September 10th, 2024
A TIME OF REMEMBRANCE AND REFLECTION
Where Is the Healing?
Based on 2 Chronicles 7:14
Where were you on the morning of September 11, 2001? I’ll bet you remember exactly where you were, what you were doing and what you were thinking 23 years ago today.
It was one of the most traumatic days in the history of the United States. At 6:46 Mountain Daylight Time that Tuesday morning reports began on the national news that some kind of a plain had struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. It was in flames. We did not know until later that the plane was actually a Boeing 767 with 92 passengers. We were concerned about such an accident. There was some wonder about a possible terrorist attack, but it was only speculation.
As people were evacuating the North tower and flames shot out from the 93rd through 99th floors of the 110 floor, 1,362 foot sky scraper, all doubt was removed at 7:03. People, and even video, looked on as another Boeing 767 with 65 people on board took out floors 75-85 of the South Tower. We immediately knew the United States of America was under a vicious attack.
6 minutes after President Bush had announced from Florida to the country we were under terrorist attack, 7:37, a Boeing 757 with 59 passengers aboard slammed into the western side of the Pentagon in Washington DC.
At 7:59 the South Tower dramatically collapsed, killing hundreds inside and down below, including many heroic first responders. 29 minutes later, at 8:29 the first tower struck, collapsed as well, with the same devastating results.
There were 4 passenger jets hijacked that day by 19 Islamic radical terrorists, all members of Osama Bin Laden’s Al Qaida organization. The 4th plane was United Airlines flight 93, a 757 carrying 40 passengers and crew and 4 terrorists was in route from Newark to San Francisco.
Having been taken over by terrorists a few of the passengers were attempting to make contact with family on their cell phones. In the process they learned the fate of the other three passenger jets. Having learned this, they knew they could not allow their plane to be used for the next target. They put their heads together and mounted a bold and brave attack on their captors. While attempting to take the jet back the hijackers guided it into the ground where everyone on board was killed. No one on the ground was killed there. These heroes and their hijackers died at about 8:07 in a field in Somerset County of Pennsylvania. It was later determined that the goal of these hijackers was the Capital Building in Washington DC.
That day, September 11, 2001, 2,996 people, including terrorists, lost their lives. 2,605 Americans died, 372 foreign guests from 61 countries were murdered by 19 terrorists.
We were all left reeling in pain and bewilderment. Our economy was attacked in the World Trade Center attacks and the Brain Center of our military power had been assaulted at the Pentagon. The seat of our government likely would have been assaulted had it not been for the resistance of the brave passengers on flight 93.
We all felt violated as a nation. A sense of vulnerability stuck in the pit of our stomachs. One sentence came to our minds and was repeated over and over again, “Nothing will ever be the same again.”
America had been seriously wounded. What was needed was a healing that would go beyond the surface of life. What was needed was a healing of the soul of America.
Amazingly, much of our nation turned toward God. Many went back to church. They began to pray like never before. For a moment, we stopped the divisive behavior that comes from political bias. Many of us were encouraged by this spiritual renewal. However, such renewal did not last long. Within a year’s time everything seemed to go back the way things had been before 9/11. As church attendance fell off, spiritual activity such as prayer and Bible study went away. Divisive political hostilities grew to beyond pre-9/11 levels. Since those days racial tensions have grown higher than they have been in decades. Violence has grown and the increase of immorality has gone through the roof.
Why has the healing of the national spirit that began shortly after 9/11 seemed to stall out?
Perhaps the problem is that Spiritual renewal that seemed to begin was only skin deep. Perhaps God was paid lip service without change of heart…
Let’s go back to the Bible and see what God said it would take to heal a nation.
From the beginning of God’s nation, Israel, God warned his people that if they failed to follow his precepts, if they turned away from him to follow false gods and if they pushed him away, he would remove his protection and even turn his anger against them. This was demonstrated throughout the biblical history of that nation.
In this passage King Solomon, following the directives of the Lord, had built the primary center of worship for the nation of Israel in Jerusalem, the Holy Temple. He was in the process of dedicating the Temple to God. In the 6th chapter of 2 Chronicles Solomon lifted up a prayer of dedication. At the close of that prayer, chapter 7 says that the Lord sent fire from heaven to burn up the offering that had been laid on the altar. This was God’s demonstration of acceptance of Solomon’s prayer and offerings. Then, in the 12th verse the LORD appeared to the King and spoke words that reflected the words Solomon had lifted to the Lord in his prayer.
The focal point of the LORD’S message came in verse 14.
