Timely and Inspiring Prophetic Analysis so you can Prepare.

By Pastor Hal Mayer

Dear friends,

Welcome to Keep the Faith Ministry once again. I don’t know if you’ve noticed that the disasters are happening with a regular pace. One disaster follows another. The whole world is becoming more and more chaotic and disasters are spread everywhere. The fires in Los Angeles, and in particular the Palisades and Eaton fires in January, were the most savage and destructive fires Los Angeles history. Maybe not since the San Francisco earthquake has California experienced such devastation. There are reasons for these things, and we will explore them in this message. Let’s begin with prayer.

Our father in heaven, we realized that we are at the end of time. And we are increasingly aware that the trouble for God’s people will be largely the result of blame for the disasters and calamities that befall the human race. Please send your Holy Spirit as we study today so that we may understand what we must do and what we must be. Thank you for being our God that promises to stand by our side every step of the way if we are united with Christ. In Jesus name, Amen.

Turn with me in your Bibles to Isaiah 1:4-7

“Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken anymore? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.”

In the early morning of January 7, children left for school as usual, and people headed for work. The citizens of Pacific Palisades went about their day just like any other day, setting out the trash, or enjoying coffee with a book, a dip in the pool, shopping and going about their business. Commercial businesses open their doors, eating establishment prepared for customers, and delivery services started their trucks. None could imagine the apocalyptic devastation that would descend upon them later that same day. It reminds me of the early morning of peace and calm on the day Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed.

Oh, there had been warnings during the weeks before that high winds and extremely dry tinder made a very dangerous combination. But nothing indicated that there would be a fire on January 7. There hadn’t been fires on other days, so people weren’t too worried about it. They had lived in these communities for many years. The Santa Ana winds were an annual occurrence. And that day seemed no different than any other beautiful sunny day. Besides, Los Angeles is considered to be America’s most fire-ready city. Nothing really serious could happen, they thought.

But a brutal monster was brewing. There had been almost no rain for eight months. Hillsides and backyards were bone dry, primed to burn. All that was needed was a spark paired with the Santa Ana winds to fan the flames into a furious beast that could wipe out enormous swaths of North Los Angeles. It was to be an overwhelming surprise. Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 8, page 28 describes the terror coming on the world at the end of time, of which the fires in Los Angeles foreshadowed.

“Transgression has almost reached its limit. Confusion fills the world, and a great terror is soon to come upon human beings. The end is very near. We who know the truth should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise.”

Smoke began billowing from a small brush fire that was seen sometime around 10:30 am. The devastating fires that would eventually destroy huge communities of North Los Angeles were underway. By noon, the fire had been whipped into a frenzy by the ferocious winds. Flames roared down city streets and spread like a deadly virus. No place seemed immune to its fury.
Pacific Palisades was the first to fall to the flames. Mandatory evacuation orders were activated for the wealthy community, whose homes were valued at an average of $3.3 million. In a matter of hours, the fires had expanded and had started to destroy one home after another in a seemingly systematic and methodical way. It seemed like the firestorm had an intelligent mind and was heading for the most densely populated areas, where houses were tightly packed together.

As the fire tore through street after street, panic gripped the residents in the path of the fire. They quickly got in their cars with the clothes they had on their backs and fled with their pets. But there was a problem. Everybody else was fleeing too and it created a gridlock of vehicles that couldn’t move. Soon, panic seized them again. The police came by and told them to get out of their cars and run for their lives. The abandoned cars blocked roadways and created even more gridlock until bulldozers came and pushed them out of the way. Many vehicles that were able to keep moving had to pass by burning homes and cars. It looked like scenes from a surreal dystopian movie. But it was all too real! And before the fires could be extinguished the town of Pacific Palisades was devastated. It looked like a bomb had gone off. Cities and dense communities are like that. They’re death traps.

