There's a Storm Coming

  

  I want to talk to you about a storm that’s coming and if I fail, in words, to express what I feel in my heart, I pray Holy Spirit will reveal it. We all know that we’ve got an oncoming storm. And the only Wind that I know that can turn that storm will be that rushing Wind that fell on the day of Pentecost.

  I read a story one time (or maybe more of a parable) about a storm that was on its way across central Florida, and all the regions around Okeechobee was warned and there was a man who listened to the radio all the time, because of these storms, and he was a very renowned Christian. He heard on the radio that the great typhoon was coming that way, twisting down trees, and everyone was warned to get to safety. And he thought of his neighbor who had a chicken farm, and some light buildings with their chickens in them, their brooder houses, and their pens, where all that they had in life was tied up with these chickens, their living. He rushed quickly, frantically, up to the gate, stopped his car, and jumped out, and said to this fellow, “Take all the chickens and put them in your storm shelter, and you rush over to mine, because there is coming a storm that’s going to tear everything down.” And the man stood and looked him in the face, and laughed at him, and said, “Nonsense. I’ve heard them predict such things before, and it never did happen.” The Christian neighbor was so excited; he said, “But what if it does happen?”

 We hear remarks like that all the time, “I’ve heard this is going to happen, and that’s going to happen.” But Peter tells us in chapter 3 verses 2-4 that in the last days there will be scoffers.. “that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. Know this, first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” But it’s going to happen one of these days. And it’s to our advantage to listen to every warning. But this man said, “I have no time for such foolishness. I raise chickens, and I'm way too busy for this kinda stuff.” And the neighbor cries out, “In the Name of God leave those chickens alone then John, and come quickly, you and your family. If you don’t want to believe it then just let your family come.” And he said, “I will not have my children to be excited over a few radio warnings. My children and I have decided we’ll live as I live. And my wife will listen to me because I'm the breadwinner of this home, and she must listen to me. I’m boss here, and I will not have my children all excited or tore up about some nonsense.” And the neighbor turned and the Christian man went to his home into his shelter.

  And all of a sudden, the cloud was upon them before they knew it. That’s the way judgment strikes. It comes so sudden; you wonder how it can get there so quick. Oh… I’ve read of men… cruel men, who once cursed God, fall to their knees and cry, “How could You treat me this way?” Their whole foundation was swept out from under them in a moment. It pays to take warning.

  Oh, you might laugh at the messenger; you might even be able to kill him, but you cannot kill the message. It’ll go on just the same. God’s message is eternal. His Words will never fail.

  Paul was successful in having Stephen stoned but all through his life until he surrendered to Christ, he was never able to get away from that message, “I see heavens open and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” Something got ahold of him. It wasn’t the messenger; it was the message he had!

  While the storm swept through the country, it caught the chicken house and the farmer, and they never found his body or his wife alive. They lived close to the great Okeechobee Lake, and the waters begin to rise as the typhoon lifted the waters all the way from the bottom of the lake. That’s what makes them so dangerous; they’re shallow; the boats rock, and that’s how the waves come up and turn the boats beneath them. The storms comes and just whirls up the water and packs it for miles. And the water was sweeping until the mother knew there was no hope but to get her children to the top of the building. She and her children got safely to the top of the building and held on to the chimney for dear life.

 And then the wildlife, the Cottonmouth moccasin, a more deadly snake than our Diamondback rattler (I believe) were crawling, looking for safety, and they come on the roof with her. And by listening to her husband and not taking heed to the warning of the man of God, she stomped and she beat, but she had to stand and watch those vicious snakes bite her children until they died on that roof. And the mother herself was bitten so many times, she finally died and that’s how we got the story. After the storm had quietened, and the search parties hunting for bodies and so forth, found her laying on top of the roof with her children laying by her side.

  Oh y’all, it pays to take warning! The first thing to do before there can be a warning, there has to be a preparation made for safety or there’s no need of sending a warning. And the warning is only a voice of one having you to prepare for the danger as the watchman on the wall. (And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, ‘If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows on the trumpet and warns the people, then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning; his blood will be on himself. But had he taken warning, he would have delivered his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman’s hand.’) Ezekiel 33:1-6

  There has to be a preparation made first. And when the preparation is made, the warning can go forward and it’ll be up to you to make your decision whether you want to listen to it or not. If you don’t want to listen to it, well, that’s up to you. If you do listen to it, there’s safety.

  That’s the way it was in the days of Noah, and God got so filled up with it *smile* but before He sent a storm to destroy the entire world, God made preparation for those who wanted to stay out of it. And I can see Noah standing in the door of the ark, preaching righteousness. Oh, there wasn’t many that would listen to him. They were something like the ‘church’ of today. They want entertainment, not the Gospel. Woe unto these Hollywood evangelists (Gospel pimps) who’s afraid to call sin sin, who's only purpose is pleasing the crowd, putting on a good show. 

