Pastor's Comments July 6, 2012

“Now when these things begin to happen, LOOK UP and LIFT UP your heads, because YOUR REDEMPTION draws near.”

After the devastation of the hurricanes and resulting devastation with massive flooding created by Katrina and Rita, I wrote an article to be placed in the Journal, the News Paper in Big Sandy, Texas.

In this writing, I intend to use parts of that same writing while adding important news articles that sheds light on the understanding of end-time Bible prophecies that make known we have already entered into their beginning fulfillment.

Though we have witnessed disasters in past years they have been much farther apart and in most cases isolated in different places. Now we are seeing these disasters coming much closer together and not so isolated any longer.

Looking back and considering what we are now learning from the News Media of the recent and current disasters, we have a much better and clearer picture in mind of how they are all related to each other while showing the closeness of the coming doom of the House of

Joseph and the return of Jesus Christ back to this earth.

We are presently standing on the threshold of seeing the fury of nature with such unprecedented force of terrible devastation and enormous loss of life that has never before been witnessed (Matthew 24:21)!

For over 50-plus years, God’s watchman, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, lifted up his voice and cried out the warning of this terrible time from the writings of an ancient prophet of God:

“Doom has come to you, you who dwell in the land; the time has come, a day of trouble is near . . . My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; I will repay you according to your ways and your abominations will be in your midst. Then you will (come) to know that I am the LORD who strikes . . . Disaster will come upon disaster . . .” (Ezekiel 7:7, 9, 26).

To try and connect the frequency of the disasters of the past with what we are now witnessing should enable us to understand the closeness of the Great Tribulation, which also encompasses the Famine and the Disease Epidemics.

At that time, I wrote that all of us experienced sadness and grief for all of the people who had suffered loss of family members and friends caused by the hurricanes of Katrina and Rita.

To get this in perspective let us take a look back to the time of the two worst hurricanes to strike America in this century:

At a news conference at 10 am on August 28, shortly after Katrina was upgraded to a Category 5 storm, New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin ordered the first-ever mandatory evacuation of the city, calling Katrina "a storm that most of us have long feared."^[33] The city government also established several "refuges of last resort" for citizens who could not leave the city, including the massive Louisiana Superdome, which sheltered approximately 26,000 people and provided them with food and water for several days as the storm came ashore.^{[34][35] .}. . .

Between 80 and 90 percent of the residents of New Orleans was evacuated safely in time before the Hurricane struck, testifying to some of the success of the evacuation measures. ^[5] Despite this, many remained in the city, mainly those who did not have access to

personal vehicles or who were isolated from the dissemination of news from the local governments. The Louisiana Superdome was used to house and support some of those who were unable to evacuate. Television shots frequently focused on the Superdome as a symbol of the flooding occurring in New Orleans.

September 22, 2005: Rita "potentially catastrophic"

Hurricane Rita, "the third-most intense storm ever recorded in the Atlantic basin, speeded up as it bore down on the Texas coast. The Category 5 storm [was then] more powerful than Hurricane Katrina, which left more than 1,000 dead last month in Louisiana and other states," Bloomberg News reported September 22, 2005. With "winds of 175 miles (280 kilometers) per hour," the National Hurricane Center said that Rita was "potentially catastrophic."

The "projected path of Hurricane Rita shifted east Thursday, [September 22nd,] pushing the storm on a track toward the Houston or Galveston areas."

"As Hurricane Rita prepares to hit the Texas coast in the early morning hours on Saturday [September 24, 2005,] with wind gusts of 175-mph, state and local officials up and down the coast (and Louisiana officials) [September 21st] issued mandatory evacuation orders. Americans feel sympathy and concern for the thousands of evacuees and are praying that the aftermath of Rita will not bring the same devastation as Katrina brought.”

Though Rita was weakened to a tropical storm before it made landfall and caused little damage in comparison to Katrina, it should have been A WAKEUP CALL for all of us, as we viewed the loss of possessions, homes, and employment, for sooner or later, all of us will experience disasters of one sort or another.

There is no doubt in my mind as to why Rita weakened from a category 5 to a 1, and ended up as just a tropical storm.

At one time there were at least 4 Churches of God in large numbers in Houston alone. I am confident many of those people were probably praying more fervently than they have ever prayed before realizing what could happen to all of them based on what they had seen take place in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama with Katrina.

God in His abundant mercy responded to their cries to Him and spared not only them but all others as well even though the majority had turned away from Him in 1995.

Will Jesus Christ do the same the next time? I seriously question that He will unless they truly repent! One thing I do know is that God is going to continue to deal with this country, along with Ephraim, and the other tribes of Israel, just as He has said that He would in the endtime.

