CSN - LightWing Messages - 9/11/2022

Citizen Voice

Sep 12, 2022

The Lord’s Anger Against Israel

The Lord has sent a message against Jacob; it will fall on Israel.

All the people will know it—

Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria— who say with pride and arrogance of heart,

“The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have

been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.”

But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s foes against them and has spurred their enemies on. Arameans from the east and Philistines from the west have devoured Israel with open mouth.

Yet for all this, His anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. But the people have not returned to Him who struck them, nor have they sought the Lord Almighty.

So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day; the elders and dignitaries are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail. Those who guide this people mislead them, and those who are guided are led astray.

Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men, nor will he pity the fatherless and widows, for everyone is ungodly and wicked, every mouth speaks folly.

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.

Surely wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns, it sets the forest thickets ablaze, so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.

By the wrath of the Lord Almighty the land will be scorched and the people will be fuel for the fire; they will not spare one another. On the right they will devour, but still be hungry;on the left they will eat, but not be satisfied.

Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring.

Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh; together they will turn against Judah. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, His hand is still upraised.” Isaiah 9:8 - 21 (NIV)

FOUNDER’S MESSAGE:

Today the people of the world will possibly remember the horrific events on September 11, 2001.

Many Americans will certainly pause and remember Patriot Day and those who lost their lives

on that day and following the devastation of the attacks. Today, the United States today shows

up more as a Divided States of America in more ways than one. We have come a long, long way in the 21 years since that horrible tragedy.

Today, we offer two articles. The first is from Stephanie Mann who gives great advice in her

“Teach Youth: Adversity is your teacher,” which resonates very well with such a day in such a time as this. The second article I offer as a way of honoring those who stepped up in a time of most intense adversity to be of help to those in need, one way or another. The articles speak to the situation America finds itself in at this point in her history. 9/11 is about a distant past, ahd what Ms. Mann is touching upon is about our future as a people. It would be good if people took a bit of time today to simply consider the realities of both.

We hope our readers would consider all the messages in this edition relevant or meaningful and if readers know others who might value them as well, consider becoming an official LightWing messenger and please pass this newsletter on to those whom you feel would welcome it. Or simply, please receive it yourselves. May God bless all of our readers and all loved ones.

========================

May we, who are called by His name, humble ourselves, which in these days should be much easier within such a toxic spiritual environment; and to pray (in earnest - like our nation’s existence depends on it - because it does; and to seek His face (like never before), and sincerely repent (as in ‘fall on your knees” type of repentance), and turn from our wicked ways - because if we do not, our land will not be healed, but consumed by the wickedness of everyone who live in defiance of God and His coming Kingdom.

Teach Youth: Adversity is your teacher!

By Stephanie Mann

September 1, 2022

Would life change for children if they were taught to rely on their inner wisdom to overcome adversity?

Would human behavior be different if young people understood they are born with a strong and resilient spirit with the ability to develop self-confidence to be free from bullies and controlling people? Would we still have an epidemic of drug abuse and homeless citizens flooding our streets? Would anger and violence continue to create chaos in our homes and neighborhoods?

The movie "Lion" is a true story about a five-year-old boy who was lost in India. He tried to find help. A couple seemed compassionate and fed him. He instinctively knew they would harm him, and he ran away. How did he know he had to escape? He was only five years old.

Every living person, young or old, has inner wisdom! However, we must trust ourselves to rely on our instincts and intuition. Birds are protected by their instincts and some fly south for the winter. Animals herd together for protection from predators. Why would human beings be less self-aware?

As a crime and violence prevention specialist, I heard, "I didn't feel safe walking into the elevator with that man." She was raped. "It didn't feel right letting that man into my house to use the phone." He was attacked and robbed. An abused woman said, "I ignored my instincts and thought I could help him."

Safety is an inner journey! If we teach youth to listen and trust their "gut" (intuition), they can discern the difference between responsible or self-serving individuals and what is right or wrong. Prayer or meditation helps us listen to our inner "safety guide" and see others through enlightened "eyes."

I was abandoned in Mexico City at age 15 and didn't speak the language. My mother was forced to return because I was at death's door. After I recuperated, I saw her through "new" eyes. I wasn't angry because I knew she couldn't change. She was a victim of her boyfriend. I decided to become independent and never lived with them again.

When we encourage youth to listen to their "gut" and rely on their instincts, they gain self-confidence and will not become victims.

Everyone can take charge of their future and learn valuable lessons from adversity. We cannot change other people, but we can change how we react and stay safe. When we take charge of our destiny and become independent, we can protect ourselves and learn adversity is our teacher!

Stephanie L. Mann, Crime and Violence Prevention Consultant, author, and Founder – Safe Kids Now National Network. Stephanie Mann co-authored, “Alternative to Fear: Guidelines to Safer Neighborhoods,” in 1975. With the help of California’s first lady, Nancy Reagan, the CA Youth Authority funded the guide and thousands were sold to police departments, police training centers, state and government agencies around the country, including the FBI.

