On Wednesday February 21st, I began preparing a brochure
on the property we are attempting to purchase in Northeastern Washington. The
introductory paragraph from that draft text follows. Little did I know at the
time, just one week later at about the same hour, those words would become more
true than I ever had experienced before.
There is a power manifested in creation that modern man
really only knows through natural disasters. Earthquakes, floods, fires and
similar phenomena can in a brief instance destroy a lifetime of work and joy.
Because we are so humbled by creationÕs power and majesty, we many times
attempt to either dominate its forces to do our will, or live in fear of
pending upheaval, pretending all is well. But that same power, that we cannot
control, by GodÕs grace can be used to bring about healing and personal
enjoyment, reestablishing the roots of the individual and the community as part
of GodÕs divine plan.
At about 10:55 in the morning of February 28th, I would
experience for the first time in my life a major earthquake. I was sitting at
my computer just finishing an email to the real estate agent, seeking further
information on that property when the shaking began. In this area of the
country one does from time to time experience minor earthquakes of short
duration. By the time one realizes what it is, and begins to determine an
appropriate course of action, the shaking is generally over. After a few
seconds, sitting in the basement of a brick house,one quickly realizes that
this probably is not the place one should be in a real earthquake. I quickly
ran up the stairs and opened the door that leads to a small back porch, with
another door directly across, opening into the garage.
I stood in the doorway looking out to a world shaking and
moving what seemed to be a couple of feet. My truck was moving one direction,
the bush behind was moving the other, the street pulsating, and the house
across the street swaying with the rhythm. I stood there, watching for the rest of the earthquake. I
was torn between wanting to run out into the area clear from any potential
falling debris, and remaining in the potential safety of the door. The path to
the unobstructed, ran near the wall of the house, and being brick veneer, I was
concerned that it might fall off, and if me and it, were there at the same time
occupying that limited space, it would have truly not been a good day.
As the quake subsided, I realized that this was not the
end of the world, and that the shaking was probably only a couple of inches or
so. That remained my thought until I watched some of the video of other
earthquakes, and now I am not so sure. In any event the only damage was one
broken glass in a picture frame, a crushed lamp shade, a lamp that I was going
to give away had its chimney broken, so I threw it away, and the back wall of
the garage, moved about an inch.
After it was all over and the initial stress had
diffused, I remembered the line I had written about running a marathon in last
weekÕs message. ÒFew princes or teachers spend the time training for such an
event, for in that training, one would learn that the race is easy, but it is
the discipline of the training that is difficult.Ó
That statement may be true for life and running
marathons, it is not true for experiencing natural disasters, especially
earthquakes. The time spend training for such an occurrence is easy, those
brief few seconds running the race (in the earthquake) is what is difficult. In
reflection, I think earthquakes are alone in that potential to upset our
psyche. Because they are completely unannounced, we are unable to establish any
kind of mental framework by which to process the stress created successfully.
With floods, tornados, fires and other disasters, there
is a warning. ÒThis could get really bad, suck it up, and get through it.Ó With
an earthquake that prep time does not exist. ÒBoom, itÕs here, it happens, itÕs
over!Ó As the day continued, especially in the local area, real damage was
slight but everyone, was charged with a nervous energy. In my own case, I could
feel that stress, to some extent, well into Thursday evening. I can only wonder
what it would be like, if it would have really been bad, like some of the
earthquakes we now see quite often on TV, most recently in India, where whole
regions are destroyed. For lack of a better description, some of the energy
that was released from the earthquake, is received into the physical bodies and
the actual spirit of the people it affects.
There is available within the creation science community,
a thesis something to the effect that the earthÕs electromagnetic spectrum is
rapidly deteriorating. To a certain extent, that concept is so far outside the
normal paradigms of contemporary atheistic evolution, that one must be careful
in bringing up the subject, but the deterioration would explain in a very
natural way, the increasing frequency and intensity of earthquakes and other
natural disasters. As the order maintained by electromagnetic power decreases,
geophysical and other forces are freed to bring about upheavals that one could
not have envisioned in any other era of history. These phenomena are what the
Bible describes as the beginning of the end of this current age.
Ever since the fall of man into sin described in the
Bible in Genesis Chapter 3, man has been trying to get away from God. We
naturally flee from His power, majesty, glory, holiness and His other Divine
attributes. Left to our own devices we believe that not only can we create a
culture, a civilization, and meaning apart from God, but in some way we are
immune from those attributes in that artificial environment. An earthquake or
other natural disaster alters that view, at least for an instant. SeattleÕs
earthquake came on Ash Wednesday. The night before, during Mardi Gras, a young
man was beaten to death by a mob in Pioneer Square. As best as anyone knows, he
was just somebody in the wrong place at the wrong time. Could it be that, for
whatever reason you can come up with, it would be better to confront, God and
seek His mercy, provision, and love directly, than to continue to seek safety
within manÕs corruption?
