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September 11, 2018 4:30 pm
As we remember the tragic events of 9/11 friends. I've got some words of redemption, encouragement and strength today stalking for the line of fire with your host activist all the international speaker and theologian Dr. Michael Brown your voice of moral cultural and spiritual revolution Michael Brown is the director of the coalition of conscience and president of fire school of ministry get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34-TRUTH. That's 866-34-TRUTH here again is Dr. Michael Brown, depending on where you live in the United States and in your life experience you are affected more or less by the tragic events of 17 years ago. September 11, 2001, but all of us in America have been affected one way or another. And as we look to the somber memorial again today.
I'll only be worse redemption and hope and encourage and challenge this is Michael Brown. Thanks friends for tuning into the line of fire today, so glad to spend this time with you. I'm assuming you're not living listening. Live your jogging and listening via podcast you're catching the YouTube video afterwords but everyone recognize that the words I speak I'm speaking today on September 11, 2018.
If you like to call if you have thoughts that are relevant to today's subject, not just random Bible questions or other questions, bombings, call that being said questions about radical Islam are welcome questions about Islamic terrorism are welcome today as well. 866-34-TRUTH so we were living in Pensacola, Florida the day of the terrorist attacks and my normal habit unless I have to teach early in the morning or speak early in the morning or travel early in the morning.
My normal habit is to go to sleep very late at night and to get up later in the morning so when the terrorist attacks first happened I I was not awake or just getting up when the first tower in New York City was hit and then watching the news. It seemed beyond surreal to see the second tower hit both Nancy and I from New York. She from Long Island may from New York city and then Long Island. But of course some of friends, family members, relatives in the greater New York area so it hit us may be more than it with hit somebody live in the Midwest or California that was and is connected to New York, but we went living there in effect at the same way, except as the day wore on, Nancy sister Robin remembered that the brother Douglas used to work at the World Trade Center, though he hadn't for some time, but he used to work at the World Trade Center just so happened that that day, young man, what that point they 30s and fortyish, married with two young children. He just happened to be doing a display some work at the World Trade Center and was tragically killed.
So it did affect us.
Of course Nancy even more than it would have just as other people watching, so it's it forced me to look more and think more about the victims the families the love ones. Those that that never heard back that from a father from a mother from a brother from a sister from a child from a close friend and obviously this happens every day. So Microsoft working dies in an accident someone has a heart attack and unexpectedly is lost, but what happens with this ferocity when it happens. With this intentionality when it happens. With this ugliness when it happens to so many. At the same time and now is a red thousands of the first responders because of what they were exposed to environmentally that thousands contracted cancer and then order came down with cancer will deliver the proper term would be and then one of her sons-in-law's a firefighter and he followed closely. What happened to many of the friends of firefighters that that were killed. Remember they got there in they were in the building they were doing with they do heroically going into the midst of the tragedy and looking to get people out and and deal with whatever was going on, not realizing that the buildings would come down so they ran into the danger and died there as a result of that through many suicides in here about this so much I would've known about is not from a son-in-law, but there were many suicides in the in the months and years that followed, and in some of the shocking scenes, people jumping out of the bills. And what's more terrifying than jumping out of a skyscraper. And yet people did that to get away from the fire. A horrific tragedy and carried out specifically by hatred by evil carried out because of radical Islamic theology carried out to attack America because America is the perceived great Satan in the radical Islamic world carried out because of our solidarity with Israel carried out for a number of reasons and in that sense we have been at war with these radical terrorists ever since being in Afghanistan or other parts of the world to this day in their radical Islamic terrorists in our midst. Would love to carry out a 9/11 every day if they could obviously with a greatly increased security.
Obviously, we've infiltrated the ranks of these Terrace release gotten closer to pick up more chatter and understand with their wanted you before they do it and obviously God's gracious hand of mercy has prevented even more disasters from comic. That being said there. There's a lot to think about.
There's a lot to reflect on on this 9/11. I do just tweeted out moments before the show that at its very heart essence terrorism wants to instill terror it wants to paralyze by fear and when I think of Terrace and the first thing that I think of is is acts of violence and think of the word terror but that that that is at the heart of it. These are acts of violence, with the goal of instilling terror with the goal of intimidating with the goal of paralyzing by fear, so the very first thing that you have to do with terrorism is refused to bow down to it, yes, use wisdom, yes, use caution I mean when you fly if you just going to general security.
