Bearing Each Others Burdens

There is great disagreement with the last two hurricanes and western forest fires. There are two thoughts on these things: (1) Things just happen, or (2) things happen for a reason - a divine purpose. Some think that the end of time is approaching.

Matthew 24:3 "... what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”  4 And Jesus answered and said to them: 'Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ," and will deceive many. 6  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.'"

Some say that the change in weather pattern, and the violence of the weather, are signs of the end of times. Of particular concern are the flood waters coming with the hurricanes; as in the days of Noah. Of course, the days of Noah is when everyone became evil in the sight of the Lord. The waters were strictly for cleansing sin from the earth! Death came about but the waters were for the good of  the world.

Written in Matthew 24:35 lies the real danger! The troubles which follow are merely outcomes of rebellion. They are a result of mankind's break with God - when he gives up on the Abrahamic Covenant: Essentially, that covenant is obey me and prosper; fail to obey me and be destroyed. False Christianity is the deal-breaker with God because Christ is the ultimate prosperity that God promised in the covenant.

Are the natural catastrophes the signs of the end of times? It would seem that the falling away from Christ is the ultimate sign. We are in that era when the Church is neither hot nor cold but lukewarm. We are in the days when God will vomit the false church just as we would rotten meat! It's not Hurricane Irma or Hurricane Harvey that we should fear, but those who denigrate Jesus name! The ramblings of Jennifer Lawrence scare me. The positive Christianity of Joel Osteen scares me. The apostasy of mainstream denominations make me tremble!

Are, then, the hurricanes just a result of physical forces? Has God created us, then removed Himself from our presence? Or is everything of God?

Jeremiah 10:13 "When He utters His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens: And He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, He brings the wind out of His treasuries.'”

 As you can see, God did not create and abandon, as Deists believe. God is an active and personal God who does all things for us. He does the good and allows the evil. He shows his pleasure with the rainbow and his disdain with the winds. He grumbles with the rumblings of earthquakes and smiles with a gentle mist of rain. In other words, God still reigns!

Why, then, Harvey and Irma? Look at the timing and look at the outcome. God is not ready for the end yet. We are not fully in the days of Noah! God is a patient God who bears with his children, even those who are prodigal. He washes us clean with His spiritual water at times, and even more obviously with earthly waters.

Look at the hatred, especially among the seed of Abraham, right here in America. The country that was founded on the will of God, is in chaos. Satan is having his way - fornicating with us, and we blindly follow and allow his rape. Truly, since the days before Americans fought each other, has animosity and antagonism not been greater! I can vouch for that in my lifetime.

We aren't nearly there yet, but we are hell-bound to the days of Noah. God does many things to turn us around. He used the Great Depression to bring the world back to God. Many came back to him for a few years, but have forgotten his blessings so soon! Now, even though this nation has been blessed - God's half of the covenant, America has not obeyed. We have broken the truce with God, and He seems to be very disappointed! Why then natural catastrophes?

Romans 15:1 "We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves."

Americans, even the world, have recently and abruptly, ceased the hatred; for a spell at least, and started bearing one another's burden. Even the extremists have given their hatred a sabbatical for a time, and the media has quit the division. Now, rather than division, even the media is talking unity! Politicians are getting together for the good of America - the good which God wrought.

Rather than each being for themselves, Americans seem to be bearing each others burdens. We see good things happening: blacks helping whites, and whites helping blacks. We see people assisting each other without regard to politics or who runs the government. We see the appreciation of our leaders trying to do what is right, and our leaders doing what is right for a time. Rather than destroying us by water, which God said he would never do again, he is still washing hatred clean with turbulent waters.

Genesis 9:11 "Thus I establish My covenant with you: 'Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.'” 

That is the Noahic Covenant. Thus, the flood waters coming from the hurricanes are not against us, but for us! God is using the winds and the waters to bring us together. I would say that He has accomplished what He set out to do. If you think that it is all bad because people have died, God does things which are for the benefit of mankind. He looks at death differently than we do: for him death is the start of life.