I Realize it is Not September 11 but…

I want to share this from September 11, 2007.

For some of us we will always recognize the numbers and the phrase Nine Eleven (911). It is the number to call in most communities for police, or emergency aid. It is also a date that we should always remember, and let us never forget that on that day in the year of 2001 our Nation was attacked by the most evil of religious zealots who hate and despise all that is holy, just, and good about the United States of America.

Their hatred is for the citizenry of the USA, for Christians, Jews, and anything or anyone who stands opposed to Islam.

Not long after the attack and fall of the buildings of the World Trade Center there was a song written which really touched my heart, and I give you the words below. Lest we forget.

Have You Forgotten, by Darrell Worley

I hear people sayin’. We Don’t need this war.

I say there’s some things worth fightin’ for.

What about our freedom, and this piece of ground?

We didn’t get to keep ’em by backin’ down.

They say we don’t realize the mess we’re gettin’ in

Before you start preachin’ let me ask you this my friend.

Chorus

Have you forgotten, how it felt that day?

To see your homeland under fire

And her people blown away

Have you forgotten, when those towers fell

We had neighbors still inside goin through a livin hell

And you say we shouldn’t worry bout Bin Laden

Have you forgotten?

You took all the footage off my T.V.

Said it’s too disturbin for you and me

It’ll just breed anger is what the experts say

If it was up to me I’d show it everyday

Some say this country just out lookin’ for a fight

Well after 9/11 man I’d have to say right.

Chorus

Have you forgotten, how it felt that day?

To see your homeland under fire

And her people blown away

Have you forgotten when those towers fell

We had neighbors still inside goin’ through a livin’ hell

And we vow to get the ones behind Bin Laden

Have you forgotten?

I’ve been there with the soldiers

Who’ve gone away to war

You can bet they remember just what they’re fightin’ for

Have you forgotten

All the people killed

Yes some went down like heroes

In that Pennsylvania field

Have you forgotten

About our Pentagon

All the loved ones that we lost

And those left to carry on

Don’t you tell me not to worry ’bout Bin Laden

Have you forgotten?

Have you forgotten?

Have you forgotten?!

Today we remember that day. Let’s ever be vigilant to oppose such attacks against our Nation and our next door neighbors. May God forgive our sins and heal our land.

From the banks of Flat Creek,

`tim

President of Harvard College

For the next few days I will be posting quotes from the books written by Peter Marshall, and David Manuel on the history of our Nation. The first is from “The Light and the Glory”, and is a quote from a sermon preached by the Reverend Samuel Langdon on May 31, 1775, following the taking of Fort Ticonderoga.

“We have rebelled against God. We have lost the true spirit of Christianity, though we retain the outward profession and form of it. We have neglected and set light by the glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and His holy commands and institutions. The worship of many is but mere compliment to the Deity, while their hearts are far from Him. By many the Gospel is corrupted into a superficial system of moral philosophy, little better than ancient Platonism.

‘Wherefore is all this evil upon us? Is it not because we have forsaken the Lord? Can we say we are innocent of crimes against God? No, surely it becomes us to humble ourselves under His mighty hand, that He may exalt us in due time… My brethren, let us repent and implore the divine mercy. Let us amend our ways and our doings, reform everything that has been provoking the Most High, and thus endeavor to obtain the gracious interpositions of providence for our deliverance…

‘If God be for us, who can be against us? The enemy has reproached us for calling on His name and professing our trust in Him. They have made a mock of our solemn fasts and every appearance of serious Christianity in the land… May our land be purged from all its sins! Then the Lord will be our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble, and we will have no reason to be afraid, though thousands of enemies set themselves against us round about.

‘May the Lord hear us in this day of trouble… we will rejoice in His salvation, and in the name of our God, we will set up our banners…” From THE LIGHT AND THE GLORY pp. 277 & 278.

Can we see that this is a message that is pertinent for our day?

Freedom At Stake

From April 21, 2007

Freedom At Stake

With the tragedy of Monday April 16 lingering freshly in our minds we must remember September 11, 2001. You may wonder why, but it is necessary for maintaining our freedom as a nation.

On that eventful, catastrophic day, nearly 3000 people died (2973 with 24 still missing and unaccounted for). There is one event I think of which reminds us what is necessary at times of facing things and people which are evil.

Three commercial airliners had disastrously struck their evil designers intended targets. The North and South buildings of the World Trade Center; and the Pentagon. One other airliner; United Airlines flight 93 was over Philadelphia, and here is an except from Wikipedia concerning that mornings flight –

“On United Airlines Flight 93, black box recordings revealed that crew and passengers attempted to seize control of the plane from the hijackers after learning through phone calls that similarly hijacked planes had been crashed into buildings that morning. According to the transcript of Flight 93’s recorder, one of the hijackers gave the order to roll the plane once it became evident that they would lose control of the plane to the passengers. Soon afterward, the aircraft crashed into a field near Shanksville in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, at 10:03:11 a.m. local time (14:03:11 UTC). Al-Qaeda leader Khalid Shaikh Mohammed mentioned in a 2002 interview with an Al Jazeera journalist that Flight 93’s target was the United States Capitol,[18] which was given the code name “the Faculty of Law.”[19]”

The reason I mention this is because of the heroism which was shown on that day. Where was that on Monday morning at Virginia Tech? Thirty two people died. There was heroism in the Professor of one class who willingly gave his life to protect his students, and allowed them to escape from the madness of Cho Sueng-Hui.

Understand, I am not blaming students at the College. They did what students are pretty much trained and taught to do in such incidents. They protected themselves. We have bullies in our world, and the students and people who are bullied by them are taught and told to go and tell an authority – a teacher, a principal, or a policeman. What if the people on United Airlines Flight 93 had done that on that disastrous day? The events would have been more catastrophic, and many more lives would have been lost.

It was people defending themselves against tyrants, and bullies which bought the freedom of our nation. We need to get back to the idea of defending ourselves, and others. It is right to do so.

I believe that if there would have been a couple of young men and women who would have determined to take Cho Sueng-Hui down there would have been less people murdered. If there is blame to be placed it should be at the feet of those who have taught us to “Protect ourselves” rather than fight the bullies, and evil.

Someone, I believe it was a man named Edmund Burke said, “All it takes for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing”, and I believe him to be correct. Our freedom is at stake, if we just continue to teach our children, students, and others to just get under your desks. That is good advice during a tornado, but not against evil men and women.

With All That’s Goin’ On

With all that’s goin’ on in the world you would think that many people would get the idea that there is God; not a god, as if one of many; but GOD.  As one who created all that is, and sustains all that is.  GOD did not just create the created order then leave it for His crowning achievement to oversee, and rule.  He came down during a time in history, and gave His life for us.

With all that’s goin’ on in the world you would think that people would open their eyes about their own righteousness; that it just doesn’t exist.  Even the most immoral people can have a good streak in them occasionally, but that sure doesn’t make them righteous.  Our good deeds won’t; maybe even cannot out weigh the bad or evil we do; no matter if we do more good than bad.  With God righteousness, goodness, doing right just doesn’t work that way.

Righteous is what God says is righteous; and that is not us.  His Son Jesus is Righteous, and He died for our unrighteousness.  He is the only Mediator between God, His Father, and humanity.  Without Him we would all perish.

With all that’s goin’ on in the world you would think that there would be a lot of repentance going on, and people calling on the name of Jesus Christ; for He is the Lord of all.

It’s time for repentance and faith; even here on the banks of Flat Creek.

-Tim