September 11, 2001 – A day which none who
lived through here in this nation will ever forget… or will we?
or have we?
I know I will never forget as long as I live
on this earth.
6:46am, Mountain Standard Time (8:46am,
Eastern Standard Time) – American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767, is flown
into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City… Moments later, as I was stirring to get out
of bed at 7am my time in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Jim Arthur of 740AM, KVOR,
reports on a “small plane” crashing into the tower. It is believed to be a tragic accident…
7:03am, Mountain Standard Time (9:03am,
Eastern Standard Time) - At approximately the same moment Mr. Arthur is telling
us in Colorado about the tragic accident of the North Tower being hit, a second
airliner, United Airlines Flight 175, a Boeing 767 as well, is flown into the
South Tower of the World Trade Center.
And America wakes up… Shortly
thereafter, Jim Arthur reports the second plane hitting the adjacent tower, and
states that this couldn’t be a coincidence.
We are under attack… and the
speculation begins…
I run down the stairs to turn on the big
screen television in the basement, switch to Fox News, and view the horrific
scenes being displayed. I have to go
into work, but I am transfixed on what is unfolding before me. Tears flow down my face as I hear the
accounts of those dying, and watch as time seems to stand still…
Over the next several minutes people are seen
jumping from the floors ninety stories above, deciding to vacate the area
engulfed in flame to face the end in a more instant fashion. Others rush down streets, fleeing from the
scene while first responders rush into the fray.
7:37am, Mountain Standard Time (9:37am, Eastern
Standard Time) - American Airlines
Flight 77, a Boeing 757, crashes into the western face of the Pentagon. This is not merely a terrorist attack on the
World Trade Center, it is a coordinated effort to strike strategic points at an
unknown number of targets.
As an American, the uncertainty and
devastation overwhelms me with a multitude of emotions ranging from fear to
rage! Gritting my teeth and openly
sobbing, trying to contact family to ensure they are okay, the experience seems
surreal, and I wish I could wake from the very real nightmare… but I cannot…
because it is actually happening…
7:59am, Mountain Standard Time (9:59am,
Eastern Standard Time) – The South Tower of the World Trade Center collapses,
sending plumes of smoke and debris across the surrounding area, killing those
attempting to escape down the stairwells from the upper floors. Miraculously, many HAVE escaped… and they are engulfed in the resulting ash
and smoke pressing through the corridors of the city. Some take shelter behind vehicles and other
obstacles to deflect the full brunt, while others are able to slip through
doorways of surrounding buildings.
Realizing what is happening after hearing
from loved ones through cell phones, the passengers of United Airlines Flight
93, a Boeing 757, which has been hijacked as well and has turned back toward
the east coast toward an unknown target, decide to take the cockpit and
overwhelm the hijackers. The actual
events in the plane are unknown, but Todd Beamer’s final comment, overheard by
his wife through the open channel of the cell phone is, “Let’s roll!” Shortly afterward, at 8:07am, Mountain
Standard Time (10:07am, Eastern Standard Time) the hijackers apparently crash
the jetliner outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania in Somerset County, rather than
be overtaken by the passengers.
Rumors of other jets being hijacked run
rampant. Flights across the United
States of America are grounded in anticipation of potential other targets being
hit. America shudders as the ‘threat’ of
attack becomes reality. Over the next
several days the only jet engines heard overhead are those of fighter jets
patrolling the area. Here in the Colorado
Springs area, home to more than five military bases, the eeriness of watching
those supporting and protecting our freedom flying overhead, knowing what has
transpired, causes solemn reflection on what we truly have here, and a bit of
what we have lost.
Today, thirteen years later, much has
changed. We have fought and won a war in
two Middle Eastern countries, and have now lost ground in one, having vacated
our responsibilities to remain and maintain a support force to ensure continued
freedom there, and anticipate pulling out of the other, creating a vacuum that
could very well lead to the exact same circumstances there.
As I type this, it is 9:11am, Mountain
Standard Time. 9-11… Who would have ever guessed thirteen years
and one day ago that those numbers would come to mean more than the numbers to
dial in the event of an emergency.
Today, those numbers represent national crisis… and attack upon our very existence… by those who see us as an evil to be
eradicated.
Recently we have seen two United States
citizens, members of the press in the Middle East, beheaded by Islamic
Terrorists. ISIS, or ISIL, whichever you
choose to call them today, have watched as we have withdrawn under the current
Presidential administration from our duties in the name of being tired of war. And they are, thereby, encouraged. "Tired of War"...
REALLY????!!!!!! Do you not think that in December of 1776
while encamped at Valley Forge, waiting out the winter as was custom in their
day, that General George Washington and his troops, cold and weather-beaten with
inadequate clothing and resources, were “tired of war”? Or that after five years of war for
Independence in what would today be considered archaic circumstances against
the greatest military power in THE WORLD, the soldiers and families in America
were not “tired of war”? Do you not think during the campaigns of World Wars I and II that the
troops engaged in adverse conditions under assault by combined forces
determined to annihilate freedom from the face of the planet, and their
families back home receiving notification of lost loved ones dying in the
fight, were not “tired of war”? And how
about Korea, Vietnam, etc.?
So what has changed? Why are we where we are today? As I reflect back across the years of my life
and the study of history I have conducted I believe it all comes back to one
primary reason…comfort.
