First Responders 9/11

On the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus preaches there is one verse that means a lot to me.

Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

If you want comforted by the Lord then you either need to put yourself in a position of trials and struggles or something in life will come that will knock you to your knees. At his time you have a chance to be comforted by the Lord. I say a chance because we can choose to be comforted. You would agree that trials can make us better or bitter. We usually don’t feel or need God’s comfort in times of rejoicing in victory. But we sure need His comfort when we lose a loved one, a loved one is sick, we lose a job or something in life comes out of the blue that knocks us down. Then the choice is ours IF we will allow God to comfort us.

When Joseph was sold into slavery his brothers told their father Jacob that a wild beast had killed Joseph.

Genesis 37:34,35 “Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “in mourning will I go down to the grave to my son.” So his father wept for him.”

Jacob refused to be comforted because he did not want comforted. His love for Joseph was so much that he could not bear to go on without Joseph in his life. Ever been there? Have you ever been so distraught that you did not want comforted? Somehow in your spirit you feel like you would be betraying the one you loved by getting over your grief.

On September 11, 2001 there were thousands of people trying to get out of the Twin Towers after they were hit. But there were a handful of Firefighters, EMS and Police who were going against the flow. They were putting themselves in harms way. They did not know what to expect but their job was to help. This Sunday morning at Charlotte Motor Speedway I have the privilege to open up in prayer ceremonies for 9/11 http://www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/media/news/596082.html?src=rss There will be First Responders who will be speaking. On a side note please pray for the 9/11 ceremony at ground zero as there will not be clergy allowed to pray. A far cry from the freedom we have at Charlotte Motor Speedway. But I am sure as I look out at over 370 Flags of people who gave their ultimate life to try to save people it will hit me of the enormity of this loss.

Each flag there represents a person who gave their life to try to save others. But also each flag represents a family that will be affected for life on this earth. Fathers, mothers, siblings, spouses and friends will always remember. It is at this time that there NEEDS to be a Comforter. I, much like a lot of people used to find my comfort in a bottle and a host of other empty vices. Pray that this Sunday as on September 11, 2001 that many would turn back to Jesus for their only comfort. Pray that a prayer revival would open up at Ground Zero and that the Comforter would come and His presence be felt.

But as life goes on we quickly fall back into our normal routine and forget the First Responder to mankind, Jesus. He was the only one who could save a dying world. He could have stayed in heaven without pain but chose to be born so He could be the ultimate sacrifice for us. How is it that we have compassion for First Responders but have no compassion for Jesus? Let 9/11 also be a reminder that God is still in control and He needs to be our only comfort. No matter what you are going through today there is only one comforter and that is Jesus. Do you know Him? If not please click on

http://www.theultimatedecision.com/howtogettoheaven.html

Please put yourself in positions to remember. The more we try to isolate ourselves with wealth and security the less chance we have to be comforted by Jesus. But when you step out and serve, when you step out and comfort or when you step out into the unknown for the Lord the Comforter will come in a huge way. Today don’t worry about saving your life but try to be like the First Responders of 9/11.

Philippians 3:13, 14 “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”