If you don't have some prioritized check-in method you just going to general security yet take your shoes off, why because there was a shoe bomber.
There was a guy with explosiveness chooses tried to set them off on plane and and he might have successfully done it without anyone knowing what it happened in the plane going down but he was not successful people so I'm trying to do what he was doing the radical Islamic terrorist were tempted terrorist.
So take your shoes off because those have to be scanned and you take your laptop out because of the potential of explosives or other devices that could be in a laptop enough, take out other devices but laptops yes you take your belt off etc. you go through all the screening so use wisdom, caution, and obviously you push back whenever possible in a military way, the attitude some of the attitude and and friends.
I have never been that close to Terrace. I was preaching in India once when radical Hindu diligence took over the meeting and they been guilty of a bloodbath. Years ago, in the very city where we were and they took over the meeting, but I the presence of God was there so strongly my desire to reach them so strongly and even see that knives and razor blades in their hands and just just care about them and thought okay where was coming late to come but we gotta preach the gospel, but I've never been in a setting where were Terrace were killing people and you you could be next. But a few times I've had dreams and and in my dream there were Muslim terrorists getting closer and closer to a neighborhood where I was humming. These were prophetic dreams that this may been on my mind for things I was writing a study and and in the dream I felt the intensity of the fear paralyzing fear. So get like I can't speak to it firsthand some of you who were soldiers in been in battle he could. So let me tell you about it. Dr. Bella, I could lecture you about this.
I could tell you something others who been in situations where literally the hostage situation or or you are victim of rape or some Haar like that you can speak to it more directly, but that's that's the intimidating power. That's the paralyzing power for and it wants you to capitulate it once you run so the very first thing you have to do is determine were not going to bow down to terror were not going to bow down to that spirit were not going to bow down to that attitude and friends. Please understand.
The goal of terrorism is not just what's carried out in a particular act is to spread that terror to spread that sense of fear to paralyze normal life operations to get people to change their behavior.
Yes I've had threats and I was told in one particular trip in one particular country that there was a concern that radical terrorists, radical Muslims were going to try to attack me.
I prayed and felt there was nothing to it and there was nothing to it. At that point, but little left of that has a gun to my head below on site bottom-line friends. We as God's people must have a spirit of faith, encourage and strengthen God knowing that whatever comes our way. If someone kills the body but can't kill the soul. Knowing that whatever comes our way.
If we die we live on knowing that whatever comes our way. Greater see who's in us than he was in the world, knowing that whatever comes our way.
In Jesus we are more than conquerors through him who loved us, knowing that we overcome Satan and his power by the blood of the Lamb. Think of how Jesus overcame we overcome by the blood of the Lamb by the word of our testimony and by not loving our lives, even to the point of death, so let me speak to the broader concern the broader issue of fear what's coming next week and would be victims what's hi here with this report. I hear that report I hear these Terrace to camping out here. I hear they're coming through the southern border.
I hear their sleeper cells. Fear not. I'm not saying there's no danger in not saying the wrong people and callous look.
Bottom-line, the devil is worse. There's many terrorist's worst news. Many Osama bin Laden there are any Isis or anybody else any other group. Satan himself is far worse news than any terrorist out there and it is God's people. We are told not to fear him as God's people are told not to fear people as God's people. We are called only to fear him, and to reverence him in that way he who holds the power of life and death in his hands in the name of the Lord friends is a strong tower is a place of refuge, yet I live in North Carolina currently there is a very serious hurricane coming away hurricane Florence so people on the coast of North Carolina went up the coast of the coast. They've already been told to evacuate North Carolina, South Carolina, and in other places you take precautions in an you do what you do you stockpile this retreat is what ever but we as God's people do not live with the spirit of fear when it comes to terrorism comes to radical Islam comes to our enemies that will destroy us the right basis is the only fear the Lord God Almighty, the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown voice of moral cultural and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown thanks friends. Joining us today.
