Voice of the Nazarene 9-10-23

I'm coming to you from North Central Ohio, we share with you the voice of the Nazarene, a week by week venture into the Word of God sponsored by the Bucyrus, Ohio Church of the Nazarene, we join our Pastor Reverend Ray Lasalle and the voice of the Nazarene.

Let me talk to you from Joshua chapter four, beginning in verse four; Then Joshua would call the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man, that's a

and Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, what means ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial, unto the children of Israel for ever. I want to talk to you about remembrance, remembering. How important it is to remember I'm not sure I remember my message, but it's a good thing to remember, in't it?

Two, gentlemen, we're talking and they were visiting, and one set of the other said the other evening, the wife and I went to a fabulous restaurant, incredible food. And the ambiance was so beautiful. And the other man said to him, said, What was the name of that restaurant? And he sat there kind of blank for a moment. And he turned and looked toward his wife. He said to the man, he said, what's the name of that real sweet smelling flower? He said, you talking about a rose.

Yeah. And he turned and he said to his wife, Rose. What's the name of that restaurant that we went to the other night?

Remembering, having the ability to remember. The old gentleman in the convalescent home said to a lady said, I bet you can't guess my age. She looked at him for a bit and finally said, Well give me a hint, take your shirt off.

He took his shirt off. She said, Would you give me another hint, take your T shirt off.

He took his T shirt off. And that's kind of like the prodigal son. Bible said that he finally came to himself. And she said to him, flex your chest and he tried to flex whatever he had.

And she said, I believe you're 84 years old. He said, How can you tell that? She said, Well, you told me that yesterday. Want to talk to you about remembering, remembrance, and how important it is. The children of Israel had come to the Jordan River, they're about to cross over. The problem is, it's flood tide and flood stage.

The waters are swift. And no way they again herd about 3 million of these Jews like a bunch of cats and try to get them across this flowing water to the other side. Joshua had faith in God, he had been back there years before when God had parted the Red Sea and they'd gone over on dry ground. So he knew that God could handle the Red Sea would be able to handle the Jordan River. And God suddenly cut the water off and quit flowing. And as they're about to march across that Jordan, and that river bottom. God said, that's not the end of it Joshua said, Well those twelve men that are your representatives from every tribe when they get down in there I want them to grab a huge stone and put it on their shoulder and carry it on across and stack them up. I want them to stack it up for a memorial. That every time your children sees this stack of stones as a memorial, and your grandchildren and they ask what does this mean? I want you to tell them it means that God is faithful. The God that got them across the Red Sea, the God that got them across the Jordan is the God of the future.

Build it for a memorial so they will remember. 22 years ago tomorrow something took place.

No doubt everybody in the house nearly can remember the exact place you were and the time when that first plane crashed into the World Trade Center. What a time it was, 146 times in the Bible God says, to remember.

There were 19 Islamic terrorists, they hijacked four planes. Two of those planes they rammed into the side of the Trade Center. One into the Pentagon, the other crashed out in the open fields in Pennsylvania. About 3000 innocent people lost their lives. More than 10,000 children were left without a parent.

Today if you go to Ground Zero, you will see a memorial that they built so that we will not forget. They will always remember when freedom was under attack. And I pondered this and I thought as we came to the service this morning, from a biblical standpoint, what would God want us to remember about September the 11th 2001? What would God want us to remember? I think the first thing God would want us to remember is the brevity of life. 10,000 people headed to work at the Trade Center. To them, they just saw it as another day. 26,000 people got on commuter trains, got in cars, and made their way to the Pentagon. And they saw it as just another day. People boarded four different airlines. They did not have a clue there will be hijacking and their planes would crash. To them it was just another day. And the amazing thing is, it was just a normal day. Maybe that's why the scripture says Don't say that I'll go to the city or I'll go to that city. Because it says you don't know what a day holds.

14, he asked, What is your life? And he answers, It's but a vapor that appeareth for a time, soon it vanisheth away. I trust that we can learn from September 11 the brevity of life you say Well, Pastor, people just get older they die. Hey, I've been here more than 30 years. Think back across the way of how many young people that I've buried in these last 30 years, in this little vicinity. Some from overdose of drugs, others killed in car wrecks out here on the roadways and some of just have natural causes. The number mounts up and I'm just simply trying to say to you, we need to realize that we're not promised a tomorrow.

And September 11th ought to be a reminder of that to all of us.

