Amen!! What more can you say?
Still, God did not cause this, but sin did. This was no calamity brought about through forces of nature or mechanical failure or "accident" but rather these attacks were sinful actions by sinners.
God did not cause sin. God allows sin to occur. God can and does use all things for His own good purposes. God is sovereign. Yes, how God governs all events in the universe without sinning, and without removing responsibility from man, and with compassionate outcomes is mysterious!
The most important thing is how we should respond. It is good to see this as a wake up call for us as individuals and as a nation. As a nation we should repent of killing the unborn, the homosexual culture, violence in the streets, indecent television, immoral entertainment, etc. But we should not, as individuals, stick our fingers in anyone elses face, be they abortionists, homosexuals, etc., and say "this is your fault!" Unless each one of us repents of our own sins, each one of us will also perish.
If anyone wants to find sin, start by looking in the mirror. Let us all, each one of us, use this terrible attack that God chose not to prevent as a call to repent and turn to Him. Then, He will bless us as individuals and as a nation.
I have only recently heard of John Piper. I listened to Pilgrim Radio from Carson City Nevada while on vacation. Their format includes reading books. I had the pleasure of hearing a portion of one of Piper's books - the life of John Bunyan.
Amen!! What more can you say?
1 Posted on 09/27/2001 20:14:39 PDT by sola gracia
I would offer : Romans 8:28-36 NIV
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Romans 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
XeniaSt