Remember

 

Where were you? That is a question we ask when some national or global event takes place.

 

It is a question we ask of others about the assassination of President Kennedy.

 

It is a question we ask of others about 9-11.

 

I was at home getting ready to go to the office. A friend called and told me what was happening. I turned the television on and watched for most of the day. I called my son at college to see if he was ok and if he wanted to come home.

 

9-11 occurred on a Tuesday and that Wednesday our church was full. People were fearful and they were doing what Psalm 56:3 tells us to do, when we are afraid: to trust in God.

 

We saw in 9-11 people showing real love. In John 15:13 Jesus says, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay his life for his friends.” We saw people risking their lives to help others. We saw first responders giving their lives to save others. We saw on flight 93 a whole plane full of people giving their lives so many others would not be killed.

 

In Joshua 4 God directs Joshua to lead the nation of Israel to set up a memorial to continually remind the people of what had occurred on that day.

 

What do we need to remember about 9-11?

 

We need to remember that God is our only hope.

 

Psalm 20:7

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

 

We need to remember our hope is not found in the strength of our military or the strength of our economy or in human leaders. Our hope is in God and Him alone.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is trusting in God and nothing that is human-based in every situation.

 

We need to remember the unity we had.

 

In 1 Peter 3:8 Peter encourages us to have unity of mind, to have sympathy, to have brotherly love, to have a tender heart, and to have a humble mind.

 

We saw all of these in the immediate aftermath of 9-11. We saw people not caring what race or social standing or political party a person was, but showing love and sympathy and compassion and humility. We have to remember what that looked like and allow the Holy Spirit to manifest these things in our lives as God’s people.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is showing love, sympathy, compassion, and humility through the Holy Spirit and let that lead to unity.

 

We need to remember we overcome evil with good.

 

Romans 12:21

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

 

When we try to overcome evil with evil, we just add to the evil. When we try to overcome evil with hatred, it will only create more evil. When we overcome evil with good - love, mercy, and grace - it will be transformational.

 

The nation of Israel has the Day of Atonement. It is a day to seriously look at their lives and where they as a nation are with God. 9-11 should be our day of atonement. A day to seriously look at our lives and, as a nation, to consider where we are with God.

 

2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people who are called by My name (this is addressed to us as God’s people and reminds us we belong to God) will humble themselves (place ourselves under God’s authority), and pray (stay in constant connection and communication with God) and seek My face (seek God’s presence, not just His hands; not what He can do but who He is) and turn from their wicked ways (repent, turning away from sin and turning to God), then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

May we as God’s people not just read that verse but allow the Holy Sprit to make it the daily reality of our lives.

 

With Jesus as Lord and by the Power of the Holy Spirit

Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,

Joe