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 I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
The Big “if” of this verse tells us what God expects of his people when disaster strikes. Please notice that the comments are directed toward one group of people; God’s people; the ones who carry his name.
His call is not for “all of those immoral, anti God people out there.” It is for people who claim to follow him.” So, if you are a Christ follower, don’t sit there and say, “You tell’em, Lord!” It is up to you and me to internalize God’s words. He’s not talking to someone else. He’s talking to us.
The call of God is for his people to humble themselves so they can pray. How can we pray without humility? In Luke 18, Jesus told his disciples about two men who went to the temple to pray, one a very religious man, a Pharisee, and the other a nonreligious man who was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee prayed a prayer all about himself and his superiority to others, including the tax collector. The tax collector couldn’t even look up to heaven. He beat on his chest and cried out, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.” Jesus told his disciples that the humble man was the one who went down from the Temple justified.
You can’t truly talk to God until you honestly compare your own sinfulness to God’s perfection; your weakness to his power.
If we pray. We must come before God in humility and share our deepest thoughts, seeking his face. We must want to come into his presence more than anything. To seek his face requires a passion to be with him. When you have been with God you are never the same again.
If we turn from our wicked ways. That’s right. Even God’s people have wickedness to turn from. In humility we must come into God’s presence and passionately pour our hearts out to God in repentance, seeking personal change.
The big “Then” God promises that if his people will do these things he promises a response.
He will hear from heaven. God always hears an honest humble prayer. Then he promises to forgive our sins. Until he forgives the sins of his people he will not do anything for them or their country.
With the forgiveness God promises healing. Have you ever had a sore that wouldn’t go away? America has wounds that need healing. America has many people who claim to be God’s people. If our nation is to be fully healed, revival must come. Revival is restoration of souls to a right relationship with God. Today, you and I can begin the healing process. It’s a spiritual need. God has a spiritual provision of healing for our country.
Will you help to heal our nation?
Tonight we begin our fall session of Wednesday Night Special. There will be food, fellowship and spiritual food from the Word of God. Plan to take part in this great midweek spiritual shot in the arm.
This Sunday, I will share with you a message titled, The Deeper Life, based on Proverbs 2:1-9. We will look at how God’s wisdom can take us from a “go along to get along” life and dive into a powerful life transforming, world impacting deeper life in Christ. Come and share in that great blessing.
Striving for healing with you,
Jon
Where Is the Healing?
Based on 2 Chronicles 7:14
Where were you on the morning of September 11, 2001? I’ll bet you remember exactly where you were, what you were doing and what you were thinking 23 years ago today.
It was one of the most traumatic days in the history of the United States. At 6:46 Mountain Daylight Time that Tuesday morning reports began on the national news that some kind of a plain had struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. It was in flames. We did not know until later that the plane was actually a Boeing 767 with 92 passengers. We were concerned about such an accident. There was some wonder about a possible terrorist attack, but it was only speculation.
As people were evacuating the North tower and flames shot out from the 93rd through 99th floors of the 110 floor, 1,362 foot sky scraper, all doubt was removed at 7:03. People, and even video, looked on as another Boeing 767 with 65 people on board took out floors 75-85 of the South Tower. We immediately knew the United States of America was under a vicious attack.
6 minutes after President Bush had announced from Florida to the country we were under terrorist attack, 7:37, a Boeing 757 with 59 passengers aboard slammed into the western side of the Pentagon in Washington DC.
At 7:59 the South Tower dramatically collapsed, killing hundreds inside and down below, including many heroic first responders. 29 minutes later, at 8:29 the first tower struck, collapsed as well, with the same devastating results.
There were 4 passenger jets hijacked that day by 19 Islamic radical terrorists, all members of Osama Bin Laden’s Al Qaida organization. The 4th plane was United Airlines flight 93, a 757 carrying 40 passengers and crew and 4 terrorists was in route from Newark to San Francisco.
Having been taken over by terrorists a few of the passengers were attempting to make contact with family on their cell phones. In the process they learned the fate of the other three passenger jets. Having learned this, they knew they could not allow their plane to be used for the next target. They put their heads together and mounted a bold and brave attack on their captors. While attempting to take the jet back the hijackers guided it into the ground where everyone on board was killed. No one on the ground was killed there. These heroes and their hijackers died at about 8:07 in a field in Somerset County of Pennsylvania. It was later determined that the goal of these hijackers was the Capital Building in Washington DC.
That day, September 11, 2001, 2,996 people, including terrorists, lost their lives. 2,605 Americans died, 372 foreign guests from 61 countries were murdered by 19 terrorists.
