Regarding 9/11 Tragedy

Question from Overseas

9/21/2001

Please be assured of our love and appreciation for you and the church there. What is the atmosphere like there in the wake of the recent tragedies? I am asking Father to open many hearts at this time and that Jesus’ servants there will seize the opportunities before them to be witnesses.

Your co-labourer,

Hello, my brother..… Be mutually assured. : ) Most definitely. Respect and agape’ towards you and those in your life and love.

As for the atmosphere? There is a term in the financial world that would indicate a “bottom”—the time when the markets can begin to turn around. It is called “capitulation”—which seems like an odd term for financiers, but it is the “official” word they use. Generally, the economists don’t believe that any “free-fall” is over until there is sufficient despair and surrender of all of the foundations upon which the investors had previously built. Until that despair or capitulation has taken place, the downward spiral cannot stop, it will only continue to ratchet down, with “fake out break outs” (false rallies, before another fall) giving temporary hope. Sorry to bore you with all of that, but I just was trying to find a way to describe how I’d like to answer your question.

Frankly, there is no “capitulation” Spiritually-speaking, only false rallies. There is no reconsideration evident of the foundations upon which Americans, both religious and non-religious, have built their lives and priorities. While the country has been shot in the leg, it seems as if the sting is just making us mad. There is little to no talk of the sins of America—but only the sins of the infidel enemy. “THEY HAVE UNCLEAN LIPS!” .… Not, as it must be, “Woe is me. I am undone. *I* am a man of unclean lips, and live amongst a people of unclean lips.” Our eyes have not yet “seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Right now, we (this nation) seems mostly to be feeling as if they have been offended, and are mighty enough to exact revenge at will. “OPERATION INFINITE JUSTICE” (the official slogan thrown around) and the continual official remarks of our ability to dictate “peace” on our own soil…these philosophies and boasts are not encouraging that this will be a great opportunity for soft hearts and revival. Obviously, case by case, person by person, the opportunities will be there. We’ll watch and pray and act decisively on the Master’s behalf as He provides—but the nation is still very proud. We are dislocating our shoulder trying to pat ourselves on the back with how well we clean up debris and how quickly we’ll put it back the way it was. Oh, sure, that’s all okay. But the HUMILITY and turning towards Father as the supplier and protector of everything Good…it does not come through, to be honest. There is no capitulation of the disconnected and proud lifestyles that “add” the Kingdom, rather than “seek FIRST” the Holy Government of the Wonderful Counselor. We can “attend” one more memorial “service” and do some good deeds locally, before we go to exact revenge. Never, to this moment, has anything sounded remotely similar to “*I* am a man of unclean lips! God help me.” No capitulation. So, we’ll rally—for now. But I say soberly there is more the Spirit will need to do to break the stubborn, proud will of our self-life inebriation and “attend” God on a calendar schedule—while we attend primarily to our own lifestyles. For now, our self-life, nationally, is barely dented. For now. Perhaps it’s yet coming, and the seeds are in place. Certainly, for myself, I feel more sober and wounded, than heroically ready for anything further. I’m not ASKING for more hurt, but just disappointed and aware that our nation could be utterly miserable, and still not perceive any of this from the perspective of need for repentance.

“Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man …called to the ‘mountains’ and the ‘rocks’: ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb’… Still they did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood-idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.”

So, as I said, we watch and pray, with love and patience and hope. I know, regardless, the Best is yet ahead. Do pray for us. There are a lot of sharp and graced people that will yet speak with His Voice in the midst of this, if they will refuse to bury themselves and saturate themselves with CNN and NBC News, but rather bury themselves in Him, as sons of Issachar.

Thank you for asking.

The Life in you is honored.