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Thursday, April 08, 2010

Lessons from Haiti’s Staggering Catastrophe · April 01, 2010


The catastrophic earthquake that rocked Haiti on January 12, 2010 was unprecedented in its destruction and the misery it caused. It has made a powerful impression on the minds of millions around the world, drawing sympathy and support. “Our hemisphere has seen its share of hardship,” said Hilary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State, “but there are few precedents for the situation we’re facing in Port-au-Prince.” The images of destruction, death and misery have been shocking. The havoc reeked on Port-au-Prince and the cities and towns throughout that unfortunate country will take many years to restore to normalcy, if ever.
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Lot was told to leave the city of Sodom. He was told that he must go out or be destroyed with it. Do you think that this instruction that was given to Lot is given to us today? If we paid attention to what happened in the Bible story way back then, we would not need any other advice, but to follow what the angels told Lot to do. “Escape with thy life” he was told. God sends the same message to us. Though Lot was not given time to sell his house, his sheep and goats, or his other assets. He wasn’t even given time to collect his belongings. He was not given time to bid his children goodbye. He just had to get out, and get out right away! And not look back! There was no time to leave in an orderly and well managed fashion. You see, my friends, we don’t need the Spirit of Prophecy to tell us to “Get out of the large cities as fast as possible!” We just need the story of Lot. By the way, one such statement is found in Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 195.

But God has been far more merciful to us. He has given this instruction to us well in advance so that we have time to follow it in an orderly fashion. We can sell our assets. We can buy someplace to live in the country. He will help us, we are told. Moreover, we should do this now so that we can be out of the cities well in advance of the time of trouble that is coming upon the whole world. When the rest of the world is in a famine, you will be able to eat something because you can grow it in your garden.

Listen to this clear statement from Country Living, page 31. “‘Out of the cities; out of the cities!‘’—this is the message the Lord has been giving me. The earthquakes will come; the floods will come; and we are not to establish ourselves in the wicked cities, where the enemy is served in every way, and where God is so often forgotten. The Lord desires that we shall have clear spiritual eyesight.”

I wonder how many people actually believe that those statements apply to us today. Soon it will be impossible move out of the cities, and then they will be trapped.


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