Posted on 09/16/2001 10:01:11 AM PDT by Keyes For President
Luke 13:1-9
Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them-- do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."
Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?' "'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'" (NIV)
While it's not Biblical, when something terrible happens like it did to you, I think there's a part of each of us that wants to rationalize some reason why it couldn't happen to us. When my youngest daughter went into a coma for two days, while everyone was more than wonderful to us, I could sense that some people didn't want to be around us, because they couldn't stand the thought that it could happen to them. I think that's part of the reason they come up with stuff like that.
I've never had to walk the path you have, but I've been close enough to have a tenth of a glimmer of what it's like. Take care and God Bless.
How sad for you and how presumptuous of you to issue this diktat.
God could have prevented this if He wanted to. After all He created the universe. So to stop the bombing would have been a small thing. Why don't you tell us why He didn't?
No. And that's a pretty warped interpretation of what I wrote. Nowhere do I say or even hint that God would side with terrorists.
Read the passage carefully. Jesus says the victims of the stated calamities where no more guilty than anyone else. But then He adds, unless you repent, you too will perish. There is a tendency for some to point fingers at others in our society and say it's because of the abortionists, or the gays, or the adulterers that this happened. Jesus is teaching that the people who were killed in that tower were not killed because they were more guilty than any one of us, and He is teaching us not to point fingers at others but look in the mirror and examine our own heart. Unless you (each one of us) repent, you too will perish!
Some say if God was just, those planes would have flown into an abortion clinic or a gay rally. But if that happened, it might cause many of us to point our fingers at them for their grievous sins, and completely ignore our own sins.
Now while it is true that God allowed the 911 attack to happen, He did not cause it to happen. The terrorists who did this are solely responsible for this sin. There are many times recorded in the Bible where God uses evil people, or the sin of others for His good purposes, but that does not make God guilty of sin.
But why did God allow this? Who can know the mind of God? But it is a possiblity that God allowed this to occur to wake us up as individuals and as a nation to lead us to repentance. It would be wise for us to view this terrible attack as a wake-up call.
Can we blame God for this attack? No way. None of us deserve God's protection, it is all by His grace. What is amazing is that He protects us at all when one considers how we sin against Him. That is why at a time like this we should get down on our knees and thank Him for the grace and mercy and blessings He has bestowed upon us and pray that He will continue to do so, undeserving as we may be. We don't blame Him for the attack, we thank Him for His protection.
I am confident of this: If after an incident like this, we as a nation collectively thumb our noses at God and refuse to repent, He will allow the evil terrorists to continue to attack us. He does not side with them, they will be held accountable for their sins. But He may use them as a judgement upon us.
Not my style. Besides, why would you say that? Where in anything I posted here do I refer to "The End?"
Are you saying that Jesus was misquoted here or are you just saying that the NIV is an inferior translation to the King James? Or are you just attempting a wisecrack?
Kinda arrogant isn't it? Also kinda reeks of judging others to me.
How sad for you and how presumptuous of you to issue this diktat.
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
(NIV)John 14:6
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
(NIV)Acts 4:12
Doesn't it trouble you that your hero and namesake, Dr. Keyes, disagrees with you on the potential for redemption of non-Christians?
Being that Dr. Keyes is a Roman Catholic and I am a Reformed Christian, we probably have very little in common when it comes to our beliefs on the doctines of grace and salvation.
I agree. Who's doing that?
There were people who actually told me it was my fault, that my son died, from cancer, because I either committed some grave sin, and God was punishing me through my son, or else they told me I was such a wicked person that I must be living under a curse...
I have no use for these types of people, who even if they really believed what they said out loud to me, showed themselves to be nothing more than callous and unfeeling oafs, who would say such things to a heartbroken mother, who had to bury her beloved child...
I am sorry for the grief and sorrow you have gone through, because of the loss of your daughter...I pray that your child and my child have met each other in Heaven, and that together they speak of us, their mothers...
No, I say that the victims suffered because of a sinful and unprovoked attack by terrorists.
God has attacked humanity time and time again, as revealed in various holy books, and yet still people see him as a good and trusting soul. Indeed, those same books reveal that he has promised to attack us again.
God has been patient and long-suffering with humanity although we sin against Him and trample His Holy Name time and time again. In his mercy, He has even saved some of us, taking our punishment for us while we were still His enemies.
If last week is God's way of warning us to come to him, he should get in line for the tin foil hat award. I would never worship or even respect a deity that would engage in such actions. It is truly sickening.
Do not blame God for the acts of sinful man! Who are you to be angry with God for removing His hand of protection? If it weren't for God's grace, you and Iwould have been destroyed a long time ago.
EV's reference to the book of Job is quite appropriate.
My heart goes out to you both for your loss and sorrow.
In Christ,
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