TERROR
From WithoutPeace
from within
THERE ARE DATES that have branded
themselves in the collective memory of
Americans. These dates are forever tied to
the events that took place: Pearl Harbor, the
Kennedy assassination, the Oklahoma bombing,
and of course the events of Tuesday, September
11, 2001, the day terrorists struck the United
States mainland.The details surrounding Terror
Tuesday have been well
documented. Four heavily
fueled jetliners were hijacked
and flown into both towers of
the World Trade Center, the
Pentagon, and a field 80 miles
outside of Pittsburgh.Of course, it didn't take long to assess that these
were the hideous works of terrorists. Terrorism
had kicked in American's front door and forced
its way in. One New Yorker, looking in the
direction where the Twin Towers once stood,
lamented: "America lost its two front teeth."Their Weapon of Choice . . .
The economic ramifications of that fateful day
were enormous, destined to be felt for months,
perhaps years to come.An even greater tragedy was the loss of loved ones
and friends, an immeasurable cost. And yet the
real target of the terrorists were not the buildings,
the economy, or even the people. The real target
was one's peace of mind.When one talks about weapons of destruction, we
Americans immediately think of guns and bombs.
Our thoughts go to the military might that comes
from having jet fighters, bombers, destroyers and
aircraft carriers. However, the weapon of choice
for terrorists is described by their very name.Their primary weapon is terror. Terror is a
powerful weapon, perhaps the
most powerful of all. Terror can
immobilize an entire country, as
evident by what took place right
after the attack.God's counter weapon
Often, during and after a
terrorist attack, God is called upon or questioned.
We often view God as having the obligation of
sparing us from all terrifying events.So, naturally, when such an event takes place, we
question God Himself. We question His ability,
His resolve, even His existence.
And yet, it is readily unknown to many that God
never promised to prevent terrible acts from taking
place. In fact, God isn't really obligated to stop
them from happening.God's counter weapon to terrorism is not
necessarily its prevention. His counter weapon
deals with the terror itself. What you are about to
learn is taken from God's Word, the Bible. You
will learn why God is referred to as,The God of Peace . . .
God's Counter
weapon of choice
eliminates the
terror itself
GOD'S counter weapon against terrorism
is peace of mind. Right before His
ascension into heaven, Jesus Christ
assured His own by saying:
"Peace I leave with you, my
peace I give unto you:
not as the world giveth, give I
unto you. Let not your heart be
troubled, neither let it
be afraid." John 14:27Notice, the peace Jesus offers is
"not as the world giveth[.]" The
world can't give peace. The world
has been trying to obtain a state of
peace since day one.
The world will never obtain
peace for one simple reason: It
strives to achieve peace by
creating peaceful circumstances.
But circumstances are ultimately
unpredictable and subject to
change. The peace Christ offers
comes from within. His peace,
true peace, is not dependent on
circumstances; it is always present
in spite of circumstances.
IF God prevented all tragedies
from happening, we wouldn't
seek Him on a personal level. A
case in point: According to the US
government, several terrorists
attacks had been averted, prior to
the attack on the Twin Towers.
Just to name two: several US
airliners were going to be bombed
while over the Atlantic, and a New
Year's Millennium celebration in
Seattle was the target of a
terrorist attack.When both potential tragedies
were averted, no nation-wide
prayer was enacted. Church
attendance did not go up. Interest
in seeking God for comfort and
guidance did not increase one
iota. It is only when a tragedy
takes place, that we allow God to
enter our thoughts.
It is a proven fact that a tragedy
forces many to seek God for help.
One often hears people claiming
they prayed to God during or
immediately after a natural
disaster.justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" Romans
5:1.
Peace through guidance
We can't run our lives with the
complete certainty that every
decision we make is the right one.
We don't have the foresight Christ
has; we don't possess His wisdom.
But when we accept Christ, He
becomes the Lord of our lives.
"And as many as walk according
to this rule, peace be on
them..." Gal. 6:16.Peace of mind comes from knowing
that the One who knows it all, and is
capable of doing all, is in the
driver's seat; the author of our lives.
"For God is not the author of
confusion, but of peace," 1
Cor. 14:33.
The Bible says that Jesus Christ
came, "To give light to them that
sit in darkness and in the shadow
of death, to guide our feet
into the way of peace."
