Did God Send Katrina

[AliveInHim]

I don't think it is in God's character to pass a judgment and leave His children divided on whether or not it was judgment, and if so what is was judgment for.

Isaiah 55:8,9

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

I found this article be quite interesting.

Was Katrina Intelligent Design?

Editor's Note: For resources on responding to Hurricane Katrina, see the "Today at DG" section on the Desiring God homepage.

September 2, 2005

On his 89th birthday (August 31) NPR Senior News Analyst, Daniel Schorr, observed that President Bush had

Edited September 12, 2005 by AliveInHim

[Giaour]

I think it is you that are off base. I have not directed any of my posts at you directly, but you have taken them personally, for that I am sorry.

I have not once said that God had NOTHING to do with the hurricane.I just happen to think it was for HIS glory and not wrath.

Here are some of my other posts.

We as Christians need to be very careful on how we discus the topic of God's wrath and judgement.

We are to spread the Word with love and compassion and truth. We shouldn't go around saying "I told you so" or that "God has judged you as evil and thus destroyed your city."

That is the last thing these people need to hear.

Talking like that will only put a stumbling block in front of them and cause them to hate the God we love.

They don't need to be preached AT or have Bible verses thrown out at them.

They need to be told that God loves them and wants them to follow the example of Jesus on how to live.

They need comfort and reassurance not judgement and condemnation.

They need the basic necessities of life and some security in their lives.

Please realize how damaging your words can be.

Verbally attacking a president and a nation and blaming them for all the death and destruction around the world, only breeds anger and resentment.

It portrays Christians in a negative way and causes non-christians to want nothing to do with Jesus.

You believe what you want about people and nations but to go around condemming people in God's name is very detrimental to your testimony.

I have not said that we should not preach repentence.

I think we should, but to single out America or New Orleans and say that they were more evil then the rest of the world and that is why they were sent a hurricane by God, is not going to convince them to repent.

We can't point fingers, we are ALL deserving of judgement.

But for the grace of God go I

Franklin Graham just said on Fox news that the first thing he hears from Katrina survivors is praise to God for His mercy. Graham said thousands are giving God the glory for sparing them.

Doesn't sound like wrath to me.

Looks like glorifying to me.

Why is nobody seeing the good that Katrina has spurred?

People working together, thanking God for His mercy, out pouring of compassion, giving of supplies and time, self sacrifices of the many rescuers etc... So much negativity, but good is there if you only look.

Fact:

The hurricane went from a catagory 5 to a 4 right before it hit land.

Fact:

The hurricane veered to the east at the last moment before it hit land.

Fact:

Had the hurricane not veered, and hit New Orleans head on, it would have caused at least a 30 foot storm surge which would have leveled the city.

Hence, all of those rescued from roof tops after the hurricane would be dead. Estimated death toll was 50,000 plus!

Doesn't look like God's wrath or punishment to me but rather a miracle of His mercy.

Anything is possible with God but to say you know God's motives and His will as a fact seems pretty presumptious to me.

Doom, gloom, death, destruction, wrath, vengence, dogs and cats living together MASS HYSTERIA!

Go ahead and judge me for seeing the good in everything.

I see people coming together to pray and worship a merciful God. I see strangers sacrificing their own lives to try and save the lives of others. I see babies being born amidst the storm and new life being made. I see an outpouring of compassion around the world. I see widow women giving their last dollar to feed the victims. I see death toll estimates going lower and lower. I see churches opening their door to give homes to strangers. I see children giving away their toys to children who have lost theirs. I see people getting jobs who had none before the hurricane. I see the unsaved being told the words of God.

I see God smiling in heaven saying THIS IS FOR MY GLORY.

Now, do these sound like I said that God had nothing to do with the hurricane?

You see it as judgement , I see it as for His glory. We disagree, big deal. No need to get all personal towards me.

I did not make you out to be heartless or cackling in the victims faces. That's way off the mark.

If you saw it that way, I do apologize. We are on the same team. We just both heard the coach differently.

[Giaour]

Phil,

That was one of my points.

We should ALL repent.

We are all wicked.

Not just New Orleans, not just the gulf coast, not just America but ALL of us.

edit; wrong person Duh!

[Joy in the Journey]

Try going up to a mother whose baby drowned in the hurricane and tell her to repent because God has judged her city evil and worthy of destruction.

Oh yeah!

[AliveInHim]

Meant to edit my previous post and ended up quoting it by mistake.

Edited September 12, 2005 by AliveInHim

[Giaour]

Thank you Tim,

You say things better than I do.

Maybe I'll just post "ditto" after all of your posts.

My mouth and typing fingers do not say what I want them too.

I come across in ways that are just not me.

I would rather sit alone in the dark abyss than hurt someones feelings.

I was and am truely sorry if I hurt anyone.

I am hurting too.

I do have a personal investment in Katrina.

My family members lost everything but their lives and their faith.

I have been praying a lot about this and all I can hear is "this is for my glory".

