If you turn on a TV, go on the internet, or listen to the radio these days, then you have to know that the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks are being covered by just about everyone. Ten years ago, we watched as 2 planes each hit a tower of the World Trade Center in NYC, and another plane hit the Pentagon in Washington DC. A 4th plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, which was thought to be heading to the White House, or the Capitol Building. We grieved as we cleaned up. We came together as a nation. American flags appeared everywhere. Even the ACLU couldn't lift a finger to challenge the flags being flown! As a nation, we became more patriotic. Churches, Synagogues, Mosques were all filled to capacity as different faiths prayed for our nation. I remember myself going to a prayer service at the Church I attended at the time. When I arrived and we all started praying, there were about 30 people. When the prayer service was over and I opened my eyes, the sanctuary had over 150 people. It was packed!
As the years went by, we started to rebuild as a nation. We invaded Afghanistan, Iraq, and started a campaign against terror around the world. Traveling anywhere became an adventure as we needed to get to the airport 3 hours ahead of schedule for security checks, and we needed to take our shoes off as a precautionary measure. We shifted our security posture from defensive, to offensive. We even began to get a little cocky as a nation by thinking that the war in Iraq was over when it really wasn't.
As more time went by, the crowded Houses of Worship became empty. The American flags disappeared. People began to forget what happened on Sept 11, 2001. We turned our focus from looking inward to infighting. The tolerance we had after 9/11 turned to intolerance. We couldn't even stop fighting amongst ourselves. The whole world watched as out political establishment went at it 24/7 on live TV, and on the internet. Oh what fools we must have looked like to the rest of the world! The ACLU again challenged any outward display, or mention of God. It seemed like preaching Atheism was acceptable, but talking about Jesus was not.
OK, but if you mentioned Jesus-you were a bigot.
Now here we are-10 years later. What have we, as a nation learned from the experience of this catastrophic attack. My answer to this is NOTHING. We have learned NOTHING.
Like the Israelites of old, we never quite learn from our mistakes as a nation. The motto" NEVER AGAIN" was spoken of everywhere after the initial attacks. As the new World Trade Center rises up out of the ashes of Ground Zero, I can't help but think what is going through the mind of the chief terrorists. They are probably looking for our weak spot.
In 2 Chronicles 18:28-34, we see Ahab, the wicked King of Israel-after being warned time and again to turn from his wicked ways, is killed in battle. Verse 33 states that a certain man "drew his bow at random", and the arrow struck Ahab in the joints of his armor. That was Ahab's weak spot. He died shortly after that.
2 Chronicles 7:14 says it all. "If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land." (Amplified Bible). We, as a nation have lost our way. We do NOT humble ourselves. We do NOT pray. We do NOT seek God's Face.
How can we just keep doing the same thing over and over again? Haven't we learned from our mistakes? Will we ever be able to see God's Hand move for our country, instead of against it?
My question to you is this: Do you seek God in your daily life? Do you pray every day? Do you put God FIRST in all aspects of your life? If not, you will never have full victory over all the attacks of the Devil in your life. If you cannot achieve victory through Jesus in your life-how can we as a nation ever expect to achieve it?
Here's something to pray about. When I sat down at my computer to write this weeks Sunday Sermon, this was not the topic I thought I would be sharing on. I was going to share about John 21:15-19. I guess God had other plans, because as soon as my fingers hit the keyboard, He took me in a completely different direction. As far as I'm concerned-this is the message that God really wanted me to share. Get up off your couches and comfy chairs. Drop to your knees, and PRAY. Pray for the needs of others. Pray for your families. Pray for our nation. Pray for yourselves. And don't forget-pray for your enemies. DO NOT ALLOW THE ENEMY TO FIND YOUR WEAK SPOT!!!
I guess I may share about John 21 next week. Please remember-if you are going to any sort of gathering for 9/11, please pray about how God can use you to share The Gospel.
In HIS Holy Name,
The Jesus Freak (Ira Cohen)
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