Severe Weather by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2016, all rights reserved. Chapter 1 As you've probably seen on the news, we've been having really severe weather in our nation recently. Flooding, tornadoes, large hail that does damage, people being evacuated from their homes. Cars and trucks damaged or even washed away. Not just in a few cities, but widespread, across wide swaths of the nation. But what about God's protection for his people? Probably some of those people hurt by the flooding, tornadoes, and evacuations were Christians, would be my guess. I've even seen on TV where one or more churches were damaged. Why would God let that happen to Christians? God is not cruel to his people. Not the real God in heaven, the Father of God's son, Jesus. Nor is Jesus cruel. However, the Muslim god seems to be cruel to the Muslims, from all the things that they've suffered, if there really is a Muslim god. But of course, the Muslims don't have Jesus as their Savior. Some people might say, "What will be will be." NO, THAT'S VERY MUCH THE WRONG APPROACH. Christians are often hurt by lack of knowledge. I think that's pretty much normal for many Christians. In Hosea, we read-- "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." (Hos 4:6) WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW CAN HURT YOU. I will share with you some knowledge that many Christians do not have. Knowledge that when you put it to work for you, will help you against severe weather, and other bad things. Approximately half a century ago, the Lord told me that I'm a Priest. As a Priest, I really have no choice but to share these things that I've learned with others. Perhaps not everyone who reads my books will put these things into practice, but their blood won't be on my hands because of my not putting the word out. (In the early chapters of Ezekiel, God tells Ezekiel that if he doesn't warn the people, God will require their blood at his hands.) I remember Norvel Hayes telling about his Mother. What she didn't know did hurt her, even though she was a wonderful Christian woman, and loved the Lord, and served him faithfully. Hayes has spoken at Lakewood Church in Houston, and at Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship, and I've seen him on TV, on the GTV channel on Direct TV. It was a channel number up in the higher three hundreds. Hayes said that as he sought the Lord, it began to look like the Lord had a public ministry for him. But he still had some bitterness in his heart toward the Lord because of the fact that though his Mother was a good Christian woman, she died of cancer, in her thirties, leaving her children orphans. Hayes said he prayed for three days about it. He prayed like this-- "Lord, what do you want me to do? Do you want me to get up in front of people and tell them about you? Why did you kill my Mother with cancer?" Hayes said that on the third day, the Lord answered him. The Lord said to Hayes, "Son, I didn't kill your Mother with cancer. I had nothing to do with it. The Devil put those tumors in your Mother's body, and your Mother couldn't be healed because she had never been taught how to receive healing from God." You see, his Mother went to a church where they knew about Jesus the Savior, but they didn't know much about Jesus the Healer. What his Mother didn't know resulted in her premature death. I believe she went to heaven, but she didn't have to die that young, and leave young children behind. Hayes is on the Internet at nhm.cc But probably most Christians believe that God could heal them if He wants to. I have good news. He wants to. And he doesn't want you to have to be evacuated from your home. And he doesn't want your home damaged by flooding, nor by fire, nor by tornadoes, not even if you live in a trailer. But Brother Fred, if God doesn't want bad things to happen to Christians, then why are bad things happening to Christians? O.K. That's a fair question. But consider for a moment Rom 8:28,-- "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose." But bad things are happening to Christians, to a large extent, because of lack of knowledge on the part of Christians. Lack of knowledge such as what? Such as knowing that, as a Christian, there are words that you should be speaking out of your mouth. Words like what? Words like: "The Lord's not going to let flooding do damage to my residence, nor to my vehicles and possessions." "The Lord's not going to let us have to be evacuated." "The Lord's not going to let us be hurt by fire." And there are scriptures to support talking like that. If you're a Christian, do you talk like that? If you don't, you should, and failure to do so would mean that you don't have as much protection as you should have. Who told you that, Brother Fred? The Holy Bible. And also faith Teachers like Kenneth E. Hagin, Norvel Hayes, Charles Capps, Smith Wigglesworth, John Osteen, Lester Sumrall. People like that, and most of them have written books, and you can Google them on the Internet. If you don't have a computer, you can use one at the Public Library. Ask for assistance from one of the Librarians. Chapter 2 After Moses was promoted from Earth to Heaven, Joshua took over as the leader of Israel. So God had some words for the new leader, Joshua. Let's look now at Josh 1:8-- "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, so that you'll observe to do according to all that is written in it, for then you'll make your way prosperous, and then you'll have good success." There are three things to do in that verse. 1. Talk the word. Speak it out. Quote scriptures. 