ALAN FRANKLIN introduces this report from Nathan Jones, webmaster at Lamb and Lion Ministries. The number of natural disasters around the world has increased by more than four times in the last 20 years, according to a report released by the British charity Oxfam. These are the birth pangs immediately prior to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth. Matthew 24:7 "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places." The Bible tells us exactly what to expect next as we explain fully in our book Goodbye America, Goodbye Britain, available
from our webshop. | 
Why, God, all the devastation in Haiti?
On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, the country of Haiti was rocked by the most devastating earthquake in nearly 200 years.
The massive magnitude-7.0 quake flattened the capital of Port-Au-Prince, leveling everything from neighborhoods, hospitals, schools, cathedrals, the main prison and even the president's palace.
An uncountable number of people lay buried among the rubble. These ranged from public figures such as the head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission and the Roman Catholic archbishop, to little children in the arms of their parents. The number of dead is only just beginning to be counted by rescue crews gathered from all over the world. But, the numbers could very well be as high as 500,000 according to Haitian Sen. Youri Latortue, as reported by the Associated Press.
"Death was everywhere in Port-Au-Prince. Bodies of tiny children were piled next to schools. Corpses of women lay on the street with stunned expressions frozen on their faces as flies began to gather. Bodies of men were covered with plastic tarps or cotton sheets.... Parliament has collapsed. The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. Hospitals have collapsed... Even the main prison in the capital fell down."
Increasing Earthquakes
As horrible as the tragic earthquake in Haiti has been, it hasn't been the first major earthquake in 2010. Just a week earlier the Solomon Islands were rocked with a series of quakes, the greatest a magnitude-6.2. The U.S. Geological Survey's Latest Earthquakes M5.0+ in the World website reports a long series of 5.0 or higher earthquakes, ranging from Tonga to Java to Taiwan to Haiti and to just off the California coast (a magnitude-6.5).
The world continues to painfully witness what NaturalNews.com reported — natural disasters are increasing in frequency, ravaging the world, our countries, and even our own homes.
"The number of natural disasters around the world has increased by more than four times in the last 20 years, according to a report released by the British charity Oxfam. Oxfam analyzed data from the Red Cross, United Nations and researchers at Louvain University in Belgium. It found that the earth is currently experiencing approximately 500 natural disasters per year, compared with 120 per year in the early 1980s. The number of weather-related disasters in 2006 was 240, compared with 60 in 1980... Between 1985 and 1994, Oxfam found that 174 million people were affected by disasters each year. In the following decade, this figure increased by 70 percent to 254 million people per year."
What is the cause?
The Bible gives us the answer to all this upheaval of nature — God is speaking to us. God has always spoken through signs of nature. The Bible provides us with many signs we are to watch for that will signal the soon return of Jesus, including natural disasters. Jesus said these signs would be like "birth pangs" (Matt. 24:8). That means they will increase in frequency and intensity the closer we get to the Lord's return. And, that is exactly what appears to be happening today.
Why God?
God uses signs of nature to underline the importance of major events, like Jesus' soon return.
God also uses them as remedial judgments to call nations to repentance. Haiti is mired in occultism and spiritism, resulting in it being the poorest and most spiritually oppressive nation in the Western hemisphere.
Because of our rejection of God and His moral standards, we tragically are the ones truly responsible for these natural disasters. As long as the nations continue to reject God, He will use natural disasters to yell — "I love you! Repent and come back to me!"
What to do?
God's Word makes it clear that when He sends discipline, the fundamental purpose is never to punish. Instead, the purpose is to call us to repentance so that we might be saved. Here's how the prophet Isaiah expressed it: "When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness" (Isa. 26:9b).
We are tempting God to move us from judgment to destruction. Our God is so merciful. He is patiently sending us one natural disaster wake-up call after another because He never pours out His wrath without warning. And the greatest "coming wrath" already visible on the far horizon is the 7-year Tribulation (1 Thes. 1:10), which will include two of the worst earthquakes the world will ever experience.
And so, we each need to repent individually for our own rebellion and selfishness. We need to repent nationally for removing God from our society, for our murders from the womb to the elderly, for our obsession with sexual promiscuity, for our fascination with the occult, and for our lack of support for Israel's right to exist. We need to accept Jesus as our Savior. It is the only way we will be rescued from the "coming wrath."
When Jesus finally returns to set up His Millennial Kingdom, the curse will be lifted and the natural calamities will finally cease.
Note: If you would like to join Lamb & Lion Ministries in contributing to the relief efforts in Haiti, we recommend both Samaritan’s Purse and the Baptist Haiti Mission. Continue in prayer that the relief efforts will greatly spread the hope of Jesus Christ and free Haiti of the hold Satan has on it. |
