Posted on 09/24/2001 10:54:31 PM PDT by woollyone
There is one thing out there about what happened last Tuesday/Friday that came in under the radar and escaped most Christians. For the first time in history, one man (Billy Graham) spoke the Gospel to the entire world at the same time. He gave the sermon at the National Memorial Service that was broadcast on every major television station in the U.S. and by satellite to the world. Every country in the world received this broadcast...and because it was a Geo Political event, every leader watched and heard it translated into his/her language. Many preachers have their messages broadcast in other countries and carried around the world, but this is the first time that the entire world listened to the Gospel preached at one time. The World and All its leaders tuned in and heard the gospel. Never before has one individual preached to the leaders of the world and their country at one time!!
"And the Gospel must first be preached to all the nations". Mark 13:10
"And this Gospel of the King shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations and the end shall come". Matthew 24:14
Romans 10 - whole chapter - particularly verse 18.
My read on this is that through Billy Graham today, Biblical prophecy was fulfilled. As I listened to him today, I was in a store that had the entire service broadcast throughout every speaker in the store's audio system. I It was on virtually every TV and radio station and people across America held hands and wept before God. It is my personal belief that the Holy Spirit came upon Billy Graham just as it did upon John the Baptist announcing the Kingdom of God is at hand. I also believe that this is the most significant prophecy to be fulfilled since Israel became a nation in 1948. Agree or not, it was staggering to hear this today. Jesus tells us often, to watch and 'take heed, keep on the alert, for you do not know when the appointed time is (Mark 13:33).
Just thought you might want to watch and keep alert! I was sure you would find this interesting
If this was posted before, please tell me or JimRob and We'll get it yanked.
baa
Just read the words of the Koran here, you can know just how peaceful the ISLAMISTS are.
Khan5:51 O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as Auliyâ'(friends, protectors, helpers, etc.), they are but Auliyâ' to one another.And if any amongst you takes them as Auliyâ', then surely he is one ofthem. Verily, Allâh guides not those people who are the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrongdoers and unjust).
4:89 They wish that you reject Faith, as they have rejected (Faith),and thus that you all become equal (like one another). So take not Auliyâ' (protectors or friends) from them, till they emigrate in the Way of Allâh (to Muhammad SAW). But if they turn back (from Islâm), take (hold) of them and kill them wherever you find them, and take neither Auliyâ'(protectors or friends) nor helpers from them.
4:91 You will find others that wish to have security from you and security from their people. Every time they are sent back to temptation, they yield thereto. If they withdraw not from you, nor offer you peace, nor restrain their hands, take (hold) of them and kill them wherever you find them. In their case, We have provided you with a clear warrant against them.
8:60 And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war (tanks, planes, missiles, artillery, etc.) to threaten the enemy of Allâh and your enemy, and others besides whom, you may not know but whom Allâh does know. And whatever you shall spend in the Cause of Allâhshall be repaid unto you, and you shall not be treated unjustly.
9:5 Then when the Sacred Months (the Ist, 7th, 11th, and 12th months of the Islâmic calendar) have passed, then kill the Mushrikûn (seeV.2:105) wherever you find them, and capture them and besiege them, and prepare for them each and every ambush. But if they repent and perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât), and give Zakât, then leave their way free. Verily, Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
2:104 O you who believe! Say not (to the Messenger Peace be upon him )Râ'ina[] but say Unzurna (Do make us understand) and hear. And for the disbelievers there is a painful torment. (See Verse 4:46)2:105 Neither those who disbelieve among the people of the Scripture(Jews and Christians) nor Al-Mushrikûn (the disbelievers in the Oneness ofAllâh, idolaters, polytheists, pagans, etc.) like that there should be sent down unto you any good from your Lord. But Allâh chooses for His Mercy whom He wills. And Allâh is the Owner of Great Bounty.
17:33 And do not kill anyone which Allâh has forbidden, except for a just cause. And whoever is killed (intentionally with hostility and oppression and not by mistake), We have given his heir the authority [(to demand Qisâs, Law of Equality in punishment or to forgive, or to take Diya (bloodmoney)]. But let him not exceed limits in the matter of taking life (i.e he should not kill except the killer only). Verily, he is helped (by the Islâmic law).
Pickthall Translation
[an-Nisa' 4:89] They long that ye should disbelieve even as they disbelieve, that ye may be upon a level (with them). So choose not friends from them till they forsake their homes in the way of Allah; if they turn back (to enmity) then take them and kill them wherever ye find them, and choose no friend nor helper from among them,
[an-Nisa' 4:91] Ye will find others who desire that they should have security from you, and security from their own folk. So often as they are returned to hostility they are plunged therein. If they keep not aloof from you nor offer you peace nor hold their hands, then take them and kill them wherever ye find them. Against such We have given you clear warrant.
