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Only the Beginning of Sorrows
By: Jim Josephsen
By now you are keenly aware of the devastation and utter chaos, civil
unrest; the deteriorating living conditions throughout the nation of
Haiti. The news coverage is complete, print media, telecasts and
Internet stories abound as the nation of Haiti is laid open for the
entire world to see.
At 4:53 p.m. on January 12th, a magnitude seven earthquake
with an epicenter just south of Port-au-Prince flattened much of the
capital, affecting some two million people. The nation’s population of
some nine million people has been affected. The number of dead will
easily reach 200,000.
The nation’s Presidential Palace was ravaged. The effects of the
earthquake were indiscriminate as residential homes and shanties alike;
office buildings, hospitals, schools, police stations, the many Ministry
buildings, international relief headquarters and religious missions all
suffered ruin. City mile after mile has been laid waste.
Lifeless bodies lay everywhere. Those who have survived, walk by
corpses, stagger in disbelief, uncertain what tomorrow will bring. Mass
graves are quickly being filled, with little time to identify the dead
or give honorable burials. Haitian leaders struggle to comprehend the
extent of the catastrophe. The International Red Cross estimates that
easily one third of the nation’s population need emergency aid now, if
they are to live in the days ahead. News headlines make it clear; Haiti
is on the brink of internal collapse, as water and foods are in short
supply and in critical need. The United States and other nations have
laid out plans in response to the disaster. Helicopters, transport
planes, U.S. and UN troops, Israeli Search Teams, and hundreds of
volunteers aid in the rescue, recovery, distribution and rebuilding
efforts.
Occasional stories of rescue provide hope and moments of joyous relief.
What we see as the mounting aftermath of such a horrifying disaster
leaves many heartbroken, utterly helpless. Anyone watching the news
coverage, with natural compassion, bends over in pain at what they see
and offers up a silent prayer that God’s mercy will aid those people.
How can anyone not hurt after witnessing the suffering survivors of
Haiti?
Donations will make their way to the organizations that will offer
assistance. Rebuilding efforts will proceed. Relief efforts will avail
help, as mankind in its best humanitarian efforts will attempt to aid
and comfort that beleaguered nation.
Yet at a time when human beings are suffering and a nation has been
brought low, we are witnessing a dark, corrupt side of human behavior.
We are unfortunately made aware of carnal lustful individuals who take
advantage of this kind of disaster by setting up bogus charities and
rogue telemarketing phone banks with the intention of stealing your
money in the name of relief efforts.
Even more pathetic, and certainly exposing ignorance, were the words of
a high profile, supposed religious man; one Pat Robertson. This
individual, who commands much “face time” on his CBN program, 700 Club,
has once again expelled words that expose his lack of understanding of
the Truth and of God.
This man proclaimed the reason the earthquake hit Haiti was Voodoo.
Summarizing his argument, Robertson stated, “You know, something
happened a long time ago in Haiti. They got together and swore a pact
with the devil and said we will serve you if you free us from the
French. And so the devil said, OK, it’s a deal. And the Haitians
revolted and got themselves free. But ever since, they’ve been cursed by
one thing or another.” Robertson’s spokesman said, “Robertson never
stated that the earthquake was God’s wrath.”
So then why did Robertson say what he did?
Originally under French rule, during the 1700s, Haiti was once the
wealthiest colony in the New World, representing one third of France’s
economy. In 1801 Haitian slaves revolted against the French colonists to
gain their independence. History explains how the slaves engaged in
voodoo rituals in order to secure victory over the French.
Did the Haitian’s swear a pact with the devil to gain their
independence? Did this earthquake hit Haiti, specifically, in response
to that nation’s religious practices and superstitions? Is God overly
concerned that these people then or now practice voodoo? Was God out to
get those people?
These questions are genuine and are logically answered from the Word of
God. One need not listen to the ranting of a posturing religious man,
who clearly misuses the Word of God to promote his opinions. Clearly, he
does not represent Jesus Christ.
What occurred in Haiti is the result of time and chance, of tectonic
plates shifting and the earth realigning. Earthquakes occur as a natural
result of geologic forces at play.
If God were to arise to get your attention, something He will do when
Jesus Christ returns to the earth with righteous judgment, you will know
it is God at work. ALL nations and ALL people will know! The day will
come when God will “not only shake the earth but the heavens” (Hebrews
12:26; Haggai 2:6). The Book of Revelation and the many prophecies
designated for the latter days, the time of Christ’s return are specific
in revealing that when God is ready to get the world’s attention, the
world will know and have no doubt. You will know it is His doing and not
time and chance.
The earthquake in Haiti, like the hundreds to date, is not in direct
response from God in answer to its sins. If this were so, then all the
nations of this earth today would be wiped flat, including the good old
Christian United States of America. Talk about a nation laden with sins
and religious hypocrisy. God is a God of compassion and long suffering,
not willing that any should perish but that all should come to
repentance (2 Peter 3:9). After all what is the work of God, as
revealed by Christ but a work showing the compassion, grace and
forgiveness of God? Judgment is certainly a part of the equation and
that will come in time. Those who stand up as a witness of the Words of
Jesus Christ preach repentance and salvation and the hope of redemption.
