The Coming Storms Pt. 2

Hurricane Laura makes landfall as a Category 4 storm with winds up to 150 miles per hour.

This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain. Hebrews 12:27

Update. Hurricane Laura was the strongest Hurricane to hit Louisiana but was not as devastating as it could have been. As of Friday, 28 August, nearly 700,000 are estimated to be without power across Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas.

Sadly, six individuals from Louisiana lost their lives in the storm.

I believe I am more sensitive than most to the effects of a major hurricane and I will address that shortly. First a word of encouragement from a woman who responded to last week’s article, The Coming Storm:

Last night I kept dreaming I was in one storm after another. I could see trees blowing and hard rains, but I was inside, dry, and at peace. 

I had previously been anxious and afraid of life storm, but I am receiving the message that God uses them to show His faithfulness, strengthen our trust and reliance on Him, and to prepare us for future callings.

There have only been three category five hurricanes to make landfall in the United States since 1900. The last one was Hurricane Andrew that slammed into south Florida in late August 1992.

I was among the first to arrive from 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, several days after the eye of Hurricane Andrew passed through southern Florida. 

It looked worse than this when we exited the aircraft at Homestead Airforce Base.

For the next five weeks, we provided disaster relief in Florida City, a city in Dade County. Up to 25 individuals were killed in Dade County. The storm damaged or destroyed over 150.000 homes with about 175,000 rendered homeless–the vast majority in Dade County.

A storm of that magnitude clarifies things. You come to terms with who you REALLY are and what matters to you.

I will never forget the stories of the people who rode out the storm. Of particular note were remarks from individuals during a Sunday morning church service.

These people were full of joy and extremely thankful despite the devastation all around them.  They got through it, grew through it, and exhibited a strength and resolve that you could feel.

I saw tons of relief supplies coming in from across the nation. There were reports of looting and crime, but I only observed minor instances of greed. Mostly, I saw incredible acts of service that left a lasting impression on me.

The demographics of Florida City today are as follows: 44.75% White; 51.08% Black; 0.21% Asian. The hurricane made all things equal. I saw actions across racial lines that were positively remarkable. 

Some of the most resilient people I’ve ever met.

I was taken aback by relief workers enduring brutal summer heat to feed, clothe, and shelter others. These workers expanded my understanding of Christian ministry. 

They taught me that it costs you something to serve others because it is not about you. 

The storms did not destroy the people of Dade County. Many that I encountered came through it with dignity and strength. The support provided by relief workers taught me that there are great people in America.

There are other storms on the horizon. Two weeks ago, former top advisor to President Trump, Steve Bannon, was indicted for fraud. The President quickly distanced himself from Mr. Bannon.

Steve Bannon, former Trump advisor.

Earlier this week, one of President Trump’s most trusted advisors, Kellyanne Conway, announced that she is stepping down from her White House role to focus on her family. 

Now, if you support Joe Biden, that may be good news, but her husband, George Conway, is likewise leaving his position with the Lincoln Project to focus on their family. So what? 

George & Kellyanne Conway.

The Lincoln Project is a group of conservatives with a singular mission to defeat President Trump in the next election. The Conway household is a house divided and a family with four teenage children in turmoil. 

Then there is the news out of Liberty University (LU) where my son just graduated. LU President Jerry Falwell Jr. resigned this week on the heels of moral issues inconsistent with LU policies.

The Conway and Falwell families face serious family challenges, but how does a polarized and politicized church offer healing to those in need? 

If you think this shakeup of individuals is coincidental, I respectfully ask you to think again. Storm winds are blowing in a mosaic of activity that God is orchestrating.

Another headline reads, “The Kenosha Police Officer Who Shot Jacob Blake In The Back Has Been Identified.” You know by now that Mr. Blake, a black man, was shot seven times in the back by a white police officer.

Protestors and police clash in Kenosha.

Blake was trying to enter his car with his three children inside when he was fired upon. Blake is paralyzed from the waist down. A new round of clashes between police and protestors is taking place.

Storm winds are blowing in America to get our attention as a nation. The storm winds are going to intensify.

Fear not. I saw it in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. Storms of great magnitude clarify things. We are coming to terms with who we REALLY are and what matters to us.

