If you visited this site's home page, you will have come to know that foreign relations and national security news, research books by military experts, and Biblical prophecy alarmingly coincide to warn us about the reality of an imminent nuclear holocaust in the U.S.A.! The NYC tragedy was the horrific consequence of U.S. involvement in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and America's military presence in Islamic countries. The once-hypothetical concerns about increased terrorism in the U.S are now an everyday reality, and the rumor that the Palestinian intifada will soon erupt into a full-scale Israeli-Arab war is now on the brink of fulfillment.
Yet suffering and even death are not the ultimate tragedies to be feared. It is the sting of death which is most deadly, which is sin. This is an earnest warning to you (whether you are a religious or non-religious person) that the gravest danger you face is dying in your sins! To escape the judgment by fire which is to come (both physically and spiritually), your sins MUST must be washed away here and now and your name MUST be written in the "Book of Life".
Since humankind began, consciousness of sin, taking revenge, sacrificing innocent life to appease divine wrath, and fear of judgment after death have been intuitive to the human conscience regardless of culture. Yet through the Jews God gave the full understanding of the atoning value of innocent blood (Leviticus 17:11,14), and through the Hebrew prophets God gradually unveiled the only terms for salvation that were acceptable to Him.
God gave an exclusive and blemishless (i.e. without the sinful human nature) scapegoat offering for our sin, knowing that we could never attain to His standard of righteousness by our own efforts (i.e. all our righteousness is like wearing "filthy rags" in God's sight). At the right time in history, Jesus Christ came into the world to save us from sin by fulfilling God's requirements for righteousness (as given to the Jews) in the "Law and the Prophets" (see Matt. 5:17-30). Being the very nature of God (i.e. conceived by the Holy Spirit) temporarily clothed in human flesh, Jesus Christ alone became the only perfect sacrificial "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). He warned those of His day, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He (the Savior of the world, whose atoning blood can wash away your sin), you shall die in your sins..." (John 8:23-24)
To the religiously zealous followers of "The Good Book" Jesus Christ even warned, "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life" (John 5:39-40)
Even regarding the NYC tragedy Jesus would say today:
Do you suppose that these [Americans who died] were greater sinners than all other [Americans], because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no, but, unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
Or do you suppose that those [6000 Americans] on whom the [Twin Towers in NYC] fell and killed them, were worse culprits than all the [people] who live in [America]? I tell you, no, but, unless you repent, you will all likewise perish...
Jesus has revealed that there is clearly no everlasting spiritual life in following any religious book, rules or creeds. The ONLY way God can put eternal life into your soul is summed up here:
"For God so LOVED the world, that He gave His ONLY begotten Son, that whoever BELIEVES in Him should not perish, but have ETERNAL life." (John 3:16)
First you must confess that you are a sinner separated from God, Who is holy beyond the reach of even the highest human standards of righteousness. Jesus explained that selfish anger and hatred are as murder in God's sight, and lustful thoughts are as adultery, and according to God's absolute standard, both are deserving of death and eternal separation from God (Matthew 5:17-30).
Just as a death-row prisoner cannot be delivered from the death-penalty by any amount of good deeds once the sentence has been passed, neither can you deliver yourself from the death-sentence of eternal separation from God. And this is a serious appeal for you to thankfully receive as a free gift the ONLY way in human history to be released from the eternal death penalty you face because of your sins.
In light of what God revealed throughout the Hebrew "Law and the Prophets", the Bible clearly explains:
"...it is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes JUDGMENT" (Heb. 9:27)"There is NONE righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God...there is no distinction; for ALL have sinned and FALL SHORT of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:10-11,22-23)
"ALL of us like SHEEP have gone ASTRAY, each of us has turned to his OWN way" (Isa. 53:6)
"But God DEMONSTRATES His own love toward us, in that while we were yet SINNERS, Christ DIED for us" (Rom. 5:8)
"For the wages of SIN is DEATH, but the FREE GIFT of God is ETERNAL LIFE in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 6:23)
"Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried...He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon HIM, and by HIS scourging we are healed...the LORD had caused the iniquity of us ALL to fall on Him" (Isa. 53:4-6)
"...BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, [you AND your household]" (Acts 16:30)"The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart...that if you CONFESS with your mouth Jesus as LORD, and believe in your HEART that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the HEART man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the MOUTH he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes in Him will NOT be disappointed." (Rom. 10:8-11)
"REPENT, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)
"I am the WAY, and the TRUTH, and the LIFE; no one comes to the Father, but through ME." (John. 14:6)"TRULY, TRULY, I say to you, I am the DOOR of the sheep...if anyone enters through ME, he shall be SAVED, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." (John 10:7,9)
"The thief [the devil/"father of all LIES"/Satan, who enters into "the fold of the sheep" by climbing up "some other way"] comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it ABUNDANTLY." (John 10:1,10)
"I am the GOOD shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His LIFE for the sheep." (John 10:11)
"Behold, I stand at the door and KNOCK; if any one hears My voice and OPENS the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me." (Rev. 3:20)
"..he [John the Baptist] saw JESUS coming to him, and said, "Behold, the LAMB of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)"..although He existed in the form of God, [He, Jesus Christ] did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the NAME which is ABOVE EVERY NAME, that at the name of JESUS every knee should BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should CONFESS that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of GOD the Father." (Phillip. 2:6-11)
"Worthy art Thou [the Lamb] to take the book [of Life] and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy BLOOD men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation... And EVERY created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying,
"To Him who sits on the throne [i.e. God the Father], AND to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."
(Rev. 5:9,13)
