Author: Rev. Charles Pugh

Please Always Remember and Acknowledge Your CREATOR GOD!

On this momentous day in the history of our world and this 10th Anniversary of 09-11-01, I ask that you please keep your CREATOR GOD in mind! Remember that JESUS CHRIST is coming again and you must be ready!! Remember that GOD answers the prayers of those who are right and righteous before HIM!!! Remember that it is GOD who answered the prayers of thousands and the specific prayers that I and a few others who joined me in praying about, to bring about Usama Bin Laden’s capture and even his death if he would not repent. The following is the true account of this as GOD brought it about through my life and before 05-09-11 and this 10th Anniversary memorialization on 09-11-11:

FAITH AND THE POWER OF PREVAILING PRAYER

It was on the evening of 03-08-11, when a new found former pastor friend and I were talking and reading and praying together, that a somewhat unusual prayer request came about. Since my time of personal tragedy and greater burden to see a wide sweeping REVIVAL, Tuesday evenings have become a special time of publicly setting aside at least an hour to emphasize praying. This night in early March was no different, except that my friend was opening up his heart to me and sharing his struggle to continue in faith, despite tragedy and things not going so well for him. I empathetically listened to his concerns about his own personal tragedy, this being the glue that had also brought us together. We shared and read the Word and prepared to specially pray about all of our concerns.

Just before we began to pray, I asked him, “Shane, what would it take for GOD to show you that HE is Holy and Just and still at work in the world today?” He paused, thinking for a moment and then suddenly blurted out, “If Osama Bin Laden would be captured or killed in 60 days!” A bit surprised by this rather unusual and specific request, I asked him, “Why would you say this?” He replied, “I don’t know, I guess it was just the hardest thing I could think of that came to mind.” I said, “Are you aware of any leads in finding Bin Laden or have you recently heard any news stories?” He said, “No, I haven’t heard anything lately.” I said, “I haven’t either; It has been a long time since I’ve heard anything about this and as far as we know (and what some have actually thought), he could even already be dead.” I hesitated to commit to pray about such an unusual request, yet as I glanced down at the Scriptures we had just read, the LORD gave me peace to pray this way. I said, “O.K., I will commit to pray this way and let this be a test for you and for us to see and be reminded that GOD indeed is Holy and Just and that HE is still at work in this world today.” We poured out our hearts to the LORD about our own tragic situations and brought this special request before HIM as the time slipped past midnight into 03-09-11. I thought, “Indeed, what grace it would be if that by 05-09-11, GOD would answer this special request and bring about this example of justice from that horrific day—09-11-01!”

Wanting to solidify this “test” of faith in my own mind and prayers, I shared this unusual request in a specific email to a group of around 50 people, who I regularly keep updated on all that GOD is doing in my life and how they can help in praying. Several responded, most being hesitant to pray this way. I was uncertain whether I would have many others who were really joining me in praying about this. A couple of weeks later, after a grueling time in Court, my friend moved back down to his home in Florida. We stayed in touch every week or two and I continued to pray for GOD to show HIMSELF Strong and Just and to bring about the capture and/or death of Osama Bin Laden by 05-09-11.

It was the last day of April when my friend suddenly found himself back in Blacksburg, Virginia. He was able to join me at a special Creation Conference commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the church that was started at the beginning of the modern Creation movement. Before we parted that afternoon, I asked him, “Are you still praying about that Osama Bin Laden thing?” He chuckled and said, “I had kind of forgotten about that.” I replied, “I haven’t forgotten; I have still been praying and I am.” Some 24 hours after this conversation, 24 Navy Seals took part in a secret raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Osama Bin Laden had been found and after failing to surrender, he was shot and killed, with his body being taken away. 8 days before the 05-09-11 deadline of this “test” and just after that fresh reminder, the LORD answered our prevailing prayer of faith. May our thrice Holy and Just, Creator GOD be Glorified and Praised!

