Barnyard BOb -- wrote in message . ..
On 19 Aug 2003 13:11:57 -0700, (Corrie) wrote:

Don't know about that, but most church fires are caused by lightning.
Rich S.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Sweet irony.
Barnyard BOb --

Well, a church is supposed to be a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.

Hmmmmm.
If that's what you want to believe, but....
Churches are meeting places for those with incurrable bingo fever.

Anywhooo, to get a bit more serious,
Ya lost me with your post.

What does your remark have to do with God's use of
lightning to set HIS own houses of worship on fire.

Irony...

1. Incongruity between what might be
expected and what actually occurs:

2. An occurrence, result, or circumstance
notable for such incongruity.

Barnyard BOb --

okayyy, we're running way OT for this group (especially for THIS group
;-p) but since you asked...

The irony isn't lost on me, or anyone else I suspect. You might
recall in the news a few weeks ago a visiting preacher in Ohio asked
God for a "sign" during a wound-up sermon on repentance, and got one
in spades - you guessed it, a lightning strike to the steeple. You
might also ask why God has let the Jews - His chosen people - suffer
so much at the hands of the Egyptians, Babylonians, Inquisitors, and
Nazis. That's actually been going on a good deal longer than church
fires. Dennis Prager has some good stuff on this, btw.

But God uses calamity to further His ends. He may use it as a wake-up
call to get people to return to Him. Perhaps people need to be
reminded to trust in him, rather than in a building or an
organization. A church building can be full of people who have little
or no relationship with the Person that building is supposedly
dedicated to.

Very often, God uses difficult - even tragic - events to refine His
people, as fire refines precious metal by separating the dross. Read
the story of the MAF pilots hacked to death by natives (link further
up in thread). Their death lead to salvation for the tribespeople who
murdered them! Or the story of the Columbine student who maintained
her faith in Jesus even at gunpoint. God only knows how many people
have been brought to their knees by the example of her committment.
The point is, God's in control, and there is a reason for everything.
Even church fires.

Like I said, waaaay OT for RAH, but you DID ask!

Corrie