Weathering Life’s Storms

As a family of brethren, it has been hard the last day or two with the recent news regarding the Council of Elders and its chairman. And it's also been hard in our own personal family with the death of Barbara's mother. At times, life in general is just plain tough. It gets rough, and as was said in the sermonette, we do need sand in order to endure the trials that come upon us. Now, Hurricane Sandy caused loss of life and great destruction and devastation all the way from the Caribbean to the northeastern United States. Hurricane Sandy will be remembered as a raging freak of nature that became one of the most destructive storms in U.S. history. Now, I'd like to share with you a timeline from Sandy's birth deep in the Caribbean Sea to its dissipation over Pennsylvania nine days later. Now, this is a little bit lengthy, but I want to bring out some things as I go through here. In this regard, this was taken from a writing by Willie Dry, D-R-Y-E. He's been writing about hurricanes and other topics for National Geographic News since 2003. He has a blog. It's called Dry Goods. D-R-Y-E, Goods. On October 22nd, a tropical depression formed in the southern Caribbean Sea off the coast of Nicaragua. That's October 22nd. That's 10, 11, 12 days ago.

On the coast of Nicaragua, I doubt that anyone in New York City was all that worried on October 22nd. The depression strengthened and became Tropical Storm Sandy with maximum winds of about 40 miles an hour. You know, that's no big deal. We have 40 miles an hour here all the time. No, not all the time. Quite often. October 24th, a couple days later, Sandy has become a Category 1 hurricane as it moves northward across the Caribbean and crosses Jamaica with winds of 80 miles per hour. Although Sandy's eye does not cross the Dominican Republic and Haiti to its east, the storm does dump more than 20 inches of rain on Hispaniola. More than 50 people die in flooding and mudslides in Haiti. October 22nd, a couple days, 26th, a couple days after that. Sandy strengthens as it moves from Jamaica to Cuba, and it strikes the historic city of Santiago de Cuba with winds of about 110 miles per hour. Only one mile per hour below the status of a major Category 3, so 111 is a major Category 3 hurricane. Everything is destroyed, Santiago resident Alexi Mandule told Reuters by telephone. Sandy causes more devastation as it crosses the Bahamas and makes a slight turn to the north and northwest. So this was October 26th, and I doubt that anyone in New York City was all that concerned. On October 27th, Sandy moves away from the Bahamas and makes a turn to the northeast off the coast of Florida. News services estimate the death toll in the Caribbean at 70 or more. The storm briefly weakens to a tropical depression, but quickly re-intensifies into a Category 1 hurricane. Sandy continues moving northeast on a track that takes its parallel to the coast of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. But the storm center strays well offshore. Again, nothing to worry too much about at this point.

Even though the storm still sends powerful waves onto North Carolina's outer banks, washes out North Carolina Highway 12 in places. The storm is still a Category 1 hurricane with peak winds of about 80 miles an hour. But an unusual configuration of weather factors is converging. You've heard the perfect storm? This is what was going on.

And meteorologists warn that the storm likely will morph into a powerful hybrid superstorm as it turns northward. Now maybe a few ears are perking up. Maybe something is happening here. A high-pressure cold front to Sandy's north will force the storm to start turning to the northwest toward major cities such as Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia, and New York. And the full moon will make Sandy's storm surge expected to be 11 to 12 feet in some places a little higher as it makes landfall.

Sandy has expanded into a huge storm with winds covering about 1,000 miles. You just don't see this kind of stuff. Keith Blackwell, a meteorologist at the University of South Alabama's Coastal Weather Research Center in Mobile, Alabama, tells National Geographic News, it's so strong and so large, normally protected areas like New York Harbor and Long Island are seeing the worst-case scenario.

Okay, so again, people's ears are starting to perk up now. It's heading for Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City. October 29, 1230 p.m. Sandy has made its expected sharp turn toward the northwest on a path to the coast of New Jersey. The storm also has started interacting with other weather systems, gaining energy in the process. The storm will dump heavy snow in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina.

Sandy will have a run of about 300 miles over open water as it heads for landfall, giving it time to build up a huge storm surge that will be a little bigger because of the influence of the full moon. One month after the feast. We had a full moon of the feast.

