Congratulations to Caleb on his GMA. The ceremony was last Friday. (Pictures are at http://rangernet.org/362/).
I had the honor of meeting a few commanders that night, including Clint Grant.
I have been reflecting on the events of last week. Such good (the GMA ceremony) and such evil shared the same week. Naturally, the tragedy hit all of us hard in some way. It isn't just what was done to the people killed, injured, and displaced with the suicide attacks on aircraft and buildings, but the fear that the devil is trying to infect us with through acts that he inspires: fear of more attacks, fear of overreactions to those attacks taking away our freedoms, and fear of those who hate us so much that they applaud murder of innocent people.
Why?
The devil obviously hates us. Jesus said that the evil one came to kill, steal, and destroy, but Jesus Christ came that we might have life. Naturally, the devil would want to inspire such a nasty deed. Please pray in agreement that he would be bound from doing any more of this kind of thing.
Here is the really hard question. Why didn't God stop this from happening?
To answer this, I think we need to look at the first murder in history. God instructed his people on what was right and wrong, but people sometimes chose what was evil. Satan deceived Eve, Eve disobeyed God, and Adam disobeyed God, all concerning the forbidden fruit. Cain disobeyed God in bringing the wrong kind of sacrifice, in not conquering sin in his attitudes and in letting those fester into murder. In all of these cases, God declared judgement for these sins. It seems to be God's plan and nature to give us freedom of choice, but to declare consequences for those choices. I believe that it is safe to say that regardless of how effective our governments' justice may or may not be in hunting down and punishing the guilty parties, they cannot escape God's justice. This is especially true of those who murdered themselves while murdering others. They are most assuredly not beyond God's wrath, even though they are beyond any of our reach.
In the Bible, and in current times, God deals with nations as well as with individuals. God protects nations that act in righteousness and that serve Him as a whole, and judges those who don't, often by allowing war, plague, pestilence, and disasters to happen. Can the USA claim innocence? Hardly. The blood of untold multitudes of innocent children murdered in their mother's wombs in government-sanction institutions cries out to God day and night with a wail that must surely be louder than Abel's blood. National opinion has been swayed by lies of the devil to the point where the sin of Sodom is sanctioned by portions of our government as a legitimate alternate lifestyle, and given protections similar to that of holy matrimony in some jurisdictions. Teachers and administrators of our public schools are forbidden to lead prayer or promote God and His Word in school, while literature promoting demons, witchcraft, and false religions may be promoted in the same places. Those who state that Jesus Christ is the only way to God the Father are called intolerant, while false religions are celebrated as healthy diversity. If God withdrew his hedge of protection against poisonous snakes in the desert because his own chosen nation of Israel complained too much, or had the crushed in war by the Chaldeans for sacrificing their children to idols, what makes you think that God is going to keep protecting the USA like He has before these evils have become so rampant?
What should our response be?
First, I believe that each of us individually should take some time to examine ourselves. Is there any evil in our lives? Any secret sins? If so, cut it off like a gangrenous limb that is threatening your life and throw it from you! Confess it, forsake it, repent! (1 John 1:9). Once that is dealt with, I believe that we need to confess our national sins and intercede for our nation before God, much as Daniel did for his nation in Daniel 9. We need to take authority in the name of Jesus Christ and bind the evil spirits and powers who are causing the evil in our nation and in the world, and get insistent about it. If we don't, I believe that God will hold us accountable for our lack of action. (Ephesians 6). We must also pray regularly for our leaders. (1 Tim 2:1-2).
This is war. Prayer war.
Rev. Michael Paul Johnson AKA Soaring Golden Eagle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Bible translation missionary, Evangel Bible Translators http://EvangelBible.org
Outpost 362, Mountain Creek Community Church, Dallas Texas http://mtcreek.com
http://eBible.org/mpj/ Jesus Christ is Lord!
