D.W.O.

For 15 long hours, 4 million people waited through terror. Many of them hid in a closet or under their bathroom sink. They could hear parts of their house being torn apart. They felt the walls shaking, then falling into pieces. Winds up to 164 miles per hour battered them.

The date was August 24, 1992. The place was southern Florida - Homestead, Kendall, Florida City, Cutler Ridge. Nearly 250,000 people lost their homes. Fifteen people died.

This was not some make-believe monster. This was real life. The "monster's" name was Andrew. He was a hurricane. He caused deep floods. He whipped up 12 foot waves. He was the most costly storm ever. Insurance companies paid over 10 billion dollars to repair damages!

Why was there so much damage? Didn't people know the storm was coming? Didn't they prepare?

Yes, they prepared. The weather service told people the storm was coming. They knew it would be terrible. One million people left their homes to be in safer places. In many other ways, they tried to get ready for the storm. Their preparations weren't enough. Even the insurance companies weren't ready for such a costly storm. Some of them didn't have enough money to pay for the damages.

Another storm is coming. It is the storm of God's judgment against your sins. What a storm! When the forecasters warned about Andrew, they said he would be a preview of God's final Day of Judgment. Not everyone believed them. All of Andrew's fury is just a small picture of that coming day when people will meet God. Sinners not prepared for that day will lose everything. They will lose their soul.

God's storm will be worse than anyone can imagine. Even the most careful preparations you can make will not be enough to shelter you. Wouldn't it be terrible to think you were prepared for that storm and then find out your preparations weren't enough. It will be too late then.

Is there any way to prepare and be sure you are completely safe - saved? Yes, there is. The cross is the only safe shelter. If you believe God's warning about the Judgment Storm that is coming because of your sins, you can be saved. On the cross, the Lord Jesus suffered the storm of judgment for guilty sinners. If you can find from the Bible that He faced the storm because of your sins, you will be safe. You will never have to face that storm. The Lord Jesus said, 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgment)' (John 5:24). If you find shelter in Christ and His cross, you are as safe as God can make you. Anything else, even if you think it is good enough, won't save you. you'll discover how terrible that storm will be.

Be sure to prepare. Be sure your shelter will keep you safe when the storm comes.

Related Items:

• When a Matress Mattered
• Safe from the Storm
• Too Late to Be Saved
• Sunday school Lesson 606 Jesus Walks on Water
• Sunday School Lesson 530 Jesus Calms the Waves of the Storm