The year 2024 was ushered in by strong winds of change that we have witnessed sweeping across America. As of the end of April there have been 699 tornado reports across the United States, well above the historical average of 549 through May 8 according to the Storm Prediction Center. The 2024 Super Outbreak, which occurred in April was the largest, costliest and third-deadliest tornado outbreak in United States history with a confirmed death toll of 531 and total damage of $36.2 billion USD. In the Old Testament, mysterious windstorms are consistently associated with God’s presence. So many are asking: “What is God’s message to us?” Could it be that we as a nation and more specifically the body of believers—the Church are being tested by God much like He did when He took His hand off Job and allowed Satan to sift him when his children were killed in the whirlwind or when Job’s livestock was no longer around? In 1 Kings 19: 11-13 Satan might have made Elijah feel guilty for doing away with 450 of his false prophets, but since God told him to do what he did, Elijah was not shaken by the wind. He knew God, but he also knew the Lord was not in the wind. Everything is either of the Lord or of the devil. When God takes His hand off of us, it is Satan that is in the wind, the whirlwind, not God. We must repent as a nation and especially the household of faith that have forsaken God and lost our passion and zeal for Jesus and pray for God to put His hand down again and bless this nation. Like Elijah we must be obedient to God’s call so that we can hear God’s still small voice and know that God is allowing the wind and storms to draw us to Himself to bring a preservation to the land, the restoration of this nation and a harvest of souls for His glory! Let us seek God with all our body, soul and spirit to bring us to declare as Job: “I know You can do all things; no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. You ask, ‘Who is this, who darkens counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke without understanding, things too wonderful for me which I did not know…I had heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye has seen You. Therefore I despise myself, and repent on dust and ashes.” May we be like Job, then and only then can the LORD bless the latter days of America more than in the beginning!
God is calling us to wake up—to pay attention as the enemy will seek to arise to manipulate the winds. God wants us to see His mighty hand that brings victory over evil. Isaiah 41: 16 encourages us: “Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them; and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.” We have to trust God in the darkness. It is easy to trust in the light but trusting in the dark when we can’t see the light is a test of our faith—our trust in God. This is the test of true faith. This is when we know if our faith is real. We must never doubt in the dark what God has shown us in the light.
Christians are spared from God’s wrath because we are justified by Jesus’ blood and are saved from the wrath of God through Him. (Romans 5: 9) God has not appointed or destined Christians to face His wrath, instead, He has appointed us for salvation. (I Thess. 5:9) It is important for us to understand that God’s wrath is not a random or arbitrary punishment, but rather a consequence of humanity’s rebellion against Him. Through Jesus Christ, we can be spared from God’s wrath and experience His mercy and love. “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” (Colossians 1: 13)
Jesus made this promise to Peter and His followers in Matthew 16: 18 that “Whatever you bind (forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth will have (already) been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose (permit, declare lawful) on earth will have already been loosed in heaven.” We don’t have to play by the devil’s rules. A new day has dawned in the life of each born again child of God! Jesus’ words of authority, as recorded in the New Testament epistles, reflect God’s will for the Church. God is asking: “Where are My people that will stand in this time and take authority over the darkness?” We are to arise and speak truth by the power of His Spirit that will bring restraint against opposing contrary winds. Our words have the power to build up or tear down, bring joy or bring pain. The Bible says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” (Proverbs 18: 21) This means that our words have the ability to bring life or death to ourselves and others. Words are a powerful force that can be used to uplift and encourage, or to destroy and hurt. We must not speak words of fear and doubt but to encourage and lift one another up in the Lord. “And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10: 24-25)
Jesus affirmed God’s authority over all creation in Mark 4: 35-41 as in the evening He and the disciples crossed over in a boat to the other side of the Sea of Galilee after ministering to the crowd. A great windstorm arose and the waves were rushing into the boat and it was beginning to fill up. Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat and they woke Him up and said: “Teacher, don’t you care that we are perishing?” He woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and it became totally calm. He asked them, “Why are you afraid? Even now you have no faith?” They were amazed and said to one another, “Who is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him?” This was indeed a test of their faith. They had seen all the miracles Jesus had performed and heard His teachings but were still afraid. The devil himself sent that storm and got mad when Jesus stopped it! He went after Jesus and eventually nailed Him to the cross. He thought he’d silenced Him forever. He thought no one ever again would hear the Master say, “Peace be still.” Satan couldn’t shut Jesus’ mouth and he never will! When Jesus’ Blood fell on the ground, it started speaking peace and still is speaking loudly today over the turbulence that threatens us.
After Jesus accomplished the work the Father gave Him, He was exalted on high as the God-man, the Messiah. Jesus had authority given to Him by the Father. His pre-incarnate authority was reinstated as He was invested with authority from on high as both Lord and Christ and ascended into heaven and seated at the Father’s right hand. In the New Testament in the account of Acts we see God’s display of a rushing mighty wind descending and filling the house where the people were gathered in one accord and the outpouring of the Spirit birthed the Church! One word in Hebrew and Greek “wind” means breath and spirit. On the Christian calendar May 19th is the celebration of Pentecost which occurs 50 days after the Resurrection of Christ. On the Hebrew calendar Pentecost was a pilgrim festival in Jerusalem occurring 50 days after Passover and First Fruits to celebrate the goodness of God and the bringing in of the wheat harvest and occurs this year on June 11-13. Pentecost in the time of the Apostles was a great and grand harvest celebration. Jesus echoed the prophet Isaiah and told them to wait for the time when they “will be baptized with the Holy Spirit,” fulfilling Isaiah 32: 15.
Jesus had ministered to and appeared to many during the 40 days after His resurrection and prepared them for His leaving and assured them that His Holy Spirit baptism would empower them to be His witnesses throughout the world. (Acts 1:8) The apostles were witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection and God’s deep, unbreakable love for all people and prepared them to tell everyone everywhere in the world. God empowered them to become multilingual right then so that all people gathered in Jerusalem could hear the Good News of the Gospel! Pentecost sparked an international effort to include everyone, Jewish and non-Jewish, into God’s family! God’s dwelling place is now within His people empowering us to bear witness to the risen Jesus by choosing to live in His way of love. Whether we celebrate Pentecost on May 19th or June 11-13, let us be reminded that God’s wind of change is blowing upon His people at such a time as this for His glory! It is the season of the Divine Reset and unraveling and reversals that will come upon this planet and the sound of justice will be heard! God is pouring out a fresh wind of His Spirit—an anointing to overcome, to triumph—to soak the Body of Christ with a confident faith to take our stand and decree against gross darkness—to walk in supernatural power, protection and provisions! America will see that God is real, God has a plan, God is in control and God loves us! We are not to stumble our way through the darkness. We are to stay focused on what God has said and be led through that darkness into His marvelous light! We have seen that His promises, His prophetic words will prepare us in advance for what’s coming so pay attention and watch the wind of change—the Spirit of the Living God usher in the celebration when the earth—when the nations are filled with glory—the glory of the living God! God is preparing His Bride to ride upon the white horses and leap over these dark days to the place of victory!