[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]
Why Does God Allow Natural Disasters?
“Don’t mess with Mother Nature,” and, “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.” These were lines from a series of catchy 1970s margarine ads. When Mother Nature is fooled, bad things happen, including bad weather.
We accept that hailstorms, hurricanes, tornados, and blizzards are all part of the natural order. Hurricanes and Typhoons destroy villages, cities, and whole coastlines. Tornados destroy in a few minutes, that which took decades to build. Hailstorms damage cars and homes, and destroy crops. Droughts bring starvation and death to millions. Many of us still remember the heatwave that stunned the world in 2003. According to the daily newsletter, New Scientist.
At least 35,000 people died as a result of the record heatwave that scorched Europe in August 2003 . . . The EPI calculated the huge death toll from the eight western European countries with data available. “Since reports are not yet available for all European countries, the total heat death toll for the continent is likely to be substantially larger” . . . France suffered the worst losses, with 14,802 people dying from causes attributable to the blistering heat.
But is all weather capricious? Must humanity live in a world where weather disasters lurk around the corner? On today’s program, I’m asking and answering the question, “Why Extreme Weather?” And I’m offering a brand new booklet on the subject, titled, “Acts of God: Why Natural Disasters?” Be sure to have writing material available to take down the contact information to receive your FREE copy. And stay tuned as I’ll be right back to answer the question, “Why Extreme Weather?”
Can man control the weather?
Violence in the form of thunderstorms, tornados, and hurricanes (also known as typhoons or cyclones) are a constant danger in some parts of our world. Hailstorms inflict damage to homes, automobiles, and crops. Droughts result in crop losses, destructive fires, starvation, and loss of life. Blizzards take lives and make life miserable for any caught out in them. Scientists can tell us where and how extreme weather occurs, but do they know WHY?
A surprising number of people believe that some, if not most so-called natural disasters, are the result of chemicals sprayed in the upper atmosphere. Their evidence is contrails that they refer to as chemical trails or chemtrails, for short. The rumor of a government conspiracy began spreading in 1996 and continues, even though it has been shown in old photographs that contrails existed decades before the so-called conspiracy began, but to no avail. It’s harder to knock down a conspiracy theory than to turn lead into gold. Some people are convinced by nearly anything they read on the Internet, no matter the facts.
Now there’s no doubt that attempts to alter climate have, and still do occur. “Cloud seeding” schemes have been around since the mid-1940’s and are practiced by a number of countries. One famous claim for success came in 2009 when Hebei Province in China attempted to end a severe drought.
Engineers blasted more than 400 cigarette-size sticks of silver iodide into the sky shortly before the storm, and a senior engineer told Reuters that it was “a procedure that made the snow a lot heavier” (Scientific American, February 19, 2009).
The snow that followed was the first precipitation in more than three months. In a Scientific American interview with cloud seeding expert Arlen Juggins of the Desert Research Institute in Reno, Nevada, Mr. Juggins responded to a question about the Chinese experiment.
Generally, you can’t look at one individual storm. Would it have snowed anyway? You don’t know . . . Attributing one storm to seeding is very difficult unless the cloud system is incredibly simple, like fog that has no chance of precipitation (Scientific American, February 19, 2009).
By seeding cumulous clouds, the only kind where such operations have any chance of success, their hope is to increase the amount of rainfall contained in an individual cloud by 15 to 30 percent. While it’s difficult to know for sure, they believe these efforts have been successful.
Project Stormfury was an American attempt to lessen the power of hurricanes. The experiment began in 1962, and while there seemed to be some early success, later analysis questioned whether this was so, and for various reasons the project was dropped in 1983. It is, however, reasonable to believe that man has modified to a small degree individual clouds and storms, but this is a far cry from boasting that man controls earth’s weather.
Much time and resources are currently spent promoting the theory that man is causing our planet to warm, with disastrous consequences on the horizon. Those of us who remember the 1970s, heard similar cries that catastrophes awaited humanity because of “global cooling!” I lived in Michigan at the time, and seven of the nine years were colder than normal, so it didn’t take much to convince me. However, anecdotal evidence is simplistic and far from scientific. Weather is complex and is influenced by such things as sun-cycles and even volcanoes. Some scientists believe these are greater contributors to temperature variations than man’s behavior. Much of the evidence for global warming relies on computer models, but computer models are simply sophisticated forms of speculation, or worse.
On November 19, 2009 the Climategate scandal broke. A treasure trove of e-mails and other sensitive documents from the Climate Research Unit (the CRU) at the University of East Anglia in England leaked to the public, revealing manipulation of data regarding global warming. The significance of this was immense as this report explains:
“What we are looking at here is the small group of scientists who have for years been more influential in driving the worldwide alarm over global warming than any others, not least through the role they play at the heart of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Professor Philip Jones, the CRU’s director, is in charge of the two key sets of data used by the IPCC to draw up its reports. Through its link to the Hadley Centre, part of the UK Met Office, which selects most of the IPCC’s key scientific contributors, his global temperature record is the most important of the four sets of temperature data on which the IPCC and governments rely – not least for their predictions that the world will warm to catastrophic levels unless trillions of dollars are spent to avert it.”