The surge of technology over the past 100
years has caused a comfortable climate in our nation. Do I enjoy sitting here typing on a computer,
knowing that I will post this to be read by potentially hundreds and even
thousands of people today? Yes. Do I like being connected to my friends and
family throughout the nation in a moment’s notice through my “smart phone”? Most of the time. Do I like being able to research for almost
any type of information through this wonder called the “world-wide-web”? Yes, until this current administration turns
it over to other countries wishing my/our demise.
But with technology that assists me in
connecting to others in seconds and allows me to warm up my leftovers in a
moment while washing my clothes and dishes comes “comfort”. We no longer wish to be bothered or inconvenienced by
fighting for what we believe. This
condition has overtaken the citizens of the United States and the Christians
who are the majority portion of this great nation.
Those wishing to overtake the governing of
this nation, and eradicate the moral, ethical and, especially, the religious elements projected a “separation
of church and state” lie many decades ago which caught on when the Christian
faith found itself inconvenienced by
the prospect of having to defend itself in the public square. Vacating the public square led to Supreme
Court nominations of liberal judges by nominal politicians who would not have
come into power had the “religious right” (and, by the way, we ARE those who
are “right” in our beliefs) continued to project the truth of God’s Word in all
their lives. Instead, they went on being content to join in worship together on Sundays,
at mid-week services, and at other “events” held within the structure of the ‘church’ as opposed to living out their
lives as “the Church”.
In my book, God Shed His Grace On Thee, available through barnesandnoble.com
and amazon.com, I outline the steps leading to the unraveling of our moral
fabric in the nation. Supreme Court
rulings taking God out of schools, public forums and government locals have
caused the Church of today to have to take one of two sides in the process:
Leave it alone and complain of where things have gone, or stand up and fight to
regain what we have lost.
Today, September 11, 2014, as we reflect on what
occurred thirteen years ago, we must take a look at what brought us here. Comfort and convenience lull the populace
into a place where we will elect officials who promise us a place where war
does not exist, and they will give each citizen (who follows their way of
thinking) “goodies” in life to which they feel they are “entitled”. War has always existed. War always will exist (until Jesus returns to
rule). And the idea of working for what
you get has nearly gone the way of the dinosaur.
Comfort…
complacency… lethargic
appeasement of those who ARE willing to fight for what they believe in, which
is to undermine the very principles our faith holds dearly to, has brought us to this point. What has to happen for Christians across this
nation to realize that we will lose it all if we are not willing to take our
place in the public domain? The “Hobby
Lobby decision” was a 5 to 4 decision.
One more liberal judge and businesses throughout the nation would have
to supply “abortification” drugs to those in their employment. Owners would have to violate their faith to
satisfy the ungodly desires of those wishing full reign to kill a human in its process of development.
And what about marriage between one man and
one woman? How about the multiple
assaults against the truth of God’s Word which run rampant throughout our
nation, and, unfortunately, are supported by the more “liberal” factions of
Christianity?
We are coming up on a VERY important election
cycle. VOTES MATTER! (yes, even in “mid-term”
elections - - -ESPECIALLY in “mid-term elections) But elections aren’t everything.
Elections determine the government’s
direction, yes, and are critical in the fight… but beyond that comes the need
to project your faith beyond your “comfort zone”. What has God called you to do? Where is your place of service in God’s
Kingdom? What sphere of influence are
you directed by God to place the Christian directive into? Business?
Education? Religion? Government?
Media? Arts and
Entertainment? The family? Where is your field? Which is your mountain? Or maybe it is a combination of two or
more?
Whatever the case, GET INTO THE
BATTLE!!! SPEAK THE TRUTH!!! Yes, speak the truth in love, but remember
that even our loving Christ drove out the money-changers from the temple when
it came time to do so. Sometimes taking
part, YOUR part, in society means taking on the “uncomfortable”.
We must reach the lost for Jesus Christ. That is our primary commission in the Kingdom
of God. In order to effectively do so,
we must take our place in society and stop being afraid to confront evil where
it exists. Our lack of nerve to do so is
exemplified in our hesitance to confront, as a nation, the evils of ISIS/ISIL/ISUP
(okay, I made ISUP up… sometimes I just
can’t help my sarcasm escaping…). Let’s
get uncomfortable… let’s ruffle some
feathers… let’s wake the sleeping giant…
The events of September 11, 2001 woke America
up when we were thrust into our complacency causing us more discomfort than our
ability to fight back. And then time
passed and we became tired of the fight again.
We are living in the last days. Jesus told us to “occupy until (He returns)”
(Luke 19:13 KJV) The New King James
version says “Do business until I come”.
We are told to press toward the mark (goal), work while it is yet day,
reach the lost for Jesus Christ, and hold tightly to what we have so no one
takes our “crown” from us. It is time to
do what you are called to do and influence where you are placed to do so.
Satan pulled off his “9-11” in the Garden of
Eden, destroying the relationship of openness and purity mankind had with God,
but God fired back!!! Sacrifices were
made until “the Sacrifice” was made on the Cross of Calvary. And now sin has no place in the life of the
Christian.
Paul finished his ministry saying, “I have
fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (II
Timothy 4:7) He used warfare examples a
lot. He was imprisoned for daring to
defy the ruling authority. I think it’s
time that type of determination permeated the Church once again. In America, founded as a Christian nation
regardless of what others say (again, see God
Shed His Grace On Thee), we have the means to achieve the goal by becoming
involved again...
LET’S ROLL!!!
In His Service,
In His Service,
Rex Louth
Author, God
Shed His Grace On Thee (2013) Westbow Press
www.rexlouth.com - www.amazon.com - www.barnesandnoble.com
