Post by Daniel on Sept 15, 2015 8:32:49 GMT -5
The Calm Before the Storm
by Howard Green
Friday August 13th 2004 is a date Floridians will remember for a long time. Hurricane Charley struck S.W. Florida with 145 mph. winds and torrential rains causing a 50 mile wide path of destruction beginning on the Gulf coast and exiting on the Atlantic coast. I lived 30 miles inland in central Florida at the time. A family member living one mile from the Gulf of Mexico called me just as the storm was beginning to hit there. They told me that the winds and rains were unbelievable and it was getting very bad down there. After we hung up, I went outside and took a look around….knowing Charley would arrive in a few hours
I was struck by the calm of the lake I lived on, the puffy clouds dotting the blue sky, and the lack of any wind. Just a few hours later, the sky turned dark, the winds picked up, and torrential rain battered my home. The contrast between the calm earlier in the day and Charley’s 90-100 mph. winds was unbelievable. When the sun rose the next morning, it exposed all of the damage and destruction Charley left the day before. I won’t forget the calm weather, numerous warnings to get ready, and apathy of many citizens….just days before the approaching storm. I believe we are living in the days of relative calm before the storm…….the coming storm of birth pains and God’s divine judgement.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.
For the most part, people in our time remind me of the people we read about in Noah’s day. Despite warning after warning…they go about their life like they have no one to answer to. Noah warned of impending judgement and the flood came. Prophets warned of coming judgement and the Babylonian armies conquered. Jesus warned about the coming destruction in Jerusalem and just a few decades later, Jerusalem was in ruins as was the temple.
Here we are now in our modern world….with all of it’s comforts, luxuries, and diversions. Everything is going on just as it always has. Our generation has been witness to wars, disasters, and economic uncertainty. Most people view these events as just another link in the chain of history. Although we face major issues, things always die down and return to normal. Wars eventually come to an end. Evil dictators and rulers eventually die. The financial markets always bounce back. Natural disasters eventually run their coarse and recovery efforts restore a sense of normality to life.
Take the broad view of our world right now. Sure…there is conflict, there is suffering, and there are pockets of violence. We have displaced people looking for refuge in safe areas. There are sporadic acts of terrorism. The economy is fluctuating wildly and we have nations threatening other nations. In all reality……things look pretty normal. For the most part, people have the same thoughts and opinions about the current world condition. They believe this is the way it’s always been. They reason that everything always returns to normal. They feel like this life has it’s ups and downs but everything will work out just fine.
It’s like most people in our day are collectively thinking the same thing about the future: “We have peace and safety.”
People…especially here in the West have been warned through the faithful preaching, teaching, and witnessing of believers. They have been warned about God’s holiness, His wrath, and the coming judgement He will pour out on an un-repentant world. They have been warned over and over again. Unfortunately….a majority of these warnings are laughed at, forgotten, or ignored. Some people do respond with a contrite repentant heart that trusts in Jesus for salvation, but a majority do not. The signs pointing to the nearness of the Lord’s return are everywhere, but most people live as though He’s not coming back.
Even more telling about the times we live in is the rampant apathy even among some Christians regarding the Lord’s return. Where does this ‘I could care less attitude’ come from? I don’t believe it’s from ignorance because there are countless verses in the Bible pertaining to the end times. These people choose to gloss over words like: Rapture (teaching about it), 70th Week, Great Tribulation, birth pains, beginning of sorrows, etc.
That is a shame because I believe….the amount of weight or esteem a Christian gives eschatology will greatly impact the way he or she evangelizes, disciples, and lives a life of holiness. We know the Master is away but He is coming back soon and we will have to give an account for how we spent our lives here.
2 Peter 3:3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
We have scoffers both inside and outside the church who choose to ignore His warnings.
continue reading
concerningthetimes.com/the-calm-before-the-storm/
by Howard Green
Friday August 13th 2004 is a date Floridians will remember for a long time. Hurricane Charley struck S.W. Florida with 145 mph. winds and torrential rains causing a 50 mile wide path of destruction beginning on the Gulf coast and exiting on the Atlantic coast. I lived 30 miles inland in central Florida at the time. A family member living one mile from the Gulf of Mexico called me just as the storm was beginning to hit there. They told me that the winds and rains were unbelievable and it was getting very bad down there. After we hung up, I went outside and took a look around….knowing Charley would arrive in a few hours
I was struck by the calm of the lake I lived on, the puffy clouds dotting the blue sky, and the lack of any wind. Just a few hours later, the sky turned dark, the winds picked up, and torrential rain battered my home. The contrast between the calm earlier in the day and Charley’s 90-100 mph. winds was unbelievable. When the sun rose the next morning, it exposed all of the damage and destruction Charley left the day before. I won’t forget the calm weather, numerous warnings to get ready, and apathy of many citizens….just days before the approaching storm. I believe we are living in the days of relative calm before the storm…….the coming storm of birth pains and God’s divine judgement.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.
For the most part, people in our time remind me of the people we read about in Noah’s day. Despite warning after warning…they go about their life like they have no one to answer to. Noah warned of impending judgement and the flood came. Prophets warned of coming judgement and the Babylonian armies conquered. Jesus warned about the coming destruction in Jerusalem and just a few decades later, Jerusalem was in ruins as was the temple.
Here we are now in our modern world….with all of it’s comforts, luxuries, and diversions. Everything is going on just as it always has. Our generation has been witness to wars, disasters, and economic uncertainty. Most people view these events as just another link in the chain of history. Although we face major issues, things always die down and return to normal. Wars eventually come to an end. Evil dictators and rulers eventually die. The financial markets always bounce back. Natural disasters eventually run their coarse and recovery efforts restore a sense of normality to life.
Take the broad view of our world right now. Sure…there is conflict, there is suffering, and there are pockets of violence. We have displaced people looking for refuge in safe areas. There are sporadic acts of terrorism. The economy is fluctuating wildly and we have nations threatening other nations. In all reality……things look pretty normal. For the most part, people have the same thoughts and opinions about the current world condition. They believe this is the way it’s always been. They reason that everything always returns to normal. They feel like this life has it’s ups and downs but everything will work out just fine.
It’s like most people in our day are collectively thinking the same thing about the future: “We have peace and safety.”
People…especially here in the West have been warned through the faithful preaching, teaching, and witnessing of believers. They have been warned about God’s holiness, His wrath, and the coming judgement He will pour out on an un-repentant world. They have been warned over and over again. Unfortunately….a majority of these warnings are laughed at, forgotten, or ignored. Some people do respond with a contrite repentant heart that trusts in Jesus for salvation, but a majority do not. The signs pointing to the nearness of the Lord’s return are everywhere, but most people live as though He’s not coming back.
Even more telling about the times we live in is the rampant apathy even among some Christians regarding the Lord’s return. Where does this ‘I could care less attitude’ come from? I don’t believe it’s from ignorance because there are countless verses in the Bible pertaining to the end times. These people choose to gloss over words like: Rapture (teaching about it), 70th Week, Great Tribulation, birth pains, beginning of sorrows, etc.
That is a shame because I believe….the amount of weight or esteem a Christian gives eschatology will greatly impact the way he or she evangelizes, disciples, and lives a life of holiness. We know the Master is away but He is coming back soon and we will have to give an account for how we spent our lives here.
2 Peter 3:3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
We have scoffers both inside and outside the church who choose to ignore His warnings.
continue reading
concerningthetimes.com/the-calm-before-the-storm/