One month later, another full moon. Meanwhile, a replica of the tall ship HMS Bounty en route for New London, Connecticut to St. Petersburg, Florida, with 16 people on board is caught in Sandy's raging seas in the infamous graveyard of the Atlantic off the Outer Banks. CNN reports that the ship's captain, Robin Walbridge, tries to steer his ship away from the worst of Sandy's wrath, but the ship's pumps fail and it begins rapidly flooding and begins to sink. Passengers and crew abandon the ship. Now, certainly the captain didn't think it would come to this, did he? The captain of that ship never dreamed it would get this bad.

But he was wrong. Passengers and crew abandon the ship. Only 14 of the 16 people on board make it to the relative safety of the lifeboats. A rescue cue from the U.S. Coast Guard stationed at Elizabeth City in North Carolina pulls the survivors to safety aboard helicopters. They recover the body of one missing crewman. It was a woman's in her forties, but Walbridge, the captain, is still missing. After four days of searching for this body for the captain, the Coast Guard suspends their search for the captain.

I don't believe his body was ever found. In a short video of Walbridge posted on the Bounty's Facebook page this past week, he described being captain of the Bounty as probably one of the greatest jobs in the world. Little did he know that he would find his death just a few days later as captain of that boat. Life is precarious, brethren. Are we taking life for granted? Are you taking life for granted? Do you know what's going to happen next week?

The week after? A month from now? A year from now? What kind of storm is brewing in your life? Have you done things in the past that will come back to haunt you in the future? What can you do about it? Is there anything that you can do about it? If you haven't repented, now's a good time. If you haven't changed the course that you're going on, now's a good time to change it. Now's the best time to change. If there's anything that can be done, now's the time to do it.

You just don't know what's going to happen next. Now, that afternoon, again on October 29, Sandy brings high winds and drenching rains from Washington, D.C. northward, toppling trees and power lines and cutting off electrical power for millions of people. The storm eventually will affect more than 50 million people on the eastern seaboard. At 8 p.m. that evening, Sandy's center comes ashore near Atlantic City, New Jersey. The storm is no longer considered a hurricane, but is now classified as a post-tropical northeastern.

But the storm's unusual path from the southeast makes its storm surge much worse for New Jersey and New York. I'm sure they didn't expect what they got. A cyclone's strongest winds and highest storm surge are to the front and right of its circulation because the power of the storm's strongest winds is combined with its forward motion. New York Harbor receives this part of Sandy's impact, the worst, the brunt of it.

The surge is worsened because the full moon has added about a foot to the surge and because Sandy arrives at high tide. Another problem. Meteorologist Tim Morin of the National Weather Service's office in New York tells National Geographic News that the surge nearly 14 feet. They did not predict 14 feet, but it was nearly 14 feet.

It's a new record for a storm surge in the harbor. The previous record of just over 10 feet. So four feet more. That's a lot more. It was set in 1960s, over 50 years ago, when Hurricane Donna passed offshore. That was only 10 feet. This was 14 feet. And that was 50 years ago, when that last record was set. The surge tops the seawall at the Battery in lower Manhattan and floods parts of the city's subway system.

The surge also floods the the U-Carry Tunnel, which links lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. The storm's huge size means that its winds, rains, and flooding will pound New Jersey and New York throughout the night, and through three cycles of high tides and low tides. Staten Island also is hit very hard by the storm. That was a bad time to take a trip to New York City, by the way.

Thankfully, none of us were up there at that time. I know many tourists were, because it's the largest tourist area in the world, New York City. The Seattle Times later reports that towns such as Oakwood Beach, Midland Beach, South Beach, and Tottenville, which lost many residents who were police and firefighters during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, those communities were again among the hardest-hit communities. October 30th. Although Sandy has started to move away from New York, the backside of the huge storm is still inflicting punishment on the Northeast. As the day progresses, Sandy weakens as it moves inland over Pennsylvania. October 31st, nearly 10 days later, the storm that began as Hurricane Sandy dissipates over western Pennsylvania and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issues its final advisory on the storm. NOAA's advisory says multiple centers of circulation in association with the remnants of Sandy can be found across the lower Great Lakes. NOAA reports that Sandy killed more than 70 people in the Caribbean and at least 50 in the United States. NOAA estimates that Sandy caused at least $20 billion in damages. So this was a timeline. To me, it was interesting to consider. And if you look back a week ago, what were you thinking about? Were you thinking about this storm 10 days ago? Were you thinking about the storm? If you had lived in New York City, how would you have reacted to this storm? What would you have thought about? Would you have noticed? Would you have paid attention? Would you have seen the warning signs? Would you have listened? Would you have done something to avoid the effects of that storm? Today, I want to talk about surviving life's storms. Surviving life's storms. That's the title of this sermon. How good are you at surviving life's storms? We're going to have more storms in the future. That's one thing we can count on. There will be more storms that will hit this country. And I'm not just talking about hurricanes. There's lots of different types of storms. What about the church? Will there be spiritual storms that will hit the church again? How about your own personal life?

