It’s been said that
Ministers are called on to say something when no-one else knows what to say (Al Mohler I think). It’s
not a fun position to be in. At the home of a family who have just lost a child
or when something terrible like 911 happens, people look to ministers for wisdom
and help for their hurt.
Sometimes we’re
speechless. Sometimes we’re hurting, too. We can’t make any more sense of a
wicked evil terrorist attack than anyone else. But we try and sometimes we don’t
do a very good job.
Some people will say, “Remember,
God didn’t do this, men did.” But everybody knows if God is all powerful He
could have stopped it and He didn’t.
Or we can answer like
Jesus did when they asked him about the tower that fell in Jerusalem and killed
some folks. He said, “And if you don’t repent, you will likewise perish.” It’s
interesting that Jesus didn’t always say comforting words.
In our country we debate
whether we should be at war. When we aren’t at war some people think we should
be.
We debate whether to show
the planes hitting the towers on TV. Some say show it, some say don’t.
We debate how much our
children should know about this evil world we live in.
But as horrible as those
pictures are that show people dying on 911, there is another picture just as
horrible.
We like to say that the
people who were killed on 911 were innocent. Where they? The Bible says for all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Now I don’t think they deserved
to die that day! They were not enemy
combatants! Only grossly evil cowards attack those unarmed!
But, compared to Jesus,
there wasn’t an innocent one in the whole group! And yet innocent Jesus died a slow
bloody death.
Jesus didn’t endure the
wrath of terrorists; He endured the wrath of His own Father. Why? For those who
would be saved!
SO, we mourn those that
died that day.
We honor those that gave their lives trying to rescue the
victims.
We give thanks for those who came after the fact to treat them
medically and spiritually.
And, we are very grateful that 40% of the Baptist Churches
in Manhattan NY have been started in the last 10 years!
 |
| Brig. Gen J. Spivey-Chaplain |
And while we promise to
never forget the 911 tragedy, we cannot possibly forget the Passover tragedy,
when Jesus our Savior died in our place.
And we need to remember,
Muslims are not our enemies. They need Jesus. Even the radicals.
1Co 15:51
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed, 52 In a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the
dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible
must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible
shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality,
then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up
in victory. 55
O death,
where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is
sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which gives us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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