There were eight different fires that started. The enormous firestorms, fanned by a “devil wind,” burned through vast blocks of homes, shopping centers, and parks. It was like a blowtorch, just shooting the flame off the mountain in front of the wind, down into the vulnerable communities. A devil wind, in fire department parlance, is a wind that hurls the embers far ahead of the fire, like snowfall from hell, only to spark new fires where they land. Fire usually burns uphill. But with the Santa Ana winds the fire was pushed downhill toward the communities while hurling large embers sometimes many blocks ahead.

Everything happened so quickly that the people had only enough time to grab a few things and flee. And they lost everything else. Not only their homes, but their memorabilia were consumed in the conflagration. The social friendships, the community bonds, the routines, all were torn apart. They’re all gone. Wealth and status were no protection.

Firefighters on the scene tried to hook up their hoses to fire hydrants, but many of the fire hydrants gave them no water. And those that did have water blew through it in a matter of hours. City water systems are not designed to sustain a firefight like these communities experienced. You could talk about diversion of water to save the tiny fish, and you could talk about decreasing the budget to the fire department, and the governor or the mayor, but ultimately there was more demand for water than any man-made water system could meet. Only rains from heaven could extinguish these fires. But right now, there was fire from heaven as it were. There weren’t enough fire engines, there weren’t enough fire fighters, there wasn’t enough equipment, to fight fires like this. One burning house alone could require three fire trucks. When thousands of structures are on fire at the same time, there is no community in the world with enough resources to fight this kind of fire. Do the math. This would require 20-30,000 fire trucks. Plus, the fireman to man them. LA was totally unprepared for this!

This, my friends, was a judgment of God. Firefighters mostly stood by helplessly and watched the town burn to the ground. They were absolutely overwhelmed. Human defenses were futile in the face of the devastating and deadly force of the monster firestorms. There is some valid discussion that could be had about preparations for the fire in advance, but it was too late now.

Air crews with heavy choppers that could drop 3000 gallons of water at a time on communities and on the flames can work 24/7. The same is true for fixed wing aircraft including super scoopers and a DC-10 jet. But during the early crucial hours of the firestorm the strong winds kept them grounded.

The fires were unstoppable. Fire crews had cut the electricity to burning communities and communities under threat from the fire. This caused the electric pumps that pumped water to the fire hydrants to stop working. Approximately 40,000 acres we’re burned, more than 23,000 of which were in the Palisades fire alone. That’s more than 63 square miles in the burn area. Fire crews were completely overwhelmed by the ferocity of the flames and the geographical extent of the fires. Nature became the enemy that day. God uses nature to bring His judgments upon the human race. He has resources of all kinds that He can call on when He deems it necessary.

More than 180,000 people were ordered to leave their homes at various times, and 200,000 more were under evacuation warnings. At the beginning of the second week the resurging Santa Ana winds, with gusts of 30 to 70 mph, scorched more communities, forcing more people to evacuate from their homes. Where did these evacuees go? Well, many of them stayed with friends or relatives in their homes. But many of them went to shelters set up in various places.

When people were allowed back into their communities, many of them were stunned and dazed and many just wept when they saw their homes in a pile of dust and ashes from the destruction of the fire that left nothing but rows of brick chimneys standing like tombstones. Tall palm trees stood like burned matchsticks. There was molten metal from cars that had incinerated. Nothing of any value was left. It looks like a war zone with block after block, house after house, on street after street, mile after mile burned to the ground. For the residents it was hell on earth. The residents are slowly coming to grips with the aftermath. Listen to this statement from Signs of the Times, Oct. 9, 1901.

“The time is right upon us when there will be sorrow in the world that no human balm can heal. Even before the last great destruction comes upon the world, the flattering monuments of man’s greatness will be crumbled in the dust. God’s retributive judgments will fall on those who in the face of great light have continued in sin. Costly buildings, supposed to be fire-proof, are erected. But as Sodom perished in the flames of God’s vengeance, so will these proud structures become ashes.”

At the end of the day wealth and privilege mean nothing. We’re all reduced to the same thing when there’s a disaster. With nothing came we into the world, and with nothing shall we will go to the grave. Money in the bank can be wiped out as quickly as a home a can burn. Gold and silver and other precious metals can also rust or be destroyed in some calamity. There is no safety anywhere other than in God. Many of these people in the burn area did not believe in God or did not have a relationship with him.