Now's the time to wake up, brethren. Now's the time to become closer to God, to draw closer to God, and to get the strength that we need to survive the storms that are coming.

Now, many of us watched this storm develop several days in advance. I remember hearing about it several days ago. I didn't worry much about the storm. For us living here, I mean, we weren't affected, were we? We had gorgeous weather here. It was beautiful weather. But I remember a few years ago, there were effects of a hurricane in Watonga, Oklahoma. Gerald Irons had his house flooded in Watonga. I still don't understand what happened. What it was, there was some effect from a storm down south that actually swept up into Oklahoma and caused damage even there. So we can't even be sure that some of these storms won't affect us. Now, this one didn't here in Oklahoma. But the next one may. I mean, we are isolated somewhat. I mean, that's one advantage of being away from the ocean. It's got its drawbacks, too. You know, I like the ocean. I miss not being closer.

Now, even though I didn't think it would be a problem for us, I knew it was going to cause big trouble for some people. You know, as I heard more about it, I knew it was going to cause big trouble for some people.

90 mile an hour winds last New York City and the New Jersey coastline. The water surge flooded subways and tunnels. Power is out to millions even now. It is stunning to realize the world's financial capital has been shut down because of a natural occurrence. I mean, that happened back at 9-11. But, you know, it takes a lot to shut down the financial capital of the world.

To hear about the deaths of little children and the elderly is especially difficult. You may have heard that two ladies were taking a walk during the storm and a tree fell, killing both of them. And they weren't expecting that, were they? You've heard of some of the stories, very, very sad stories. It's humbling as a nation to see one of the world's great cities hit this hard. Without power, people lined up for two miles waiting for gasoline for their vehicles.

Talk about road rage. I'm sure a lot of those people, in one case, now this is from a man named Abhishek Soni. He said, I'd been pumping gas for 36 hours. I pumped 17,000 gallons of gas. People were lined up in long lines. This is from an owner of an exon in Montclair where disputes on the line Wednesday night had become so heated that Mr.

Soni called the police and turned off the pumps for 45 minutes to restore calm. He said, my nose, my mouth is bleeding from the fumes. All the gas that he was pumping, the fighting just makes it worse. See, we really have no idea what some people went through. Some of the people of the Atlantic Coast have seen their homes totally wiped out in a moment of time. What took a lifetime for them to build?

Around 100 homes burned in hours in one neighborhood since fire trucks could not reach the area because of high water. Some, no doubt, will have to walk away with nothing. You know, if they didn't have insurance, they covered this, and they walk away with basically nothing. Now, some say the losses from the storm will approach 50 billion. According to an early estimate from economists at Moody's Analytics, about 30 billion in property damage. The other guy said about 20 billion. He says about 30 billion in property damage. The rest in lost economic activity like meals and canceled flights.

I think over a thousand flights were canceled one day, maybe several days. At the same time, the death toll in New York City rose to 38 as rescuers continued to discover bodies while combing through coastal wreckage. Among them were the bodies of two boys, ages two and four, who had been torn from their mother by raging floodwaters on Stanton Island. About 43 percent of customers in New Jersey and about 16 percent in New York State remained without electricity.

An official said that they expected power to be restored to all of Manhattan by today. Hurricane Katrina was a terrible hurricane that struck New Orleans and surrounding areas. Katrina has now hit the Northeast. Some call this the Katrina of the Burroughs. Sandy was truly a devastating form that wreaked havoc in many people's lives. Brethren, since its members are human, the Church of God is also vulnerable to its own storms. We know that. Those of us who have been in the Church a long time, we weathered a lot of storms in the Church.

