What Is God Trying To Tell US..???...

In looking back on the year that has just ended�a year filled with the horrors of war and of natural disasters such as last fall�s hurricanes�one would have to be callous not to mention the earthquake and tsunamis. The devastation seems to get worse every hour as new reports, images, and statistics come in. Yet from the moment it happened the day after Christmas, one felt that in spite of the tremendous destruction that was unleashed, God was and is at work, even if his plan has not yet been revealed to us.

The sheer magnitude of this event cannot be comprehended by the human mind. So let us not get caught up in the number of the dead, the injured, the missing and the homeless. We need to become quiet in order to really take in what has happened; we need to ask ourselves, �What is it that God is saying to the whole world?�

The tsunamis show us that we are not in control of our lives, though God is. Death snatched away rich and poor, tourist and native, with no respect for who they were. There was no time for final goodbyes.
Having been in India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia�all nations that have been hit by the tsunamis�this disaster affects me personally. I have seen the poverty these people live under even in the best of times. What hits hardest is the untold number of children who died. Many of them will never even be found. Picture their parents� grief!

As tens of thousands of bereaved families mourn the loved ones they have lost, one wonders, �Why does God allow this to happen? Why, if death is his mortal enemy, does he allow it to destroy so many people?� In this life we may never find a satisfactory answer to that question. Yet we must still hang on to our faith that God is Love, and that no dark power can ever overcome him, even though, at a time like this, it looks as if that is the case. We must remember God�s promise that one day, every tear will be dried.
Only time will tell if this disaster is a taste of similar things to come. One cannot but think of the �bowls of the wrath of God on the earth� that are foretold in the Book of Revelation. One thing is certain: we cannot just go on living as usual. Life is too precious, and as this event has shown us, it can be over in an instant.

We do not need to weep for those who have died. They are all with God, as we are told: �Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord� They will rest from their labors, and their works will follow them.� We need to weep and pray for all those who remain alive, for the millions who are suffering hunger and thirst, and facing diseases such as cholera and malaria. Many will surely suffer excruciating deaths.

Meanwhile, we ought to ask ourselves how much time we are still spending considering the meaning of this disaster and praying about it. Only a week has gone by since it occurred, but many people have already returned to petty pursuits like hunting for post-Christmas bargains at the mall. Even on the news, this event is beginning to fade--it�s back to Janet Jackson and Anna Nicole...

Today I've even noticed that the BBC just spared 30sec; on the bomings in Iraq,where 3 British men had died and others who where in the visinity.The beheaddings that happend over the weekend failed to grab much headlines,
We care so little about the rest of the human race. Nothing matters as long as it isn't us. Yet it could be us next time; it is an eleventh-hour warning. So few of us take that to heart.

World leaders have criticized our president for his initial lame pledge of support for the countries stricken by the tsunamis. What would happen if we counteracted their justified concern by pulling all of our troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, and sending them on to southern Asia to provide disaster relief?

Our supposedly Christian nation pumps billions of dollars into military-related technology and into the war against terror. Yet if we would have spent a fraction of that on a wave warning system, millions of lives could have been saved. In this case, animals were smarter than human beings�they sensed what was coming and headed to higher ground.

It is true that dozens of relief organizations and national governments are now pouring aid into the affected region. Yet even all that will only be a drop in the bucket. May all of us who live in relative comfort be stirred to action and remember that in God�s eyes, every deed of love to our neighbor�near or far�is of utmost importance. In light of this disaster, what does that mean? Are we grateful for what we have? Do we and our children thank God every night for a warm house, for food, and work?
A word of comfort to those who have lost loved ones, or are still searching for them: I believe the sky above the Indian Ocean was filled with angels bringing all these souls to God. To me, the fact that this earthquake struck just a day after Christmas is significant. It reminds us that we need to re-learn what it means to bow to the Child in the manger. Herod and the powerful of Jerusalem were so frightened of this little child, that he ordered the slaughter of innocent children. by J.C.A.