I apologize once again.

[Eadora]

We as Christians need to be very careful on how we discus the topic of God's wrath and judgment.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe that when our God makes a Judgment, that results in him sending forth his Wrath, there will be

[dotcom]

Greetings,

The Lord never left Job during all his suffering. Job's relationship with the Lord GREW during his trials......afterwhich he said (to paraphrase)....."I once heard, but now I SEE".....

The Lord can turn devastating events for the GOOD in our lives.

Can anyone say our nation doesn't deserve judgement?......collectively as a nation?...............our sins are great?..........most grieviously our betrayal of Israel?........Are these things true?

I pray the Lord's people are drawn to Him........that through these crisis', HIS people recognize their dependence on Him.......repent and surrender their hearts to the care of LORD JESUS.

Jesus told us to not let our hearts be troubled "when we see these things"..........but to comfort one another because JESUS IS COMING BACK SOON!! Take comfort, friends.

YOur friend in Christ,

dotcom

[VRSpock]

Try going up to a mother whose baby drowned in the hurricane and tell her to repent because God has judged her city evil and worthy of destruction.

Oh yeah!  That will win another one over to Christ.

Don't forget to duck and cover.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wouldn't tell anyone of New Orleans that they suffered because God was judging them specifically anymore than I would jump into a time machine and go back and tell Job that his loses were because of anything that he had done. Righteous people experience loses when God moves...and God uses that pain and suffering to glorify Himself through the response of the individual(s) who are experiencing that pain and suffering...whether they respond in the Spirit or in the flesh. God is in control...period. Not some false goddes called "mother nature" and not some false god called "chance"....and most certainly not the devil.

I have seen a lot of people on tv from New Orleans who claims that God literally lifted them out of the waters and saved their lives. These people know that Katrina was an act of God...just as Job learned that all of his experiences both good and bad was an act of God.

Read the book of Job if you have any doubts about how Katrina could be an act of God. God lifted His veil of protection around Job, a righteous man of God, and caused Job to suffer so that Job may have an even closer relationship with God...so that he may be purged of any remaining bondage. This world....our possessions, our family....are meaningless when compared to our personal relationship with God. Any relationship requires two-way communication....so I charge everyone to read Job this week...even if you have read it recently...and get into a secret place...in the quiet away from all distractions....in prayer over all of this...regardless of what you believe or think about Katrina or any other "natural" disaster of recent years....and while in prayer become silent for 10 or 15 minutes or longer...putting away all of your thoughts....about your bills....about your health...about anything that becomes a daily distraction...except for God...and give God a chance to respond to you in that still quiet voice we know as the Holy Spirit. We all need to do this daily anyhow....to have an intimate relationship with Him. I myself don't do it often enough...and so when I say I charge everyone...I'm also speaking of myself as well.

May His truth be revealed in clarity and be undeniable.

I love you all...my brothers and sisters and will pray that we all who read this post do this in unity. Forever be His glory...amen.

[nebula]

I do have a personal investment in Katrina.

My family members lost everything but their lives and their faith.

Dear Giaour -

Please understand I am not sitting in judgment over your family, nor any one else. "For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matt. 5:45) And even Lot wasn't saved unscathed. He lost everything, too, including his wife.

Truly, I pray the best for your family. May the Lord provide for you and them in and through all of this.

I have been praying a lot about this and all I can hear is "this is for my glory".

Amen! This is for the Lord's glory. I hope you don't feel like I was trying to take away from that - I wasn't.

I said this before somewhere - even if we disagree on the cause of this storm, let us agree on calling on the Lord in the day of trouble!

And yes, repentance is a part of that - I mean, isn't that part of what they did in the OT when they donned sacloth and ashes? Truly, the church in America has much to get right with God about - I mean, I can read what Jesus is rebuking the churches in Revelation 2-3 about and see parallels in us as a corporate body or bodies.

You know what I love most about the story of Jonah and the Whale? Jonah disobeyed God, and then God sent a storm that threatened the lives of the innocent men on the entire ship. When the men threw Jonah overboard (which ironically they didn't want to do) and the fish swallowed Jonah and the storm ceased - all the men, all of whom were not Israelites and worshipers of other gods, turned and worshiped the Lord! The Lord's wrath on Jonah's disobedience led to a boat load of converts! Isn't that amazing?

The churches that are laying aside their differences and working together to help these people are doing what they are supposed to be doing. The Christians who have been able to go down there and help are doing what they are supposed to be doing. And the "refugees" (for lack of a better term) who are being helped by the churches are having the Gospel preached to them. Awesome!

But when I'm here calling for repentance, I'm not talking to them - they can't hear me. I'm talking to us on the Boards; I'm talking to myself. We need to cry out to the Lord - humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways - that God may heal our land. If you are daily searching your heart and asking the Lord to search your heart and daily confessing your sins before him and daily washing yourself in His word, then great! But, unfortunately, not everyone does. It's the ones who haven't been that I'm crying out to.