Tax again when you look back at the intensity of what happened when you look back the gravity of what happened when you look back at the massive scale of what happened when you look back at the pictures when you hear the stories of the families and and on and on. You realize that it's right it's important for us to stop or normal lives and to think back to what happened and to reflect in a way that is redemptive in a way that can bring hope in the way that can be constructive.
All right, when the attacks took place. There was a youth pastor in Seattle and he communicated something to some leaders afterwards. That was quite a shock was a shock to him was shocking to us assured it many times, but allow me to share it again because this is the West Coast because there three hours after Eastern time Eastern daylight Time so by the time they were going to school out of the West Coast. Everything had really unfolded the terrorist attacks the first two, at least if if not, third or even the fourth plane down. These things have unfolded most if not all of them and this youth pastor was part of a big church there in Seattle and he he knew that the kids had a lot of kids in the youth group that ran some of the different high schools, so he knew they'd be pretty traumatized by this pretty upset by it. So he decided on to get up to the schools and store the one particular school and started running into kids there for you.
Okay, there's nonbelieving kids that it can be pretty shook up there believing kids going to be shook up and start talking some the kids and some of nonbelieving kids started talking to them and they were quite nonchalant not understand. If this happens, say in LA that would impact people in LA and California more than New York understand something happen in Seattle they deem far more impacted than if they lived in Florida. I understand that this is across the country, but they were nonchalant and when he began to press like what you nonchalant as the were the worst days in American history and horrific attack is akin to it to it to Pearl Harbor of decades earlier that this is this is a dark dark time. This is a hero's was coming next. They were nonchalant. Why this is like grade B-movie that only say they watch what happened to them. It look like some fake movie some poor sci-fi movie. Some poor action-adventure movie and so they nothing to compete with their videogames. In other words, they had been so hardened by a culture this is 2001 friends by a culture that sees violence day and night that sees high-tech graphics of every type of explosion in crash and murdering whatever bombs seems in the video games bring in reality right to where they are virtual-reality another become players and at the left is nothing so this was real one. This was real life. This was real life people dying people getting maimed lies being cut short unspeakable tragedy affecting tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands because the ripple effect on levels and families that they were so hardened, so desensitized by the other stuff that it made it difficult for them to feel the weight of this reality to empathize, to sympathize friends at scary not to look this is not every body's is not all young people. This is not everybody in in Seattle the West Coast of the state of Washington are okay. We we understand that I'm not making a sweeping generalization, but I'm saying he ran into this a lot that day and it shocked him now. I said many time understand that there plenty of people who are entertained by violence who watch violent video games, etc. and they're not out killing people and they're not acting these things out and they are not social misfits but there plenty of others were there can be no doubt that this stuff pushes them over or that this stuff plays into ugly things within them with this stuff helps desensitize them, so that when the enemy comes knocking at their door opportunity comes knocking at the door. It's all too easy for them to take the next step or those who are already mentally ill and now give themselves to these things that I have a hard time distinguishing between fantasy and reality. Am I saying there's a direct connection between violent movies, violent video games and the 9/11 terrorist act now. No, obviously not course, not these radical Muslims. This was part of their ideology infected few minutes I want to get into their ideology and challenge us to say. Are we is devoted to life as they were death always devoted to setting people free and and and and bring restoration as they were to bring destruction some honest questions to ask. All right, but but here he friends we do well to sensitize ourselves. We do well to separate ourselves from things that are unclean and defiling we do well to to take things in our hearts are mind that bring life that bring redemption that bring hope and not to saturate ourselves day and night with images of death and dying involves it's one thing if you are ministering in the midst of that and you're surrounded by because you are ministering in the midst of the pain, but then you'd be the first to say the last thing I want to do with my free time is fill my mind even more with those images I need to focus on life and and hope and redemption friends. We are to be children of the light, not children of the darkness and when radical Muslims say this. This was a quote after the terrorist attacks in Spain some years ago you love life. We love death when they say that they they're not speaking for almost certainly with their speaking for the mentality of radical Islam and it's a whole different way of thinking. How do we fight that we fight that by loving life. We fight that by being people of life.
