10,000+ Dead

[White Spider]

Today a cyclone hit Burma and has killed more than 10,000 and without help many more will die.

Just the biggest hit in a while in what seems an ever-growing trend of natural disasters . . .

Is it just a bad 10 odd years we're going through or could these be 'the beginning of birth pains.' the Bible mentions?

[David Taylor]

Today a cyclone hit Burma and has killed more than 10,000 and without help many more will die.

Is it just a bad 10 odd years we're going through or could these be 'the beginning of birth pains.' the Bible mentions?

• The Great Cyclone of 1780 killed over 25,000 people.
• The Pointe-à-Pitre Cyclone of 1776 killed over 6,000.
• The Newfoundland Cylcone of 1780 killed over 4,000.

Do you think the people living during the late 16th century, who lived during the 10-year span of these great killer Cyclones, thought they were in 'the beginning of birth pains'?

[Jesusinmyheart]

While i believe these disasters to be a sign of the times, i don't believe that is what the birth pains are about. But rather i believe the birth pains has to do with an emergence of the true "church" A revival of sorts.

Shalom,
Tanja

[MrAnteater]

It's a terrible tragedy for sure. But there are a few things to remember:

- We live in an age of instant worldwide communication.
- There are countless news media outlets all competitive for ratings. What might seem like a rapid increase in disasters is also because so many more news outlets exist than 30 years ago and their all reporting the same things.
- We are at the highest worldwide population in history. When a disaster happens chances are more people will be affected.
- People have been incorrectly predicting the end times for hundreds of years
- Only God the father, not even Jesus, knows the time of His return.

Jesus could return tomorrow or in 500 years. It's going to happen so fast we won't have time to prepare worldly things for it and I think we are fooling ourselves if we think we somehow know God's plan. I live my life to love God and others and excessive worry won't change His plan at all. It will only make us get gray hair faster.

[resbmc]

labor pains

I believe it is labor pains, all the hurricanes, tornadoes, cyclones, sunamis, earthquakes, it seems almost every week it is something, and if it is labor pains, they will only continue to get more devastating

[TexasBeliever]

Speaking of natural disaster run amuck: I was listening to the weather channel today about all the tornado outbreaks they've been having in the US and heard some startling statistics.
So far this year, there has been something like 386; just this year, and the previous 10 YEAR high was over 400. That is really a jump. Makes me terrified to think of hurricane season soon being upon my part of the planet.

[Royalchild]

Birthing Pains

I thought birthing pains is when Israel start to have many things to happen really fast like a woman having contractions until she gives birth. Although, I know other parts of the world will go through catastrophes during these times. Besides the fact that Israel is going through issues with Iran and Syria right now and the US military is in the Persian Gulf gearing up for a potential war; what else is going on? School me

[White Spider]

• The Great Cyclone of 1780 killed over 25,000 people.
• The Pointe-à-Pitre Cyclone of 1776 killed over 6,000.
• The Newfoundland Cylcone of 1780 killed over 4,000.

Do you think the people living during the late 16th century, who lived during the 10-year span of these great killer Cyclones, thought they were in 'the beginning of birth pains'?

Those don't even all add up to the one Tsunami South Asia had . . .

Since 2000 we've had the largest Tsunami ever recorded, the worst Hurricane the U.S. has ever seen in Katrina I believe, now this cyclone in Burma . . . Not to mention all the severe storms on the eastern side of the states this year.

I know the Hayward fault in California is due for a big one. On average every 140 years it has 7.0+ quake, and 2008 is its 140 year anniversary so I imagine that will go soon. And when it goes it's only a little while until the connected fault lines shift from the pressure put on them after the Hayward fault moves.

The Cascadia fault off the Northwestern coast could possibly go off. Scientists have no way of telling when and there is no real pattern, but they say it's the same type of fault that caused the South Asia Tsunami and its gone of 4 times in the past. None while we've occupied the States, but there is evidence showing it's gone off 4 times most recently in 1700. And with the population along the coast now it will cause major damage.

I believe we may just be going through a phase the world hits every once in a while, but with everything else going on as far as politics, economics, world relations etc. it seems to all add up.

And MrAnteater . . . none of it worries me. The possibility of seeing Christ's return excites me. If I have to deal with the worst problems the worlds ever seen, oh well . . . doesn't worry me one bit

[White Spider]

Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. - Matthew 24:4-8

[White Spider]

I thought birthing pains is when Israel start to have many things to happen really fast like a woman having contractions until she gives birth. Although, I know other parts of the world will go through catastrophes during these times. Besides the fact that Israel is going through issues with Iran and Syria right now and the US military is in the Persian Gulf gearing up for a potential war; what else is going on? School me

What else is going on, let's see . . . there's the rare rapid spread of hand-foot-mouth disease in China that's affected 8,500+ kids and killed 24.

Mainly in one province its popped up in a dozen others including Beijing, that's something to keep an eye on.

Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.


Then there's global food crisis.