Have the people of Los Angeles County continued in sin for years? Pacific Palisades was the home of many celebrities. Many of these people celebrate and promote sodomy and many other forms wickedness, witchcraft and wantonness. Here is a list of Hollywood celebrities that lost their expensive and luxurious homes. Mel Gibson, Paris Hilton, Anthony Hopkins, Tina Knowles Beyoncé’s mother, John Goodman, Candy Spelling, Milo Ventimiglia, Julia-Louis Dreyfus, Denise Crosby, Jamie Chung and Bryan Greenberg, Cary Elwes, Rick Caruso, Jeff Bridges, Bozoma-Saint John of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills, Melissa Rivers also lost her $7.7 million home, Diane Warren, Top Gun Maverick Miles Taylor and his wife Keleigh lost their $7.5 million “palace.” American Pie star Eugene Levy’s home has also been leveled. Nothing remains of Billy Crystal’s palatial home except the tennis courts.

Actors Adam Brody and Leighton Meester lost their $7 million mansion. Anna Faris’ of Scary Movie fame’s $5 million eco-friendly home was decimated. Sandra Lee, the former First Lady of New York lost her home. Ricki Lake and Ross Sussman typed on Instagram “Ross and I lost our dream home, … It was our heaven on earth.

And for many of these people it is the only heaven they will get. Some others lost their earthly mansions. Reality stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag lost their home. Mandy Moore and Taylor Goldsmith lost some of their home, as well as their musical instruments. Jhene Aiko lost her $5.6 million Pacific Palisades mansion. The fire also destroyed the home of Star Wars actor Mark Hamill. He said the blaze was the ‘most horrific fire’ since 1993. Step Brothers actor John C. Reilly’s $1.25 million home was reduced to rubble.

General Hospital star Cameron Matheson’s LA home was razed in the flames. Cobie Smulders star of How I Met Your Mother lost her $5.6 million home too. Within minutes fire engulfed the entire property, despite efforts from fire fighters to contain the blaze. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ex-wife and former First Lady of California Maria Shriver is homeless now too. Australian actor Vernon Wells had his home destroyed. Attempts to save it were overwhelmed by the firestorm. Joshua Jackson’s childhood home in Topanga Canyon, which he bought back after after years in Hollywood, was also consumed. The Young And The Restless star, Melissa Claire Egan, lost her home. She and her husband, Matt Katrosar, had closed on the property two weeks before the devastating fires began. Also, the homes of Jennifer Aniston, Bradley Cooper, Eugene Levy, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Reese Witherspoon, Adam Sandler and Michael Keaton were all wiped off the map. 

And listen to this from Last Day Events, page 112.

“God is withdrawing His Spirit from the wicked cities, which have become as the cities of the antediluvian world and as Sodom and Gomorrah…. Costly mansions, marvels of architectural skill, will be destroyed without a moment’s notice when the Lord sees that the owners have passed the boundaries of forgiveness. The destruction by fire of the stately buildings, supposed to be fireproof, is an illustration of how in a short time earth’s architecture will lie in ruins.”

Many of these celebrities lead lifestyles of sin that are bold and defiant. They celebrate and glorify sin. And these lead many people follow in their footsteps. Do you think God found a way to make examples out of them to the rest of the sin-drenched world to show them what the end of time, the end of the world will look like? But He mixed His judgement with mercy. It is amazing that only 25 people had lost their lives, although the California governor said that there’s likely to be a lot more. Other fires, like the Black Saturday fires in Australia, took the lives of over 270 people. Here is a statement from Patriarchs and Prophets, page 190.