We fight that by having a hope that is stronger than their hatred but by having a love that is stronger than their dedication to evil by having a commitment to the, the God of life in the God of light that is greater than their commitment to a God of darkness, and the God of destruction and again it just look at the clock on the on the other side of the break the other side of the breakup of Alana contrast their commitment to evil. With our commitment to good but let me say this one last thing. This is not the time to get political. This is not the time to get political. Joe Scarborough morning Joe, MSNBC, and editorial. The Washington Post, and the editorial has a picture of the horror of 9/11 World Trade Center and when he tweeted out his latest article.
It has that picture and all of you know if you've read my articles if you do read my forthcoming book Donald Trump is not my Savior all you know that I been critical when the president sends out some of the streets. For example, court calling Joe Scarborough psycho Jill Miller just courage to be a strong supporter of Donald Trump so when when he's been the victim when Joe Scarborough's been the one attacked. I spoke out against that and you probably heard me mention his name in years and years on the radio because I'm not primarily a political commentary commentator I deal with issues that that are important in my heart because of the larger culture cultural, social, moral, spiritual concerns, but when Joe Scarborough puts out this article.
Here's what he says is that Pres. Trump is the more harm to American dreams than any terrorist or any foreign power, Joe Scarborough said friends that is despicable.
His words, Trump is damaging the dream of America more than any terrorist attack ever could. And there is a picture of the rubble. There's the picture of the horror of the 911 attacks that's obscene that's obscene that is completely uncalled for. That is trying to score a political point at the expense of the blood and the pain of the victims and their families. That's unacceptable that that is that is far worse than Pres. Trump: Joe Scarborough psycho Joe so II just want to draw attention to that.
Can we can we not politicize the day. Yeah, I personally think Donald Trump is a far better president to combat radical Islam then Barack Obama George Bush is my personal view, but today is not my day to be talking about that in a major way because to talk about Pres. Trump today and focus on that is to focus on what divides us right now, rather than what unites us is a you just talked about and I talked about them in the context of saying please can we go a day without politicize in the day. I appreciate the president drawing attention to today. I appreciated his ongoing war against radical Islam by name when Pres. Obama memorialize the day.
I appreciate that I appreciated the efforts of President Bush in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in the years that followed. I appreciate when our presidents have done with some of their policies today is not day politicize. I hope Scarborough will have this class in the Integra apologize to say my timing was very bad error on the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown.
Your voice is more cultural and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. I have here the words and you are listening to, watching, participating in the line of fire. Michael Brown thanks for being with us on this important day here these words and tell me if your heart doesn't resonate with them. Purify your soul from all unclean things completely forget something called this world. The time for play is over and the serious time is upon us. How much time is wasted in our lives should we take advantage of these last hours to offer good deeds and obedience. Now if you're like me you hear words like that. Say amen yes Lord, I want my life to count. I want to get caught up with the things of this world so many petty distractions on focus on you and be with you and and I want my life to count to touch others. So, my life makes sense in light of eternity. Resonate with that type of sentiment, but in this case is not good words friends words I just read to you were evil words from evil men in the midst of an evil religious expression. These were the words read in preparation for the 911 terrorist attacks. When we read it again this text was found. The hotel rooms with not sure if was all the terrorists are one of the terrorists in Arabic but listen to the words again purify your soul from all unclean things. These are the Islamic instructions completely forget something called this world or this life. The time for play is over and the serious time is upon us.
How much time we wasted our lives should we take advantage of these last hours to offer good deeds and obedience is a good deeds good deeds killing people murdering people in cold blood. That's good deeds. That's obedience obviously does the works of Satan himself works of destruction works of ugliness works of darkness, works of hatred, despicable works and yet in their demented minds they were doing good in their demented minds.
They were obeying the law in their demented minds.
They were fighting for a good cause that now you hear me they were fighting for a cause that they were willing to die for. That's how demented they were there willing to die in the cause of killing others and of course in their demented theology. They thought this was the sure way to paradise you had no other sure way to paradise is a Muslim, other than dying as a martyr in the cause of Allah and this would guarantee you paradise in the 70 virgins and all the other nonsense taught in this theology, but what strikes me is that the only way they could do with they did and take some of the laws was by giving their own loss.
