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Why the Boston Marathon Bombing? by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2013. For a couple of weeks, the news was filled with the Boston Marathon Bombing story. It seemed you couldn't channel surf through the channels without finding someone talking about it. I'm not saying there was too much coverage. Every American should be concerned about what happened in Boston, and whether such a thing could be prevented from happening again. One of our political leaders was on TV today asking why this happened. People watching the news sometimes have gaps in their education. Things in the news that seem to be rather mysterious could be better understood if people were better read. I don’t mean we should start reading every book we can get our hands on. No, I mean that people ought to be better read than they are regarding the main book, the Bible. The Bible answers the question of why the Boston Marathon Bombing took place. In the Gospel of John, chapter 16, verse 2: “…Yes, the time will come, that whoever kills you will think that he's doing God a service.” Who spoke those words? Jesus. Jesus said there would be people who would think that committing murder would be rendering service to God. And that’s what happened in Boston. Two Muslim young men decided they would do something for God, so they bought fireworks to get the powder. They followed instructions they apparently found on the internet, and made bombs, so that they could do something for God. Unfortunately, they were misinformed regarding God. The Muslims think that God’s name is Allah. But nowhere in the Bible is the name Allah mentioned. Moreover, in the Muslim religion, Allah does not have a son, Jesus. But the real God does have an only son, Jesus. That’s a tip-off right there that this Allah is not the real God. The Muslims say that Jesus was a good man, and a prophet, but not the Son of God. A neighbor of mine in Houston, TX, was a Muslim. We played some games of chess together. I said to Ibrahim one time, “You people (the Muslims) contradict yourselves when you say Jesus was a good man and a prophet, but not the Son of God. Jesus said he’s the Son of God, so if you’re right, and he’s not, then he’s not a good man, but a liar; he’s not a prophet, but a false prophet.” Ibrahim surprised me with his answer. He said, “Jesus didn’t say that,” meaning that Jesus didn’t claim to be the Son of God. But surely Jesus did say that. Jesus was brought before the Jewish High Priest, who asked him whether he was the son of God. Jesus answered, “I am.” Another time, Jesus was talking with his disciples, and he said, “Whom do men say that I am?” His disciples answered that some said Jesus was John the Baptist, risen from the dead, or one of the old prophets. Jesus said, “Whom do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You’re the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered Peter, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” (Matt 16:13-17) So then, clearly, Jesus said he’s the Son of God. But why didn’t the Muslim man, Ibrahim, know that Jesus said that? Because he doesn’t read the Bible. If the Muslims truly regard Jesus as a prophet, then doesn’t it behoove them to find out everything that the prophet Jesus said? But by reading his Koran, (or, Quran,) Ibrahim didn’t know that Jesus said he’s the Son of God. No, if you want to find out all that the prophet Jesus said, you have to read the Bible. And what you don’t know can hurt you. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge“ There will be Muslims destroyed for lack of knowledge. Indeed, lack of knowledge has sent many more than just Muslims to hell, including my Dad, who said he was an Atheist. Of course, not every Muslim aspires to being a murderer. But young men, especially, can be challenged to do the manly thing, and prove that they are indeed valiant men, by doing something for God like what happened in Boston. But then, it’s been in the news, too, about one or more Muslim female suicide bombers. I heard a preacher say that in the Muslim religion, Islam, salvation and going to heaven is not guaranteed to any Muslim unless they are Muslim martyrs. There is the motivation, then, to be a Muslim suicide bomber, so that they can go to heaven, where Muslim men have also been promised that they’ll get 72 virgins to be their wives in heaven. But if they would make the effort to read the Bible, Jesus said there’s no marriage in heaven. Even if a husband and wife on earth die, and both go to heaven, when they get there, they are two individuals who no longer have spouses. But if you don’t read the Bible, you might swallow the “72 virgins” lie. The Bible also says, “No murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” (1 John 3:15) So then, murdering people is not a pathway to heaven. But if you don’t read the Bible, you might be deceived into thinking so. The Bible also teaches that there’s nothing you can do to earn you way to heaven. No, you get salvation by getting born again (John chapter 3,) and by confessing Jesus with your mouth, and believing in your heart that God raised him from the dead.” (Romans 10:9,10) Here’s something else the Muslims don’t know about God. God says, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19) So then, even if you’re pretty darn sure that non-Muslims have the wrong religion, if you were aware that God had said, “Vengeance is mine,” you wouldn’t be going out to punish people for being non-Muslims, you’d just let God take care of it. But if you don’t read the Bible, then how would you know that God said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord?” Here again is where ignorance could send you to the fiery hell Jesus spoke of, “Where their worms don’t die, and where the fire is not quenched, where there’s weeping and gnashing of teeth.” There’s an American expression I had never heard until I joined the U.S. Military, “That torques my jaws.” What does that mean? It means, “That makes me angry.” The “torquing of jaws” is pretty much the same as the “gnashing of teeth” spoken of by Jesus, and it is done by angry people. Why are people in hell angry? Because salvation and going to heaven was available by getting born again (John chapter 3), but they were deceived, and tricked into rejecting salvation through Jesus, so they went to hell. And hell is forever. People have said, “Well, if I’m going to hell, I’ll have a lot of friends there.” No you won’t. A lot of the people that are your friends on earth might go to hell with you, but once you’re there, they’ll be blaming you, and you’ll be blaming them for why you’re in hell. But in the United States, we have freedom of religion. We don’t punish people just because they might have the wrong religion. On the other hand, it is against our laws to commit murder, and to shoot people, such as policemen and others. So then, if your religion requires you to shoot people and to kill people, then your religion violates the law, whatever your religion might happen to be. But I have learned something of the religions of the world. I don’t really want to go too deeply into any of the false religions. But of all the religions that I’m aware of, the only one I know that advocates violence against those who are not of their religion is Islam. With that in mind, it would be wise to watch Muslims more closely than non-Muslims as potential law-breakers. Some would argue that that would be discrimination against Muslims. No, I would call it due diligence on the part of law enforcement to watch more closely the Muslim part of the population, in view of the fact that they have as part of their religion, unlike most other