Hurricanes destroy with extreme winds, storm surge and relentless waves. Not many things can stand in their path without facing destruction.
The storm named Katrina in 2005 was an example of extreme destruction and death by hurricane. More than 1,800 people lost their lives in this hurricane as it smashed into New Orleans! A nightmarish direct hit. Billions of dollars in damage were inflicted upon this city.
I find the science of hurricanes fascinating, if you are interested in digging deeper into hurricanes then check out this site to learn the basics.
Hurricanes are built in warm ocean waters, low air pressure mixes and swirls and intensifies gaining energy until it hits land. When it hits land the energy is dissipated and as a result, destruction occurs in it path. Builders in hurricane zones follow different building codes than they do in other parts of the country. Foundations need to be more secure, extra preparation is done when a hurricane approaches. The biggest weather event in my home town was a result of a hurricane and this is hundreds of miles inland, people still talk about hurricane Agnes flooding, almost 50 years later.
The difficult thing about studying hurricanes is their massive size, it’s a huge undertaking to do controlled experiments. NASA studies hurricanes with drones.
As interesting as the weather science of hurricanes is, I have another reason for writing this article.
Spiritual Hurricanes
There are other types of “hurricanes” that we should be concerned with. Hurricanes blow winds in every direction depending on where we are in relation to the center of the storm. Storm surges inland drowning and destroying, then storm surge water flows back out to sea sweeping things out that are not tied down.
Scriptures uses winds and waves as a metaphor for teachings and doctrines. This can be applied to doctrines about how we got here and why we are here, worldviews and opinions about God. We pay schools and Universities thousands of dollars each year to teach us varied teachings, Often it seems with little regard about the truthfulness of what they teach.
It is as if the ideas of relativism have ok’d various winds of doctrine as truth, as if it ok to disregard other teachings as untrue.
There is a metaphor in the book of Ephesians about this exact thing:
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching (doctrine) and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. – Ephesians 4:14
I can think of at least four different worldview winds of doctrine that I and most students have been taught as fact by different teachers. These worldviews include Judeo-Christianity, atheistic naturalism, Muslim doctrines about God and general multi God religions of the East. Furthermore within each of these set of teachings there are doctrines within, attempting to push and pull us in every direction.
There are two defenses against hurricanes, to flee the storm or to fortify your life against it, most people in their path do both.
To flee winds and waves of doctrines is to avoid all philosophies and contrary teachings, isolate yourself. This is becoming increasingly difficult with the world being so interconnected.
Our other option is to fortify ourselves. The purpose of the 5 ministry gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4:12-13 was that we not be tossed back and forth by the waves and winds of teachings. Waves and winds of teaching come whether we like them or not and unless we become a hermit… they are coming at us. Through friends, family, professors, news media, employers and every form of social media post.
If we fortify ourselves, if we know what we believe and why we believe it. If we build a strong foundation and attach ourselves to it with strength. If we develop within ourselves a method to consistently interpret truth and the proper use of science. If we fortify ourselves well we can become immovable and strongly connected to our foundation.
Jesus Christ the Hurricane Defense
I believe that Jesus Christ alone is THE only and best defense against the winds and waves mentioned in scripture. He is the family car fleeing at the right time. He is the boards on our windows, he is our sand bags to push back the flood waters. He is our special bolts securing our roof directly to our foundation. He is our fortified concrete bunker several yards down. He is our firm foundation, Only in Jesus Christ can we find that foundation, only in Jesus Christ can we decipher truth from error. Only though Jesus Christ can we understand the world in which we live. Only in Jesus Christ can we resist the winds of doctrine which are false, about life and right and wrong. Jesus Christ is the interpretive key to reality and conflicting teachings. Without him, anything goes, everything falls apart and little makes sense.
Jesus Christ is the hermeneutic to interpret all of scripture. Jesus Christ is the way to understand and interpret God. As well as all of life’s circumstances and situations.
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. – Luke 24:27
Jesus himself, after his resurrection, taught his followers how to interpret scripture using himself. Most of Christianity has lost this today but I believe we are re-gaining it.
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