That's the only way they think they had to sacrifice their own lives in order to take all these other laws that's how devoted they were to evil. Here's my quest on this question I've asked many a time, they had no assurance of forgiveness of sins terms of in this world. They did not have a Savior who died on the cross is an expression of God's love for them. They did not have intimacy with God that they could call father. They did not have eternal life. They did not have the Holy Spirit all the things that all of us have as followers of Jesus, right, that none of those yet that's how devoted they were assumed they were just fanatics. The other fanatics in their just murders the other murders there just terrace the others terrorist but it all flowed out of their religious commitment.
When I am asking each of us to repeat those of us who have forgiveness of sins. Those was to have a Savior who demonstrated guzzler for a small die for us. Soon, those of us who have eternal life. Those of us who have the deposit of those were those of us who have intimacy with God is our father. Think of it, friends, or we is devoted in our love for God and our love for others as they were in their thoughts of destruction and evil or we is committed to doing good as they were to doing bad as we are are, or we has committed to saving lives as they are and were to destroying lives. These are serious questions to ask yourself. There's no question that these men were devout believers. They were devout believers and evil face radical Islam is an evil faith.
There is no question we shall see how Vargas stays his normal video on YouTube. All YouTube will remove whether there might they might remove whatever no big deal if they do, but will see your Facebook will will see but YouTube almost certainly will be monetized. So I tell you what they want to. What can I think men do this I would've done this before, but whoever you are watching this manually on YouTube. Okay, I respect the fact that you have guidelines to go by. I appreciate those guidelines when I want to ask you to do sir or ma'am or group of people it's more than one that makes these decisions. I'm not concerned about whether this is monetized or not.
If it's monetized, it's is going to bring in pennies is secular be viewed millions and millions of consulates the least of my concerns. Okay, but to the to the YouTube sensors are to the YouTube community guidelines. People understand you have a job to do in your gut. Millions of videos and all this between your team to look at all right.
So if you actually got this far actually got this far.
I'm not sure if you stop the Wantagh publisher for this announcement at the beginning all right but if you got this far, can ask you question since I did not to speak of Islam in general.
That's another's that's another discussion is always long radical as long as all Islam evils that that's that's a whole separate discussion to be had become happy to have another time, but my only discussion today so I'm at the evil radical Islam. The evil of the theology of the mindset of the ideology of the 9/11 terrorists and of the theology and ideology of Osama bin Laden, will you tell me that's hate speech to say that. Will you tell me that I'm violating community guidelines. When I say that, will you tell me that I'm saying anything that contradicts a single guideline on Facebook or on on YouTube for identifying terrorists in their ideology is evil and for doing it carefully and not just saying Muslims were Islam, but radical Muslims and radical Islam.
I'm curious, you gotta deal with that. So be curious to see what ends up happening with this video and if you got this far. Hey, thanks for taking the time to watch II appreciate that and was part of your job. But hey, is personal to use personal to me in terms of, this is what we do and I do very seriously. 4.so all my friends that are followers of Jesus do we live lives that makes sense in light of what we believe we really believe in a heaven and hell. Honestly honest really believe in any real future punishment, do we live as if there really are eternal rewards really honestly always caught up in the things of this world youth sports be of entertainment. Get possessions we is caught up these things is the rest of our society is not a sin to enjoy sports is not a sin to enjoy clean entertainment asserting that a sin to have possessions in nice possession. Some of the condition of our hearts. So I wrote an article 7 years ago we posted it a few times since it's called a wee more devoted than the 9/11 terrorists and I quote these words that I reach you earlier, the words they read before their dastardly acts and and I quote from some other leaders, political leaders, and even sports figures to make a point. But listen to what Mahatma Gandhi once said, the subject is the power of commitment. He said a reformer has to sale not with the current very often. He has to go against it. Even though it may cost him his life. You know, I know a lot of people are run into a lot of people were afraid to say something controversial on social media lest they lose friends to get unfriended for this to get locked it. It is not pathetic. You have people through history who have stood for all kinds of causes some good some bad. If people who have lost their lives for many causes some good some bad. And it those of us who have every reason to believe in the ultimate rightness of our causing Jesus. Those of us who have had more reason than any other human beings on the planet to be grateful to God because the perfect God sent his perfect son to die for our sins.