As the cohesive energy that holds civilization together
crumbles, would it be better to leave the so called safety of the city, and
venture out into the perceived wilderness governed directly by the rule of God,
or remain in a violent urban morass. The mob Tuesday night behaved as such that
this ÒcelebrationÓ will be permanently canceled, at least until the economics
are assessed. It should not be too difficult to imagine, if this earthquake
were truly serious, what that mob, specifically the individuals involved in it,
would do, if mass destruction and chaos had resulted from this earthquake. Some
say the police, in whatever their excuses, failed to act early Wednesday
morning. Could you truly expect them to act, react or in anyway bring control
to a true emergency situation, to protect your home and family?
Without getting into any eschatological discussion, the
Bible mentions in the Olivet discourse, (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21), as well
in Revelation 12 that being a city dweller in those end times is not something
which is good for your health. Those prophesies will become true, so when would
it be appropriate for Bible believing Christians, to perhaps at least seriously
think about whether to remain in lock step with a society doomed for
destruction, or begin planning to leave the so called comforts of the city. To
throw themselves into an environment where the wilderness order of God and His
glory reign, is much safer than that jungle in the city. At least in the real
jungle, harsh rules apply. Within the chaos that seems to be developing within
manÕs modern culture, anything could trigger problems much worse than having
ones stuff destroyed in an earthquake.
The children of God most high may say the earthquake was
tough, but the only reason to remain in the chaos that destroys, life, and
families, is that we don't believe God would destroy Seattle (or our other
cities) while the righteous remained there in. But we have the witness of Lot (Genesis 19) who left when he
was told that destruction was to come. In testimony of that witness, we who do
not walk in obedience to that witness of Lot, shall bring any pending judgement
and destruction upon our own heads. The only exceptions to that, would be those
in direct obedience to GodÕs calling to be witnesses in that location. In those
cases, GodÕs grace will allow them to minister in that travail to those still
willing to receive redemption from their worldliness.
Drawing an application from last weekÕs message, all the
characters were examples of those whose life was exemplified by that type of
obedience. This was true even though the outward appearances of their ministry
was quite different. For all received through real God given grace and faith,
the strength necessary to work through the upheavals of their lives. They were
the ones who received the blessing of no condemnation, for they were in Christ
Jesus, made holy by His righteousness. Those not in that obedience, however are
the only ones who know of their transgression for sure, except for Christ
Himself, and of their dependence upon their own works or understanding of GodÕs
plan. For grace and faith become limiting influences when personal idolatry
becomes the standard of oneÕs life. Physical and spiritual chastening is what follows. If one is obedient
to that stress, major upheaval is averted and the abundant life available for
all believers in Christ is restored, healing is commenced and ministry is
enhanced. But those who live without repentance are on their own,in their own
power, and all repercussions are the result of their eternal foolishness.
I believe that this earthquake in Seattle was just a
warning of one far worse to come, in my life time. I say that after the new
football stadium is completed and the new modern gods, of Seattle, the
Mariners, the Seahawks, and the Supersonics, have again attained sporting's
zenith, then the city will be laid low. But that may just be my perverse sense
of humor. So in a city destroyed by the shaking of the earth, her citizens will
violently turn upon one another. Only our monuments to our sports heroes and
gods, will remain, standing as engineering marvels, able to withstand the
shaking of the land, able to withstand manÕs hatred of his brother, but unable
to save those who believe in their might. I for one, not called to remain to
minister during this time, shall endeavor to get out of Dodge as the Lord enables.
There to provide help to those who have not developed such skills that may be
needed to prosper in the wilderness, where your personal worth is dependent
upon your skills, wisdom and knowledge, and your obedience to GodÕs call on
your life, not on how successful your worldly portfolio. Again as a perverse
humorous sideline, Amazon.com closed at $9.59, on Thursday, down from a high of
over $110 and change in December 1999. Now a potential deal with Wal-Mart has
bumped it up about $3.
Things are looking up for the next couple of weeks, the
Lord has provided me with paying work, so that I shall be able to have a
constructive focus while some of the things and the positive events of the last
few weeks can develop, and I can begin to get caught up on the bills. The
response to the email I sent out
requesting more information on the property, a few hours after the shakinÕ nÕ
quakinÕ was over, provided a framework by which we should be able to proceed
toward an offer and eventually purchase. This work could provide, should the
Lord provide timely finances, satisfactory enterprise to carry me through until
moving. Spring work over there should commence as soon as the snow leaves,
which should be about that time.
This article provides a glimpse as to what we want to be
able to do. Not only in response to natural occurrences, but to teach others
the skills that are being lost as this world ignorantly proceeds towards its
own destruction. Those skills are currently usable to missionaries and others
serving in other countries, or practical if one would like to become more
independent of this current culture,they will be helpful also to those who
remain to rebuild a destroyed segment of society, should the Lord tarry. If you,
or you know of anyone who would like to help bring this project into being, we
would greatly appreciate that support. This includes prayer, finances, possible
underwriting (anyway I may have been able to pull this off on my own
disappeared over the last few months), and other means as the Lord may direct
or provide. If you would like more specific information as to what you may do
to help, please contact me.