BBD 06.23.09 Storm Warning

#1 · June 23, 2009, 2:04 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on June 23, 2009, 2:04 pm
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
Visit the Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net
www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 11 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of Gods Word to more than 11,000 subscribers across the world.

Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998 and is made up of over 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive prayer requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

You can now leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at www.theburningbush.net.

Im now on twitter and you can find me by searching for my name or my email address wrather@dobsonteleco.com.

A Devotional Classic from 2003
The Burning Bush Devotional

Welcome to the 638 new subscribers since January 1, 2009!!

06.23.09

Storm Warning

For You have been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; for the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. - Isaiah 25:4.

Here in Sweetwater, Oklahoma some of us feel like we have under attack with two tornadoes in a months time (2003). One tornado did the most damage at the school and the second tornado destroyed houses and barns in a large swath sweeping west to east and then north. When hearing a weatherman warning of an approaching storm we all pay much closer attention then we would have only a few weeks ago. Our memories of past storms seem to dim with time and our response to the storm warnings slow along with our memories. But we in tornado alley are not the only ones needing an occasional reminder of the power of the storm.

We are thankful for advanced technology and the diligence and bravery of many storm spotters who provide us with an earlier warning than was possible in the past. Most likely there would have been deaths and serious injuries in Sweetwater if not for the warning system now available to us.

The most deadly tornado (F5 on the Fujita Scale) to hit Oklahoma came on April 9, 1947 in Woodward. The tornado began near Canadian, Texas and while moving toward the northeast stayed on the ground for about 100 miles ending up west of Alva, Oklahoma. It was a huge tornado 1.8 miles in width moving at about 50 miles per hour. Glazier and Higgins, Texas were first devastated by the storm with 69 deaths in Texas before reaching Oklahoma. While missing many towns on the way to Woodward the tornado did strike and destroy buildings on 60 ranches and farms with 8 people being killed and 42 injured. In Woodward over 1000 homes and businesses were destroyed and 107 people died and there were about 1000 other injuries.

In part because of the Woodward tornado and also because of other storms the Weather Bureau in 1953 instituted a tornado watch and warning program. In five decades we have gone from having very little storm detection and warning to having weathermen on TV with some of the most advanced radar available. We can also look at different radar sites on the Internet when information is not available on TV or radio.

With advance warning and advanced knowledge of the dangers of tornadoes most people do try to find shelter in a storm shelter, basement, safe room or an inner room or hallway. But strangely enough some even when warned still ignore the storm believing they are somehow invincible or that the odds are that they will not be hit. In the past I have heard people speak contemptuously of those who go to a storm shelter as going to their fraidy hole. Personally, when I know a storm possibly containing a tornado is headed for me Im going to the cellar if there is one for me to go to! God may very well protect me but why tempt God (Matthew 4:7)?

There is another storm, which is sweeping across this world. It is a spiritual storm of sin and destruction. We have advance warning and we have advanced knowledge about the devastating effects of sin. We can ignore those warnings and see how close we can get to the storm of sin. If we do there may very well come a time when the storm we are admiring will destroy us just like the Woodward tornado destroyed so many. It does not have to be that way. There is a place of refuge from the storm. God, through Jesus Christ is that refuge. He is the only refuge. Please dont ignore the storm warnings!!

Copyright © 2009. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

Prayer Requests: Please pray for Malachi, Cody, and Mica who are young boys with cancer. Malachi is very ill and in much pain. He is paralyzed on one side because of a tumor pressing on his brain. Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and they will be forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for me and for the healing of our son Nicks eye.).

If you are not my friend on facebook or myspace you can be, just add me. The devotionals are posted in my blogs on those two social networks and you can leave comments, feedback about them there. There are other social networks designed just for Christians, however, this is an outreach project to reach those who may not know the Lord or may have wandered away. You can help me reach out to them.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org

Two videos of my sermons are posted on Godtube at: www.godtube.com/Wrather

You can listen to services at my son, Clark Wrather's church (First Baptist Church of Broken Bow, Oklahoma) live on Sunday mornings at 10:55am CST www.kkbifm.com/

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You may SUBSCRIBE to the html text group by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may UNSUBSCRIBE by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org   

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Visit the Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net
http://www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 11 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of Gods Word to more than 11,000 subscribers across the world.

Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998 and is made up of over 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive prayer requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

You can now leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at http://www.theburningbush.net.

Im now on twitter and you can find me by searching for my name or my email address wrather@dobsonteleco.com.

A Devotional Classic from 2003
The Burning Bush Devotional

Welcome to the 638 new subscribers since January 1, 2009!!

06.23.09

Storm Warning

For You have been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; for the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. - Isaiah 25:4.

Here in Sweetwater, Oklahoma some of us feel like we have under attack with two tornadoes in a months time (2003). One tornado did the most damage at the school and the second tornado destroyed houses and barns in a large swath sweeping west to east and then north. When hearing a weatherman warning of an approaching storm we all pay much closer attention then we would have only a few weeks ago. Our memories of past storms seem to dim with time and our response to the storm warnings slow along with our memories. But we in tornado alley are not the only ones needing an occasional reminder of the power of the storm.

We are thankful for advanced technology and the diligence and bravery of many storm spotters who provide us with an earlier warning than was possible in the past. Most likely there would have been deaths and serious injuries in Sweetwater if not for the warning system now available to us.

The most deadly tornado (F5 on the Fujita Scale) to hit Oklahoma came on April 9, 1947 in Woodward. The tornado began near Canadian, Texas and while moving toward the northeast stayed on the ground for about 100 miles ending up west of Alva, Oklahoma. It was a huge tornado 1.8 miles in width moving at about 50 miles per hour. Glazier and Higgins, Texas were first devastated by the storm with 69 deaths in Texas before reaching Oklahoma. While missing many towns on the way to Woodward the tornado did strike and destroy buildings on 60 ranches and farms with 8 people being killed and 42 injured. In Woodward over 1000 homes and businesses were destroyed and 107 people died and there were about 1000 other injuries.

In part because of the Woodward tornado and also because of other storms the Weather Bureau in 1953 instituted a tornado watch and warning program. In five decades we have gone from having very little storm detection and warning to having weathermen on TV with some of the most advanced radar available. We can also look at different radar sites on the Internet when information is not available on TV or radio.

With advance warning and advanced knowledge of the dangers of tornadoes most people do try to find shelter in a storm shelter, basement, safe room or an inner room or hallway. But strangely enough some even when warned still ignore the storm believing they are somehow invincible or that the odds are that they will not be hit. In the past I have heard people speak contemptuously of those who go to a storm shelter as going to their fraidy hole. Personally, when I know a storm possibly containing a tornado is headed for me Im going to the cellar if there is one for me to go to! God may very well protect me but why tempt God (Matthew 4:7)?

There is another storm, which is sweeping across this world. It is a spiritual storm of sin and destruction. We have advance warning and we have advanced knowledge about the devastating effects of sin. We can ignore those warnings and see how close we can get to the storm of sin. If we do there may very well come a time when the storm we are admiring will destroy us just like the Woodward tornado destroyed so many. It does not have to be that way. There is a place of refuge from the storm. God, through Jesus Christ is that refuge. He is the only refuge. Please dont ignore the storm warnings!!

Copyright © 2009. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

Prayer Requests: Please pray for Malachi, Cody, and Mica who are young boys with cancer. Malachi is very ill and in much pain. He is paralyzed on one side because of a tumor pressing on his brain. Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and they will be forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for me and for the healing of our son Nicks eye.).

If you are not my friend on facebook or myspace you can be, just add me. The devotionals are posted in my blogs on those two social networks and you can leave comments, feedback about them there. There are other social networks designed just for Christians, however, this is an outreach project to reach those who may not know the Lord or may have wandered away. You can help me reach out to them.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org

Two videos of my sermons are posted on Godtube at: http://www.godtube.com/Wrather

You can listen to services at my son, Clark Wrather's church (First Baptist Church of Broken Bow, Oklahoma) live on Sunday mornings at 10:55am CST http://www.kkbifm.com/

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You may SUBSCRIBE to the html text group by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may UNSUBSCRIBE by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org