You know, we've seen a lot. We're going to see more. Hopefully this latest problem, situation, doesn't cause us too much problem. I mean, I'm hoping that we can certainly deal with it and understand these things will happen. As long as we have human beings that are leaders in our Church, they will let us down at times. They'll let themselves down at times. Haven't you let yourself down before?

I know I have. You know, we all do that at times, and we pay the consequences. Be sure your sins will find you out. You know, sometimes God's merciful, but your sins always find you out to some degree. You know, they always do.

Hurricane Sandy and recent Church events should bring our country and the Church of God to what we call at youth camps a teachable moment. We look for teachable moments at camp. When things happen, we like to use those things to teach godly principles. That's what I'm going to be doing today. This should be a teachable moment for all of us. What are we to learn from this week? Sometimes it takes a national disaster in order to learn some things. In order to be sobered about life in general, sometimes a trial in the Church can also help us place our focus where it needs to be placed. We are being affected by both national trials and also by church trials, some of us by personal trials, probably all of us to some degree by personal trials. Again, what is the key to surviving life's storms? Are we ready for the next storm that comes? Things do come up in our lives, in our Church, and in our country, in this world. How can we be ready always? How can we always be ready?

Again, this is a moment to discern the signs of the times. Ask yourself, what can and should I learn from this? Are things getting better here on earth? Or are we drawing ever closer to the return of Jesus Christ and some cataclysmic events that will take place prior to His return? God is very saddened by these events. He takes no pleasure in seeing the death of the wicked, let alone innocent people and children. You know, God is saddened by all this. We should be saddened by it. It's distressing.

Let's talk about a strategy for enduring life's storm. Is there a different strategy for enduring life's storms each time a new one comes along? Or is it basically the same strategy that we need to use always? I would submit to you that it's the same strategy. It's in God's holy word. God tells us how to survive life's storm. The whole book tells us. We can't go through the whole book today, so we'll just talk about three principles or three strategies for surviving life's storms. The first one is, be sure to build your house upon the rock. Be sure that you've built your house upon the rock. Let's go to Matthew 7. It's important that we build our house upon the rock. We know who the rock is. We know that the head of this church is the rock. And we are to build our house, our spiritual house, upon Him. And Christ gives us instruction to that regard. In the Sermon on the Mount, he says in Matthew 7, verse 24, Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine, and we should read the Sermon on the Mount on a regular basis because many words of wisdom Christ shares with us in this sermon, whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain descended, the floods came, the hurricanes came, and the winds blew, and they beat on that house, and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. Now the sand is used in different ways in the Scripture. Mr. Babcock used it in a different way.

This is a way that we ought not build our house on the sand, because the sand can shift.

And the rain descended, the floods came, the winds blew, and it beat on the house, and it fell, and great was its fall. Whenever our sin finds us out, we fall, and great is that fall.

And so it was when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Christ does have authority in your life. He tells you to build your house upon the rock. Build your house solidly upon the rock, upon Jesus Christ. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all things will be taken care of. God will give you what you need, but seek first the kingdom of God. Build your house on the rock. King David, who had his share of trials, and some of them he brought upon himself, he paid the consequences for his sins, by the way. We all do in various ways. In Psalm 146, verse 3, David says, Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man. The margin says, a human being, man or woman, don't put your trust in men, in whom there is no help. This word, help, could also be translated, salvation. In whom there is no salvation in any man. We must be careful not to follow man, but to follow God, and to only follow man as they follow Christ, the rock. That's building your house on the rock. Don't follow men as they disobey God. Follow men as they obey God. As they do those things that are pleasing and in sight. Don't put your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, because there's no help. You can't place your trust there, because man will always let you down. I mean, eventually, because we're not perfect. Christ is perfect. Christ will never let you down. That's why you should build your house on the rock. And Christ is the one that we need to look to, always. Christ is the head of this church. We need to look to Him for salvation.

Don't look to any man. Don't look to a minister. Don't look to me. But look to Christ. Look past the man. Be sure they're following Christ. In Ephesians 2, it speaks of Christ as the chief cornerstone, the foundational stone. Ephesians 2, verse 19. Ephesians 2, verse 19.

Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. He's talking to all of us. We're all members of the household of God. Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, yes, we place our faith in God's Word. And God's Word tells us about apostles and prophets that God has ordained that we ought to follow as they follow Christ. Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone in whom the whole building being fitted together grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Again, build your house on the rock, and God will never leave you. He will never forsake you. He will never fail you. You will always have what you need. So the first point again is to build your house on the rock in the first place. Again, there's going to be storms in the future. God allows storms. There is such a thing as man-made storms. Others cause them. We see them coming and we batten down the hatches, and we realize our foundation is solid because we've built on the rock. And we're going to ride this one out fine because we built on the rock, and God gives us strength.

So let's be open here. You know, sometimes our brothers in the ministry let us down.

I'm sure I've let some of you down in certain ways that I may not even know about.

And I'm sorry for that. I apologize for that. I don't want to let you down. I'm sure I've let my wife down in some ways. I'm sorry for that.

You know, that's life for human beings. Sometimes we let each other down. We have to be forgiven because we have to be forgiving people because we will be forgiven in the same manner that we forgive others. And there's not a single person here that is without sin. So yes, we should have mercy and we should want mercy. And I know that Mr. Lucre wants mercy. The Council of Elders wants mercy. They want to be able to extend mercy, and they are extending mercy. We have to realize that. Regardless, we all need to repent of our sins whenever they're discovered, whenever we face them. Remember, David had to have a prophet sent to him before he owned up to his sin. A prophet Nathan had to come to him and tell him a story. And tell him, you are that man! You're the one I'm talking about because David was dense.

He didn't put it all together like he should have.

He paid a price for that. His son died. A son that he had illegitimately conceived with Bathsheba died. He suffered for that. He fasted until the child died. You remember the story. He was publicly disgraced. We read about it today. We know about it.

Times were different back then, too. You know, a king could get away with a lot of things. He could continue as king. Who's going to throw him out? You know, God didn't do it then. But, you know, God's not acting in the same way today as he did back then. God's not right here. You know, we have to make choices. Men have to make choices. They're tough choices to make. I wouldn't want to be on the council, necessarily, to make that choice.

But, you know, we're trying to do the right thing. We're trying to do the thing that God would have us do if we fall short, then may God teach us differently that we might do better in the future. In Luke 13, let's go there. Lest we are ever haughty in our own righteousness, let's remember that we, too, are sinners. And let's see this in Luke 13. We're familiar with his account. Luke 13, verse 1, there were present at that season some who told him, told Christ about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. In other words, he had them killed. And Jesus answered and said to them, Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom this tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all the other men who dwell in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. He also spoke this parable, A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on its own, and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why does it use up the ground? But he answered and said to him, Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well, but if not after that, you can cut it down. We are expected to bear fruit. God wakes us up at times. He spanks us. He corrects us. He disciplines us. Hopefully we wake up and we begin to bear fruit. Because if we don't, eventually we're cut down. I don't want that for anyone.

God says he's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. That's how we should all be. We should all have that attitude. In Luke 5, verse 32, Christ said he came to call the sinners to repentance.

He works with all of us in various ways. You know, when you have an opportunity to serve in a lofty position, if we want to call it that, in a church, there are certain risks that come with that. There are certain responsibilities that come with that. Let's face it, judgment is tougher.

Luke 5, verse 32, I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

God is calling us all to repentance. And God knows the hearts and the minds. God knows the whole situation that took place within the church that led to having to appoint a new chairman. I don't know all the details. God knows the details. God's in charge. We have to look to Christ as the head of this church to guide and direct and to deal with these things.

In Hebrews chapter 12, it shows us that we need to look to Christ. Hebrews chapter 12, Christ is the author and finisher of our salvation. No man.

Hebrews chapter 12, we are responsible for only one person, aren't we? That's our self. In the ultimate sense, in terms of our salvation, we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. We're not responsible for our wives or our husbands. Not ultimately. I mean, we do have responsibility toward them, of course, and we affect them greatly. But ultimately, we all are responsible to God for our own salvation. You know, we all need to work out our own salvation with fear and with trembling. Hebrews 12 verse 1, Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, speaking about the men of faith and the women of faith of Hebrews 11, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us. Does sin easily ensnare you? It does me. It easily ensnares me. You know, it's rough. It's tough being blameless, being perfect.

