神至愛的弟兄姐妹:
願上帝在你所行的一切道上祝福你、保守你！
寫這封信的時候，我可以看到窗外凋敝的原野，草木在驕陽下衰殘。東北正經歷旱災。昨天有報道說，我國有三分之一的地區正處於旱災之中。雪上加霜的是，許多州還遭受了火災。這聽上去好像是先知約珥的預示的警告。他稱這樣的災難爲神的審判臨到國家的徵兆和證據。
“田荒涼，地悲涼，……因爲大麥小麥與田間的莊稼都滅絕了……連田野一切的樹木也都枯乾……穀種在土塊下朽爛……因爲五穀枯乾了……牛群混亂，因爲無草……因爲火燒滅曠野的草場……溪水乾涸”（約珥書1：10-20）
當約珥看到這些包括蝗蟲和其他昆蟲的肆虐時，他呼籲整個國家和神的選民一道禁食。“你們要分定禁食的日子，宣告嚴肅會，……耶和華的日子臨近了，這日來到，好象毀滅從全能者來到”（約珥書1：14-15）
據約珥所說的，這些災難來自何方呢？“……毀滅從全能者來到”。是神曾降火在所多瑪和蛾摩拉，是神曾用大洪水來報應挪亞時代的暴力和邪惡。在整個舊約，神用大饑荒來報應他的聖民。“他命饑荒降在那地上，將所倚靠的糧食全行斷絕”（詩篇105：16）
耶穌曾警告：“民要攻打民，國要攻打國，多處必有饑荒、地震”（馬太福音24:7）。
我要告訴你的是：降臨到我們國家以致整個世界的這些災難不是“自然而然”的，是神，他用每一個史無前例的災難懇請、警告，迫切地呼召我們悔改。難道我們已經忘卻了雙子大樓的倒塌？難道美國聽不到上帝預示的警告？!
神留下一群聖潔的民，他們完全明白正發生的所有事。他們知道這一切莫非平常，不是意外的巧合。是神，呼召我們向他屈膝，轉離我們諸般的罪孽：濫殺無辜、放縱淫欲。上帝拯救我們！
爲那些在禱告、傾聽、敬畏並懇求神憐憫這傷痕累累之地並求他喚醒教會的聖徒，我們感謝神！
我們需要你的幫助——在禱告中和在財務上。
神祝福你們。
大衛
2002年8月19日
Dearly Beloved:
MAY GOD BLESS AND PRESERVE YOU IN ALL YOUR WAYS.
While writing this letter, I look out my window to a field of brown, dying grass and trees withering in the hot sun. We are in a drought here in the northeast. Yesterday, it was reported that one third of our nation is suffering drought conditions. Add to these concerns the fires burning in many states, and it sounds like the prophetic warning of the prophet Joel who called these disasters signs or evidence of judgment upon his nation.
"The field is wasted...the harvest of the field is perished. The vine is dried up...even all the trees of the field are withered...The seed is rotten under their clods...the corn is withered...herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture...fire hath devoured the pastures...rivers are drying up" (Joel 1:10-20)
When Joel saw these disasters, including invasions of locusts and other devouring insects, he called the nation and the people of God to a fast. "Call a solemn assembly...for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the almighty shall it come" (Joel 1:14-15).
Where do these disasters come from, according to Joel? "...As a destruction from the almighty." It was God who sent fire on Sodom and Gomorrah. It was God who sent the flood to avenge violence and wickedness in Noah's time. All through the Old Testament, God sent famines on nations to avenge his holy people. "Moreover he [God] called for a famine upon the land: he broke the whole staff of bread" (Psalm 105:16).
Jesus warned, "Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places" (Matthew 24:7).
I tell you, all these things coming upon our nation and the world simultaneously are not nature "taking its course." It is God, pleading, warning, increasing his call to repentance with each new disaster. Have we forgotten the fall of the Twin Towers? Is America beyond hearing God's prophetic warnings?
God has a holy remnant who fully understands what is happening. They know none of this is normal, that it is not accidental or happenstance. It is God, calling us to fall on our knees and turn from our sins, our blood shedding of innocents, our sexual madness. God help us.
Thank God for those who pray, who hear, who fear the Lord and who plead for God's mercy on our land and an awakening in the church.
Your help is needed - both in prayer and in finances. God bless you.
David
August 19.2002
