By By The Rev. Walter L. Demers/Special to The Star
Sept. 22, 2001
Catastrophe!!!
Why did God allow it?
Does he want anything from us?
If so … what … ?
God answers these questions clearly in his word and herein those answers are provided …
The factual and authoritative presentation of this article is based on the premise that: The Bible is the true inspired word of the creator and is accurate and unchanging. (John 1: 1; 14 I Peter 1:20,21; Matthew 24:35; Hebrews 13:8; and John 14:6)
Also, the word of God is not history it is living and is always teaching us now, in real time. (Hebrews 4:12, Romans 15:4 and 2 Timothy 3:16, 17)
Thus, everything in the Bible is to teach us something. Remember, Jesus did not throw out the Old Testament; he fulfilled it. (Matthew 5:17, 18 and John 5: 46, 47)
In Amos 3:6-8, God introduces the fact that if a calamity (New American Standard Bible) or evil (King James Version) comes upon a city, he God has done it. This characteristic of God is not well understood or even accepted by Bible-believing churches today (Isaiah 56:10, 11; Jeremiah 23, Hosea 4:6), even though the Bible is explicit on the point.
Lamentations 3:38 is even clear on the point that God is the source of good and evil, ill or woe. The King James Version's word order and usage is not so clear here, but Isaiah 45:7 is lucid. God creates evil (KJV) or calamity (NASB).
Knowing that "God cannot lie," let's nail the point with Job 42:11. God brought the evil on Job. Yes, the word is clear. God brings upon us evil, calamity, catastrophe.
This may cause some to gasp and ask, "How can this be? I thought the devil did all this." Yes, the devil is out to do evil, but he is not above God or beyond God's sovereignty. You see, the devil is like a pit bull, but God holds the leash. Read the first few chapters of Job, you'll see. (Also read I Samuel 2: 6,7, Deuteronomy 32:39 and Job 5:18
Please, God is the being who describes himself in his word; not what you or I want or what men say contrary to his word. Herein is presented only what the Bible clearly states. This is not intended to be a building-filling sermon (Ezekiel 34:1-3, 2 Timothy 4:1-4 and Matthew 15:7-9)
Answer to Question 1. God not only allowed it, God did it.
That is a certain if the word is our basis. But you ask, "I thought men from the Middle East flew those planes?" True. But God has throughout history used Nebuchadnezzar, Persia, Assyria (i.e. the sons of Ishmael) to punish his people (the sons of Isaac and Israel) when they were unfaithful. And scripturally, we, the church today, are the sons of Israel, the sons of the promise like Isaac (See Romans 9:3-8, Galatians 4:22-31 and Galatians 3:29)
From the discussion, new questions come up: Why America? Why should God punish us? For this answer, lets begin at Ezekiel 14:13. Here, we see God punishes whole countries for sin. And in Jeremiah 5:20-31, God gets right to the point: "On a nation such as this shall I not avenge myself?" As you read the scriptures, you will see that God is not as tolerant of sin as we were made to believe. (Read John 3:36, Hebrews 10:26-31 and Ephesians 5:6)
God is angry. We, as a nation, are not obeying his commands (Psalm 119: 1-4, Matthew 28: 19-20, I Peter 1: 13-16, I John 5:18, II Corinthians 7:1, James 2:10, Matthew 5:48, I John 3: 3-10, Jeremiah 4: 21, 22, Jeremiah 5: 4-13, Romans 9: 6-10, Jeremiah 5: 14-24, Isaiah 56: 10,11 and Jeremiah 6: 11-30.
Please, let us realize brothers and sisters, God is angry at us. We have put money, possessions, worldly wisdom and security ahead of God and family. We have legislated abominations into law (Deuteronomy 5:17, Leviticus 18:22, I Corinthians 6: 9-10, Romans 1:18-32 and Isaiah 10:1)
We are not content with food and covering. (Luke 6:24 and I Timothy 6:8)
We don't trust God to provide for us, if we truly obey his word (Luke 12: 22-34)
Women want careers (Titus 2:3-5, I Timothy 2: 11-15)
Men refuse to work with their hands (I Thessalonians 4:11, Ephesians 4:28)
In our times of need, we seed the god's of this world and not our creator.
Doctors 2 Chronicles 16:12, Exodus 15:26
Lawyers Isaiah 9:6, I Corinthians 6:1-7
Credit Romans 13:8
Insurance God causes calamity. Should we seek money to avoid his actions?
Immodesty, sex, legal and illegal drugs (God calls use of drugs sorcery, look it up in the Greek or Hebrew), greed, avarice, waste and pollution Isaiah 24: 5,6
And this is just scratching the surface.
You see, the problem is you and I don't think all these things are wrong. Sin. But God does (Isaiah 5:20, 21). We, as a nation, are so far off course, so brainwashed by incomplete and erroneous doctrine that we cannot accept the word of God as given by the creator.
America, for us repentance requires a complete re-examination of our whole culture and lifestyle in light of God's word. We are world class hypocrites and not even cognizant of our sins. (Ephesians 5:17-19, Hosea 4:6-10, Leviticus 26:23, Jeremiah 10:23, Romans 12: 1-2. That's why the wake up call, America.
From the exploration and founding of our country, self-ambition drove the desire for money and trade fulfilled by force of arms. Throughout our history, our guns and trade have led us into sin and away from God. That's why the targets for the sounding of alarm were the World Trade Center and The Pentagon. Our guns and our mammon. Yes, "On a nation such as this …"
As to questions 2 and 3: Yes, he (God) does want something from us that we can do. And it doesn't require everybody. (Read Matthew 7:13-28) Most people at this point will ridicule the substance and messenger of this article. But, it is only the few of the called who are willing, who need to respond to stem God's wrath.
The hope of this nation lies with those of God's people who will recognize and heed the warning and realize that we, God's people, have lost our way and are willing to study, assemble together with others of like mind and action and begin to treat Jesus as our king, one who we will obey fully. (Luke 9:23-24)
It's time to pledge allegiance to the lamb. (Joshua 24:15)
The Rev. Walter L. Demers is a pastor and street preacher for Christ's Church in Action in Meridian.