We often are some of the least committed folks out there I'm not here meet.
I'm not talking about going to do something radical extreme on the I'm not talking about doing something that you know standing in front of an abortion clinic in, and someone comes to abort their baby and you stand there in front of them say please don't with your body. If you talk about something like that, God forbid, you think I'm trying but it was still with a take up are no Gothic on the same course not. We overcome evil with good. We overcome hatred with love, we will will complies with truth, we overcome the power of the flesh with the power of the spirit.
Let the military do with the military does Christians revolve military file on the time of the I'm some of the way we live our lives, our willingness to stand for what's right or willingness to staff was true or her willingness to sit to tackle controversial issues or willingness to risk your reputation or willingness to risk a pay raise or promotion and/or recommendation of her scholarship.
I say this if I this people reject me as usual, we often use a strategy it is. It sounds great but doesn't work well, I'm not going to let anyone know who I really am now in the once I get promoted once again this position once I have this. This influence then I'll tell everybody who I have all problem is you ready to evolve the Penner fear is to be hard to break out of it. Later, someone number two. There's always going be another promotion, another open door and more influence. You just keep your mouth shut. You could live by that life for decades, and number three people you feel quite betrayed the one they promoted the one he backed and only listen to this and do they really thought you were so wonderfully possible. Now everybody respects Lusby C who are really slick what he tells you where you still want to scan years ago so I'm not for that strategy was a time in getting citizenship passport certainly lay low the course of our lives know let's be who we are with bring things to the light.
It's the line of fire with your host activist, author, international speaker and theologian Dr. Michael Brown voice of more cultural and spiritual revolution get into the line of fire now by calling 6643 here again is Dr. Michael Brown friends.
We have word challenge words of strength to bring today on this anniversary of 9/11, the mention right at the outset of the broadcast distro closer to home because like Nancy's brother Douglas was killed that day and it doesn't matter under what circumstances you are victim of terrorism that the it's tragic. It has the same impact on the family on the loved ones on those that were close to the suffering in the particular case of Nancy's brother he was.
Not normally working at the World Trade Center. He had years earlier, but he wasn't just happen to be in for tradeshow that day and was tragically killed. There is a fairy that was named after him. He commuted in by ferry into New York City verse was to get into the city. You can go over bridge you can go in a tunnel under the water. You can go ferry so he's to commute by ferry and there were various memorials that were made and waste remember so ferry was named after him. He was the commuter who never came back home.
But again, the tragedy strikes the pain, the agony of the families with lasting scars. Sometimes Nancy's tried to track things with with the family and maybe read a post by her late brother's daughter asking her to other memories. The people know him well, what can they in the telegraph. She was still a pretty young girl was flustered that I'm sure there are many stories of redemption. I'm sure there are many stories of miraculous protection that day. I'm sure there are stories of hope that is come out of hopelessness. There's no question about that, but many are still hurting.
Many are still torn apart many on this day of the year.
Go through memories that are far more painful than many of us can relate to. Can we pray for them. Kim even stopped for a moment. Now before I I come of the few words of encouragement can we do that and just pray, join with me with you father in the name of Jesus we ask for comfort for the family members.
The loved ones of those who were killed 9/11 for grace and mercy to those who suffered traumatic injuries for all those who were deeply affected by the day.
I pray to God that your redemptive hope which on fourth word.
Some have had a massive hole in them for 17 years. A whole. You can fill. It's not too late the hearts be turned on this anniversary.
The people look to you.
May those so depressed they want to commit suicide and stand find new hope and new life in Jesus.
The each of us be strengthened in our resolve to be ambassadors of hope and life and reconciliation in Jesus name thanks friends for doing that. So in my article, which you can read on screen.org are we more devoted than the 9/11 terrorists. I asked some questions. 2001, there was a Minnesota Vikings players so NFL player Cory Stringer and he died in practice. Now you have to understand that with all professional athletics. These athletes have to push themselves in practice the they have to be at maximum strength fitness and NFL practices are notoriously difficult, especially under certain coaches and they can be carried out in very hot settings. At times depends on the time of the year and this seemed to be a combination of the rigor of the work out in the heat and honesty something else in Cory Stringer's body, but but he died of course that sent shockwaves through the league. There's a real camaraderie among the players is much as they compete against each other. They they risk life and limb every game and in the aftermath of that I read this quote from NFL star grant was strong that friends this. This is rough talking terrorism now were not talking religious reformers were not talking political leaders told football players right Western said this, we play a rough game and none of us in the NFL got this far by being cautious with our bodies when reason I do what I do is that I'm willing to sacrifice and work when things are hard whether I'm not hot hurt or fatigued. I take pride in my ability to plow through discomfort.