You will die the brevity of life. Don't get too busy. The poet said to busy to read the Bible, too busy to wait and pray. Too busy to speak out kindly to someone who passes by the way. Too busy working and worrying to think of the life to come. Too busy building earthly mansions to plan for heaven above. Too busy to help a brother who faces the winter blast too busy with his burden that nobody had any time that lasts. Too busy for all that is holy on earth beneath the sky.

Too busy to serve the master but not too busy to die. September 11th ought to be a reminder of the brevity of life. But there's another thing it ought to be a reminder the blessings of freedom. Why did those radical Islamic terrorists attack America? Because they hate what America stands for. They hate the God of America. They despise capitalism. They despise the fact that we have all kinds of freedoms. And may I say freedom is biblical. Freedom is not America's gift to the world.

Freedom is God's gift to the world. Listen to what Galatians 3:28 says, there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond or free, there is neither

Galatians 3:28

for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. We're equal. When our leaders at great sacrifice and peril and risk, signed that Declaration of Independence. After they signed that document, the first place they mailed it was not to the town clerk's. It was not to the newspapers, they mailed it to the local pastors of churches.

And on that Sunday after they received this document, the Declaration of Independence, seeking freedom from tyranny, and the king. After they preached their sermon from the Word of God, they held up that Declaration of Independence and begin to read. And they read that we hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal. We're all endowed with certain unalienable rights, and among them is life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Any of you appreciate your rights? Do you realize you cross down into Mexico, where they're coming in by the millions, illegals into our country, and our political system is allowing all of that to happen? Putting them on the payroll, putting them on the system, breaking the back to the American people, you go down into Mexico and see how many feet you can go without a checkpoint and a machine gun.

The corruption and in all of these other countries, we've got special rights, and we don't even realize it.

Half of our people are protesting and saying it's not right that we have rights. Do you women appreciate your rights? If you were over in Saudi Arabia, you couldn't wear makeup. You couldn't get a driver's license. You're not allowed to drive a car. Women you couldn't wear perfume. If you go outside in the public, you have to wear a veil and a covering totally over your head and face. Even blink your eyes your husband just wrong, he can nearly beat you to death. Why?

Because they have no rights.

They're not free. And our country is founded upon the foundation of something that's very biblical, and that is the blessing of freedom. Free at last, thank God we're free.

We're founded upon the foundation that there is a freedom of expression, and founded upon the foundation that we have freedom to worship God.

We're founded upon the foundation that we have the rights to bear arms and protect ourselves, even from the intrusion of the government. The freedom of speech. I don't know about you, the men or women that have stood and protected that for these years, we ought to applaud them that we're in debt and we owe them gratitude that have kept us safe. And on this day, tomorrow, we should remember the brevity of life. On this day, tomorrow, we need to celebrate the blessings of freedom. And on this day, tomorrow, we should remember the brave and the courageous. You want to know where we're at as a nation. I mean, to be real honest with you. You want to know where we're at. There's a little verse over there in Psalm 12 Verse eight you need to read it again. Because you'd have to get your head out of the sand to do that. And it reads like this The wicked walk on ever side that's where we're at. Doorbell rings and you're looking for a gun you don't know who's at your door anymore. You drive down the highway you don't know for sure whether you'll make it through the city or not. The crime rates pretty high here in our local little city in case you didn't know, it is one of the highest scores in America. Little old country city. He said the wicked walk on ever side, When? Well it tells you it said when the vilest men are exalted. That's where we are. Wicked should walk on every side. Why did America give the Arthur Ashe Courageous Award to the guy they gave it to here some time ago? Who do you think's the bravest man pastor?

Well, I can tell you it wasn't who they gave it to. They gave it to Caitlyn Jenner. Maybe I've lost my mind. Maybe I've gone crazy. The last thing I knew he said that he was no longer he but he was a she. So if you're gonna give it to the courageous man that's a she. I'm just talking. Right after 9/11 we had an appreciation for people that I still think we ought to appreciate it and that's the men and women in blue. I think they ought to be honored, not undermined and underpaid.

When 9/11 happened while people were running out of the building, there were 343 firemen that ran into the building.

