Success and Failure Blog

The  massive 9.1 earthquake in Japan recently has many people fearing the worst-world end!  Combined with other world earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, famines, global warming , and extreme weather conditions there is evidence of other troubling issues across the globe.  There have been out breaks of new health threats like H1N1, and terrible diseases without known cure, pestilence problems like the recent epidemic of bed bugs, and a surge of violence and criminal activity greater than ever before.  Our economy seems to get worse by second and the crippling effects of hard financial times can be seen and felt all over the world.  Many fear these terrible things are clues that point out disaster.  Could this be a severe warning of catastrophe?  What can be done to prevent this horrible outcome, and is it too late?  What can we do as individuals and families  to ready ourselves and be prepared for the future?  Can anyone escape from this terrible threat?  With so many gripped  with fear and bracing for worst, these are the type of questions that fill the hearts and minds of people today.  The answers to these crucial questions have been discovered and the outcome is astounding and may come as quite a shock . 

 The bible warns of these same concerns and very issues.  It is written clearly for all to read.  These hardships and major world issues should not come as a surprise to the discerning person. All of the events that are taking place have been foretold in the bible and if you have not yet read these scriptures, you may be surprised to see how accurate and detailed these prophetic messages actually are.

Matthew 24:5-8 (Amplified Bible) ⁵For many will come in (on the strength of) My name [^[b]appropriating the name which belongs to Me], saying, I am the Christ (the Messiah), and they will lead many astray.   ⁶And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened or troubled, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁷For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in place after place; ⁸All this is but the beginning [the early pains] of the ^[c]birth pangs [of the ^[d]intolerable anguish].

 It is amazing how these prophecies, written so long ago, so accurately depict the picture of our world condition today.  This world is definitely spiraling towards a great tribulation.  As seen in the previous scripture of Matthew 24:8 all of these things are just the beginning of a time of  the intolerable anguish that lie ahead.  As terrible as things are today, they appear to be just a taste of the great tribulation to come.  These words and promises are not meant as a source of fear and dismay.  On the contrary, these prophecies are words of hope and offer peace in a world of a turmoil.  There is another scripture that reveals salvation from the aweful terrors that are to come.   You see if we can identify the truth in these prophecies we should also not be oblivious to the hope that is available.  There is hope and there is a way of escape from the terrible times that are most certainly and rapidly approaching.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18   ¹³ And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died^[f] so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. ¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.  ¹⁵ We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.^{[g] 16} For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died^[h] will rise from their graves. ¹⁷ Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ So encourage each other with these words. 

Clearly the ultimate source of hope for humanity is found in Christ Jesus.  He lived here on this planet amongst us and performed many great miracles.  He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, restored hearing to the deaf, cast out unclean spirits and raised the dead and still His greatest miracle was His greatest sorrow and greatest joy. 

He gave up His life for us.  He was brutally beaten and mocked and hung on the cross for death.  He died there in a place called Calvary.  Despite the fact that He had never sinned and remained clean His whole life, He took all of our sins upon Himself.    He  was buried in a tomb. Then just as it had been pre foretold, on the third  day He rose from the dead.  Jesus was resurrected from the dead!   Jesus is alive!  He later ascended to heaven and can now be found at the right hand of the Father.  He is our mediator, and friend.  He represents us earnestly with love and compassion.  That is the true message of Easter and by far the greatest news of this day and age. 

The events that are taking place right now in our world herald a great tribulation to come.  These events are the direct result of sin and evil.  No one on earth is perfect or without sin but according to bible there is a way to be saved from sin and the terrible events that are now unfolding right before our very eyes. 

Hebrews 9:28 (New Living Translation)²⁸ so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.

1 Peter 1:5 (New Living Translation)⁵ And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

Receiving the salvation and assurance of eternal life is as simple in believing in Jesus Christ and accepting the fact that you are in need of saving.  All one must do to be saved is ask Jesus to come into their heart and forgive   them of all their sins. Then God will make you a brand new creation and if you truly believe it, God will transform you and lead you and guide you during these uncertain times that we face.  Although we are not promised that we will not have to endure trials and tribulations, we are promised ultimate salvation through Jesus. 

Now is the time to pray and Jesus come into your heart.  He understands what you are going through and He will not be hard on you.  Jesus wants to save you.  But there is no guarantee how long we have before Jesus returns to get His people.  According to Matthew 24:36 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.
  All those wait, thinking that time is on their side live in jeopardy and face the dangers of judgement and punishment for all eternity. 

Please take time right now, while there is still a chance and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior.  Tell others about the ,hope and love you have found.   Want to learn more?  Read the bible and begin attending church and studying God’s word daily.  Read more articles like this on the Success and Failure website. You too will learn that no matter what terrible fate this earth may face that there is truly great hope and complete assurance in God.   

 Yours in Christ Jesus,

Pam Shekailo

Please write to me if you more questions or concerns.  I would be happy to hear from you.