I think there is a tendency for us to forget such prophecies as Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 that make it very clear there is A CURSE on the house of Israel because of disobedience to God’s holy and righteous laws.

We should have known and understood that sooner or later what God has stated in these prophecies would begin to take place! And we are now beginning to see the reality of them.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Al-Qaeda-affiliated hijackers flew two Boeing 767 jets into the complex, one into each tower, in a coordinated terrorist attack. After burning for 56 minutes, the South Tower (2) collapsed, followed a half-hour later by the North Tower (1), with the attacks on the World Trade Center resulting in 2,753 deaths.^[7]

Brethren, all these areas hit as hard as they were, are hardly anything compared to what we will soon be experiencing in this country.

There is no question but that we have entered into the very close of this age and the demise of the nations of Israel.

Long time members of God’s Church should clearly remember the warnings given over many years from the end-time prophecies of the Bible by God’s late apostle, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong.

Many ministers and members who were once of the parent Church, as it was during the lifetime of God’s late apostle, Mr. Armstrong, have for all practical purposes removed him as one who was mightily used by Jesus Christ for over 50 years to restore the true doctrinal teachings within God’s true Church, preach the Gospel and sound the Ezekiel warning message.

The day is almost here when they will deeply regret their rejection of the man God chose to send to us in this endtime.

One of those prophecies that makes known where we are right now can be found in the Book of Ezekiel:

“... the end has come upon you ... it HAS DAWNED for you ... Now upon you I will SOON pour out My fury ... Disaster will come upon Disaster; and rumor will be upon rumor ... ” (Ezekiel 7:1, 26).

Rumors of even worse things to come than what has already been witnessed! God wants all of us to WAKE UP! This is so very serious that God further had His prophet to write to His people:

Thus says the Lord God. “Pound your fists and stamp your feet, and say, ‘Alas, for all the evil abominations of the House of Israel! For they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence’” (Ezekiel 6:11).

“Hear the word of the LORD, you children of Israel. For the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land. There is no TRUTH OR MERCY or KNOWLEDGE of God in the land. By swearing and lying, killing and committing adultery, they break all restraint, with bloodshed. Therefore the land will mourn and everyone who dwells there will waste away with the beasts of the fields and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea will be taken away” (Hosea 4:1-3).

Katrina has been described as having caused such great devastation and widespread deaths so as to be reaching towards BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS!

The fallout from these hurricanes foretold by prophecies of the endtime are now coming to real life, while making known we are now very close to the Great Tribulation, and the end of this age.

In view of what we are now witnessing, and will be in the near future, I recommend the reading of an ‘Open Letter’ I wrote, dated 2-14-05, that appeared in the Journal, in which I used quotes that make known one of the worst years in our time regarding disasters that occurred in 2004! (This can be found in the Open Letter archives on our website.)

Year in Review: Overview – Nature’s Fury. They write of the hurricanes that battered Florida: Charley and Frances to be joined by Ivan and then followed by Jeanne.

Also according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), 2004 was the deadliest year for earthquakes since the Renaissance Age, making it the second most fatal in recorded history …”

For over 50 years God’s late apostle warned of the calamities that would be coming on Israel and the world before the end. A quote from him:

“When God intervenes in world affairs, catastrophic earth tremors will create imagination-defying waves, sweeping whole cities from their foundations, killing millions of terrified unrepentant victims in their surging power of destruction. Mankind will learn its lesson IN NO other way!” Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong.

We recently witnessed one such great earthquake in Asia, and the total destruction combined with the enormous loss of life left in its wake.

Biblical history and teaching make known that after Prophetic Warnings; God usually allows some time to pass before they take place for the reason that God desires repentance so He won’t have to bring about destruction! Jonah 3; Ezekiel 33:11.

Leviticus 26 makes this very clear. The LORD God speaks of four separate Seven Time Periods of punishment to befall the House of Israel— each Seven Times, from the beginning of the first one to the last one, speaks of greater punishment to follow with the next one, until the last one will bring with it nuclear warfare, captivity, and slavery—unless there is repentance and turning to Jesus Christ with the observance of His Holy Righteous Laws.

Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong did WARN Israel and the world for over 50 years. He spoke and wrote continually of the CURSE from God that is on Israel while urging repentance just as did the other two Elijahs. A quote from him regarding these terrible times is as follows:

“People of the Western World would be STUNNED - dumbfounded - IF they knew! The governments of the United States, Britain, Canada, Australasian, and South Africa would set in motion gigantic crash programs – if they knew! They could know! But they don’t! Why?”

