Julia Gillard ~ Prime Minister of Australia
Since the devastating floods in Australia that have encompassed an area larger than France and Germany combined, the media refers to it now as a tragedy of biblical proportions. When they use the word "biblical" they refer to the incident as having something to do with God and for this reason do we see it as our godly duty to explain that it has indeed something to do with the true and living God.
In order for our communication to have any impact we directed our communication to Julia Gillard, the Prime Minister of Australia and forwarded our first communication on January 17, 2011. They e-mailed us back from the Office of the Prime Minister to confirm receipt of our communication.
Subject: Assistance with the Floods
Prime Minister,
This is the most important communication you will have received since the start of the floods in your country.
We have communicated our message to Political, Religious leaders and the people of this world for twenty six years and it has proven to be a true message. We have communicated our message to several Prime Ministers in Canada, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, etc.
I doubt you will personally have the time to review all the pages and articles listed on our website www.aworlddeceived.ca but I encourage you to assign someone of your staff to review all of the information.
There is a clear solution to the problems and challenges your country is facing but it is not a conventional way that you may not be able to understand (1 Cor. 2:14). Considering the costs associated with the floods it is indeed of biblical proportions. What your office or your administration does with this e-mail is your choice but once again, there is a clear solution and strongly suggest you will contact us, so that we are able to enter into dialogue to discuss the work of our Ministry.
In His Service.
Andy & Dianne van den Berg
After not hearing anything for a few days we wrote the Prime Minister again on January 21, 2011. Once again, they e-mailed us back from the Office of the Prime Minister to confirm receipt of our communication.
Subject: Spiritual Truth - As in the days of Noah
Prime Minister,
Considering the extent of the calamity of the floods in your country, we are sorry that we have not heard back since our earlier communication of January 17, 2011.
The following is an excerpt from the article Who is God and who is Satan? listed on our website www.aworldeceived.ca.
"The above are only a few of the many mysteries of the first few chapters of the Bible. Consider the mystery of Noah and Jonah? Did anyone ever wonder if the flood during the days of Noah engulfed the whole world? A few minutes of studying the history of this event and when it took place, would quickly reveal that immediately after the events of Noah, the rest of the world, besides the area Noah lived, was still populated.
A study of the genealogies of the Patriarchs from Adam to Noah confirms that the flood took place approximately 2349 BC, at a time when people lived on all continents throughout the world. The purpose of the flood was to remove Adam's offspring up to the time of Noah in the area where they lived (Genesis – chapter 6).
It is interesting to note that as late as 1830 AD the Tigris overflowed its banks, swept through Bagdad (where Noah lived from 2944 – 1994 BC), and drowned 15,000 people in one night."
The following is an excerpt from the article Born of God.
"Earthquakes, famine and all other tragedies and disasters are a punishment from God as a result of the unbelief of the nations (Matt 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:11)."
The world describes the floods in your country as a tragedy of biblical proportions but when we were sent to explain how God is involved in this tragedy, who has power over all things, and who has the power to stop the flow of water in the blinking of an eye, we were surprised that you are not interested in the only solution that could change the lives of the people of your country.
When we wrote you earlier, we mentioned that you had a choice to make and unfortunately you were not willing to listen and instead allow your people to continue to suffer in ways that are unimaginable.
Through the pages and articles of our website we attempt to explain that there is a God who is alive and well. He has walked with us and talked with us for twenty six years as we have ministered to the people of this world.
Once again we invite you to read all of the pages and articles on our website www.aworlddeceived.ca that you may come to the acknowledging of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4).
We know that during this very difficult time the people of your administration and country are facing, many religious leaders and false preachers will have tried to reach out to you with false hope and promises in which there is no salvation. We know that there are prayer groups that are praying without ceasing but once again their prayers are in vain as they teach for doctrines the commandments of men (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:9; Col. 2:18; 1 Tim. 6,7; Titus 1:14).
The people of your country and of this world are separated from God and as such God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth (John 9:31). We invite you to read the article What is Sin? as it is not what you by nature have been conditioned to believe.
For this reason do we offer our services and if invited to testify before your Parliament we will deliver our testimony of the true and living God, so that He will have mercy on the people of your country. Please remember the words of the Word of God: That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father, which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:18-20).
We know that the days we live in are as they were in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37-39). In his days people were un-repenting and only few believed in Noah's message of repentance. As ministers and soldiers of Christ our challenges are very similar and the choices that people are called to make are no different today as they have always been.
Noah was 950 years of age when he died in 1994 BC and that was only four thousand years ago (Genesis 9:29). For more of this mystery and the genealogies of the Patriarchs from Adam to Noah we invite you to read the article Who is God and who is Satan?
Sexual perversion contributed to God's wrath on the sons of God during the days of Noah and it is no different today (Matthew 3:7; Luke 3:7; 1 Thess. 1:10).
