“GONE WITH THE FLAMES”

JANUARY 17, 2025

By Dee Belt

IN KEEPING WITH THE CURRENT EVENTS OF OUR TIMES, I CANNOT HELP BUT HAVE A HEAVY HEART AS I CONTEMPLATE WHAT THE VICTIMS OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, MUST BE ENDURING, AS A RESULT OF THE RAGING WILD FIRES.  THIS IS A TRAGIC, LIFE-ALTERING, CATASTROPHIC EVENT; AN EVENT THAT HAS RAISED A MYRIAD OF QUESTIONS, ON ALL LEVELS, WITH VERY FEW (IF ANY) ANSWERS, THAT ARE ACCEPTABLE, OR MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL.  I’VE SEEN VICTIMS ON TV, SHARING THEIR STORIES WITH THE NEWS MEDIA CORRESPONDENTS.  ONE MAN BEGAN TO CRY, AS HE TALKED ABOUT HIS LOSS.  I REMEMBER HIM SAYING, “I HAVE NOTHING.  IT’S ALL GONE, I’M JUST LOST AND HAVE NOTHING!”  AS HE BEGAN TO CRY ON NATIONAL TV, THE TEARS WERE STREAMING DOWN MY FACE AS WELL.  WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS, YOU CANNOT HELP BUT TO ASK YOURSELF, “HOW WOULD I HANDLE THIS MAGNITUDE, IF THE VICTIM WAS ME?”  I’VE SEEN THE VIDEO CLIPS ON TV, SHOWING IMAGES OF THE RAGING FLAMES, AND THE ASHES AND DEBRIS OF WHAT USED TO BE HOMES.  THERE WERE ENTIRE STREETS WHERE EVERY HOME HAD BURNED TO THE GROUND. HOMES WERE LOST, LIVES WERE LOST, PETS WERE LOST, SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, STORES, BUSINESSES, AND WHOLE COMMUNITIES IN COMPLETE RUINS.

AS I CONTEMPLATED THIS PRESENT EVENT, I THOUGHT OF OTHER EVENTS, AS WELL; ALL INVOLVING FIRE, AND FLAMES.  ALL INVOLVED VICTIMS WHO WERE NOT READY, NOR PREPARED WHEN TROUBLE ARRIVED, EVEN THOUGH….THEY WERE WARNED.  AS YOU KNOW, HOWEVER, WARNINGS MEAN LITTLE OR NOTHING WHEN IT FALLS ON A POPULATION OF DEAF EARS.  THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF THIS.

(JEREMIAH 5:21)

“HEAR NOW THIS, O FOOLISH PEOPLE, AND WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING, WHICH HAVE EYES, AND SEE NOT; WHICH HAVE EARS AND HEAR NOT”.

FLAMES OF THE PAST:  (SODOM AND GOMORRAH)

GOD SENT HIS MESSENGERS WARNING ABRAHAM AND LOT THAT THE CITIES OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH WOULD BE DESTROYED FOR THEIR WICKED WAYS, AND THEIR SIN, GIVING THEM A CHANCE TO ESCAPE THE WRATH OF GOD TO COME.  ABRAHAM AND LOT TOOK HEED, HOWEVER, DESPITE THE WARNINGS, MANY OF THE CITY’S INHABITANTS DIDN’T LISTEN.

(JUDE 1:7)

“EVEN AS SODOM AND GOMORRAH, AND THE CITIES ABOUT THEM IN LIKE MANNER, GIVING THEMSELVES OVER TO FORNICATION, AND GOING AFTER STRANGE FLESH, ARE SET FORTH FOR AN EXAMPLE, SUFFERING THE VENGEANCE OF ETERNAL FIRE”.

(GENESIS 18:20)

“AND THE LORD SAID, BECAUSE THE CRY OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH IS GREAT, AND BECAUSE THEIR SIN IS VERY GRIEVOUS I WILL GO DOWN NOW AND SEE WHETHER THEY HAVE DONE ALTOGETHER ACCORDING TO THE CRY OF IT, WHICH IS COME UNTO ME; AND IF NOT, I WILL KNOW”.

(GENESIS 19: 24-28)

“THEN THE LORD RAINED UPON SODOM AND UPON GOMORRAH BRIMSTONE AND FIRE FROM THE LORD OUT OF HEAVEN; AND HE OVERTHREW THOSE CITIES, AND ALL THE PLAIN, AND ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE CITIES, AND THAT WHICH GREW UPON THE GROUND.  BUT HIS WIFE LOOKED BACK FROM BEHIND HIM, AND SHE BECAME A PILLAR OF SALT.  AND ABRAHAM GOT UP EARLY IN THE MORNING TO THE PLACE WHERE HE STOOD BEFORE THE LORD:  AND HE LOOKED TOWARD SODOM AND GOMORRAH, AND TOWARD ALL THE LAND OF THE PLAIN, AND BEHELD, AND LO, THE SMOKE OF THE COUNTRY WENT UP AS THE SMOKE OF A FURNACE”.

