“Look the
Lord’s anger
burst out
like a
storm, a
whirl wind
that swarms
down on the
heads of the
wicked!”
(Jeremiah
23.19)
The biggest
burden I
carry in
being a
husband and
father of
three
school-aged
kids at a
time when it
seems the
world is
going mad,
is how to
prepare my
family for
what I see
happening!
How to steel
the mind of
my kids
without
stealing
their joy?
If I'm being
honest I ask
that same
question in
child like
faith to my
heavenly
Father:
“Dear
Father, It’s
getting
really dark
and stormy
outside.
Living in or
near Tornado
Alley one of
the routines
during
stormy
nights that
I feel so
blessed by
is to see
all my kids
run to me
for
assurance
that we are
going to be
all right,
right Dad?”
Daily life
usually goes
down
something
like this.
The day
starts out
with its
normal
routines but
you go about
your
business
with one eye
to the sky
because the
weather
stations
from our
area have
told us that
today’s
weather
pattern and
conditions
are ripe for
“stormy
conditions.”
So with that
in the back
of the mind
you go
through your
day. As day
pushes
toward
evening you
become more
and more
aware of the
dark clouds
forming off
to the
southwest.
One by one,
from my wife
calling on
her cell
phone on her
drive home
for work to
each kid
taking
notice the
questions
pop up, “Is
it storming
yet, is it
going to be
a bad storm?
Ya think
it’ll miss
us?”
My job as a
dad, which I
take
seriously,
is to be
full of
faith
pointing to
Scripture
and
reminding my
kids of the
“shelter” we
have in God
and the
storm
shelter in
our home!
But then it
happens, an
annoying
sound(s) go
off. The
weatherman
interrupts
with a
BREAKING
WEATHER
ALERT: “A
Tornado
warning has
been issued
for parts of
southern
Lawrence
Count.” Your
heart races,
“Kids, hurry
up.”
The anxiety
rises in
their minds,
“Is it going
to hit us?”
We all hurry
along down
into our
storm
shelter, so
thankful we
are in a
safe place
but we are
very
unsettled,
listening to
the wind and
cracking
thunder. We
sit in
uncomfortable
positions,
enduring the
dark and
stormy
moment in
time. Our
kids
clinging to
me and my
wife, with
their eyes
glued to our
countenance
looking for
hope, for
the calm and
assurance
that
everything
is going to
be just
fine.
Then finally
the storm
passes.
On New
Year’s Eve I
sat down my
three kids
along with
my wife
using this
very
scenario as
I shared a
devotion of
preparation
for 2013. I
asked all
three kids,
“What do you
think when
you see
super-duper
dark clouds
to the
southwest?
And hear the
wind begin
to howl? And
see the
lightning?
And hear the
thunder? “Is
it going to
tornado? Do
we need to
go to the
shelter?”
And on those
nights,
kids, if you
turn on the
TV and flip
channels
what do you
see and
hear?
Weathermen
on EVERY
channel
describing
and warning!
Well kids,
the Lord as
your
Father/Shepherd
is telling
you that
according to
the Bible
2013 is a
year to
“take
shelter” and
as a family
we need to
be closer to
our heavenly
Father than
ever cause
He has
written us a
letter
warning us
that when we
see the
nations
unite to
divide
Israel to
not be
scared but
to be
prepared!!
GREAT
TRAVAIL
I have a
friend and
He studied
Meteorology/Storm
Chasing at
the
University
of Oklahoma.
I remember
one
particular
day we were
hanging out
and that
particular
day was ripe
for a “big
one.” He was
so alert. We
were sitting
“watch,”
then
suddenly
while we
were talking
his
countenance
changed and
he got all
serious and
said, “LOOK,
LOOK” and I
was like,
“WHAT?”
“What do you
see, that I
don’t?” I
mean it did
look stormy
but he saw
something in
the clouds
that he
recognized
that caused
his demeanor
and voice to
grow much
more urgent.
He saw the
wall cloud
and its
circulation,
and then it
happened. A
tornado
dropped from
the sky. He
picked up a
phone and
reported it
to a local
weather
station and
then
URGENTLY
called
friends in
the path.
