The Devotional - 130 - Nine Eleven

Thought for the Day – 130 – Nine Eleven

Proverbs 11:3 – In the name of “a god” extreme religious beliefs bend the minds of its followers, who trade integrity for perversity. This unfaithful approach to life, liberty and happiness brings destruction on those guilty even while they murder the innocent. Today we call this action – TERRORISM.

  

Comments and challenges

I am not a good one for remembering (to bring it up again) or emotionalizing over traumatic events in the history of the United States of America. My position has always been to “nuke” the enemy and move on. I suppose this comes from spending many years on submarines that carry nuclear weapons, but there are other thoughts that disturb this old heart of mine. In fact; I get more worked up over the internal structure of our public polices to govern this nation then I do about feasting on the past sins of terrorism affecting this nation and the world around it.

In other more cruel words… life is life and death is death. Of course it is proper to personally remember those loved ones who have perished as a result of war (aggression) or the rumor of war (terrorism). But it is not necessary to drag out all of the emotional saddle bags of weeping and wailing that does nothing but to show the so-called enemy of peace that they have obtained a small earthly victory.

I am convinced that recalling terror as we do in the United States of America causes those who have not experienced terror to become “cowards”. Like for example: Newtown, Connecticut! Why take guns from people? The act of terror has already marred the state and disturbed its citizens. To take guns from people who had nothing to do with that incident of terror is not to solve the loss of life, the life is already lost, to do so is cowardice and not in the best interest of any free state.

What if any does all of this to do with Mark 2:13-17? “Then He (Jesus) went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. And as He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office and said to him, “Follow Me.” And he (Levi) arose and followed Him. Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.

And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but the sinner, to repentance.

As we are believers in Jesus; we sit, dine, dance and communicate among the people of the world all day long. In our world today it is impossible to know who you are sharing a moment or two with. The human mind is capable of using any devise public or private to the naked eye like an airplane or concealed like a gun. The public person can look like the local gangster or the local clergy also people can be true or false.  Proverbs 11:3 – The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.

The LORD Jesus Christ sits with the tax collector and the sinner who will hear His voice as He calls out “FOLLOW ME” those who hear that call are then “commissioned” to call out others to follow Jesus. This is the cure for the peoples of all nations to follow the True God. Jesus, who is the Word of the Living God left the earth and returned to His Father’s kingdom with these parting words.

Mark 16:15-18 – And He said to them, “Go into the entire world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe; In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.

These words of Mark are not the emotional whim of a fanatic or the cowardice expression of some movement that does nothing more than to charge the next perverse mind to step up to the plate. These are the words of Jesus spoken to His disciples after He rose from the dead and just before He ascended to His Father.

Mark reflects on all of the words that Jesus has shared throughout His ministry on earth, like Luke 10:17-20 or as the apostle John recollects in John 20:30-31. If there is any fault or blame, it is that of the people of God who have neglected the command of sharing of the gospel to the publican who serves the will of God in his or her public office (Romans 13:1-7) and the sinner and in all nations who serves them self; Proverbs 6:12-19 and we are weeping instead of rejoicing we find ourselves weeping.