In light of the current world situation, we could be frightened too. But as we are reminded in these lines from Psalm 46, we have a place to turn:
God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we shall not be afraid, even though the earth be removed;
and though mountains are carried into the midst of the sea�
though its waters are troubled and roar; though mountains shake with its swelling;
though nations rage, and kingdoms are moved�.
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations!
The Lord of Hosts is with us forever. The God of Jacob is our refuge.

Mad...

1sec leap year?..

Earht's Answer..
Earth raised up her head
From the darkness dread and drear,
Her light fled,
Stony, dread,
And her locks covered with grey despair.

"Prisoned on watery shore,
Starry jealousy does keep my den
Cold and hoar;
Weeping o're,
I hear the father of the ancient men.

"Selfish father of men!
Cruel, jealous, selfish fear!
Can delight,
Chained in night,
The virgins of youth and morning bear?


"Does spring hide its joy,
When buds and blossoms grow?
Does the sower
Sow by night,
Or the plowman in darkness plough?

"Break this heavy chain,
That does freeze my bones around!
Selfish, vain,
Eternal bane,
That free love with bondage bound." W.Blake.


[edit on 3-1-2005 by Horus_Re]

We are in part seeing and experiencing what a world "without" God is like. satan put doubt into adam and Eve's mind. "Did God really say" and "you can be like God". God is allowing this time, so that for all eternity noone can ever again question God and say "you know what God I think I can do a better job than you."

I too am greatly affected as i was born in malaysia, but luckily (for me at least) my home town was shielded by sumatra and didnt get touched...

But i feel its not god per se, but the planet shifting and telling us to look after it a little better than we have been.

It amazes me how fast people jump and point the finger at God for any bad thing that happens...yet as soon as the "fog" wears out people just go back to their merry lives untill the next tragedy happens and than its time to point the finger back at God.

The last few days i have seen even Atheists blame God... now that is the biggest joke of all... If you are an Atheist yu have to wear the shirt at all times not just the good ones.....

This Tsunami tragedy will forever be in history ...but what about all the child sex traffic that was going on FOR YEARS in Thailaind??

what about all the evil deals donne in the Twin Towers???

I do not blame God for Natural disasters or The Actions of Fundamentalist Lunatics...God gaves us Free Will.

You cant just turn around and say " The Devil Made me do it..."

Most of the victims of this Tsunami were Hindus, Muslems and Buddhists....It may just be a coincidence due to geographic location??

Maybe God is just letting us know ...litle by litle .... that "IT HAS BEGUN" ?

Originally posted by BaastetNoir
The last few days i have seen even Atheists blame God

That would be a little hard to do, considering we dont believe in any God(s).

Maybe God is just letting us know ...litle by litle .... that "IT HAS BEGUN" ?

Natural diasters have occured since the Earth has formed. Oddly enough, since Jesus' death, every generation thinks they are living in the end times.

If I believed, I would think he was telling the muslims they are wrong.

Cobra,you are gravely mistaken..God Is All ...We split him up In different colours & names...
In my opinion God is incomprehendable for us to really even begine to imagine what He looks like or what he really wants from us for that matter..
I'd say like He's the creator of All,as He also created the Devil in part to say "Listen guys Don't blame me for everything,if you go a step futher,in turn Satan created Lawyers to defend Him...hehe.

I am just sick to death of these threads. No god is trying to tell us anything! A god would not have to "try" to tell us anything....Sh@! happens...always have, always will....

So LadyV that's it then,we don't even get a slap on the wrist..He just blows us to kingdom come..
He can't expect from Us to be fully perfect like Him..He is our father afterall..
Or am I kidding myself here..:shk:

I'm not saying that at all......I'm saying I am tired of every time anything happens....it's because of god! It's ridiculous and ignorant thinking. There will always be natural disasters and there always have been....for Pete's sake! The earth goes through changes every so many thousands of years......I would imagine that this large quake and the Tsunami will trigger others.....it's natural and has not a darn thing to do with any god!:bnghd::bnghd::bnghd:

Myself I see God as a great powerfull source,he is not Gandolf,nor do I care much for what's written on the Bible it was written by man not god..I meerly wrote that way so more of the religious people who believe in'GoD'
can easily recognize with the Power of Him and take the message more easily,rather then I would write in the Druidistic way....they would think I'm a Pagan...by the way I am ....I could also write it in a way in which you and I and a few others might see more appropreate..