2. Meditate on the word. 3. Do the word. Most people understand that they're supposed to do what God says to do in his book, the Bible. Don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't tell lies, etc. But some Christians don't meditate on the scriptures. And probably most Christians are not confessing over themselves and their families scriptures of protection, and blessings, and prosperity. Some of my other books have lists of promises from the Bible for Christians to quote out loud with their mouths. And you can also compile your own list of scriptures to quote as you read the Bible for yourself. "But how often should I quote scriptures over myself and family?" EVERY DAY. "No evil shall happen you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling." (Psa 91:10) But change this Psa 91:10 when you quote it, and say, "No evil will happen to me, nor will any plague come near my dwelling." (you personalize it) Why will no evil happen to you? Because God says so in his word. But you have to confess that over yourself because God said to speak the word. (Josh 1:8) "No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you'll condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, says the Lord." (Isa 54:17) Here again, with Isa 54:17, you confess this out loud. Jesus said, "According to your faith be it unto you." (Matt 9:29) And our faith is more powerful when we speak God's promises out loud. Faith is like a muscle. It gets stronger as we use it. And Charles Capps has taught that when you speak God's promises out loud, it is more effective for you than hearing someone else speak God's promises. Speaking of flooding, "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." (Isa 59:19) Chapter 3 Someone might say, "I'm not sure I really want to get into this spiritual warfare stuff." Let me ask you a question, Does it seem better to you to be poor and afflicted and downtrodden and oppressed and clothed in rags? In John 10:10, Jesus said,-- "The thief comes only to steal, and to kill, and to destroy, I have come so they can have life, and so they can have it more abundantly." Jesus offers us Abundant life, but he also tells about those who want to steal, to kill, and to destroy. Ephesians chapt 6 explains that our main enemy is the Devil and his demons. The four categories of demons are listed in Eph 6:12. The demons want to steal, to kill, and to destroy. But in Luke 10:19, Jesus gives us Christians power over all the power of the enemy. We exercise that authority by speaking words out of our mouths against the enemy. And also in Mark 16:17,18, Jesus gives us power over demons. Here is a passage from 2 Corinthians,-- 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds, 5 Throwing down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, (2 Cor 10:4,5) God has provided us with weapons not carnal. They are spiritual weapons. If you were a soldier, would you go into battle leaving behind your helmet, your weapons, your canteen, and your boots? You would be at a great disadvantage in front of the enemy that wants to destroy you. If you were a Carpenter, or an Electrician, or a Plumber, would you go to your job at the construction site without your tools? Are you going to try to pound nails with your bare hands, or with a rock? If your residence were invaded by bugs, would you just let them have the run of the place, or would you do something about it? If I see a bug at my place, I squash it. Don't you? If your kitchen sink were piled high with dirty dishes, so that now you don't have a clean plate to eat off of, you would know what to do. You'd get busy and run some hot water, and use your detergent and sponge, and wash the dishes. James 4:7 says to "resist the devil, and he will flee from you." But what happens if we don't resist the devil? In that case, he'll just set up camp where you live, and where you work, and make a nuisance out of himself. Whether we like it or not, we're at war with demons. Someone might say, "Why did God make demons?" No, God didn't make demons. They were good angels when God created them. But God created angels with the power of choice, like God did with you and me. You and I can choose to serve the Lord or not. Of course, we know from the Bible that "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom." (Psa 111:10) If we won't serve God, hell is a nasty place where their worms don't die, and where the fire is never quenched, and where there's crying and gnashing of teeth, says Jesus. Satan was one of the top angels. The Bible says he was corrupted because of his brightness. When Satan rebelled against God, some of the angels followed him, and became the demons that there are today. But God has given us authority over Satan and his demons, and the way that we use that authority is by speaking words out of our mouths. Words like this: "Satan, and all demons, I command you to cease in your operations, and desist in your maneuvers against me and my family. Take your hands off our finances and our health. Your power is broken over the weather. You will not hurt us in any way, in Jesus' name." Words like that. And then, next time you see that the demons are making trouble, you talk like that again. And also, you can speak good things into existence, as per Mark 11:23 Charles Capps has written about that in his little book, "God's Creative Power Will Work for You." (go to Charlescapps.com on the Internet.) Or, I've seen it at Christian book stores, and if they don't have it, they can probably order it for you. Most of the time, it's just a matter of speaking appropriate words in the name of Jesus. (And, of course, putting our faith with the words that we speak.) And as Christians, we have a right to use the name of Jesus. Norvel Hayes' Mother didn't have to die from cancer, but she didn't know what to do about the cancer. The cancer was her mountain. She needed to command that mountain to go, according to Mark 11:23. But she hadn't been taught to do so. But that scripture applies to other diseases beside cancer, of course. And if you have financial debt, command it to go, in Jesus' name, as per Mark 11:23 Psalm 1:3 shows that God wants us to prosper. If water seems to be starting to flood your property, command it to go, in Jesus' name. Norvel Hayes also said that the Lord told him, "Now these are the most important words that ever came out of my mouth." And the Lord was referring to His words in Mark 16:17,18-- 17 And these signs shall follow those who believe, in my name they'll cast out devils, they'll speak with new languages, 18 They shall pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it won't hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick, and they'll recover." I heard about a Christian lady in her home as a tornado approached. She stood right in her bay window as the tornado got closer. She believed