Archive for the ‘Tornados’ Category

27 Jan

These fearful times

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in Adversity, advice, christ, Christian, Christianity, control, depression, end times, Faith, Fear, Holy Week, Hope, Jesus, peace, Politics, Prayer, President of the United States, Religion, rest, Risk, Safe Space, simplicity, spiritual, Tornados, war, Weather. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , .

Jesus calming the storm

On January 20th Donald Trump was sworn in (again) as President of the United States.  For some Americans it was a day of celebration, while for others it was a day of dread and fear. This is not uncommon when the political pendulum makes a big swing to the left or right in this country. The media circus on both left and right during the presidential campaign and since has been enough to depress just about anyone who listens or reads too much news.

Just in case the noise of partisan politics hasn’t depressed you, we’ve been bombarded lately with news of torrential rains, mudslides, hail storms, wildfires in LA, tornados and hurricanes in places they don’t belong, and snow on our Gulf coast beaches. Then there are wars and rumors of war around the globe, like in Israel, Lebanon, Yemen, Somalia, Ukraine, Nagorno-Karabakh, and elsewhere.

These are indeed fear-provoking times. Sometimes it looks like no one is in charge. The good news is that there’s one great master plan in motion for all mankind, and neither Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping or any other man is in control. God is still in control of everything in creation and always will be. 

Not long before he died, the Rev. Dr. Charles Stanley, Pastor Emeritus of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta, recorded a homily titled, A Comforting Message in Fearful Times. Just as the Apostle Paul encourages believers to “put on the full armor of God” in Ephesians 6, Dr. Stanley’s message encourages us to “soak” our minds and hearts in the word of God, where believers can find peace, comfort, and courage in the midst of the spiritual warfare surrounding our daily lives. Dr. Stanley cites a treasure trove of scripture during the homily, which I have listed below. I encourage you to read through the entire list, then go back and look at each passage in the context of the full chapter it comes from.   

Philippians 4:6-7 — “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”.

Psalm 16:7-8 — “I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken”.

Psalm 4:8 — “In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety”.

Psalm 27:1 — “The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread”?

Psalm 139:23 — “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there’s any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way”.

Psalm 138:7 — “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me”.

Psalm 138:8 — “The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting”.

Psalm 138:3 — “On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul”.

Philippians 4:19 — “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus”.

Isaiah 41:10 — “Do not fear for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you with my righteous right hand”.

John 3:16 — “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life”.

1 John 1:9 — “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.

Psalm 121:1-8 — “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He will keep you and He will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper, the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever”.

Isaiah 54:17 — “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment, you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me”, declares the Lord.

Psalm 32:7 — “You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble. You surround me with songs of deliverance”.

Psalm 94:19 — “When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delights my soul”.

Psalm 23:4 — “Even though I walk through the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff they comfort me”.

Psalm 139:3 — “You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways”.

All in all, the difference between the believers and non-believers is this: in tough situations the believer accepts God’s wisdom and control. His prayer is for patience and to say as Jesus said, “Not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42b). On the other hand, the non-believer challenges God, neglecting to believe in Him unless he has proof. (Based on a sermon by Rev. Dr. Ken Klaus, former Speaker of The Lutheran Hour).

A comforting message in fearful times – by Dr. Charles Stanley. Safe Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2OKUg8NQY8

28 Nov

So thankful

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in Adversity, Bible, Christian, Christianity, death, Disaster, Faith, family, forgiveness, Friends, health, Holy Spirit, Hope, Jesus, joy, love, peace, Prayer, Religion, simplicity, spiritual, Tornados, Weather. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , .

Our nation has endured an extraordinary series of natural disasters over the past few months, including hurricanes, tornados, torrential rains, devastating floods, and enormous wildfires. If you’ve tuned in to the evening news lately you’ve probably seen disaster victims who have lost nearly all of their material possessions. Despite suffering tremendously, many of these people express gratitude for the simple fact that they are alive and still have their family and friends. They get it!

As I grow older, the things that truly matter in my life have become crystal clear. These are Faith, Family, Friends, and Freedom. I call them the 4Fs and I’ve written about them several times over the decade that I’ve written this blog. 

Today, as we mark the annual Thanksgiving holiday, I’m offering a special thanks for my friends. I’ve heard it said that families are issued to you, but you choose your friends. This is just one of the many things that makes true friends so special.