[al-Ma'idah 5:51] O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for friends. They are friends one to another. He among you who taketh them for friends is (one) of them. Lo! Allah guideth not wrong doing folk.
[at-Taubah 9:5] Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali2:191 And slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have Turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter; but fight them not at the Sacred Mosque, unless they (first) fight you there; but if they fight yo u, slay them. Such is the reward of thosewhosuppress faith.
4:89 They but wish that ye should reject Faith, as they do, and thusbe onthe same footing (as they): But take not friends from their ranks (one translatios says “Christians and Jews) until they flee in the way of God (From what is forbidden). But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks;
8:60 Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies, of God and your enemies, and others besides, whom ye may not know, but whom God doth know. Whatever ye shall spend in the cause of God, shall be repaid unto you, and ye shall not be treated unjustly.
9:5 But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, an seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practise regular charity, then open the way for them: for God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
baa
Would you know where I can find the transcript of his sermon that day?
President and Mrs. Bush, I want to say a personal word on behalf of many people. Thank you, Mr. President, for calling this Day of Prayer and Remembrance. We needed it at this time.
We come together today to affirm our conviction that God cares for us, whatever our ethnic, religious or political background may be.
The Bible says that He's "the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles."
No matter how hard we try words simply cannot express the horror, the shock, and the revulsion we all feel over what took place in this nation on Tuesday morning. September 11 will go down in our history as a day to remember. Today we say to those who masterminded this cruel plot, and to those who carried it out, that the spirit of this nation will not be defeated by their twisted and diabolical schemes. Some day those responsible will be brought to justice, as President Bush and our Congress have so forcefully stated.
But today, we especially come together in this service to confess our need of God. We've always needed God from the very beginning of this nation, but today we need Him especially. We're facing a new kind of enemy. We're involved in a new kind of warfare and we need the help of the Spirit of God. The Bible's words are our hope: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea" (Psalm 46:1,2, NIV).
But how do we understand something like this? Why does God allow evil like this to take place? Perhaps that is what you are asking now. You may even be angry at God. I want to assure you that God understands these feelings that you may have.
We've seen so much on our television, heard on our radio, stories that bring tears to our eyes and make us all feel a sense of anger. But God can be trusted, even when life seems at its darkest.
But what are some of the lessons we can learn?
First, we are reminded of the mystery and reality of evil.
I have been asked hundreds of times in my life why God allows tragedy and suffering. I have to confess that I really do not know the answer totally, even to my own satisfaction. I have to accept, by faith, that God is sovereign, and He's a God of love and mercy and compassion in the midst of suffering. The Bible says that God is not the author of evil. It speaks of evil as a "mystery." In 2 Thessalonians 2:7 it talks about the mystery of iniquity. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah said, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" He asked that question, "Who can understand it?" And that's one reason we each need God in our lives. The lesson of this event is not only about the mystery of iniquity and evil, but secondly, it's a lesson about our need for each other.
What an example New York and Washington have been to the world these past few days! None of us will ever forget the pictures of our courageous firefighters and police, many of whom have lost friends and colleagues, or the hundreds of people attending or standing patiently in line to donate blood. A tragedy like this could have torn our country apart, but instead it has united us and we've become a family. So those perpetrators who took this on to tear us apart, it has worked the other way. It's backlashed, it's backfired. We are more united than ever before. I think this was exemplified in a very moving way when the members of our Congress stood shoulder to shoulder the other day and sang, "God Bless America."
Finally, difficult as it may be for us to see right now -- this event can give a message of hope -- hope for the present, and hope for the future.
Yes, there is hope. There’s hope for the present because I believe the stage has already been set for a new spirit in our nation.
One of the things we desperately need is a spiritual renewal in this country. We need a spiritual revival in America. And God has told us in His Word, time after time, that we are to repent of our sins and we're to turn to Him and He will bless us in a new way.
But, there is also hope for the future because of God's promises. As a Christian, I have hope, not just for this life, but for heaven and the life to come. And many of those people who died this past week are in heaven right now, and they wouldn't want to come back. It's so glorious and so wonderful. And that's the hope for all of us who put our faith in God. I pray that you will have this hope in your heart.
This event reminds us of the brevity and the uncertainty of life. We never know when we too will be called into eternity. I doubt if even one of those people who got on those planes, or walked into the World Trade Center or the Pentagon last Tuesday morning thought it would be the last day of their lives. It didn't occur to them. And that's why each of us needs to face our own spiritual need and commit ourselves to God and His will now.
