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EARLY WARNINGSഀ
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           THAT SAVEഀ
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December 2017ഀ
An Amazing Fact: The deadliest storm inഀ
American history was a Category 4 hurricaneഀ
that struck Galveston in 1900. The Texas cityഀ
was destroyed by a 16-foot storm surge, and anഀ
estimated 12,000 people lost their lives. By contrast,ഀ
Hurricane Irma was the most powerful hurricaneഀ
in recorded history—a Category 5 that lasted threeഀ
days! Yet, because of early warnings provided byഀ
weather satellites, only 73 lives were lost.ഀ
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Dear friend,ഀ
     There has never been a storm quite like Irma to hit America. The metric energy ofഀ
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this one hurricane topped seven of the other major storms of 2017, including Harvey,ഀ
combined! Yet thousands of lives were saved because of weather satellites. These “eyesഀ
in the skies” provided several days of warning and helped people find shelter.ഀ
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     You also provide early warnings that save lives too. By helping to proclaim theഀ
prophecies in God’s Word—accurate forecasts for what is soon to come upon theഀ
world—you are helping thousands find shelter in Christ. Your dollars (especially thisഀ
month; I’ll tell you more about that in a moment) fulfill the mission of Amazing Facts: toഀ
preach the gospel to every tribe, tongue, and people before earth’s final storm strikes.ഀ
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     Whether you build your house on the rock or the sand, everyone alive on theഀ
planet at that time will be hit by this apocalyptic storm. “There will be great tribulation,ഀ
such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be”ഀ
(Matthew 24:21).ഀ
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     Time is extremely short. Like weather satellites do, we must give advance warningഀ
so people will find safety in the shelter of Christ. We cannot wait, for we are told toഀ
work while it is day for “the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4).ഀ
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Restraining the Windsഀ
        The apostle John saw our day in vision. He witnessed powerful angels holding backഀ
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the forces of evil until the work of God on earth was completed. “I saw four angels standingഀ
at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should notഀ
blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree” (Revelation 7:1).ഀ
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                                                                                                                                                  (over, please)