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 havent 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 didnt 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 Gods Word, but Gods 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 Gods 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. Dont 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
_________________Hans Prang
Thank you for sharing this burden, here. I can speak only for myself.
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
God bless you Hans Prang. The Lord led me, a while back ago to the same conclusion and He came me a compilation called "As we are One".Thank you sir.http://www.fireonthealtar.com/compilations/neil%20g/As%20We%20Are%20One.mp3
There are many reasons why we have the poverty in this nation that is now being seen around the world. The finger can be pointed at the government... a welfare system that has breeded generations of people who live on the government dole... certainly racism against black people plays a role as well in many cases... minority leaders (Sharpton, Jackson, etc) who continue to breed division instead unity... an attitude of "we're owed something because of what happened 200 years ago"...But I think the world is shocked by the poverty they are seeing in New Orleans because the rest of the world has a perception of the United States that is not necessarily true. Guess what everybody! We have poverty in this country too!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.Thats what makes America great. Personal responsibility. I am not the reason many people live in poverty. Should I minister to the poor, and do what I can to help them? Absolutely! But I will not take responsibility for their situation. We all have the capacity to make our own decisions.Some of the poverty, especially in the south, can be traced back the time when this country participated in the great evil of slavery. But guess what... I had nothing to do with it. We are in the here and the now. Let's deal with whats happening today.We should feed the poor, and care for the sick, and visit those in jail... and preach and teach the gospel and make disciples. But we also kill a man's soul when we make him dependent. The old saying is true, and I believe it 100%... Give a man a fish, and you feed him today... teach a man to fish, and you feed him tomorrow.Just for the record, there is a larger percentage of black people in New Orleans then white, so no one should be surprised that it's mostly black people we're seeing on TV.New Orleans is a wicked wicked wicked city. It always has been. It's very foundation is one of decadence and perversion and satanism (voodoo). The only cities in the US I can think of that even come close to it's decadence is San Fran and Las Vegas. At first I viewed this as only a natural disaster. But the more I think on this, the more I believe that God is giving us a taste of His anger and judgement. I saw an article from the AP yesterday that was talking about the people who were stranded in the French Quarter of New Orleans... and described this one guy, and he had on a t-shirt that read:[b]"The French Quarter: How much fun can I have before I go to hell?"[/b]God destroyed New Orleans, and I believe He did it as a warning to the world.Krispy
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.
Preach it!
_________________Hal Bachman
from Hans:[i]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 Gods love[/i]I'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)