Global warming is controversial, but this we know: Global cooling was in vogue in the 1970’s. It was replaced by global warming, which morphed into the broader climate change to cover all eventualities. Of course, climate DOES change. There were periods in earth’s history when large sheets of ice covered much of the northern hemisphere. Then there was a Medieval Warm Period (the MWP as it’s referred to) where some scientists claim the earth, or at least parts of the earth, were 1 to 2 degrees Celsius (that’s 1.6 to 3.2 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than what is considered a more typical time in the early 20th century.
A Harvard University research team sees global warming to be a serious threat and they plan an experiment to cool the earth. Nature Magazine had the following headline:
“First sun-dimming experiment will test a way to cool Earth.”
It went on to say:
The idea is simple: spray a bunch of particles into the stratosphere, and they will cool the planet by reflecting some of the Sun’s rays back into space.
This $3 million experiment is supposed to take place in the Southwestern United States in 2019. Such meddling with nature is not without criticism. Up to this point:
Researchers have largely restricted their work on such tactics to computer models. Among the concerns is that dimming the Sun could backfire, or at least strongly disadvantage some areas of the world by, for example, robbing crops of sunlight and shifting rain patterns.
It may be that we are in a warming trend that mankind is causing, or it may be that political and monetary forces are responsible for a great hoax.
Nevertheless, no matter how much man tampers with, or carelessly causes changes in weather, there is another source that has infinitely greater power to affect the natural world. “Acts of God: Why Natural Disasters?” is a new booklet we are offering today that goes into greater detail than we have time on this short program to cover, and it can be yours, free of charge. Others have already paid for it, so pick up the phone and ask for your copy of “Acts of God: Why Natural Disasters?” And I’ll be back in a moment to explain WHY disasters so often strike our world.
the god of nature
Our planet is very different from any other that we are currently able to see. Complexity, beauty, perfection, and balance are found everywhere. Consider its remarkable diversity: mountains and valleys, deserts and wetlands, frozen tundra and tropical forests, oceans and islands, rivers and lakes. Oceans warm, cool and moderate temperatures. The Gulf Stream brings warm water up the East Coast of North America and across the Atlantic to Northwestern Europe. The oxygen/carbon dioxide cycle dances a fine line, giving life to both plants and animals. Plants give off oxygen and animals give off carbon dioxide—each needing the other. Yes, we live on a remarkable rock, far more complex than we might first imagine.
This should cause the curious mind to wonder whether all of this is the result of lucky accidents, or the result of design. If there’s a purpose behind our existence, might the Designer have something to do with the forces that we refer to as nature? That’s a simple, but important question that needs asking and answering.
The Bible is unique among all the “holy books” ever written. No other book compares to it. Some 40 different authors wrote it, over a period of 1,500 years and over a geographical area stretching some 1,500 miles, from modern day Iraq to Italy. It contains history, genealogy, poetry and prose, proverbs, songs, and prophetic pronouncements. The accuracy of its prophecies, which make up from one fourth to one third of its pages, has been remarkable. Some easy to understand prophecies were fulfilled millennia ago. Other prophecies are being fulfilled right now, with more to take place as we near the end of the age.
The consistency of the biblical message is remarkable and it gives warnings regarding the relationship between our behavior and the natural world. According to Leviticus 26:
If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely” (Leviticus 26:3-5).
But disobedience to our Creator results in weather imbalances that bring about agricultural disasters -- drought and pestilences. Note again Leviticus 26:
But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments. . . . I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit” (Leviticus 26:14, 19-20).
You may be thinking, “Oh, but that doesn’t apply to us today!” And that would be a mistake. As we are told in Hebrews 13, verse 8,
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
Even most professing Christians are profoundly ignorant of the Bible and its message. They assume these warnings were only for the Jews and only for that time. And nothing can be further from the truth.
The Bible often records prophecies that have both a former and a latter fulfillment. One example of this is found in the prophetic book of Amos. His prophecies were clearly for his people of that day, but also for those living during the time called, the day of the LORD, a time at the end of the age. According to Amos, weather and agricultural disasters are in our future, because of our sins.
“Also I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities. And lack of bread in all your places; yet you have not returned to Me,” says the LORD. “I also withheld rain from you, when there were still three months to the harvest. I made it rain on one city, I withheld rain from another city. One part was rained upon, and where it did not rain the part withered. So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water, but they were not satisfied; yet you have not returned to me,” says the LORD. “I blasted you with blight and mildew. When your gardens increased, your vineyards, your fig trees,and your olive trees, the locust devoured them; yet you have not returned to me,” says the LORD” (Amos 4:6-9).