On June 15, 2005, we wrote the Legislative Committee on Bill-C38, a bill which eventually passed and Canada became the fourth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. Receipt of our correspondence was never acknowledged, neither was our voice ever allowed to be heard. One thing we know with certainty, that God's judgment accelerated rapidly, since same-sex marriage was allowed in so many countries, and it is only a matter of time before it becomes an acceptable practice in most countries throughout the world.
Can't the law makers of the nations even understand and recognize that the anatomy of the male and female body was created for the sole purpose of procreation? For this reason God created them male and female (Genesis 2:25; Matthew 19:5). Through his own free will mankind concocted the idea of homosexuality for his own pleasures as God has given them up to such vile affections (Romans 1:24-32; Jude 10). Consider the problem of pedophilia and the sexual perversion of priests and ministers, in which children are preferred as sexual objects. There are many other forms of sexual perversion that we will not even mention. It is all an abomination in God's eyes as this whole world lieth in wickedness (1 John 5:19). One thing is clear that even the animal kingdom knows the difference and their behavior towards their own gender and the younger ones can be considered more respectful than that of mankind.
The future will confirm that our message of repentance is the same message as it was preached by Christ and the apostles and the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:11,12).
The most convenient position to take is to ignore our message, which is the position of most people, as only few believe in the message of repentance (Matthew 7:14) but before you decide to ignore our message, please consider all the people of your country that are effected by the floods. Our message of repentance will not disappear. If we don't bring it to this world someone else will.
In the days of Christ and the apostles the religious leaders constantly tried to silence them. One day they asked Christ to silence his disciples and he answered and said unto them: I tell you, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out (Luke 19:40).
If God can get an ass to speak (Numbers 22:28) and if He is able to raise children unto Abraham of stones (Luke 3:8), He could get the walls in your office to speak. Please know that this world will not be able to overthrow our message; lest haply they be found to fight against God (Acts 5:39; 23:9).
Once your country gets through this disaster there will be many other calamities throughout this world as a result of the unbelief of the people. Trust us when we say; the floods are not some natural phenomenon but it is God's doing. Have you never heard that the earth is God's footstool (Matthew 5:35) and He also has made his enemies his footstool (Matthew 22:44)?
As we are writing our letter to you we have just learned about the latest earthquake in Pakistan with a 7.2 magnitude. We will hear for the next few weeks about the devastation it has caused as we did after the earthquake in Haiti. The last major earthquake that hit Pakistan was in 2005 and killed 80,000 people. On January 18, 2010 we started writing an article entitled Earthquakes, Wars, Famines, Floods and Pestilences, which will be posted on our website sometime in the future. The article will confirm many of the things God has revealed to us.
Most countries face similar issues and challenges as your country, although some may be different in nature. For this reason a copy of our letter will be forwarded to Mr. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, Mr. Peter McKay, his Minister of Defense, Michael Ignatieff, Opposition Leader and Mr. Geoff Regan, Liberal MP for Halifax West, the area we reside.
We look forward to hearing from you.
In His Service.
Andy & Dianne van den Berg
Shortly after we wrote the Prime Minister on January 21, 2011 we learned of an approaching Cyclone headed for North Eastern Australia. It hit land on February 2, 2011 and the following is a report by CBC.ca after the storm made landfall.
Cyclone Yasi hammers northeast Australia
Cyclone Yasi has slammed into Australia's northeastern coast, tearing off roofs, rattling walls and leaving thousands of people without power. The effects of the Category 5 storm won't be fully visible until daylight Thursday, but reports of severe damage are widespread.
Queensland State Premier Anna Bligh said the cyclone was potentially the "most catastrophic storm ever seen" in the region. "We are in completely uncharted waters."
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said the powerful cyclone made landfall near Mission Beach south of Innisfail early Thursday, shortly after midnight. Dozens of cities and towns were being whipped by winds that forecasters said could gust up to 290 km/h.
"It's a phenomenal speed," said Neil Bennett from the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre. "Unless your house is exceptionally well built, there will be damage there will be trees down, incredibly dangerous conditions, loose objects flying around as well."
In Cairns, trees are thrashing violently in the wind. Power has been cut to the main evacuation centre in the city at Earlville shopping centre, where about 2,000 people have taken shelter. Tully resident Ross Sorbello described feeling his house shake from the wind. "The wind and rain outside are howling; it's a horrible sound," he said.
A total of 152,000 customers are without power across the region, including the Townsville central business district, where a number of evacuation centres are located, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
Waves off Townville had been measured at 6.6 metres Wednesday afternoon, the highest recorded since measurements began in 1975, Bligh said.
A storm surge of seven metres above the high tide mark could hit some areas, including the coastal town of Cardwell, which has been evacuated, Bligh said.
"Cardwell's a small town of about 3,000 people and they've all been evacuated today, but you can begin to think of the catastrophic damage that we might find tomorrow morning," she said.
Thousands of people in northern Queensland have fled their homes after being warned of the ferocity of the storm. More than 10,000 people were sheltered in 20 evacuation centres. Many are seeking shelter in shopping centres and underground car parks. Patients have also been flown to hospitals in Brisbane.
