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Storms and Other Disasters: Are They From God?

Storms and Other Disasters: Are They From God?

On August 3, 2023, I became medical director at Honey Lake Clinic (HLC) in Greenville, Florida. HLC is a Christian psychiatric residential treatment center (RTC). We provide holistic, Christ-centered mental health treatments to bring healing to mind, body, spirit, and relationships by identifying the cause of the sickness and restoring the individual to harmony with God’s design for life and health.

Since 1900, 34 major hurricanes (category 3 or higher) have hit the state of Florida, but only two of those have hit in the bend region where HLC is located—both since I became medical director at HLC:

  • Idalia on August 30, 2023.
  • Helene on September 27, 2024.
  • Hurricane Debby also hit the bend on August 5, 2024, but it was a category 1 storm.

In the aftermath of these events, multiple people have asked me whether these storms are from God, the devil, or just the natural processes of nature.

First, we thank God for His protection of HLC during these storms. During the two major storms, patients and staff evacuated for two days, many trees were blown over, fencing was damaged, and power was lost for multiple days, but no buildings were damaged, and the clinic was able to continue to provide services throughout.

But the question remains—how do we understand these events? Punishments inflicted by God for the increasing wickedness in the world? Attacks of Satan to try to destroy God’s agents and resources? Or nothing more than natural phenomena?

The Bible documents that when not restrained by God, Satan can bring storms of various kinds. In the first chapter of Job (vv. 12, 19), the devil brings a windstorm strong enough to collapse the house Job’s children are in. And in Mark 4:37, the Bible describes the sudden appearance of a furious, unnatural storm that terrified the disciples and threatened to drown the early church, requiring Jesus to rebuke the storm and calm the seas.

The Bible also documents that sometimes God brings storms—the great Flood described in Genesis chapters 6 through 8, for instance, and the story of Jonah running from God and the storm that raged until he was tossed into the sea (Jonah 1:10–12).

And, of course, there are simply natural weather patterns that are not instigated by God or the devil. So when devastating storms occur, how do we know what conclusion to draw about any particular storm?

 

Who Did It?

When I suggested that these recent storms were not from God but were either directly from the devil seeking to destroy or the secondary results of evil in the world, I was challenged. Some have immediately referenced God’s use of power to bring storms in Bible times and asserted that it is God acting to bring judgments to punish wickedness in the world—the proverbial “acts of God.”

So if storms can come from God, the devil, or natural processes, how can we tell the difference between when God is acting and when Satan is acting?

First, God always announces through His prophets what He is going to do before He does it:

Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets (Amos 3:7 NIV84).

Before God intervenes, He always warns to give opportunity for repentance. Why? Because God’s actions are always therapeutic, designed to save and heal, and are not punitive. He warns to alert people in order to protect and save them.

  • God announced the Flood for 120 years before it happened and provided a way of escape through the ark.
  • God announced to Abraham about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and sent angels to warn Lot.
  • God warned Pharaoh and all of Egypt through Moses about the coming plagues and gave opportunity to avoid them.
  • God sent Jonah to Nineveh to warn them and, because they did repent, He did not bring the storm.

Whenever God is the one acting, He warns through His messengers before the event occurs in order to give people time to flee, repent, and avoid the destruction.

To my knowledge, these recent storms were not announced beforehand by God’s prophets to warn and give time to repent—thus, they were not from God. So that means they are either simply natural events, ones fueled by the devil, or they are the result of evil actions on this planet.

The second reason we can know that these recent storms were not from God is because God’s actions are always therapeutic in nature, while Satan’s are always destructive. On the surface, the acts of God and the acts of the devil may sometimes appear similar, but they are not.

For instance, a surgeon will act to amputate a gangrenous foot in order to save the patient. But the surgeon’s action is not the same as a Taliban terrorist amputating the foot of an infidel. Both people are amputating limbs, but one is acting to save and heal; the other is acting to injure and destroy. This is the difference—and context, circumstance, and motive of the one taking the action determine the difference.

Once Adam sinned, no human could be saved without the promised Seed of Genesis 3:15—and the entire Old Testament narrative is about God working to bring Jesus to be our Savior and Satan’s work to stop Him. How could Satan stop Jesus from being born as a human and becoming our Savior without merely killing all humans? By getting all humans to permanently harden their hearts against God. God would not force a woman against her will to be the mother of Jesus, and God would not have Jesus born to a woman like Jezebel, who would have offered Him as an infant sacrifice to a pagan god.

At the time of the Flood, there was only one righteous man left on the earth, only one family left who would listen to and trust God and, thus, only one family through whom God could work to save humanity from sin. Thus, the Flood was not God acting to destroy but, instead, acting to save and heal.