religions, that the punishing of those who are not of their religion is a service to God. To those who would say that closer watching of Muslims would violate their rights, I say, it is simply a fact of life in today’s world that Muslims are more likely to commit terrorist acts than non-Muslims. Of course, there are also the people who have mental problems. But Muslims deserve focus of law-enforcement because teachers in their religion advocate terrorist acts. We would be slothful to disregard that fact. In our nation, we have people coming in on student visas so that they can attend colleges here. We don’t necessarily have to accept as many as we’re accepting as students from foreign nations. That could be curtailed somewhat. Some might say “discrimination,” but I would say we have a right to defend our nation against those who would destroy us, thinking they’re performing service to God. We have an immigration program where foreigners are allowed to come to the U.S. and become Americans. But if those candidates advocate violence against those who are not of their religion, then they are not proper candidates to become Americans. I’m not advocating the breaking of the law. If any of these policies I’ve spoken of infringes on a law, then let’s change the law to implement these common sense policies. After the massacre in Connecticut, there was a lot of talk about gun control, and ammo magazine size restriction. Now that fireworks provided materials for bombs, we should restrict fireworks sales. Don’t talk to me about discrimination when Americans are being murdered and maimed. Let’s talk instead about how to protect Americans from those enemies. Another serious mistake made by the Muslims is this notion they seem to have that if God wants people dead, he needs a man to do the killing. Nothing could be further from the truth. You probably remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob from the Bible. God changed Jacob's name to Israel, and he had twelve sons, one of whom was Judah. In Genesis chapter 38, Judah's firstborn son was Er. But Er was wicked in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord killed him. So Judah told Er's younger brother, Onan, to marry the widow, Tamar, and raise up a son in Er's name. But Onan didn't like the idea and wouldn't cooperate, so the Lord killed him. Notice that God killed both Er and Onan without the help of a human executioner. In Genesis chapter six, verses numbers 5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the Lord said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man, and animals, and the creeping thing, and the birds of the air, for I regret that I've made them." 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. God made the decision to destroy man from the face of the earth, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. So God told his man Noah to build an ark. He told him what kind of wood to use, and gave Noah the dimensions. When the ark was ready, God brought the animals and birds, and they boarded the ark. Noah and family went in, eight souls. God shut the door. Then God did what he said he would do, and destroyed all of mankind with a flood of water that covered the highest mountains on earth. Only those in the ark survived. Notice again, that when God decided to kill, he didn't need a man to help him kill. In the New Testament, Herod the king made trouble for the church and killed James the brother of John with the sword. Herod also arrested the Apostle Peter, and put him in prison. At night, an angel brought Peter out of prison. When it was learned that Peter had escaped from prison, Herod executed the prison guards. Acts chapter 12, verses number 20 And Herod was highly displeased with those of Tyre and Zidon, but they came united, and having made Blastus the king's butler their friend, desired peace, because their country was nourished by the king's country. 21 And on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal clothes, sat on his throne and made an oration to them. 22 And the people gave a shout, saying, "It is the voice of a god, and not of a man." 23 And immediately the angel of the Lord struck him, because he didn't give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms, and gave up the spirit. God killed Herod with worms. An angel was involved, but God didn't require a man to kill Herod. Remember the prophet Elijah the Tishbite from the Old Testament? (2nd Kings chapter 1) 3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that you go to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? 4 Now therefore thus says the Lord, you shall not come down from that bed on which you've gone up, but shall surely die." And Elijah departed. 5 And when the messengers turned back to him, he said to them, "Why have you now turned back?" 6 And they said to him, a man came up to meet us, and said to us, "Go, turn again to the king that sent you, and say to him, thus says the Lord, is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that you send to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from that bed on which you've gone up, but shall surely die." 7 And he said to them, "What kind of man was he that came up to meet you, and told you these words?" 8 And they answered him, "He was a hairy man, and girded with a girdle of leather around his loins." And he said, it is Elijah the Tishbite. 9 Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him, and see, he sat on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him, "You man of God, the king has said, come down." 10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, "If I'm a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume you and your fifty." And fire came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. 11 Again also he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said to him, "O man of God, thus has the king said, come down quickly." 12 And Elijah answered and said to them, "If I'm a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume you and your fifty." And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. 13 And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said to him, "O man of God, please, let my life, and the life of these fifty your servants, be precious in your sight. 14 See, fire came down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties, therefore let my life now be precious in your sight." 15 And the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, "Go down with him, don't be afraid of him." And he got up, and went down with him to the king. The third captain of fifty and his fifty were not consumed because he approached the man of God with a better attitude. But the previous two captains of fifty with their fifties were consumed by fire sent from God out of heaven. My point is that if God wants you dead, you're dead, that's all, without remedy. But if you've angered God, you could quickly repent and ask forgiveness before God carries out an execution against you, but If God wants to kill you, he doesn't need a man to do the killing. There was another case in the Old Testament, where God sent an angel who killed one hundred eighty five thousand of the enemies of Israel. You're in big trouble if God decides to kill you, and God doesn't need a Muslim man to help God do the killing. In fact the Muslim trying to help God by doing killing, that God doesn’t need any help doing, is viewed by God as the murderer that he is. And, “No murderer has eternal life living in him.” (1 John 3:15) Eternal life means going to heaven. If you don’t go to heaven, then you do go to hell. And most people go to hell, Jesus said.
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