Lord Jesus, I praise and worship you. I cover all the people affected by the huge tsunami and Nuclear Explosion in Japan. I plead the blood of Jesus Christ on all the mankind, animals and birds suffering as a result of the disaster .I come to you to kindly listen to my prayers and all the people who are making intercession on behalf of Japan .Lord Jesus Christ, you are the only one who can solve this problem because you alone have authority in heaven and earth.

  I rebuke natural disasters in the Name of Jesus and command peace and calm on the earth we dwell. Father God Have compassion on all of us, send guardian angels to help quickly to those who have been trapped by tsunami, and other natural disasters. Touch the hearts of your people to provide the food, water, and shelter for those who have lost their homes and for the animals and birds who need help. Comfort those who are fearful and reconnect families who may have been separated during this tragedy.

 O Lord, I come before you asking that you protect the people of Japan and all animal kind suffering as a result of Tsunami and also protect their families, loved ones   and everyone who live in the land of Japan from sickness, disease, infirmities, and afflictions.

Guard and protect everyone including animals and birds so that they will be a living testimony for Jesus Christ and be a glory to you.

  Lord keep everyone safe from all dangers and calm all natural disasters in the name of Jesus Christ that threatens our life. I pray that everything that was destroyed in Japan be restored back again in Jesus Name.

Lord I pray for all the animals and birds that are suffering, lost, deserted, frightened, suffering from sickness or hungry. Have mercy, compassion on them and send your angels to protect and care for them in their needs.

 May the blood of Jesus Christ cleanse all our sins so that everyone might be healed and prayers be answered without any hindrances. May the precious Blood of Jesus Christ protect everyone who are facing natural disasters and guide each one of them and give them strength, hope, comfort, healing, peace, prosperity and Good health. I affirm the people of Japan are safe in Your Arms, in your loving protection by seeking you above all, by surrendering every area of their life to you now and forever. Amen
 
May God bless you as you continue to pray for Japan.

After the terrible devastation of the earthquake in Haiti, many are taking a new look at major regions in the United States that could see quakes, those being California, the New Madrid fault line, and, lately, at the “earthquake swarm” in Yellowstone National park. And, people are wondering – can it happen here?

Earthquakes are very scary. Unlike tornadoes, hurricanes, forest fires, and other disasters, which provide at least a *little* warning, quakes provide none. (Some speak of hints like sea lions leaving San Francisco, but that is just a coincidence, as they had left well before the 1989 quake.) This makes them seem much more scary. The supervolcano that is also under Yellowstone make that one appear quite frightening to many.

Unfortunately, we can’t know for certain when the next quake will hit, but we know that they will come sometime. Will it be in our lifetimes? We don’t know for sure. However, one day there will be an earthquake so large, it will be larger than any that has come before it. The Bible which is God’s love letter to us – warns us of that humongous, 20-on-the-Richter-scale quake just before the Battle of Armageddon. That’s just before his Second Coming.

Why does a “love letter” warn of such things? Because any loving person will want to warn their loved ones of impending doom, so they can escape. Jesus did the same thing when He warned His disciples of the year 70 A.D. destruction of Jerusalem decades before it happened He then jumped straight to the end times, which they had asked about, so as to answer their original question; this is why the church age in between is ignored in Matthew 24-25. He wants us to be prepared.

See, God made this world perfect. There weren’t supposed to be any natural disasters. But, something happened when man, by his own free choice (because god didn’t want us to be mindless robots) chose to bring sin into the world. That sin was like an infection, which infected all the earth. It wasn’t just that man faced spiritual death, and would one day face physical death as well. All of creation was infected. Hence, Romans 8:22 tells us that the whole world groans and travails in pain. In fact, “earthquakes in diverse places” is one sign of the end being near.

Thankfully, one day, God will make a new Heaven and a new earth, where there will be no more pain, no suffering, no tears. But, there can be no sin there, either. So, how do we make sure we get there, and how does this help us prepare?

How do we get to that new Heaven and earth?

Each of us has that same “infection” called a sin nature. We have all sinned, and come short of the glory of God. God Himself is just like His perfect Heaven – we must be perfect to approach Him. The wages of sin – what we earn for that sin, that time when we go against His will and choose our own way – is death. That’s a separation from God forever in a place of suffering called Hell, which was only created for the devil and his angels which rebelled. God doesn’t want people to go there.

So, God made a way for us to get to heaven. He came into this world in the person of Jesus Christ, who was fully God and fully man. He was perfect. And, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He died for our sins, was buried, and then He rose again the third day. And, the wonderful thing is, that as many as receive Him by simple faith, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that beleve on His name.

