The world has had another tragedy. Japan was shaken by earthquakes and a tsunami. Our hearts go out to the people of Japan. The final death count has not been discovered and many people are homeless. It seems that more things are happening that are out of our control. Some of these things are tragic, as was the earthquake in Japan.

Over the years there have been many earthquakes and many other tragedies that have hurt mankind. The tsunami was not predicted so that the shoreline could be deserted. There was no warning so the people could get to a higher level or out of harms way. It came. It destroyed. It subsided. And yet it left a great deal of damage.

Every time something like this happens people begin to say "the world is ending". One day they will be right. But the truth is no one knows when that day will be. Listen to Jesus as He says, "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." (Matthew 24:36 ESV) Jesus goes so far to say that even He does not know when that day will be, but only the Father in heaven.

The main thing that any of us need to do today is to be prepared each and every day. It is important that we first are in Christ, Rom. 6:3,4. Then it is important that we live our lives daily as a Christian Rev. 2:10b. It is not possible to live our lives like Satan would have us to and live with God through all eternity. Instead of trying to stay close to sin we must see how far away we can get from it. So, are you moving away from sinful things or participating in them? It was Paul who asked, "Shall we continue to sin so that grace may abound? God forbid!" (Romans 6:1) Righteousness must reign in our lives.

Jesus will come again at the end of time. I don’t know when that day is and neither does anyone else. We may see wars, earthquakes, all kinds of tragedies and they remind us that one day Jesus will appear. As He does, He comes to take the faithful home. Paul describes this in 1 Thess. 4:13-18 as the dead in Christ will arise first and then those who are alive shall meet the Lord in the air and forever be with Him. I want everyone to be prepared for that day. It could be today, tomorrow, next week, or hundreds of years. Only the Father knows. "Are you prepared?"