Our minds are still struggling to comprehend the magnitude of the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy. As hurricanes go, it was a relatively minor one, barely making it to a category 1 storm. But its timing and scope was incredible. A hurricane, even with relatively minor wind speeds, arriving at the same time as the high tides under a full moon - probably not on anyone's radar screen. A hurricane arriving just as a strong cold front was arriving as well along the East Coast - also probably not on anyone's radar screen. Yet that combination has proven to have had devastating and deadly consequences. Shorelines literally changed. Towns along the Atlantic Coast now completely gone. Subways filled with water. A thirteen foot wall of water inundating houses and businesses. And significant snowfalls in the mountains. Wall Street closed for two days because of the storm - a first since the latter part of the 19th century. Political campaign events postponed as both candidates focused upon people facing very real problems. What I found so amazing about this storm was its magnitude - stretching east-west for over one thousand miles - causing damage as far away as Chicago and Milwaukee. The satellite imagery was startling. With one storm, one third of our nation was impacted.
Little noted because of Hurricane Sandy was the strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake along the western coastline of Canada. Tsunami warnings were posted as far away as Hawaii. Yet, thankfully, damage was minimal.
Were these two events a wake up call from God? I am not sure, but the timing this close to the election hardly seems coincidental. Does the Bible say anything about weather in the last days? In His Olivet Discourse, Jesus mentions earthquakes and famines: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pangs" (Matthew 24:7-8). In the Book of Revelation, there is mention of earthquakes (Revelation 6:12 and 16:18) as well as changes in the atmospheric heavens (Revelation 6:12-14 and 16:18). John also describes an incredible hailstorm with one hundred pound hailstones (Revelation 16:21). So hurricanes, tornadoes, snowstorms, and floods are not directly cited, but I believe it is safe to say that weather conditions are truly used by God to get men's attention. But are we listening? That is the ultimate question. And sadly it is my belief that we are asleep spiritually.
The continued drought that has plagued America's heartland for nearly a year, wildfires in America's western wildernesses, and now this devastating hurricane are tools that God is using to cause our nation to get back to is foundational roots, roots based upon the Word of God. The warning is being sounded, the end is getting closer. How are we going to respond?
On a lighter note, but just as relevant: Fox News reported yesterday that Dina Kourda, a local volunteer with PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has requested that the Orange County (CA) highway department erect a sign honoring hundreds of fish who were killed when the truck hauling them to market crashed - those fish were soon going to grace the tables of some of America's finest restaurants. You have got to be kidding me? Sadly...no.
With relevance to those who are voting on the same-sex-marriage question. In an article published October 18 at the lifesitenews.com website, "Australian school children are to be told that heterosexuality is not the norm, according to a new education department pilot program called 'Proud Schools.' 'Heterosexism' is one of the evils that the Proud Schools program is intended to stamp out, along with 'homophobia and transphobia' education officials have said. ... The committee suggested that teachers must monitor the playground in order to stamp out 'heterosexist' language among children in out-of-class hours." I guess teachers don't have enough to do so they can become "language monitors." Is it any wonder that our educational system is broken? Friends, this is what happens when one removes God from culture and from civilized norms. Read those verses in Romans 1:18-32 and see if you don't agree that they mirror our thinking today. Will God give us over to our depravities? Yes He most certainly can and will.
One final scary piece of news. According to a report in the Al Arabiya News, published on October 29, Iranian officials have acknowledged that they now have very sophisticated drone planes. As reported a couple weeks ago, IDF warplanes shot down a drone near the Dimona nuclear reactor in Israel. This drone had been sent by Hezbollah, Iran's proxy in Lebanon. Now Iran admits that it has far better drones than that one and will use those drone to patrol and police the Persian Gulf. And so the rhetoric continues in the Middle East. A showdown seems inevitable...but when? - that is anyone's guess.
Let me leave you with this thought for the week: Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.
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2 comments:
Very interesting. Jennifer and I were just talking last night about the storms and agree that it is God's way of getting our attention...Jesus is coming.
Brian Kos
I would agree that people are asleep. What is truly sad is how even the majority of pastors and people who attend church are sound asleep. The dude from the Weather Channel said he has covered 90 hurricanes and neither he nor anyone else at the weather channel has EVER seen a hurricane take a hard left and head west...as Sandy did...and crashed right into the headquarters of Mammon (Manhattan) and destroyed the Jersey Shore, which just so happens to be an incredibly popular TV show the glorifies fornication and drunkenes and is watched by millions. Yes...must be a coincidence!!
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