Saturday, September 11, 2004

Why did God allow Sept 11th to happen?

Here's the way I look at September 11th:

1. God looked down and saw a mighty and rebellious nation (I'm talking about the U.S. not Canada) and wondered if there was a way to humble it and bring it back to Him.
2. God also saw a little country called Afghanistan, which was ruled by the Taliban and had restricted His gospel. He needed a way to get rid of the Taliban and open up that country to the gospel.

3. With that in mind, God looked down and saw a guy named Osama Bin Laden who was scheming to blow up the trade center.
4. God "allowed" Bin Laden's plans to prosper, so that both of His objectives could be accomplished and people in both countries would repent, and cry out to Him.



Some other examples in scripture of similar circumstances would be:

1. God "raising up" the Babylonians to humble Israel.
2. God "allowing" Satan to torment Job
3. My personal favorite, 1 Kings chapter 22, an amazing story of how God uses the plans of evil people to accomplish his plans. Here is a sample:

19Then Micaiah continued, "Listen to what the LORD says! I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the armies of heaven around him, on his right and on his left. 20And the LORD said, `Who can entice Ahab to go into battle against Ramoth-gilead so that he can be killed there?' There were many suggestions, 21until finally a spirit approached the LORD and said, `I can do it!'
22" `How will you do this?' the LORD asked.
"And the spirit replied, `I will go out and inspire all Ahab's prophets to speak lies.'
" `You will succeed,' said the LORD. `Go ahead and do it.'
23"So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of your prophets. For the LORD has determined disaster for you."


God uses the lies of false prophets to lure the king into battle, then during the battle he is killed:

29So the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah led their armies against Ramoth-gilead. 30Now King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "As we go into battle, I will disguise myself so no one will recognize me, but you wear your royal robes." So Ahab disguised himself, and they went into battle.
31Now the king of Aram had issued these orders to his thirty-two charioteers: "Attack only the king of Israel!" 32So when the Aramean charioteers saw Jehoshaphat in his royal robes, they went after him. "There is the king of Israel!" they shouted. But when Jehoshaphat cried out, 33the charioteers realized he was not the king of Israel, and they stopped chasing him.
34An Aramean soldier, however, randomly shot an arrow at the Israelite troops, and the arrow hit the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. "Get me out of here!" Ahab groaned to the driver of his chariot. "I have been badly wounded!" 35The battle raged all that day, and Ahab was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran down to the floor of his chariot, and as evening arrived he died.


Conclusion: God is soveriegn and he brings good things out of evil plans.
1. The church in Afghanistan is growing like never before
2. People in the US, and all over the world, stop to pray to him every September 11th.

What do you think about September 11th? Why do you think would God allow it to happen?

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