"This is a cyclone of savagery and intensity," Prime Minister Julia Gillard said in a nationally televised news conference. "People are facing really dreadful hours in front of them."
Shelters closed hours before the storm was expected to make landfall, officials tried to keep people off the streets. They said the shelters were closed and told some residents it was too late to evacuate their homes.
The coast is also expected to get up to 700 millimetres of rain. The area at most risk was a 240-kilometre stretch between Cairns, with a population of 165,000, and the town of Ingham. But warnings were also issued as far as Townsville, about 300 kilometres south of Cairns.
State disaster co-ordinator Ian Stewart said people should move to rooms at the centre of their houses during the storm — usually the bathroom — as they are structurally safest and usually have no windows that could shatter. People should bring mattresses and other items to hide behind in case of flying debris, sturdy shoes, and raincoats in case roofs are ripped off.
Power supplies and mobile phone services could be cut for thousands of people.
The worst winds were forecast to last up to four hours, though windy conditions and heavy rain could last for 24 hours.
The following was a follow-up report by CBC.ca on February 3, 2011.
Australia's Cyclone Yasi loses steam
Cyclone Yasi slammed into Australia's northeastern coast early Thursday, tearing off roofs, rattling walls and leaving thousands of people without power.
What began as a Category 5 cyclone — the maximum rating — was downgraded to Category 2 strength by 7 a.m. local time, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said. The system made landfall near Mission Beach, south of Innisfail, just after midnight Thursday.
Yasi, which had been billed as the most powerful storm to hit the country in generations, forced more than 10,000 people to flee to 20 evacuation centres in a danger zone stretching 300 kilometres. Anna Bligh, the premier of Queensland state, said she had not been told of any deaths or serious injuries.
"What I'm very relieved about is that we have yet to hear any reports from any police or any other source of any serious injury or fatality," Bligh told Sky TV. "All of our evacuation centres report that they've had no structural damage overnight."
Although weakened, the system still presents dangerous winds and rain, meteorologists warned. The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported that the north Queensland town of Tully was "a scene of mass devastation" Thursday morning with downed power lines and homes missing rooftops. More than 170,000 homes were without power, according to the Brisbane Times website.
Bligh had warned earlier that he cyclone was potentially the "most catastrophic storm ever seen" in the region. Surprisingly, in Thursday's daylight, it appeared that the popular tourist city of Cairns — located in the cyclone's path — had been spared the worst.
"I'm very surprised this morning after the gale-force winds that came through last night, Cairns has survived, and survived very, very well," said Cairns Coun. Alan Blake, the deputy chair of the local disaster management group.
Earlier, dozens of cities and towns were whipped by winds that forecasters said could gust up to 290 km/h. "It's a phenomenal speed," said Neil Bennett from the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre. "Unless your house is exceptionally well built, there will be damage, there will be trees down, incredibly dangerous conditions, loose objects flying around as well."
In Cairns, power was cut to the main evacuation centre at Earlville shopping centre, where about 2,000 people had taken shelter. Tully resident Ross Sorbello described feeling his house shake from the wind. "The wind and rain outside are howling; it's a horrible sound," he said.
Waves off Townville, in north Queensland, had been measured at 6.6 metres Wednesday afternoon, the highest recorded since measurements began in 1975, Bligh said. A storm surge of seven metres above the high tide mark could hit some areas, including the coastal town of Cardwell, which was evacuated, Bligh said.
In anticipation of the storm, thousands of people in northern Queensland fled their homes. Many took shelter in shopping centres and underground parking lots. Patients were flown to hospitals in Brisbane. "This is a cyclone of savagery and intensity," Prime Minister Julia Gillard said in a nationally televised news conference. "People are facing really dreadful hours in front of them."
Hours before the storm was expected to make landfall, officials tried to keep people off the streets. They said the shelters were closed and told some residents it was too late to evacuate their homes.
The coast was also expected to get up to 700 millimetres of rain. The area at most risk was a 240-kilometre stretch between Cairns, with a population of 165,000, and the town of Ingham. But warnings were also issued as far as Townsville, about 300 kilometres south of Cairns.
State disaster co-ordinator Ian Stewart said people should move to rooms at the centre of their houses during the storm — usually the bathroom — as they are structurally safest and usually have no windows that could shatter. People should bring mattresses and other items to hide behind in case of flying debris, sturdy shoes, and raincoats in case roofs are ripped off. The worst winds were forecast to last up to four hours, though windy conditions and heavy rain could last for 24 hours.
Footnote.
The Collins Dictionary describes a fool as a person lacking sense or judgment. We find the use of the word somewhat demeaning but since it is commonly used in the Bible we like to use the following to describe the stubbornness of mankind.
Proverbs 1:7. But fools despise wisdom and understanding.
Proverbs 10:8. The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.
Proverbs 10:21. The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.
Proverbs 13:20. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
Proverbs 18:2. A fool hath no delight in understanding.
Proverbs 16:22. Understanding is a well-spring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.
1 Cor. 1:20. Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?