Hearing God’s Voice in the Midst of the Storm
Michael Brown
As I write these words from the safety of my home, with the weather outside beautiful and calm, people in other parts of America (and the Caribbean) are suffering terrible upheaval. Lives have been lost. Families have been torn apart. Houses have been destroyed. Whole islands have been devastated.
So, I do not write this lightly. In fact, I think of the famous dictum of Rabbi Irving Greenberg when talking about the Holocaust. “No statement,” he said, “theological or otherwise, should be made that would not be credible in the presence of burning children.” (He was referring, of course, to Jewish children who were thrown into the fire by the Nazis.)
We should have a similar spirit now. We should make no statement, theological or otherwise, about Hurricane Harvey and Irma (along with the fires in the west) that could not be made in the presence of families who have lost loved ones (or, lost everything else).
As for the cause of these storms, I will leave that to others to decide. Are these satanic attacks? Divine judgments? Completely natural occurrences? The results of global warming? Something else? Again, that is for others to say.
What I have sensed as I have prayed for the victims and prayed for the nation is a very simple message. I heard it whispered rather than shouted. And it was not an angry, thundering message but rather one of loving appeal from the heavenly Father.
The Still Small Voice
Do I believe that one day God will judge the whole world? Certainly.
Do I believe that His wrath will be poured on a rebellious creation? Without a doubt.
Do I believe that His voice will thunder with such intensity that the very earth will shake? Yes, I honestly do.
And yet it is not the voice of thunder or anger or wrath that I hear right now.
Instead, it is the still small voice that is heard in the midst of the fire, wind, and storm (see 1 Kings 19).
It is the voice that is heard as a toddler clings to her dead mother in the flood-ravaged streets of Houston.
These storms remind us that we are the creation, not the Creator, and our help is found in Him alone.
It’s the voice that is heard as a family desperately searches for a missing loved one in another city nearby.
It’s the voice that is heard as a couple rides a boat through a flattened neighborhood in Barbuda.
It’s the voice that is heard as a million people pack their cars in Florida and flee for their lives.
It’s the voice that is heard as the proud human race cowers in terror in the face of a storm of monstrous proportions, as the work of our hands — the work of decades and even centuries — is leveled by wind and rain.
It’s the voice of the Creator speaking to His creation.
It’s the voice of the Father speaking to His children.
It’s the voice of the Lord that says, “America, you need Me!”
It’s the voice of appeal, the voice of mercy, the voice of the Healer ready to mend and restore.
We Can Only Rebuild With the Help of Our Maker
You might say, “But how can that be? Surely God is not passive in the world. Surely He had power to stop the storms. Some would even say He sends the storms.”
Again, it’s for others to decide what is happening behind the scenes and how God governs His world. (And again, let it be done with caution; see Deuteronomy 29:29).
Yet even for those who believe that the Lord is sending these disasters as judgement on America, we must do as Job did many centuries ago. He was convinced that God was responsible for his terrible suffering. Yet he knew that his only hope was in God. So what did he do? In the words of a Jewish philosopher, he fled from God to God. That was his only choice.
But, to repeat. I’m not saying that these hurricanes and fires have been sent by God as judgment. That is for Him to know and make known.
We can send satellites to Mars and build enough nuclear weapons to blow up the earth. Yet we cannot stop the wind and the rain and the fire.
What I’m saying is that these storms remind us of our frailty, of our weakness, of our helplessness, of our need. What I’m saying is that they remind us that we are the creation, not the Creator, and our help is found in Him alone.
We can send satellites to Mars and build enough nuclear weapons to blow up the earth. And we can design robots and discover role of DNA. Yet we cannot stop the wind and the rain and the fire. We cower before mother mature. We recognize our fate is not in our hands.
Right now, towns and cities in our nation are completely overwhelmed. The rebuilding the damaged areas will take years. But that is also a picture of our spiritual state. We’re torn apart, divided, and devastated. The time for rebuilding must begin now. Yet we can only rebuild with the help of our Maker.
It is His voice that I hear again, saying, “America, you need Me!”
If we seek Him, He will be found.
When I began to write Saving a Sick America last year, I was overwhelmed with just how sick we were. But the more I wrote, the more I felt hope rising out of the despair. America can be saved. https://stream.org/hearing-gods-voice-midst-storm/
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This article is a deceptive pile of shit.
" I’m not saying that these hurricanes and fires have been sent by God as judgment."
"When I began to write Saving a Sick America last year, I was overwhelmed with just how sick we were."
"It’s the voice of the Lord that says, “America, you need Me!”"
