The Towers Have Fallen - But We Missed the Message

timessquarechurch.org ^ | 9/16/01

[keats5]

"God is also JUST therefore he must punish sin."

"Shouldn't he do it by punishing the actual sinner?"

We're all sinners. Every single person in that building was a sinner. Some humbled themselves, accepted that fact, and gratefully accepted Jesus' free gift of salvation before they died. They will receive their reward in heaven.

Others refused that gift, either actively or passively. Jesus will respect that choice, and sadly watch as they enter the gates of hell. Jesus came to pay our death penalty for our sin, but we must accept that salvation.

The children may well have been considered "innocent" because of their age, and thus spared eternal damnation.

All the people in that building experienced the same consequences of their choices all of us will eventually experience. I'm not sure what God did or didn't do that day. But I have to assume He took a more eternal view than most of us would.

[opus86]

Yours is an excellent post, and you've made points I'd not considered. I do believe God had a special purpose in the establishment of America; our quick rise to "superpowerdom" is evidence of that, as is our support of Israel and of Christian missions throughout the world.

Given that assumption that the U.S. is/was a chosen nation, I'm still not sure he would judge us as He did Israel. If anything the church is the modern day equivalent of OT Israel. One might also argue that His judgment is upon the entire world, given the calamity and tragedy that seems regular in so many countries.

At the very least, He did allow 9/11. My personal feeling is that He allowed it because America chose to elect (and re-elect) a criminal as its president. Clinton was more interested in power and pleasure rather than strong, moral leadership; he refused to deal with terrorism, so we got what we got. As a country we suffered - and continue to suffer - because we elected rotten leadership.

[alpowolf]

OK...I think I disagree with you, but perhaps I am misunderstanding. Do you mean that 9/11 occurred because abortion is not against the law?

As far as homosexuals are concerned, what is it that you want the law to say about that?

...and if the laws are not changed, God will give us another?

[keats5]

"Your statement was all the same my double-edged sword is drawn and ready for application as Our Heavenly Father may direct . That doesn't sound much like self-defense to me."

Alpowolf, forgive me someone else has said this already. I haven't read every post on this long thread. But to those who study the Bible, the "double edged sword" is a well known metaphor for the Word of God. It's from Ephesians 6:17: Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God."

No one here is threatening to attack you. For a Christian to "use his sword" means we're going to quote the Bible when the need arises.

[truthandlife]

You have been pretty active today.

[Marysecretary]

No, I'm not saying that at all. What I'm saying is that the United States, a nation blessed by God, has turned its face away from God. Laws governing abortion, homosexuality, and other blatent sins against God's laws are part of the sins of this nation for which we need to repent. We constantly go against God's principles and then we expect Him to bless us. We slap him in the face, turn the other way and expect his divine protection to last forever. NOT. We try to remove Him and all traces of Him from our schools, workplaces, daily lives and expect Him to just smile at us and say, It's OK. Well, it's NOT OK and He will not be patient with us forever. Repentance is the only way to save this nation.

[Marysecretary]

Whew.

[Marysecretary]

Nations have corrupt governments and people who make laws that are contrary to God's laws. We can repent for the direction this country is going. I believe God will honor that if we do.

[truthandlife]

What was Americas sin toward the Jews when 911 happened in New york.

Maybe our own sin towards God.

[truthandlife]

A sobering message 10 years ago