By Linda Barr Batdorf

LINDYBEE@aol.com

May 20, 2002

I saw a butterfly dancing in the wind, and a massive blast carrying it away. It was not damaged because it was so light and moved so easily on the wind.

It was carried out of the danger area because it allowed itself to be moved and gave itself up completely to the total will of God. The butterfly is weak, and fragile, but it was cushioned against the blast by riding the cushion of air just in front of the power surge behind it.

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GOD IS CALLING HIS PEOPLE TO "PRAY, PRAY, PRAY"

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God is calling his people to be prepared, to pray, pray, pray and be in His word. We were born for such a time as THIS and something so big and life-changing is coming, things will simply not be the same again.

Destruction is coming, more destruction [yet me must continue to pray for God's mercy and lessoning of it] and we are called to be always vigilant and ready for His call to be like that butterfly. . . where his breath moves, so must we.

We must be that sensitive to his lead. He will direct us, and we must allow him to move us where he will, or we will be in the center of the storm.

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THE STORM APPROACHES

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God is training up a generation of children, young men and women who are not afraid of the darkness. This is HIS will, not just the signs of a depraved generation.

I work with Junior High students, and I can tell you the onslaught of evil penetrates their homes and minds as it never did when we were that age. God is allowing some of his young prophets and apostles and teachers and preachers to look evil in the face, so they will not shrink back when they must face it for REAL.

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"SOME ARE SAYING, 'I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MY SON . . ."

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Some parents shake their heads saying, "I don't know what to do with my son, he focuses so much on darkness..." I would ask that parent to pray for discernment. Is the child moving toward the "dark side" or is the child getting accustomed to that which he will have to face one day, only face it free of fear?

Is he in fact, just "looking at mug shots" so he can define the enemy to a greater degree when he is called to war against it?

We are called to pray, pray, pray. We are called to be prepared, to prepare the way of the Lord and to be prepared for ANYTHING.

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"DON’T GET SO COMFORTABLE!"

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We have become a complacent people and are tempted to say, "Whew! 9/11 is over and man, am I glad my life is back to normal!" The Lord is telling us DON'T GET SO COMFORTABLE THAT YOU UNDERESTIMATE YOUR ENEMY. Be ever vigilant, be ready, for we do not know the day or the hour.

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WHEN MT. SAINT HELENS BLEW

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I remember when I worked in a local Oregon TV Station the day Mt. St. Helen's blew. People had been warned of the possible devastation. People had been told to stay away from the mountain, yet everyone acted so surprised on May 18th, 1980. For months and months we had covered the story of the puffing mountain, and road blocks were set to prevent needless loss of life -- yet (I think it was) 64 people lost their lives to the volcanic eruption that all scientists involved with it said was IMMINENT. Sixty-four people did not heed the countless warnings of the dangers, sixty-four people thought they could outrun a raging pyroclastic blow that knocked down timber for miles and miles.

As news archivist at the station, it was my unpleasant duty to often see the images that never made it on TV. One that I cannot forget, was footage of a man, I assumed a grandpa, who was driving his truck in the restricted area, crawled out when the mountain blew and thought he could "hide" from the danger by climbing a tree. His charred remains were in the tree when our photographer flew overhead, his truck parked with the door open, yet now covered in ash and debris.

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HE WAS WHERE HE WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE

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He was where he was not supposed to be, therefore there was nowhere to run.

The Lord is impressing upon me that we have become like that man, and those people who felt impervious to the warnings. The time has come to get serious with God. The time has come to pray like we have never prayed before.

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." -- 2 Chronicles 7:14

--Linda Barr Batdorf