Sample of Daily Encounter by Dick Innes

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Nation shall rise against nation … And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences … And then shall they see the Son of man [Jesus Christ] coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws nigh'” (Luke 21: 10-11; 27-28).

Earthquakes! Pretty scary things!

When we quake, we shake. When the earth quakes, the earth shakes … and at times violently — as it did on Wednesday in Seattle (U.S.) with an earthquake of 6.8 magnitude. When I moved to California 20 years ago — for what I thought would be two years — I discovered what it was like to experience an earthquake.

In one I was in my car and thought I had a flat tire. No, I said to myself, I must have two flat tires. Oh no, I then said, I think all four tires are flat! This was because my car was rocking and rolling along the roadway. Then I saw the telephone poles shaking back and forth like drunken sailors and realized what was happening.

On another occasion I was washing my car on my front driveway and heard this almighty bang like a gigantic explosion. Immediately the ground beneath me went wild and my house shook and rattled like crazy (as did I). Whew, I thought, This is it. This is the biggie! But it wasn’t. It was only a 4.4 but I was only 4-5 miles from the epicenter. But for those moments it is a terrifying thing.

Frankly, I like good old terra firma … and the more firma, the less terra!

One of the things that strikes me the most about earthquakes is that they come without warning — when you least expect them. Everything is fine and then all of a sudden all is crazy.And that’s exactly how the second coming of Jesus Christ to earth will be. As the Bible says it will come, “In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52).

The important thing is to be ready for this great event. If we are not, we will be left behind. But we don’t have to be. We can be ready by accepting God’s full and free pardon for all our sins. To see how to do this, click on FIND GOD at http://www.actsweb.org/htbs1.htm

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the promise that Jesus is coming back to earth again to take all who have accepted him as their Savior to be with you forever in heaven. Help me to be sure that my sins are forgiven and that I am ready for when you come. Gratefully in Jesus’ name. Amen.”