Here in this majestic National Cathedral we see all around us symbols of the Cross. For the Christian, I'm speaking for the Christian now, the Cross tells us that God understands our sin and our suffering, for He took upon Himself in the person of Jesus Christ our sins and our suffering. And from the Cross, God declares, "I love you. I know the heartaches and the sorrows and the pains that you feel. But I love you."
The story does not end with the Cross, for Easter points us beyond the tragedy of the Cross to the empty tomb. It tells us that there is hope for eternal life, for Christ has conquered evil and death, and hell. Yes, there is hope. I've become an old man now and I've preached all over the world and the older I get the more I cling to that hope that I started with many years ago and proclaimed it in many languages to many parts of the world.
Several years ago at the National Prayer Breakfast here in Washington, Ambassador Andrew Young (who had just gone through the tragic death of his wife), closed his talk with a quote from the old hymn, "How Firm a Foundation ..."
We all watched in horror as planes crashed into the steel and glass of the World Trade Center. Those majestic towers, built on solid foundations, were examples of the prosperity and creativity of America. When damaged, those buildings eventually plummeted to the ground, imploding in upon themselves.
Yet, underneath the debris, is a foundation that was not destroyed. Therein lies the truth of that old hymn that
Andrew Young quoted, "How Firm a Foundation ... ." Yes, our nation has been attacked, buildings destroyed, lives lost.
But now we have a choice: whether to implode and disintegrate emotionally and spiritually as a people and a nation -- or, whether we choose to become stronger through all of this struggle -- to rebuild on a solid foundation. And I believe that we are in the process of starting to rebuild on that foundation.
That foundation is our trust in God. That's what this service is all about and in that faith we have the strength to endure something as difficult and horrendous as what we have experienced this week. This has been a terrible week with many tears but also has been a week of great faith. Churches all across the country have called prayer meetings and today is a day that they are celebrating not only in this country but in many parts of the world. And in the words of that familiar hymn that Andrew Young quoted -— it says: "Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand."
My prayer today is that we will feel the loving arms of God wrapped around us, and will know in our hearts that He will never forsake us as we trust in Him.
We also know that God is going to give wisdom and courage and strength to the President and those around him. And this is going to be a day that we will remember as a day of victory.
May God bless you all.
http://www.billygraham.org/newsevents/ndprbgmessage.asp
Believers, take neither Jews nor Christians for your friends. They are friends with one another. Whoever of you seeks their friendship will become one of their number. Allah does not guide the wrongdoers.
Sura 5:51
Prophet, make war on the unbelievers and the hypocrites and deal rigorously with them. Hell shall be their home: an evil fate.
Sura 9:73
Fight against such of those to whom the Scriptures were given as believe neither in Allah nor the Last Day, who do not forbid what Allah and His apostle have forbidden and do not embrace the true faith until they pay tribute out of hand and are utterly subdued.
Sura 9:29
They worship their rabbis and their monks and the Messiah, the son of Mary, as gods besides Allah, though they were ordered to serve one God only. There is no God but Him.
Sura 9:30
Mohammed is Allah's apostle. Those who follow him are ruthless to the unbelievers but merciful to one another.
Sura 48:29
Let those who would exchange the life of this world for the hereafter, fight for the cause of Allah; whether they die or conquer, We shall richly reward them.
Sura 4:74
When the sacred months(*) are over them. If they repent and take to prayer and pay the alms-tax, let them go their way. Allah is forgiving and merciful.
Sura 9:4
(*) Shawal, Dhul-Qa'ada, Dhul-Hajja, & Muharram Do not say that those who were slain in the cause of Allah are dead; they are alive, although you are not aware of them.
Sura 2:151
Fight for the sake of Allah those that fight against you, but do not attack them first. Allah does not love the aggressors.
Kill them wherever you find them. Drive them out of the places from which they drove you. Idolatry is worse than carnage. But do not fight them within the precincts of the Holy Mosque unless they attack you there;
Sura 2:190
Believers, why is it that when it is said to you "March in the cause of Allah" you linger slothfully in the land? Are you content with that life in preference to the life to come? Few indeed are the blessings of this life, compared to those of the life to come.
Sura 9:38
Whether unarmed or well equipped, march on and fight for the cause of Allah with your wealth and your persons.
Sura 9:41
God Bless
baa
Really? I don't recall satellite television transmitting the gospel to all nations before this.
I don't recall Israel becoming a nation again until 1949.
I don't recall Roman Empire reviving under a united Europe until rather recently.
The point really is that trying to predict end times is a vanity to the predictor. Saying that the Word of God supports your prediction and vanity is taking the Lords name in vain. It is the unforgivable sin.
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