That would be a little hard to do, considering we dont believe in any God(s).

I don know if its hard or not ... i know i have seen MANY Atheists turn around and blame God when the "soup is too hot"... that just comes to show the Hypocricy behind the show.

Natural diasters have occured since the Earth has formed. Oddly enough, since Jesus' death, every generation thinks they are living in the end times.

Maybe your just crossing your fingers and hoping you are not the geneartion that will LIVE the end times.... ??? that would be pretty darn annying to have to admit you have been wrong all your life ??? About God i mean.

Yesterday i saw a cool show where an PHD gentleman claimed to be an atheist and he was investigating a "ghost/spirit problem"...of course this gentleman had all the explanations for the situation...it was all a matter of "unknown energy". Funny thing is when faced with more unexplained situations the PHD Atheist sent the family in question to a Medium ?????

:bnghd:

if you dont believ in God ...how can you believe in Mediums ???? :shk:

either you believe or you dont ... there is no grey... its black or white

I do agree with LadyV to a degree... Earth is alive in itself...things like this will happen ... it just does... just like many of the children that have died in the Tsunami were beeing prostituted and sold as sex slaves... should we blame this on God too??? we have free will......................

[edit on 4-1-2005 by BaastetNoir]

As I've said befor God is ALL,He crosses all the bounderies in my book,That's why I respect so many different religions....but if you would think of calling me a hypocrite,I'd tell you some thing else...I have been an altar boy in my early teens and I have seen things done by priest in a bording school that made me ask myself if this was really the way of God...

I have come close to death 3 times and came back once..I have felt what's ,well not all the way to the other side I just reached the ceiling but the sence of freedom;I mean from 'Everything' spirit that has no sence of time nor any remote desire just the utmost fullfilment..I came back because I could'nt let my girlfriend at the time take all the 'Trouble' that the situation would have brought with it..and it turned out to be a great experience;..where stopped fearing death..I have also brought others back to life...I have Eaten out Of Fine China plates with silver cutlerry and the next year I was eating out of garbage bins,in france they trew away all the Mc Donalds food after 01:00 many 'street bums came out the ammout of food in the containers was a scandle...I have spent over five years on the streets of Europe..I became a street artist reproducing paintings from Rembrand,Da Vinci & so on...etc etc..

Originally posted by Horus_Re
As I've said befor God is ALL,He crosses all the bounderies in my book,That's why I respect so many different religions....but if you would think of calling me a hypocrite,I'd tell you some thing else...I have been an altar boy in my early teens and I have seen things done by priest in a bording school that made me ask myself if this was really the way of God...

I have come close to death 3 times and came back once..I have felt what's ,well not all the way to the other side I just reached the ceiling but the sence of freedom;I mean from 'Everything' spirit that has no sence of time nor any remote desire just the utmost fullfilment..I came back because I could'nt let my girlfriend at the time take all the 'Trouble' that the situation would have brought with it..and it turned out to be a great experience;..where stopped fearing death..I have also brought others back to life...I have Eaten out Of Fine China plates with silver cutlerry and the next year I was eating out of garbage bins,in france they trew away all the Mc Donalds food after 01:00 many 'street bums came out the ammout of food in the containers was a scandle...I have spent over five years on the streets of Europe..I became a street artist reproducing paintings from Rembrand,Da Vinci & so on...etc etc..

the word Hypocrite was in the same sentence as Atheist... as you are not an Atheist yi wasnt referring to you... Also i was refeing to the so called Atheists that when something goes wrong turn around and blame it on God ...wich they are not suppose to believe..........

I don know if its hard or not ... i know i have seen MANY Atheists turn around and blame God when the "soup is too hot"... that just comes to show the Hypocricy behind the show.

Well then, if they are blaming God for these diasters then they are not atheists, atheists lack a belief in God. They are theists. They believe in a God.

