Who Controls the Weather?
In our modern, materialistic world, we have forgotten that there is an all-powerful, all-knowing God in heaven who rules every facet of this whole universe. That God — whose existence you can prove — controls the weather.
Man can upset nature's intricate balance in the weather pattern. But he cannot control the weather. God and God alone is the Master Weatherman and it's high time we began to realize that fact.
We teach our children the story of Jesus calming a dreadfully stormy sea by simply standing up and commanding, "Peace! Be still!" (Mark 4:37-41) Because many don't really believe it, however, it usually sounds like a fairy tale or a piece of fiction.
But this isn't just a fanciful story whose purpose is to entertain children for a few minutes in Sunday school. This event really happened! It ought to teach us, among other things, that Jesus Christ controls the weather.
And because Christ is "the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Heb. 13:8), that same living Christ can and does control the weather today!
God has always controlled the weather — and He always will! God rules supreme!
"Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that DID He in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places. He causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth'; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries" (Ps. 135:6-7).
God sends "Fire, and hail; snow, and vapors; stormy wind fulfilling his word" (Ps. 148:8).
Yes, God is in complete control. He is in full charge. Whatever He desires or allows HAPPENS. He gives a command — it is DONE.
Throughout the Bible, control of the elements is named as one of the most outstanding means by which God demonstrates His awesome power to man.
Why Violent Weather in Texas
The weather is the single most important factor in the economy of a nation.
When man is obedient to God, God gives good weather as one of His choicest blessings.
But when man is disobedient and rebellious, God uses His awesome ability to control the weather as a powerful and fearful means of punishment.
"So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. That men may know that thou, whose name alone is the Eternal [Yahweh, in Hebrew], art the most high over all the earth" (Ps. 83:15, 18).
God allows violent weather to strike fear into the hearts of men. He sends it as an alarm — a warning — that something is very seriously WRONG!
That is precisely WHY God permitted Hurricane Beulah, the tornadoes, the torrential rains and the floods to South Texas. Will the nation heed the warning that something is drastically wrong that our peoples are sinning?
"Sin is the transgression of the law" (I John 3:4) — the breaking of God's Ten Commandments.
Have we broken the Commandments: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me"; and "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image"? We surely have! We place just about anything and everything ahead of God and obedience to Him!
Have we broken the third Commandment which tells us not to take God's name in vain? As we were in the disaster area we heard more cursing, swearing and damning of God's name than we had in a long time.
Do we keep God's Sabbath holy? No — many hate that Commandment the worst of all! They wouldn't dream of keeping that one!
What about dishonoring parents, stealing, killing, committing adultery, lying and coveting? Why, our nations do these things all the time! Surely we shouldn't have to quote statistics to prove it! Read any newspaper!
We are sinning nations!
And we in the United States, of all people, have the least excuse.
Without Excuse!
In Psalm 147 God tells us why our people are without excuse:
"He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: His word runneth very swiftly. He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes. He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold? He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He bath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord" (Ps. 147:15-20).
Yes, we in the United States are part of God's people Israel — the literal descendants of the ancient House of Israel, the so-called Lost Ten Tribes. So are the other English-speaking nations — Britain, Canada, Australia, South Africa. ,(For proof of this astounding fact write for our free book The U.S. and British Commonwealth in Prophecy) We have been blessed by God as no other nations on earth. And one of the biggest blessings we have had has been access to the Word of God — access to God's laws and statutes which produce every blessing we have.
But what have we done with this knowledge — these blessings?
Oh, yes! We have translated the Bible into many other languages and distributed it around the world.
We have given it to others.
BUT WE HAVEN'T LIVED BY IT OURSELVES! And WE OUGHT TO KNOW BETTER!
That is why we are without excuse!
Our people say to God, "Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?" (Job 21:14-15) Yes, who needs God, many ask?
God is now beginning to deal with this attitude. "He [God] rewardeth him [the wicked], and he shall KNOW it. His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty" (verses 19-20).
God is beginning to punish. But He is not punishing all who are guilty — because all areas are guilty. Thus far the punishments have been primarily economic — a loss of the material things we hold so dear. They have not yet resulted in a great loss of human life.
Did you notice that, even though Beulah's disaster was spread over a wide area and caused one billion dollars' worth of property damage, only comparatively few lives were lost in Texas!
God Almighty is being merciful — hoping that we will "get the point" and begin to change our ways. But if we refuse to take the warning, God is going to punish harder.
For years The WORLD TOMORROW broadcast and The PLAIN TRUTH have been warning that our sins would lead to disasters unless we change our ways and turn to God with all our hearts. And is it significant that this major natural disaster should have been allowed to strike in South Texas — an area which has probably received a more powerful warning witness for a longer time than about any other part of the United States? The WORLD TOMORROW broadcast has been blanketing this area from both local Texas stations and the big Mexican stations for some twenty years!
Will we heed? Will we repent of our rebellion against God and His Law which He gave for our own good?
Christopherson — Ambassador College
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Will Your Area Be Next?
The tragedy created by Beulah may not have affected your area. But of this you can be assured: unless we, God's nation of modern Israel, repent — and repent quickly — a similar or even greater disaster is going to strike right where you live. And that within the next very few years!
It may not be a hurricane or floods. But disaster of some kind — drought, pestilence, earthquake, disease, etc. — WILL STRIKE. Prophecy PROVES it (see our free booklets 1975 in Prophecy and The Book of Revelation Unveiled at Last).
God will not force this entire nation to repent. But you yourself CAN repent. You can begin to change your way of life NOW. You don't have to learn the hard way.
God's people may suffer to an extent in the punishments God sends on the rebellious. Some of God's people who lived in the disaster area of South Texas suffered damage during this storm. But He will see that those who obey Him are more than compensated for their losses.
"The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence His soul hateth. Upon the wicked He shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup" (Ps. 11:5-6).
God allows the righteous to suffer a little as a trial to their faith — to test and strengthen them. But when the time of REAL trouble comes upon this world, God promises protection and deliverance to those who humbly put their trust in Him.
"The Lord is slow to anger, and GREAT IN POWER, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up , all the rivers. . . The mountains quake at Him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at His presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before His indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him. The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He KNOWETH them that trust in Him" (Nahum 1:3-7).
"Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite. The Lord lifteth up the meek: He casteth the wicked down to the ground. He delighteth not in the strength of the horse, He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy" (Ps. 147:56, 10-11).
You have only one hope in the days ahead: the Eternal GOD.
What Will YOU DO?
Now what about you? Can you take a warning? Can you see the meaning behind the destruction caused by Hurricane Beulah? Can you learn from this disaster?
Or was this warning lost on you? Are you going to have to see bigger and greater things before you will be convinced? Are you going to have to personally suffer before you learn? Are you going to insist on learning the hard way? Will God have to strike your area before you wake up?
The decision is yours. No one else can make it for you.