Author: Empowerment Parenting: How to raise resilient children who become happy, self-reliant adults.

www.safekidsnow.com

Patriot Day: Moving past the scars of 9/11

Remembering the Heroes on Patriot Day

By Dennis Jamison

9/11/22

Twenty one years have passed since the horror of the insidious terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center buildings, on the Pentagon, upon innocent lives, and since the days of September 11, 2001, Americans have been affected in direct or indirect ways by the attacks upon the nation and upon the American way of life, and upon the American psyche. It is very obvious that America has not been the same since. In the days following 9/11, America changed dramatically. We speak of post-9/11 as the day became a demarcation line between the “old” America and America we live in today.

So, at the dawning of the new millennium, a devious, destructive, and deadly terrorist organization, known as Al-Qaeda, conducted these sneak attacks upon civilian and military targets as they managed to weaponize commercial airliners against multiple targets, civilian and military alike. Tragically, the combined terrorist attacks on 9/11, resulted in the murders of over 2,977 people and the injury of 6,000 others -- people from over 90 nations died in these attacks. Memories of the attacks on the civilians in the Twin Towers, the military and civilian personnel at the Pentagon, and defenseless passengers on the airliner that went down in an obscure field in Pennsylvania, left permanent scars on the nation and upon the people.

Currently, the multiple attacks are recognized as the most successful surprise assault against America. These multiple attacks were synchronized, with military-like precision,

and did not just aggressively and strategically target buildings, in mere moments there we so many thousands of human lives that were destroyed. The specter still haunts many Americans, and the attacks have left an internal scar upon the nation within the minds and hearts of the populace. Americans and people around the world were forced to grapple with their grief over the sudden massive destruction and widespread loss of life - worse than the death and destruction at Pearl Harbor in 1941.

These horrible acts of destruction and murder on U.S. soil were incredibly dark days in U.S. history. The insidious assaults awakened the American public to develop a more substantial and comprehensive response to a perceived enemy. The attacks on 9/11 instigated a definite turning point in U.S. history. Yet, as horrendous and deadly as the infamous attacks upon the United States have been, the people of the nation have been stifled in their ability to completely rebound. In looking back over those 21 years, there have been good developments and bad developments within the nation.

More recently, with COVID and the advent of government lockdowns, as well as internal terrorist attacks, very destructive rioting, and a sharp increase in criminal activities, there are several worrisome events that plague the nation. Are these developments only coincidences or a cycle the nation is going through? Many pundits conjecture that the nation is on the verge of civil war. Could there be a deeper, or more biblically-based reason for such a time as this?

It is a serious question, not based upon conspiracy theories, but based upon what is readily observable to the people who care to consider the proverbial “writing on the wall.” Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, in his 2011 novel The Harninger, expresses that those terrorist attacks on the nation actually represented a “Divine warning” to the people of the United States. He made a comparison between the attack upon ancient Israel in 732 B.C. to the attacks on 9/11. He believes that in both cases, there was a breach in God’s protection of the people due to the breaking of the covenant each nation once had with God.

Rabbi Cahn believes the nation was warned that divine protection had worn thin on 9/11, and the nation needed to restore its covenant with God by returning to God via repentance and turning away from “wicked ways” that have been perpetrated by those who have little or no relationship with God. Such wickedness permeates this once great country at such a time as this. Certainly, a great many Americans are undeterred in their pursuit of unlimited personal pleasure, unrestricted sexual perversion, uncaring pursuit of wealth, or unrestrsained political power. However, more and more Christians and people of faith are awakening to the perils perpetuated by those who care little for God or for His children. In such a time as this, prayers and genuine expressions of repentance provide a basis to “get real with God.” Yet, God would be deeply moved by those who “sin no more.”

It is understandable that confusion and unbridled criminal activity creates a chaotic and toxic environment. Clarity of purpose in heart and mind brings forth the ability to decide and act responsibly and in ways that individuals would hold themselves accountable to God and their fellow human beings. This is such a time of chaos and lawlessness. The events on 9/11 demonstrated the power of destructiveness and goodness side by side. The events on 9/11 demonstrated the power of evil and the power of good side by side. The reason we have created Patriot Day to commemorate this day is not to drudge up the memories of death, destruction, pain and suffering, but to remember and honor the brilliance of goodness that shone through so many selfless acts of bravery and heroism.

Now Americans refer to this day as Patriot Day as a way to remember those brave men and women who put aside their confusion and fear to enter into chaos, to proceed into the danger zone, to help serve and save their fellow human beings caught up in harm’s way. Some of those people worked for the local or national government and some of those patriots were simply attempting to secure safety and well-being for their fellow citizens. In that moment there was little division; in that moment existed a people united. In this present darkness that has befallen America, people of faith, even all citizens of the world should remember 9/11 and the days since.

We need to remember that in such times of crisis and dire emergency, it is then that the heroes are born. They arise amidst the danger, in the midst of chaos, division, or strife, the heroes appear and are set apart because they could conquer their fear and did run forward toward the danger to simply see what they could do to help. In that moment in history, there were people in dire need, in serious danger and few stopped their actions to serve because someone was black or Asian or Hispanic or Jewish or Muslim or seen as different in some way. The heroes on that day felt called to act responsibly and not cowardly or indifferently in the sight of God. The heroes on that day held themselves accountable to Him and their fellow human beings. Is not that what Jesus asked of us?

========================