“The depths of the earth are the Lord’s arsenal, whence were drawn weapons to be employed in the destruction of the old world. Waters gushing from the earth united with the waters from heaven to accomplish the work of desolation. Since the Flood, fire as well as water has been God’s agent to destroy very wicked cities. These judgments are sent that those who lightly regard God’s law and trample upon His authority may be led to tremble before His power and to confess His just sovereignty. As men have beheld burning mountains pouring forth fire and flames and torrents of melted ore, drying up rivers, overwhelming populous cities, and everywhere spreading ruin and desolation, the stoutest heart has been filled with terror and infidels and blasphemers have been constrained to acknowledge the infinite power of God.”

Listen to what Isaiah 30:27 has to say.

“Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire.”

And this a statement from Desire of Ages, page 636.

Everything in the world is in agitation. The signs of the times are ominous. Coming events cast their shadows before. The Spirit of God is withdrawing from the earth, and calamity follows calamity by sea and by land. There are tempests, earthquakes, fires, floods, murders of every grade. Who can read the future? Where is security? There is assurance in nothing that is human or earthly. Rapidly are men ranging themselves under the banner they have chosen. Restlessly are they waiting and watching the movements of their leaders. There are those who are waiting and watching and working for our Lord’s appearing. Another class are falling into line under the generalship of the first great apostate. Few believe with heart and soul that we have a hell to shun and a heaven to win.”

The people of Pacific Palisades and the surrounding communities felt reasonably secure. After all, a palisade is a strong pole that is pointed at the top, and placed along a row with many other palisades as a defense, as for an old fort. But many of these people had ranged themselves under the banner of Satan. They had no security at all. They had fallen into line under the generalship of the great apostate, and lived for pleasure. And their defense was gone.

And listen to this statement from Last Day Events, page 26.

“In fires, in floods, in earthquakes, in the fury of the great deep, in calamities by sea and by land, the warning is given that God’s Spirit will not always strive with men.”

Do you think the fires in North Los Angeles are a warning that God’s Spirit will not always strive with men? I think it’s interesting that there were two major disasters occurred in two major centers of wickedness within a couple of months of each other. The hurricane that wreaked havoc and destruction upon Asheville, and the intense fires of Los Angeles County have reminded us that God will not be trifled with and will not overlook evil forever. Are we beginning to see the rapid judgments of God on the world? Here is a statement from Selected Messages, Vol. 2, page 391.

“Troublous times are before us. The judgments of God are abroad in the land. Calamities follow one another in rapid succession. Soon God is to rise out of His place to shake terribly the earth, and to punish the inhabitants for their iniquity. Then He will stand up in behalf of His people, and will give them His protecting care. He will throw His everlasting arms around them to shield them from all harm.”

And here is a statement from Prophets and Kings, page 277.

“How frequently we hear of earthquakes and tornadoes, of destruction by fire and flood, with great loss of life and property! Apparently these calamities are capricious outbreaks of disorganized, unregulated forces of nature, wholly beyond the control of man, but in them all God’s purpose may be read. They are among the agencies by which He seeks to arouse men and women to a sense of their danger.”

Do you think this was just a capricious outbreak of a disorganized, and unregulated force of nature? I don’t think so. We can talk about the unpreparedness of the city water system to handle the needs, and the diversion of water into the Pacific Ocean to save the tiny fish called smelt. But that’s man speculation. God is having His say. Will human beings recognize God’s voice in these things? There will be more disasters in the near future. Don’t you want to be under the protection of God during this time? I do. Here is a statement from The Paulson Collection, page 50. It was written in 1906 at the time of the San Francisco earthquake.

“Some time after this I was shown that the vision of buildings in Chicago and the draft upon the means of our people to erect them, and their destruction, was an object lesson for our people, warning them not to invest largely of their means in property in Chicago, or any other city, unless the providence of God should positively open the way and plainly point out duty to build or buy as necessary in giving the note of warning. A similar caution was given in regard to building in Los Angeles. Repeatedly I have been instructed that we must not invest means in the erection of expensive buildings in cities.”

While it is possible that disasters will come to the countryside too, and do from time to time, the major cities are the special targets of both the enemy of mankind, and also of the judgments of God.

