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Peace on Earth

Response to America Under Attack

CONNIE: This is Voice of Prophecy, coming to you with a special broadcast in response to the events of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. Stay tuned for a special message from our Director/Speaker, Lonnie Melashenko. Giving God's trumpet a Certain Sound for more than 70 years, this is the Voice of Prophecy.

CONNIE: Hello, I'm Connie Jeffery,

LONNIE: and I'm Lonnie Melashenko. Connie, we don't often prepare a broadcast for immediate airing. In fact we're usually working on programs weeks or even months in advance. But the events of this day compelled us, and we've gone to extra effort, and extra expense, to put this program together, and get it sent out via express to every one of our broadcast outlets in the United States to be aired on either September 16 or September 23.

CONNIE: That's right, Lonnie. We're not sure whether you'll hear this on the weekend of the 16th or the 23rd because at the time when we're preparing it, we're not even certain that express shipments will get it to the stations on time for the first weekend because of the disruptions in air traffic today.

LONNIE: But we hope you'll listen, as we consider what our response as Christians should be to the violence in the world.

CONNIE: And if you'd like a copy of this program to listen to again, or to share with a friend, please call our toll-free request line at 1-800-872-0055, and ask for "Peace on Earth," that's Program 37r. It's available free of charge on CD or on cassette.

LONNIE: We'd like you to have this program to listen to again, or to share with others, so please, just give us a call at 1-800-872-0055, and ask for Program 37r, or ask for it by name, "Peace on Earth."

CONNIE: We've dispensed with much of the regular format of our program, because we want to give Lonnie all the time possible for his message, so let's listen right now to today's message, "Peace on Earth."

Peace on Earth

As we've already mentioned, this broadcast is being recorded on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 just after the news broke.

You know what news I'm speaking about.

Terrorist attacks have hit America, big time.
And people are reacting.

How did you react when you heard?

The news hit hard around our offices here on the West Coast--we saw people just standing around with a look of shock on their faces, others gathering around radios and television sets to try to learn more about the unfolding tragedies.

Our staff gathered around the table in our worship room, where we meet for prayer each morning, and shared. I'll never forget what one dear lady said, speaking from the depths of the raw emotions of the moment: "We ought to just FRY all those people!" she said, referring to terrorists. But then she paused a moment and reflected. "But I guess what we really need to do for them is pray for them."

And believe me, we have been praying here at our offices today. The entire staff of the Adventist Media Center came together at our usual 8 AM time, then again at 10 AM and 3 PM, just to ask God to be with those who've suffered injury, those who've suffered loss, and with the leaders of our nation as they look for ways to respond to these attacks.

No doubt Tuesday, September 11, 2001 will be one of those days that is etched in our memories. For the rest of our lives we'll remember where we were when we heard the news, and how we reacted as the television brought us images of first one, then the other of the twin towers of the World Trade Center collapsing in clouds of dust.

The question is, How should we as Christians respond?

One response we've heard around our office is relief, as reports have come from various ones whose friends or family members could have been involved in the tragedy. Our evangelism director, Pastor Walter Arties, is traveling today. In fact, he was booked on a flight to return to the U.S. from Caracas, Venezuela, where our evangelistic team will be holding meetings in just a few weeks. We were relieved when word reached us that his flight was grounded before takeoff and that he is safe and sound, though he'll be delayed a bit in his return.

Another of our staff members, Mariel Swenson, associate director of our Bible School, reported that her mother was already aboard a plane in Johannesburg, South Africa, ready to come to the U. S. for the second time in her life. It was to be only the second time she ever flew anywhere. Since no flights are being allowed into the U. S. today, Mariel was relieved when she was finally able to find out that her mother had been taken off the flight before it departed for Johannesburg bound for Amsterdam, where she would have had to wait for an available flight to Los Angeles.

As we began preparing this program, my own wife Jeannie was trying desperately to track down her own 86-year-old mother, who left Washington, DC this morning on a flight. After several uneasy hours, we finally learned that her flight that was to have landed in Las Vegas on its way here made an emergency landing in Kansas City. Now, Jeannie's mother is an octogenarian, traveling in all alone, and she wouldn't know how to use a pay phone to make a long-distance call. But do you know what happened? It just amazed us when we heard it. Jeannie has a second cousin who is a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines. And that second cousin recognized Jeannie's mom and took her under his wing. At this moment, they are driving from Missouri to California in a rented car!

So, even in the midst of tragedy, we have found things to be thankful for. But we know that tens of thousands of people around the world will receive sad news as a result of this tragedy. We know that dozens if not hundreds of people who rushed immediately to the World Trade Center to try to rescue others have probably lost their lives--sacrificing themselves for the sake of others.

