Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Saturday, September 11, 2021
Todd Beamer's Final Phone Call: "Let's Roll!"
Below is a reconstruction of the final telephone call of Todd Beamer, from United flight 93, on 9/11/2001. Details from this conversation can be found in chapters 19 and 20 of the book, Let's Roll: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage. Denny Burk has posted the details from the book on his blog.
Todd: Hello… Operator…listen to me…I can’t speak very loud. – This is an emergency. I’m a passenger on a United flight to San Francisco.. We have a situation here….Our plane has been hijacked…..can you understand me?
Lisa: (exhaling a deep breath to herself) I understand… Can the hijackers see you talking on the phone?
Todd: No
Lisa: Can you tell me how many hijackers are on the plane?
Todd: There are three that we know of.
Lisa: Can you see any weapons? What kind of weapons do they have?
Todd: Yes…. they don’t have guns….they have knives – they took over the plane with knives.
Lisa: Do you mean…like steak knives?
Todd: No, these are razor knives…like box cutters.
Lisa: Can you tell what country these people are from?
Todd: No…..I don’t know. They sound like they’re from the mid-east.
Lisa: Have they said what they want?
Todd: Someone announced from the cockpit that there was a bomb on board. He said he was the captain and to stay in our seats and stay quiet.
He said that they were meeting these men’s demands and returning to the airport… It was very broken English, and… I’m telling you…it sounded fake!
Lisa: Ok sir, please give me your name.
Todd: My name is Todd Beamer.
Lisa: Ok Todd….my name is Lisa…Do you know your flight number? If you can’t remember, it’s on your ticket.
Todd: It’s United Flight 93.
Lisa: Now Todd, can you try to tell me exactly what happened?
Todd: Two of the hijackers were sitting in first class near the cockpit. A third one was sitting near the back of the coach section. The two up. front got into the cockpit somehow; there was shouting. The third hijacker said he had a bomb. It looks like a bomb. He’s got it tied to his waist with a red belt of some kind.
Lisa: So is the door to the cockpit open?
Todd: No, the hijackers shut it behind them.
Lisa: Has anyone been injured?
Todd: Yes, ..they…they killed one passenger sitting in first class. There’s been lots of shouting. We don’t know if the pilots are dead or alive. A flight attendant told me that the pilot and copilot had been forced from the cockpit and may have been wounded.
Lisa: Where is the 3rd hijacker now Todd?
Todd: He’s near the back of the plane. They forced most of the passengers into first class. There are fourteen of us here in the back. Five are flight attendants. He hasn’t noticed that I slipped into this pantry to get the phone. The guy with the bomb ordered us to sit on the floor in the rear of the plane……….oh Jesus.. Help!
Lisa: Todd….are you ok? Tell me what’s happening!
Todd: Hello…..We’re going down….I think we’re going to crash……Wait – wait a minute. No, we’re leveling off….we’re ok. I think we may be turning around…..That’s it – we changed directions. Do you hear me….we’re flying east again.
Lisa: Ok Todd…. What’s going on with the other passengers?
Todd: Everyone is… really scared. A few passengers with cell phones have made calls to relatives. A guy, Jeremy, was talking to his wife just before the hijacking started. She told him that hijackers had crashed two planes into the World Trade Center……Lisa is that true??
Lisa: Todd…..I have to tell you the truth…..it’s very bad. The World Trade Center is gone. Both of the towers have been destroyed.
Todd: Oh God —help us!
Lisa: A third plane was taken over by terrorists. It crashed into the Pentagon in Washington DC. Our country is under attack….and I’m afraid that your plane may be part of their plan.
Todd: Oh dear God. Dear God…….Lisa, will you do something for me?
Lisa: I’ll try….if I can….Yes.
Todd: I want you to call my wife and my kids for me and tell them what’s happened. Promise me you’ll call..
Lisa: I promise – I’ll call.
Todd: Our home number is 201-353-1073…….You have the same name as my wife…Lisa….We’ve been married for 10 years. She’s pregnant with our 3rd child. Tell her that I love her…….(choking up)..I’ll always love her..(clearing throat) We have two boys.. David, he’s 3 and Andrew, he’s 1…..Tell them……(choking) tell them that their daddy loves them and that he is so proud of them. (clearing throat again) Our baby is due January 12th…..I saw an ultra sound…..it was great….we still don’t know if it’s a girl or a boy………Lisa?