Fear not. There are great people in America. Racial division will not destroy this nation.

Fear not. A powerful remnant of the church is going to get out of bed with political parties and finds its voice.

Fear not! The storm winds are not to destroy us, but there will be losses. In times of trouble, rest assured there is much to gain.

We must not allow these words to become a tired cliché:

if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

As our sister said at the outset: God uses storms to show His faithfulness, strengthen our trust and reliance on Him, and to prepare us for future callings.

There is a future for America and a calling on the church in America. We may be in for some tough times ahead, but we will come out with dignity and strength. Revival is coming our way! God Bless! Press On!! Kevin 

The Coming Storms

We say we want to know the future, but what if that future included a series of storms that could turn your world upside down? Would you still want to know?

My wife and I are the first people they talk to. The conversation we have with them may be the most important conversation of their lives.

Vanessa and I speak to them after they respond to an invitation to commit their lives to Christ.

The reasons they come to this decision vary, but they have one thing in common. They are looking for a change. They just responded to a preacher who told them that Jesus is the change they are looking for.

Now Vanessa and I face a delicate challenge. How do we encourage them in practical ways to pursue a relationship with God, while warning them about the storm headed their way? What storm?

The Bible tells us that persecution, worldly cares, and satan himself will immediately test their resolve to serve God. (Mark 4:14-19) How do you adequately prepare people who are already dealing with problems? 

Keep it real. There is a cost to follow Christ.

About 15 years ago, Dr. Terry Mintor, the president of Bethel Bible Institute, gave me some advice on dealing with incoming freshman students.

He told me that he and his wife could not understand why incoming students complained so much about problems they encountered.

Then it dawned on him. Dr. Mintor said he forgot to tell the students about spiritual warfare. He told me to warn students at the beginning of the semester.

I have warned several hundred students over the years about the invisible warfare they will encounter. (Ephesians 6:11-12) Most make it through the storm.

Vanessa is the Children’s Pastor at Bethel Temple. The children cannot gather due to social distancing requirements; therefore, she develops and posts their lessons on the church website.

Sometimes we forget how hard it was growing up. Imagine what it is like for children today. This week their lesson addresses the hardships the apostles faced in declaring the gospel, and how God brought them through.

Vanessa believes children should understand both the benefits and the challenges of being a Christian so she prepares them for what’s coming. 

We say we want to know the future, but what if that future included a series of storms that could turn your world upside down? Would you still want to know?

I had some rough going early in my military career, but things changed in my 13th year. Life is hard, but there are those rare seasons when everything falls into place. I was enjoying such a season and it was wonderful, but it did not last.

God promised that the Holy Spirit would show us things to come.

I remember the day so vividly. The air was crisp in Schwabisch Gmund, Germany. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and all was well. Then I heard an inner voice saying, you are going to have trouble in your next assignment. What?

Less than a year later, we were stationed at Ft. Drum, NY, and I was in a full-fledged struggle with a supervisor who was plotting to end my career. That storm lasted almost a year. 

Let me ask you a question. Would you rather know about a storm ahead of time or not know until it arrives? As always, the Bible informs the conversation. 

After a successful missionary journey in Asia Minor and Greece, the Apostle Paul decided to go to Jerusalem for Pentecost. As Paul acted on those plans, the Holy Spirit began speaking to him.

God told him through trusted sources that tribulation and imprisonment awaited him if he went to Jerusalem. (Acts 20:23; 21:13)

Undeterred by the warnings, Paul famously said: “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the LORD Jesus.” (Acts 21:13)

Paul went to Jerusalem. He ran into trouble. He was placed in chains. While a prisoner, the Jews planned to ambush and kill him. All of this was true but only part of the story.

Paul was prepared for this storm because God spoke to him. This storm lasted nearly three years, but blew him all the way to Rome to fulfill his destiny to testify of Christ before Caesar. 

Over two centuries later, Paul’s seed came to fruition when Roman Emperor Constantine (AD 306–337), ended persecution and began the transition of Christianity as the dominant religion in the Roman Empire.

God is at work in you during storms. If you yield, God will work through you during storms. Moreover, God will see you THROUGH every storm.

