175 Killed! so far…; God’s Judgment Unleashed! or Mother Nature Unleashed! or Maybe Something Else...?
What would be the best Headline? Maybe - "God & Satan at War and We are the Battlefield"
But wait a minute. Please think about "Mother Nature." Really? Mother Nature? Who – What is Mother Nature? Here’s the history of that concept.
Here are some interesting concepts where Scripture ties natural tragedy to God’s strength, wrath and jealousy against his adversaries.
Here is what amazes me. People can look at such devastation as we see in St. Louis and across the south but can’t see two awesome powers in conflict. When people can watch at a distance such destruction and not feel really small while noticing an awesome power that needs to be heeded, I am amazed. Do we really think such power in nature, and such vulnerability on mankind can come from nothing?! Really? Seriously? A BIG BANG?There’s certainly no UNFOUNDED FAITH in that conviction! ;)
God explains what is going on in Romans 8:18-22. When man chose to give Satan an ear and turn to sin an amazing creation was subjected to extreme frustration. The laws of nature that brought order then became frustrated by Satan’s power. Satan uses nature’s laws to destroy what God loves (mankind and creation). God uses nature’s laws to bring punishment on his adversaries AND to illustrate to man His amazing strength. In a sense it stops man in his tracks to say, Wow… I am really small and God is really big!
One key issue that most miss is that death is not always punishment. To assume being taken from this life is always a punishment misses the biggest point of Scripture. Graduating to heaven is the ultimate goal for God and those faithful to Him. Scripture says that God grieves the death of the wicked and at times allows early death to come to some in effort to spare the innocent from upcoming evil.
Death for the Christian is graduation! Devastation for those left behind are a message for all to heed God’s power, will, and provision. Finally, this is an opportunity for Christians to reach out to those that have suffered. It is our opportunity to join God in the battle and interject His love into the lives of devastated people that now have a lot of pain, and a lot of questions. Christians can now step in with some answers!
I love one of the missions our church supports. International Disaster Emergency Services gives 100% of the money given to churches and missions in the middle of the devastation to be used exclusively for helping anyone that has been hurt by the disaster. I repeat 100%! Our church as well as hundreds of others give monthly to sustain this small but powerful ministry so that 100% can go to those hurt during disasters!
May God Bless those suffering with healing and protection as well as those reaching out in the name of Christ to thwart Satan's plan to kill, steal and destroy!
Friends what we have seen in earthquake, tsunamis, famine and storms has nothing to do with “Mother Nature.” This is God saying, “Don’t miss the obvious! I am here, calling some of you to account for bad decisions made, calling some of you to trust me for all things, and calling some to their final reward, certainly calling all Christians to step up and make His love and provisions known to all those suffering!”