MISSION TO AMERICA (published 9-15, 2001)
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September 11, 2001 - Attack on America
What would Jesus do?
What can I do?

Why?

Why did God allow something like this to happen?

Why does God let bad things happen to innocent people?

Why does God let bad things happen to good people? (more on this)

First background thoughts: By asking this question you are stating that you believe God exists. You are stating that God has the power to be in control. You are stating that you believe in a God who loves us. You are asking the question, "How can a loving God allow such a tragedy to happen?"

We can say for sure that even a disaster such as this happened because God allowed it, and He allowed it in order to accomplish His purposes.

What do we know about God that would help us know His purpose? That will answer the question, why did He let this happen?

The Bible is the only authoritative source we have that has information about the nature of God.

JUDGMENT? From the Bible we learn that God brings disaster and destruction to people as a form of discipline. When God's people have drifted away from doing what God wants us to do, God's judgment has fallen on those people. At times God's judgment has resulted in inconvenience. Sometimes enslavement. And sometimes total destruction (for example, Sodom and Gomorrah).

Is this what God did on September 11th? We can't know the mind of God. But if we look at history, it does not appear likely that this is a judgment. God does not impose his judgment without telling us.

God sent two angels to the city of Sodom. They were invited into Lot's home. All the men of the city "from every quarter" came to Lot's home and showed their scorn for God by trying to "have relations with" the angels. And the city was destroyed. (Genesis 19).

The city of Nineveh was a city filled with wickedness. God sent Jonah to Nineveh. The people of Nineveh listened to God's word, repented and the city of Nineveh was spared. (The book of Jonah).

AROUSE? From the Bible, and from history, we learn that when God's people are not working to achieve God's purpose, something will happen to move people in the direction God wants them to go.

In the beginning: Jesus told the apostles to spread his message to the ends of the earth. Instead they were content to stay in Jerusalem -- until the Jews and then the Romans started persecuting Christians who were then forced to flee -- resulting in the spread of Christianity.

The Roman Empire: The barbarians (Visigoths, Ostrrogoth and Vandals) invaded the Roman Empire, brought on the first dark ages. But they learned from the people they conquered and became Christians.

Britain and Western Europe: The Vikings brought terrible devastation, slavery and death to the Celts and Western Europe. They were some of the most ruthless killers the world has known. The women they captured as slaves were taken home and those women taught the children of the Vikings -- who became Christians, spreading Christianity further.

Throughout history the cycle has been repeated. God finds ways for formerly unreachable peoples to be touched by his grace, to stop the evil they were spreading and become saved.

Maybe this is happening now. Maybe God is arousing us to action.

The end times: No one, not even Jesus knows when the end times will begin. We do know what those times will be like. We do know they will be difficult times. War, famine, disease and death will rule the world for a time. Could this be the start of the end times? Could this be to help prepare us for the end times?

Only time will reveal God's purpose - in some cases God sends a prophet to reveal his purpose. In some cases God's purpose may not be fully revealed for several hundred years or longer. Today we can only guess. But we do know that acts such as these are permitted by God and used to accomplish His purposes.