From CNN.com

Top Stories
Thousands join Somali food price riots
Thailand pitches for creation of rice cartel
Japan, EU urge action on food and fuel prices
Wal-Mart limits rice purchases
Worker turns into beggar (2:19)
Displaced farmers add to food woes
UK's Brown: Food crisis is new credit crunch
Food crisis in India? (3:44)
Blog: Rationing in the United States?
Charities call for food donations (3:56)
More demand, fewer supplies, for food (3:47)
Protests raise fears of food crisis
Workers protest food prices (2:44)
Food prices hurt Holy Week (:50)
U.N. chief pushes for more food production
Asia faces a rice supply crisis
Super spud steps forward to save planet
Egypt tries to tackle deadly bread crisis
Economic woes hit American stomachs
New British biofuels rule sparks food debate
U.N. food agency seeks more aid for Haiti
Brazil leader denies biofuels hiking food prices
Haiti prime minister ousted over high food prices
Instability spreads as food prices skyrocket
U.S. to give $200M in emergency food aid
Egyptians can't afford daily bread
Staples become luxuries as costs rise in Middle East

Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!" - Revelation 6:6

[lynngehringer]

I do believe we are in the EndTimes, but these times are in God's Time, and I do not think he wears a watch nor looks at a calendar, so what we think could be quick in 5 years, could be quick to Him in 500.

We will never know, so we should look towards the future but remember we are only promised the moment.

The only thing you take with you when you go is the love you have given and the love you have received.



Lynn

"Whatever you did to the least of me, you did to Me."
Matthew 25:40

[wombat]

Is it just a bad 10 odd years we're going through or could these be 'the beginning of birth pains.' the Bible mentions?

Hi! I do believe that the intensified occurrence of natural disasters is a sign of Christ's return, along with war, famine, false "Messiahs", and persecution of believers in Jesus. In Mark 13:5-13 Jesus spoke of people claiming to be the Messiah, wars breaking out near and far, earthquakes in many parts of the world, and famines. He said all this would be merely the beginning of the horrors to come, and when these things "begin to happen", watch out, for intense persecution will soon follow. I find it very interesting that the world is facing global food shortages right now, even in America. There has also been an incredible number of earthquakes around the world within the last year or two. Oregon has been having earthquake swarms off the coast. Now Reno, Nevada, has just been also facing swarms of earthquakes, a very strange thing. It seems like almost everyday I'm reading about earthquakes in many parts of the world. On top of that, there are the other natural disasters, such as the cyclones/hurricanes/tornadoes/floods. For those happening here in the U.S., I suspect very strongly that the Lord is sending these things to us as a warning and judgment for our part in attempting to prod Israel into giving away God's land to the Palestinians, as well as a warning and judgment for our increasing tolerance for immorality. If these are indeed the beginnings of the "horrors to come" around the world, like I believe they are, then we can soon expect the intense persecution of believers to start, too.

[wombat]

I thought birthing pains is when Israel start to have many things to happen really fast like a woman having contractions until she gives birth. Although, I know other parts of the world will go through catastrophes during these times. Besides the fact that Israel is going through issues with Iran and Syria right now and the US military is in the Persian Gulf gearing up for a potential war; what else is going on? School me

Jesus spoke of intensifying wars, earthquakes, famines, and false Messiahs as the beginning of birth pangs that will precede His coming. But there is also a reference to birthpangs specifically related to Jerusalem. Isaiah 66:7-9 speaks of birth pangs in the context that the nation of Israel would be born suddenly, in a single day, before Jerusalem's birth pangs begin. In 1948 Israel did become a nation in a single day, and I think this reference indicates that now there will be "birth pangs" related to events surrounding Jerusalem. Perhaps that is what we are seeing right now with the planned division of Jerusalem. Besides the issue of a possible division of Jerusalem, the Palestinian/Israeli on-again-off-again peace treaty, terrorism against Israel, and Iran's threats to wipe Israel off the face of the earth, Israel is also facing a drought that is leaving their water supply in record low levels. There are many Bible prophecies that speak about Israel facing drought and crop failures in the end times, including references in Isaiah 5, Revelation 11:6, and Jeremiah 14.

[White Spider]

So it seems most of us have noticed the unusual weather round the world, those in America have really noticed some strange things.

Just saw on the news a lot of schools are having financial difficulty with the food prices rising so much.

And here in California a large amount of vineyards are expected to have a small harvest cause we had a late April frost. Major business out here.

Those earthquakes off the cost of Oregon worry me. That's where the Cascadia Fault line is and if it gets to a point where it's really stuck and does what they call a MEGA THRUST EARTHQUAKE it will cause a Tsunami they say would be really similar to the South Asia one. It runs from Oregon up the coast to British Colombia.


Slightly new topic since we seem to agree it's not just a phase the earth is passing through.

What do you all think the severe persecution will come from? The U.S.? Foreign countries? Both?

[White Spider]

On the Persecution of Christians

From Audacity of Hope: I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.

Direct quote from Obama himself.