These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph.
Thomas Paine, The Crisis -- December 1776
We are beginning to see United States flags displayed everywhere. Many stores have sold out. Between Wal-Mart and Kmart almost one million flags have been sold nationwide.
I believe that if national pride is the only byproduct of this tragedy then we as a nation are in terrible danger. If a heightened sense of patriotism is the only result then we are doomed as a nation.
Many are calling on God or at the least recognizing that we need God to bless our land. Many of the signs and messages of businesses read, "God Bless America."
How many times have we as individuals called upon God to deliver us from our trouble only to return to our sinful way of living after His deliverance.
It is my prayer that this tragedy will bring about not merely a national unity and pride but a national repentance and humility and a return of our dependence upon God.
On Wednesday I had the opportunity to give my observations on why this tragedy has occurred. I said that I believed that God is judging our nation for our sin. I said that I believed that because we have allowed sexual promiscuity to define as a people and because we are allowing the murdering of millions of babies while still in the womb that God is removing His protection.
Since then I have heard this observation repeated by pastors and ministers across this land.
God, who does not change, has taken this course of action in dealing with His people in the past:
(Jer 25:1 NKJV) The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon),
(Jer 25:2 NKJV) which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying:
(Jer 25:3 NKJV) "From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, this is the twenty-third year in which the word of the LORD has come to me; and I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, but you have not listened.
(Jer 25:4 NKJV) "And the LORD has sent to you all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear.
(Jer 25:5 NKJV) "They said, 'Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD has given to you and your fathers forever and ever.
(Jer 25:6 NKJV) 'Do not go after other gods to serve them and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands; and I will not harm you.'
(Jer 25:7 NKJV) "Yet you have not listened to Me," says the LORD, "that you might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.
(Jer 25:8 NKJV) "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Because you have not heard My words,
(Jer 25:9 NKJV) 'behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,' says the LORD, 'and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against these nations all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations.
(Jer 25:10 NKJV) 'Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp.
(Jer 25:11 NKJV) 'And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
(Hosea 11:1 NKJV) "When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.
(Hosea 11:2 NKJV) As they called them, So they went from them; They sacrificed to the Baals, And burned incense to carved images.
(Hosea 11:3 NKJV) "I taught Ephraim to walk, Taking them by their arms; But they did not know that I healed them.
(Hosea 11:4 NKJV) I drew them with gentle cords, With bands of love, And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them.
(Hosea 11:5 NKJV) "He shall not return to the land of Egypt; But the Assyrian shall be his king, Because they refused to repent.
(Hosea 11:6 NKJV) And the sword shall slash in his cities, Devour his districts, And consume them, Because of their own counsels.
(Hosea 11:7 NKJV) My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, None at all exalt Him.
It is also my prayer that our nation responds not from a spirit of revenge against sinners but a sense of justice on sin.
(1 Pet 2:13 NKJV) Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme,
(1 Pet 2:14 NKJV) or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.
War is a means that God has used to deal with unrighteousness
(1 Sam 15:1 NKJV) Samuel also said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the LORD.
(1 Sam 15:2 NKJV) "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt.
(1 Sam 15:3 NKJV) 'Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'"
Why would God command King Saul to perform such a gruesome task?
The extent of evil and idolatry among the Amalekites,
The contamination of surrounding peoples, especially Israel,
The threat of painful loss, if not extermination, at the hand of the Amalekites
There will always be men (and women) like Ben Laden. If he is captured or killed there will always be a Herod, Hitler, Mussolini, Castro, Ayatollah Khomeni, or a Saddam Hosane.
The Bible tells us that there comes one who is called AntiChrist, "whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming." (2 Thess 2:8)
There will be wars and rumors of wars.
On the basis of the computation in the Moscow Gazette, Gustave Valbert in his day could report that "From the year 1496 B.C. to A.D. 1861 in 3358 years there were 227 years of peace and 3,130 years of war, or 13 years of war to every year of peace. Within the last three centuries, there have been 286 wars in Europe. He added that from the year 1500 B.C. to A.D. 1860 more than 8000 treaties of peace, meant to remain in force forever, were concluded. The average time they remained in force was two years."
(Mat 24:6 NKJV) "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
(Mat 24:7 NKJV) "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
Jesus anticipates warfare as a way of life throughout the present age. He cautions the disciples not to be unduly alarmed by these necessities, for the end is not yet.
There will never be true peace until the Lord, the Prince of Peace returns to set up His kingdom.
(Isa 9:6 NKJV) For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
(Isa 9:7 NKJV) Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
(Isa 2:1 NKJV) The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
(Isa 2:2 NKJV) Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the Lord's house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.
(Isa 2:3 NKJV) Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
(Isa 2:4 NKJV) He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.
What can we do?
Repent (2 Chr 7:14 NKJV)
"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Humble ourselves
(James 4:8 NKJV) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
(James 4:9 NKJV) Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
(James 4:10 NKJV) Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
b.) Pray
(Luke 21:34 NKJV) "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.
(Luke 21:35 NKJV) "For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.
(Luke 21:36 NKJV) "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."
c.) Seek God's face
(Hosea 5:15 NKJV) I will return again to My place Till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me."
(Hosea 6:1 NKJV) Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
(Hosea 6:2 NKJV) After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight.
d.) Turn from our wicked ways
(Gen 6:5 NKJV) Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
(Gen 6:6 NKJV) And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
(Gen 6:7 NKJV) So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them."
We need to have the attitude of a repentant heart like King David did:
(Psa 51:1 NKJV) Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.
(Psa 51:2 NKJV) Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
(Psa 51:3 NKJV) For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.
(Psa 51:4 NKJV) Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight; That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.
Even the mightiest fighters themselves realize that it is better to walk in the paths of God. "As Stonewall Jackson stood one morning at the door of his tent, the soldiers in blue in the distance, beside him the soldiers in gray, a battle being imminent, he offered a prayer like this: 'O God, bring quick victory to one army or the other. O God, settle this cruel warfare, and send us back to our homes, to our God-given purpose of winning men to Jesus Christ.'"
