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Thursday, May 8, 2014

Storm Discernment 2014: When Do You Rebuke The Tornado?


During the late-April storms that engulfed residents of Arkansas, the first home hit near Little Rock AR belonged to the Tittle family, long associated with Family Life Today (Christian) Radio and Reformation-centric Educational Homeschooling.
 The Tittle Family

According to my Arkansas sources, the tornado seemed to be directed toward their home and to kill Rev. Tittle and his eldest two daughters. In the tornado’s wake were thousands of destroyed books about how to teach the Reformer’s concept of God and freedom to homeschoolers, and dead or damaged people. Soon after, the friends and relatives of the Tittle family came to that site to praise our powerful God of spirit and wind. These people worshipped in love, because HaShem is sovereign. However, this leaves us with a dilemma: Was this disaster from HaShem, or did HaShem permit the Satan this task?

First, I’ll show the verses that make us squeamish.

I am Adonai; there is no other. I form light, I create darkness; I make well-being, I create woe; I, Adonai, do all these things. “Heavens above, rain down justice; let the clouds pour it down. Let the earth open, so that salvation springs up, and justice sprouts with it. I, Adonai, have created it.” Isaiah 45:6-8 (CJB)

When the shofar is blown in the city, don’t the people tremble? Can disaster befall a city without Adonai’s having done it? Amos 3:6 (CJB)

Behold, the whirlwind [Ruach of HaShem] of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days [end times] ye shall consider it. Jeremiah 30:23-24 (CJB)

In Hebrew, the word ruach means spirit or wind, and both are interchangeable based on context. In the Greek, pneuma is also spirit or wind, and context drives the meaning too. Generally, the good spirits or winds are from HaShem, and that’s all we care to discuss. I’m the type of a person that discusses what makes others squeamish, for there are evil winds blown by the accuser.

What part does the Satan play in our disasters?

While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: And, behold, there came a great wind [ruach godol/great] from the wilderness, and smote the four corners [note: the four quarters of the earth!] of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. Job 1:18-19 (CJB)

He boarded the boat, and his talmidim followed. Then, without warning, a furious storm arose on the lake, so that waves were sweeping over the boat. But Yeshua was sleeping. So they came and roused him, saying, “Sir! Help! We’re about to die!” He said to them, “Why are you afraid? So little trust you have!” Then he got up and rebuked the winds [anemos/violent winds from four quarters of the earth] and the waves, and there was a dead calm. The men were astounded. They asked, “What kind of man is this, that even the winds [anemos/violent winds from four quarters of the earth] and sea obey him?” Matthew 8:23-27 (CJB)

My opinion: Yahushua properly discerned, and rebuked these violent winds driven by the Satan from the four corners of the earth. The Satan has the right to drive disastrous winds, because Adam transferred authority over the earth to him when he fell, and Yahushua never questioned the Satan’s authority to offer him all of the kingdoms of the world when He was tested. Seemingly, there are times when the storms are from HaShem, and when other storms are from the Satan. I believe that we should praise HaShem for His storms, but rebuke the Satan’s storms, as our Master taught us in all the synoptic Gospels. I can’t tell you one from the other, unless I’m there with you, so you will have to learn to discern.

The Satan frequently asks to test the best of Jews and Christians. In most cases, the Satan is given little or no permission to test our mettle. There will be soon-coming times where rebuking the winds of the Satan could save lives; just like praying over your surroundings could protect you too. As we proceed toward the Time of Jacob’s Trouble, the Satan will be allowed more power [delegated authority] to test the saints.

When he broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living being say, “Go!” I looked, and there in front of me was a pallid, sickly-looking horse. Its rider’s name was Death, and Sh’ol followed behind him. They were given [delegated power and] authority to kill one-quarter of the world by war, by famine, by plagues and with the wild animals of the earth. Revelation 6:8 (CJB)

I believe that the Satan directed these evil winds at the Tittle house because they loved Yahushua so much that it caused him to target them. The Satan failed because striking them only brought the rest of us closer to HaShem. I believe that the time of specific directed adversity from the Satan toward the faithful is increasing. It’s time to learn specific spiritual warfare armor and weaponry.  

Finally, grow powerful in union with the Lord, in union with his mighty strength! Use all the armor and weaponry that God provides, so that you will be able to stand against the deceptive tactics of the Adversary. For we are not struggling against human beings, but against the rulers, authorities and cosmic powers governing this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm. So take up every piece of war equipment God provides; so that when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist; and when the battle is won, you will still be standing. Ephesians 6:10-13 (CJB)

Search the scriptures, for each of us will need to reconcile scripture and world events properly to survive the end times. The Satan’s time is short, he’s angry, he has more delegated authority, and our protective hedges are coming down. Regardless, praise HaShem with every fiber of your being, because the Satan is looking for cracks in your armor. And don’t sit or turn away from his attacks, for you have no backside shielding. Face your fears with the power of HaShem, and prevail!

Sadly, there is a lesson to be learned from the loss of these godly people. Will you learn to utilize the power of HaShem’s Ruach going forward? The most frightening battles the world has ever seen are coming soon. I implore you to learn about the four winds in case you need to beseech them or rebuke them.

“I had a vision at night; I saw there before me the four winds of the sky breaking out over the great sea [peoples], and four huge animals [present and end time’s beasts] came up out of the sea, each different from the others. Daniel 7:2-3 (CJB)

The male goat [final worldwide beast government] then became extremely strong; but when it was strong, the big horn was broken; and in its place arose what appeared to be four horns in the directions of the four winds of heaven. Out of one of them came a little horn [antichrist] which grew extremely big in the directions of the south and east, and in the direction of the Glory [Temple Mount]. It grew so great that it reached the army of heaven; it hurled some of the army and the stars [angels] to the ground and trampled on them. Yes, it even considered itself as great as the prince [Yahushua] of the army; the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was thrown down. Daniel 8:8-11 (CJB)

I asked the angel speaking with me, “What are these, my Lord?” The angel answered me, “These are the four winds of the sky that go out, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the land. Zechariah 6:4-5 (CJB)

After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the land, on the sea or on any tree. Revelation 7:1 (CJB)

Shalom!

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