Storm-Filled World

I saw this fascinating and yet frightening picture of a storm-filled sky and tornado, and as I viewed it, I could see in the picture bits of light behind it, even reflecting to the earth that it would soon cover. As I studied this intriguing panorama, I begin think of storms, both in the physical and spiritual world, and their effects upon our lives.

At this point in my life, I can say that I have been in a lot of storms. I know of at least two times, as both a young and older adult, that tornadoes came over our house and touched down not far away with horrific damage and loss of life. I remember as a little boy people gathering for safety in the basement of a church my Dad pastored on a night of multiple tornadoes in the area. Hurricane Kate passed over South Georgia in 1985 while Judy and I were living in Tifton on the Campground, and I’ll never forget the experience of a hurricane-force wind blowing all night and the damage that ensued.

But in every storm, there came a time when the storm ended, and even as the storms wreaked havoc, above the heights of the highest thunderheads, the sun was shining brightly. The damage and casualties of storms are very real, but they too have an ending, and it is then that healing and repair of hearts and homes begin.

I believe with all my heart we are now in a spiritual storm of gargantuan proportions. Hell has unleashed all of its fury against the righteousness of God and God’s people. This storm has no quick ending, but I believe it is the leading edge of pre-tribulation. The coming of the Lord draws nigh. We have had a time in the Body of Christ of practicing a “let’s just make ourselves feel good” type Christianity and have neglected the whole counsel and word of God, and as a result, we have too many weak, anemic Christians ringing their hands in despair. So Biblically illiterate from no Sunday School, no Bible reading, and no searching of the Word, they find themselves in a battle with no weapons and despair has set in. They are ripe fodder as the rise of AntiChrist grips the world.

But….And listen carefully, God will judge the rise of sin and godlessness in this world. It was true before the flood, and it was true for the Roman Empire. Paul addressed it in Romans 1. Here is a quote from Romans chapter 1 verses 18-32 from the New Living Translation, you can read it from the King James if you wish. I am using the NLT here for easy understanding.

“Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they begin to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshipping the glorious ever-living God, they worshipped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. So God abandoned them to do whatsoever their shameful hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshipped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned in their lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backbiters, haters of God, insolent, proud and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those that do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.”
Romans 1:18-32 NLT

The days of Romans Chapter One are here again. I must declare the whole counsel of God while there is still time to do so….just remember this…”Whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The storm is here, but the Light is still shining.

Dr. David M. Griffis