The Lessons We Didn’t Learn From 9/11. Is America Mentioned in the Bible? Upate.

The Lessons We Didn’t Learn From 9/11

“Today a brand-new World Trade Center stands in the spot where wreckage smoldered 19 years ago. We’ve rebuilt, but what have we learned?

I was 11.

Mr. Dean and Mr. Blackwell had a clunky old CRT television mounted to the wall in the corner of their shared classroom. It was silver, I think, and had a VHS player.

We were in the middle of a lesson when a teacher rushed in and turned on the TV. There was smoke rolling out of a building I’d never seen before. People were panicked. They were saying someone had flown a plane into a building.

It was … surreal. I didn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it. How could I? I lived in America. America. That sort of thing didn’t happen here. It happened in other countries, or in movies, or … somewhere that wasn’t here.

Memorializing 9/11 while forgetting the lesson

For the United States, 9/11 was the day the world stopped turning—the day we were reminded that, yes, that sort of thing can happen here. That we are vulnerable. That we can bleed.

Four years ago, I visited the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum with my wife and parents. One of the larger exhibits focused on the events and aftermath of 9/11. There, in a circular room, stood a warped and twisted support beam salvaged from the wreckage of one of the towers. Screens set into the wall were playing time-stamped news footage on a continuous loop—the same footage I had watched in my sixth-grade classroom 19 years ago.

There’s a new World Trade Center now. It’s taller, more impressive and more imposing than before. One of the new support beams bears an inscription from President Obama: “We remember, we rebuild, we come back stronger!” But that gnarled beam in the presidential library was a sobering reminder:

It happened.

We can rebuild, but we can’t undo. We can come back stronger, but not invincible. We can remember what happened, but still forget the lesson.

Could something like 9/11 happen again?

For an extremely brief window of time, the collapse of the World Trade Center towers prompted many Americans to reexamine their lives and ask some probing questions. But it didn’t last. After 9/11, Gallup reported that church attendance in the U.S. jumped from 41 percent to 47 percent. Less than two years later, that percentage was down to 38 percent. Last year it hovered around 34 percent, with 79 percent of Americans agreeing that religion is losing its influence on American life.

For an extremely brief window of time, the collapse of the World Trade Center towers prompted many Americans to reexamine their lives and ask some probing questions. But it didn’t last. The effect faded with the shock, and nothing since then has left enough of an impact to replicate it. We’ve had mass shootings, we’ve had political and civil unrest, we’ve faced multiple moral issues contentious enough to divide the nation into staunch, unyielding camps—but through it all, our nation’s churches have only become emptier and emptier.’    Continue Reading at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/blog/15-years-later-looking-back-on-9-11/?

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Is America Mentioned in the Bible?

“I just got off the phone with a friend from Portland, Oregon. He was describing to me the extent of the wildfires that are raging out of control in that state. You may have seen the pictures of reddish orange skies from the many fires, smoke and ash. Last night I heard one commentator call the scenes “apocalyptic.” That’s biblical language!

On top of the riots and political unrest in the country we still battle such natural disasters. It raises the question, “What is God saying to the nation?” Bible prophecy shows God does send waves of warning upon a nation before judgment falls upon it. Is that what we are seeing from God? Are we seeing warnings of a coming time of judgment?

Many students of the Bible have asked, “Is America mentioned in the Bible?” The answer is no, not directly by name. But when you look at the warnings to turn and obey God or face a time of trial and judgment, you realize the message of the Bible applies to all nations, but especially to America because it has been blessed by God. America has been blessed with the physical promises God made to Abraham. America has been great because God made America great.

This adds deeper meaning to all history for all people. It gives not only understanding but hope. It draws you deeper to the Word of Truth that God gave, "That God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life." God has not only fulfilled the spiritual promise through Christ but also the physical part of the promises as well. The two are part of the true gospel of God. We may say that we are a nation trusting in God but the reality is that we are far from a nation truly under God living by God's teachings.

What should you do? 

You should do what Scripture says to do. You should save yourselves from this crooked generation (Acts 2:40). It may be too late for America but it's not too late for you. You can do something. You can turn to God. Pray to him, ask Him questions, thank Him for the blessings in your life and tell him about the things that worry you.

There's a passage from the 18th chapter of the book of Ezekiel where the prophet records the words of God to the nation of Israel. It has bearing upon our time and our people today. In verse 26 it says, "When the righteous man turns from their righteous behavior and starts doing sinful things, they will die for it. Yes, they will die because of their sinful deeds. And if the wicked people turn from their wickedness," God says, "Obey the law and do what is just and right, they will save their lives… Oh people of Israel, repent. Turn from your sins. Don't let them destroy you. Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, oh, people of Israel? I don't want you to die," says the Sovereign Lord, "turn back and live." 

This is what God wants! And it is a decision that you and I can make.

A recent Beyond Today program asks the question, “Has God Given Up on America?” (YouTube:  https://youtu.be/oUrg8PhCakg )    I think you will find this program compelling in light of what we are currently experiencing in our land. I hope you will take a moment to watch it.”    From:  https://us1.campaign-archive.com/?e=72c729d811&u=1d04480cefc2e7c4492fe4a04&id=788a418aa4

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Update.

Like most folks, I remember 9/11 very well.   My Johnnie was in his last days, but sick as he was, he was appalled.  What we were watching that morning was unbelievable.   It wasn’t long after that, that he didn’t really know what was going on around him, he died of cancer, eight weeks later.  But we will never forget…..

Another trip to the doctor here in Navasota to get a referral to see a podiatrist to get corns removed from the bottom of my feet.  I don’t know why I get them, but I have to get really thick foam insoles from Dollar Tree so that it doesn’t me hurt to walk.  I need to walk more, I have put on about 4 pounds.

My central AC did it’s thing again, or rather it didn’t, because it quit working. I had turned it off so that cold air wouldn’t blow on my newly washed hair, but then it wouldn’t turn back on again. I tried and tried to make it turn on but had to call the office.  At least we have a maintenance man again, and he checked the thermostat.  But with a lot of moving the switch back and forth, he got it going again, and has ordered a new thermostat.  Next time I wash my hair I will just move the temperature, not turn the system off.

A new neighbor moved in across the walkway to my apartment.  Boy, when I moved in I was teased for having so much stuff, but she beat me.  She introduced herself and we started talking, so it was soon discovered that we are both Sabbath keepers.  She said she wanted to go to Sherry’s on Friday morning and join our Sabbath school study in preparation for the study with the congregation the following day.  Neither Sherry nor I had a spare current study book, so I texted the ladies from the church who were handing out veggies and fruits at an apartment complex not far from ours, they do that every other Wednesday, to see if any of them had one in their vehicle.  No, no one had one, so I helped them distribute the food, and then followed them back to the church to get the study book. 

So, on Friday morning my new neighbor, June, and I walked down to Sherry’s and we went over this week’s study together.  On the Sabbath, I tried to get the Zoom thing going on my computer for the Sabbath School, but it didn’t do right, so the three of us went over to the church in my van and participated there.  The church is only 1.2 miles away.  June said that she enjoyed it and it was very interesting. There was a laptop hooked up to a TV so we could all see the others on Zoom.  Things are loosening up here, and there were more folks at church today.