September 11th, 2001 - "9/11" - TODAY is the Day of Salvation

SEPTEMBER 11th, 2001.

Everyone in the United States who is old enough to have memories from that day eight years ago will, of course, never forget where you were and what you felt on that morning. As a Staff here at Weigh Down, we not only will never forget running to our Conference Room, turning on the TV (REMEMBER that in 2001...while the Internet was up and running and growing in popularity and use, it wasn't the "first thing you ran to" for breaking news...YET), and witnessing with JAWS DROPPED as the SECOND plane hit the tower...then, the shock of seeing each tower COLLAPSE in SECONDS. Never before or since has something so IMPACTFUL (of an accident and/or disaster-type scenario) been witnessed, captured, and BROADCASTED LIVE, played out right before our eyes, in such a worldwide, public fashion.

You may be of the age of remembering the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, or the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger explosion, or the 1981 shooting of President Ronald Reagan. These events, covered worldwide and incredibly impactful, DIDN'T though PHYSICALLY IMPACT so MANY people...right on the spot...in the most famous city in the world...with so much uncertainty as to WHAT was happening and WHY...and with such INSTANTANEOUS COVERAGE...as 9/11/2001 in New York City.

How have you changed since then? A radio DJ this morning in Nashville talked about witnessing "people being more kind" and "changing" for few days after that day...but the DJ's comments were SAD and TELLING as she went on to say that "like always," life moved on and people went back to their old ways. True...sad...and absolutely WRONG before GOD. He has spent SO MUCH TIME trying to lovingly, mercifully, gently teach us that HIS ways are better...that HIS boundaries fall in "pleasant places"...that SALVATION is a DAILY RELATIONSHIP where HE is the GOD and we are NOT...that we are NOT "once saved, always saved." Like the Apostle PAUL said in his letter to the Philippians, Chapter 2:12-13...

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."

Continue...working...SALVATION...fear...trembling.

There was PLENTY of "fear and trembling" on that day and for a few days afterwards. Gwen wrote VOLUMES about that experience. In Weigh Down Advanced, written and filmed months BEFORE 9/11/2001, she WARNED that America needed to REPENT, change its ways, RETURN to GOD and His beautiful commands. She told anyone who would LISTEN that our sin was INCREASING and that throughout history, GOD had allowed other nations to invade and attack His people when they STRAYED from His commands, became COMPLACENT, and stopped loving Him FIRST. Then...9/11/2001...IT HAPPENED. Gwen has continued, tirelessly and with great URGENCY, to teach and share the GOOD NEWS that we CAN change! We CAN learn from such events to RUN to GOD! TODAY is the day of SALVATION. You CAN and MUST return to this beautiful combination of love and fear and trembling before GOD. It is a WONDERFUL, HUMBLE place to be...a RIGHT and HEALTHY and BLESSED state of mind, heart, and action. It is "working out your salvation" in the way Paul instructed us to do. Tomorrow is NOT guaranteed for ANY of us. Let's NOT fulfill those words spoken by the Nashville DJ (although she is RIGHT about the way most people are...) Let's INSTEAD listen and read and watch what Gwen is pouring out through this Ministry. THOSE WORDS are TRUE and can help you STAY CHANGED! 9/11/2009...Make TODAY and EVERY day...another day of pursuing this SALVATION with EVERYTHING you've GOT. We actually will talk about this TODAY on WDWB LIVE at 3:30pm CST in our weekly visit with TEDD ANGER. He actually was IN downtown Manhattan ON THAT DAY. It will be a time of introspection, memories, and a CHARGE to RUN FORWARD with this Message of change! We hope you'll join us.

HUMILITY - A Precious Jewel & Key to SALVATION

HUMILITY versus PRIDE...The great, recognized, uplifted, and remembered men and women of GOD had HUMILITY in ABUNDANT quantities. They exuded it, breathed it, spoke it, lived it. They ascribed to the LORD all of the glory, honor, and praise DUE Him. They lived a life that reflected the attitude..."GOD is GOD and I am NOT. Therefore, I will DO as He asks." JESUS, the most humble man who ever lived, sits at GOD'S Right Hand because of His humble love for and obedience to GOD. He DAILY cried out to GOD, desperate for time with Him and needing and wanting GOD'S leading. King David's life and the Psalms GLOW with his HUMILITY...his crying out to GOD both in PRAISE of and in NEED for GOD. They went hand-in-hand! CONTRAST - Think of the men and women, not just in Scripture but in history SINCE the Bible was published and even to this very DAY who have had PRIDE...Stories abound of unhappy, untimely, humiliating life events...even in many cases leading to early death. And the LEGACY left behind always is...SAD. You read about Absalom and you shake your head. WHY, if you're the son of the great and revered KING DAVID...and you're handsome and respected...WHY would you UNDERMINE your father and King? He died humiliatingly and tragically. Think of Belshazzar, son of King Nebuchadnezzar. He followed his father into becoming King. He watched his father go through SEVEN YEARS of insanity and isolation from his throne and his people. And in his PRIDE, he learned NOTHING from his father's HUMBLE example of REPENTING and ACKNOWLEDGING that HEAVEN RULES! "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin...GOD has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians." King Belshazzar died that night...The list in THIS day and time is LONG. Just read the news...

