The Master Weatherman
Have we forgotten that God controls the weather? That He uses it to bless or punish men and nations? It's been in your Bible all this time. Read it, in Job 37:11-13: "Yea He [God] ladeth the thick cloud with moisture, He [God] spreadeth abroad the cloud of His lightning: and they are turned round about by His guidance, that they may do whatsoever He commandeth them upon the face of the habitable world: whether it be for correction, or for his earth, or for mercy, that He cause it to come" (Jewish translation).
Yes, God is in charge! And it's time scientists and meteorologists everywhere listen!
"And I [God is speaking] also have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city; one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. So two or three cities wandered into one city to drink water, and were not satisfied; yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.
"I have smitten you with blasting [due to drought] and mildew [due to too much rain]; the multitude of your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees bath the palmerworm devoured; Yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord" (Amos 4:7-9, Jewish translation).
Men would like to have this prerogative of God without changing their corrupt, selfish ways of living or their evil thoughts. The truth that there is a God in heaven who makes or breaks whole nations may seem farfetched today to most people but it is a living reality. The world wants to hide its eyes from God, and then complain that God is nowhere to be found.
When God, in love, uses the weather to punish men to bring them to their senses, men seem only to curse Him and sin the more. They want nothing to do with His laws, His way of life that would bring us happiness, peace and prosperity. Men want to escape the punishment without repenting of their sins. But God says He will heal our land if and only if we repent: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (II Chronicles 7:14).
God has set before us blessing and cursing. He wants us to choose the blessings. He only "spanks" when we are going the way that is bringing heartache and trouble upon us. We live in a world that is choosing the wrong way. It is a defiant, rebellious age, aptly prophesied in II Timothy 3:1-5. Is it any wonder that the weather is becoming a curse?
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L. Bianco Photo
U. Thant talks with Dr. Nyberg, President of WMO and Professor Federov (far right), head of Soviet delegation.
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What You Can Do
Learning better farming methods — applying sound principles of forest conservation these and other practices need to be done, but they will NOT solve the weather problem. At most they can only forestall doom! Let's understand why.
First, the world situation is such that the average man must exploit his land in order to make a living. Taxes — both direct and hidden — are consuming one third of the entire earnings of the average wage-earner. No country can stand such a burden for long.
Second, even if we should practice better methods of conservation, our neighbors will NOT do so. We often have to suffer with them for their mistakes. That is why drought will strike even the best farmlands. This generation will literally REAP THE WHIRLWIND. There is no stopping it. Humanity will not change its course.
That leaves us only one solution. What we need is protection — DIVINE PROTECTION — in the times ahead.
God has not deserted the world. He can intervene in nature. God is not only the Creator, He is also the Controller and Preserver of the universe. HE CONTROLS THE WEATHER. And He can intervene for you if . . .
. . . if you do what He tells you. This is your only chance of deliverance.
God nowhere promises you won't have afflictions, but He has promised to deliver you out of them. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Eternal delivereth him out of them all" (Psalm 34:19).
Drought, floods, famines are the result of man's having turned from the ways of God. Man is bringing these sufferings upon himself. The world is about to reap one final catastrophe as a result of DISOBEDIENCE.
The only way of deliverance is through REPENTANCE — sorrow for having done wrong, and a determination to do what is right from now on.
The Right Way
God created the world. He owns it. God, then, is the Landlord; we are the renters. Maybe we have not thought of it in that way before, but it is true. And what have we done with His property?
First, we have ruined it by overwork and exploitation. Wherever man has been he has finally turned a beautiful earth into a desolate wilderness or an arid desert. We have not learned to care for God's property. We have taken from the soil and given little to the soil in return. We have never allowed good farmland to rest — until it becomes too late to restore its fertility.
What fools we mortals be!
Second, we have not paid our rent to our Supreme Landlord. Yes, you owe God rent, whether you are a farmer, laborer, businessman or housewife. You are using His soil, dwelling on His land, spending His time for your own livelihood. For permitting you the use of everything He created on this earth, He demands only a fraction of the amount which human landlords demand. God gives you 90 percent of what you acquire, and He asks only 10 percent in return. That 10 percent He calls a tithe. The word tithe means a tenth.
Our people have been robbing God of His rightful rent. Says the Creator: "Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:9-10). This is God's promise.
God promises to bless any nation that trusts Him and faithfully obeys Him. Our nations have NOT done that, and for that reason we face a national catastrophe before 1975!
A Two-fold Reward
God promises to bless the individual who pays the tithe. Don't think that God does not notice when you pay Him what is His. He is very conscious of it — especially because so few are honest enough to pay it.
Tithing brings a two-fold reward. God will not only return you added blessings during times of prosperity — which you would not otherwise have received — but He also promises you DELIVERANCE during times of economic adversity, as we have read in Psalm 34:19.
You may encounter trouble, but God has promised — and He cannot lie — to deliver you out of every drought, flood, tornado or famine. There is no other way of protection. If you value your life, if you value the lives of your family, if you value your property, you had better turn to God, repent of your sins and begin to pay God from now on, the tithes you owe Him.
Your past mistakes God overlooks if you repent. He will not send you any bill for your past failure to pay His tithe. But He will expect you to be faithful from now on.
Only remember that if you do not square yourself with the Almighty Ruler of the universe, that He will collect from you all your past obligations by casting you out of your very own home. These are strong words, but they are true.
God Almighty has spoken!
Tithing is God's challenge! Are YOU going to practice what He commands you?
Why Man Restrained
Over four thousand years ago, when men were building the tower of Babel, God knew what man would be able to do: "Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing [not even attempts to control the weather] will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do" (Gen. 11:6). God had to confuse their language and scatter them abroad, or humanity long before now would have destroyed itself by abuse of scientific knowledge. And that includes misuse of the weather!
We are now nearing the climax of man's 6000-year time of misrule and injustice. Man is once again reaching into the sky, imagining that he can do mighty things — even control the weather! God is allowing man to dabble in these forbidden projects — but only for a short time. Probably less than ten more years! Then, just before humanity would destroy itself, Jesus Christ will suddenly return to save us all from utter annihilation! (Matt. 24:21-22) He will intervene in human affairs and destroy those who are destroying the earth and its weather patterns (Rev. 11:18).
But those individuals who remain to live on into the world tomorrow will see a vastly different world from today. They will live in a world at peace, a world filled with happiness and prosperity and uncountable blessings from the God of heaven. Good weather will be one of these superb blessings! Read it in Isaiah 30:23-25.
Our newest full-color booklet The Wonderful World Tomorrow — What It Will Be Like portrays the many blessings God will soon shower down. Write for your free copy now! You have never read anything like it.