Accurate and true as told:

Charles R. Pugh     M. Shane Carter

Are you shaken up yet (see that last blog entry I wrote 😉 )? Perhaps the recent devastation from hurricane Irene was enough or all that flooding since? For that matter, there is a lot more flooding with the remnants of Lee, yet another tropical system, working up the East Coast as I write (and even more tornadoes being reported). Thinking back to the response of what many decided to do as Irene was approaching, I couldn’t help but think of being On The Safe Side…

Did you know that at least 40 people are said to have lost their lives from hurricane Irene? While the storm turned out to not be as windy as feared, it certainly did do billions of dollars worth of damage from North Carolina all the way up through the Northeast. More property and even more souls would have been lost though, if many were not living on the safe side by boarding up houses and buildings, preparing as they could for flooding and even evacuating areas directly impacted. New York City shut down its constantly running Subway system and even Atlantic City patrons weren’t gambling on what that hurricane could do! Some people in this hurricane’s way still defied the authorities and evacuation orders, but more did seem to listen this time and decided to heed the warnings and be on the safe side!

It was only about a month ago when Virginia Tech authorities wanted to be on the safe side and issued an alert of a potential gunman on the VT Campus again. Of course news of this quickly spread around the globe and people began to relive all the emotions and fears from that horrific 04-16-07 Tragedy! The campus was even locked down for around 5.5 hours and details, including a sketch of the alleged gunman, were released for the public awareness so that everyone could be on the safe side! Perhaps there was an overreaction, but officials wanted to be safe, rather than being sorry for not acting quickly.

Now, I’m not a fan of overreaction, but a victim. My personal tragedy and the separation between me and my family happened when religious and secular officials under media pressure and scrutiny wanted to be on the safe side and have me taken into custody for an evaluation. The lack of investigation and proper evaluation started that snowball or domino effect that has turned my world upside down (at least this did help drive me to write my book and all these articles that I am writing)! Being on the safe side does not mean that we stop paying attention to all that is happening in the area where things are deemed unsafe; it actually should mean that we pay even closer attention so that we can remain safe from harm. If we really are living on the safe side, would we not be free from fears? Actually, that is the only way that I have kept from turning inward or acting out against others from all of the injustices I have faced—I KNOW I AM LIVING ON THE SAFE SIDE, so there is nothing else I really have to fear! 😉

Friend, do you see the Spiritual Truth that I am talking about? Maybe you should review my 05-13-08 blog article, “An American Idol…SAFETY,” or perhaps one written earlier this year: “The RIGHT to Safety?” Maybe you would understand if you thought more about the number one lesson I talk about that needs to be learned from the VT Tragedy and what will really help you more than anything else in life?! Maybe you will come to live on the safe side?!

What is it that will help us when everything around us is in turmoil? Who is it that we can depend on when all else forsake and fail us? Fearing the CREATOR GOD will keep you safe. In fact, there is no side but this where you really can be safe! Can we depend on any person or human government to keep us safe? Do humans control nature? Can we make the wind blow and control how it does or make the rain start when we need it or stop when we have enough? Do we have the power to keep the heavens from shaking or the earth from quaking? I trust you will learn from this and understand more and more! Technology may help you be safe and communicate with others, but it cannot save you. People will often let you down because we all are fallen and living in a fallen Creation will certainly impact you. Where must we all turn for safety in the calm and in the storm? Jesus Christ is the ONLY SAFE SIDE!

There’s nothing like a once in a lifetime (at least we wish) earthquake to SHAKE UP your thinking! Such was the case for much of the East Coast of the United States on Tuesday afternoon, when a 5.8 Magnitude earthquake centered in Mineral, VA (near Richmond) rumbled into people’s lives from Georgia to Canada. Thankfully, there was only minimal damage, though safety precautions closed down offices and monuments and even nuclear plants. I trust we have learned from the more recent devastating earthquakes in Haiti and Japan (that one, less than 6 months ago). You may even wish to review my 03-16-11 article, “Nuclear Earthquake!” With more thinking about the encroaching 10th anniversary of 09-11-01, that shook up the lives of Americans and people all over the world, some people on Tuesday were initially thinking that quake could be another terrorist attack! Some people on the West Coast, where stronger earthquakes are more common, but also more localized, were mocking the shocking reaction of many on the East Coast. The impact of this shocking earthquake will likely be eclipsed in the minds of most, given that the large and major hurricane Irene is quickly spinning toward a direct hit on the East Coast, and will likely bring far reaching catastrophic damage! While many do tend to overreact to events in life, we should be careful not to make light of the Power behind Nature and realize that there are many more and far more devastating things prophesied to take place! Are you prepared? Does the Creator have your attention and devotion? Do you need to be SHAKEN UP?!