If you would like to read more about how God’s actions are therapeutic and not destructive, see our blogs:

 

Today’s Disasters

So why are we seeing more storms and disasters? The godless world would have us believe it is because of climate change due to increased carbon emissions, but this is a lie intended to get people to surrender their freedoms to the control of the elites. Moreover, the climate change hoax is a direct denial of the Word of God, for God made two promises after the Flood. One promise was that He would never again destroy the world by a flood, and He gave the rainbow as a reminder to us of that promise.

But He also promised:

As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease (Genesis 8:22 NIV 84).

For more on the climate change lies, see our blogs:

It is not climate change that is causing the increase in disasters; it is a spiritual change, the hardening of human hearts. The climate change narrative is how Satan is disguising the real problem!

God is the Creator and Sustainer of reality. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned, God has been using His power to save and heal, to restrain evil, to hold in check the principalities and powers of darkness for the purpose of leading people to salvation. But when God removes His restraining hand, as He did in the book of Job, Satan has more freedom to act—and Satan is the destroyer.

The dwelling place of the Holy Spirit on the earth is the spirit temple, the human heart and mind. As billions of people harden their hearts against God, the Holy Spirit is slowly withdrawn from the earth and, as a result, Satan gains more and more freedom to act—and this is what is causing the increase in disasters upon the earth. This withdrawal of God’s presence and protection because humanity has hardened their hearts to Him is described in the Bible as “God’s wrath.”

The apostle Paul explicitly states in Romans 1:18, 24, 26, and 28 that God’s wrath is letting people go from His protection to reap what they have chosen, and the natural result is destruction. Many Bible scholars recognize this truth. From the book Hard Sayings of the Bible, published by Intervarsity Press, commenting on Romans 1:18–32, we read:

In some sense, God’s wrath is built into the very structure of created reality. In rejecting God’s structure and establishing our own, in violating God’s intention for the creation and substituting our own intentions, we cause our own disintegration.

The human condition, which Paul describes in Romans 1:18-32, is not something caused by God. The phrase “revealed from heaven” (where “heaven” is a typical Jewish substitute word for “God”) does not depict some kind of divine intervention, but rather the inevitability of human debasement which results when God’s will, built into the created order, is violated. Since the created order has its origin in God, Paul can say that the wrath of God is now (constantly) being revealed “from heaven.” It is revealed in the fact that the rejection of God’s truth (Rom 1:18-20), that is, the truth about God’s nature and will, leads to futile thinking (Rom 1:21-22), idolatry (Rom 1:23), perversion of God-intended sexuality (Rom 1:24-27) and relational-moral brokenness (Rom 1:28-32).

The expression “God gave them over” (or “handed them over”), which appears three times in this passage (Rom 1:24,26,28), supports the idea that the sinful perversion of human existence, though resulting from human decisions, is to be understood ultimately as God’s punishment which we, in freedom, bring upon ourselves.

In light of these reflections, the common notion that God punishes or blesses in direct proportion to our sinful or good deeds cannot be maintained… God loves us with an everlasting love. But the rejection of that love separates us from its life-giving power. The result is disintegration and death (Kaiser, W., et al., pp. 542, 543, emphasis mine).

At the end of time, God’s wrath is the gradual release of His protection from all those who have hardened their hearts against Him. As this occurs, evil forces will gain more freedom to act and we will see ever-increasing destruction of all kinds—natural disasters, pestilences, wars, famines, and human abuse and exploitation.

And, consistent with His character, God foretold His actions in letting go, withdrawing His protection, and the subsequent results through Jesus’ prophecies recorded in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 and also through John in the book of Revelation.

But Jesus also tells us that we are not to be overcome with fear when these things occur; instead, He said, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28 NIV84).

And Paul tells us exactly what our mindset needs to be at this time in human history, because we are not children of the dark but of the light:

Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.  But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:1–9 NIV84).

We have nothing to fear from the wrath of God, for we are His children and He will never abandon us, leave us, or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He is with us always, even to the end of the earth (Matthew 28:20). So lift up your head and rejoice as these events take place, for Jesus is coming soon!

 

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Testimony 34

I was introduced to Come and Reason Ministries by accident, via a passing comment made in a bible study class we were visiting. I checked this website out and my life was changed. The understanding of the truth of God’s character, and how we apply it, is so right. The tricky part is consistently applying which “lens” to look through. As I began to understand, I started sharing the basics of this understanding with a discussion group I was leading and, suddenly, a lot of things started to make sense that never used to. At the same time, I enjoyed an amazing opportunity. I was able to conduct a full bible study at WORK! What an amazing experience! It is such a joy to share the truth about God and to share how it all fits in the war between God and Satan. So many people benefit when we have a correct understanding about how God works and who He really is! Thank you for this transformational understanding. Keep up the good work! God Bless you!