Lisa: (barely able to speak) I’ll tell them, I promise Todd.
Todd: I’m going back to the group—if I can get back I will…
Lisa: Todd, leave this line open…are you still there?……
Lisa: (dials the phone..) Hello, FBI, my name is Lisa Jefferson, I’m a telephone supervisor for GTE. I need to report a terrorist hijacking of a United Airlines Flight 93….Yes I’ll hold.
Goodwin: Hello, this is Agent Goodwin.. I understand you have a hijacking situation?
Lisa: Yes sir, I’ve been talking with a passenger, a Todd Beamer, on Flight 93 who managed to get to an air phone unnoticed.
Goodwin: Where did this flight originate, and what was its destination?
Lisa: The flight left Newark New Jersey at 8 A.M. departing for San Francisco. The hijackers took over the plane shortly after takeoff, and several minutes later the plane changed course – it is now flying east.
Goodwin: Ms. Jefferson…I need to talk to someone aboard that plane. Can you get me thru to the planes phone?
Lisa: I still have that line open sir, I can patch you through on a conference call…hold a mo…..
Todd: Hello Lisa, Lisa are you there?
Lisa: Yes, I’m here. Todd, I made a call to the FBI, Agent Goodwin is on the line and will be talking to you as well.
Todd: The others all know that this isn’t your normal hijacking. Jeremy called his wife again on his cell phone. She told him more about the World Trade Center and all.
Goodwin: Hello Todd. This is Agent Goodwin with the FBI. We have been monitoring your flight. Your plane is on a course for Washington, DC. These terrorists sent two planes into the World Trade Center and one plane into the Pentagon. Our best guess is that they plan to fly your plane into either the White House or the United States Capital Building.
Todd: I understand…hold on……I’ll…….I’ll be back..
Lisa: Mr. Goodwin, how much time do they have before they get to Washington?
Goodwin: Not long ma’am. They changed course over Cleveland; they’re approaching Pittsburgh now. Washington may be twenty minutes away.
Todd: (breathing a little heavier) The plane seems to be changing directions just a little. It’s getting pretty rough up here. The plane is flying real erratic….We’re not going to make it out of here. Listen to me….I want you to hear this….I have talked with the others….we have decided we would not be pawns in these hijackers suicidal plot.
Lisa: Todd, what are you going to do?
Todd: We’ve hatched a plan. Four of us are going to rush the hijacker with the bomb. After we take him out, we’ll break into the cockpit. A stewardess is getting some boiling water to throw on the hijackers at the controls. We’ll get them….and we’ll take them out. Lisa, …..will you do one last thing for me?
Lisa: Yes…What is it?
Todd: Would you pray with me?
They pray: Our father which art in Heaven
Hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive our trespassers,
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory
Forever…..Amen
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…
He makes me to lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside the still waters
He restores my soul
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil, for thou art with me…..
Todd: (softer) God help me…Jesus help me….(clears throat and louder)
Are you guys ready?……..
Let’s Roll……………………
September 11th: National "See The Truth About Islam" Day
Why did 19 Muslim men hijack airplanes and crash them into buildings, killing themselves and almost 3,000 others in an horrific act of terror and evil?
Because the Quran told them to. Because Muhammad told them to use violence. Because they were following in the footsteps of Muhammad. And because their false god promises them guaranteed eternal life for such acts of evil.
Because The Quran Told Them To
Note that chapter 9 of the Quran is the last chapter of the Quran chronologically. So it's like the "New Testament" of the Quran. AND IT IS THE MOST VIOLENT CHAPTER IN THE WHOLE QURAN!
Surah 9:29: Fight those people of the Book (Jews and Christians) who do not believe in Allah
Surah 9:73: O Prophet! Strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them.
Surah 9:123: O you who believe! Fight those of the unbelievers who are close to you, and let them find harshness in you
Surah 2:216: Fighting is ordained for you
Surah 5:33: the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land.
Surah 5:51: O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors: They are but friends and protectors to each other.
Surah 8:12: I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them.
