Friday at the Washington Cathedral

[RonaldLarson]

I am having a very difficult time with all that has happened in the last five days. My thoughts and nightmares keep showing the second plane hitting the WTC tower, and the terror that must have been in the minds of the passengers.

The mass/service held at the Cathedral was a spiritual relief, however short lived. The music, the homily/sermon and the speach by the President were absolutely the best I've ever heard, and that includes the Pearl Harbor response by F. D. R.

However, the speach by Reverend Billy Graham hit a nerve which we all should give a great deal of thought to. He brought up the subject of the mercy and goodness of God. Many had asked him how God could let this happen. He confessed that he could not give a good answer. I think he could, and in the interest of secularity, chose not to answer that challenge.

Now, I'm certainly no saint, and I claim no direct connection to God, but let me offer something to think about.

Prayer of any kind has been outlawed in public schools.

Same-sex "marriage" has been approved in many areas of the U. S. A.

School districts are routinely denying public meetings on campus where reference to God are used in invocations or subject matter.

The list goes on, and I'm emotionally exhausted, but think about these changes in our society, and you might find an answer. This, in my opinion, was a wakeup call.

God bless Amaerica

Ron

 

[klenger]

As I was thinking about the events earlier in the week, I said to myself, "There must be a God, because if there is this much evil in the world, there has to be a God to provide justice". I appreciated Pres. Bush's quoting scripture on Friday morning, with no appologies. God is good.

 

[Power Wagon]

Bad things happen because there is a devil.



If God prevented the devil from acting, then God would be an absolute ruler. If God were an absolute ruler, then all of us would be doomed to predestination, and since all of us are imperfect, then all of us would be doomed to eternal death.



Your Bible tells you that there was war in heaven, and Lucifer was forced out. Ever since, he has done everything in his power to destroy anything God created, including us.



In Revelation, we're told that at the end of time, an Angel will fly in Heaven, proclaiming, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgement is come". That's God's judgement. That's when the universe will judge whether God or the devil is right about how things should be.



Things like the massacres of Hitler, Stalin, and others, the cold-blooded murder of countless people solely from hate and fear... That is the results of the Devil's way - and soon, we all pray, that hour of God's judgement will come, and the Devil will get his just rewards - and all those who choose his way.



God does not punish us for the misdeeds of our neighbors, nor send terrorists to kill the unaware and unknowing for the misdeeds of congress or a state legilsature - or even of movie stars or pop musicians. That is not justice, that is not love, nor is that the character of a God of love, who was willing to give up his Son - part of Himself to die. If God did that, he would be no different from the Islamic Fundamentalists, who are "punishing" us for our "wicked ways". Christ came here as God, as an immortal. He willingly divested himself of immortality - can you imagine? It's like having an endless supply of the fountain of youth, and giving it up so others could live forever - but you would die. That kind of love does not cause senseless death or pain and suffering.



God knew the designs of those men, and was weeping before they hit - as He felt the pain of what would be, before it happened. But He conquered death - by his own son dying and living again - and because of that, he can comfort beyond the ability of any man. So instead of casting God in the same light as Islamic Fundamentalist terrorists, let's remember that He is the one who came to die here, so that there is a means of escaping this hideously corrupt world the Devil caused, and leaving it forever.



The Bible speaks of the end times being horrible and hideous beyond words. Perhaps this kind of death and destruction is what it means - but let's not become afraid... becuase it also speaks of a "returning", when the judgement has been made, and those dead will be raised, and those living will be changed so we can live in the presence of the power of God in Heaven with Him, and the devil and his devoted allies will not harm nor hurt us anymore.

 

[RonaldLarson]

My points, better spoken, Mark. We have invited the devil by our denial of God and Christ, and this is the work of the devil. It's a wakeup call. God sure must love us to have put up with our decades of denial of him!!

Ron