September 8, 2017 Brethren Letter
Dear Brethren,
While writing tonight’s letter, Hurricane Irma is predicted to hit the state of Florida, potentially as a “Category 5”. Right now, the hurricane is a “Category 4” storm with sustained winds of up to 150 miles per hour. According to the National Hurricane Center a “Category 4” storm will produce the following catastrophic results:
Well-built framed homes can sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.
Category 5 storms are stronger yet, and even more destructive. Hurricane Irma is said to be the worst Atlantic storm ever recorded, and is approximately the size as the state of Texas. The physical damage Hurricane Irma will cause is estimated to be a minimum of $100 Billion dollars.
Recently, there have been other catastrophic disasters to hit North America. Here are some headlines:
ABC News (Sept. 1, 2017)
Hurricane Harvey wreaks historic devastation: By the numbers
The remnants of Hurricane Harvey continued to dump rain on several southern states nearly a week after making landfall in Texas as the most powerful storm to hit the mainland in over a decade.
Harvey’s torrential rain, devastating winds and widespread flooding have so far cost at least 39 lives, driven over one million people to evacuate their homes in Texas and caused extensive destruction that will likely make it one of the costliest storms in U.S. history.
The Christian Science Monitor (Sept. 8, 2017)
Mexico rocked by one of the most powerful earthquakes recorded
One of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded in Mexico struck off the country’s southern coast, toppling hundreds of buildings, triggering tsunami evacuations, and sending panicked people fleeing into the streets in the middle of the night. At least 32 people were reported killed.
The earthquake hit off Chiapas state near the Guatemalan border with a magnitude of 8.1 – equal to Mexico’s strongest of the past century.
Fox News (Sept. 3, 2017)
Fires rage through West; California governor declares state of emergency
California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency Sunday, the Los Angeles Times reported. Brown’s declaration, which allows for state and federal assistance to be provided to Los Angeles County quickly, came after Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued a similar declaration.
There is also another major hurricane currently in the Atlantic Ocean, also a “Category 4”. This hurricane is expected to hit several Atlantic Islands hard, (already battered by Hurricane Irma), but it is not expected to hit the United States.
AL.COM (Sept. 8, 2017)
Hurricane Jose: Track takes Category 4 storm close to islands
Category 4 Hurricane Jose strengthened even more on Friday night with 155 mph winds as it continued on a path toward the Irma-battered Leeward Islands.
Hurricane Jose intensified quickly and poses a big threat to the northern Leeward Islands. Some of the same islands were just hit by Irma on Wednesday.
It was recently reported on television that “natural disasters” are becoming more frequent and much more powerful. That’s a very good observation!
Here’s what is written in the Worldwide Church of God, Bible Correspondence Course (Lesson 44, 1969).
COUNTDOWN ON CIVILIZATION HAS BEGUN!
WHAT FEW seem to realize is that we are now in the last half of THIS WORLD’S last generation!
Do you know what this means?
The final, IRREVOCABLE “countdown” on human society — on THIS world’s systems — has already begun! Time is fast running out!
Man Is Upsetting Natural Law
Look about you. What do you see in nature? Upset weather conditions, increasing earthquakes, tornadoes, typhoons, unpredictable hurricanes, rampant disease!
Man, the rebel, is depleting earth’s natural resources, and POLLUTING the land, sea, air — even space!
By upsetting the balance in nature, humanity is triggering worldwide DESTRUCTION. Your Bible foretold it centuries ago: “Your crimes have upset this order, and your sins have withheld the blessing from you” (Jer. 5:25, Goodspeed Trans.).
God says, “Hear, O EARTH; for behold, I am bringing TROUBLE upon this people, the FRUIT OF THEIR OWN DEVICES” (Jer. 6:19, Goodspeed Trans.).
Brethren, stay close to God! There is a time just ahead when everything will be much different on this earth. Natural disasters, like the hurricanes we see today, will eventually come to an end.
(3) If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; (4) then I will give your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. (5) And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time; and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely (Leviticus 26:3-5 – American Standard Version).
Please have a good night’s rest!
Your Brother in Christ,
Gary Liebold