Those who preach the truth from the Bible know exactly what Jesus Christ
had to say about earthquakes in our time, this end-time. “… There
shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in diverse places. All
these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:7-8).
To comment that the Haitians made a pact with the devil again shows
ignorance of the Word of God. We understand that Satan is the god of
this world (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2; Revelation 12:9).
Satan told Christ that all the governments of the world are something
Satan controlled and could give to Christ if Jesus would only worship
the devil (Luke 4:5-7). Jesus Christ came to uproot the power of
Satan, to destroy his works, rendering Satan powerless. Although Christ
has conquered, dethroning Satan (John 12:31, Hebrews 2:14), it
will only be when Christ returns that Satan will be completely and
firmly removed from the earth (Revelation 20:2-3). As for now he
has but a little time to continue his deceptions over mankind. All
nations today have, as it were, a pact with the devil.
The reality is the world, all mankind (except for those who are called
out of the world (John 15:19; 17:14-17)), are all held captive by
Satan at his will (2 Timothy 2:24-26) and it is necessary for any
minister or preacher of the truth to express compassion and mercy, while
teaching the hope of salvation.
To proclaim that Haiti somehow now got what it deserved shows one’s
absolute ignorance of the Word of God and ignorance of God’s plan of
salvation; why Jesus Christ came to this earth
What would Jesus Christ have to say about this tragic, devastating
earthquake? We can understand an answer in principle by looking at a
similar event that occurred in Christ’s day. Luke 13:1-5. In
summary Christ admonished those who would think a calamitous event was
God’s way of punishing sinners.
Is this what God would do? Christ said no! But unless you repent, you
too will perish, insignificantly.
The reverse of that statement is the message of Christ and Christianity.
If you repent, you will still die as it is appointed unto all men once
to die (Hebrews 9:27; Psalm 89:48), but your life will have
meaning, significance, and you will be brought up in the first
resurrection. Consider Psalm 116:15, Proverbs 14:32 or
Revelation 14:13. Those who repent and are followers of Christ will
be resurrected to eternal life. Those in Christ have a life that is
significant, meaningful and precious in God’s sight. All those having
not repented, never being given the chance to come out from under
Satan’s captivity, will await the second resurrection, the resurrection
to judgment. The thousands, who died, buried in mass graves in Haiti,
are not lost, but will await their resurrection. God will provide a way
for them to finally escape the captivity of Satan.
Christ made it clear. God is not out to “get you.” God the Father and
Jesus Christ are concerned with saving sinners, redeeming mankind, all
nations; saving their creation. “I came not to call the righteous,
but the sinners to repentance” said Christ (Mark 2:17).
The nation of Haiti is now just as deceived as most all the citizens of
the United States. Although the United States is by far a wealthier
nation, it is still destitute of knowledge of the one and only true God.
The citizens of Haiti are just as deceived as are the millions of
American Christians and the thousands of members of the 700 Club.
Talk about “a pact with the devil,” all one needs to do is look into the
Word of God and compare the truth of God with the falsehoods and
doctrinal lies taught by Sunday-keeping Christians. It was clear even in
Paul’s day that Satan had transformed himself into an angel (messenger)
of light and Satan’s ministers masqueraded as preachers of the truth
(although their message was and still is falsehood and lies) in order to
deceive the people (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). So it remains today,
the doctrines prevalent in the mainstream, Sunday-keeping Christian
world, are appealing to the listeners as nice stories about Jesus and
Bible heroes, but the truth is missing. American Christianity’s
doctrines are loaded with falsehoods, deception and lies.
The messages taught by the likes of Robertson and the overwhelming
majority of American Christians are right in line with the deceptions
Satan promotes. Satan would have you worship a false Jesus, where all
you need to do is believe in the Lord without having to obey Him and
keep His commandments. Christ requires that you hear, do and obey (cf.
Luke 6:47, James 1:22). Starting with the Sabbath Day, American
Christianity is disobedient to the Laws of God. If an earthquake were
God’s way of getting sinners, He would start here at home.
American Christianity abuses the love, mercy and grace of God.
Mainstream Christianity embraces the lies of the devil which were
introduced to the Christian religion en masse at the time of the birth
of the Roman Catholic Church. And without skipping a beat, Protestant
Churches have kept pace with mother Rome.
The work of God is the preaching of reconciliation, offering mankind the
hope of salvation! To suggest that God is out to get you flies directly
in the face of the words of Christ and the hope of salvation. Without
doubt, the world and the governments of this world will be humbled at
the return of Jesus Christ. Yet only then will God have the full
attention of those who remain, having survived the tribulation to come.
Only then, will the process of salvation begin for those alive and will
continue for all those who died, never knowing the real Jesus, when
Christ resurrects them.
To be certain, earthquakes should get our attention, reminding us of our
dependence on God. Without God and His true intervention and relief, we
are indeed most hopeless. All man can do after each earthquake is
rebuild - until the next one. And just where will that one hit?
Earthquakes should humble us to get us to understand the time is coming
when God will shake the earth and the heavens. While the earth is for
now at rest, now is your opportunity to get right with God; to accept
His salvation, to obey Him and become reconciled to Him so when He does
shake the earth, you will survive. For now, this earthquake is only the
beginning of sorrows.
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