Luke 13:1-5
(1) There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
(2) And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
(3) I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
(4) Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
(5) I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
The
“ye” in v.3 and v.5 is unbelieving Israel. In His earthly ministry, Christ was a
minister to the circumcision (Rom. 15:8) and was sent to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel (Matt. 15:24). He and His disciples were preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Their
message was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). At this point in
His ministry, it was clear that the leaders were rejecting Him
(Lk. 12:49-57). Because Israel did not repent as a nation, Jerusalem was destroyed
and that generation did perish (Lk. 13:6-10, 34-35).
People have a tendency to think that human tragedies are the result of divine judgment. That's what the people were thinking in regard to the two incidents referred to in this passage. They thought that those who died in those incidents must have been great sinners, but Christ corrected them and said that they were not anymore worthy of death than they all were (Rom. 5:12).
Today marks the 16th
anniversary of a horrific terrorist attack on America that killed nearly 3,000
people and injured about 6,000 others. I remember where I was, and what I was
thinking as it unfolded. At that time I didn't
know much about right division (2 Tim. 2:15) even though I had graduated from bible
college. I had heard much preaching on prophecy and the signs of the times, but
nothing about the mystery. I was taught to keep up with current events and the Middle
East. I remember trying to convince my co-workers that the tribulation period was
about to begin. Well, here we are 16 years later!
One of the mottos associated with
9/11 is “Never Forget!” Another one is “Remember.” Yet, just seven years later our
country elected Barack Hussain Obama as president! He is probably a muslim, but
if not he still favors Islam over Bible Christianity. I think there are some important
lessons we should remember and never forget about 9/11. I am not going to share
all of my thoughts on 9/11, but just a few main points.
·
We live
in a dangerous world, another major attack could happen at any time
9/11 proved that America is not exempt
from such things happening on our own soil. There are many ways that terrorists
could wreak havoc in our country today. The fact that a major attack hasn't
happened here in 16 years does not mean it can't or won’t happen again. There
have been a number of attacks, just not on the same scale as 9/11. The
terrorists are patient. Who knows how many sleeper cells are in our country
right now! I am not saying that we should worry about it every day, but we
should be aware. The world has been a violent and dangerous place since the
fall of man, but things are getting worse as it heads toward the tribulation. Thank God, the Body of Christ will be raptured to heaven BEFORE the 70th
week of Daniel begins.
I remember hearing well-known
preachers like Jerry Falwell say that 911 was the judgment of God on America. Many
preachers think they are prophets and that America is Israel. We who rightly
divide the word of truth understand that we are living in the dispensation of
the grace of God and that God is not at war with the world (2 Cor. 5:18-6:2). America
is destroying herself. America is not God’s chosen nation. He did not make a covenant
with us. Promises like 2 Chron. 7:14 were not given to America!
When people die lost, they face
the wrath of God (Eph. 5:5-6). But the prophesied "wrath to come" will not come until after this present age of
grace ends with the rapture (Rev. 6:17).
·
Islam is
a real threat that must be taken seriously
Islam is a false religion that
has been around since the seventh century. It was founded by a lunatic
named Muhammed. He was the seed of Ishmael, not Isaac (Gen. 16:12). He had eleven official
wives (not counting captive women who were abused), including a girl who was 9
years old when he married her at the age of 54. He was a bloodthirsty warmonger
and a perverted whoremonger. He used his religion as a front to satisfy his
lusts for power and pleasure. Satan inspired him to write the Koran. Islam is a
religion of war, not of peace as our politically correct politicians claim
(Bush said it was just 6 days after 9/11). To say that Islam is a religion of peace is
to be willingly ignorant of history, current events, and the plain teachings of
the Koran. Failure to identify and take an enemy seriously gives them a great
advantage. Back in 2010 there was an
estimated 1.6 BILLION Muslims in the world. If just 10% of them took the Koran
seriously, that would mean there are 160 million Muslims in the world that
believe in jihad!
·
America will
not turn to the God of the Bible
Oh yes, the song “God Bless
America” became popular again for awhile after 9/11 and church attendance
increased for a month or two, but our leaders and most of our citizens did not really
turn to the God of the Bible.
I watched Billy Graham's message at the national prayer service that
was held a few days after 9/11, and he was very careful not to offend the other
religions (including Islam) represented in that service. He did not give the
gospel. He just talked about how God loves everybody. He said America needed a
spiritual renewal, but he did not boldly declare the truth of God’s word.
At this point, America isn’t
going to return to what she was in her beginning. It is not that God cannot
save America, but that America does not want to be saved. We live in a nation
where the majority of our leaders and citizens have willfully rejected the word
of God. They call good evil and evil good. We should not expect our nation, or
any other nation for that matter, to turn to God and become a Christian nation.
God is not dealing with nations in this present age. As the gospel goes forth
some believe, but most do not. Those that trust Christ become members of the
spiritual Body of Christ and have a heavenly hope. We are not called to change the
world, but to shine as lights in the midst of it (Phil. 2:12-16). God is saving sinners out of the world (Gal. 1:4), but this present evil world is headed for destruction.
·
It
requires sacrifice to save others
Think of all the firefighters,
first responders, and citizens (such as on board UA flight 93 that overcame the
terrorists and caused the plane to crash in PA) that sacrificed in order to
save the lives others. By the way, we should respect and
appreciate the law enforcement in this country. Are they all perfect? No, but they
do far more good than evil. Why doesn't the "Black Lives Matter" crowd protest the drug dealers
and gangsters in the hood (because blacks kill more blacks than anybody)? I
wonder how many blacks have been saved by the police. Many on 9/11 sacrificed for the
good of their fellow countrymen. How much greater was the sacrifice of Christ
for His enemies (Rom. 5:6-10)! Christians should be willing to sacrifice for the cause of
Christ. We must give ourselves, our time, and our resources to the furtherance
of the gospel and the work of the ministry.
·
We never
know what a day may bring forth
Tragedies can strike suddenly and
unexpectedly (Prov. 27:1). 9/11 is a great illustration of that truth. None of
the people who died on 9/11 had any idea that was going to take place. We must
be prepared for eternity, and take advantage of each day we have to serve the
Lord (Eph. 5:15-17).
One thing men learn from history is that men don't
learn from history. May God help us to take these important lessons to heart.