Surah 8:59-60: And let not those who disbelieve think that they can outstrip (escape from the punishment). Verily, they will never be able to save themselves (from Allah's Punishment). And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war (tanks, planes, missiles, artillery) to threaten the enemy of Allah and your enemy, and others besides whom, you may not know but whom Allah does know. And whatever you shall spend in the Cause of Allah shall be repaid unto you, and you shall not be treated unjustly.
Surah 8:65: O Prophet! Urge the believers to fight. If there are twenty steadfast persons amongst you, they will overcome two hundred, and if there be a hundred steadfast persons they will overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they (the disbelievers) are people who do not understand.
Surah 47:4: So, when you meet, those who disbelieve smite (their) necks till when you have killed and wounded many of them
Surah 48:29: Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, And those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves.
Because Muhammad Told Them To Use Violence
Bukhari (vol. 4, p. 124): Allah's Apostle said, "I have been ordered to fight with the people till they say, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,' and whoever says, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,' his life and property will be saved by me . . . ."
Bukhari (vol. 4, p. 161): "It is not fitting for a prophet that he should have prisoners of war (and free them with ransom) until he has made a great slaughter (among his enemies) in the land . . . ."
Bukhari 4.52.176: Muhammad said: "You (Muslims) will fight with the Jews till some of them will hide behind stones. The stones will (betray them) saying, 'O 'Abdullah (slave of Allah)! There is a Jew hiding behind me; so kill him.'"
Bukhari 9.84:57: Muhammad said: "Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him."
Because They Were Following In The Footsteps Of Muhammad
Bukhari 4.52.220: Muhammad said: "I have been made victorious with terror."
Sahih Muslim 1767a: Muhammad said: "I will expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula"
Bukhari 1.2.25: Muhammad said: "I have been ordered (by Allah) to fight against the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshiped but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's Apostle, and offer the prayers perfectly and give the obligatory charity, so if they perform that, then they save their lives and property from me except for Islamic laws and then their reckoning (accounts) will be done by Allah."
Because Their False god Promises Them Guaranteed Eternal Life For Such Acts Of Evil
Surah 61:10-12: You who believe, shall I show you a bargain that will save you from painful punishment? Have faith in God and His Messenger and struggle [j-h-d] for His cause with your possessions and your persons — that is better for you, if only you knew and He will forgive your sins, admit you into Gardens graced with flowing streams, into pleasant dwellings in the Gardens of Eternity. That is the supreme triumph.
Surah 4:74: Let those of you who are willing to trade the life of this world for the life to come, fight in God’s way. To anyone who fights in God’s way, whether killed or victorious, We shall give a great reward.
Surah 9:111: God has purchased the persons and possessions of the believers for the Garden — they fight in God’s way: they kill and are killed — this is a true promise given by Him in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur’an. Who could be more faithful to his promise than God? So be happy with the bargain you have made: that is the supreme triumph.
Please Turn Away From This Violent, False Religion And Trust In The Prince Of Peace: The Lord Jesus Christ!
Isaiah 9:6: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
This was prophesied about Jesus Christ 700 years before He was even born! He is the Mighty God and the Prince of Peace Who alone can grant you peace with God and peace with others!
The Bible says God created all things, and He made you to be in a relationship with Him: to know Him, to trust Him, to love Him, and to obey Him. And God is a triune God: one God existing in three co-equal, co-eternal Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Genesis 1:1: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Matthew 22:37-39: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
1 Corinthians 10:31: So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
The bad news is that we have all sinned against God, selfishly desiring our own will instead of His will, and we've broken His good, holy, just, and loving laws – laws He gave us because He loves us and to help us live lives full of joy, peace, and satisfaction.
Romans 3:23: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Because of our sin, we deserve God's just punishment and curse in hell forever. But God so loved sinners that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to save sinners! He is truly God and truly Man, and He is the only way to be saved from your sins:
John 14:6: Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
Jesus, the Son of God and God come in the flesh, never sinned. He lived a perfectly obedient life. He died on the cross, bearing the anger and curse of God toward sinners, and then rose up from the dead, conquering sin, death, and hell, so that if you turn from your sins and believe in Him, you shall be saved!
Acts 16:31: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved!
Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
You cannot earn God's love and favor by doing good deeds, praying, giving alms, or being a good person. Adam and Eve were forced to leave God's presence in Paradise for committing only one sin! God will not be in the presence of even one sin! And you need all of your sins forgiven! Only through Jesus Christ can all your sins be forgiven. He is God the Son, and He alone can save you and grant you peace: Jesus says: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
Please trust in God the Son today! He alone saves from God's wrath in hell!
