Easing Back To Business As Usual

We can never allow ourselves to ease back to business as usual after the 911 calls we received from God last week. Don’t we know that our lack of passion for our Lord is what brought His anger to us? God showed His anger for our sin and rebellion and we are considering resuming what we were doing before September 11, 2001. Are we fickle? Do we think that God is fickle?

Many immediate measures are being taken by our Nation in the area of terrorism, but what is being done to reinstate us as a Nation under God? What are you doing to make positive changes in your relationship with God? What positive changes is FSBC of Wildomar taking to improve its relationship with God? I cannot answer the first question for you, but I can answer the second. You see changes must start with the church. First I will deal with the aggressive changes we are making in our Church and then I will share the changes I am making. Yes, believe it or not, the Pastor must make changes.

’Let’s roll,’ Flight 93 victim heard to say minutes before crash Pennsylvania field

By Joann Loviglio

Sun-Sentinel

Posted September 16 2001, 5:07 PM EDT

PHILADELPHIA -- “Are you guys ready? Let’s roll!” is an expression Todd Beamer used whenever his wife and two young sons were leaving their home for a family outing.

The 32-year-old businessman and Sunday school teacher said the same thing before he and other passengers apparently took action against hijackers aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on Tuesday, shortly before the plane crashed in a western Pennsylvania field.

The jetliner, which government officials suspect was headed for a high-profile target in Washington, was the fourth to crash in a coordinated terrorist attack that killed thousands, and the only one that didn’t take lives on the ground.

Todd Beamer placed a call on one of the Boeing 757’s on-board telephones and spoke for 13 minutes with GTE operator Lisa D. Jefferson, Beamer’s wife, Lisa, said. He provided detailed information about the hijacking and — after the operator told him about the morning’s World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks — said he and others on the plane were planning to act against the terrorists aboard.

Before the call ended and with yelling heard in the background, Todd Beamer asked the operator to pray with him. Together, they recited the 23rd Psalm. Then he asked Jefferson to promise she would call his wife of seven years — who is expecting a third child — and their two sons, ages 1 and 3.

After receiving clearance from investigators, Beamer said Jefferson kept her promise Friday.

Bobbi Hennessey, a spokeswoman for GTE parent company Verizon Communications Inc., declined comment Sunday. A telephone number for Jefferson could not be found.

“People asked me if I’m upset that I didn’t speak with him, but I’m glad he called (Jefferson) instead,” Lisa Beamer said. “I would have been helpless. And I know what his last words would have been to me, anyway.”

Beamer said her husband placed the call at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday and told Jefferson that there were three knife-wielding hijackers on board, one who appeared to have a bomb tied to his chest with a belt. The other two hijackers took over the cockpit after forcing the pilot and co-pilot out.

“They realized they were going to die. Todd said he and some other passengers were going to jump on the guy with the bomb,” Lisa Beamer said.

Several other passengers made phone calls from the jet before it crashed southeast of Pittsburgh: Jeremy Glick, 31; Mark Bingham, 31; and Thomas Burnett Jr. 38. Glick and Burnett said they were going to do something.

Todd Beamer dropped the phone after talking to Jefferson, leaving the line open. It was then that the operator heard Beamer’s words: “Let’s roll.”

Then silence.

Shortly afterward, the plane crashed, killing all 44 aboard.

I believe it is time for us to say “Let’s roll!” and this is our battle plan:

First, there will be daily prayer at the church at 7:30 AM for all who want to come; if you cannot make it because of work or getting kids off to school, etc, then I suggest that you talk to your boss about having a special time each morning to pray with co-workers. Have an in home time with neighbors, family and friends. If you say to yourself, “ I don’t have time to pray, I don’t know how to pray or I can’t make it at 7:30”, then I would reevaluate your Christian walk. “Let’s roll!”

Second, everyone in leadership within the church will be re-certified in the area of discipleship. By this I mean they must be able to share Jesus with others and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, lead them to salvation. Additionally, they must themselves be both learning and teaching all that Jesus has taught us through His word. Each of us must, through a one-on-one process, increase our knowledge of our Triune-God to live the Great Commandments, and carryout the Great Commission. “Let’s roll!”