that the Lord wouldn't let the tornado hurt her. She stood on her faith. When the tornado got very close to her bay window, it split in two. Half of the tornado passed by on the left of the house, and the other half of the tornado passed by on the right of the house. But that was probably not the first time she had exercised her faith. Kathryn Kuhlman was a fine Christian lady who helped many people. But someone said that as she got older, she had a fear of crossing the street. If the enemy brings a picture to your mind of getting hurt as you cross the street, say out loud with your mouth, "The Lord is not going to let that happen." The Bible says, "...the just shall live by his faith." (Hab 2:4) In Matt 16:19, Jesus gives us binding and loosing. You say, "I bind all powers of the enemy that would hurt my family, in Jesus' name." You say, "I loose prosperity for me and my family, in Jesus' name. Several times a week, I say, "Satan, your power is broken over the weather." Based on Mark 11:23, we can speak things into existence. You can say, "I call the automobile coming to our family that we need, a compact, dark blue, with automatic transmission, at a good price, with not much mileage on it." Or, if you prefer green, then say green. A powerful help that the Lord wants every Christian to have is the Baptism with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues. Jesus said, "You'll receive power after the Holy Ghost comes on you." (Acts 1:8) Please see my book, "Baptism with the Holy Ghost." And please see two other of my books, "Warring in the Spirit," and "Weapons Not Carnal." Of course, I've been writing here as though the readers are Christians. These principles are for Christians. If you're not a Christian, then step one would be to become a Christian. If you think you'd rather not become a Christian, then I don't think I can offer you much help. You need Jesus, by the way, just to stay out of hell at the end of your life on Earth. And so does your spouse and children. Jesus said, "You MUST be born again." (John chapt 3) To become a born again Christian, obey Romans 10:9,10-- "That if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you're saved. For with the heart man believes for righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made for salvation." ___James chapter 1 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings. 2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations, 3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. 7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, 10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away. 11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. 12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man, 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning. 18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, 20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God. 21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror, 24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. ___James chapter 2 1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also, 3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool," 4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have despised the poor. Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats? 7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called? 8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well, 9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill." Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law. 12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment. 14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food, 16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that? 17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works." 19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God." 24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. ___James chapter 3 1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation. 2 For in many things we offend all. If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. 3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies. 4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants. 5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how great a matter a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind, 8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be. 11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries? Or a vine, figs? So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh. 13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace. ___James chapter 4 1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members? 2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask. 3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts. 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God. 5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?" 6 But he gives more grace. So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up. 11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers. He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else? 13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit," 14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. 15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that." 16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin. ___James chapter 5 1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire. You've heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath. 5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter. 6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you. 7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near. 9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door. 10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 See, we count them happy that endure. You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. 12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation. 13 Is anyone among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is anyone merry? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven. 16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good. 17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him, 20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.