For years now, Gwen has been crying out to anyone who would listen to ask America to "HUMBLE OURSELVES." LEARN from the events that have happened to us. REVERSE the trend of increasing SIN in this country...and MORE specifically the CHURCHES...which now MIRROR SOCIETY...STATISTICALLY being the SAME...on divorce and pornography and oveweight and substance addiction and too many other things. HUMILITY is a HUGE KEY to SALVATION...eternal life with GOD. Read these Scriptures for BACKUP...

• Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life. - Proverbs 22:4
• Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD's anger. - Zephaniah 2:3
• When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. - Proverbs 11:2
• You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low. - II Samuel 22:28
• Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. - Deuteronomy 8:2
• For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. - Psalm 149:4
• I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. - Isaiah 13:11
• And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! - Philippians 2:8

That last one, from PHILIPPIANS, speaks of course of JESUS CHRIST...CLEARLY equating HUMILITY with OBEDIENCE to GOD. POWERFUL!

Those familiar with this Weigh Down Ministry for a while know of MARCUS FRANCIS, one of the most humble men ANY of us know in this life right now. His HUMILITY has been on display as he has JOYFULLY EMBRACED the life that GOD has chosen for him, a life that has had him battling cancer for 12 years on and off. NEVER have any of us seen Marcus with anything but PRAISE and JOY about his life. He understands that GOD has given him a mission of PRAISE...of EMBRACING his life and the example he is called to set. And he genuinely LOVES it! We have the privilege and honor of conversing with this dear friend on today's WDWB LIVE at 3:30pm CST. We greatly look forward to hearing more PRAISES to GOD and a true PERSPECTIVE that all of us need to have. If it's a KEY to SALVATION, then regardless of the life that GOD has specifically designed for each of us, we've GOT to find that HUMILITY that keep us in our right place under the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. We hope you'll join us!

WISDOM & Discernment - SO Much More than "Common" Sense!

WISDOM...

• "Knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight." - Definition as stated at www.dictionary.com.
• "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." - Solomon, in the book of Proverbs, Chapter 9, Verse 10.
• Solomon ALSO says in Proverbs 8:11 that "wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her."
  

SO - if WISDOM is more valuable than money and leads to every right decision...isn't this a perfect combination or recipe for happiness, satisfaction, and ultimately, SALVATION?
SO - why do most people NOT RUN after it? Ahhh...the 10 Trillion Dollar question!
You know what? It all comes back to something that Gwen repeatedly has taught and emphasized over the years that provides priceless insight into that all-important question...It boils down to AUTHORITY! You see, to seek WISDOM means you need to, according to Solomon, FEAR the LORD...meaning He is more powerful and more knowledgeable than any of us. Therefore, if that is the BEGINNING of Wisdom, you would need to SUBMIT your will and your decisions and your eating, drinking, spending, thinking, acting, etc. to HIM...in order to GET Wisdom. He's the provider of it, and so it is given on HIS terms. BUT...people don't want to do THAT. Sure...they'll read scientific words from Albert Einstein or humorous storytelling from Mark Twain or memoirs from Mother Theresa, but that's INFORMATION...not necessarily WISDOM. AND, you still "pick and choose" what you like and what you'll apply to your life. But KNOW THIS...If it's not rooted in TOTAL LOVE for and OBEDIENCE to GOD ALMIGHTY...it's just information...NOT wisdom. Gaining factual knowledge about the world around us has its place, but what REALLY matters? It's what HAPPENS...where our SOULS GO...for all eternity! Isn't it? You may have even heard that WISDOM basically is "common sense." Ohhh...it is SO much MORE than that! In FACT, the PURSUIT of wisdom really is quite UNcommon. The desperate PURSUIT of the love of, knowledge of, fear of, personality of, imitation of...GOD ALMIGHTY...is something that, UNfortunately, is NOT a "common" pursuit of very many. Therefore, the BEAUTIFUL, AMAZING BLESSINGS...the fact that having wisdom is "more precious than rubies"...truly is NOT enjoyed by many.

And there it is...coming back to the wonderful, sweet, precious concept of submitting to GOD'S AUTHORITY...obeying and loving His commands and laws and principles. Since the FEAR of the LORD, according to Solomon (a man full of wisdom), brings this wisdom, it ALL starts with the attitude of JESUS CHRIST - the ULTIMATE picture and example of WISDOM...

"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." (AND GET THIS...IT'S HUGE!) "And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!" - Philippians 2:6-8.

WOW! That's it! The KEY...JESUS now sits at the Right Hand of the Almighty GOD because He humbled Himself and OBEYED to the death. THAT...is WISDOM! THAT is what Gwen has spent a lifetime sharing and conveying to anyone and everyone who wants to see it and hear it. GOD is EVERYTHING. It's the first line on her personal website!...the mission and drive behind ALL that is in Weigh Down...and these happy Weigh Down participants are benefitting from this FOCUS...that GOD is EVERYTHING! SO - sure...read, learn, study...know history, science, geography, etc...it's fine to know. But SEEK after, spend a LIFETIME looking for, HUNGER deeply for, do EVERYTHING to get...WISDOM. We're talking wisdom...and the authority and obedience that precedes it...TODAY on WDWB LIVE - 3:30pm CST. We hope you'll join us!