Daily Devotional for Tuesday April 8, 2008
The Next Attack on Our Soil Will be Before the End of The Year
(Isaiah 48:10; 1 Peter 1:7, 4:12)
The next attack on our soil will be before the end of the year. I don't think anyone who has the responsibility of keeping our nation safe would argue that after 9/11 it was never a matter of if we would be attacked again, only when. The current administration along with our intelligence and law enforcement communities have done an incredible job, keeping us safe and free from any new attacks. However, terror experts all agree that there is a small army of people currently living inside our borders whose ultimate goal is to commit acts of terror against this nation and its people.
All last year the Lord spoke to my heart that this year, 2008, would be a year of dramatic change in this country, the most important year in human history today. A new President, increased persecution of Christians, and God's wrath beginning to be poured out on this nation for our gross sin and wickedness. I don't know how substantial it will be, but I firmly believe that those who seek to wipe the United States off the globe will attack us once again as part of God's wrath.
Based on the reports from our intelligence community, a high degree of hatred of the United States by very organized groups overseas, and common sense, it is safe to assume that there will eventually be additional acts of terror on U.S. soil. With the horror of 9/11 now 6 1/2 years behind us, people have returned to their normal day-to-day lives. That is a good thing. Sadly, however, most have lost the spiritual fervor that was so apparent in the days and weeks following those horrible events that we lived through.
In the aftermath of 9/11, people desperately turned to God for answers. Churches were overflowing, prayer was everywhere, there was a spiritual awakening as people realized just how fragile this life really is, and countless lives were committed to Christ. However, just 79 months later, church attendance is back to where it was pre-9/11, prayer is not as important any longer, and people are focused once again on the things of this world without much concern for God and their spiritual lives.
It is sad how it takes a real crisis to get people to pay attention to God. But people have not changed. When we read the Old Testament, we read how the children of Israel would run to God when their enemies attacked. God would help them gain victory, which would be followed by a season of peace and prosperity. It was during that time of peace and prosperity that the children of Israel would start to forget God and fall into all types of sin. Soon, their enemies would attack again, and they would once again run to God. It was an oft repeated cycle.
Sadly, we are the same as the children of Israel. When the trials and tribulations of life come upon us, we run to God. We find solace in Him during our time of trouble. But soon the trouble passes, and there is a time of peace in our lives. Sadly, during the times of peace we slowly move away from God and often end up involved in sin of some kind. The storms of life come upon us and once again, we run to the Lord for help. And just like the children of Israel, the cycle is repeated over and over during the course of our life.
My word for you today is to run to God NOW! Even though we are experiencing a season of peace here at home, stay close to Him. Just because people are not blowing up buildings and killing innocent people does not mean that we can put God on the back-burner. Sadly, I see evil revisiting this nation before the end of the year because we have forgotten the God of the Bible and bowed down to worship the false god and idols of the world. We legally slaughter 4,000 innocent babies every day. Homosexuality and other sexual sins are now mainstream. We are a wicked people who are not just due God's wrath and punishment, but overdue!
Only God knows the time of Christ's return. The Bible says it will be in the "twinkling of an eye". But the indicators Jesus gave us in Matthew chapter 24, and Paul gives us in 2 Timothy chapter 3, and Peter in 2 Peter chapter 3, all show us that we are living in the last days. The time is running out. That is why the people of God MUST NOT be passive at this time. We can't simply wait for the next incident to share Christ with this lost and hurting world.
I love you and care about you so much. If you had the knowledge right this moment, that the next attack on the United States would be at Disneyworld in Orlando Florida, one week from today, what would you do? No doubt you would call all of the proper authorities, and when the date and time for the attack came, that entire area would be evacuated. Nobody would be killed because you cared enough to share the information you had.
Well, the fact is, the Bible clearly says that those who die without Christ will be destined to everlasting separation from God their creator. They will be lost for eternity. The people of God possess the information that can save people from everlasting darkness. Now if someone chooses to not listen, there is nothing that you can do. But how can you not at least take the time to tell them? That is a responsibility EVERY child of God has and must take seriously.
I will pray today that you don't allow the peace that we are currently experiencing today make you lazy, and forget those around you who are hurting and looking for answers in their lives. I have no doubt that there will be future attacks on our nation, but I pray that we don't wait until the next one occurs to get serious about sharing the hope and love of Jesus Christ with everyone God brings into our life. After all, that is what God has commanded us to do in His Word!