Nothing worse than a disingenuous preacher.
Nothing worse than a disingenuous preacher.
Progressive acolytes are just as bad, please don't sell them short in their craziness. Mother nature is often associated with Gaia. The earth goddess.
Jennifer Lawrence has suggested that it is difficult not to feel as though the devastating hurricanes in Texas and approaching Florida are signs of “Mother Nature’s rage and wrath” at America for electing Donald Trump .
Facebook user Brianna Danielle wrote:
As can be expected, Danielle was bludgeoned for her odd remark. In the real world, if she wants to know what starts things like Irma, the National Hurricane Center is a good place to start.
Tough to read between the lines when it's all free hand scribbling, lol.
The only caveat I would make regarding that inane Facebook post is that Rush definitely told people the hurricane hitting Florida was fake news being used to push the climate change agenda, and not to worry about evacuating...just before he himself evacuated, but didn't retract his statement. I hope people didn't take his advice.
is that Rush definitely told people the hurricane hitting Florida was fake news being used to push the climate change agenda, and not to worry about evacuating.
Bitchen, dude. I always believe random unsourced quotes from people I don't know on the internet.
You are the most convincing unsourced dude I have ever read, making highly partisan accusation against Rush. Someone, by the way, that I have never heard a single time in my life.
That was uncalled for.
Google. It's easy to use and available for everybody. Embrace it.
Google. It's easy to use and available for everybody
Yet you, did not avail yourself of its ease of use?
I love it when progressives tell me to do things that they do not.
It is the elitist superior attitude that makes them so utterly endearing. And some claim there is no white privilege.
Of course I did. That is how I became aware of it and was able to listen to it myself. You can do the same. Or not. Either way, your hostility was unwarranted. That lady put up an inane Facebook post, and I doubt she was aware of Rush, but Rush's statements were still applicable as people do in fact listen to him and believe in what he says.
Of course I did.
I always believe random unsourced quotes from people I don't know on the internet.
You are the most convincing unsourced dude I have ever read. I believe you, no, really, really I do.
The comment by Yourlordandsavior is not true. He/she may believe it is, but it is not.
By the way, you should tell them you listen to Rush everyday. That's worst than leaving the word God at the end of the sentence to some.
I admit that (like usual) I did not force myself to read something C4P seeded, but I do have one thing to say about the topic. There are members here whose contributions indicate that they would relish the thought of 'hearing God' say "take that you faggots" at times like this, and that time when the psycho shot up the gay bar in Orlando.
that time when the psycho shot up the gay bar in Orlando.
You mean the committed jihadist who gave his allegiance ( bayat ) to the caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and then said " “Now taste the Islamic state vengeance,” Also mentioning the filthy (najis) way of the west?
Many find that type of Orwellian "revisionist reality" narrative distasteful, if not disingenuous.
JENSEN BEACH, Fla. — The gunman who committed the massacre at a popular gay nightclub in Orlando used multiple Facebook accounts to write posts and make searches about the Islamic State. “Now taste the Islamic state vengeance,” he declared, denouncing “the filthy ways of the west.” He even searched for references to the massacre while he was carrying it out, a United States senator said.
You mean the committed jihadist who gave his allegiance ( bayat ) to the caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and then said "“Now taste the Islamic state vengeance,” Also mentioning the filthy (najis) way of the west?
Yeah - that psycho.
Yeah - that psycho.
Can you present the psychologist's report supporting your position?
I presented evidence in support of my assertion. His recorded words.
Note.. reality can be sourced, delusions can not be sourced.
Well, he's a closeted gay dude who murdered a ton of gay people in a gay bar with an assault rifle, so yeah, he's a psycho - one that doesn't really need an official diagnosis.
Well, he's a closeted gay dude
let me repeat myself. Reality can be sourced, delusions can not be sourced. Does that help?
FBI investigators say they have found no evidence that Orlando shooter had gay lovers
Since the shooting at an Orlando nightclub last week that left 49 people dead, reports have emerged that gunman Omar Mateen frequented the gay club, used gay dating apps and had gay lovers.
But the FBI has found no evidence so far to support claims by those who say Mateen had gay lovers or communicated on gay dating apps, several law enforcement officials said
Damn, you're good kpr37!!!
Thank you, I've recently been studying the argumentive philosophies of the classic Greek cynics. They seem to transfer well to social media.
Man who says he was Omar Mateen's gay lover speaks out
CBS/AP June 21, 2016, 10:19 PM
ORLANDO -- A man who says he was Orlando shooter Omar Mateen's gay lover is speaking out following the attack on Pulse nightclub that left 49 people dead, and dozens more injured .