Sin which easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Endurance. We have to endure to the end, and the same shall be saved. Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and he is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. That's where Christ is today, at the right hand of the throne. He makes intercession for us. He is on our side. He pleads our case. He's the best attorney we could ever have. He's the merciful judge. Let's look to Christ. Let's be sure that we build our house upon the rock. Let's have a firm foundation. That's the first strategy if you want to endure the storms that will come in the future. Secondly, lay up your treasures in heaven, not on this earth. That's the second strategy. Lay up your treasures in heaven, not on the earth. In Matthew 6, again, the Sermon on the Mount. What does Christ say? What does He tell us to do? He gives us strategies to survive life's storm. Matthew 6, verse 19, Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Now, how do you do that? I think we know basically how to do that. For the most part, we have a good understanding of how to do it. The problem is doing it, is getting us to do it. Lay up yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Now, brethren, sometimes we treasure things that we should not. Do you ever treasure things that we should not? Do you ever treasure things that you shouldn't? How you spend your time largely shows what you treasure. How you spend your time largely shows what you treasure. What do you treasure?

Think about it. How do you spend your time? That's what you treasure. If you watch lots of TV, then you treasure it. You treasure it. It's important to you. That's why you do it. What do you treasure?

Do not lay up yourselves treasures on earth. Moses was wise when he chose to suffer affliction with the people of God, rather than enjoy the very temporary pleasures of sin for a season.

Moses set an example for us. He showed wisdom. He could have basked in the sunshine of the Egyptian dynasty, the most powerful nation on earth. He could have become perhaps Pharaoh himself.

He was certainly a part of the royal family, wasn't he? And yet he gave that up.

He knew where that would lead. He put his treasures in heaven, not on earth. One thing God's elect has strived diligently about is this, to keep our hearts close to God. Isn't that what we strive to do? We strive to keep our hearts close to God. But this world wants to rob that time that you should spend with God. Satan wants to take away those precious moments that you spend with God.

And believe me, there are so many distractions out there. You know, it says, of making books, there is no end. I'm convinced of making movies, there is no end. TV shows, there's no end to it. You can watch it 24 hours a day, you can watch a different show. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and you'll never run out. Because there's always people there to make more. Is that where you want to spend your time?

You know, wherever it is you spend your time, that's where your treasure is.

So keep your heart close to God. You know, the more you draw, the closer you draw, the closer you become to God, the easier it is to stay away from those distractions.

It's an axiomatic law. The more you watch TV and things like that, the harder it is to pray. You know, the harder it is to fast, the harder it is to read the Word of God. Because those things steal precious moments. They could be spent better.

I hope we learn those lessons, and I hope we're careful what we do with our time.

We know we're not to put our faith in anything on this earth. We understand that. We know that. We've heard it said many times. We've read it. We have a place to live. We have a car or two. We're generally not in debt. God's people, for the most part, I don't think, are in debt, except perhaps for a house, maybe a car. We don't spend and spend and spend. We're not worldly like so many other people are worldly. Not to that excess.

We might even have a modest retirement program. But, again, where do you put your treasure? Is it in your retirement program? What is it in?

God's elect are good neighbors to others. They love humanity. They seek peace. They pursue it diligently. We all have stories about God's mercy on us, how God has saved us from health struggles. From job situations. From car accidents. From dozens of other miracles in our lives.

Brethren, continue to lay up treasures in heaven.

Continue to do that. Prayer and fasting and meditation. These are treasures that we lay up in heaven. Because are we not offering them to God?

I mean, is that not a treasure in heaven? When you get down on your knees and you pray to God, are you not offering up a treasure? What does God say about the prayers of the righteous? They're precious. They're precious to Him. When you fast and you take 24 hours, you know, those are the best days for me, personally. Those are the best days. When I fast, I feel better about myself than I do any other time. I don't watch TV for the most part. You know, I stay away from distractions like that. You know, the better the more we fast, the better off we are.

It keeps us away from Earth's distractions, from this world's distractions.

Meditation. We're offering that up to God. We're giving our thoughts to God. Now, that's where your treasures need to be in heaven. Not here on the earth. It's not that we can't enjoy certain things on the earth. We need some of that. We have to have some of that. It's good to have hobbies, but make sure that God is first in your life and seek first the kingdom of God. Make sure that's where your heart is because God looks on the heart. He knows where your heart is. Point number three, strategy number three in surviving life storms, is take refuge in God. Take refuge in God when the storm hits. Build your house on the rock. Have a firm foundation.