That's what makes me a football player. Please say hey look, we know the risks we know or putting our bodies through but we do it anyway. That's how we got to be stars in the league.
God knows what these players play through pain, debilitating injuries risk of of lifelong problems. They play through the but there's a famous discussion that took place with Jerome Bettis, Jerome Bettis used to be known as the bus running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers. One of the better running backs of his generation and call the bus because he he was that a little slim guy and running backs often have real problems with their legs their knees as they get older because their bodies take so much damage so as he's gotten older, 30s, 40s been increasingly difficult for him to function normally, and someone interviewed him and said if you knew and and I will have the exact quote the exact ages okay so will this make this rough okay if you knew by the time you were 35 you couldn't get out of bed without extreme pain by the time you're 40, you couldn't make it through the day without injections and medication. By the time meeting for the pain by the time you're 45. You couldn't make it up and down a flight of steps on your own. Would you have played in the NFL anyway and Bettis answered basically said this.
If I had never played the game and you presented that to me this is the total paraphrase, if I'd never played the game and you presented that to me the no it wouldn't be worth it, but having played the game, having gone through what I did. Having experienced the glory of it in a winning super Bowls, being with his team and everything else he said yeah I would do it again I would do it again. I talked to another NFL player. I didn't know him but in college. He was one of the top players in his conference. He was in a real major national conference and was defensive player of the year. He told me that when he worked out. He worked out on his own because other players would slow him down some your your time at incredible devotion he was telling me about his injuries. He can't turn his neck without pain.
He's got back pain and he said I don't only show people this, but here, look and he he rolled up the cuff of his pants and he had this grotesque this light was like a fist sticking out of the side of his ankle.
He said yeah when they did surgery on the years, but they didn't quite know they're doing the way they know now have to get ankle replacement so I asked him the same question. In it he he told me he was a follower of Jesus. I said now you got these lifelong debilitating injuries and pain and a lot of those late 40s. At that time would you do the same thing again. Was it worth that he was ABSOLUTELY what I learned about teamwork about dedication about cooperation is what I learned in the NFL absolutely worth and that he's going when I can speak to that because of his body. It's his life here befriends we are not talking and NFL game. When I talk in the Super Bowl will not talking camaraderie on the team and joint dedication as beautiful and wonderful as those things can be in in their proper place were talking knowing God were talking forgiveness of sins were talking eternal life were talking being redeemed from the sin and filth and destruction of our own lives and coming into son ship daughter ship with the living God were talking about inexpressible and glorious joy. We talk about peace that surpasses understanding were talking about love beyond all to talk about all of those things all through the blood of the cross and yet I would dare say that in our daily lives. We have a fraction of the discipline and devotion of an NFL player and a fraction of the discipline and devotion of a social reformer and all the more embarrassingly fraction of the commitment of radical Muslim fraction commitment the terrorist to give his life for her life for their demented cause. You say you have those last people there demonized. I agree those last people there there taken over by the enemy in the sure could well be, and I do understand that there is a fanatical commitment that is very different than being a disciple.
I fully understand Jesus did not say going to all the world make fanatics. Is it going for the world and make disciples understands the difference but to student would you do this next time reading through the New Testament. Ask yourself, do I have the same commitment that the early disciples and ask yourself is, was what Jesus has called me to visit what I'm living with that visit the pistols and the test what they speak about Seth Wimbley just encourage you to live a life that makes sense in the light of eternity so you can be an ambassador of life and hope that the greatest message the world is ever heard. Got a message of liberty and freedom and forgiveness. May we bring it with hope and courage and strength lies in private. But the sacrifice on the cost of publishing today