(originally published 09/27/2011)
I had the opportunity to be in New York City on business the week of Sept. 11 – and it was the 10-year anniversary this year of that fateful day when Islamic terrorists struck the Twin Towers and killed 2,983 people. Since 2008 I’ve found myself in New York at least 3 times a year, so I’ve been eagerly watching the re-construction as it progressed. In fact, I had been making plans to stop by the 9/11 Memorial once my plane landed since they would finally be opening it up to the public. To make things even better, my hotel was right across the street from the Memorial itself, so I wouldn’t even have to re-arrange my schedule or catch a cab to make the fateful trip.
You can imagine my disappointment when, the day before my flight, I heard that you needed to apply for a (free) visitor’s pass before you could even get in through security. Oh and by the way, they were booked into mid-October. Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed. But being the strong-willed, independent person that I am, I thought I’d just check out the website anyway and see what information I could glean from it.
To make a long story short, I believe that God miraculously provided a single opening for me at just the right time in my schedule to allow me to go. How else could you explain it – they were completely booked that whole week. To say the least, the experience surprised me more than I thought it would.
Although I didn’t know anyone personally who died that day, as I wandered around the two memorial pools reading all the names, I found myself getting overwhelmed with the numbers. It’s one thing to see “2,983″ in print knowing that a lot of people died. It’s quite another to wander the memorial and read all those names, realizing that all these people were important to someone else who was left behind and forced to suffer their loss. They were mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, children, grandparents, brothers, sisters, friends, etc., etc., etc. Some were even pregnant mothers whose unborn children perished with them that day. The sudden realization on the loss of life, and loss of potential, from such a heinous act was almost too much to bear.
I found I had to sit down for a while to absorb this understanding, and I spent some time just watching other people who were there. It was pretty easy to spot those who were directly affected. There was the airline pilot, in uniform, somberly taking pictures of the section of the memorial with names from United Airlines Flight 93. There was the man in a business suit, who just kept laying over on a portion of the memorial weeping silently – I can only assume it was perhaps his wife, or someone else who was terribly important to him. My heart truly went out to these people.
I found myself asking God, “Why me? Why did you allow me the opportunity to come here today to experience this?” I felt him saying, “Because it was important to you. And, because each one of these people was very important to me. I loved them all with an everlasting love, but many of them didn’t know me. And now it’s too late; and this breaks my heart.” And that was the crux of it. No one is promised a tomorrow. God yearns that his creation, that’s you and me, would turn to him and acknowledge his love through Christ’s crucifixion and accept him as our Savior, before we run out of time and it’s too late. I’m sorry to break it to you, but the concept of purgatory does not exist in the Bible.
In the Book of John, chapters 13 and 14, Jesus is telling his disciples about his soon-to-come betrayal, and the fact that he’ll only be with them a little longer. The disciples are upset and ask him where he’s going, and why they can’t follow him. Jesus comforts his disciples by saying, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. My Father’s house has plenty of room; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14:1-4
Then Thomas pipes up and says, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:6-7
So we find out that in order to get to the Father (aka heaven), we don’t need to whip out a map to know where we’re going. We only have to “know” Jesus and accept him for who he is. But we need to establish this relationship while we’re alive on earth, before we run out of time. The alternative is to wind up in Hades (Hell) with no means of escape.
Luke 16:19-31 tells us the story of a rich man, and Lazarus (a beggar covered with sores). Each day the beggar would lay by the rich man’s gate, longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side [this was the concept of heaven prior to Jesus’ death]. The rich man also died and was buried, but he found himself in Hades [Hell] where he was in torment. He looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side [so he could see from Hell into “heaven” and could witness the comfort that Lazarus was receiving – someone whom he had thought was unworthy and wasn’t worth a second glance while he was alive. That’s some form of torture in and of itself, regardless of the constant physical agony.]. So the rich man calls out to Father Abraham asking for pity and to send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water so that the rich man might cool his tongue because he was in agony in the fire. But Abraham tells him he cannot for there is a great chasm that has been set in place, so that those who want to go from heaven to Hell to comfort others cannot, nor can anyone cross over from Hell to heaven.
Where would you go if you were to die suddenly today, or if Jesus were to come again as he said he would? Something to think upon and be honest about (with yourself, and with God).
NOTE: The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hoshanna) begins at sundown on September 28th this year (at the time of this posting, that would be tomorrow). I, for one, believe that the Church will be “gathered up” to meet the Lord in the air sometime during the Feast of Trumpets – maybe not this year, but some year. It is consistent with his fulfilling of the 4 Spring Feasts of the Lord through his first coming to Earth. And if we know anything about God, it’s that he’s consistent and unchanging (the same yesterday, today and forever). I pray you are ready to meet him when he comes. If you feel you are not, and yet you want to be, please repeat this prayer:
Heavenly Father, I know that I have sinned against you and that my sins separate me from you. I am truly sorry. I now want to turn away from my sinful past and turn to you for forgiveness. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ, died for my sins, that He was raised from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become my Savior and the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You and to convict me when I sin. I pledge to grow in grace and knowledge of you. My greatest purpose in life is to follow your example and do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
If you have just prayed that prayer, then I rejoice with you, as do the angels in heaven! Please tell someone about it and get plugged into a Bible-believing church so you can “grow in the grace and knowledge” of God.
Until next time – be blessed!
CHOOSE YOUR ETERNITY 