Estimates for the cost of the fire damage that was done by the Palisades fire and by the other fires in the area, were enormous. At least $52 billion of damage was an early estimate. But the total estimate could run into $150 billion or more. And the damage is likely to go much higher. I really can’t imagine what $150 billion worth of damage means. It is unfathomable. Here is an interesting statement from Maranatha, page 37.

“The tempest is coming, and we must get ready for its fury by having repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord will arise to shake terribly the earth. We shall see troubles on all sides. Thousands of ships will be hurled into the depths of the sea. Navies will go down, and human lives will be sacrificed by millions. Fires will break out unexpectedly, and no human effort will be able to quench them. The palaces of earth will be swept away in the fury of the flames. Disasters by rail will become more and more frequent; confusion, collision, and death without a moment’s warning will occur on the great lines of travel. The end is near, probation is closing. Oh, let us seek God while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near! The prophet says: ‘Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.’”

There was very little warning to the residents of Pacific Palisades, Altadena and other communities when the fires descended upon them with fury. Many people will not see the hand of God in these things. By the way, at the time that this was written, there were no commercial airline flights. But notice that “the great lines of travel” are mentioned. Are the two air crashes that happened in Kazakhstan and in South Korea included in this prophecy? I think so. That makes 4 disasters in the last five months. And if you think about it they were probably more.

The fires in North Los Angeles destroyed more than 1200 homes, schools, businesses, and churches. The fires ripped apart the very things that tie communities together. From Isaiah 47:10-15, we read the reason for these things.

“For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me. Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know. Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail. Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it. Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, even thy merchants, from thy youth: they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save thee.”

There were certainly astrologers, stargazers, and monthly prognosticators in North Los Angeles. And many of the people trusted in things that they didn’t realize were dangerous. So, they continued their lives of wickedness and blasphemy never realizing that their summer homes and their winter homes and vacation homes as well as many of their primary residences would be destroyed. Listen to this from Amos 2:1, 2.

“Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof… But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth: and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet:”

God’s principles are still valid today. He will send fire and flood on wicked cities and communities that turn from Him and live their lives as they please. The thoughts and imaginations of their hearts are continually evil. There were certainly palaces in Pacific Palisades and other places that were burned to the ground. If we trust in riches, we will be disappointed because they can evaporate quickly. Hollywood and the communities around it needed a reminder that they cannot trifle with God’s justice. They continued to glorify sin and this causes others around the world to emulate them. So not only do they sin themselves and live very wicked and ungodly lifestyles. But they are also teaching millions of others to follow in their steps. The movies they make continue to promote evil and licentiousness and this influences the laws, as well as the politicians and the common people of most nations on the earth. Hollywood is like a thorn in the flesh of humanity. It continues to injure them and will always be with them. Listen to this statement from Isaiah 33:12.
“And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.”

The people of Southern California must take a warning from these fires. because if they don’t there will be greater fires and more destructive earthquakes. The people of other cities must heed the warning too. Listen to Malachi 4:1.

“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.”

Here are some other verses from Isaiah that discuss the end of time. Isaiah 34:8, 9.

“For it is the day of the LORD’S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion. And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.”

Isaiah 34:14.

“The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?”

Everlasting burnings means until all is burned up. Pacific Palisades experienced everlasting burnings until the whole city was destroyed. Yes, a few homes survived. God was merciful. He protected a few of them for whatever reasons He has. As God’s people, we need to take heed to ourselves and how we are living. For the end of time is upon us and these disasters will wax worse and worse. Satan also brings disaster. This statement from Great Controversy, page 589 tells us what Satan will do at the end of time.

“While appearing to the children of men as a great physician who can heal all their maladies, he will bring disease and disaster, until populous cities are reduced to ruin and desolation. Even now he is at work. In accidents and calamities by sea and by land, in great conflagrations, in fierce tornadoes and terrific hailstorms, in tempests, floods, cyclones, tidal waves, and earthquakes, in every place and in a thousand forms, Satan is exercising his power. He sweeps away the ripening harvest, and famine and distress follow. He imparts to the air a deadly taint, and thousands perish by the pestilence. These visitations are to become more and more frequent and disastrous. Destruction will be upon both man and beast.”
But God uses Satan’s efforts to bring His judgments upon the land. Here is a statement from the SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, page 946 That explains what is coming at the end of time.

