REPENT AMERICA - STATEMENT CONCERNING JOHN PAUL II'S PASSING

We are deeply grieved by the profound loss of life and suffering as a result of Hurricane Katrina. This storm was another reminder of how temporal our lives are here on this earth. While many are quick to dismiss God from Katrina’s destruction, we are not.

Although God is patient and longsuffering, He is also just. The Holy Bible teaches that this type of destruction is not inconsistent with God’s character. In fact, the Scripture is replete with examples of calamity that God used to bring His people to repentance, such as the Great Flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

New Orleans was a city that had its doors wide open to the public celebration of sin, especially during events such as the annual “Mardi Gras” and homosexual “Southern Decadence” celebrations. These events attracted hundreds of thousands of sex-crazed, drunken revelers to the streets every year with a welcome from city officials and the permission of the local church.

The city of New Orleans, from its abortion industry to its voodoo practices, epitomized the pomp, proud, and hedonistic godlessness that has become the character of our nation. Biloxi and Gulfport, on the Mississippi coast, modeled their cities after much of New Orleans. The gambling casinos, associated with organized crime, prostitution, and exploitation, brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars each day for the state. For these reasons, we do not believe that Hurricane Katrina was a coincidence, whether it is seen as God’s divine judgment or by His allowance, we assert that God is still in control.

In the aftermath of this disaster, we must do as Jesus Christ commanded and “love thy neighbour,” and “weep with them that weep” as the Scripture teaches; however, we must not allow our warranted emotional response to such a disaster cause us to disregard God’s involvement, but drive us to the cross of Christ in repentance for our sins.

In this time of great devastation, we submit that all events are under the control of Providence, that no storm falls un-permitted from the threatening cloud, and that every drop has its order. May the results of Katrina’s devastation cause us all to think about what we tolerate in our city limits, and bring us trembling before the throne of Almighty God. We are not promised tomorrow; today is the day of salvation.