Join us now for the chapel hour from the campus of Bob Jones University. Today's speaker will be Dr. Bob Jones III, president of BJU, with a message preached yesterday in the chapel service. His text will be Psalm 91. Dr. Jones was speaking about yesterday's tragic events. Today is a day of great trouble in our nation, I guess most of you have heard. that there have been major terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C. Many of you have friends and loved ones in these places, and we do not know, of course, what further incidents may occur. I have a son in downtown Washington, D.C., so I understand the concerns that many of you have on your hearts as well. We're all very concerned for our nation at this time. We do need to pray for the President and all of the advisors, for the Congress, the military personnel. I don't know how much you know. I don't want to unduly alarm you, but there is genuine cause for alarm in terms of concern of heart. God's people face alarm differently than the unsaved do. We face the realities of it. and the gravities of it, but our heart remains steadfast in the Lord, and we approach near unto the Lord. It is times like this that drive us to His sheltering wings and encircling arms. There is no telling what the aftermath of all of this will be. Undoubtedly, and hopefully, really, our nation will retaliate against terrorist entities in major proportions. We have no option, in my estimation. The death toll in this country at the moment will probably be in the tens of thousands. Two planes. were hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center in New York this morning. Another plane has crashed into the Pentagon. I don't know the extent of that. The major buildings in Washington, the Capitol, the State Department, the White House, they've all been evacuated as a precautionary measure against possible terrorist incursions. All the flights in America have been grounded just to be sure that they know if there's anything up there in the skies, it doesn't belong up there, and obviously surely would become a target for military destruction. These are the realities of the moment. This is about all I know. I was in the dentist's chair this morning when the news broke, and you can imagine just the gravity of everybody's emotions at that time. The whole nation is in shock, and we will look to the Lord. Though the earth be shaken beneath our feet and the foundations removed, the Lord is not shaken. We will not fear what man shall do unto us. Nothing is ever out of God's control. We are experiencing what has been foretold for a long, long time. as a possibility. And it's one of those things that you know could happen, you trust would never happen, but it has. And it is unfolding moment by moment today. So I would ask you this. We're going to have a time of prayer. In fact, while I'm speaking, I would like your student body and ICS leaders just come and take your place here. if you will, and then several administrators are going to pray, we're going to sing, and we're going to go before the Lord and ask the Lord to take pity upon us and to direct those that are having to make major decisions at this hour. First of all, let me read to you, please turn to Psalm 91. Please keep in mind as we read this, this passage has been the comfort for God's people Israel in the times of their deepest distress. God has given it for us in our time of deep distress. Undoubtedly, millions of people have turned to this passage of scripture for comfort when the hour looked dark and when the resolution of the problems looked impossible. And there were no human answers. We will comfort ourselves and strengthen ourselves in this passage that has been undoubtedly for millions down through the ages the greatest source of blessing and support and help in times of turmoil. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God. In Him will I trust. Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flyeth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked, because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most high, thy habitation. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling, for he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways. They bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the adder, the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, Therefore will I deliver him. I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." The deliverance spoken of here is to those who have set our love upon Christ. Because we trust in His name. The Bible says the name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous runneth into it and is safe. We do not know the will of God. We do not know the purposes of God. But we do know the strong arm of God. We do know that He is El Shaddai, Almighty God. Let us not panic. Let us not be driven to the embrace of rumor. There will be many rumors. I've heard of several already this morning that were shortly then discounted. The media will be chasing rumors for days. Let us not be allowed to panic. Keep your heart steadfast. The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous runneth into it and is safe. Some of us will find just how much we trust the Lord, just how much we really believe what we say we believe about Him. The peace of God that passes all understanding will keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. We'll be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. For as much as we know, our labor is not in vain in the Lord. I trust that you, as a Christian, will look to the Lord and find your stability, your confidence in Him, and that you will be exceedingly prayerful in these hours and days ahead. Heavenly Father, at this hour we would be still and know that Thou art God, that beside Thee there is no other. Thou art the eternal God, our refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Forever Thou art the same. There is no shadow of turning in Thee. Lord, the nations of the world and the heathens of the world do rage against You, and so have we in this country. You have allowed us before to face a Pearl Harbor and a Dunkirk and other bleak and humanly hopeless hours of human history that affected us, and yet you have spared us. You have spared us, Lord, and we have turned our backs upon you. We have treated you as though you do not exist. We have shaken our fists in your face We have despised your word. We have refused to walk under its authority. Lord, I pray that in this humbling hour, you would cause us, your people, to search our hearts within to see if there's any wicked way in us. Lord, give us evangelistic hearts and tongues. Give us the praise of Christ in our hearts. How greatly the nation at this hour needs to hear you from your people. Lord, you have allowed this to be instructive to us, and surely we have just seen the beginning, Lord, of a long, dark time of trial in our country. We do not know where this is going to lead us, Lord. But if it does not lead us back to Thee, it is all in vain. Lord, Thou wilt not spare America so that the pornographers and the Hollywood people and the liquor distillers and the perverts should be able to have their destructive freedoms their corruptive freedoms, their death-dealing freedoms. Surely, Lord, we do not deserve your mercy. We deserve your judgment, but we pray that in wrath you would remember mercy. And let this be a time for Christ to be seen and for the hearts of your people to see you as we never have seen you before. Though the hour be dark, Thou art the everlasting light, And in Thee is no darkness at all. And so we plead Your mercy and Your help. In Jesus' name, Amen. Would you please open your hymnals to number 249? We're going to sing the first and last stanza of a song we sang, I believe, last week. This will be our closing for the service, and when the last stanza is over and the chorus, you'll be dismissed without anything further. Be strong in the Lord and be of good courage. Your mighty defender is always the same. Let's stand and sing. you. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave For He is the Light, He is Love, He is Love, He is Love, He is our Lord, That He fights for us with His blood. You've been listening to The Chapel Hour, coming to you from the campus of Bob Jones University. Today's speaker was the president of BJU, Dr. Bob Jones III. For a cassette copy of this message, send a check for $7.20 to Campus Store, Bob Jones University, Greenville, South Carolina, 29614. Please mention the speaker, Dr. Bob Jones III, and today's date. The Chapel Hour has been sponsored by Bob Jones University.