Rev. Austin Miles
Did the Bible predict 9/11? Must we forgive?
By Rev. Austin Miles
NEW YORK CITY (9/9/13) The surprise attacks on September 11, 2001 spawned many questions, debates, theories and 'what ifs' from a bewildered America. Those questions can be answered by one source that we have always had.
God knows everything present, past, and what is to be. He shows us what is to happen while demonstrating that He is in control. That includes 9/11. And He knows, to our shame, that we will depart from him.
Deuteronomy 28:43 states: "The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low."
Why? The Bible answers in verse 47: "Because thou servest NOT the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth (airplanes used in attack); A nation whose tongue (Arabic language) thou shalt not understand; a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favor to the young." (Notice how terrorists attack what they call, "soft targets,' which means unarmed civilians, hospitals=the old and schools=the young.)
Verse 52: And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down (World Trades Building), wherein thou trustedst (America's wealth was within those towers); and he shall besiege thee in thy gates throughout all the land, which the Lord thy God hath given thee."
We seem to have forgotten that it was God's Divine Blessings that made this country great. Our Founding Fathers looked to God for guidance and were not ashamed to call His name.
Lamentations 3:22 assures us "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning."
God's Word goes even further in verse 60: "Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me (America)."
We have, in this modern age, locked God out of our lives. Much of society has forsaken knowledge and recognition of 'good and evil.' Man continually evades accepting personal responsibility for what they do or do not do. When the higher moral code of God is hidden away and is denied as having any power over us, then 'evil will be done in the name of our enemies.'
There are many who say, "I don't believe in the Bible.." The Bible stands alone whether anyone believes it is true or not – for its wisdom and truth are not man-made, nor does God and His Word change just because man chooses to believe differently.
What can we do? God states clearly in 1 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." (All italics and highlights mine.)
God is NOT causing our problems. We are.
Must We Forgive? This is the tough part. God says we must have inward Divine love even in the midst of a fierce battle. When the attacks transpired, it unleashed every emotion known...anger...rage...a sense of helplessness – loss...fear and a passion for revenge. Can we get past the bitter feelings of the attack to love them enough to realize that they have been deceived? Do we love them enough to talk to them about God and the truth? Can we show enough love to desire their salvation? As difficult as it is, it is a requirement of God.
Forgiveness means releasing those feelings of anger from ourselves and putting it into God's Hands. Harboring bitter feelings will only hurt us and our health if we allow stress, anger and fear to become a part of us.
We must move past that, have the wisdom to deal firmly with those who would harm us or try to destroy us. The Bible does not require that we just lie down and let our enemies do to us what they will. It does require that we love our enemies enough to want to see their salvation (which means they can no longer be our enemy-they will be transformed) and spared from hell. Jesus did it for us while we were in a wide range of sins.
We are living in a tricky new age unlike anything we have experienced in the past as the world drastically changes. And the same God, who has been with us in the past, will be with us in the future...IF we give him place in our lives.
Deuteronomy 31:6 says: "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them; for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee. He will not fail thee or forsake thee," as long as we do our part in the relationship.
It is up to us. If we do it right, then we can be assured of this statement:in Romans 13:19:
"Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."
–
Photo Caption: Face of Evil-Mohamed Atta flew the First Plane Into the Towers.
Photo Credit: Florida DMV Photo
© Rev. Austin Miles
September 10, 2013
NEW YORK CITY (9/9/13) The surprise attacks on September 11, 2001 spawned many questions, debates, theories and 'what ifs' from a bewildered America. Those questions can be answered by one source that we have always had.
God knows everything present, past, and what is to be. He shows us what is to happen while demonstrating that He is in control. That includes 9/11. And He knows, to our shame, that we will depart from him.Deuteronomy 28:43 states: "The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low."
Why? The Bible answers in verse 47: "Because thou servest NOT the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth (airplanes used in attack); A nation whose tongue (Arabic language) thou shalt not understand; a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favor to the young." (Notice how terrorists attack what they call, "soft targets,' which means unarmed civilians, hospitals=the old and schools=the young.)
Verse 52: And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down (World Trades Building), wherein thou trustedst (America's wealth was within those towers); and he shall besiege thee in thy gates throughout all the land, which the Lord thy God hath given thee."
We seem to have forgotten that it was God's Divine Blessings that made this country great. Our Founding Fathers looked to God for guidance and were not ashamed to call His name.
Lamentations 3:22 assures us "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning."
God's Word goes even further in verse 60: "Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me (America)."
We have, in this modern age, locked God out of our lives. Much of society has forsaken knowledge and recognition of 'good and evil.' Man continually evades accepting personal responsibility for what they do or do not do. When the higher moral code of God is hidden away and is denied as having any power over us, then 'evil will be done in the name of our enemies.'
There are many who say, "I don't believe in the Bible.." The Bible stands alone whether anyone believes it is true or not – for its wisdom and truth are not man-made, nor does God and His Word change just because man chooses to believe differently.
What can we do? God states clearly in 1 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." (All italics and highlights mine.)
God is NOT causing our problems. We are.
Must We Forgive? This is the tough part. God says we must have inward Divine love even in the midst of a fierce battle. When the attacks transpired, it unleashed every emotion known...anger...rage...a sense of helplessness – loss...fear and a passion for revenge. Can we get past the bitter feelings of the attack to love them enough to realize that they have been deceived? Do we love them enough to talk to them about God and the truth? Can we show enough love to desire their salvation? As difficult as it is, it is a requirement of God.
Forgiveness means releasing those feelings of anger from ourselves and putting it into God's Hands. Harboring bitter feelings will only hurt us and our health if we allow stress, anger and fear to become a part of us.
We must move past that, have the wisdom to deal firmly with those who would harm us or try to destroy us. The Bible does not require that we just lie down and let our enemies do to us what they will. It does require that we love our enemies enough to want to see their salvation (which means they can no longer be our enemy-they will be transformed) and spared from hell. Jesus did it for us while we were in a wide range of sins.
We are living in a tricky new age unlike anything we have experienced in the past as the world drastically changes. And the same God, who has been with us in the past, will be with us in the future...IF we give him place in our lives.
Deuteronomy 31:6 says: "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them; for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee. He will not fail thee or forsake thee," as long as we do our part in the relationship.
It is up to us. If we do it right, then we can be assured of this statement:in Romans 13:19:
"Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."
–
Photo Caption: Face of Evil-Mohamed Atta flew the First Plane Into the Towers.
Photo Credit: Florida DMV Photo
© Rev. Austin Miles
The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)