We know that thousands are grieving the loss of loved ones today. And our hearts go out to you. Our hearts are heavy. We know that no words can heal the pain that you feel or replace the loved ones you have lost. But we want you to know that we have been praying for you, and we will continue to pray for you.
We are praying also for those who have been injured, those whose livelihood has been taken away, those who are still waiting for news of what has happened to a loved one, those who are living in fear, wondering where the next bomb will explode or the next plane will crash.

And there is something else we are praying for--daily: That the cause of the problems we are experiencing today can be healed. That the anger and hatred that calls for revenge upon revenge, an endless escalation of tit for tat, bomb for bomb, can somehow be defused before the entire world erupts into an orgy of killing.

The program you're hearing now is a special program, prepared and sent out to radio stations in the hours immediately following the destruction of the World Trade Center and the other plane crashes. At this point we don't know what other tragedies may have occurred after those events.

But we do want to put this into perspective. By looking back over the days that led up to it.

In fact, our writer/producer, Ken Wade has told me that even before the news reached him this morning, he had given serious consideration to producing a special program to be aired today. Because of other events that had happened in the past few weeks--a flurry of events here in California, and even right here in our own hometown.

It began in Sacramento on August 20 when the news went out that Nikolay Soltys had killed seven of his relatives, including his pregnant wife and his three-year-old son. Reports say that he was angry over the way his family members had treated him, and that the murders were his way of "getting even."
A few days later, right here in Simi Valley, the city where our studios are located, a disgruntled man, depressed over his relationships, walked into a home on a peaceful, upscale suburban cul-de-sac, and opened fire, killing a grandmother, an 11-year-old boy, and a 4-year-old girl. Days later the gunman killed himself, so there's no way to know what his true motives were, but it seems to have been anger--a desire to get even.

Then the article on the front page of today's Los Angeles Times newspaper, delivered before the news had come from New York. Here's the headline: "Shootout Vowed in Chilling Video." Those lines introduce the story of 20-year-old Joseph Ferguson whose girlfriend had broken up with him last week, and who had lost his job as a security guard in Sacramento. Joseph went on a rampage, targeting first the girl who had broken up with him, and then other coworkers who he thought hadn't been nice enough to him.

At the home of his last victim, James Ferguson made a videotape in which he promised to stage a shootout with police as his last act on earth, vowing that he would die either from police bullets or from a self-inflicted wound. . . . And then this chilling prediction: The slayings (and here I'm quoting the video): "

should be good enough to last about a week in the news. It's time to feed the news media.' "

James Ferguson died at his own hands after taking vengeance on those who had angered him. But considering the events that happened today, it seems unlikely that the news media will pay much attention to his "accomplishments." The media's attention is fully riveted by more compelling events.

And what troubles me most deeply is that there is a single thread that runs through all of these stories of unimaginable carnage. It's a thread that weaves around and through all of history, and encompasses other news stories from recent days: Stories from Israel, and Ireland, and Afghanistan that all involve bombs, vengeance, and death. It's a cycle of violence, vengeance, and killing that seems to be spiraling out of control in our world.

The question we hear over and over again is, "What is this world coming to?"
And that's a good question. It's a question the Bible has answers for.

Here, for instance, in Matthew 24, where Jesus responded to His disciples' questions about what to expect before the Second Coming:

And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows" (Matt 24:4-8, NKJV).

Jesus knew that as sin increased in our world, so would violence.

But does that mean that we're helpless, that there is nothing we can do to stop the violence? Should we, as Christians, just sit back and watch the bloodshed increase, cheering each new tragedy as a sign of Christ's soon return?

Listen, my friend. I'm serious when I ask that question, because I have met people through the years who seem to believe that way. They say, "Jesus predicted that things would get worse and worse before the end, so why should we be concerned? Why should we try to stop it? Why not just let things get worse, so Jesus can come back again?"

Now, friend, you're listening to a program called Voice of Prophecy. And believe me, we're very interested in the prophecies of the Bible. And we do believe that there is a time of trouble coming upon our world just before Jesus returns. It's predicted in Daniel 12:1:

"At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time" (Daniel 12:1 NKJV).

But even though Jesus predicted this time of trouble in His own words, even though He knows it will come before He returns, there's a hidden message in Matthew 24 and Daniel 12--these passages that talk about this time of trouble. It's a message that a lot of people miss.

But it's a message I want to emphasize strongly today as we consider how Christians should respond to attacks, war, and vengeance. It's found in the same speech of Jesus where He told about wars and rumors of wars. Here it is, Matthew 24:14:

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come" (NKJV).