  We need some of the old fashion, backwoods preachers that’s got the Holy Ghost, that’s not afraid to preach the Gospel with their bare hands, not covered up with some kind of a rubber glove, but preach the coming of the Lord Jesus, judgment for the wicked, and heaven for the righteous, and the near approaching storm. What season? When? I don’t know, and no one else does. But I’ll warn my generation because if it comes now, I want them to be warned. I don’t want anyone’s blood on my hands. “When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.” Ezekiel 3:18

  I can see Noah, in my mind’s eye, standing in that door of the ark, the only way to safety…I can see Moses, later, standing in the door, with blood on the lintel, preaching judgment. Today Jesus is the Door to the sheepfold, ministers of the Gospel standing in that Door, pleading with the congregation to come to safety, to get in the Ark. There’s a song I love…. ♪ ♫ It’s beginning to rain, rain, rain..hear the voice of my Father.. ♪ ♫

  No doubt that there were many who laughed at Noah and made fun of him. The Bible said they were scoffers. I can just hear them say something like this, “Noah, if you haven’t got some better entertainment than that, we’ll just stay home.” Lot was warned and when the angels went down, their message was to Sodom, “Come out of this sinful place. God has provided a way of escape for you. Come out of this sinful place.”

 Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Sodom…” Look what kind of a life they were living. And Jesus compared that day with this day. Watch when Lot went to tell his people. They laughed at him, made fun of him. “And the sins of the city vexed his righteous soul.” The angels’ message didn’t stir them, had no effect on them. The angels bid them to come out because judgment was upon the city, and God was going to bring a storm of fire upon the city, but they refused to listen. They refused to walk. They refused to come out. They were satisfied and comfortable with where they were at. It's not easy to get someone to leave their comfort zone. 

  That’s the world today, most people don’t want the truth of the Gospel, they want entertainment. They’ve got to have something to entertain them, a lot of fancy music, big name bands or flag dancers or some kind of a gimmick. Anything to draw a crowd. Not for Christ but for their own pride and greed, it’s all about numbers….not souls. But the church is where judgment ought to be preached in the power of the resurrection of the Lord. First Jesus’ love….then a warning. Judgment begins at the house of God, not parties….judgment. “For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” 1 Peter 4:17

  Once a storm is reported to be heading for a launched vessel, there are preparations which can be made at sea to ensure the greatest chance at survival. The first thing the captain and crew must do is to batten down the hatches and close the windows and portholes. (Make sure all cracks, holes, and crevices are filled with the blood of Jesus.) In this way, the least amount of water possible can make it into the ship. As the storm nears, there are more ways to prepare a vessel. Most importantly, it is of the utmost important that all crew and passengers wear personal flotation devices. “Put on the whole armor of God.” Pumping the bilge dry and stowing all important gear in secure areas (making sure everything is secure and safe in the arms of God) is vital to making sure the ship is able to sail back to the harbor after the storm passes. Ensuring all emergency gear is accessible (through Holy Ghost and prayer) is important, especially if the ship suffers irreparable damage and cannot make it back to land. “Oh me!” Securing all gear (binding satan) which can, once the ship starts rocking violently, be potentially dangerous, will increase safety in choppy seas. One of the first rules of boating in stormy seas is to head into the wind. Hallelujah! Did you understand what I just said? Head into the Wind! Run into the Ark of safety not away.

  Don’t be like a man that said, “I’m going to refuse to believe the sun’s a-shining. I won't have anything else to do with the sun,” closes his eyes, and goes down in his basement of his house, and said, “I just refuse to know the sun is a-shining.” The Lord told me one time…they have closed their eyes till they are blind. Finally, if he doesn’t get the sunlight, he turns pale. He gets real pale, sick sets in on him, he becomes anemic.

  That’s what’s the matter with the world today. That’s what’s the matter with most of our churches today. We are becoming anemic. We need a blood transfusion. Help us, Lord! We’re pale because we are failing, our spiritual health is failing us. We don’t have the zeal anymore to hunt souls, to warn people, to get our neighbors, to get our friends, the paperboy or the mailman. Whoever it is, get someone to Jesus. We’re pale, too weak or just plain unwilling to walk out in the Light! Lord help us Jesus!

  There’s a storm coming, believe it or not! Is your ship ready? Is your sail set? Are you trusting in the Wind? Is your ship fastened securely to the Anchor? If not, He stands at the door, bidding you come……

  In His love,
Elizabeth