|
Prepared
On
December 26, 2004, the world watched in horror as the
story of the tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia
unfolded. An earthquake beneath the Indian Ocean
triggered a huge tidal wave as high as 100 feet tall
that came crashing on shore
across the region. The tsunami did damage as far as
the east coast of Africa,
5000 miles away. Over a quarter million people died in
the rampaging waters and devastation that followed.
Entire island populations and coastal villages were
wiped
out – every man, woman, and child in some cases.
According
to the Associated Press, there was one notable
exception to the loss of life. The Morgan sea gypsies
are a small tribe of fishermen who spend much of the
year on their boats fishing between India, Indonesia
and Thailand. Each December, between fishing seasons,
they live in small thatch huts on the beaches of
Thailand. Last December, they were living directly in
the path of certain disaster. Yet every single member
of the tribe survived, while most of their neighbors
disappeared in the rampaging waters.
Why?
The tribal chief explains, "For generations our
fathers warned us that if the waters ever receded
fast, they would quickly reappear in the same quantity
in which they disappeared."
On
December 26 when the sea suddenly drained away, many
of their neighbors ran to the beach with baskets to
pick up stranded fish. Not the Morgan sea gypsies. The
chief ordered his tribe to run in the opposite
direction, to the mountains and safety. When the
tsunami hit, the entire tribe was spared.
There
is ANOTHER event of grander – in fact, global –
proportions that
will occur at some point in the future: the Second
Coming of Christ!
NO ONE outside of heaven knows exactly when He
will return. This
“day of the Lord” will come unexpectedly “like a
thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2).
He could come at any moment!
The key is to BE READY!
The
“SIGN” of Jesus’ 2nd coming is
that... He SAID He would! (Mat 25:31ff).
His apostles sounded the SAME warning (1
Thessalonians 5:1-10, for example).
WHEN
Jesus comes, He will judge the world in righteousness
(Acts 17:31). Those
who have accepted Jesus’ offer of salvation will be
ushered into heaven (Matthew 25:34).
Those who have rejected Him and His offer will
be sent into the everlasting fire prepared for the
devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).
Jesus
WILL come again, but we can be prepared.
Jesus will save those who: believe
in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confess
Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), are baptized
(immersed) in His name for the forgiveness of sins
(Acts 2:38), and are faithfully awaiting His return
(Hebrews 9:28).
Are
YOU prepared?
David
A. Sargent, Minister
Church
of Christ at Creekwood
1901
Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
* From
Roger Thomas, sourced by Craig Brian Larson, Arlington Heights,
Illinois; "How ’Sea Gypsies’ Survived the Tsunami,"
Associated Press, as seen in cbs2chicago.com (12-31-04).
To
Subscribe to "Living Water"
send a blank e-mail to:
HTML version: subscribe-livingwater@lyris.dundee.net
TEXT version: subscribe-livingwater-text@lyris.dundee.net
Follow
this link to locate the church of Christ nearest you: www.churchzip.com
Archived issues of "Living Water" can be accessed from our website
at: www.creekwoodcc.org
|
