Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines three days ago with the strongest winds in recorded history.
Someone claimed that Haiyan was God's punishment "for their tolerance of homosexuality, prostitution, Catholicism and other sins". So a student of mine (who I know is in a Catholic organization) asked this on Facebook:
Someone claimed that Haiyan was God's punishment "for their tolerance of homosexuality, prostitution, Catholicism and other sins". So a student of mine (who I know is in a Catholic organization) asked this on Facebook:
Appropriately enough, yesterday our Bible group talked about the book of Revelation chapters 2-3, where Jesus was calling to seven churches. To Thyatira He said this:
I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’
(Revelation 2:19-25)
Below is my reply to him. Please feel free to share your own thoughts, insights and beliefs. Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the Philippines!
=================================
Hi ***** ...
First off: let's check the facts. (In this case, we're talking about God so we base our answers from the Bible and from personal experience.)
1. Did God really list those things as sin?
2. How does God view sin?
3. Does God punish sin?
4. Is God good, just, and merciful?
My answer to the four questions is Yes.
Unfortunately, the blogger here does NOT present a biblically accurate view of God.
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8)
"Should we call down fire from heaven?" the disciples asked Jesus, after a town rejected them. Jesus turned and rebuked them. (Luke 9:54-55)
"Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?" (Ezekiel 18:23, 33:11)
"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:17)
Thank God that He not only loves us Filipinos, He also gave Jesus as the atonement for our sins and He gave us the Holy Spirit for the power to live sin-free and fully!
BUT we have to admit the issues and areas that we do not obey God.
His main commandments are to love Him and love each other (Matthew 22:36-40). For the details, we have guides like the Ten Commandments which starts off with:
Sorry ***** but the Catholic Church ignores these commands and even promotes idol making / bowing down / worshipping not just God but angels and people who are NOT God. The people we call saints --- Peter, Paul, John --- they were told and they tell people to not worship them. Some Catholics tell me they just "revere" and "venerate" Mary. But look at the Rosary --- for every one time we say "Glory to God", we "Hail Mary" ten times. So who is really glorified?
I sometimes write about that in my blog, like in here. (For more, you can just search "Catholic" or click the label "religions".)
Truly, God loves you, me, homosexuals, prostitutes, adulterers, Catholics... And God disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:6) so that we would grow more in Him (2 Peter 3:18). We have to admit where we are NOT right with Him, ask and receive His help to change us, and glorify Him and enjoy Him more fully as we now walk in *closer* fellowship with Him.
Last comment: Looks like that blogger is just out to mock Christians. (See his other posts.) But this is still a good way to start meaningful discussions
First off: let's check the facts. (In this case, we're talking about God so we base our answers from the Bible and from personal experience.)
1. Did God really list those things as sin?
2. How does God view sin?
3. Does God punish sin?
4. Is God good, just, and merciful?
My answer to the four questions is Yes.
Unfortunately, the blogger here does NOT present a biblically accurate view of God.
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8)
"Should we call down fire from heaven?" the disciples asked Jesus, after a town rejected them. Jesus turned and rebuked them. (Luke 9:54-55)
"Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?" (Ezekiel 18:23, 33:11)
"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:17)
Thank God that He not only loves us Filipinos, He also gave Jesus as the atonement for our sins and He gave us the Holy Spirit for the power to live sin-free and fully!
BUT we have to admit the issues and areas that we do not obey God.
His main commandments are to love Him and love each other (Matthew 22:36-40). For the details, we have guides like the Ten Commandments which starts off with:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
"You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments."
(Deuteronomy 5:6-10)
Sorry ***** but the Catholic Church ignores these commands and even promotes idol making / bowing down / worshipping not just God but angels and people who are NOT God. The people we call saints --- Peter, Paul, John --- they were told and they tell people to not worship them. Some Catholics tell me they just "revere" and "venerate" Mary. But look at the Rosary --- for every one time we say "Glory to God", we "Hail Mary" ten times. So who is really glorified?
I sometimes write about that in my blog, like in here. (For more, you can just search "Catholic" or click the label "religions".)
Truly, God loves you, me, homosexuals, prostitutes, adulterers, Catholics... And God disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:6) so that we would grow more in Him (2 Peter 3:18). We have to admit where we are NOT right with Him, ask and receive His help to change us, and glorify Him and enjoy Him more fully as we now walk in *closer* fellowship with Him.
Last comment: Looks like that blogger is just out to mock Christians. (See his other posts.) But this is still a good way to start meaningful discussions
