Taking heed to warnings

Hurricanes have come and gone in the US this last month. Any big differences? Certainly the 'direct' hit on New Orleans by Katrina is different than the hit on no city by Rita. And the category number was a bit lower in Rita. But think about how folks responded earlier to Rita. Think about how some evacuated Houston and Galveston and other areas days before the landing and sea swelling. What caused the difference?

Maybe when we see blue skies and only a bit of weather forecast, we deem it unlikely that a hurricane or a tornado or a storm or anything will land on us or crush us or even slow us down. Perhaps the reality of Katrina caused people to re-consider when the same blue skies overlooked Houston and Galveston. And they this time, listened to the weathermen. And this time no one was killed, compared to the 1,000 of Katrina's murdering ways.

So what will it take for you to listen to the warnings I issue about eternity? What will it take when skies are blue and things are going your way, and you don't believe there is an eternity out there, or that you have anything to worry about?

God's justice is real and if we don't turn from our sins and accept Y'shua as our Messiah, we are in trouble. We are destined for punishment and pain. We are going to be stuck in the 9th Ward of no-man's land and that's not a good place.

Give God a humble listen. Accept God's Messiah Y'shua. Be born again to a living hope. Nothing else will matter. In eternity, whenever that starts, or today.

Blaming the government

The news media are all over the US government for the delay and sloth in helping the hurricane victims in Louisiana. They charge President Bush with mismanagement and incompetence in not helping those who suffered under Hurricane Katrina. Blame is an even harsher sound when applied to John Howard and our Aussie officials in not sending consular staff to help stranded Aussies.

So who is to blame? Sure, sure, there was a hurricane and certainly the hurricane did some damage, they say, but really where is the US when her citizens are in need? The mayor is angry at the state, the state is upset at the feds, and blame shifting is not ever satisfying, certainly to the victims.

But it does seem comfortable. It seems so self-completing. It seems to make some sense of a senseless situation.

Or does it?

Blaming the US government for the situation is not only simplistic, it's simply wrong. The hurricane knocked out the electricity and the rails and the phone lines and the travel paths for millions of citizens and tourists. You cannot blame government for that.

The residual effect of the wind and the rain will leave the costliest bill in American weather history, billions of dollars so far, and they are just now getting to half the homes. How many will lie dead? How many will need surgery and replacements of homes and farms and property and goods and ...? Where will it end?

So where to look? How about government? That's easy, but it's simply ill-founded. And blaming a government 9,000 miles away in Canberra for the inefficient or slow response to the aching 40, the travellers from Australia who were holidaying overseas. What sense does that make? Why should Mr Howard be responsible to send people of government stature to a state without any basic services? What would those people have been able to do there? How could they have communicated with the folks who were in harm's way?

It's so easy to blame. It's often so wrong.

Listen, things happen. Hurricanes happen. Who blamed the Thai government for the situation in December last year when the tsunami hit on Boxing Day? Didn't the world simply reach out to help? Didn't everyone feel the pain of the victims and gather resources to help? Why would the world be so angry and blaming today?

Think about it. Write if you want.

Houston sounds terrific

I'm reading about the people of Houston taking in tens of thousands of refugees from hurricane torn New Orleans and I'm very happy to know so many there. I'm actually travelling to Houston Texas on Friday this week to preach in 11 places in 8 days, and hope to have a similar welcome. God bless the Texans.





_______________________
Bob and Patty Mendelsohn
Jews for Jesus PO Box 925 Sydney 2001 AUSTRALIA
Phone: 1.800.988.077 FAX 02.9388.0545 Mobile: 0414.754.180
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http://www.jewsforjesus.org.au
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