Please consider these excellent resources on Islam, Christianity, and the hope all can have in the God-Man, Jesus Christ:
1. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity, by Nabeel Qureshi
2. Answering Jihad: A Better Way Forward, by Nabeel Qureshi
You can also listen to these excellent testimonies by Nabeel and Jay Smith on the same topics:
See this excellent explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was produced in honor of Nabeel Qureshi's life: American Gospel: Christ Alone
My Other Posts About September 11th
Resources About Jesus In Arabic/Other Languages
The Quest For Joy (The Gospel) by John Piper in Arabic
Fifty Reasons Jesus Came To Die by John Piper in Arabic
Resources From Desiring God in Arabic
Resources From Ligonier Ministries in Arabic
Resources From The Gospel Coalition in Arabic
Resources From Desiring God in other languages
Other Websites Helpful On The Truth About Islam
1. Jay Smith
3. David Wood
6. Hatun Tash
10. Answering Islam
11. Jihad Watch
Wednesday, September 8, 2021
Remembering God's Grace On September 11, 2001, And Beyond
I was motivated by this piece from Kevin DeYoung to write about my own memories of September 11, 2001. Here are some other reflections on 9/11 I've found helpful: Mack Stiles on 9/11 and missions to Muslims; Denny Burk's reflections on that day and two sermons preached on 9/16; David Mathis on the supremacy of Jesus Christ and how 9/11 changed Desiring God ministries. This is a very personal conversion testimony by my friend, Nick Batzig.
As for me, I was serving in the United States Navy at the time, and our ship was scheduled to deploy to the Persian Gulf on September 18th. I was on leave (what they call vacation in the Navy), and I had just come home to North Carolina from a trip to Rhode Island where I went to the funeral of a young, godly mother who died of cancer. She was a member of the same church I joined while doing military training in Newport. I wrote in my journal on September 10th:
I went to Molly Scott's funeral this weekend in Newport. The service was very encouraging. It was encouraging because the focus was on God's sovereign grace and Jesus Christ. His praise goes on! No matter what! In good times or bad . . . His praise goes on - now and forevermore! . . . Thank You LORD for letting me know such wonderful people - it's all because of the cross.
God was sovereign (in total and absolute control over all events) on September 10th, sovereign on September 11th, sovereign on the most evil, most blessed day when Jesus Christ was crucified on that cross, and He is sovereign every second of every day forever. And His praise goes on too, no matter what.
I was home in North Carolina on the morning of September 11th. I was reading through my Bible reading plan that morning. The readings that day were from 2 Samuel 6, 1 Corinthians 16, Ezekiel 14, and Psalm 55. In my journal, I wrote:
2 Sam. 6 - David danced before the LORD almost naked because of his joy in God's election of him as king! Please keep my joy up in You oh LORD because of Your election of me! And please keep me humble in my own sight! For Jesus' sake.
Ezekiel 14 - Oh God, You know I have set up idols in my own heart and have persistently put other things above You. Forgive me please oh God! Have mercy on me! Destroy the idols and cause me to desire You and You alone! For Jesus' sake!
Psalm 55 - Oh LORD, help me cast my burden on You! Sustain me oh God! I am righteous only because of Jesus - His righteousness is mine, it is not my own. Praise God.
Psalm 55 was particularly appropriate for that tragic morning:
Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy! Attend to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and I moan, because of the noise of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. For they drop trouble upon me, and in anger they bear a grudge against me. My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me. And I say, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; yes, I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah. I would hurry to find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest." Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues; for I see violence and strife in the city. Day and night they go around it on its walls, and iniquity and trouble are within it; ruin is in its midst; oppression and fraud do not depart from its marketplace . . . But I call to God, and the LORD will save me. Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice. He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage, for many are arrayed against me. God will give ear and humble them, he who is enthroned from of old, Selah because they do not change and do not fear God . . . Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. But you, O God, will cast them down into the pit of destruction; men of blood and treachery shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in you. Psalm 55:1-11, 16-19, 22-23
I remember being interrupted from my Bible reading, but I don't remember exactly how I was interrupted - maybe someone called me and told me to turn on the news. I did so and watched as the World Trade Center towers both burned after being hit by the airplanes highjacked by terrorists. I couldn't believe it.