In an interview with Univision anchor Maria Elena Salinas, the man -- who was called "Miguel" to protect his identity -- said he first met Mateen on the gay dating app Grindr.
Taking the time to read, what you think, that you are refuting, will prevent such situations as this from happening.
On Tuesday, Univision aired a report in which “Miguel,” a man wearing a disguise to conceal his identity, alleged he had sex with Mateen after meeting him on the gay dating app, Grindr. He said Mateen had sex with other men too, including a threesome with a Puerto Rican who allegedly told Mateen, after having had unprotected sex with him, that he was HIV positive.
But investigators do not consider the man’s account credible, according to one senior law enforcement official with access to the investigation.
Was the Orlando Gunman Gay? The Answer Continues to Elude the F.B.I.
JUNE 25, 2016
Several men later came forward to tell other news media outlets that Mr. Mateen was a regular at Pulse. (Two of them, female impersonators who perform at the club, declined to comment for this article, though, saying the focus ought to be on the victims.)
Another Orlando man, a Navy veteran named Kevin West, told The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post that he had communicated with Mr. Mateen for about a year on Jack’d, a gay chat and dating app.
This is from your article , the one you did not source . (LOL) Did you only read the headline, really pathetic, really, really, pathetic.
F.B.I. investigators, who have conducted more than 500 interviews in the case, are continuing to contact men who claim to have had sexual relations with Mr. Mateen or think they saw him at gay bars. But so far, they have not found any independent corroboration — through his web searches, emails or other electronic data — to establish that he was, in fact, gay, officials said.
If you insist on trolling, do a better job, please.
You are so funny!
@hal-a-lujah
Obviously you know nothing about the God I know.
God is love! Do you really believe that He doesn't love those He created? He even loves those who deny Him!
I thought it was a great article! Like some, I don't go looking for a reason to disagree and throw verbal garbage at those who are astute enough to knowingly post an article they know will be denigrated by some on NT.
There is nothing one can do about the wrath of Mother Nature, except, attempt to protect oneself.
Do yourself a favor in the future, Hal, stay away from articles and members who upset you so badly. It isn't good for your mental health.
Oh look - more comments removed, this time without any notice or mod initials at all. This place is a fucking dump.
Look at the good side Hal. You don't see the purple pen, which means you didn't receive a "COC" violation. Someone is looking out for you, Hal.
Cool it Hal. 99% of the time when I receive a "COC", I already know I will get one from what I've posted. Is it a complete surprise to you when you get one?
Personally, I don't think God has anything to do with these hurricanes, but if believers want to believe in His Divine Intervention in our lives, let them.
It all depends on where people choose to live. If they live in the midwest, they suffer from tornadoes. If they live in the southeast, they suffer from hurricanes. If they live in the southwest coast, they suffer from earthquakes. If they live in the northwest coast, they suffer from a volcano. If they live in the north and northeast they suffer from snow and ice storms.
And if you live in China, you suffer from gout. LOL
Just kidding. I think you can suffer from that anywhere you live.
"And if you live in China, you suffer from gout. LOL"
LOL. I had two very painful and debilitating experiences with it, but now I rarely drink alcoholic beverages and severely limit my intake of shellfish and fruit juices so those bouts have not repeated.
Of course where I lived in Canada we used to have some fairly severe snowstorms and ice storms, but as a kid who wasn't happy with snow, and when the sun comes out after an ice storm the world becomes a crystal paradise.
Matthew 6:5-15New International Version (NIV)
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standingin the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Sounds anti-Semitic to me.
"Sounds anti-Semitic to me."
Agreed.
Jews pray in synagogues, which is no different than Christians praying in churches, and in my life I have never seen a Jew pray at a street corner, not even in Israel. And pray standing? Do Jews criticize Christians and Catholics for kneeling?
So that is in the Christian bible?
It's not anti-semitic. Jesus was Jewish. He is criticizing those who make a show of their religious practices, perhaps at the expense of a real spiritual connection.
If you don't like what he said, move on. That is the watchword of the day.
"who make a show of their religious practices"
That does seem to be happening on this article.
Who said Jesus said those words? If it was Matthew or someone else, were they there at the time, or is that something that passed by word of mouth down the line? Ever play the whisper game? You put a bunch of people in a circle, and write down on a piece of paper a statement, and then hide it. The people in the circle whisper to the next person what they heard from the previous person until tha last person says out loud what he/she heard, and it is usually so far removed from what was written on the paper everyone has a good laugh. So did someone with a recorder or who took shorthand transcribe the speech word for word? Frankly I doubt that Jesus EVER said such a speech. If Jesus was a Jew, he would NEVER have called Jews who pray in synagogues hypocrites.