Take refuge in God. Take refuge in God when the problem does come. If you've laid up treasures in heaven, it'll be much easier for you to take refuge in God. In 1st Samuel 20, there's a principle that David speaks about, a principle that we all need to take to heart. Because, frankly, we're just a step away from death, all of us. You're a step away from death. I am a step away from death.

David was one step away from death when Saul sought to kill him. Saul was the king, and he sought to destroy David. And he went after David for years. And there's only one reason why David survived. It's because he took refuge in God. And if you read the book of Psalms, you'll see that David learned to take refuge in God. That's the only reason he survived. 1st Samuel 20, verse 1. 2nd Samuel 20, verse 1. Then David fled from Naoth in Rhema, and he went and said to Jonathan, do you remember who Jonathan is? Jonathan is Saul's son. He says, What have I done? What is my iniquity and what is my sin before your father that he seeks my life? David was introspective. He was looking at himself. He said, Search me, O God, show me my sins. Let me know if there's any evil within me. And Jonathan said to him, By no means you shall not die.

Indeed, my father will do nothing, either great or small, without first telling me. Jonathan was a true friend. Jonathan was to succeed to the throne. If anyone should have wanted David killed, it should have been Jonathan, because David was anointed to be the king. Jonathan was a true friend. And why should my father hide this thing for me? It is not so. He didn't think his father was really going to kill him, but he knew that if his father did, he would say something to him, and he could tip off David. Verse 3. Then David took an oath again and said, Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes. And he has said, Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. But truly, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step, one step, between me and death. There is one step between me and death. Brethren, that's how we need to live our lives, realizing that there's only one step between you and death. You don't know what's going to happen when you get up and start walking. Will a heart attack seize you? Will you die instantly? You don't know. I mean, we can be 99.9% sure that it's not going to happen. I don't think it's going to happen to me in the next second. I don't believe it's going to. I'm 99.9% sure it's not. But frankly, I don't know. I'm not 100% sure. God can do whatever he wants. Whenever he wants. To whomever he wants. He can allow things to happen. Time and chance can happen. Anything can happen. Take refuge in God. David had to place his faith and trust in God to protect him from Saul, a king who had great power to pursue and to destroy. God protected David numerous times as Saul was intent to kill him. There was truly just a step between David and death at the hand of King Saul. But remember, even David said he would not lift his hand against God's anointed. When he had an opportunity to kill Saul, he didn't do it. There's a great lesson in that. David showed us to put your trust in God. You know, he put his refuge in God. He trusted God to protect him. He could have killed Saul right then and there. He could have rationalized that God delivered him up and that God wanted him to kill and said, no, you should not raise your hand against the anointed. God's going to take care of it in his time. That took faith. David put his refuge in God and God did protect him. He didn't have to kill Saul. He didn't have to do it.

God took care of him.

So there's just a step between having a nice house close to the beach and having nothing but two by fours floating in the surf. There's just a step between planning to take a walk in the heavy winds with your dogs and having a tree fall at the wrong time in the wrong place. The only way we will survive life's storms, whether they are physical trials or spiritual ones, is by taking refuge in the God who knows the breadth and depth of human experience. God knows us better than we know ourselves. He will guide us through the rough and choppy waters that rise and surge against us.

God will give you the help you need, but you have to place your faith in him. Remember, he is the God who delivers. God delivers. He'll deliver you, but you have to put your refuge in him. He has to be your refuge. 1 Peter 3. Let's consider these words of advice and instruction from the apostle Peter. 1 Peter 3. 1 Peter 3. Finally, all of you be of one mind. Oh, we've said that many times, haven't we? Be of one mind. Let that mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Let's all think the same, brethren. Let's learn to have the mind of Christ. 2 Peter 3. Having compassion for one another, love as brothers. Be tenderhearted. Be courteous. 3 Peter 3. Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, blessing. 4 Peter 3. Knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For he who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil. That's what God says we ought to do. If you want to enjoy your life, then refrain from evil. Refrain from speaking evil and his lips from speaking deceit. Don't be deceitful. Be honest. Be trustworthy. Be faithful. Don't hide things from your wife or your husband. Be honest. Be open. Let him turn away from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. God is against those who do evil. Let's continue. Verse 13. And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. Remember also that if you suffer wrongfully and you take it patiently, it is commendable for you. But if you suffer and you don't take it patiently, then it's not commendable. It's not a good thing. So whether you suffer for righteousness' sake, if you are suffering wrongfully, or if you are suffering because you brought it upon yourself because of your own sin, regardless, be patient. Seek God and take refuge in Him. Repent of your sins and take refuge in God. God will deliver you from your sins. Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. Verse 15. And always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and with fear, having a good conscience that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better if it is the will of God to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. You can suffer both ways. It's much better to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. The great God holds this fragile world in His powerful hands. And what else does the great God hold in His hands? God holds His church in His hands. He holds you in His hands. His brothers and sisters, we are the ones that He died for. You are the brothers and sisters that Christ died for. Christ loves you. Christ will be there for you. He will never leave you. He won't forsake you. He's not happy with all the events that sometimes take place in our lives or in the church or in the world. But He's still there for us all. If we look to Him, He holds us accountable for our mistakes.