Tony P., CA, USA

 

Testimony 6

I got the book “Could It Be This Simple?” a few months ago and the reading was wonderful and I was fascinated. I lent the book to a friend at work. She is having a difficult time and the book is helping her to find Jesus and I found this very exciting. She has asked me questions and I can see her life changing.

H. S., Australia

 

Testimony 31

It was very touching to hear the testimony of your class share how viewing God’s true character has changed their lives. My feelings are the same – there is so much freedom in knowing that God LOVES me – regardless of my… just, REGARDLESS! I’m still blown away by the true gospel, the fact that God is not ready to strike us when we fail. He is not arbitrary. He simply loves us and warns of the natural consequences because He can’t stand to see us suffer. I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS GOD!!!

Ceil V.,  UT, USA

 

Testimony 56

I cannot thank you enough for opening my understanding to the beautiful truth of God’s Law of Love and how it applies to everything. I have been a Christian for over forty years, but I feel like I am only now seeing with my eyes open. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!

Tammy Cinzio, Australia

 

Testimony 15

I have been sharing Come And Reason Ministries Bible study lessons with several folk. You have such a beautiful view of the plan of salvation. If we had this message preached when I was young, my generation would still all be in church.

H. R., New Zealand

Testimony 40

I was brought up in a different faith and have been petrified my whole life of God. I believed that I would burn in hell for eternity. When I was 12 I started pursuing the things of this world, but for the next 45 years the Spirit was always calling me, as I knew there was a God through nature. I could see the vast sea of stars in the universe and knew there was something bigger out there. Five years ago, through a Revelation seminar, I was blessed to learn about God’s character and government.

Then I found Come and Reason Ministries and have come under some extreme pressure when I speak about the ministry. One time a member sent me an internet article titled “Whats wrong with Tim Jennings?” I asked her what she thought of it and she said “I don’t know, I didn’t read it.”

I have always wanted to find out for myself the truth about God, so I stayed with the Design Law construct and have been liberated to understand the big picture. Once we consider Design Law, all other Bible stories and prophecies seem to fit perfectly. It is truly beautiful to see people grasping how God operates this Universe of Love and the liberation it has provided in their lives. It blows my mind to see how consistent Design law is with what our founders believed. I hear statements like “This makes so much sense.”

Tom W., Mt. Pleasant, MI, USA

 

Testimony 41

I have been blessed by your ministry. I have experienced personally, and deeply resonate with, the God of love and the beautiful picture of God’s character that you present. I have seen your seminar series on YouTube, read ‘The Journal of the Watcher’ book, used your mobile app, and also listen/study the bible study lesson with you each week. I concur with many of the thoughts and perspectives that you share. I understand your conclusions on natural laws vs imposed law and the legal/penal substitution (incorrect diagnosis). This makes perfect sense to me.

Bless you for all you do.

Melissa L.

 

Testimony 57

You have helped make sense of thirty two years of confusion. The material you freely provide reorganized so much of my life into such a beautiful pattern that has always been hinted at from within, but misguided with my training and what I was experiencing externally. My filipno parents, who were converted from Catholicism to SDA, were sincere and did their best to raise me the right way and I have deep respect for them. However, being immigrants and not understanding the language made for a difficult transition as I was growing up, which also applied to my spiritual growth as I learned the patterns of religion. I have been listening to as many bible study classes and reading blog posts as my time in a work truck will allow, searching for the practical applications of where spirituality and reality meet, and I thank you for helping me find that. You have helped me reach a point in which I can truly say that I love God, that I believe He loves me, and, like David, I delight in His law. God bless.

Emmanuel V., Calgary, AB Canada

Testimony 55

I was born [into the church], then I left it for many years. 10 years ago, I came back, but I could not take the hypocrisy and the lack of answers to the missing pieces. I struggled, but I did not abandon my commitment to know the truth. God is leading me to the simple understanding of his relevance and I am relearning what the church taught me as a youth… that he loves me, that he has led me to a knowledge of him such as I have never known. He is using Dr. Jennings to connect the dots that are now so apparent and hiding in plain sight!

Dean P., Arlington, TX, USA

 

Testimony 72

I am blown away by the truth that you present. God’s Design Law makes so much sense! You have validated my impression that, if God is love, He would not kill those who don’t want to know him. If God gives us choice, then how can He destroy us if our choice is not to follow him. Thank you for opening my eyes and heart to the pure love of God seen through Jesus. The love I now have for Jesus is deeper and free from condemnation. My heart has been opened to love others as Jesus loves me. May God continue to bless your God-given insight into His word and your ministry. The truth has set me free!

