Tsunami Kills 220,000 People!
"Except ye
repent, ye shall all likewise perish" -Luke 13:5
"There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." -Luke 13:1-5
These were the Words spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ. People back in the Bible were no different than people today...we all like to talk about people and news (especially if it's bad). These folks had heard about Pilate brutally executing some Galilaeans. They mentioned the bad news to Jesus. Most of us would have responded with sympathy for the victims. However, Jesus responded by informing them that they just might be next. Wow! Can you imagine the look on their faces? Jesus then decided to mention another tragedy where eighteen people lost their lives when a wall fell upon them. Jesus clearly warned these folks that they would die the same fate if they refused to repent.
What did Jesus mean when He warned..."Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish"? Our Lord simply meant that death often comes unexpectedly in life, and then it's too late to get saved. You see my friend, if you don't get born-again, then you CANNOT go to heaven.
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." -John 3:3
The ONLY way for any sinner to get to heaven is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Jesus has the scars in His hands and feet, so we must only trust ONLY Jesus to forgive us and take us to heaven.
On December 26th of 2004, a 9.2 earthquake in the Indian ocean generated a 30-foot tall Tsunami.
The most powerful earthquake in 40 years erupted under the Indian Ocean near Sumatra on Dec. 26, 2004. It caused giant, deadly waves to crash ashore in nearly a dozen countries, killing tens of thousands.
The giant wave of water killed over 220,000 people throughout southeast Asia. I sincerely wonder how many of those 220,000 dead people went to heaven? I sincerely wonder how many of those dead people went to hell? If you are familiar with the Bible, then you know that MOST people go to hell when they die (Matthew 7:13). God does not want it that way, but mankind is stubborn and sinfully proud. Jesus warned the people in Luke 13:1-5 that death can come at any time...without warning.
A rescue worker walks among coffins in Phang-Nga, 110km (69 miles) north of Phuket, Thailand December 31, 2004.
A worker clears debris in the Thai resort island of Phuket, December 29, 2004. Rescuers scoured remote coastlines around the Indian Ocean for survivors of Sunday's devastating tsunami.
Those 220,000 people throughout India, Sri Lanka and many other countries didn't know what hit them! Tsunami's often strike with little or no warning. The earthquake happened hundreds of miles away so no one knew about it. Can you imagine any event so devastating that it would claim 220,000 lives in one day? As a matter of fact, there is such a catastrophic event which occurs EVERY SINGLE DAY in this world...it's called "death." To know more, please read Billions of People Going to Hell.
"Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." -Proverb 27:1
Thai health officials bury the dead in masses at a burial site in Takuapa, nearly 130 km north of the Thai resort island of Phuket December 31, 2004. The bodies were being buried until relatives could identify them by DNA samples taken earlier. The death toll in Thailand sprawled to 4,500 after a tsunami, caused by a magnitude 9.0 quake off the northern Indonesian coast on December 26, devastated the southern tourist isles and beaches. REUTERS/Adrees Latif
A Thai health official checks identification before hundreds of victims of Sunday's quake-triggered tidal wave are buried in a mass burial site in Takuapa, about 130 km (80 miles) north of the Thai resort island of Phuket on December 31, 2004.
A Thai man mourns a relative killed by the December 2004 tsunami in Khabi province south of Bangkok
The point that Jesus was making to those folks in Luke thirteen is that we must each individually prepare to meet God. Death can come suddenly and then it will be too late to repent of our unbelief and sin. Are you ready to face God? MOST people are NOT ready to meet their Maker...not at all ready. To be ready, you must become a born-again Christian by asking Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins, believing that He is the Saviour. To go to heaven, you MUST get born-again (John 3:3). Being religious is a sure road to hell. You don't have to give up anything to be saved except your unbelief. It is easy to be saved if you are willing to place ALL your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour. The bottom line is that we are all sinners in need of a Saviour. Jesus Christ is the ONLY Saviour! Would you like to KNOW for sure that you are going to heaven when you die? 1st John 5:13 tells that we can certainly know for sure.
"Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" -Luke 13:5
