A Moment of Silence and A Time to Speak 9-11-10

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I willing bow my knees and gratefully entrust my heart to You. I love You because You first loved me and gave Your life for me that I might live for You. … “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: … a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). On this day, this September day all the world now knows as 9-11, many will take a moment of silence to remember all the voices who were silenced and all the lives that were sacrificed in the moments of horrific cruelty, hatred, and terror of that day not that long ago. We’re silent for a moment because we can still hardly believe the astonishing fact that such a thing could happen, that the hearts and homes of our land could be violated in such violence and hatred. And we’re silent for a moment as our minds and our spirits still try to grasp the hideous glee of the demented murderers who shouted praises to a false god as faithful followers of a cruel and radical religion demanding the submission of all the world to their law and their lord. But how long will we remain silent, O Lord? Who will speak for those whose lives were lost? Who will speak for those who lost their lives that day in the rubble that some proclaim to be a monument of victory? And who will speak for those who lost their lives that day when their mother or father or husband or wife or best friend or next door neighbor never came home? We are not to be silent in speaking our grief. Nor are we to be silent in speaking our forgiveness as You bring us to that place of letting go of what was done in the past so that we can embrace our call to speak up and speak out for Your truth with our freedom in the present. Let us speak with a voice that’s first humbled in prayer, courageous in faith, tempered with truth, and bold in the fierce love of our faithful God. Let us speak as one in the unity of Your Spirit and the authority of Your name because we’ve bowed our knees to listen for Your voice so we can awaken and arise to speak with one voice a clear and distinct call to stand firm in the strength of our faith. If we fear and if we fail to speak with the voice of the freedom You’ve given us in our generation, established for us by the generations before us, then the generations after us may no longer have their freedom to speak their voice anymore. Let us not be silent, for You, O Lord, are not silent in the face of these fears and threats of forced submission through violence and terror. “Our God comes and does not keep silent, before Him is a devouring fire, and a mighty tempest all around Him. He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that He may judge His people: ‘Gather to Me My faithful ones, who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice!’ The heavens declare His righteousness, for God Himself is judge” (Psalm 50:3-6). Lord Jesus, teach us how to have Your nature and speak with Your voice by Your Holy Spirit in our world. You are both the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, and You are also the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. You are the One who was led to slaughter who opened not Your mouth, and You are One who will return in the skies with fire in Your eyes and sword in Your mouth. Teach us how to wise and innocent, how to be faithful and forgiving, how to be silent when we should and how to speak up when we should. Let our lives honor You in all things. Let out silence be deafening because we’re waiting for Your leading. And then let our voice be heard because it’s Your voice speaking through us. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Subscribe for free by email to me at Messiah Ministries: MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org To order my books and our ministry resources or contribute to our ministry on-line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Messiah Ministries; 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 God bless you!