Luke 1:79
Peace with God
True peace is only possible by first being at peace
with God our creator. And this is where the death
of Jesus Christ comes in. By dying on the cross for
our sins, the Bible says of Jesus Christ: "But he
was wounded for our transgressions, he was
bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was
upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
Isaiah 53:5
Christ died on the cross in our place, took our
punishment, and settled our sin-debt with God,
once and for all. When we repent and accept
what Christ did on our behalf, we are made
righteous before God. Our guilt before God
vanishes. The Bible says: "Therefore beingPeace, plain and simple
Notice what else the Bible says: "Be careful for
nothing; but in every thing by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known unto God. And the
peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6-7There is a lot said in this passage, beginning with
the word "careful". To "Be careful for nothing"
means don't be full of care. Don't fret. Don't
worry. Rather than fret, the born again Christian is
to pray to God for everything. Christians are to
keep in contact with God at all times, no matter
how trivial the need. In fact, the passage further
mentions giving thanks to God for everything
before AND after a tragedy.
There is a lot more we can say about daily
prayer and thanksgiving, but let's move on. The
passage goes on to say: "... And the peace of
God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6-7We often demand understanding. We want to
know the whys behind events such as those of
Terror Tuesday. Our means to obtain peace, man-
made peace, often depends on us understanding
and accepting the "whys."
However, often the whys are not self-evident.
Many of us still don't fully understand why such
a horrible terrorist attack was launched against us.
Thus, total peace of mind eludes us. But "the
peace of God, which passeth all
understanding," does not depend on whether we
fully understand the "whys."God is the God of peace
This God-given peace of mind, His counter
weapon to terror and fear, is something God
provides from the inside. It is a peace
experienced in our souls, independent of
whatever our five senses tell us. It is a peace that
comes from within, independent of whatever is
happening from without. Finally, the passage ends
by stating that one's heart and mind are kept in a
state of peace, "through Christ Jesus."Nothing takes God by surprise. There are no
uncertainties with God. Therefore His Spirit is
void of fear. And it is this same Spirit who lives
inside the born-again Christian, and whose fruit is
felt: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, Meekness, temperance: against such
there is no law." (Gal. 5:22-23) The Spirit of
God, known as the Holy Ghost, gives us comfort
in times of tragedy. Jesus promises to those who
are saved, born again: "But the
Comforter, which is the Holy
Ghost, whom the Father will send in my
name, he shall teach you all things, and bring
all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I
have said unto you." John 14:26Counter weapon to terror
My friend, as we move forward from the tragic
events of September 11, no doubt the world will
try its best to prevent such tragedies from
happening again by increasing security, more
counter intelligence, and better counter weapons.
But there will never be enough preventative
measures to bring about complete peace of mind.Only God can offer peace from within; a peace
that is independent of circumstances and
understanding. However, to obtain God's peace,
we must admit that it is our sinful nature that
deprives us of that peace. The Bible says: "As it
is written, There is none righteous,
no, not one: .... They are all gone out of the
way, they are together become unprofitable;
there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
... Destruction and misery are in their ways:
And the way of peace have they
not known: ... For all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
Romans 3:10-17, 23.We have all sinned against our Creator. We have
tried to run our own lives independent of Him.
Worse yet, we do it by nature; WE ARE
SINNERS. Peace begins with getting right with
God, by first admitting we are hell-deserving
sinners, in need of salvation, and then allowing
God to save us and become the Lord of our lives.
WE MUST REPENT and put our trust in what
Christ did on the cross for us. The Bible describes
Jesus Christ as "having made peace
through the blood of his cross,"
Col. 1:20.To learn more, please read the back [below] . . . IF you were to die today, are you 100% SURE
you would go to Heaven? The Bible says
YOU CAN BE SURE (1 John 5:13).BUT FIRST, you must realize that what keeps you
from going to Heaven are your sins, because:
"...your iniquities [sins] have separated
between you and your God," Isaiah 59:2.
In fact, in God's eyes YOU ARE A SINNER: "For
all have sinned, and come short
of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23.SECONDLY, you must realize that there is
NOTHING you can do to save yourself and earn
Heaven: "For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God: Not of works, lest any
man should boast." (Eph. 2:8-9) Baptism, good
deeds, church membership, self-righteousness are
all examples of good works that cannot save you,
because: "Not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but
according to his mercy he [Christ] saved
us," Titus 3:5.THE ONLY WAY you can get saved is through
Jesus Christ. He said: "I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man cometh unto
the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) THAT'S
WHY: "...while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us." Romans 5:8-9THEREFORE: You must REPENT (change your
mind); admit that you are a Hell deserving sinner
and can't save yourself. And call upon Christ, and
Him alone, to save you. "if thou shalt confess
with thy mouth the Lord Jesus [REPENT], and
shalt believe in thine heart [TRUST] that God
hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved." Romans 10:9SEND THE LIGHT
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