God speaks to His people about storms on the horizon.  America is headed for storms in the fall of 2020. 

Satellite image of Hurricane Katrina. My prayer is that all such storms will not make landfall.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting a record-breaking number of named hurricanes this year. They are predicting up to 25 with the record being 28 including, Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma in 2005.

Other storms are headed our way. Chaos will follow the November elections regardless of the winner. We face the possible merging of flu season activity with COVID-19, and the overtaxing of our medical system again.

Tensions surrounding social justice will continue to build, and the strain on our financial systems will continue unabated, but that is what is fairly predictable.

Like COVID-19, there are unforecasted storms on the horizon. Prepare yourself because they too are coming our way and will cause disruption and instability.

A prepared people will be a lighthouse of hope for many in the throes of darkness.

A prepared people and church will thrive amid disruption and instability. Pray now that God will lessen the impact of the coming storms. Pray for the church to be a lighthouse through the storms.

Here is a word of encouragement in stormy times and seasons: 

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. (Isaiah 43:2)

God is at work in you during storms. God wants to work through you in the coming storms. God will surely see you through every storm. May God’s Psalm 91 blessing of protection rest upon you and your household. God Bless! Press On!! Kevin

Don’t Let Corona Knock You Out

No matter who you are, you are going to get hit with body shots. Keep your hands up and your feet moving or you may wind up on the canvas.

Did you know that former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson is about to get back into the ring at the age of 54? They used to call him Iron Mike and The Baddest Man on the Planet for good reasons.

Tyson threw vicious body shots.

Tyson is returning to face 51-year-old, former heavyweight champion Roy Jones Jr. in an eight-round exhibition, on 12 September at $49.99 pay per view.

Mike Tyson has been out of the ring for 15 years, but videos of the former champ in training are impressive.

Speaking of videos, I recently watched young Mike Tyson deliver an impressive array of knockout punches on YouTube. Of note, vicious blows to the body almost always preceded his knockout punches.

Punches to the body are called body shots. In life and boxing, body shots are designed to set you up for a knockout punch.

Outside of the ring, body shots come in the form of annoyances, disruptions, delays, denials, arguments, breakups, setbacks, incompetence, etc.

No one is immune. You will get hit with body shots.

It does not matter your age, gender, race, tribe or creed, you are going to get hit with body shots. How many body shots have you taken recently? More than you realize I would venture to say.

We’ve been pummeled by COVID-19 for months. Don’t let Corona knock you out. Keep your hands up and keep your feet moving.

Like you, I have family and friends in the service industry. They tell me the people they serve are growing weary. Optimism is waning. Pessimism is setting in. Generally speaking, people are discouraged.

On 31 March, I began co-hosting virtual prayer meetings with Dave, my friend and prayer partner. Encouraging others is a central theme of our virtual Warrior prayer sessions.

Last Friday, we co-hosted Warrior#36. As always, we ask the Lord to strengthen and encourage others. Prayer combats the effects of body shots.

A week after launching the Warrior series, I started this blog. I hope you are encouraged by these articles because I receive encouragement writing them.

Encouraging others helps ward off the effects of body shots, but sometimes the blows will get to you. A word on that in a minute, but first a salute to some of the most essential persons (MEP’s) among us.

Great encouragers are MEP’s in the corona-era. My dentist is an MEP. The fact that he had to shut down his practice for four months due to the pandemic robbed many of his greatest attribute.

Encouragers like Dr. Epstein are most essential persons MEP’s.

As good as he is as a dentist, his natural giftedness as an encourager was sorely missed. Dr. Epstein has been my dentist for over a decade. He always makes you laugh and puts a smile on your face.

He bounces off the walls with energy and tells these incredibly funny stories. Sometimes he tells stories that have his staff shaking their heads. They enjoy working with him and I can see why.

I had an appointment with him some years ago when business was not good.  He was low on energy and had no funny stories. While I was sensitive to his feelings, I had to make a point.

I said, “Doc…you can’t be discouraged. We all depend on you to be encouraged.” Thankfully, by my next appointment, he was bouncing off the walls like his old self.

Hang around MEP’s. Better still, be an MEP! MEP’s offset the effects of body shots. I should know.

