"HURRICANE KATRINA HAS CAUSED EVERYTHING TO CHANGE...BUT DISASTERS ARE A SEEDBED FOR FEAR!"

September 10, 2005

"HURRICANE KATRINA HAS CAUSED EVERYTHING TO CHANGE...BUT DISASTERS ARE A SEEDBED FOR FEAR!"
By Ray Hughes
Selah Ministries
www.selahministries.com
 

Hurricane Katrina has caused everything to change, once again. The winds of change can be an overwhelming and formidable force that alters everything.

For many, it has changed the place that they live. For others, it will change the place they work. But for all of us, it will change how we see our lives and how we live our lives. Whether you live in New Orleans, Biloxi, Mobile, Minneapolis, or Chicago, change has come for us all.

Only God can Heal These Wounds

The fierce water and wind has brought a dramatic and disastrous change to the natural atmosphere. But let's not fail to see that the spiritual climate has been dramatically impacted, as well. Historically, the spiritual climate is greatly impacted by disasters, wounds, and national tragedies. For instance, a horrible disaster 60 years ago can still affect a nation, through the mindset that was established as a result of that disaster. How we all shudder when we hear modern media estimating how many decades or generations it will take the Asian people to recover from the disaster of the 2004 tsunami. And now, we hear the echo of that proclamation in our nation.

A friend sent me an email of a heartbreaking testimony of a father who lost his family and belongings to the tsunami. With tear-filled eyes he said, "All our lives we have gone to sleep to the beautiful and peaceful sound of the ocean waves. And now, there is no sleep because of the growling of the sea." What used to be a song of peace, has become an echoing dirge of death.

The loss and the wounds have the potential to control his life until the day he dies, unless he embraces the God who can thoroughly heal the wounds of his spirit.
 

The Harvest is Now

Wounds and disasters are a seedbed for fear, hopelessness, anger, resentment, and unforgiveness. All of these can become strongholds in a person's life, if not dealt with biblically through repentance, faith, trust and healing. Our wounded neighbors now stand as candidates for the enemy to set up strongholds that could hold them for generations to come.

Katrina has left our nation bewildered and simply trying to understand. At the same time, many in our nation do not have the energy to try to understand. All of their energy is given to survival. Some do not, yet have the strength to consider starting over and rebuilding. They are caught in the talons of crisis, not given the privilege of living day to day. They are exhausted, moment by moment.

If ever there was a time for the people of God to be true intercessors, the time is now. Numerous times in the past few days, I, like you, have heard newscasters, as well as, music and film celebrities, bring attention to the need for prayer for those who have been so impacted by this tragedy. Yes, we will all feel the blow economically. We all see the stir that is going on in the political realm; we see the panic on the faces of those that are doing everything that they can do to help those in need. The seriousness of this time is mind-boggling. The urgency in my heart is that we not overlook the fact that this could be the beginning of the greatest harvest of souls our nation has ever known.

I see the faces and horrors of the old ones forgotten, the young ones forsaken, and the frustration and fear on the faces of those in between. I see the sights of the tired and weary, waiting in waters of despair; somehow, my heart is ignited with hope and faith, that this time, the church will truly shine and be what we are called to be to those who need us most. We can no longer presume that the harvest is in the future. We do not have the luxury of time to prepare and wait for the harvest. Harvest truly is now. We must pray, and we must obey.
 

Man is Constantly on a Quest for Rest

As I looked upon the tired and weary faces on the news reports, I was reminded of a quote by D.L. Moody, which said, "If you probe the human heart, you will find a want, and that want is rest. The cry of the world today is, 'Where can rest be found?'" It goes without saying, that many of those counted among the weary and the tired are the many that have tried to find rest in pleasure, rest in wealth, rest in houses and land, and rest in this world. With all of those things gone, you still see them seeking and finding no rest.

Man is constantly on a quest for rest. Jesus had no place to lay his head to rest, but He came to give rest (see Matthew 8:20). Our prayers can be effective; let's pray for peace and rest for those that are so weary. Also, let's not forget that sometimes it is simple obedience that offers someone a bed.

Out of obedience to what I feel the Holy Spirit is speaking, I must tell you, the winds of change have not been exhausted in America. Change is not some inevitable force that is coming. Change is now.

We know that prayer changes things. To some degree, or another, we have all experienced that truth. If you are a Christian, prayer has already changed your life. But let's not stop there. As A.W. Tozer said, "To many, prayer has become a substitute for obedience." So let us not cease to pray, and let us not cease to obey. Let's see the full results of lives, not just damaged, but changed, healed, delivered, and brought into the kingdom.


By Ray Hughes
Selah Ministries
www.selahministries.com

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Ray Hughes' Upcoming Itinerary:

September 16th, 17th & 18th, 2005
Ray Hughes and the Selah Project Worship & Healing Conference
Abigail's Cares, Newark, OH
abigailscares@alltel.net
www.abigailscares.com

September 24th & 25th, 2005
Ray Hughes at Harvest Church
6897 Slatestone Rd.
Washington, NC 27889
Phone - 252-927-3410, or 252-927-3411

October 14th &15th, 2005
Ray Hughes
Cartersville, GA
More info to come . . .

Ray Hughes, the founder of Selah Ministries and Selah School of Prophetic Worship, has been in full-time ministry for 33 years. He is a prophetic historian with a down-home sense of humor. He is a teacher, author, preacher, poet, storyteller and musician with the true heart of a worshipper. His landmark teachings of unfolding the Tabernacle of David and the reality of praise and worship have become the foundation for curriculums in Bible schools and churches around the world. His revelations have revolutionized the way we approach those subjects, as well as, how we approach the One Who is worthy of all creative praise.