We tend to take so much for granted! We often fail to thank GOD for His Mercy and Grace and His Longsuffering toward us, who are so often failing to honor His Name and follow His ways. While you who are reading this have survived various trials and troubles in your life (we all experience this to at least some degree), are you numbed to a point of pride or mocking or are you living humbly before The Creator? Do you not understand that GOD has the Power over His Creation? Do you understand that you do not ultimately control the beating of your heart or the breath that you take? While we can impact the health that we have, we cannot even always maintain our own health! We certainly have no power to create life from nothing or to keep from that ultimate enemy—death. GOD can do what HE wants to shake up your life! HE can allow your health to falter. HE can allow disease to permeate your body. HE could allow some car to crash into your vehicle or allow some thief to steal from you or physically harm you. HE could allow some evil power to terrorize us or even overtake us! HE is the GOD of Nature and can make the earth quake and do so far more powerfully than a mere 5.8 in comparison!! Do you Fear this GOD? Do you Love Him? Will HE have to shake you personally for you to look up?

It has been 67 years since Virginia has experienced an earthquake of this magnitude. It was 114 years ago, in 1897, that the Blacksburg area (Giles County and Pulaski, too) experienced a series of more powerful quakes. It has been only about 4 ½ years since that world wide impacting horrific tragedy hit the campus of Virginia Tech. That 04-16-07 event tragically took the lives of 33 souls and shook up the lives of hundreds and thousands of others, sending tremors and ripples of impact to campuses all over the world! That event changed my life forever and shook up the atmosphere around me, leading to my personal tragedy, yet that event only served to solidify my faith to draw upon the Strength and Power of The Creator GOD and the Person of the historical Jesus Christ!

Friend, as I noted, there are far more devastating things yet to come. The whole Creation is groaning together, as a woman in labor pains (see Romans 8:19-22). If you want to see even more, just wait until the powers of heaven are shaken, along with the earth (note the Olivet Discourse of Jesus and verses such as Luke 21:26)! If you want to be spared from that Tribulation, then you’d better be prepared! You’d better make sure you have forgiveness from your sin and are ready to stand before your Creator! You had better come to trust in Jesus Christ, whose death shook the earth and shook up the religious system, tearing the veil of the Temple and making direct fellowship with GOD possible! 😉 Are you going to let life shake you down or will you be SHAKEN UP?!

Last Saturday, there was news of yet another incredible weather related tragedy. At least 5 people are now dead and dozens more seriously injured after an encroaching storm whisked its way through the Indiana State Fair Grounds and sent out an area isolated and concentrated burst of fierce wind, suddenly toppling over an enormous stage area. We should be praying for the families of those victims and all who are recovering from this latest tragedy. While meditating on this and the impending 10 year anniversary and commemoration of that horrific National and International Tragedy, 09-11-01, I thought it appropriate to again address this issue that regularly impacts every one of us—Fairness. I dealt with aspects of this in the more recent, 06-07-11 “Just Mercy!” blog entry. In this article, I want to step back a bit, again thinking about Justice and what makes it more possible for the fair grounds in our lives.

Moments in life are often not very fair. This is a stark reality that we all must come to accept. If you do not accept this, the grounds in your heart and life will be filled with anger, resentment and bitterness. Disaster and tragedy, especially when impacting good and innocent people, sets up the testing grounds for us. In fact, it is this very reality of “evil” and lack of fairness in this fallen and often cruel world that deceives many into abandoning their faith. At first blush, bad things happening to good people seems so unjust and contradictory that you come to even doubt that those people were really that good or innocent. It may even lead to your coming to question GOD Himself. The cause and effect or reaping and sowing principle is such a foundational part of life and how natural processes operate that any aberration from this tends to throw us off. How you deal with the momentary injustices in life reveals the type of person that you have chosen and are choosing to be.

Clearly, the reality is that there are many things that happen that just don’t seem right, especially if there is indeed a Holy and Just GOD Who is All-Powerful and Sovereign over His Creation. Is GOD really in control? Is The Creator really All-Powerful? Is HE really All-Good? Will HE really make all things right and bring perfect Justice and fair grounds into this world? Does HE really Care about you and whatever challenges you have going on in your life? Well, the answer to these somewhat rhetorical questions is YES! GOD is Holy and Just and HE is working in the world and HE will make all things right and HE will work all things together for good to those who love Him and respond to His call (see Romans 8:28 and really that whole chapter). The testing grounds are the moments in time that we live and wait for Him to work it all out. Only HE, as the Creator of All, is capable of doing this! This is what the Bible teaches. This belief is really the Only Faith that can give you true Hope (see my 10th in the Top Ten Lessons: “Hope in Faith”), especially when you are faced with the injustices and lack of fairness in this world.

