Protection In Times Of Terror And Danger

INTRO.- ILL.- The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture. "Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, ’There’s Jennifer; she’s a lawyer,’ or ’That’s Michael, he’s a doctor.’"

A small voice from the back of the room rang out, "And there’s the teacher; she’s still old, nasty, and wrinkled."

Sometimes we need to take a look back but with perhaps a certain amount of caution. Remembering or looking back can be good or bad. Some looking back may not be good but it is necessary to make us think and get our own priorities right.

For example, what happened five years ago tomorrow? 9/11/01, the day of terror when those jet planes hit the twin towers, another hit the Pentagon and still another (Flight 93) went down in Pennsylvania. A total of 2973 people were killed in those attacks and it’s a day that America and the world will never forget!

ILL.- One news item was entitled “America the vulnerable.” WASHINGTON, SEPT. 12, 2001 (CBS News) - Hunkered down, grieving and nervous, America won’t soon be the same. The attacks that rained death on New York, Washington and a field in Pennsylvania brought an end to any idea that a strong country can be an invincible one.

Well away from the destruction, the symbols of American life - its work and play - slammed shut. No Disney World. No Mall of America. The first cancellation of a day’s major league baseball games, for reasons other than labor troubles, since D-Day. U.S. air space closed to commercial flights for the first time ever.

Even the government hid, diverting President Bush to military bases in the nation’s midsection on his way back from Florida and sending congressional leaders to a mountain fortification west of Washington.

"America is forever changed," said Sen. Chuck Hagel, "America is in for a long fight."

Brothers and sisters, we remember and we hurt. We still hurt for the families who lost loved ones on that day. We remember and we pray. We ask for God’s mercy and His grace to be given to all who have suffered.

Could it happen again? Some don’t think so, but it seems to me that we are still vulnerable. It’s a shame that we can’t live in freedom and peace, but this is the way it is in our day and time. And sadly, this is probably the way it will be until God says, “Enough is enough!” and puts His foot down and calls a halt to this sin-sick work.

What can we do? We must we do in the light of terror, danger and evil in this world?

PROP.- Considering the terror of 9/11 and all danger in our world today there are several, common sense things we can do.

I. DON’T DO DUMB THINGS THAT PUT YOU IN DANGER

Prov. 14:15 “A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.”

Brothers and sisters, we must be cautious in this world of evil and danger! We must be wise. We must give thought to what we are doing. We must exercise wisdom and common sense in order to avoid certain dangers.

ILL.- Several years ago Elaine and I went to Cancun, Mexico, for 4 days and 3 nights. IT WAS LONG ENOUGH. The most extravagant thing we did while was to go snorkeling. There were five boats in our group. The small boats held only two people and we played follow the leader. The leader was a little Hispanic guy we could barely understand and probably weighed 110 lbs. dripping wet. Besides Elaine and me, there were seven others, all women. Little Hispanic guy and I were the only men of the group.

After we drove those little boats for probably near an hour we finally anchored somewhere out in the Caribbean Sea. Everybody put on their snorkeling goggles and breathing device. Elaine and I were the last to get going. Elaine was not excited being in that water, to say the least. You could look down below and see the Coral reef and fish swimming around and I believe one of the women yelled out and said that something had touched her leg. THAT DID NOT ENCOURAGE ELAINE AT ALL!

Finally, Elaine wanted to go back and get in the boat so we headed back. She thought snorkeling was bad, but the worst was yet to come. After several tries and a lot of hard struggle, I finally got in our boat. The front end of the boat was higher in the water than the rear end because of the motor on the rear. Elaine gave me her arm and I nearly pulled it off, trying to pull her into the boat. Finally, I asked her to go to the back of the boat since it was lower in the water. I figured it would be easier to pull out of the water and into the boat. About that time the little Hispanic was nearly back to the boats and hollered, “No, no, no.”