Then the phone call came. A person from my navy ship called and told me that everyone on leave was being recalled to the ship immediately, and we were being deployed to protect the United States off the coast of New York. I had to pack and get on the road to drive back to Norfolk as soon as possible.
Then another phone call came - my wonderful Christian neighbor who lived just down the street called, and she was in tears. Just yesterday she had welcomed me home and was lovingly joking with me about being a big, bad navy man who was going out to sea to protect the country. Now there was no joking. She was weeping and crying and telling me how sorry she was that she had joked with me about being in the navy yesterday. I think she may have prayed for me. But I couldn't talk long and had to go.
Then my mom called. I told her I had to leave home as soon as possible. She hurried home from work so she could say goodbye. It was a long, six hour drive from Conover to Norfolk that day. I tried to find out more about the attacks on the country by listening to the radio.
Once in Norfolk I drove straight to the naval base, but it seemed like total chaos. I was told that my ship had already left the naval station and was out at sea. They would not let me on the base. I went home to an empty house in Norfolk. I called the ship from home, and there was talk of somehow transporting people out to meet the ship off the coast of New York. That never happened. After a couple days, my ship was back in port in Norfolk. We continued to prepare for our six month deployment and left for the Persian Gulf one day late, September 19th. It was a very tense time to be heading out for deployment to the Middle East. God is good. He was with me. And He used that deployment and my whole time in the Navy to teach me that I have nothing to boast in except the cross of my LORD Jesus Christ:
But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:14
I knew basically nothing about Islam on September 11, 2001. But over the years, the LORD has led me to learn more about the religion that motivated those gruesome attacks on September 11th that killed so many. As followers of Jesus Christ, we should pray and long for our Muslim friends and neighbors to know the truth about their false and violent religion. And we should labor and pray for them to turn from it and turn to the LORD Jesus Christ by faith alone. He is the only One Who can save them and all of us from all of our sins. Only the triune God saves!
In light of all that is happening in Afghanistan right now, consider these words spoken by Nabeel Qureshi in 2016:
What we have right now is unprecedented in human history . . . It is the greatest opportunity we have ever had in human history to reach Muslims with the Gospel. 1,400 years have not seen as many converts from Islam to Christianity as the past 14 years. People are encountering the reality of Islam: it started with the Iranians after the clerical revolution in Iran. They said, "Let's give sharia its full chance"; 20 years later they say, "I want no part of this!" and Iranian refugees are leaving Iran in droves. The first thing they do once they get to Australia, once they get to Nauru, once they get to the Philippines, the first thing they often do is find a church and say "Tell me about the Gospel." Right now tons of churches in Australia are being run by Iranian pastors.
May God do in Afghanistan what He has done in Iran - all for the glory of King Jesus!
On this week of the 20th anniversary of what happened on September 11th, I encourage you to consider reading these two books on Islam and the superiority of the God-Man and Prince of Peace - the LORD Jesus Christ. He died on that cross for sinners and rose up from the dead so that all who repent and believe in Him might be saved from God's wrath in hell.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
Get these books, read them, and give them away, especially to your Muslim friends:
1. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity, by Nabeel Qureshi
2. Answering Jihad: A Better Way Forward, by Nabeel Qureshi
You can also listen/read these excellent testimonies by Nabeel on the same topics:
1. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus
3. How Does The Violence In Islam Compare To The Violence God Commanded In The Old Testament?
Finally, please watch this excellent explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was produced in honor of Nabeel Qureshi's life: American Gospel: Christ Alone
May God awaken and save the Muslim world, and may the Lamb of God receive the reward of His sufferings!
My Other Posts About September 11th
September 11th: National "See The Truth About Islam" DayResources About Jesus In Arabic/Other Languages
The Quest For Joy (The Gospel) by John Piper in Arabic
Fifty Reasons Jesus Came To Die by John Piper in Arabic
Resources From Desiring God in Arabic
Resources From Ligonier Ministries in Arabic
Resources From The Gospel Coalition in Arabic
Resources From Desiring God in other languages
Other Websites Helpful On The Truth About Islam
1. Jay Smith
3. David Wood
6. Hatun Tash
10. Answering Islam
11. Jihad Watch
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