It was early Saturday morning and I was awake.. thinking about the  recent disaster in Nepal.. a glacier collapsed.. a whole city was violently overtaken by a mountain high flood of mud and rock and water.  The pictures are devastating as people ran for their lives.. in vain.  There have been several earthquakes lately that have also brought about sudden destruction .. buildings collapsing.. people lost.. lives taken… without warning..without time to say goodbye.. without time to repent and prepare to meet the Lord. 

I am reminded of Jonah.  He reluctantly preached a simple message to the evil people of Nineveh.. “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”   The people of Nineveh repented and God relented.  Disaster was diverted. 

What would the people of Nepal given.. to have had that message.. a flood .. a disaster was coming. Forty days?  Even 40 hours or 40 minutes would have helped some..  But, they received no warning.  How about the people of Venezuela or Columbia?   They had no warning of the disaster about to hit them. How many of them  were ready to meet  their Creator?

In Luke 13 some people were telling Jesus about a  terrible thing that had happened to some Galileans.  Jesus answered them in an unexpected way, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners that all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?  I tell you, no!  But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them - do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” 

Disasters come.. unexpectedly.. suddenly.. and from all appearances.. randomly.  Life will end and we do not know the day nor the hour.  The Lord had compassion on Nineveh.. there were “120,000 people” who could not tell their right hands from their left.  Maybe these were children.. maybe these were just ordinary people who were living the only life they knew… not ready to die.. like the people in Nepal, or Columbia or Venezuela.. or in the next earthquake or flood.. or other disaster. 

When Jesus was speaking to His disciples about the time of His return He said this,      “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son; but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;  and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” ( Matthew 24:36-39)  

Isn’t that how it was in Nepal just a few days ago?

Revelation 6 describes the judgements to come when the Lamb.. He who is worthy to open the scroll.. begins to break the seals one by one.. and God’s wrath is poured out upon the earth.  Verse 17 says, “For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”  People great and small..rich and poor.. kings and slaves.. will all run and try to hide themselves in caves and on mountains, we are told in verse 15.  But, just like those in Nepal just a few days ago.. it doesn’t matter who you are.. what position you hold.. what wealth you have accumulated.. when the disaster hits, when the judgement comes, when the tower falls, or whatever.. “unless you repent, you too will perish.” 

This is the word that the Lord spoke to me early Saturday morning.  We must pray for those who are lost without Jesus, those who may perish tomorrow.. from a  disaster or from disease or an accident.. or whatever.  We will all die, but Jesus came that we might not perish but have everlasting life by believing in Him. Let the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ be heard around the world today! 

Father in heaven, may Your name be exalted in all the earth.. in every nation.. in every city..in every heart!  May Your will be done!  May Your Kingdom come. Let the Gospel news be shouted from the mountains and the Truth be announced in every city.  Let Your great mercy and grace be preached in all the earth we pray, in the Name of Jesus Christ the Lord.  Amen.