“Before the Son of man appears in the clouds of heaven, everything in nature will be convulsed. Lightning from heaven uniting with the fire in the earth, will cause the mountains to burn like a furnace, and pour out their floods of lava over villages and cities. Molten masses of rock, thrown into the water by the upheaval of things hidden in the earth, will cause the water to boil and send forth rocks and earth. There will be mighty earthquakes and great destruction of human life. But as in the days of the great Deluge Noah was preserved in the ark that God had prepared for him, so in these days of destruction and calamity, God will be the refuge of His believing ones…”

There’s another statement from the Review and Herald, November 27, 1900, that I would like to read. It’s a rather long statement but I hope it will sink in to all of us.

“Everything has been moving on just as the Lord revealed in prophecy that it would. Something great and decisive is soon to take place, else no flesh would be saved. The character of God will not be compromised. Under the wrath of God, universal desolation will soon reach all parts of the known world. There have been lightnings and earthquakes, fires and floods, calamities by sea and land; but who reads these warnings? What impression is made upon the world? What change in their attitude is seen? No more than was seen in the inhabitants of the Noachian world. The people are just as ardent today in their games, in their horse racing, in their love of amusement, as were the antediluvians, who “knew not until the flood came, and took them all away.” They had heaven-sent warnings, but they refused to listen. By their attitude they declared, We want not thy way, O God; we want our own way, our own will. Today the world is mad: an insanity is upon men and women, and is hurrying them on to eternal ruin. Every species of indulgence prevails, and men have become so infatuated with vice that they will not listen to warnings or appeals.”

“The Lord says to the people of the earth, “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” All are now deciding their eternal destiny. Men need to be aroused to realize the solemnity of the time, the nearness of the day when human probation shall be ended. God gives no man a message that it will be five years or ten years or twenty years before this earth’s history shall close. He would not give any living being an excuse for delaying the preparation for his appearing. He would have no one say, as did the unfaithful servant, “My Lord delayeth his coming;” for this leads to reckless neglect of the opportunities and privileges given to prepare us for that great day. Everyone who claims to be a servant of God is called to do his service as if each day might be the last.”

Very few are really living with God in the way that God wants them to. But for the very few that are living in the Lord, He tells us in Proverbs 3:25, 26,

“Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.”

We find some very comforting words in Isaiah 43:1-4.

“But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.”

Oh friends, the devastating and spectacular fires in the communities of North Los Angeles are a warning from God that He will not be trifled with. Listen to this statement from Testimonies for the Church, Vol 5, page 234.

“It is God who holds in His hands the destiny of souls. He will not always be mocked; He will not always be trifled with. Already His judgments are in the land. Fierce and awful tempests leave destruction and death in their wake. The devouring fire lays low the desolate forest and the crowded city. Storm and shipwreck await those who journey upon the deep. Accident and calamity threaten all who travel upon the land. Hurricanes, earthquakes, sword and famine, follow in quick succession. Yet the hearts of men are hardened. They recognize not the warning voice of God. They will not flee to the only refuge from the gathering storm.”

Have you trifled with God? Have you spurned His mercy? I know that I have on many occasions. We must repent and live humbly before God like we believe Jesus is coming very soon, and that the judgment is imminent. He will be merciful and kind. If we have sinned, He is ready to pardon. May God grant us repentance, forgiveness and restoration.
Let us pray. Father, the devastating fires in Los Angeles have impressed us with Your power to judge the wicked. We pray that Your Holy Spirit will be with us to show us how to live. We repent of our evil ways. And we’re sorry for our sins that have crucified Christ afresh. Please forgive our sins and grant us a fresh start. And may we live for Jesus because our time is short. What we have seen in recent times has greatly impressed us with the power of God through nature. Please help us to respect it and its author. Thank you. In Jesus name, amen.