The Lord Has His Way In The Whirlwind

Mark,

"If these would not convince a man that nature is but the finger of God, then nothing else I could say would have any effect on your sin hardened hearts"

How do you know about the condition of others hearts?

Maybe you should look closely at your own heart, the truest follower in this situation is doing everything possible to offer help and support to the people affected by this tragedy, not worrying about the theology of why this happened. We are all sinners, all of us have fallen short of Gods plan.

jman

 

Then why are you still here worrying about others worrying about theology?

 

Mark,

I, and many others, read your posts to mean, not that God is in charge of all things, but rather that God sent Katrina as some kind of punishment for the people of New Orleans. I think we all know and acknowledge that God is God, and therefore has the final say in all things. Where some of us differ with you is that we don't necessarily believe every "natural consequence" is a deliberate punishment.

I believe that God set certain laws of physics and nature into operation, and that most of the time He allows these things to run natural patterns. I also believe that God often allows men to suffer the consequences of their own actions. In this case, the action was building below sealevel in a hurricane prone zone and the consequence was what it always is when a hurricane hits.

Certainly there are times when He has stepped forward and sent specific disasters for specfic reasons, but all I don't think that is the case in regards to Katrina.

I think that the natural weather patterns were there before men moved there, and that rather than God "sending a punishment in the form of Katrina," God "chose not send a miracle" that would have altered the weather patterns and spared New Orleans, Mississippi and Alabama.

If you bring this to a smaller scale. Its "natural" that a person who steps out in front of a speeding car is killed or seriously injured. It is a miracle if they step out in front of a speeding car and are uninjured. It is "unnatural" for a person sitting in their living room to be killed by a car going out of control and landing in their living room.

Certainly God "allowed" Katrina to follow her natural path, but that isn't the same thing as God saying, "I'm going to destroy New Orleans."

 

HURRICANE KATRINA DESTROYS NEW ORLEANS
DAYS BEFORE "SOUTHERN DECADENCE" 8/31/05

PHILADELPHIA - Just days before "Southern Decadence", an annual homosexual celebration attracting tens of thousands of people to the French Quarters section of New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina destroys the city.

"Southern Decadence" has a history of filling the French Quarters section of the city with drunken homosexuals engaging in sex acts in the public streets and bars. Last year, a local pastor sent video footage of sex acts being performed in front of police to the mayor, city council, and the media. City officials simply ignored the footage and continued to welcome and praise the weeklong celebration as being an "exciting event". However, Hurricane Katrina has put an end to the annual celebration of sin.

On the official "Southern Decadence" website, it states that the annual event brought in "125,000 revelers" to New Orleans last year, increasing by thousands each year, and up from "over 50,000 revelers" in 1997. This year’s 34th annual "Southern Decadence" was set for Wednesday, August 31, 2005 through Monday, September 5, 2005, but due to massive flooding and the damage left by the hurricane, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco has ordered everyone to evacuate the city.

The past three mayors of New Orleans, including Sidney Barthelomew, Marc H. Morial, and C. Ray Nagin, issued official proclamations welcoming visitors to "Southern Decadence". Additionally, New Orleans City Council made other proclamations recognizing the annual homosexual celebration.

"Although the loss of lives is deeply saddening, this act of God destroyed a wicked city," stated Repent America director Michael Marcavage. "From 'Girls Gone Wild' to 'Southern Decadence,' New Orleans was a city that had its doors wide open to the public celebration of sin. From the devastation may a city full of righteousness emerge," he continued.

New Orleans is also known for its Mardi Gras parties where thousands of drunken men revel in the streets to exchange plastic jewelry for drunken women to expose their breasts. This annual event sparked the creation of the "Girls Gone Wild" video series.

"We must help and pray for those ravaged by this disaster, but let us not forget that the citizens of New Orleans tolerated and welcomed the wickedness in their city for so long," Marcavage said. "May this act of God cause us all to think about what we tolerate in our city limits, and bring us trembling before the throne of Almighty God," Marcavage concluded.

"God sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matthew 5:45)

http://www.repentamerica.com/pr_hurricanekatrina.html

 

That does put things in a bit of a different light Granny.

 

When God destroyed cities in the Bible, He would warn those who were believers to flee the city before it was destroyed. To my knowledge this did not happen.

