Then, 40 Years Later came KATRINA

In the fall of 1965, the 21 year old radio-officer from a Dutch cargo ship in the Port of New Orleans walked down Canal Street. He had been warned to be careful because a day or so earlier the chief steward of a sister ship had been returned to his ship by American authorities, killed by blows to the head from a baseball bat. Even though the young radio-officer had been told how to go to the French quarter, he found himself on a quiet street flanked by warehouses. He became nervous and turned right at the next street where he saw a group of young men hanging out in front of a bar. When they saw him they spread across the street so as to cut him off. Turning around the young officer realized that he had been followed by two more young men and he was boxed in. A cab driver, who drove by at the end of the street, reversed his cab with smoking tires and while continuing to drive, he opened the door and yelled to jump in. In doing so, he saved a life.During the several weeks while he visited several ports on the Gulf Coast, he was appalled at the way white people talked to and about Afro-Americans. He had to accompany a crewmember to the hospital in Mobile by ambulance. The drivers had just returned from Vietnam. They told him that they were more afraid driving through some of the deserted streets that night (a curfew was in force because of riots), than to be in action in Vietnam. The entire night in the hospital emergency waiting area, young Afro-American men were brought in with various injuries. They were shackled with heavy chains on arms and legs, accompanied by almost exclusively white police officers. Having visited a number of third world countries, he was shocked to see the disparity between white and non-white Americans. America is after all a wealthy nation. Have things changed? Listening to the reports about the people left behind to “ride-out” the hurricane, one may be inclined to say: No, they haven’t changed. The majority of non-white Americans are still extremely poor, at least the ones in the New Orleans area. There are very good explanations as to why there is a high incidence of crime amongst poor Afro-Americans. Do they really have the same opportunities as whites?Why do I tell this story – my story? In 1983 the Lord touched my heart and saved me. A few years ago, 2001, He spoke to me and told me to repent. I placed a post a few days ago, “That They All May Be One.” In it I talked about the fact that during one of my morning prayer times the Lord showed me two fingers – the Twin Towers - and I understood that these were two “proud fingers," which had been raised to exalt the achievements of men. What I didn’t add is that He also said that He had destroyed them. I realize that this may not be well received by some, maybe even many of you. Still I have to say it. As I wrote in the post “That They All May Be One,” more and more disasters will come and the frequency will increase. I understand that the Church is under judgment. I titled the previous post “That They All May Be One” with the words taken from the prayer of Jesus in John 17:23. The Church is not one. Only a week ago did I read another post, Warning! Warning! Warning! Bloody Hands. I have an enormous burden for the Church. I have to pass on the burden; otherwise it will be on my hands. This is not a self sought, self induced burden; it is a burden from God. I received this burden, when I was told by the Lord to repent on February 9, 2001. God has shown me that more and more calamities are going to come; and as the Church we will continue to read His Word through our denominational glasses. We will continue to preach our doctrines; not God’s Word, but God’s Word with our interpretations. We will NOT become as One with each other and our Lord.Just imagine: An United Body of Christ, loving one another AND their neighbors as themselves. Just imagine: An United Body of Christ reaching out as ONE to a suffering world. Just imagine: An United Body of Christ obeying “all that Jesus commanded us!” Just imagine: An United Body of Christ on Her knees begging God to give Her a broken heart, filled with love for a dying world. Maybe, just maybe, THEN the world would know that God sent Jesus to the world to bring God’s love. Maybe, just maybe, the white and Afro-American population in New Orleans would have equality and many other groups also.Just imagine: An United Body of Christ asking their Father in the Name of Jesus to give us, as the Church, a heart of compassion and love for Him and for our neighbors. Don’t you think that God would answer that?I have much more to say, but I pray that you get the picture.In His Love,Hans Prang"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (John 15:7)www.thefinalcall.net

Likewise with dorcus. Thanyou for this burden you write of.Speaking for myself. I agree that we first have to put God first, listening closly to him and to this end, unity would be.My heart is full of compassion of which I experience daily. There are things that I cannot go with. I would not be in Gods will, if I did. The compassion he fills me with, is for people who need God. We are called by God to pray, he means fervently. Half measure will not do for God.God is Holy, bowing the knee to him is a requirment. Churches should revere God above all things, willing to be in his will. He calls us to let go of our will, which is always ongoing.Thankyou God, that you even think of us.ellie