Friend, do you see what this means? There's going to be a lot of bad news before Jesus returns. But there's also going to be a lot of good news.

Jesus is not just waiting for a lot of bad things to happen before He returns. He's waiting for a lot of good things to happen. He's waiting for His gospel--His good news--to go to all the world. So that everyone has a chance to hear it.
And just what is that good news?

Let me put it to you very simply. In one sentence:

It's the good news of a kingdom of righteousness, founded solidly on the grace and forgiveness of God.

It's that simple. So simple, but so important, that it bears repeating:
The gospel that must go to all the world before Jesus can return is this: The good news of a kingdom of righteousness, founded solidly on the grace and forgiveness of God.

My Christian friend, that is so important. Especially in these troubled times that we are living in right now, these times of uncertainty when everyone is wondering "What's next?"

In times like these, we all want justice to be done. We want those who were responsible for these horrific attacks to be caught, punished, and stopped from perpetrating any more crimes against humanity. We listened as President Bush proclaimed, hours after the attack, that "The U. S. will hunt down those responsible for these cowardly acts," and promised that our nation would demonstrate its resolve to the world by dealing with those who had struck at us.

We support our president in his determination to stop such senseless attacks. Those who perpetrate such acts of violence against the innocent should not be allowed to continue.

But friend, I want to lay another challenge before you today.

I'm sure that the CIA, the FBI, the NSC, the FAA, and a whole lot of other "initials" are bending every possible effort to find and punish those responsible for the destruction.

But even if we find every one of the perpetrators and throw them in jail for the rest of their days, it won't stop the violence.

Tit for tat, bomb for bomb, bullet for bullet, it's a cycle that will never come to an end, but only grows stronger, and farther out of control with each new attack and each new response.

That's not what Jesus came to teach. It's not the message that He brought to the world. And it's not the message that He said will be preached in all the world before He comes.

The message to be preached, the message we proclaim daily here at Voice of Prophecy, is the message of the Gospel. The GOOD NEWS that God wants to save us. That God wants to forgive us. AND that God wants to teach us how to forgive each other.

Remember how Jesus taught us to pray: "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors!"

Friend, the level of anger in our world is growing. And it will continue to grow, just as long as people continue to respond to anger with anger. Just as long as we insist on trading blow for blow. Just as long as the cycle isn't interrupted by forgivness.

But what about Jesus' words to us as Christians, found in Matthew 5:39
"But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also." (NKJ)

Are these words out of date? Are they pass¾? Something intended for earlier generations of Christians, but not for us? Some sort of idealistic vision for the world that Jesus never expected to be fulfilled?

And what about these words found a few verses later in the Sermon on the Mount:

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust' " (Matt 5:43-45 NKJ).

How do we respond to these words of Jesus, when the hatred and persecution strike close to home?

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that those who planned these acts of terror should not be hunted down and stopped from ever wreaking such havoc again.
What I am saying is that we as Christians need to consider our response to violence carefully. Because the way that we respond to those who strike out at us will either convince the world of the truth of the gospel, or persuade the world that the gospel is only empty words.

When Jesus hung on the cross, and men drove nails into His hands and feet and stood about mocking Him, how did He respond?
Listen to these words. Listen to them carefully:

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34).
Ask yourself: Could I pray those words while I hung on a cross being spat upon and mocked?

And now listen to these words, spoken by Jesus, long before He was crucified:
"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself" (John 12:32 NKJ).

What is it about Jesus on the cross that draws all men to Himself?
Friend, it is the love and forgiveness that He demonstrated there, even with His dying breath. That is the gospel. That is the message that needs to go to all the world. That is the message that will draw all people to Jesus, and prepare them for His Second Coming.

The events of the weeks just past have had a sobering effect on all of us here at Voice of Prophecy.

We've seen just how quickly things can change in the world. We've seen just how vulnerable we are to attack from those who hate us. We've seen that events that will lead up to the time of trouble can overtake us very suddenly.
But these thing have also challenged us. Laid our souls out before our eyes as we've considered what our response should be.

If these events are one more sign that the coming of Jesus must be soon, then yes, we'll shout Hallelujah! He's coming again!

But more than anything else, these terrible events lay before us the daily challenge that we must take seriously: How can we get this gospel out to all the world? How can we put an end to the terror and carnage?

It is only by sharing the good news of Jesus, by sharing His love and forgiveness with those around us.

Friend, won't you join us in doing that. In sharing the Gospel with all you come in contact with. In living out the forgiving grace of Jesus, so that those around you can come to know Him. That there may be peace in our relationships, and love, and forgiveness. For that's what the Gospel of the Kingdom is all about. And that is what the world needs to hear--and see--before Jesus comes again.