Terrorist Wanted To Blow Up The Center For Disease Control

Two men, Syed Haris Ahmed and Ehsanul Sadequee of Atlanta, Georgia were arrested on April 20th 2006 for plotting to blow up the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta GA. The men had discussed on the phone with Toronto terrorists other attacks on oil refineries and military bases. They also planned to disable the Global Positioning System (GPS), which would disrupt military and commercial communications and air traffic (thank you Patriot Act).

Both men were Georgia Tech students. They could get info on what side of the CDC building the smallpox is stored. They planned to load a Ryder Rental truck with fertilizer, diesel fuel, and a detonator; drive it into the side of the CDC building and blow it up. Then smallpox would be passed into the air and any injured or first responders would be infected. Then hospital personal caring for the injured would be infected and the next thing you know – one million people are dead and Atlanta and the South East are devastated. This is Muslim terrorist jihad.

Success

Much is made of success in our culture. It is a popular topic of books and seminars. One attribute of the philosophy of success in our time is that its focus is very narrow in the sense that we seek to be successful in what we do as opposed to who we are. We tend to think of being a successful salesman, businessman, lawyer, architect, or farmer. In this sense, our definition of success is very limited. One could argue that a person is a success because he is a famous baseball player who has hit a record number of homeruns. At the same time, our baseball player may have been divorced three times, uses drugs, and never sees his children. In modern America, having lots of money may be the overarching criteria for success, but is dying with the most toys all that success means?

When God spoke to Joshua about success, He told him: “Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:7-8) God says that real success is contingent upon obeying His Word. The Bible speaks to all the issues of life; not just your profession. When we obey God’s Word our “way” will be “prosperous.” This is not just a promise for material success in business; it is speaking about our whole manner of life.

The New Testament English word “way” is translated from the Greek word “hodos.” It literally means “road – a route to a destination.” It was also used most often in a figurative sense, as a “means – a vehicle to a destination.” Therefore, perhaps our focus should be on living successfully (according to God’s Word) as we pursue our goals and calling; the emphasis being on the means more than the end result. This is a radical paradigm shift that our present culture needs to embrace. With God, Biblical faithfulness in living is the full measure of success. Your character is more important to Him than your portfolio.

God is concerned with your right living, but the achievement of your goals is in His hands. Are you faithful? There is no greater success in the Christian life than living well with what God has given you. If you fail to reach a cherished goal, God has worked this into His plan for you as well. Count it all joy. Christian conduct and faithfulness, in the life that God has provided, is the only success that counts.