Thank you Dorcas, Ellie, Neil, and Krispy,But the difference in America is that everyone does have a choice in whether they stay in poverty or not. I'm NOT saying everyone has the same opportunities... they dont. But we can all make our own opportunities. For every crackhead sleeping in the street tonight, there is someone who pulled themselves out of that neighborhood and made something of themselves.I agree with all of you, but Krispy, I want to add something if I may.A year before my visit to the Gulf ports, I stepped over a dying person on a street in Santos, South America. There were hundreds of people on the street and nobody even stopped to look. Every once in awhile this question comes to my mind: what if I had been born in a slum, in a Third World country, in a poor home with a single mother with an addiction problem, in a gang-filled neighborhood, or as a Muslim or Hindu? Would I have had a chance? Would someone have prayed for me? Only God knows the answer, because I wasn’t.I was born in a middleclass home in the Netherlands and attended Church until I went to sea. I was not a Christian. The reason that I wanted to visit the French Quarter in New Orleans was not to go to church, let me assure you. Years later – still not a Christian – I was elected as an elder in a Presbyterian Church. My hobby was pornography and by government standards I drank enough to qualify as an alcoholic. Was I looking for God? No!One day, in a Pentecostal Church, the Lord touched my heart in a very powerful way. I had considered suicide a number of times and still attended the Presbyterian Church. The next Sunday, when I shared my new found joy with one of the elderly ladies in this church, she became ecstatic. She then proceeded to tell me that the Lord had told her to pray for me. She had done that for over three years, every day asking the Lord to open my eyes and grant me to come to Jesus.John 6:44, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.John 6:65, And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father."John 15:7, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.You see Krispy, she was my chance. She prayed and so should we. This dear lady obeyed God and prayed. In the years that followed I learned a great deal about prayer from this dear saint. I know that you agree with that, but I am so convicted of the fact that many Christians today don’t pray. That’s why the Church will found to be wanting. As Christians we continue to serve God as we are taught in our denominations, not led by the Holy Spirit.If we were led by the Holy Spirit, we would all do the same thing. We are not! I am not just talking to you, I talk just as much to myself, for I am a part of this Body of Christ. We have to wake up and fall on our knees. We have to understand what God is looking for in this wicked generation. I feel a deep sense of urgency for the hour is late, very late.If God indeed judged New Orleans because of her wickedness, is the Church free of guilt? Did the Body of Christ in New Orleans build a wall and stand in the gap for the land (New Orleans and its inhabitants) and ask God to forgive the sins of the people? (Ezekiel 22:30, 31). If this is the case, then the Church is free, but God help us if we didn’t spend time on our knees every day and ask God to forgive the sins of the people in our neighborhoods and to grant the people to come to Jesus.As I stated in a previous post, I have been involved with prayer groups for many years and using the Bible as a guide, where I have been, the Church is desperately wanting. In His Love,Hans Prang"I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. "Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their way I have brought upon their heads," declares the Lord GOD (Ezekiel 22:30,31)

Preach it!

from Hans:Just imagine: An United Body of Christ on Her knees begging God to give Her a broken heart, filled with love for a dying world. Maybe, just maybe, THEN the world would know that God sent Jesus to the world to bring God’s loveI'm sure it'll be many many many years before we begin to really see this ( decades ).This is why the Lord is not going to return as soon as many of us are saying or thinkingThe reality of what you expressed MUST TAKE PLACE, brother Hans .... before He returns ( or else the Lord prayed vainly to Abba Father in John 17 ).The Church is oh so far from growing into that Full Stature of maturity ( of Ephesians 4 ).It'll be decades ... and it'll be only with more calamities, and quite likely imprisonment for north american & european christians, one day down the roadthen we'll see the realityit's a mistake, I think, dear brother ... to look at this verse of Ezekiel :I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. "Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their way I have brought upon their heads," declares the Lord GOD (Ezekiel 22:30,31) in light of " if we stand in the gap " { for America or for Canada, or for Europe }, whatever land that we're "pilgrims" in - that the Lord would somehow heal that landwhen we were bought out from amongst our 'countrymen' - the Lord stopped viewing our native land as our land anymoreour land is that Better Country that Abraham looked toward ( HEB 11:10,14,15 ) - that's our Land - Heavenly Canaan ... we need to pray for Heavenly vision to fix our gaze on this Coming Kingdom --- and not upon America, Canada, Europe -- the kingdoms of this world ( they'll only become the kingdoms of Christ - WHEN he returns ... not through our faithfulness at standing in the gap - in this Age )we're Abraham's children - not George Washington's ( or whichever other earthly founding "father" )I'm with you in heart for revival and that Unity amongst God's redeemed --- but Judgment will continue to come upon the kingdoms of this earth - and how.