God is our only hope in an age whose end is nigh at hand! When we consider what took place with terrorists in 9-11-01 followed up by the hurricanes in 2004, and continuing to learn of records being broken each year we should be able as Jesus said to be very observant of the times along with knowledge of revealed prophecy:

“. . . Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding (seeing these terrible things now taking place that fits with the foregoing Scriptures), you see and known for yourselves that summer is now near. So you, likewise, when you see these things (beginning, verses 7-11) happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near. . . : (Luke 21:29-33).

Jesus also spoke of FAMINE AND PESTILENCE to soon come upon Israel and the world!

“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. AND THERE WILL BE FAMINE, PESTILENCES, and earthquakes in various places. All these are THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS” (Matthew 24:7-8).

How close and how quickly could FAMINE take place WITHIN THIS GREAT COUNTRY? We have a tendency to think everything will remain as it now is! The grocery stores are so full of food items they have specials each week to attract customers to them.

In the Open Letter, 2-14-05, I quoted an agricultural official in Kansas, who expressed his alarm upon learning that the cupboard in this nation is bare regarding food reserves, and further, the sobering fact that the world now feeds us.

Reflecting on that shocking information at that time along with worsening stats since in both America and England should be met with sober thought! We need to realize the imperative need of preparing ourselves, mentally and spiritually, for these catastrophes that will be experienced in the near future.

We need to be praying as fervently, if not more so, than the members in the Houston, and Galveston, Texas areas, were praying for the safety of their lives and all they owned at the time of the Hurricane Rita.

This is no time for sleeping and complacency, but remaining alert and vigilant while in a state of readiness. For whether we want to believe it or not, TERRIBLE TIMES HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO BEFALL AMERICA AND BRITAIN!

For some years the News Media has been making known there were real problems in the agricultural states of this country: drought, flooding, crop failures. Not all that critical up to now, but now enough for the astute observer to read the signs of where these problems have been building to soon become full-blown!

What is now taking place strongly suggests that we are seeing the beginning of the Famine to be followed by a real outbreak of a pandemic diseases that will take the lives of a third of the people in the House of Israel (Ezekiel 5:12).

Remember, the three and one/half years of Famine that befell ancient Israel in the time of Elijah was not severely felt until close to the end of it (I Kings 18:5). Undoubtedly the famine now beginning to take place can be compared to that time.

“The prolonged heat across the midwest has not only set temperature records, it is also expanding and intensifying drought conditions – and relief isn’t on the horizon for most areas, the National Weather Service reported Thursday. Drought conditions are present in 56 percent of the continental U.S., according to the weekly Drought Monitor. . . .”

What Happens If Record Heat And Crippling Drought Cause Widespread Crop Failures Throughout The United States?

It is too early to panic, but if there is not a major change in the weather very soon we could be looking at widespread crop failures throughout the United States this summer. Record heat and crippling drought are absolutely devastating crops from coast to coast. Unfortunately, this unprecedented heat wave just continues to keep going and record high temperatures continue to scorch much of the central United States. In fact, more than 2,000 record high temperatures have been matched or broken in the past week alone. Not only that, but the lack of rainfall nationally has caused drought conditions from coast to coast. If temperatures continue to stay this high and we don't start seeing more rain, farmers and ranchers all over the nation are going to be absolutely devastated. So what happens if we do see widespread crop failures throughout the United States? That is a question that is frightening to think about.

Right now is an absolutely crucial period for corn. It is time for pollination and rainfall is desperately needed. The following is from an article recently posted on agweb.com....

With some parts of Indiana now nearing a month without significant rainfall and the critical pollination phase of corn either already started or about to begin, large crop losses appear likely for some farmers.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture had been expecting a record corn harvest this year, but now the outlook is rapidly changing. The Department of Agriculture now says that 22 percent of all U.S. corn fields are in poor condition, and that number could rise significantly unless current weather patterns change.

Sadly, the corn in some areas of the country may already have been permanently damaged according to the Washington Post....

Some growers are already reporting damage to corn, which is at a critical pollination stage. In some areas, the corn already has been damaged to the point that rain may not be enough to salvage the crop, Telvent DTN analyst John Sanow said.

He and other analysts have lowered their yield estimates to an average of about 150 bushels per acre or less. That compares with the U.S. Agriculture Department’s June estimate of 166 bushels per acre.

Meanwhile, corn supplies are dropping at a rate not seen in many years. The following is from croplife.com....

Corn supplies in the U.S. are declining at the fastest pace since 1996 as a Midwest heat wave damages the world's largest harvest for a third consecutive year.

Bloomberg News reports that stockpiles were probably 3.168 billion bushels (80.47 million metric tons) on June 1, 47% less than on March 1

The price of wheat is also soaring. The price of September wheat is up about 26 percent since the beginning of June.