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE FACES OF THE RESIDENTS OF LOS ANGELES, WHEN SOME WENT BACK AND BEHELD THE SMOKE OF THE COUNTRY THAT WENT UP AS THE “SMOKE OF A FURNACE”, JUST AS IT SAID IN THE PREVIOUS SCRIPTURE.

FLAMES OF THE FUTURE: (LAKE OF FIRE)

NOW WE COME TO THE FLAMES OF THE FUTURE.  BECAUSE OF THE SIN BACK IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, THE ADAMIC NATURE IS IN EVERYONE’S DNA, FROM BIRTH.  THE ONLY WAY TO ERADICATE THE ADAMIC NATURE, IS BY BEING BORN AGAIN THROUGH THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.  EVERY PERSON AT SOME POINT OF THEIR LIVES, IS GIVEN A CHOICE TO ACCEPT JESUS AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR, OR TO REJECT HIM.  IF WE ACCEPT HIM, OUR SOUL HAS BEEN REDEEMED AND BLESSED WITH THE PROMISE OF ETERNAL LIFE.  THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO REJECT JESUS, WILL UNDOUBTEDLY HAVE A DIFFERENT OUTCOME, AS PROMISED.

(ST. MARK 9:43-44)

“AND IF THY HAND OFFEND THEE, CUT IT OFF: IT IS BETTER FOR THEE TO ENTER INTO LIFE MAIMED, THAN HAVING TWO HANDS TO GO INTO HELL, INTO FIRE THAT NEVER SHALL BE QUENCHED: WHERE THEIR WORM DIETH NOT, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED”.

IT IS A PLACE THAT NOBODY IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WANTS TO GO, AND MANY, UNFORTUNATELY WILL END UP THERE, BY “DEFAULT”.  WHY?  BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT CHOOSE TO REJECT JESUS, BUT IF THEY DO NOT CHOOSE TO REPENT AND ACCEPT JESUS, THEIR SOUL WILL END UP IN THE FLAMES OF HELL ANYWAY.  KEEP IN MIND, IT IS NOT GOD’S WILL THAT ANY MAN SHOULD PERISH, BUT ALL TO COME TO REPENTANCE AND HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.

I WILL SAY THIS:

ALTHOUGH I HAVE GIVEN EXAMPLES OF THE FLAMES OF THE PAST, AND THE FLAMES OF THE PRESENT, AS WELL AS FLAMES OF THE FUTURE, I CANNOT “JUDGE” THE REASON THE WILD FIRES BURN IN CALIFORNIA.  MANY SAY, IT IS DUE TO POOR LEADERSHIP, BECAUSE THE LEADERS WERE WARNED LONG AGO THAT IF CERTAIN CONDITIONS, OR MAINTENANCE WERE NOT BEING MET IN THE FOREST INDUSTRY, THEN THE WILD FIRES WOULD INDEED GET STARTED AND BURN TO CATASTROPHIC, APOCALYPTIC, BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS.  THOSE WARNINGS WERE IGNORED.  I CANNOT SAY WHY GOD ALLOWED THIS TRAGEDY TO HAPPEN.  I CAN SAY THAT HE IS A SOVEREIGN GOD, AND A MERCIFUL GOD, AND THOUGH THE LANDS ARE DESTROYED, IF ALL WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY, AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, GOD WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN AND HEAL THEIR LAND.

IN CONCLUSION:

CONSIDER THE NECESSITY TO BE READY AT ALL TIMES FOR ANYTHING. HAVE AN EMERGENCY BAG PREPARED AT ALL TIMES, CONTAINING EMERGENCY ITEMS: A BIBLE, PERTINENT DOCUMENTS, A CHANGE OF CLOTHING, BASIC TOILETRIES, AND SHOES. KEEP IT IN A PLACE THAT IS EASY TO REACH IF YOU’RE IN A HURRY, OR HAVING TO EVACUATE YOUR HOME SUDDENLY.

MORE IMPORTANTLY REMEMBER THIS: IF YOU OWN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, AND HAVE LOST EVERY MATERIAL THING YOU’VE EVER OWNED, AS LONG AS YOU HAVE THE LORD, YOU HAVE ALL YOU NEED.  HE PROMISED TO NEVER LEAVE, NOR FORSAKE HIS CHILDREN.  HOLD TO GOD’S UNCHANGING HAND, BECAUSE HE WILL NEVER LET GO OF YOURS, AND HE WILL HOLD YOUR HAND AND BRING YOU THROUGH TO THE OTHER SIDE OF ANY TRAGEDY.

AS THE SONG GOES IN: COME YE DISCONSOLATE,

“EARTH HAS NO SORROW…THAT HEAVEN CANNOT CURE”

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!