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While it is a blessing to have a president who calls on the name of the Lord and exhorts the nation to prayer for God's
guidance in this time of trouble,i cannot help but ponder deeply on the nuance of things expressed in some of his recent speeches.And
it is not my desire to be messenger of woe so here is a Scripture which is especially pertinent these days."For God has
not given us a spirit of fear,but of power,of love and of a sound mind." 2 TIMOTHY 1:7
Yes, attendance of worship services increased in the days following the attack,and we pray that a return to God's Grace will
prevail throughout the nation and the world.
President Bush does,however,encourage us to "return to normal."
Thus, the connundrum; If the nation returns to "normal" it will be just as abominable as before these events.
"The Spirit of power," the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome trials and obstacles to ones faith,to prevail
against the enemies of God! This nation is "powerful", but is it Godly?
In 2 CHRONICLES 7:14 "If
my people,which are called by my name,shall humble themselves,and pray,and seek my face,and turn from their wicked ways;then
will I hear from heaven,and will forgive their sin,and will heal their land." This is an answer to those who would ask,"where
was God,why did He let all those innocent people die?"
Our "pledge of alliegience" says,"One
Nation, UNDER GOD"(which the ACLU objects to), I am not sure of the New Testament directives for national governance.
It seems written primarily to the individual believer and admonishes us to be obedient to those in authority, as they are
"appointed by God."
"The Spirit of love"; Jesus tells us to "Love
one another as I have loved you," with truth of scripture, self sacrifice and in adherence to the commandments of God.
The sermon on the mount and the Beattiutudes (MATTHEW 5&6) are perhaps the "quick-reference" to Godly relationships.
Shamefully,though,many "patriotic americans" have vented their anger at the innocent people only because
of a difference of ancestry even though we are told "God is no respector of persons," and that "God would have
ALL men be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth." 1TIMOTHY 2:4
"The Spirit of a sound
mind"; The knowledge, wisdom and discernment to keep our wits about us (not running-off half-cocked seeking to exact
our own "justice" for an evil act),and to recognize the true enemy. EPHESIANS 6
No military action by
this nation or its allies can defeat satan, it can only remove some of his pawns from the board.
Keep eyes and ears open and be ware, satan can be disguised as an angel of light (the name Lucifer translates to"light")
Actions being taken to improve security seem quite appropriate at this time. Be mindful of big brother
and the New World Order. Maybe not the current administration,but the policy changes will have the potential for abuse of
"inalienable rights" with which we are "endowed by our Creator."
I sent this letter to our local newspaper...
Underwhelming Response
"Hooray for
our heroes","Come together in
service and support","We're going to win in this
struggle."
Seemed to be the primary message in
president Bush's address of Nov. 8. And when his
statements referred to individuals
who could be
presented as heroes,or overcoming the people and
philosophy which caused the deaths of thousands
of
innocent people of various national and
religious backgrounds, the audience in Atlanta
stood to applaud. Thirty-four
standing ovations
by the count of one T.V. news channel which aired
the speech live.
That is all well and good.
It is important to
recognize and express appreciation to those who
have committed selfless acts of
kindness,sacrifice
and service in the face of
terrorism and murderous cowardice.
What is troubling is the reaction to the
President's
statement,"Through this tragedy, we
are renewing and reclaiming our strong American
values." The audience
responded with a tepid
round of short-lived, seated applause.
Perhaps this was a testimony to the aspect of
our
society which kept this country at odds
before we had a "common enemy" to focus on; that
"values"
in our nation are a matter of personal
preference and whim rather than a common accord.
Perhaps this statement caused
a moment of
reflection in the audience during which they were
taking account of whether the values each holds
has
any lasting significance.
Or,perhaps it expressed that we're more willing
to join in applauding morale than morality.
Even
a posthumous hero is more tangible ,to many, than
our personal beliefs, ethics and values. Waging a
war in
which bodies can be counted is more
acceptable than recognizing that the real war is
not against flesh and blood.
America Bless God!!?
"A wise man will hear,and will increase learning;and a man of understanding
shall attain to wise counsels"
Proverbs 1:5
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