Our Appointed Time

It is now just two days after the earthquake in Haiti and we are seeing hundreds of thousands of lives lost. There was no warning of the earthquake just people going about their daily lives thinking they had more time to live and consider what really matters. For many in Haiti the time to consider what really matters is over, millions more are now more aware than ever that life does not last for long. It can be snuffed out with a quick shake of the ground and it is all over.

Even this morning we have news of a college basketball player who fell on the floor and was rushed to the hospital only to be declared dead moments later. He was a great player in good health. He was only a sophomore and he had years left of his life or so many thought. No one knew that he was playing his last game with the opening tip off.

What is to be made of these happenings in our world? One thing is sure, we have only this moment before us to consider Christ. There is no guarantee of our next breath. There are some television preachers who proclaim that it is because of sin that the nation of Haiti had this devastation. Others may proclaim that it was because of sin that this player died suddenly. Such statements do not correctly represent the gospel.

To be sure they are right in what they said, all people die because of sin. No one leaves this world in perfect righteousness. We are all under the curse of sin and death because of it. We all have rebelled against God and all equally deserve his judgment. But God in his grace has revealed his Son to us and those who have fled to Christ will escape the coming judgment at the end of the age.

All of these storms and sudden deaths are merely what happens in a world that has rebelled against God. The disciples were walking along the road one day and they were thinking of tragedies in their day and they thought of the thousands of Jews who were slaughtered by Pilate as they went to the temple one day. Listen in on their conversation. Luke 13:1-9 (NIV)
1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?

Such seems to be the answer of a modern day television evangelist. TO be sure he was right in that Haiti was under a curse but see how Jesus responds to their question.
3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

Jesus' replied, No, they were not worse sinners than you. The reason that they died is the same reason we will all die, we have sinned against God and as a result this world is under a curse, not just the nation of Haiti but all of the earth stands under a curse.

Once again the question comes "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?"

The disciples are just like us in this way, we somehow think when bad things happen to others it happens because of some specific sin they committed, so we think to ourselves we must be better because this has not happened to us. Let us forever put away such thinking. Let the Word of the Lord correct us in this attitude. Hear now the Word of our Lord as he responds to such a question, "I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

Here is the message the Word of the Lord gives us about disasters and tragedies that come upon us unaware. This world is under a curse and it will always be under a curse until it is purified by the coming of our Lord. (For more information about this read II Peter chapter 3.)

When we see disasters and tragedies it should point us all to the fact that it will happen to us one day as well. We will be walking along and then death will sweep over us and take us. The Scripture says that it is appointed unto man once to die and after that to face judgment. (Hebrews 9:27) All of us have an appointment with death and it is fixed in the eternal counsel of God. So how should we respond to this news of tragedy and disaster when it happens?

First let us examine our own hearts to see if we are prepared to meet God in judgment. Any death is a reminder to all of us that none of us will escape this life alive. Are we in the faith? Have we turned from our sins and trusted solely in Christ alone for the forgiveness of our sins? Then we are safe in Christ alone and we do not need to fear our physical death for it will only be the doorway into eternal life with God.

If we are not in the faith let us flee at once while we still have breath in our lungs to Christ for forgiveness and cleansing. There is no other way to be prepared for eternity.

Then if we know others who do not yet know Christ let us go to them and plead with them to trust in Christ for they know not the day of their death. It may come upon them suddenly like the earthquake in Haiti, or it may creep upon them like old age creeps upon many and they lose their ability to see and remember and respond to God and his Word.

So let us give ourselves to Christ afresh and anew and let us sound the clarion call of repentance and trust in Christ as man's only hope to escape eternal death and destruction.

Hear once more the words of our Lord who said, "Unless you repent you will all likewise perish." No, the Haitian nation is not any more cursed than we are here in America. We just do not know how fragile our life really is. Some falsely think that they can trust in their health for long life but this was not the case yesterday for a twenty one year old healthy basketball player from Southern Indiana.

We work to alleviate the suffering of the world not thinking we can end all suffering for that will not happen until the new heavens and the new earth are made. We work to alleviate suffering now because we desire all men to see the goodness of God and come to repentance. So let us go forth with a towel and food and medicine and care to those who suffer and let's at the same time speak of the grace of Christ who loved a lost world and stands ready to save those in eternal danger of perishing forever.

This is the gospel and this is what we must proclaim in these days.