Why am I so
confident
that 2013 is
going to be
a year of
greater
“travail?”
Just as when
it’s a
stormy night
and you turn
on the TV
and ALL of
your local
weatherman
on duty are
warning of
the storm at
hand so is
it that many
watchman are
even now
doing that
very thing!
WHY? Not
because of
some
feeling, but
because of
God’s Word.
Joel 3
speaks of a
time that
God will
cause the
nations of
the world to
come under
His judgment
because they
have divided
HIS LAND. We
see those
very clouds
forming now
as talk of a
plan to
divide
Israel is
even in the
works. It
makes you
want to
scream, “DO
NOT DO
THAT!” But
God’s Word
says it is
going to
happen, so
we must warn
those who
will listen
to be
prepared for
what is
coming!
On May 19,
of 2011
President
Obama
addressed
the issue
and declared
his desire
to see
Israel
concede land
back to
“1967
borders.” In
light of the
recent UN
resolution
to recognize
Palestine’s
right to
statehood
the big push
will be for
them to have
their “own
land” and of
course if
you pay
attention it
will be
nothing less
than Israel
and
specifically
Jerusalem
that they
will demand.
Post US
elections,
President
Obama is
emboldened
to see this
issue
resolved and
undoubtedly
will begin
to make this
his center
of
attention.
It’s obvious
from Joel 3
that God
does NOT
take this
lightly.
Whether
during this
age or
dispensation
God sends or
God allows
hurricanes,
earthquakes,
tsunami’s or
disasters of
the like. I
will not
debate, but
this I will
warn: Be
prepared to
witness
greater
travail in
this coming
year than
what you
have seen in
the past
because of
mans evil
plan to
divide God’s
land!
I’m telling
you, “It
sure looks
stormy!”
Darkness and
even gross
darkness is
covering
this earth
at such an
alarming
rate.
People are
on edge
everywhere
and the
recent
increase in
sales of
weapons and
ammunitions
speaks to
man’s innate
desire to
seek to save
their own
life! And
yet there
are those
who are
hell-bent on
taking those
weapons and
using them
to steal,
kill and
destroy.
Even to the
point of
killing
elementary
kids like
sitting
ducks. It is
here that
I’d like to
take a
moment and
speak to
this very
thing!
Hebrews
11.7:
“By
faith Noah,
being
divinely
warned of
things not
yet seen,
moved with
godly fear,
prepared an
ark for the
saving of
his
household,
by which he
condemned
the world
and became
heir of the
righteousness
which is
according to
faith.”
BEING DIVINELY WARNED
Sometimes we do NOT want to really stop and think, but that is exactly
what I’m
about to ask
everyone to
do who is
reading this
message. I
want us to
take a
moment and
stop and
think, “what
if.” What if
the
weathermen
on duty just
prior to the
Joplin
Tornado of
2011 could
have known
of the
devastation
they were
warning
about? I
mean if
those
weathermen
could have
known that
when they
were looking
at their
maps and
computer
models, if
they knew
BEFORE --
that
hundreds of
souls would
be lost and
could have
known how
truly big
the storm
was that
they were
warning of.
What impact would that have made on their urgency in their warning?
Knowing they
were looking
at something
on a map
that would
be one of
the
deadliest
tornadoes on
record, IF
they would
have known
as one
doctor
reported of
hearing
someone
sucked out
of the
Joplin
hospital
“wailing and
screaming”
for HELP, of
what impact
would that
or should
that have
had upon the
weathermen?
I remember watching one of the most renowned storm chasers working that
storm
arriving on
the scene
after the
fact and
breaking
down in
tears
wishing he
could have
warned the
people! It
showed him
arriving
into the
Joplin area
about the
same time as
the tornado.
He was
screaming at
police
officers to
SOUND THE
SIRENS.
PLEASE SOUND
THE SIRENS!
But it was
too late.
