Pastor's Corner by Pastor Larry

October, 2005

Wow, what a sudden change in the weather yesterday (9/20)! There were lighting and thunder, followed by pebble-sized hail, and finally a gush of short but heavy rain. In the end, there was no harm done to our beautiful homes in the Bay Area. Such is not the case in the Southern parts of the country. At the wake of cleaning up the mess created by Hurricane Katrina, and with the rise of Hurricane Rita, it keeps the residents in the Gulf area on high alert. From a tropical storm, Rita has changed to a category four hurricane within a relatively short period of time. I can only imagine the chaos and the stress the people in that region must be feeling and having to endure, especially those who are in New Orleans. It is difficult for us to judge the cause of such a devastating natural disaster.

Again, some good-intentioned Christians claim that God is punishing the city of New Orleans because of city’s annual MardiGras, which basically is a festival to parade immorality. Before we give God a “bad name,” we need to separate our own individual speculations and the truths. When Christians make such outrageous claims, they seem to speak for God, when in fact they have no right to do that. I’m not saying that God is blind to the sins of the world, and it is also true that no unrighteous person can escape His judgment, but how and when He judges is His prerogative. When evil seems to have the upper hand or when immorality is on a rampage, remember what the Apostle Peter said: “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (II Peter 3:9) As healthy Christians, we should not use disasters as lightning rods to “zap” people. We need to have compassion for those who suffer, just as Jesus did when He saw the hopeless multitudes.

It seems not too long ago I wrote about the tsunami in the Indian Ocean, and it wasn’t that long ago we had to face the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy. Why are there all these tragedies? Though the time and the hour is a mystery, the signs of the “End of the Age” are clear that there will be tribulations caused by men and nature. Are we entering this so called “End of the Age”? Nobody knows for sure because one may argue that wars and earthquakes have always been around. It is true, but no one can disagree that the magnitude is becoming greater. Come to think about it, how could Jesus and the disciples, especially John, who were not well-traveled nor had they viewed any CNN reports, predicted these kinds of disasters so long ago? The answer rests on the “behind the scene” author of the Bible—God, who remains ruler of history, regardless of how bad this world seems to be heading. His plan is beyond anyone’s understanding.

Before I sign off, I encourage all Christians to take time to reaffirm your faith in Christ. He hasn’t lost control of the world. He is directing this world and all these signs we have seen lately should direct our thoughts to rely on His promise—His Glorious Return. If you have yet to believe in Christ, I wish you to take some time to meditate the value of things you work so hard to build. If there is no eternal value, it can vanish in a matter of hours. All you can do is to watch and mourn! God is preparing an Eternal dwelling for you only if you believe.

Pastor Larry