It’s February 2013 and what come to my mind is the Twin Towers. I see remembrance stickers on cars, business walls, t-shirts, etc. with the phrase “911 We will never forget” or to that effect. I don’t blame anyone for being angry at such a hideous act at who ever did it if the preponderance of evidence was there for a true convictions of who is to be blamed. Having said that I think there are lots of Iraqis who will also never forget the bombing of their wives and children by Americans, an action done without any solid basis. An action that was driven by an emotional outburst for we want vengeance now!. Others would said let’s take their oil and save ours for our children’s future. Then we sent Christmas cards to each other sending Christmas blessings!
Such action is especially crippling when done by a people who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ yet know very little of his teachings regarding loving your enemies. Or perhaps what God Himself promise HE will do to our enemies:
Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
But the real question in this review of 911 is why did the Towels fall and so many people had to die? Even Billy Graham did not have an answer to give Americans four days after the terrorist attack as he addressed distinguished members of the U.S. States Government, it’s citizens and people of the world at the National Cathedral, Washington, D.C. A Bible professing man:
“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 with God.”
“Why does God allow evil like this to take place?
Unbelievable! What’s wrong with Billy. Why after his entire life reading and preaching the Bible can’t he utter out the answer?
Well I’m going to tell why. I’m not but the word of God will. I warn you, you ain’t going to like the rest of this but here is the real answer as to the WHY. The answer Billy didn’t speak for lack of spiritual character and intestinal fortitude, as do most of his colleagues.
“A SINFUL NATION, a people LADEN WITH INIQUITY, a seed of EVILDOERS, children that are CORRUPTERS: they have FORSAKEN THE LORD… they are gone away BACKWARD… the whole HEAD IS SICK, and the WHOLE HEART FAINT. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is NO SOUNDNESS IN IT” (Isa. 1:4-6).
“CRY ALOUD, SPARE NOT, LIFT UP YOUR VOICE LIKE A TRUMPET, AND SHOW MY PEOPLE THEIR TRANSGRESSIONS, AND THE HOUSE OF JACOB THEIR SINS” (Isa. 58:1).
But what seer or prophet of America would ever do that? That would not be “politically correct” in front of such a distinguished audience! They don’t want to hear the truth. They want to hear “deceit” and “SMOOTH things.” They don’t want to hear that it was God Himself who has brought this evil on America. They rather cry out:
“…cause the Holy One of Israel to CEASE from before us” (Isa. 30:11).
“eradicate from our face the Holy One of Israel” (Concordant Version)
“desist from setting before us the Holy One of Israel” (Rotherham’s Bible)
No, don’t tell us God had anything to do with this evil in our city. We don’t want to hear WHY God does such evil things to such a sinful nation.
Billy again: “But what are some of the lessons we can learn? First, we are reminded of the mystery and reality of evil. I’ve 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… The Bible says that GOD IS NOT THE AUTHOR OF EVIL.” (CAPS are mine)
Mr. Graham doesn’t know why God allows tragedy and suffering, but he does know that: “The Bible says that God is not the author of evil.” Oh really? And does he have chapter and verse on that bit of unscriptural heresy? No, no he doesn’t. And if he read the Bible as much as he claims, he should surely know that what he has stated is total unscriptural DECEIT.
“That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there if none beside Me. I AM THE LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, AND CREATE EVIL [Heb: ra–#7451, ‘bad, evil.’ Same word translated “evil” 442 times in the Old Testament].” (Isaiah 45:6-7).
“Out of the mouth of the Most High proceeds not EVIL and good?” (Lam. 3:38).
“…and experience of EVIL has God given to the sons of man to humble him thereby” (Ecc. 1:13, Concordant Old Testament).
“…I [the Lord] will raise up EVIL against you out of your own house…” (II Sam. 12:11).
“…I [the Lord] will bring EVIL from the north, and a great destruction” (Jer. 4:6).
“…thus said the Lord, Behold, I frame EVIL against you, and devise a device against you…” (Jer. 18:11).
“…so shall the Lord bring upon you ALL EVIL THINGS, until He have destroyed you from off this good land… (Josh. 23:15).
“What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive EVIL?…” (Job 2:10).
“…shall there be EVIL IN A CITY [New York City?] and the LORD has not done it?” (Amos 3:6).
Etc., etc.
No, America doesn’t want to hear the truth of God’s word; they want to hear “deceit and SMOOTH things.”
Here’s some more smooth things. Mr. Graham:
“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 back-lashed. It’s backfired. We are more united than ever before. I think this was exemplified in a very moving way when the member of our Congress stood shoulder to shoulder the other day and sang ‘God Bless America… There’s hope for the present, because I believe the stage has already been set for a new spirit in our nation’”
God Almighty slaps America across their face with this horrendous destruction of property and life in New York City, and what do we do? Do we beseech God to forgive us for all of our crimes, evils, sins, and corruption? No, we join “shoulder to shoulder” and sing “God Bless American” without repenting of any of our sins.
We haven’t sinned: only the terrorists sinned!
“Every one that is proud in heart [‘We are more united than ever…’ ] is an abomination to the Lord: though HAND JOIN IN HAND […Congress stood SHOULDER TO SHOULDER], he shall not go UNPUNISHED” (Prov. 16:5).
“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…”
Yes, of course, God “understands our sin,” but let’s not use a phrase like that to turn the cross of Jesus into license to sin without repentance.
“Understanding” is not synonymous with “condoning.” Do we think the nearly 3000 people who fell with the Twin Towers were sinners above all men that dwell in New York City?
“Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you NAY: but, except ye [ALL OF YOU] REPENT, YE SHALL ALL LIKEWISE PERISH” (Luke 13:4)
One final quote from Mr. Graham:
“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.’”
What a crock! Billy Graham had a huge captive audience that few people have had in the history of the world: The entire United States government! All the citizens of America! Hundreds, maybe thousands of millions of people around the world. And what does Billy Graham have to say? What does this greatest of American seers and prophets have to tell us? What word does he have FROM THE LORD? He has no word from the Lord. He sells out for a “politically correct” speech that will tickle the ears of his listeners. He’ll make no waves today, nor ever. He’ll ruffle no feather in Washington or anywhere else in American Christendom. It was politically perfect! It was Scripturally, a shame and an utter disgrace!
Mr. Graham could have said: “Those majestic Towers, built on solid physical foundations, were examples of GOD’S undeserved prosperity gift to America. But because we did not consider God to be the SPIRITUAL foundation of our success and prosperity, GOD BROUGHT DOWN THOSE TOWERS, just as He will BRING DOWN THIS NATION, if we do not “ALL LIKEWISE REPENT.”
But no. Don’t ever expect that kind of “politically incorrect” rebuke from any of the modern seers and prophets among God’s prophetic Israel.
The falling of the World Trade Center Towers was prophecy unvailing before our eyes, but a sleeping people institutionalized by schools, TV, Media, alcohol, drugs and lies do not see the truth, even as our Constitution now hangs by a string.
When will Americans wake up? There will be those that understand and take this as an admonishment but there will those who will be insulted. Where do you stand at this closing of this generation?
Isa 30:25 And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.