This passage in Amos begins to answer the question of why the earth sometimes seems to work against us, but this is such a large subject that I don’t have time to cover it adequately. If you want to know what to expect in the days ahead, exactly what natural disasters are predicted in the pages of the Bible, you need this new resource, “Acts of God: Why Natural Disasters?” And it can be yours absolutely free of charge. All you have to do is pick up the phone and request today’s offer. It’s that simple. Or you can write to the address shown on the screen or go to our website: www.TomorrowsWorld.org. Order it today! And I’ll be back in 15 seconds to explain why a loving God allows these things to happen.
mankind has denied the creator
If God is all powerful and all loving, could He not make us a safer place to dwell? Why did He make the earth so dangerous, with violent storms, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and deadly sinkholes? Is survival on our earthly home left to chance?
From the beginning, mankind has thumbed his nose in God’s face. God placed the first man and woman in a beautiful garden with luscious fruit trees of all sorts. All fruit and nut bearing trees were made available to them, except one, and that’s the one they chose. In reality, it was not the specific fruit that mattered, but what it represented. By taking from the forbidden tree, Adam and Eve declared their independence from God. They said in effect, “Leave us alone. We want to determine for ourselves what is right and what is wrong.” That act and attitude started us down a wrong path that we individually and collectively have willingly taken.
The result was that our ancestors were kicked out of the garden and let loose to do their own thing. But that decision carried with it grave consequences. No longer would God automatically intervene for them when the air turned dry and the winds blew. Let’s read Genesis 3, beginning in verse 17.
“Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:17-19).
Thorns and thistles refer to more than sharp objects on bushes. God in effect, told Adam, that He would no longer automatically bless his physical world. God could stop natural disasters. He could warn us to get out of the way while He builds a new island or mountain. He could direct a violent storm to take a course away from us, or simply calm the wind. He could do all this and more. After all, who created the dirt under our feet? Who created the laws of gravity, the strong force and the weak force? Cannot the God who created the universe and life on this planet protect us? But we are so arrogant we conclude that we, the planet on which we live, and the whole universe all came about as a result of chance! And so, God is allowing us to live in a world of chance.
Yet, our Creator is a God of love. From time to time He gives us reminders that we are not as self-sufficient as we think. He gives us periodic reality checks. Psalm 107 colorfully describes what happens when we are confronted with forces beyond our control.
“Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters, they see the works of the LORD, and His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths; their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven (Psalm 107:23-30).
Yes, when the waves roar, when hurricane force winds blow, when the ground beneath our feet shakes violently, when we’re stranded in a blizzard, then we cry out for help; but what happens when the ground stops shaking and the winds subside? How many promises of “turning over a new leaf” evaporate?
The above psalm does not indicate that God causes every storm and calms every wind. He sets these forces in motion and they remind us of our need for Him. As Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes the ninth chapter, verses 11 and 12,
But time and chance happen to them all. For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, like birds caught in a snare, so the sons of men are snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12).
A better Tomorrow’s World is coming, but we’re in for a rough ride before that time. “Acts of God: Why Natural Disasters?” gives the short-term and long-term forecasts for our world. It goes beyond the weather to discuss the significance of the Yellowstone caldera. It explains how an asteroid is coming our way and will shock the world, at least those who survive! I encourage you to call, write, or go to our website to receive your free copy of this new booklet, “Acts of God: Why Natural Disasters?” Do it today before you forget, and I’ll be back in a moment, with a challenge, so don’t go away!
prophecy reveals the future of mankind
The Bible is an amazing book containing many specific prophecies. Those unfamiliar with it may be surprised to learn that weather and other seemingly natural catastrophesare discussed in its pages. When the Bible warns of natural disasters, and it does, we ought to take notice. Catastrophes of immense magnitude, far greater than anything mankind has seen, are in our near future!
God created us, gave us life, and placed us on this beautiful and dynamic planet. He gave us wise instructions on how to live abundant and successful lives, and He’s more than capable of steering us clear of danger if we would only listen. Deuteronomy 30, verse 19 explains in simple terms the decision humanity must make.
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
Time and chance, natural disasters, bumps and bruises—these are the result of choosing the forbidden fruit. For the most part, we simply live on our own apart from God on a dynamic planet of powerful forces, but whenever a society or mankind as a whole become completely corrupt, God brings upon us catastrophic disasters to remind us we are not the ones who are in control. Sometimes it is merely a painful loss of property, but other times it’s a loss of life to teach others the consequences of a world without God.
So now we come to the crux of the matter. What are you going to do about it? Will you wait until the next storm to cry out to Him? Have you sought Him when past disasters swirled around you? And did you follow through on your promises to Him, or did you quickly forget?
You have a choice and remember, no decision IS a decision. So what will you do?
If you don’t know what to do, give us a call -- we can help!
Be sure to order your copy of “Acts of God: Why Natural Disasters?” It’s absolutely free of charge and will be sent to you upon your request. And be sure to come back again next week at this same time and station, when Richard Ames, Wallace Smith, guest presenter Rod McNair and I will bring you more news of Tomorrow’s World. Until then, may the peace and truth of Almighty God and Jesus Christ be with you.
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