Tragedy in the Gulf

I'm sure many of you have been glued to your television sets over the past few weeks as the developments of Hurricane Katrina stormed through the Gulf Coast and ultimately onto land where it's destructive force destroyed several cities, property and loss of life.

This has been a horrific reminder of how fragile life really is and that we really need God in our lives. It's also very sad to see the troubling images of dead bodies floating down the streets and the numbers of people stealing and/or killing others so they can stay alive another day.

The past few days I've listened to a number of commentators including media, former president Clinton, the mayor of New Orleans, Civil Rights Activists, Hollywood celebrities and just about anyone with a half-baked opinion regarding how slow our government was in responding to this crisis and how leaders in FEMA and other government agencies need to be fired! Overall, these may be important issues to be delat with at some point in time, it is NOT nor will it ever be the most important issue facing this tragedy and our nation today.

I cannot pretend to understand what it means to be walking in waist-high water after having lost my home, family, income, personal belongings, etc. -- however, I dont have to walk in those shoes personally to be part of the greater solution. Historically, our nation has responded to problems by increasing budgets (otherwise known as throwing more money at the problem). Let's get a clue here! We need God back in our lives, in our families, in our government, in our schools, in our business and most importantly in our churches!

There are sure to be some of you who fire off an ill-advised defensive response by saying, "Which God is that?". Folks, here is the foundation of our problem -- we are all sinners at best and sinners at worst and our reward for such beliefs is death. The last time I checked, every person who is born will definately die ... YIKES!

My hope and prayer for our nation and those who live in the gulf states and cities is that they will take this opportunity to surrender their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ. We dont need another fake "post 911 response to God"; we all need to REPENT of our sins for the day of the Lord is right now!

Luke 6:46-49 says, "But why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like. He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently, and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great." (NKJV)

Rather than rebuild the French Quarters, Bourbon Street, Casinos and business as usual; Please consider rebuilding your life by inviting God into your life? What do you have to lose? See you soon.

Living out loud,

Egypt McKee