"If you don't like what he said, move on."
And don't you fucking well dare tell me to "move on".
Thank you for sharing that! L
The funny thing about that, other than the fact that it says not to be like Jewish people, is it says not to share your faith in public but rather to keep it behind closed doors.
Y'all aren't very good at honoring your scripture.
Hmmmm...no, that is not what that Scripture was referring to. To sum it up: Stop showing off. Just because you pray the loudest, or are seen praying the most, or attend synagogue frequently, does not gain favor with the Lord. He sees into your heart and knows your motivation. This verse does not condemn prayer, just the false motivation there may be behind it.
No, it is a racist text that also tells you directly to worship behind closed doors in private.
Keep on promoting racism though. At the very least, it let's everybody know where you stand.
Interesting comments.
It's very rare to see anyone accuse Jesus Christ of being Anti-Semitic. After all, Jesus was a Jew.
Sounds anti-Semitic to me.
Also, to claim that the passage says all sorts of things, when clearly it is ONLY saying what one should do when one prays.
5 “And when you pray,
Very interesting comments indeed.
Especially when they are made by one who uses an obviously intentionally blasphemous screen name.
Squirrel, people object to proselytizing on a news discussion site. Is there something you don't get about that?
As I am not a Christian, I don't see how that applies. Thanks anyway.
Then you quoted the gospel , why?
For the same reason I would have quoted the Vedas, Tripitaka, Quran or other Holy Book, if it applied.
It applied.
p.s. I quoted The Bible. Believers refer to it as The Gospel. I simply call it The Bible, and like most classic texts, there are some really good things in it. And some of those things are quotable. And they apply to the current discussion. Get it?
I thought you declared yourself out of NT. Like you said....CSA....lost the war!
I thought you declared yourself out of NT. Like you said....CSA....lost the war!
Poor "thinking" on your part I am afraid.
You ASSUME facts NOT IN EVIDENCE and leap to conclusions.
Epic fail.
(giggle) Well, you are amusing and consistent. You shall have the last word, as you are too consumed by bitterness and anger. I cannot compete. I can disagree with how you think you know me. You are trying to be hurtful and insulting.
I don't agree that the Gospel passage is anti-semitic, since it is purportedly Jesus speaking , and he was a Jew.
My issue here is the quoting of religious scripture as if it is a voice of authority , to people who don't believe in it. Start a Bible study group in the private groups then if you like.
Then move along John. No one is holding a gun to your head and making you or any other member of this site visit this article. Learn to SCROLL ON BY.
If someone came on here and seeded a couple articles every day about how Jesus is a fraud and God doesnt exist and religion is a sham, that wouldn't be appropriate either. This is not a proselytizing or Bible study site. It's that simple.
If someone came on here and seeded a couple articles every day about how Jesus is a fraud and God doesn't exist and religion is a sham, I would avoid them like a screaming case of the Philippine clap. You want to know why? Because I don't give a shit what they believe.
So why the hell do you, and Hal and all the others who want to shut this discussion down feel like you have to stop these Christians from discussing this? Why can't you leave the Christians to their discussion? Why do you give a shit what they believe?
And don't even come at me with that proselytizing horse shit. Nobody is forcing a non-believer to read the article. Or participate.
Every time you comment, you put the article back up there, and people see interaction in it. And that draws more interaction. If you don't like what his message is...SCROLL THE FUCK ON BY! The article will die off.
And this message is for anyone who thinks they have to come into an article about faith and belittle the participants about their faith. If you don't like it...SCROLL THE FUCK ON BY!
When he seeds such openly religious articles on the main forum he is inviting EVERYONE to comment on them. He knows there are a number of atheists here. Put two and two together. If someone started posting anti-religious articles a couple times a day you know it would cause some bad reaction on the forum, so what is your point?
I think this seed is getting out of hand. The attacks are becoming personal. I think a MOD needs to intervene. Preferably not a MOD who wants to incite more hostility......
Head for the hills !
Jesus loves you PJ.
Comment removed for skirting the CoC [ph]
Yeah - I get it Cerenkov. You don't like me and you're right there's not many here that do. So (shrug)......
I like you PJ.
I like you as well PJ.
I told you several days ago that I like you PJ. And I really meant it. Then and now.