So, what is a true friend?  I don’t have all the answers, but here are some characteristics of my true friends that I’ve observed over the years:

  • They are there for you when others walk away.
  • They meet you where you are, warts, wrinkles, and all.
  • They are forgiving.
  • They will make time for you, even when they haven’t the time to spare.
  • They expect nothing in return and do not keep score.
  • They are good listeners.
  • They respect confidentiality.
  • They tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.
  • They say, “Wow, you really made a mess of this! Now how can I help you fix it?”
  • They walk beside you in the demon filled valleys, propping you up.
  • They are at their best when you are at your worst.

A number of my dear friends are currently struggling with serious life challenges. These include the early onset of dementia, the death of a spouse, a spouse developing dementia, a spouse with cancer, a child abusing alcohol, and a child suffering with seizures. The longer one lives the more frequently such challenges seem to occur. So now I lift them up to the Lord.

Lord, hear my prayer.  Father God, I pray for my friends who are struggling.  I pray that you will grant them mercy and peace. You know exactly what they need at this moment. Draw near to them and let them feel your presence. Open their eyes, ears, and hearts to you. Protect them from the attacks of the evil one and shelter them in your loving arms.  I pray this in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.  

Sirach 6:14-16 (RSV)

Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter:
    whoever finds one has found a treasure.
Faithful friends are beyond price;
    no amount can balance their worth.
Faithful friends are life-saving medicine;
    and those who fear the Lord will find them.

17 Aug

Wounded Hearts

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in advice, Bible, Choices, Christianity, Consequences, family, love, Movie review, Movies, peace, regrets, Religion, Simple Living, Tornados. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

 Sorrow

“Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish; 

Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.”   —Saint Thomas More

                                                                                        

If you’re a movie buff and haven’t yet made it to the theater to see “Into the Storm,” please read on.  This is not a spoiler.

Fans of disaster flicks will love this movie.  When it comes to special effects, it’s Twister on steroids. Because of the awesome special effects, which include a trip into the “eye” of a monster F5 tornado, seeing Into the Storm on the big screen is a must.

The movie has several story lines and shifts frequently from one to another. A common thread is woven throughout several of them—people in dire circumstances who are overcome with sorrow because of bad personal relationships with loved ones. All are emotionally wounded to the core as they find themselves facing almost certain death.

A teenage son laments that his last words with his deceased mother were harsh. The deceased woman’s husband looks back on the way he has raised his sons after her death and wishes he could start over.

A teenage girl, buried in rubble, is sorry she lied to her parents about where she was going when she left home that morning.

A single mother caught in the midst of the storm, is sorry she has allowed her work to get in the way of spending more time with her small daughter.

The sorrow displayed by these storm victims goes beyond simple regrets over situations and relationships in their lives that went wrong. Regret is what many male politicians display when the media catches them having an extramarital affair. They aren’t truly sorry about their deplorable behavior. They’re sorry they were caught.  Rather than being sorry for the damage they have inflicted on themselves and others, theirs is a self-centered, worldly response.  It’s a sorrow stemming from knowing they will have to deal with the public and private consequences of their transgressions.

In contrast, the sorrow displayed by the characters of Into the Storm is the sorrow of repentance—selfless sorrow acknowledging that one’s transgressions have harmed others.  It is a repentant sorrow that says, “I understand my actions were wrong; I am truly sorry for the pain and hurt I have inflicted myself and others; and I want to change my bad behavior and way of thinking forever.”

This selfless sorrow is what 2 Corinthians, chapter 7 calls godly sorrow.  “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”(NIV)  Godly sorrow brings healing and life.

The Parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12:13-21 tells the story of a wealthy man who lives a life of plenty.  He has all that he needs in this world—so much wealth and so many possessions that he believes he can simply “eat, drink and be merry,” for the rest of his days.  But at  the precise moment the man is gushing pride and personal satisfaction, God tells him he will die that very night.

What if you knew that today was the last day of your life? Would you regret that you haven’t done enough for yourself, or would you feel godly sorrow because of the way you have managed some of your personal relationships? More importantly, how would you feel about the way you’ve managed your relationship with God?

Today truly is the first day in the rest of your life.  Seize the opportunity to start setting things right today and embrace the family members, loved ones, friends and acquaintances who really matter in your life. You’ll have no regrets!

“3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!  —Philippians 2:3-8 (NIV)

Also see: Recalling Some Life Lessons.