It’s only by simple faith in what He already did that we can get to Heaven. We can’t do it ourselves. Each person must put his or her trust in Jesus Christ to forgive them and save them from their sins, and come make them new on the inside. For if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away, behold, all thigns are become new. Then, he will live in us and help us to grow closer to Him in our love, compassion, and so on. We’ll still have that fleshly nature, but one day, those who receive Him will be changed totally, so they are without in once they die or are raptured. Then, eventually, God will make that new Heaven and earth, and Heaven itself shall descend to that world, and God will dwell with man, as told in Revelation 21.

Okay, so it will come, but not for a long time, right? It probably won’t come for a long while. However, here’s what to do to prepare.

First, pray God saves your soul

The most important thing is to receive His free gift of salvation, by faith in what He did for you on the cross as having taken all the punishment for your sin.

You might die in some other way than a quake, after all. You need to be prepared. That means that when the church age ends, you will be caught up in the air with Him – either as one of the dead in Christ which rise first, or one of those who remain living on Earth.

Second, pray God holds it off

First, the major earthquake the Bible speaks of occurs in the Tribulation period. This doesn’t mean there *can’t* be a major quake before then. But, you can certainly pray that God will hold off the Big One in California, the Yellowstone supervolcano, and so on until the Tribulation period.

See, the church age ends at the start of the Tribulation. Events on Earth during the Tribulation are spoken of in Revelation 6-19. Once the Rapture happens, things will get a lot worse, as far as natural disasters, plagues, and so on, as well as sin.

Right now, there is a lot of sin in the world’s people. And, creation is groaning more and more. It’s not because of anyone’s particular sin. To continue our earlier analogy, it’s just part of that “infection” that has been spreading throughout the world, infecting all of nature with decay. God is all-powerful, He can hold things off. But, that “infection” has an effect. And, God – being just as well – must allow the laws of cause and effect to run their course, unless He intercedes in a miraculous way. If there were no cause and effect, the world would be an even worse place; nobody would know what to expect when anything happened.

Third, pray God helps you through

If there would be a major quake, you can pray that God helps you through it. He gives us grace to help with everything in time of need, but that last word is very important. He provides us with our daily needs, not just those things we want. Having a couple weeks of supplies in event of a major disaster is always wise. Having a couple years is foolish. It’s not trusting in God. Remember, He tells His disciples to seek first the Kingdom of God, and its righteousness, and all these things (food, shelter, etc.) would be added unto us.

Fourth, pray God gives you discernment

This is a vital part of the Christian life. It means knowing when something is of God, and when it’s not.

Stories of looting and such in Haiti can make one worry about what would happen in event of a disaster here. However, that spirit of fear is actually ungodly. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Tim. 1:7) When the Bible says to “fear God,” it means to hold Him in great reverence, to realize His awesome power and what He could do if He wanted, which helps us realize his great mercy by which He saved us even more. He doesn’t want to destroy us. He never takes joy in punishing, He loves us unconditionally. So, that term never means to be frightened.

First, note that God lives in us through His Holy Spirit , which is fully god just like God the Father and God the Son, Jesus Christ. This is the Spirit we can listen to so we can be guided through life. He doesn’t want us to be afraid and worry all the time about earthquakes, or any other disasters. He wants us to use His Spirit.

It’s a Spirit of peace that passes understanding, of goodness, of mercy. And, it’s one where people should look at us and see a difference. When someone sees a Christian, they should see Christ inside them, and say, “Wow, I wish I had that Spirit of peace.”

It’s wonderful to have that Spirit. But, the same Spirit that lives in us and gives us peace, and the ability to get through all the problems of life, is God. That means He is all-knowing. As such, He can tell us, in our hearts, what is right and what is wrong.

When the Bible says we should not be as little children, tossed to and fro with every doctrine, it’s talking mostly about sound Biblical doctrine. It’s saying, “Don’t just keep changing with whatever man teaches, follow the Bible, which is forever.” However, there is another application which can be made, too.

So often, we hear stories about massive supervolcanoes, or fault lines like New Madrid, or rumors about things like the San Francisco sea lions, and we start to worry. Those little worries become big ones, and eventually we get so anxious that we don’t know what to do. Then, just as that one crisis ends, the next one begins – maybe it’s the H1N1 virus, maybe it’s economic woes, maybe it’s something else.

God doesn’t want us to be tossed about like a little boat on a raging sea. He wants us to have a peace that passes understanding. He wants us to feel safe, so we can know what’s important, and what isn’t. He knows the future, so He can guide us as to what to watch out for, what to just keep track of but not be too concerned, and what we can ignore. God cares for your well-being. It’s not just eternal life in Heaven someday He promises us. It’s eternal life with Him starting the moment you trust Him as your Savior! Hallelujah!

So, when you hear stories about earthquake swarms, or whatever else the media brings up, trust in god to keep you, because He will. This world has a huge infection called sin, which has all of creation groaning and travailing. However, if you receive Him as Savior, you can have Him guiding you through it all; you only have to turn to Him and ask for that help, for He has promised, “I will never leave you, norm forsake you.”