By faith, we
can all
open-up the
Word of God
and read,
being
divinely
warned that
there is
coming an
hour that is
going to be
so
devastating
to the lives
around us
that it will
render the
Joplin
tornado a
distant
memory, that
will be so
violent that
Newtown,
Connecticut
will seem
like an act
of mercy to
those who
are still
here. In
fact the
Bible says
it will be
so evil and
wicked that,
“unless God
shortens the
days no
flesh will
survive.”
Psalm 9,
says that
the nations
that forget
God shall be
turned into
hell. Jesus
said the
reason it is
so dark
outside is
that they
love the
darkness but
hate the
light
because
their deeds
are evil.
Because of
this very
thing there
is a major
cry to tell
GOD to “get
us out” or
in other
words please
“turn off
the light”
and that is
exactly what
is about to
happen, God
is going to
call out of
this earth
all those
who are His
and let man
reap what
they have
sown in a
time of such
great
travail that
as shocking
as this may
sound it
will even
make the
Holocaust
pale in
comparison.
And you and
I have been
divinely
warned of
this very
thing! We
are the
weathermen
before the
storm, who
should
realize what
is to come
and be moved
with godly
fear
preparing an
ark to save
the
household!
Please stop
and think of
the
forewarned
time at hand
that says
there is
coming a
real moment
when people
will seek
death and
“find it
not.” Our
lost friends
and
neighbors
and
co-workers
will be
wishing they
had heard,
wishing they
had listened
and will be
dealing with
a time of
such wrath
and despair
that they
will be
suicidal but
will not be
able to die!
But we don’t
believe
this! Not
really. The
Bible says
it but we
don’t
believe it.
If we did we
would see
prayer
meetings of
groans and
wails
popping up
everywhere,
pleading
with God for
boldness,
asking God
for
forgiveness,
asking God
for mercy!
We would be
so broken in
our
gatherings
that
preachers
wouldn’t
even be able
to stand up
and
minister.
I say,
“Shame on
us. SHAME ON
ME!” I pray
even now in
this time
that God in
His mercy
tarries,
that He will
pour out His
Spirit upon
us, and
BREAK US for
the time at
hand. That
we WILL be
divinely
warned and
sincerely be
moved with
compassion
and godly
fear and
fall our
faces in
greater
prayer and
travail than
the church
has ever
seen
producing
the greatest
urgency and
boldness to
share the
gospel
unlike the
world has
ever seen.
Because,
“Man it sure
is looking
stormy.”
“Heavenly
Father,
please,
please,
please --
pour out a
spirit of
prayer,
repentance
and
intercession
upon all who
are alive
and remain.”
Romans
13.11: “This
is all the
more urgent,
for you know
how late it
is; time is
running out.
Wake up, for
our
salvation is
nearer now
than when we
first
believed.”
If you have
read this
message and
are asking,
“What must I
do to be
saved from
the time you
are warning
about?”
Realize that
you are
alive
because you
were
created.
Your Creator
gave you
life and His
laws to live
by, but you
have broken
His laws and
right now
stand before
Your Creator
GUILTY as a
“law
breaker” and
deserve to
die, and
dying you
are with
each beat of
your heart.
You are
dying but
God in His
goodness and
mercy didn’t
make you to
do so. He
wants you to
live
eternally
and because
of this very
fact, just
over 2,000
years ago He
sent His
only
begotten
Son, Jesus
Christ to
take your
place and
because of
you and for
you, He
willingly
allowed
mankind to
crucify Him
on a cross
for your
sins and my
sins.
He then
promised to
prove that
He is God
and would
rise from
the grave
and three
days later
He did that
very thing
and today an
empty tomb
shouts to
the whole
world He is
alive! In
order for
you to be
saved from
the wrath to
come you
must ask
forgiveness
and repent:
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your
heart that
God has
raised Him
from the
dead, you
will be
saved.
For with the
heart one
believes
unto
righteousness,
and with the
mouth
confession
is made unto
salvation.
For
“whoever
calls on the
name of the
Lord
shall be
saved
(Romans 10:
9).
In Christ,
Tim Cameron
timcameron@centurytel.net