How do you perceive the calamities and crisis that are happening today - the earthquakes, wars, economic crisis, extraordinary calamities, and other natural disasters? Do our government has the solution for these? Or do those countries with high and advance technology can give solution? Or can the prayer of Christians and other religious organizations can stop the situation?
Earthquakes 2011
1. Magnitude 6.3 VANUATU March 17, 2011
2. Magnitude 8.9 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN March 11, 2011
3. Magnitude 5.4 MYANMAR-CHINA BORDER REGION March 10, 2011
4. Magnitude 6.5 NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA March 09, 2011
5. Magnitude 7.2 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN March 09, 2011
6. Magnitude 6.6 SOLOMON ISLANDS March 07, 2011
7. Magnitude 6.5 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION March 06, 2011
8. Magnitude 4.7 ARKANSAS February 28, 2011
9. Magnitude 6.3 SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND February 21, 2011
10. Magnitude 4.1 ARKANSAS February 18, 2011
11. Magnitude 6.6 OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE February 14, 2011
12. Magnitude 6.8 OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE February 11, 2011
13. Magnitude 6.5 CELEBES SEA February 10, 2011
14. Magnitude 7.2 SOUTHWESTERN PAKISTAN January 18, 2011
15. Magnitude 7.0 LOYALTY ISLANDS January 13, 2011
16. Magnitude 6.6 VANUATU January 09, 2011
17. Magnitude 4.1 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA January 08, 2011
18. Magnitude 7.1 ARAUCANIA, CHILE January 02, 2011
19. Magnitude 7.0 SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO, ARGENTINA January 01, 2011
Wars
| Start | Finish | Name of Conflict | Belligerents | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victorious party (if applicable) | Defeated party (if applicable) | |||
| 2010 | Ongoing | Yemeni al-Qaeda crackdown | ||
| 2010 | 2010 | 2010 Eritrea–Ethiopia border skirmish |  Eritrea |  Ethiopia |
| 2010 | 2010 | 2010 South Darfur clash | ||
| 2010 | 2010 | 2010 South Kyrgyzstan riots |  Kyrgyzstan | Kyrgyzistani Kyrgyz gangs Other pro- Bakiyev forces Uzbekistani Kyrgyz
 Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (alleged)Kyrgyzstani Uzbeks
 Uzbekistan(limited involv.) |
| 2010 | 2010 | 2010 Kingston conflict |  Jamaica | Shower Posse drug cartel |
| 2010 | Ongoing | 2010–2011 Ivorian crisis | ||
| 2010 | 2011 | 2010–2011 Tunisian revolution |  Interim Government of Tunisia | Government of Tunisia |
| Start | Finish | Name of Conflict | Belligerents | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victorious party (if applicable) | Defeated party (if applicable) | |||
| 2011 | 2011 | Egyptian Revolution of 2011 | Civil resistance |  Government of Egypt |
| 2011 | Ongoing | Libyan Civil War | ||
Economic Crisis
The extent of the problems has been so severe that some of the world’s largest financial institutions have collapsed. Others have been bought out by their competition at low prices and in other cases, the governments of the wealthiest nations in the world have resorted to extensive bail-out and rescue packages for the remaining large banks and financial institutions.
The total amounts that governments have spent on bailouts have skyrocketed. From a world credit loss of $2.8 trillion in October 2009, US taxpayers alone will spend some $9.7 trillion in bailout packages and plans, according to Bloomberg. Out of $43.9 trillion, $14.5 trillion, or 33%, of the value of the world’s companies has been wiped out by this crisis. The UK and other European countries have also spent some $2 trillion on rescues and bailout packages. More is expected.
Compare what is happening today with what Jesus told in His Scriptures.
Matthew 24:4-31 (NIV)
4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
15 "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel — let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now — and never to be equaled again. 22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect — if that were possible. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
26 "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29 "Immediately after the distress of those days
"'the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
30 "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
QUESTION: Can anybody stop these calamities and crisis? Can there be any solution?
THE ANSWER IS IN THE BIBLE:
Matthew 24:6 Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
Therefore, there is no solution with the catastrophes that are happening. These things must happen as God planned it. No technology can stop it. No prayer can stop it. Nobody can stop it. So what shall we do? How can we be save?
THE ANSWER IS ALSO FOUND IN THE BIBLE:
Matthew 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."
The solution is to preach the gospel to all nation so that everyone will have the opportunity to hear the gospel that gives salvation to those who believe. When this happens, Jesus will return and get His people who have right relationship with Him and bring with Him in His Kingdom and will live in everlasting life and everlasting joy. What is the gospel? The gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ died for us. He was buried but was raised to life again. His death brought forgiveness and salvation to mankind. And His resurrection gives hope for eternal life to those who believe in Him.
The solution is this:
1. To preach the gospel as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
2. To believe the gospel that salvation is only through right relationship with Jesus
3. To those who believed and received Jesus as their Savior and Lord, help also to preach gospel.
Let me exhort you with these points to remember:
Watch Out and Do Not be Alarmed
- Televisions, newspapers, and other medias are showing us what is happening in the world - crimes, man-made calamities, natural calamities, famine, economic crises, wars, etc…
- Because of these alarming circumstances, it creates fear to everyone
- Because of fear, people tend to lose their hope
- To us who know the truth, don't be alarmed, don't lose hope.
Watch Out and Do Not be Deceived
- Because of crisis, people will need God, look for miracles, look for solution
- Many false prophets and false teachers will come and will deceive many
- They will perform miracles but mislead the people from the truth
- Even some Christians will be deceived
- People will tend to look for miracles and to those who do miracles to find solution to their problem but forget that God is the solution
- To us who know the truth, do not be deceived. Always believe in God
Watch Out and Do Not Give Up your Faith
- Because of the alarming circumstances that are happening in the world, people’s reaction would be how to survive
- They will give up their faith for the sake food and survival
- Matthew 24:13 “but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
- To us who know the truth, stand firm in your faith in God.
Watch Out and Continue to Preach the Gospel
- Matt 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. “
- Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
- Despite of the alarming situations, the preaching of the gospel must never be stopped
- To us who know the truth, only the gospel of Jesus Christ can save us - by believing in Jesus and live with right relationship with Him.
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