[George]

Originally Posted by Forrest

Hello Everyone,

We made it back to Houston after a ten day journey. Thank you so very much brothers and sisters for your prayers. Our home received no damage, praise the Lord, but so many others did. People have no home to return to. Please remember them in your prayers that God will use this to draw them to the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord sent us to two different homes where we were both ministered to and also had an opportunity to minister to a family needing some encouragement in the faith. That's just like God to take your eyes off of your own trials and turn them to others who are really suffering. God is sovereign and we are so thankful for using a storm to direct us to others.

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" (Romans 11:33).

Aloha brother Forrest,

I Praise the Lord that you are safe and secure and that your property was spared from serious damage.

May God continue bless you and yours always.

Originally Posted by Forrest

That is so true, Brother Tim. Blind "optimism" is a dangerous thing. I'm sure many thought, "I'll be just fine." Positive thinking is not going to appease a Righteous God, is it?

I would not so quickly judge those that stayed as blind, things are not as clear as many may think.

[peopleoftheway]

Originally Posted by Scott Simons

I would not so quickly judge those that stayed as blind, things are not as clear as many may think.

You may want to elaborate on that subject, preferably somewhere else rather than a brothers prayer request.

[Forrest]

Originally Posted by Scott Simons

I would not so quickly judge those that stayed as blind, things are not as clear as many may think.

Let me expound and clarify Brother Scott.

I wrote: "That is so true, Brother Tim. Blind "optimism" is a dangerous thing. I'm sure many thought, "I'll be just fine." Positive thinking is not going to appease a Righteous God, is it?"

When we evacuated to Ft. Worth, Texas, we were able to view a state wide news program on cable. To our amazement, even though there was a mandatory evacuation in Galveston, many people ignored it. The news media interviewed people at beer joints who were having a Storm Party, and laughed as they said, "We'll be okay."

Certainly, not all people were blindly optimistic, that is why I said "I'm sure many thought I'll be just fine." Brother Tim and I were making a application and comparison to the blind masses who live in optimism and have no fear of the coming judgment.

Blind optimism is a dangerous thing and positive thinking does not deliver you from the penalty of sin. I'll be just fine will not satisfy the just demands of God toward sin. That was the admonition and warning. That was my heart.

Pray for the "blind" optimistic.

[George]

Originally Posted by peopleoftheway

You may want to elaborate on that subject, preferably somewhere else rather than a brothers prayer request.

Let me double what peopleoftheway just said. This is not the place for personal criticisms - we were praising God for brother Forrest's safety and the preservation of his property.

Brother Tim's and brother Forrest's comments were appropriate - Scott's criticism is "inappropriate" (for "Prayer Requests"! ) and even more so because he missed the application that brother Tim was making.

Had hurricane Ike (Category 2-3) been as strong as hurricane Iniki (Category 4-5) that hit our island (Kauai) in September 1992 thousands of people would have lost there lives - JUST LIKE IN 1900!

Originally Posted by Forrest

Let me expound and clarify Brother Scott.

I wrote: "That is so true, Brother Tim. Blind "optimism" is a dangerous thing. I'm sure many thought, "I'll be just fine." Positive thinking is not going to appease a Righteous God, is it?"

When we evacuated to Ft. Worth, Texas, we were able to view a state wide news program on cable. To our amazement, even though there was a mandatory evacuation in Galveston, many people ignored it. The news media interviewed people at beer joints who were having a Storm Party, and laughed as they said, "We'll be okay."

Blind optimism is a dangerous thing and positive thinking does not deliver you from the penalty of sin. I'll be just fine will not satisfy the just demands of God toward sin. That was the admonition and warning. That was my heart.

Pray for the "blind" optimistic.

Dearest Brother Forest,
Praise God that you are safe and all those that stayed too, for whatever reason they stayed, which is not always clear or blind. In deed many do not put the weightier matters of judgment in its use, rather will quickly criticize what they do not understand, what I found "inappropriate" (for "Prayer Requests"!) was while we are praising God for his love and mercy it seemed we where judging others and comparing them to those who do not heed the judgments of God. How sad that would be if God had called them to stay!
Never the less Praise God for what he is doing through you, and may all our prayer be for all who God has called, coming or going.
Sincere Love is Christ, Jesus the Son of God