He holds each person accountable for their own problems, their own sins, their own mistakes. Let's look to God to help us overcome in our own lives. Let's not cast a stone at anyone. The God who controls storms like Hurricane Sandy can also send the calm and serenity to deal with the turmoil. Perhaps some will seek God more in their lives because of the recent events that have happened, because of this sermon, perhaps, because of Hurricane Sandy and the impact that it's had in the lives of so many because of the problem in the church now.

Some will seek God more, perhaps, because of this. They will be more conscientious. They will be more faithful. Hurricane Sandy is but one storm among many storms presently shaping our world. The Middle East continues to roil. The world economy is being shaken and reshaped at the same time. We don't know how it's all going to end up, except we know what the book of Revelation and Daniel and other places tell us about nations of the world that will rise up and become a beast power. Political leadership at every level around the world seems incapable of providing lasting solutions to these and other issues. By next Sabbath, the U.S. voters will have elected another president. What will that bring to our immediate history?

Come Wednesday, we'll know, to some degree, at least, who's going to be in charge in the United States as president.

The point of all this is to realize our limitations and reach out to God who rides in these storms. God's present in the storms. He controls the outcome of all. He is omnipotent. He is all power. He is omnipresent. God is mankind's only real, safe place. We need to look to God because He is our only real, safe place. Satan is our adversary. He is truly the destroyer. Hang tightly to your crown. Let's go to Revelation 3. Let's read about the crown that's laid up for us. Revelation 3, verse 10. Because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial, which shall come upon the whole earth, the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly. Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.

Satan wants to take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and I will write on him my new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. God is speaking to us today. Satan is our adversary. He is truly the destroyer. Hang tightly to your crown. Because by hook or crook, it doesn't matter to Satan what methods he uses, as long as he can pry your crown from your hands. Satan has no ethics about him. He doesn't tire in his efforts to take us down. It is your crown. It is your calling. Many are called, but few are chosen.

Few are chosen because they don't hang on to that crown. They don't respond to the calling, and then they don't hang on to the crown. They let it go. Hang on to your crown. Remember, your Savior died so that you could be in his kingdom. Your elder brother died for you.

We must finish our race with joy. You know, we should go on joyfully today, even though we've talked about some disappointing things that have happened to the world, that have happened to this earth, that have happened to our nation, that have happened to the church, to individuals. But let us run our race with joy. In Romans chapter 15 verse 13, we must find joy because that's a fruit of God's Spirit. It is a fruit that we should all be producing in our lives. Verse 13 of chapter 15, Now may the God of hope fill you with joy. God is your refuge. Allow him to fill you with joy, with all joy and peace, in believing that you may abound in hope. Yes, we can have hope. We don't have to be discouraged today. It was discouraging when I read the first letter and the second letter from Mr. Lucer. It was. It was discouraging. However, I know that God is my refuge. God lifts me up. God gives me strength. He gives you strength. Let us go on by the power of God's Spirit. Let us finish our race with joy. Brethren, let us pray for the dear people in New York City, our own brethren, as well as the millions of people up there who have suffered. We pray for our brothers and sisters in God's Church. We are blessed by God to be anchored in Christ. He is the captain of our salvation. He will never let us go. He will hold on to us as we hold on to Him firmly.

So let us hold on to that crown of life that God has in store for us. Let us cherish that crown that God has in store for us. And remember, brethren, in order to survive the storms of life, build your house upon the rock. Maintain your house upon the rock.

Secondly, lay up your treasures in heaven, not on this earth. Treasure the things that God treasures. And thirdly, when the storms hit, take refuge in God.