H. Miller, Centereach, NY

Testimony 35

I am so pleased with the response your message is receiving at my church from the middle-aged to the young adults. I have given out 100 copies of the first two seminars and there are more request every week. One of my [class members] came to me after viewing the series, grateful and impressed with how easy the message was retained. He had been a Seventh-day Adventist in fear all his life, and felt like the scales were removed from his eyes after viewing the seminars. I am so impressed by the change I see in members who have received this message, we are in one accord. However, I am sadden by the negative response of the older people. I am verbally attacked anytime I talk about imposed laws, but I believe my mission is to enlightened everyone I can. I watch your Bible Study Class on YouTube every Friday night and I feel like I am apart of the class. All of you are in one accord and I am so blessed to have found you. I pray that all of you continue to spread this message and I am committed to doing my part.

Clara S., Westfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 59

I’m a native Ghanan, but am currently in France for my master’s degree. Prior to this, during my final years at undergraduate studies in Ghana, I was introduced to your ministry and I’ve been immensely blessed by what you share, especially about the Design and Imposed Laws. God richly bless you for that.

One of the first things I did when I arrived in France was to buy all four of your books. They not only helped me, but those I shared them with. I shared the message with an atheist student and I marveled at how God worked mightily in his life. Today this person shares the Love of God with others and debunks theories of who God is not. I want to share what you present in your “Heavenly Sanctuary and Investigative Judgment” pamphlet, because the message brought rest to my soul and I live today as a healthy person.

God bless you so much and your ministry.

Michael A., Ghana

 

Testimony 62

I would like to express my thanks to the C&R team for creating a platform from which people can learn to trust in God and grow. My life is a witness to the effectiveness of this ministry. Without believing the truth about God as you have shown, I don’t know what my life would be like. I had given up on God helping me with certain sins – it was all useless. Given that the scripture is clear and God is so good, how could I have betrayed him so many times? I was a yo-yo christian; spinning up and down. My faith and enthusiasm was driven by discoveries/threats that prophecy is about to be fulfilled. But when I watched your “Healing the Mind” seminar, it was like a light finally went on. I could see God had no plan to hurt me, the danger came from sin, and that He is working to protect me and strengthen me. Thank you for allowing God to use you. The message God gave C&R saved my life!

Antony N. – Hobart, Australia

 

Testimony 37

Hearing Dr. Jennings’ presentations in person came at a pivotal moment in my spiritual journey that began about nine months ago, when the fault lines inherent in my belief system began to crack under questions that most reasonable people end up asking about God and His nature. These were questions I couldn’t find answers to, and they shook my faith. I was unable let it go any longer and be satisfied. My Christian experience became distant. I was afraid; the fear in me rose like thorns, pushing me away from Jesus. And then someone heard my questions and introduced me to this ministry, and my life has totally changed.

I can tell you that this new, “present truth” message is far grander and life-changing than when I shifted from being an agnostic and then a nominal Christian. It has radically altered my worldview, because it reveals a God that makes sense. It is a revolution. I believe that Dr. Jennings’ message is the final message that must go to the world. If any message could be called “righteousness by faith,” as abused as that term is by the right and the left, this is that message, because Jennings’ biblical message identifies a God who is different, whose character isn’t an impossible contradiction.

I walk this path now without fear. I see people differently, and the Holy Spirit burns in my heart. Many call Dr. Jennings’ message false and compromising, but it isn’t false, because I’ve seen the fruits within my mind and body. It is not compromising, because in this message is the only road to holiness that makes any sense. No longer do I behold a pagan god who is always angry and suspicious. Instead, I behold a God who is freeing and loving, always working for our good, and giving me every reason to love my enemy even to my own death, just as Jesus pleads with us. God is good.

Anthony L., CA, USA

 

Testimony 54

I had a lot of pressure, as a pastor’s kid, to conform and be “good.” I was good at being “good.” I thought my life was going along well until it all started falling apart and I could not figure out why! In my search for “why is this happening to me, God?” I came across your book, “Could it be this Simple,” and God started revealing to me the many distortions I held about His character, His principles, and how He has designed His universe to operate. I remember thinking, “Wow, I have had this all backwards.” I was happy and angry all at the same time. Happy to have the light of truth break through the darkness, revealing a wonderful, beautiful way of understanding God and His plan for His children, and angry, because I felt deceived and cheated by the church, my family, and myself!

My heart thrills when I listen to your bible study lessons. Literally I have gone from death to life. It is a journey I look forward to every day, as God reveals areas this distortion affects. Praise GOD! I will ever be grateful to God for this ministry and your cooperation with the Spirit!

Karen S., Portal, AZ, USA