Sunday Cuppa’ with Susanne – A Christian Perspection on the Horrors of 9/11
In our last Cuppa time together, we talked about the interesting concept of hearing God to give a ‘Birthday Blessings Celebration’. It was great to see a few comments on this unique way to celebrate our Creator’s choice to have someone born into this world.
So grab a cuppa’ and let’s see what our time together brings.
I sat in my car the other day – the other very wet rainy, miserable day – with a flat tire/tyre, waiting for the Service van. As I looked out my rain splattered, blurry window, there was as magnificent rainbow! …glorious….and it started me thinking. Was it a good thing I that happened? No, I was soaked trying to change the tyre/tire, I missed a very important meeting, my friends were worried ….but whoa! The rainbow ….. Glorious!
Recently, we commemorated the colossal destruction of 9/11. Even we in Australia reflected on the disaster that shook the world. Around the world, many shouted: Where was God and where was the protection for His people and all the innocents of the world? How could He allow such pain and trauma? If He loves us, couldn’t He have stopped the whole thing? Why did ‘evil’ triumph that day?
All good questions – are you ready to talk about it yet? …. and yes, I know it seems very easy for someone on the other side of the world, seemingly untouched by the drama … to make comments but I will jump into the issues and maybe together we can find some peace for a weary world.
One amazing point to remember is that our Creator has bound Himself to the laws He has established. These laws are logical and rational – not influenced by short-term emotions nor imbalanced by the needs of the many. He has a long-term plan and that plan is for the good of all. Time and all event march on to the glorious return and establishment of His full kingdom on Earth.
Do you know what some of those laws are? The most foundational rule is ‘The Law of Sowing and Reaping’ – what you sow, you will reap. You can set your mind and heart to follow this law as what you get in your life is based on sowing and reaping.
I hear you ask ‘Don’t miracles still happen?’ Yes, truly so! However, even those are for His greater plan. So could He have stopped it – yes. Could He have stopped Japan’s tragedy – yes…..and the list goes on. He didn’t so ….there must be ‘a greater good’ going on here. Remember, we are just talking over a cuppa and not ready to start a yelling match. I’m sure many, many people will be lined up at His throne room asking that question – WHY?
We were never promised a smooth ride when we ‘signed up’ to be born. Nor were we promised life without any traumas or bruises along the way. In fact, we were told just the opposite – life would be a struggle, wisdom was to be gained at a price ….. BUT that we would never be alone and abandoned in our struggle. Do you remember signing that agreement? I deeply believe we all did before we entered this earthly realm – but hey, that’s another post!
His promise was to face life with us, especially if we have become a ‘Jesus Follower’. He is there for the whole world; He paid the price for the whole world – but they just don’t know it yet. We are all reconciled to God because He has paid that price for pardon.
In the reality of life, we all will face trouble; it’s not about escaping problems and sufferings with our wealth, great jobs or living in the right country. He sent the Great Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to help us face and go through life’s horrific events. He meant for the struggling Christian to even be ‘….more than conquerors’ in the face of suffering.
It’s not that bad, horrible things are good; never think it so. The events of 9/11, Japan’s horrors, hunger, starvation are not good things! His promise it that despite the unimaginable pain of these events, He can bring good from the dust and disaster – if we let Him.
Remember any of your Sunday School stories? One of the greatest writers of the New Testament, Paul, wrote from a Roman prison, waiting for their corrupt rulers to decide his fate. Rome – one of the cruelest, most vicious dictatorships recorded in history books – was to torture, liberate or kill him. He had lived through countless floggings, stoned many times, being left for dead, ship-wrecked, slanders and rejected by his own people. He certainly knew the price of being a ‘Jesus Follower’.
It was this same Paul that wrote: “God knew what He was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the onset of time to shape the lives of those who love Him along the same lines as the life of His Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity He restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in Him.
“After God made that decision of what His children should be like, He followed it up by calling people by His name. After He called them by name, He set them on a solid basis with Himself.…and then, after getting them established, He stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what He had begun.
“So what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing Himself to the worst by breaking through time and space to save us, is there anything else He wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? …and who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen?
(Well, expect the enemy of our souls when you believe his lies…. my comment)
“Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way!”
I’m sure we remember this list: “Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture.
“None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that noting – nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable – absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.” (Romans 8:31-39 in The Message, a transliteration by Eugene H. Peterson)
Whoa! Certainly the Earth is going through great pain and torment; we see that in earthquakes, fires, flood, and so on. With every fibre of Paul’s being, he knew nothing would or could separate him from the Creator and His plans for a just and righteous kingdom coming to Earth – someday soon!
We Jesus Followers are meant to ‘just squeeze by’ in our struggles? No way! It’s not just the ‘Super-heroes of the faith’ Paul was talking about; it’s meant to be you and me. If you look for them, you can find the miraculous stories in the middle of 9/11, in the middle of Japan’s worst natural disaster or in the middle of any tragedies – if you look for them. That’s part of His promise … to bring good out of anything ….if we let Him!
Nothing can separate you from His love! Nothing can separate you from the glorious future He has planned ahead for you. Nothing can stop you standing up and being there as a Jesus Follower …. Except you, yourself! Determine now not to believe the lies the enemy plants … you are worthy because He has made you worthy. You are free because He has made you free. You are destined for His realm because He has made you that promise. No event can separate you from His love!
Remember to look for that rainbow!
Susanne Fengler, Blog Author
www.christianfoundations.jesus-treeoflofe.info
PS You will also see this post on www.hearinggod.mentorsnotebook.com/blog
Tags: God will bring good
Filed under: Sunday Cuppa' with Susanne
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