CA Wildfires (Pt. 2) – Wind & Fire – WIND

After walking with the Lord over forty years, I am convinced the greatest gift He can bestow upon a human being is an insatiable hunger to know Him personally and intimately as a loving Father (Phil. 3:10-11).  In “Part 1 – Introduction” to this series, we learned that our Father is continually speaking through His creation (Rom. 1:20), but sadly, since only a few hear His voice and are obedient, He speaks louder, trying to get His children’s attention.  I believe the recent increase in the number and severity of fires, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, and other natural disasters are actually birth pains the creation is experiencing as it tries to break out of the curse Adam caused and enter into the glorious liberty of Christ, bringing forth the true Sons of God (Rom. 8:21-22).  And out of these worldwide disasters, even though the Lord is speaking ever more loudly, most of us need help learning how to hear what He is saying, which describes our purpose in this series of messages.

As we continue with Part 2 of “CA Wildfires,” we are going to take an in-depth look at the driving force behind those fires - “WIND.”

The Wind (Ruach) as God’s Breath and Creative Force!

In the biblical narrative wind is more than just a meteorological occurrence.  It is loaded with spiritual symbolism and prophetic significance.  Often the wind is a representative of God’s immense and dynamic power in the world, demonstrating His sovereignty over Creation, and acting as an agent through which His divine purposes are fulfilled. 

Genesis 1:1-2. 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (NKJV)

In the Bible, the wind is also a metaphor for the Spirit of God, representing the unseen, all powerful, life-giving power of the third member of the Godhead.  The wind’s power in the Bible is first introduced in the Creation narrative where the Spirit of God (ruach, in Hebrew, which can mean both spirit, breath, and wind) moves over the waters (Gen. 1:2).  Prophetically, water can represent multitudes of people.  This passage presents the wind (ruach) as the breath of God—a powerful force that precedes and facilitates the act of Creation itself.  Nothing supernaturally transformative can happen among men without the movement of the wind of the Holy Spirit.  The wind reflects the diverse ways God interacts with His creation: sometimes gently and in a life-giving manner; at other times powerfully, forcefully, and transformatively.

The Santa Ana Winds

The Santa Ana winds result from a cool, dry desert air mass that hovers over the continental interior of the American West.  As this air descends through the mountain passages of Southern California, towards the low pressure and cool waters of the California coast, it warms and becomes even drier as it gains speed.   The Santa Ana winds likely derive their name from the Santa Ana Canyon in Orange County, where many of these strong, dry winds funnel through, gaining speed and intensity of up to 100 mph, making them a major factor in rapidly spreading wildfires in Southern California.

The EAST Wind

The Santa Ana’s are east winds.  East is often associated with the rising sun, symbolizing new beginnings, hope, and the light of God's Glory and presence.  The entrance to the Tabernacle, and the Temple faced east.  In Ezekiel's vision, the glory of the Lord enters the future temple from the east. 

The east wind provides a reflection of the God who created it, by demonstrating the infinite nature of His POWERFUL LOVE!  The Lord sent the east wind to not only part the Red Sea and provide a dry path of escape for His children, but also to create a watery grave for the evil Egyptians who would harm and take His children from Him, forcing them back into slavery (Ex. 14;21-30).  Seeing the east wind as a FORCE of God’s love and protection, as well as His wrath and judgment, is key to understanding our Father’s LOVE! 

Sowing the WIND—Reaping the WHIRLWIND!

Concerning the CA Wildfires, the Lord keeps talking to me about a spiritual law, usually misunderstood by much of the Church, that burst forth on January 7: “They sow the WIND and reap the WHIRLWIND (Hosea 8:7a).”  “They” refers to God’s people—Israel in the Old Covenant, and sadly the Church in the New.  “Wind” is the Hebrew word “ruach” which is used 378 times in the Old Testament.

The first time “ruach” is used refers to God’s SPIRIT (ruach) moving in redemption upon the face of the waters of condemnation which flooded the earth (Gen. 1:2).  The first time “ruach” is translated as “wind” is in context with the second time the earth was flooded with water (again symbolizing judgement & death) when God “made a wind (ruach) blow over the earth (again bringing redemption), and the waters (of judgement & death) subsided (Gen. 8:1b).”  Can you imagine?  This was not a gentle breeze!

Noah was operating authoritatively in Adam’s dominion over the earth by building a boat to bring redemption and life, rather than a curse and death, to every creature that had breath (ruach), including all mankind (Gen. 7:15).

Adam’s dominion over the earth (Gen. 1:26) has now gone to the Second Adam which is Christ, Who has given it to His CHURCH (us).  So, how is His Church supposed to operate in this authority we have been given?  The same way Christ does—We SPEAK in His Name, under the unction of the Holy Spirit!  Then our words are ruach—spirit, breath, wind.  Jesus would later say, “It is the SPIRIT who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I SPEAK to you are SPIRIT (ruach) and they are life (John. 6:63).

So, what is the problem God is revealing in Hosea 8:7, that is causing whirlwinds (severe storms and calamities—including wildfires) to devastate our lives?  The answer requires understanding “sowing and reaping—what it is and what it isn’t!  The point: In scripture we are taught to sow the Word, never to sow the wind—ruach—the Spirit.  In the “Parable of the Sower (Mat. 13:1-9),” Jesus depicts the sower scattering seed everywhere: some were eaten by birds, some were scorched by heat, some were choked by thorns, but some yielded a crop.  God, the Word, the Second Person of the Godhead, was SOWN into the earth; God, the Spirit, the Third Person of the Godhead, was NOT SOWN!  Ruach - the wind, the breath, the Spirit of God, cannot be eaten, scorched, or choked, because He cannot be cast to the ground and buried!

Like Jesus, the Church is supposed to be filled with the Spirit of God (ruach) and using our God given dominion to SPEAK Spirit empowered words of life to subdue the earth, INCLUDING THE WEATHER (Gen. 1:28).  But instead, much of the Church has replaced the Holy Spirit with education and human reasoning.  Instead of taking DOMINION over the devil and this fallen world by SPEAKING Spirit filled words of POWER and AUTHORITY, much of the Church has satiated itself spiritually with nice prayers, beautiful music, smooth words, flattering messages, flesh-stroking programs, and have fallen asleep (Rom. 16:18).  In these powerless churches, not only is the Holy Spirit neglected, but He is buried (SOWN) under centuries of dead religion, and fleshly traditions, as if the Spirit no longer exists or needed!  Jesus made it clear, “The flesh (without the Spirit - ruach) profits nothing!” 

True WIND & FIRE in the Church!

Acts 2:1–4. 1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind (pnoe (GK), ruach (Heb) – wind or breath) and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.  4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to SPEAK with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 

In Genesis 2:7, God breathed the breath of life into His son Adam, and he became a living soul. 

In Acts 2:2, God breathed the breath of life into His Bride—the Church, and she became a living Spirit.   

       Don’t miss Part 3 of this message: “Wind & Fire — FIRE!”