While people are coming out 343 firemen ran into the building that never came out. They paid the ultimate price. Do you know who the first victim was of 9/11? It was a chaplain for the New York Fire Department, man by the name of Mychal Judge. He happened to be a Roman Catholic priest and he volunteered to be a chaplain, when he saw those firemen go in. He said they ought not go in alone, and he went in and never came out. May I say about heroes, keep them close. You don't know about that crowd way off yonder. But you know about that school teacher that's been good to your boy or good to your girl and kept them from failing spent time and believed in him. That ought to be your hero. Your hero ought to be that law enforcement officer that stopped that fight up town last night while you slept. That hero ought to be an EMT person that kneels beside you in that car wreck while you're bleeding to death and stops the bleeding and gets your heart going again and spends extra hours, that ought to be our hero. Keep them close to home. On flight 93 they heard the report the three other planes that just crashed. Their phones rang and they picked them up and they were told did you hear about the plane crash into the World Trade Center terrorists are attacking and then another plane. And then they were told a plane hit the Pentagon. And suddenly they realized the cockpit had been taken over. The doors have been locked. And they were being held captive by terrorists. Some of them got together there was a Todd Beamer, Jeremy Glick and there was a Tom Burnett. They hid in the back of the plane and put their heads together and said we're under attack, three planes have already been crashed into buildings. And no doubt they're planning to either use this plane to crash the Capitol building or the White House.

We're gonna die either way this thing goes. We need to think about this. What are we going to do? We can either let the plane crash and kill multiplied 1000s or we can crash the cockpit and down the plane in some field.

We're going to die anyway. They said let's take a vote. Let's take a vote. They said we need to take a vote. Next time you sit at home when there's an election, you need to go vote.

People died to give you the right to vote, America needs to vote. Well I don't believe in either one. Well, vote on the least of the two then. They took a vote. They decided to charge the cockpit a couple the waitress said, we can get you some boiling hot water in some pots and give it to you that when you break the door through you can throw it on him. That plane crashed, no doubt 1000s of lives possibly were saved. And we ought to decide that 9/11 who the real heroes are and remember that and who the brave and the courageous are. I'm not saying that some athlete isn't a hero, but that's not the real hero.

And that Hollywood star, that's not the real hero. The real hero might be your next door neighbor that gets up every morning and goes down to the factory and works a job to keep the economy going and factories going in our city going in America going.

Going in to teach our kids at school, going to the fire department, standing shoulder to shoulder with their neighbors for what is right. That's the real heroes. There's another thing we ought to remember from 9/11. It's the beauty and the importance of words, words matter. They said that flight 93 received at least two dozen phone calls. People had relatives on that plane and they called them. Jeremy Glick called his wife from his cell phone there on that plane. Liz picked up the phone. She was already aware that planes were crashing.

And he said, we're on a plane that no doubt is going to crash.

And they whispered to each other. I love you. She said, we probably said I love you more than 1000 times before that plane went down. And oh, what a peace it brought into that time in our life. Listen closely.

Proverbs 18 Verse 21, says life and death are in the power of the tongue. You never know when it'll be your last opportunity to tell your spouse how much you love them. And to call someone that's been a friend and tell them how much you appreciate them. If we learn anything from 9/11, it's the beauty of words.

Proverbs 18:21

Don't miss the opportunity one more time to say you have made a difference in my life. Quickly remember the benevolence of God.

Someone asks, Where was God at during this tragedy? Well, ask the Colonel Jeffrey O'Leary, he was with the United States Air Force who wrote a book entitled where was God during 9/11. And he shares this. He said on American Airlines flight 77, 289 seats were available. Only 65 were on board. On American flight 11, 251 seats were available only 91 or 92 were on board. On United Airlines flight 175, 351 seats were available only 65 were on board. United Airlines flight 93, 289 seats were available only 49 seats were occupied. What are you trying to say? I'm saying out of a minimum of 75,000 potential victims 93% of them survived this despicable act. The Pentagon was hit, hit in its strongest place. It just so happened that in both of those sections renovations were being done. There was hardly anybody in there. Why was that? Just think about it for a moment. Why was it that the buildings there in New York City kept standing and 10s of thousands were able to exit? Think about it. Where was God on September 11th. Same place he was on September the 10th. The same place he is today. You say God's in control.

Was he in control of your life last week? So from September 11th, may we learn not to ask why God, but to say God, what is it you want to do at this point in my life? And I'm closing down if I can the benefits of knowing God. Somebody said September the 11th. That's nine plus one plus one equal 11. There were 111 days left in the year. 119 was the area code for Iraq and Iran.

