now, (those known dead, and those who are reported missing and presumed dead in the rubble.) There is a waste of precious souls, people dying in sin, unprepared to meet their maker. And think of the waste of money because of the sins of these men. The 4 airplanes, costing several million dollars apiece. The twin towers cost 2-3 billion when they were built, probably 10-12 billion to replace them in today’s cost. It will cost several million to repair the Pentagon. 40 billion was just appropriated by our government to help clean up the mess and fight terrorism. You get the picture. The sins of these men are a senseless and total waste in so many ways.
6. Brings Out Goodness. One of the good things about such tragedies is to see the goodness of people being exemplified. A majority of people in our nation have been influenced by the teaching of the golden rule. "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." Matt.7:12. Certainly most Americans are not faithful Christians, but most are decent human beings, and tragedies have a way of bringing the goodness in people. The folks standing in long lines to give blood without complaining. People volunteering to help at "ground zero" and commenting, "I would want people trying hard to rescue me if I was one trapped under there." Or medical personnel offering their time and services to help the injured. People who brought food and water, and the scores of people and businesses giving donations to help. It is refreshing to see folks getting out of their selfish, self-centered life and looking to see the needs of needy. (Of course there are always plenty of opportunities to help needy folks every week.) I wish such a dramatic event was not necessary to cause folks to wake up, but it’s good to see folks acting in such good ways.
7. Righteous Indignation. When one sees such evil wickedness being perpetrated upon the lives of so many innocent people, a righteous indignation burns in our hearts. Of course this shows that men and women have a sense of justice, right and wrong, and these dastardly deeds committed by these wicked men arouse that righteous indignation. Consider Mark 3:5, "And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other." The Lord Jesus was angry at sin as he beheld it in the lives of these people. The way we look on these horrific deeds of the past week, is the way God look’s at all sin. It is hideous crime in the sight of God, as he looks at all our sins and transgressions. God lumps sin all together in his description of it in Gal.5:19-21, in describing the works of the flesh. I would hope that we would see the exceeding sinfulness of all sin, and seek to avoid and turn from it!
8. Power to Choose. Men and women are given the power to choose, or as some say freewill. Some may ask why didn’t God stop this from happening? If he took control of these men’s will, they would not be creatures of choice, and would not be human beings, but some sort of robot controlled by God. Heb.11:24-25 states, "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;" People can make good choices or bad choices. And since people have the power to make bad choices, sometimes innocent people suffer. But all must answer before the Lord for the choices we make.
9. Safety & Security in the Lord. Finally, let us make the point, that the most important reminder in this event, as with any of the many tragedies of life, is that the only true safety is in the Lord! Everything in this world can in a moment of time can be destroyed, but being a child of God has promise of life eternal. In Psalm 4:8, "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety." Again, "The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD." Pr.21:31. Remember that our labors in the Lord are NOT IN VAIN, I Cor.15:58. Does your soul have safety & security in the Lord?