Hurricane Isaias was a body shot that really weakened me. My family only suffered eight hours of power outage, but I was weakened by other blows before this one landed.

Hurricane Isaias damage in Newport News, VA

Thank God during the Warrior#36 prayer meeting, MEP’s in the group encouraged me and pushed me back into the ring.

Allow me to wrap this up with a great Christmas story.

There was a Christmas decorations contest at work one year. Some sections relished the competition, but my teammates and I were indifferent.

A few days before the awards ceremony, I received another in a series of non-selection notices for job applications I submitted. Each notice was a body shot.

The day came for the awards for Christmas decorations . They started with 4th place, 3rd place up to the grand prize. What I did not know was there was recognition for the section with the least amount of Christmas spirit. Oh Lord!!

They read this Scrooge-like narrative about how this sad section showed no Christmas spirit. Wouldn’t you know it; I was the only person in our section present for work that day.

I had to accept a piece of coal and the mocking jeers (mostly in fun) of our organization on behalf of my section-BODY SHOT!!

I headed to my office, coal in hand.  I had taken too many body shots. I was discouraged. I made it to the end of the day and headed to the parking lot.

Then something REALLY strange happened. I heard these words out of thin air, “accentuate the positive; eliminate the negative.” It sounded like a song, so I looked it up on my phone.

I heard “accentuate the positive; eliminate the negative.”

It turned out that a guy named Johnny Mercer wrote a song in 1945 with that title. I could not believe the lyrics:

You’ve got to accentuate the positive. Eliminate the negative. And latch on to the affirmative. Don’t mess with Mister In-Between

You’ve got to spread joy up to the maximum. Bring gloom down to the minimum. Have faith or pandemonium’s liable to walk upon the scene.

To illustrate my last remark. Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark. What did they do just when everything looked so dark? Man, they said “We’d better accentuate the positive”

“Eliminate the negative” “And latch on to the affirmative” Don’t mess with Mister In-Between. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3jdbFOidds

I am certain that the Holy Spirit whispered that to me. If there is no one else around to encourage you, encourage yourself in the Lord! (1 Samuel 30:6)

Draw near to God! He will enable you to stand in the face of body shots. You will not fall victim to a knockout punch.

On the contrary, God will put your enemy on the canvas for good, and your hand will be raised in triumphant victory! God Bless! Press On!! Kevin

PS: Be an MEP to someone today and everyday!!

God Spoke to Me – Stories of Three Godly Women

Better days are ahead for those who place their trust in the God who not only hears our cry, but speaks, leads, and directs His people.

We planned our panel discussion weeks before. Three guys would answer questions about hearing from God before a small live audience and Bethel Temple’s growing digital church.

The Lord wanted something different. At 3:30 am, I had an impression to see if my wife would be willing to speak at the service later that evening. 

You see, when Vanessa was a teenager, God spoke to her about me before we ever met.

Later that morning, I asked my two-panel mates, Dave and Nate, to see if their wives would be willing to speak as well. All three wives agreed after some encouragement.

The stories of three godly women blessed our church. I thought you would enjoy them as well, and, by the way…God also wants to speak to you!

Provided at the end of this article is a link that has their full 5-8 minute presentations.

A father and daughter healed by the God who speaks. -Irma Williams

My Dad left my Mom, three brothers, and me when I was 5 years old. I did not have contact with him for 25 years. Sometimes I would wonder about his circumstances, but I was indifferent most of the time.

As a child, I never learned to say, Dad, or Daddy, or Dad, I love you. I got saved in 1989, and in 1995, with my husband’s encouragement, I began writing my Dad.

We corresponded with each other, and then began having phone conversations. The day came when my whole family went to visit him.

During one of our conversations, like a whisper, the Holy Spirit impressed me to tell him, “I love you Dad!” At first, the words would not come out of my mouth.

God gave me a loving relationship with my Dad!

It took a long time. I was trembling and tearing up. Finally, the words came out. I told my Dad that I loved him. Those words signaled the beginning of a new chapter in our relationship.

For the next 25 years, our relationship grew-to God be the glory! I was able to call him Dad. He told me that he loved me and I told him the same thing.