One plus one plus nine equals 11. The Twin Towers looked like the number 11. The first plane to hit was flight 11. New York was the 11th state to form in the colonies. Afghanistan has 11 letters in name. Flight 11 had 92 people on board nine plus two equal 11. The Pentagon has 11 letters, flight 77 had 65 people on it. Six plus five equal 11.

Does that mean anything pastor?

I don't know whether it does or not, I was just sharing it. But this is what I do know. Number 11 in the Bible is the number for chaos. And I'm here to tell you as a pastor, these are chaotic days in America. I've never seen so much chaos. I've talked to at least two or three people in the last week that see a civil war coming. We can look another way from our little farming community, but something's happening.

I want you to see something it's Matthew 25, beginning in verse one, then shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened unto 10 Virgins that took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were wives, and five of them were foolish. And they that were wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. Oil has always represented the Holy Spirit. I don't know about you. But I'm saying God, I want to be filled with your Spirit. I want to be guided by your Holy Spirit. I want to be led by the Spirit. I want to walk in the Spirit. But though, wise took oil in their vessels with the lamps while the bridegroom tarried they all slumbered and slept. So while Jesus is still in heaven, and is about to come back, he shows us here the church slumbering and sound asleep. A.W. Tozer said if the Holy Spirit were taken out of most churches, 95% of them in America would not have to change a thing. Slumbering, sleeping, and we ought to be fervent. And at midnight, there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh go out to meet him. Now listen, the number 12 means divine government. So I want you to know this. The number 11 is chaos. But after the chaos, there's going to be the King of Kings is going to return back to Earth and going to set up a rule and reign and governed by divine government. Pastor, What about the tragedy that happened on September 11? You believe it was prophesied? I don't know. But those 19 Islamic terrorists.

They were taught early on to believe in Allah, not God, but Allah. They read the Koran. The Koran told him they were to live pure. They were not to look up on a woman, let alone have relationship. And yet, most of that 19 spent the night before in a porn theater. They were taught by the Koran that if you give your life as a martyr, killing what they call infidels are Christians, that you would go to paradise and have virgins 72 of them you would receive.

Just give your life for Allah.

Let me tell you what John said in the 16 chapters of this book, the first two verses, These things have I written unto you that you should not be offended.

The time cometh that whosever kills you will think that he do with God, service. And they're told that they're killing infidels or so called Christians, that they're doing God or Allah, a service, killing the Jews kill the Americans. I want you to know that there's 19 radical Islamic terrorists that died as martyrs that someday soon are going to stand before a Jew. Jesus Lamb of glory and given count just because you're American doesn't mean you're going to go to heaven. Just because you're patriotic doesn't mean you're going to heaven.

Just because you've served in the military forces doesn't mean you go to heaven. Because you met a good man or a good woman doesn't mean you're going to go to heaven. You got to repent of your sins forsaken. Place your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

God's doing his best to get to us. I read again Romans one enrollments to and started to the book of Romans and Romans chapter one. God reveals that he's sharing with the dark dehethen as the creater. When they look around at creation those stars place like diamonds against a black velvet, midnight sky. When the sun pokes its head up in the morning and the moon hangs there at night, that there has to be a divine designer. God said, I'm speaking to you through creation. By chapter two, he said, I'm speaking to you through your conscience. May I add in conclusion this morning, God is speaking through his church. If you go to hell from America with all the churches you could not go to hell from a worse place. For you will have to walk through a lot of light. Christian radio, Christian television, Christian youtube, all the gospel that's coming our way until the lights up our path. You won't be able to say I didn't know. Nobody told me. God's every where. The spirit, that's the Holy Spirit and the bride that's the church, say come, let him that is athirst come to the water of life. You say, Pastor, if I were to die right now, I could not say that I have a hope of heaven. Not that assurance of heaven. But preacher, I still don't want to go to hell either.

May I say to you, as a pastor, more than 30 years here. If you're not right with God, it's high time. 9/11 is a reminder.

You don't know what's going to happen next. And life is so brief. And during that little moment between birth and burial, you better reach out and get a hold of God and get acquainted with God. Because someday soon, preacher and people will all stand before God and will give an account of the deeds done in the body while here on Earth.

Thanks for being a part of the voice of the Nazarene visitors every Sunday at 9am with BNC's Pastor Ray LaSalle. For more information regarding BNC visit Bucyrus nazarene.org