We were all left reeling in pain and bewilderment. Our economy was attacked in the World Trade Center attacks and the Brain Center of our military power had been assaulted at the Pentagon. The seat of our government likely would have been assaulted had it not been for the resistance of the brave passengers on flight 93.
We all felt violated as a nation. A sense of vulnerability stuck in the pit of our stomachs. One sentence came to our minds and was repeated over and over again, “Nothing will ever be the same again.”
America had been seriously wounded. What was needed was a healing that would go beyond the surface of life. What was needed was a healing of the soul of America.
Amazingly, much of our nation turned toward God. Many went back to church. They began to pray like never before. For a moment, we stopped the divisive behavior that comes from political bias. Many of us were encouraged by this spiritual renewal. However, such renewal did not last long. Within a year’s time everything seemed to go back the way things had been before 9/11. As church attendance fell off, spiritual activity such as prayer and Bible study went away. Divisive political hostilities grew to beyond pre-9/11 levels. Since those days racial tensions have grown higher than they have been in decades. Violence has grown and the increase of immorality has gone through the roof.
Why has the healing of the national spirit that began shortly after 9/11 seemed to stall out?
Perhaps the problem is that Spiritual renewal that seemed to begin was only skin deep. Perhaps God was paid lip service without change of heart…
Let’s go back to the Bible and see what God said it would take to heal a nation.
From the beginning of God’s nation, Israel, God warned his people that if they failed to follow his precepts, if they turned away from him to follow false gods and if they pushed him away, he would remove his protection and even turn his anger against them. This was demonstrated throughout the biblical history of that nation.
In this passage King Solomon, following the directives of the Lord, had built the primary center of worship for the nation of Israel in Jerusalem, the Holy Temple. He was in the process of dedicating the Temple to God. In the 6th chapter of 2 Chronicles Solomon lifted up a prayer of dedication. At the close of that prayer, chapter 7 says that the Lord sent fire from heaven to burn up the offering that had been laid on the altar. This was God’s demonstration of acceptance of Solomon’s prayer and offerings. Then, in the 12th verse the LORD appeared to the King and spoke words that reflected the words Solomon had lifted to the Lord in his prayer.
The focal point of the LORD’S message came in verse 14.
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 I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
The Big “if” of this verse tells us what God expects of his people when disaster strikes. Please notice that the comments are directed toward one group of people; God’s people; the ones who carry his name.
His call is not for “all of those immoral, anti God people out there.” It is for people who claim to follow him.” So, if you are a Christ follower, don’t sit there and say, “You tell’em, Lord!” It is up to you and me to internalize God’s words. He’s not talking to someone else. He’s talking to us.
The call of God is for his people to humble themselves so they can pray. How can we pray without humility? In Luke 18, Jesus told his disciples about two men who went to the temple to pray, one a very religious man, a Pharisee, and the other a nonreligious man who was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee prayed a prayer all about himself and his superiority to others, including the tax collector. The tax collector couldn’t even look up to heaven. He beat on his chest and cried out, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.” Jesus told his disciples that the humble man was the one who went down from the Temple justified.
You can’t truly talk to God until you honestly compare your own sinfulness to God’s perfection; your weakness to his power.
If we pray. We must come before God in humility and share our deepest thoughts, seeking his face. We must want to come into his presence more than anything. To seek his face requires a passion to be with him. When you have been with God you are never the same again.
If we turn from our wicked ways. That’s right. Even God’s people have wickedness to turn from. In humility we must come into God’s presence and passionately pour our hearts out to God in repentance, seeking personal change.
The big “Then” God promises that if his people will do these things he promises a response.
He will hear from heaven. God always hears an honest humble prayer. Then he promises to forgive our sins. Until he forgives the sins of his people he will not do anything for them or their country.
With the forgiveness God promises healing. Have you ever had a sore that wouldn’t go away? America has wounds that need healing. America has many people who claim to be God’s people. If our nation is to be fully healed, revival must come. Revival is restoration of souls to a right relationship with God. Today, you and I can begin the healing process. It’s a spiritual need. God has a spiritual provision of healing for our country.
Will you help to heal our nation?
Tonight we begin our fall session of Wednesday Night Special. There will be food, fellowship and spiritual food from the Word of God. Plan to take part in this great midweek spiritual shot in the arm.
This Sunday, I will share with you a message titled, The Deeper Life, based on Proverbs 2:1-9. We will look at how God’s wisdom can take us from a “go along to get along” life and dive into a powerful life transforming, world impacting deeper life in Christ. Come and share in that great blessing.
Striving for healing with you,
Jon
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