Sometime earlier, my Dad gave his life to Jesus. The man who had abused my Mom and abandoned us as children was now dead. My Dad became a new man in Christ, and a powerful evangelist sharing the good news of Jesus!

My Dad made it clear to the residents of his town of 14,000 people that it was either heaven or hell based on their response to Jesus.

My Dad passed in April 2020 after serving the Lord for 41 years. I want to encourage you that God can restore any relationship.

Ask Him. He will speak to you and guide you along the path of healing and restoration. –Irma

God spoke through a young man’s life. -Leah Rucker

Nate and I met each other in college.  I was a sophomore. He was in his senior year. We met at a time when I was beginning my walk with the Lord. Nate, on the other hand, was running with the Lord.

The evidence of God in Nate’s life both spoke to me and intrigued me. I had not seen this before. God used Nate to provoke me to go deeper in my pursuit of God.

I was discovering God through the Christian community, family, and friends, but especially through Nate’s life. Out of our times of fellowship, we began a dating relationship.

Nate and I began serving together in ministry and particularly in the area of music ministry and worship. I could hear God speaking through us to others. I noticed that we had God’s grace on our lives to bless and encourage others.

Through our dating relationship, serving together in ministry, and fellowship with others, I believe we were becoming what the Bible refers to as “equally yoked together.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)

Your life can speak to people in ways you may never understand!

We had grace on our lives to be mutually supportive. We were able to encourage one another through difficulties. We were not perfect in our dating relationship; however, we continued to grow.

There were times when a minister would give inspired words of encouragement to individuals gathered in a service. 

One more than one occasion, I noticed that the inspirational word Nate received was either identical or close to what I received.

I never heard God speak to me audibly about marrying Nate. God spoke to me through Nate’s life.

God drew me to Himself and gave me a choice to serve Him, so it was with my decision to marry.  I felt that I was drawn and led to choose Nate.

We just celebrated one year of marriage. –Leah

When God speaks and does not make sense. –Vanessa Willis

When I was a 17-year-old senior in high school, I met a young man at my afterschool job who was also a senior at another high school. 

On Halloween, October 31, 1978, after working with him for one month, he asked me to be his girlfriend, and I agreed.

He told me we could not date on Sundays because that is the Lord’s day. Growing up Baptist, I understood about the Lords day.

His commitment at such a young age impressed me because I wanted more of God in my own life; however, around Christmas time, I noticed some “red flag” behaviors in him.

In January, I prayed and asked God to take this boyfriend away if he was not for me. Later that month, he called me to tell me he would finish high school in another state.

Then three days later, he informed that he would not be leaving the area.  These circumstances seemed odd, but I was glad he was not leaving.

Also, in January, a new young man came to my church. As he walked to the front of the church to give his offering, God spoke to my heart that he was to be my husband.  

This word was strange, and I was not interested, because I had a boyfriend. In February, during a phone conversation, my boyfriend said he wanted to have sex.

I did not want to, but I did not want to lose him. We were to talk later that evening. I decided to agree to his request. Thankfully, he never called me back.

The new young man became a member of my church. He was on active duty in the military and was a deacon in his previous church in Korea.

I began to ask God to confirm what He told me about Deacon Willis. Over the next three years, God began confirming this strange word.

Six weeks before Deacon Willis was to leave for another duty station, God brought us together. We dated for three weeks and got engaged.

I held on to God’s strange word for over three years.

We were married a little over seven months later. We have been married for 37 years. God keeps His word! –Vanessa

Irma heard God speaking to her in a whisper. Leah heard God speaking to her through Nate’s life, and through the grace of God on their lives.

Vanessa heard God speaking as an inward voice. God is still speaking into the lives of these godly women. You can have the Living God speaking to you as well!

Have you received Jesus as your Savior? If not or you are not sure, let me show you how at the following link: https://dreamprayernetwork.com/gods-plan-of-salvation/

Better days are ahead for all who place their trust in the God who not only hears our cry, but speaks, leads, and directs His people. God Bless! Press On!! Kevin

Forward to the 51:30-minute mark of the video at the following link to hear the full versions of Leah, Vanessa and Irma in that order:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=942290599620397&notif_id=1596063342824038&notif_t=live_video_explicit
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