Maybe your just crossing your fingers and hoping you are not the geneartion that will LIVE the end times.... ??? that would be pretty darn annying to have to admit you have been wrong all your life ??? About God i mean.

I've been a Christian most of my life, I deconverted about a year ago. I would have no problem admitting im wrong about God, but the possibility that I am living in the ends times and that the judeo-christian God is the only true God is so far removed from my mind its not really even considered a possibility to me. I believe this because it lacks any evidence.

Yesterday i saw a cool show where an PHD gentleman claimed to be an atheist and he was investigating a "ghost/spirit problem"...of course this gentleman had all the explanations for the situation...it was all a matter of "unknown energy". Funny thing is when faced with more unexplained situations the PHD Atheist sent the family in question to a Medium ?????

:bnghd:

if you dont believ in God ...how can you believe in Mediums ???? :shk:

either you believe or you dont ... there is no grey... its black or white

Im not sure why an atheist cannot believe in mediums. Atheism, by definition, is the lack of a belief in a God or Gods. An afterlife of some sort, may not require a God. Some Buddhists, are atheists, and some buddhist atheists believe in reincarnation. Besides, although I would be highly skeptical of a "medium", in such a time when nothing else was working, I would be willing to try and get help from whomever would offer it. Im sure most people would under high stress situations. It must be convenient to see everything in black and white, because everything is tones of grey to me.

Well Alec Eifell than you might be one of the few TRUE atheists.

There are many many many people that call themselves "atheists"just for the simple fact they believ its cool and fun to bash Christianity(specially Christanity) whom they enjoy to refer to as "bible Nuts".... or "Bible Thumpers" etc. ect. etc.

As to Buddhism it has been distorted in something that has nothing to do with Buddah.

Buddah was a man from the Hindu Royal family, he never asked to be prayed to, and he never said he was "God"... Buddah believed GOD is withing Ourselves.

I LIKE these kind of discussion topics wherein members offer their unique perspectives on controversial subjects. In fact, I just voted "way above" for the author of this topic.

What REALLY struck me was today on the television news, the tsunami disaster was referred to as "the greatest natural disaster in the history of mankind".

THE HISTORY OF MANKIND!

Think about it. That spans a LOT of years!

And I also recently heard that this disaster is of 'BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS".

BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS!

Think about THAT!


The subject of this post is "What Is God Trying To Tell US..???", so I will direct my response to that question as follows:

I believe events like the tsunami are part of God's plan to purify the earth and it's inhabitants, and meant to be WAKE-UP calls to nudge mankind to stop and consider the temporary nature of physical life, and to reflect on the eternal nature of our souls.

We may not have control over natural disasters such as this, but we do have control of our wills and it is our choice whether we want to spend eternity in Heaven or Hell.

Even those whose lives were unscathed by this event are still affected in some way by the enormous gravity of the toll on human lives which occurred.

Acts of compassion and generosity where people reach out in brotherly love to the afflicted reveal our humanity--the characteristic which sets us apart from other creatures which sadly, has been eroding at a fast pace despite our becoming more "civilized".

Thus, sometimes it takes a tragedy to soften the hardest of hearts, as well as to cause people to be grateful for life itself, as well as the material things they have, and this is why I believe God is allowing these things to happen.

We take life for granted, our possessions for granted, and figure a tsunami will never hit our shores. And then something like this comes along and rocks us out of our comfort zones.

And that I think is what God wants.

He wants us to be moved out of our comfort zones.

To force us to think about the spiritual aspect of our selves, and to consider the current state of our souls.

Because ultimately, this is a period of purification, and we all must
prepare the state of our souls for what is yet to come.

And it's not going to get any better.

I have one New Year's resolution, and I urge others to join me in resolving to:

Pray EVERY day. For at LEAST half an hour. Not by praying repetitious memorized prayers, but by spending quiet time with God. Prayer is a two-way process--both speaking with and listening to God.

And during this prayer time, let us pray for those who are suffering from natural disasters, wars and all the other trials of life.

And let us THANK God for all that He has given us, and that we're still alive and able to get the state of our souls right with God.