Posted on 09/30/2001 12:34:47 AM PDT by Mr. Mulliner
You can read about him here: Voice of the Martyrs. They also have links to their radio spots and a section called Faces of Persecution where people suffering persecution around the world are spotlighted. Muslim abuse of Christians is documented.
I am NOT saying the WTC atrocity was "caused" by our national sins. On the other hand, if this calamity does not humble us and bring us to our knees as a nation, what will it take? It is not a bad thing to be humbled under His hand. It is a wonderful thing. Repentance is not a bad thing. It is a good thing. Both lead the soul to lean more fully upon our God and Creator. Why are we so averse to the throne of grace?
Yesterday, my church proclaimed a fast to petition God for His protection and seek His favor upon our land and our churches. If ever we needed the Lord before, we sure do need Him now!
Please, Dear Lord, that Our Founding Fathers are here!
Alive and well in you and in me -- and in every last one of our friends and brothers!
Surely the time rapidily approaches that will see us in a war of renewal of our dedication to the tenets upon which Our Fraternal Republic was Founded and upon which it -- and the very survival of our species -- stands?!
A War of Renewal of Independence!
I have a friend who has a website called "Repentance with Joy." I think it captures what repentance is intended to be. If repentance is turning to God, what could be more joyful than that? And that's not to say that repentance doesn't also and first involve a deep regret for one's sins.
I understand people's strong reactions to talk of the need for repentance if they think that people are saying that God caused the attacks. That is to blaspheme God, in my opinion. But if you see that God has simply withdrawn, at least temporarily, the protection that He's had on our nation because we have continuously gone our way (see Mad Dawg's post #22 above), then it doesn't need to impugn God's character.
Jer 20:1-2
1 Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.
2 Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.
It wasn't a popular message then, and it's not popular now.
Imvho this fact adds to the credibility of the author's premise.
The good that can come from this tragedy is indeed, repentence and a turning to God. An event like this makes people realize that all their eartthly security is of no use in the face of a destructive force. But God did not CAUSE this to happen, nor did he withdraw some sort of special protection. If you belive we had special protection, then where was God's protection at Pearl Harbor, or the San Francisco earthquake, or the flu epidemic of 1918?
To go farther back, had God withdrawn his protection from the Jews during the Holocaust? How about Europe during the Black Plague?
You see, we can draw INDIVIDUAL lessons from events like this. I can say to myself, "I have been living my life poorly, and want to repent and dedicate my life to Jesus." But as a group, when the same thing is said, then we assume an attitude that is a bit arrogant. To say, "Well, God won't protect us if we as a nation don't repent," leaves a big question in the public's mind. WHO is to repent? WHAT should they repent for? Do you not see that most of those who are saying the nation should repent are thinking "Those OTHER guys better repent?"
I assume that you think that the nation should repent for abortion and sexual immorality. SOME people should. I will also tell you that there are others who think that the nation should repent from racism, or greed, or militarism, or whatever cause happens to be their definition of the worst sin.
We live in a flawed world, in which Satan from time to time attacks with tremendous force. This is what we are living through now.
We are called to humble ourselves, call His name, and seek His face. Whether our nation will be saved or not is not given to us to know at this time. What we DO know is that God keep's His promises, and that nothing, NOTHING will separate us from the love of God through Jesus.
For later reading.
Ping !
Do not be afraid of them, for Yahweh your God is among you, a God who is great and terrible. Little by little Yahweh your God will destroy these nations before you; you will not be able to make an end of them at once, or the wild beasts would grow too many for you. But Yahweh your God will deliver them over to you and will harass them until they are destroyed. He will deliver their kings into your hands and you will blot out their names from under heaven; none shall withstand you, until you have destroyed them all.
Deuteronomy 7:17-24
The Jerusalem Bible
Reader's Edition
"The Terrorists have won the toss and have elected to receive!" B-52 photo: Who created this?
Rev 2:5
What??? "...he was "trying" to discourage anyone from taking this flight."???????
So God isn't sovereign, then, huh? He just "tries" ... but sometimes *the created* (people) just stop him from doing what he intends.
This might help you to give a more *theologically correct* answer to those who sincerely want one:
<A HREF="http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3bb48c1e4873.htm>TRUTH-TELLING IN A TIME OF TRAGEDY</A>
Not quite. He and Robertson misrepresented God and made themselves, and God a laughing stock. They shot themselves in the foot one time too many and now their credibility is out the window for good. And I can't say I'm not glad it's happened, either.
Here are the most circumspect, temperate, spiritually mature comments on the tragedy that I've seen yet made by a Christian:TRUTH-TELLING IN A TIME OF TRAGEDY
Not pithy and to the point like the Reverend Doctor Falwell's gentle reminder to us all.
Talking about which: --
How refreshing it is to see circumspection and sound minded Bible teaching today. The _religious pop-culture_ TV Preacher / book writer icons that the clueless media always trot out for "comments", are an embarrassment. They misrepresent God and make HIM and themselves,a laughing stock.
Reminds me that in Mathew 7:1 I am admonished to judge not, that [I] be not judged!
"For," I am further admonished: "with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."
Seems likely, then, that I had better leave judgements alone, least I also be judged.
And/or, if I have judged, had better ask for His forgiveness and make amends?
And not be too surprised that fire and brimstone and [EG: Washington, DC's] Soddom and Gommoroh appear in the same week.
As if His protective hand had momentarily been lifted from this Inspired and Beloved FRaternal Republic?
FReegards
Brian
God is a sovereign God......God is sovereign.....Satan is not more powerful than God.
Yes, 6000 souls perished 3 weeks ago.......some were Christians....some weren't.
They all perished. ---the same way. ....at the same time.
Being a Christian won't protect us from dying or dying too soon, or dying in a horrible way.
Many were ready to meet their maker.....many weren't.
But God is still sovereign.
There is no other answer.
Our nation has been turning away from God for a long, long time.
Collectively, we spit in His face, and say He is dead.
We ignore Him, trash Him, blaspheme Him, remove Him from schools & the influence of our children......and then when a tragedy of this sort occurs, folk will say..."How could God do this"....or "How could a loving God do this".......
Janey, I believe we have had God's protection upon us........even though corporately, our nation has backed as far away from Him as it can.
God is slow to anger......it says so in the scriptures.
But if we believe there is a God.....and I do.....and He's sovereign....then we must also believe God was not impotent September 11.
Indeed yes, those who took the airplanes, and tricked folks into letting down their guard.......their hearts were evil, and their purpose was evil......and I believe Satan was their master.
But was Satan more powerful than God?.......Could God have stopped it?.....
......or to put it another way......If these terrorists had completely held sway that day.....if we hadn't had a Christian President in place to authorize authority in closing down our airports, the outcome could have been much, much worse.
Did God prevent worse from happening?......Did God stay the hand of Satan, before he could finish us off?
Was this a call to repentance to our nation at large.
Will it be heeded?
Janey, God spared Niniveh in the days of old.......(book of Johah)....
Jonah didn't want Niniveh spared because it was so wicked!!
God dealt with Jonah.........He also spared Niniveh because they repented of their wickedness, and truly mourned thier sins.
But later, they forgot.......they turned away....and well......
Our God is a loving God.......He's a righteous God.......
Janey, my Mom...(who lives in a retirement village)....has a friend, an elderly lady, who refuses to sing ...Amazing Grace...because it has the verse...that saved a wretch like me.....
She says she's not a wretch!
Janey, I'm a wretch!
We all are wretched folks.....no matter how good we clean up on the outside.
And only by God's grace, are our wretched souls redeemed.
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