 

Then why are you still here worrying about others worrying about theology? </font>[/QUOTE]Andy- because its disrespectful to the people that are caught up in this tragedy. Many of them christian brothers and sisters.

Galatians 5:19-22 (New International Version)

19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

 

"We're All Homeless" -- New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Shares in its City's Suffering

Posted: Thursday, September 01, 2005 at 2:00 am ET


"Pray for the circumstances of our seminary family," said New Orleans Theological Seminary President Chuck Kelley. "They're all over the southeastern United States. Virtually all of us on campus now are homeless. My wife and I have what we can put in our car in an hour, and that's it. We're all homeless." [see story in Baptist Press]

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary is one of six seminaries serving the Southern Baptist Convention. Like the City of New Orleans, it is now underwater, and may be for some time. We have no idea of the devastation, and the full extent of the damage may not be known for months. The entire campus may be lost or catastrophically compromised.

Chuck Kelley loves the school he leads, and he loves his stuents. He has led NOBTS with a firm vision and his own deep Christian conviction. He is an evangelist who also loves the city he has called home for so many years -- a city that represents one of the greatest and most challenging mission fields in North America.

He, his wife Rhonda, and the senior seminary leadership have now moved to Atlanta for some time, operating out of their North Georgia extension campus.

Today, they will be meeting to consider the future of their school. They must develop a plan, based on what they know now. I am confident of this -- no hurricane is going to keep Chuck Kelley and the NOBTS family from doing what God has called them to do.

Their students and faculty have lost almost everything. They still have their faith, their calling, and their Christian hope. Let's pray for Chuck and his team as they meet today -- and then let's help them recover and rebuild.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. [Jeremiah 29:11-14, English Standard Version]

 

webdog, there have been numerous street preachers preaching and warning about God's coming judgment, but like the rest of the country, it has taken an indifferent attitude toward sin.

 

There was already a warning gone out "repent for the knigdom of God is near"

 

There was already a warning gone out "repent for the knigdom of God is near" </font>[/QUOTE]Did you and granny not read my post...whenever God destroyed cities in the Bible HE WOULD WARN THOSE WHO WERE BELIEVERS TO FLEE the city before it was destroyed. Warning's to unbelievers is not the point. Repent or perish preaching on the streets is not intended for the believer.

 

Perhaps God sent this catastrophe because He has found the actions of America to be repugnant in His eyes. Invading a country and lying about the reason why. Killing over 100,000 Iraqis and creating a void politically which might very well lead to civil war or to a radical Islamic state allied with Iran. Where is the good in all this? More death for power and oil.

 

Why not put this left wing propaganda in the politics section, I don't want to read this garbage here.

 

Where is this found in the Bible?

 

Proverbs 16:4 (ESV)
The Lord has made everything for its purpose,
even the wicked for the day of trouble.

 

Absolutely not. Why was a man born blind?

 

But He did give us the Bible that plainly reveals His judgment upon such wickedness. Doesn't this constitute a fair warning to flee?

 

Absolutely not. Why was a man born blind? </font>[/QUOTE]I don't think this is a valid analogy. John 9 does not say that God made the man blind. It just says that he's blind so that God may be glorified. I think that God allowed the man to be born just as he allowed the storm.

Mark was saying God forms the storms, individually I guess from what he was saying, and sends them to specific targets. So I was wondering how that would work with Jesus rebuking a storm sent by God.

 

But He did give us the Bible that plainly reveals His judgment upon such wickedness. Doesn't this constitute a fair warning to flee? </font>[/QUOTE]So this would mean that we should flee every city and town right now, then. They all have wicked things going on in them.

 

Absolutely not. Why was a man born blind? </font>[/QUOTE]I don't think this is a valid analogy. John 9 does not say that God made the man blind. It just says that he's blind so that God may be glorified. I think that God allowed the man to be born just as he allowed the storm.

Mark was saying God forms the storms, individually I guess from what he was saying, and sends them to specific targets. So I was wondering how that would work with Jesus rebuking a storm sent by God. </font>[/QUOTE]He was born blind for the very purpose of God's glorification. Same as the storm being reversed. He was glorified through it. Perfect analogy.