Unfortunately, things look quite bleak at this point. According to the Washington Post, the outlook for the rest of the growing season is very ominous....

“Based on the drought outlook, the potential for further degradation is very high, and the potential to reach exceptional levels of drought — where there are major crop failures — is very high,” said Matthew Rosencrans, a Weather Service meteorologist. “The climate signals we are looking at right now don’t correlate with wetness in that region.”

Jay Armstrong, owner and operator of Armstong Farms in Kansas, flew his small plane over a portion of the affected area and landed with the impression that the potential damage is far worse than is commonly understood.

“At this time of year, when you look down in a place like Indiana or Illinois, you should see just lush green fields,” Armstrong said. “I saw bare soil. I just thought to myself, the market has no idea what’s coming.”

Nobody wants to hear about the possibility of "major crop failures" or that "the market has no ideas what's coming".

Ranchers are being absolutely devastated by this hot, dry weather as well. The following comes from a comment that was posted on one of my recent articles by a reader identified as Cinderella Man who works in the business....

As of 6/27/12 at the Torrington WY auction 2,248 head sold in one day. Usually only a couple hundred sell at a time. Whats happening is the ranchers are trying to sell when the price is high, and they know that hay is going to be expensive in the fall. We already see ranchers from WY coming up here looking for hay. Let me put it to you this way: Last night I went with my Dad to his hayfield and he said he would be lucky if he got a third of the hay he got last year! Second I work in the feed and mineral supply business and I have seen grain feed sales through the roof. Same goes for mineral and lactation supplements. The other day a Hutterite colony bought 25 tons of grain distillers to feed their sheep. Everywhere south of us is dry and we are catching up. People are scrambling to find corn and my elevator is one of the last places that have it. Going back to the minerals and supplements the cows are on poor grass and they have baby calves to feed. They go dry and cant produce milk for them so a rancher has to buy minerals and supplements to get the mama cow to produce milk. Sales have been soaring. You add it all up and you can only come up with the conclusion that we are in SERIOUS TROUBLE this year and I dont know how small producers like my family are going to weather this. All I can say is the ones who were in glee at Texas’s plight last year and crying in their beers right now.

This is not welcome news at a time when the economy is already in really bad shape and millions of families are barely making it from month to month.

Brethren as we approach this critical time of the end of the House of Joseph and the Great Tribulation, we should realize more than ever that our relationship with God is the only thing that really matters.

If it is right, and ongoing, then we need not worry nor be afraid of whatever catastrophe, or disaster, might come to pass! As God’s true people, we should be looking beyond this physical life to the awesome blissful future promised to us; one that will never end. Nothing should be more important to us (Matthew 16:24-27).

While there is yet day, we MUST be about our Father’s business and doing all that He enables us to do in reaching out an extended hand to our brothers and sisters who are yet in the wrong places before the darkness of night befall this age.

The commission Mr. Armstrong left before his death was to PREPARE the Church for the coming of Jesus Christ. This is the continuing effort God is enables us to do while praying to Him for the needed true laborers to place their hands in our hands to work together in the harvest (John 4:34-38).

At the same time, each of us must try very hard to overcome our drowsiness and complacency and be as close to our God as possible, so that His promise of deliverance may be fulfilled in our lives (Luke 21:36).

These warnings and instruction from Christ should be a real motivating force within each of us to be praying for one another, as well as for ourselves.

Very soon, with God’s good blessings, we will be observing the Feast of Trumpets that pictures the coming of Jesus Christ back to this earth to begin His holy and righteous reign over all the nations of this earth. The Feast of Tabernacles that follows pictures that wonderful new world.

We should always have the meaning of these Holy Days in our memories with their meaning and be encouraged by them, knowing their fulfilment is not all that far away.

Hopefully the observance of God’s Sabbath and the soon-coming Holy Days should cause us to lift up our head and hearts as we see the unfolding of these end-time prophecies that with them will bring about the terrible problems that are already befalling mankind and focus on what Jesus Christ said to encourage us:

“And there will be SIGNS in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for FEAR and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens heaven will be shaken. Now when these things BEGIN to happen, LOOK UP AND LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, FOR YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWS NEAR” (Luke 21:25-28).

These Scriptures coupled with what is being seen through the News Media makes known we are beginning to see the end-time is now virtually in sight; and our redemption is indeed much closer than perhaps any of us have realized heretofore!

The quotes and pictures above are intended for educational purposes only. Entire contents copyrighted. The Church Of God. All Rights Reserved. The copyright subsisting in material quoted in this publication and trademarks appearing in this publication belong to the respective owners thereof and no claim of ownership therein is made by The Church of God.