Hurricanes and God's Judgment

Carla somehow got onto the email list of a woman who sees herself as some type of prophet. We usually just delete the emails, but I just had to reply to the following message:

The name Ike means-"He who laughs"

The following verses from God's word are so sobering. Is God speaking to our nation through these devastating hurricanes? Has our nations gone far enough in mocking God Almighty? Where are the ones who will humble themselves and truly turn from wickedness to the Living God? All nations have been foolish in thinking their kings have any power outside of God Jehovah..Is God laughing at the nations through these hurricanes? Oh let us truly repent..may we kiss the Son, Jesus Christ lest He be angry...He may have come as a Lamb but He is returning as the Mighty Lion of Judah...our redemption draws nigh. May we with one voice, cry out today in repentance and seek God's mercy and forgiveness

In fear and trembling
XXXXXXX

Isa 45:7-9 "I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster;
I, the LORD, do all these things. "You heavens above, rain down righteousness;
let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the LORD, have created it."


Ps 2:1-3:1 "Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. "Let us break their chains," they say,"and throw off their fetters." The One enthroned in heaven laughs;the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, "I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill." I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son;today I have become your Father. Ask of me,and I will make the nations your inheritance,the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter;you will dash them to pieces like pottery." Therefore, you kings, be wise;be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry (pay Him Homage, humbled before Him) and you be destroyed in your way,for his wrath can flare up in a moment.Blessed are all who take refuge in him.


Prov 1:20-26 " Wisdom calls aloud in the street,she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out,in the gateways of the city she makes her speech: "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways?How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? If you had responded to my rebuke,I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster;I will mock when calamity overtakes you-- "

Prov 9:10-12 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer."

Zeph 2:3 "Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands.
Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD's anger."

Here was my response:

Hello XXXXXX,

I assume that you are open to receiving feedback on the emails that you send out. What I got from your email about hurricane Ike is that you have a very warped perspective of what God is like. God is not an angry and capricious being who laughs spitefully and then sends hurricanes to destroy the homes of poor people (many of whom are Christians) unless we appease Him. That is the type of God that the pagans worshiped.

Hurricanes are a part of the earth's weather system. They play a vital role in regulating the earth's temperature and bringing precipitation to dry areas. They have been occurring in the Gulf of Mexico long before we began building cities there. In fact, the word hurricane came from the Mayans (it was the name of their storm god). Christopher Columbus encountered a hurricane or severe tropical storm in 1495 and lost some ships as a result. The fact that we built cities and neighborhoods in hurricane-prone coastal areas and then attribute it to God when a hurricane hits is sort of like closing your eyes and running into a busy street and than saying it was God's judgment if you got hit by a car.

The Bible tells us that it is God's kindness (not hurricanes) that leads to repentance. Jesus said that if we've seen Him, we've seen the Father. Likewise, Paul wrote that Jesus is the image (ikon) of the invisible God. Jesus came to show us what the Father is like. What Jesus displayed was kindness, mercy, grace, restoration, redemption and reconciliation. If you want to see where God is in the hurricanes look to the people (many of whom are Christians) who come in afterward to rescue, comfort and restore. That is the heart of God.

The Greek word translated as repent is metanoia. It literally means "have another mind", or "change your way of thinking". I humbly suggest that you might consider changing your way of thinking about what God is like. He has already poured out mercy and forgiveness upon us. That's what the cross was all about. That was how He spoke to us, and He still speaks today--not in anger and devastation but in kindness and self-sacrifice and mercy and forgiveness and love.


Sincerely,

Danny Coleman (Carla's husband)

"The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper." 1 Kings 19:11-12

What do you think? Was I too harsh?