Hello to you my friends and family. Today is Thursday, September 3, 2020. It was 19 years ago next week on 9/11/2001 that our nation and the world changed forever. These numbers…this day…I remember exactly where I was when 19 Islamic terrorists took our own planes and used them as weapons against us. And in just a few moments the world changed. Two planes hit the World Trade Center in New York City bringing both “twin towers” down and killing more than 3,000 innocent people along with 400 police officers, firefighters, and port authority agents and injuring more than 10,000 others. One hour later another plane hit our Pentagon killing 189 people. A fourth plane was also hijacked and crashed into a field in Pennsylvania killing all 45 people on board.
The United States of America remains, still here, strong, relevant, resilient, and well, you and I both know that our nation has many problems, problems without and problems within. What shall we do? What shall I do? The Bible instructs us of God’s expectations in Micah 6:8. Simple and clear: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Not to difficult to understand is it?
#1 – Do what is right every day. 2 Peter 1:5-7 instructs us to live our lives every day adding to our faith, virtue (moral excellence), knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. God expects me to keep growing ever moving forward in my life. Looking back only gives me a headache.
#2 – Be kind/merciful to anyone and everyone. Ephesians 4:32 says “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” God expects me to forgive. He forgive me as I forgive others. Plain and simple.
#3 – Be humble. Romans 12:2-3 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Verse 10 says, “Be highly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” It’s not about me! I gave myself to God in Christ Jesus many years ago. J-O-Y – Jesus…Others…then Yourself.
This Sunday (6th) we will continue in our new sermon series “God is Able – Are we?” Our enemy, the devil is the problem. He will lie, cheat, steal, and do anything to get us to turn from God. He seeks only to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). God is able to help us in the hour of temptation to fight and to win against the devil’s devises. On Sunday evening we will sing hymn #246 and ask ourselves if we are really a friend to Jesus. I look forward to meeting with you with Christ in our midst. Remember to pray every day for our nation, our family and friends in need, and for the church at Harding Street that we will be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Beautifully written! God is good.