GOD did finally answer the prayers of many to bring about justice for the mastermind of 09-11-01! Contact me if you want to learn further how GOD worked through my own prayers and the plea of another one of His children (see that 05-02-11, “Human Intelligence?” blog entry). It was a long time in our human understanding, but after nearly 10 years, he was brought to justice! It was a very long time for my dear, older sister who was faced with a terrible, life changing tragedy back in 1990. Justice finally did come about only this past Tuesday, when the man victimizing her was sentenced for his crime (21+ years after the fact). Justice will indeed yet come about for me and my own personal tragedy that I am still facing, after the world changing 04-16-07 Virginia Tech Tragedy. Just wait and see all that my GOD and Savior will do here! 😉

Friend, there are fair grounds out there and there will be winds that blow and test the very fabric of our lives. Until GOD fully redeems His Creation, injustices will still occur, especially in moments of time. We each will one day give an account and even be rewarded for where our heart has been and what we have done! Be careful to guard and guide and grow your heart in Faith. Let the Fair Grounds reign!

There is a debt that we all owe, but can never repay! I am not speaking about all of the debt that the United States has accrued and must learn to manage better (governments all over the world have a similar problem). Dealing with that would require much more discussion and thought than I have room for here! 😟 I am also not talking about any personal, financial debt that you may have. I am speaking here of a debt, that if we were working to pay, would prevent so many of the tragedies in our lives! If this debt was being realized and paid on by those surrounding me and my family, my own personal tragedy would not have happened! If this debt was being realized and paid on more by people in this community and on the Virginia Tech campus, then the horrific VT Tragedy on 04-16-07 would not have happened, and perhaps not even the incident that sent fear through this entire community again today! We MUST come to realize the debt that we can never fully pay!

What is a debt, anyway? Webster defines debt basically as “something owed.” So, a debt that you have is something that you owe. This implies that there is a responsibility to pay off that obligation, since there is something owed. Do you owe anyone anything? Think about it! I’m not primarily talking here about some money that you may have borrowed from a friend or family member or even a bank. Isn’t it true that we owe people things other than money? Do you owe anyone thanks? Do you owe anyone honor? Do you owe anyone obedience or allegiance? If you are involved in doing anything in this world, it is likely that you do owe some money to someone or at least need to pay some material remuneration for a service that has been done for you. This is how the world works. What we MUST come to realize more, though, is that there is a debt that we all owe other than in material things. It is a responsibility that we must pay toward, realizing that we cannot fully pay.

Some people give up on paying this debt and become more focused on personal gain or what they consider survival. A lack of financial means or even an abundance of finances is a test that reveals whether or not you realize your debt. Are you following me so far? 🙂 How do you use the money that you do have? Is it used primarily for personal gain or pleasure and entertainment? Does your attitude change when you do not have the means to buy the things you want or even the food that you think you need? Does your attitude change when you do have more money and can do more of whatever you feel like doing? Indeed, money or financial means is a testing ground that reveals the deeper issues of the heart (note what Paul said in Philippians 4:11). We all kind of intuitively know that our life is about much more than us. The problems we all face tend to blind us to the deeper spiritual need that we all have. It is so easy to get discouraged in paying on your spiritual debt if you have your eyes on material things or even what many around you are doing. In order to not give up, you MUST have your focus on something greater than yourself. You MUST see the ongoing debt you cannot fully pay!

What am I getting to here? I trust you have already seen. It will help to consider the words of the Apostle Paul to the believers in Rome. In Romans, chapter 13, after dealing with the importance of authority (as I do in greater detail in the second part of my book), Paul gives a very important directive: Verse 8 says, “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.” The point he is making is not that you cannot have any debt, but that you should have no outstanding debt that you are not working to pay. The debt, though, that you and I continue to have is to show love to one another. When you do this in any particular time, you are fulfilling the law or what GOD requires. As you continue to live, you continue to owe people love and service, since there are more life experiences and opportunities to give and show this. You are paying on your debt when you continue to love and serve others as you love and serve GOD. So, there is a debt we cannot fully pay, but must continue to work to pay every moment of every day! If you have been eternally forgiven from the debt of personal sin that you could never fully pay, then you will indeed continue to work to pay on the debt that you can pay in a given moment, but never fully pay. 😃