Hurricane’s Harvey, Irma and Jose. Many people, especially Christians, believe they are God’s judgment on the US because of sin. Predictably, the sins most Christians identify are same sex marriage, the homosexual lifestyle and abortion.
None of these behaviors are the reasons why our country is experiencing these horrific hurricanes.
You will not truly understand the reason why we have devastating hurricanes until you come back to scripture. The Bible must be the foundation you depend on – not in just times like these but all the time. Nothing that happens in this world will make much sense outside an understanding of the Bible – not what people say about the Bible.
I still remember the mayor of New Orleans blaming the city’s sinful lifestyle, like the Marti Gras, as the reason for Hurricane Katrina. “It was God’s judgment on the city,” he declared. And sadly, many Christian leaders shared his view. What’s even sadder is that this same view exists today.
So, here’s my first question to you this morning – Is God behind Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Jose? Did He send them as punishment for sin? If He did, why did He single out Texas and Florida? Are they more sinful than other cities like Dayton, OH and Williamsburg, IN? I don’t think so.
The Bible does have the answer ladies and gentlemen.
But before we answer that question, let’s look at one more issue. The Bible says if we have faith we can speak to any mountain and it has to obey. We read this in Mark 11:23 and 24.
Many Christians, including me, prayed, declared and confessed that Harvey, Irma and Jose would dissipate before doing any significant damage. Our prayers went unanswered. Does this mean we didn’t have faith? Does this mean we are faith failures? These are not pleasant thoughts, are they?
But again, we’re going to let scripture answer these questions.
Let’s go back to the first question I asked. “Is God behind Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Jose? Did He send them as punishment on the US for sin?
Turn with me to First John chapter one. We’re going to read the first five verses.
(1) That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
(2) (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
(3) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
(4) And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
(5) This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
The Amplified Bible renders verse five this way: “And this is the message [the message of promise] which we have heard from Him and now are reporting to you: God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all [nom not in any way].”
How would you characterize Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Jose? Would you say they are light? In other words, would you say they are good? Or would you say they are darkness? Would you say they are not good?
God is light, and in him is NO darkness at all. The word “no” in the Greek is ou. It’s a word that expresses “full and direct negation, independently and absolutely.” In other words, there is absolutely no possible way for god to have darkness as part of His character.
So where does this leave us? If God is not involved then that means He is not the one who sent Harvey, Irma and Jose and the devastation that followed them. It means God is not punishing us. Do you see this?
If God is not responsible then who is? Most Christians will immediately point the finger at Satan. After all, he is darkness magnified. He is evil. And doesn’t the Bible say he steals, kills and destroys? Yes the Bible says that but hold on a minute. Don’t jump to that conclusion just yet. The Bible tells us exactly WHO is responsible for these horrible hurricanes.
Turn to Romans chapter five. We’re going to read verse 12.
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.
Now turn to Genesis 3. We’re going to read verses 17 and the first part of verse 18.
(17) And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
(18) Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee...
In Romans, the Bible says that Adam is responsible for sin being introduced to this world. And sin brought along its running buddy, death. In Genesis we see what happened when sin and death came into this world. It changed the world’s molecular structure.
For the first time, we see thorns and thistles. Would you say thorns and thistles are light? Would you say they are good things to have around? Or, would you say they are darkness and not good things to have around? Of course they are not good things to have around.
That is what Adam’s sin has produced – things that we don’t want to have around us. Hurricane Harvey. Hurricane Irma. Hurricane Jose.
Now turn to Romans 8. We're going to read verses 19-22.
(19) For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
(20) For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope.
(21) Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
(22) For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Do you see the word “vanity” in verse 20? It means “frailty”. Because of Adam’s sin, all of natural creation became subject to conditions that previously did not exist. Extreme heat. Extreme cold. Extreme winds. Extreme flooding.
Verse 21 says that creation, the natural world, is in “bondage”. The word “bondage” comes from the Greek word that means “slave”. What is creation a slave to? Creation is a slave to corruption, which is produced by the sin and death that we read earlier in Romans 5:12.
Adam released the sin and death when he rebelled against God. And verse 20 also tells us that creation is not a slave to corruption by choice. Ladies and gentlemen, sin and death are the reasons why the world is experiencing Harvey, Irma and Jose. It is not Mother Nature punishing us for electing Donald Trump president as one well known Hollywood actress says.
There is one more phrase we need to see again before we move on. It’s found in verse 22. “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”
The phrase “groaneth and travaileth in pain together” present the image of a woman in the process of giving birth. Creation, the Bible says, will at some point be new again.
Second Peter 3:13 says “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (not sin, death and corruption).
Do you remember the second question I asked? Many of us prayed against Harvey, Irma and Jose. We prayed that the damage they cause would be minimal and that there would be no loss of life. The property damage is estimated to be around $50 billion and the death toll is in the low double digits.
Our prayers were not answered. Does that mean that every single person who prayed didn’t have faith? Does that mean that every single person is a “faith failure”? Again, we need to rely on scripture for the answer to these questions.
First, turn with me to Matthew 24. We’re going to read verses three through eight.
(3) And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the signs of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
(4) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
(5) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ and shall deceive many.
(6) And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
(7) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
(8) All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Now turn to Mark 13, which is talking about the exact same incident that we just read in Matthew 24. Again, we’re going to read verses three through eight.
(3) And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,
(4) Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?
(5) And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you.
(6) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
(7) And when ye shall hear of wars sand rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but
the end shall not be yet.
(8) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginning of sorrows.
Jesus tells us in Matthew that a sign of His return will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. He also says these things must come to pass and that these are the beginning of sorrows.
In Mark, Jesus adds the word “troubles”. We need to look at “troubles”. In the Greek is means “disturbance that is (of water)”; “a great and powerful troubling of water”.
I want you to hear the synonyms for the word “trouble”:
• A surge of the sea, raging wave
• Wind, storm, tempest
• A whirlwind, storm, tempest
• A billow, wave
Jesus is telling us in Matthew and Mark that no amount of prayer and faith are going to stop the famine, pestilences, earthquakes or great and powerful troubling of water. You need to see this.
Again, we can pray, we have faith but it will not change what Jesus says is going to happen.
What does this mean for us? Should we stop praying? Should we stop declaring and confessing what the Bible says?
Let me suggest two things.
(1) Don’t see yourself as a “faith failure” because that’s not true. Don’t let the enemy of the soul convince you that you really don’t have any faith at all because you do. What we see here in Matthew and Mark, however, is Jesus telling us what is coming as we get closer to His return. We can’t stop these things from happening.
(2) Most importantly, we must remember the encouragement that Jesus gives us – “see that ye be not troubled” or afraid or frightened. Although we cannot stop these things from happening, we can pray and speak protection over ourselves and over our loved ones. That is a promise we can firmly believe and bring to pass through our faith. Let's make sure that is these trying times we are accessing all of the promises our Heavenly Father has given to us. Amen?
