5.9 quake hits Virginia/D.C.; 5.3 strikes Colorado, New Mexico

http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_18739820

PAIR OF RATTLERS: 5.8 quake hits W.Va.; 5.3 strikes Colorado, New Mexico
By The Associated Press
Posted: 08/23/2011 11:06:39 AM PDT
Updated: 08/23/2011 11:18:09 AM PDT

WASHINGTON - A 5.8 magnitude earthquake centered northwest of Richmond, Va., shook much of Washington, D.C., and was felt as far north as Rhode Island and New York City.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was 3.7 miles deep. Shaking was felt at the White House and all over the East Coast, as far south as Chapel Hill, N.C. Parts of the Pentagon, White House and Capitol were evacuated. The quake was in Mineral, Va., in Louisa County.

Meanwhile, the strongest earthquake to strike Colorado in more than 40 years shook awake hundreds of people, toppled groceries off shelves and caused minor damage to homes in the southern part of the state and in northern New Mexico.
No injuries were reported as aftershocks continued Tuesday.
"Here we go again, there's another one starting. We got to get out of here," said Garry Ringo, owner of Ringo's Super Trading Post in the small town of Segundo, Colo., as bottles on shelves rattled in the background during an interview with The Associated Press.

Ringo estimated he lost thousands of dollars' worth of liquor and soda.

The magnitude 5.3 quake hit at 11:46 p.m. MDT Monday about nine miles southwest of Trinidad, or 180 miles south of Denver, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center in Golden. It had an estimated depth of 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) and was felt in a relatively large area of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico.

Las Animas County Sheriff Jim Casias said Colorado authorities were assessing damage and so far had reported a porch collapse and a partially collapsed roof. No injuries had been reported, he said.

"As I had one lady tell me, `Sheriff, maybe the world's coming to an end.' All I mentioned to her is that someday it will," Casias said.

Dozens of residents in Trinidad, a town of 9,000 people, and in northern New Mexico called the USGS to report the shaking. Others called from Colorado Springs, Colo., about 130 miles north of the epicenter, said geophysicist Shengzao Chen.

Minor aftershocks continued Tuesday in the relatively sparsely populated area that the USGS says is not known for major quakes or active faults. Theresa James, manager of Ringo's Super Trading Post, said a small swarm lasting three days hit the area last summer. Segundo is a former coal mining town of about 100 people.

USGS geophysicist Jessica Sigala said Monday's earthquake damaged chimneys, cracked walls and knocked items off shelves.

Minor rockslides were reported on Colorado Highway 12 and Interstate 25, but both highways remained open, a Las Animas County Sheriff's Office dispatcher said Tuesday.

The dispatcher, who would only give her first name as Kristina, said she was working when the earthquake hit near midnight.

"Everything was shaking, but we had no power loss," she said.

"I thought maybe a car had hit my house," said 70-year-old Trinidad resident Nadine Baca. "Then I called my son and he said it was the third (quake) today."

Cathy Gutierrez of Raton, N.M., about 20 miles south of Trinidad, told The Associated Press Tuesday that she felt two earthquakes, one around 5:30 p.m. Monday and the big earthquake just before midnight.

"My bed shook with all my pictures. It just went back and forth. I thought someone hit my house. I ran outside. We've had some before (earthquakes), but never this strong," Gutierrez said. "It was a very scary feeling."

Ron Thompson, mine manager with New Elk Mine about 30 miles west of Trinidad, said coal miners 300 to 800 feet underground didn't feel anything but crews above ground and at the company office in Trinidad, where he was at the time, did.

"Not real exciting, but it got your attention," he said of the shallow quake.

The quake was the largest in Colorado since a magnitude-5.3 temblor was recorded in Denver's northern suburbs in 1967, said Paul Earle of the USGS.

Sigala said the area occasionally has swarms of earthquakes, some lasting days or weeks, but Monday's temblor was unusual.
"A 5.3 is big for Colorado," she said.

About a dozen smaller temblors were recorded in the area in August and September 2001, Sigala said.

She said some people blamed that swarm on oil drilling in the area but that later studies proved those fears unfounded.

Colorado is no stranger to earthquakes, but most are small and go unnoticed.

According to the USGS, an earthquake in 1882 was the first to cause damage in Denver and is believed to be the largest recorded in the state.

That quake was believed to be centered in the Front Range near what is now Rocky Mountain National Park. Its magnitude was estimated to be about 6.6 on the Richter scale. It was felt as far away as Salina, Kansas, and Salt Lake City.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_18739820

http://news.yahoo.com/quake-rocks-washington-area-felt-east-coast-181550612.html

Quake rocks Washington area, felt on East Coast
Associated Press
Tuesday 23 August 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) — A 5.9 magnitude earthquake centered northwest of Richmond, Va., shook much of Washington, D.C., and was felt as far north as Rhode Island, New York City and Martha's Vineyard, Mass., where President Barack Obama is vacationing.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was half a mile deep. Shaking was felt at the White House and all over the East Coast, as far south as Chapel Hill, N.C. Parts of the Pentagon, White House and Capitol were evacuated. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

It was centered near Louisa, Va., which is northwest of Richmond and south of Washington.

Obama and many of the nation's leaders were out of town on August vacation when the quake struck at 1:51 p.m. EDT. The shaking was felt on the Martha's Vineyard golf course as Obama was just starting a round.

The East Coast gets earthquakes, but usually smaller ones and is less prepared than California or Alaska for shaking.
At Reagan National Airport outside Washington, ceiling tiles fell during a few seconds of shaking. Authorities announced it was an earthquake and all flights were put on hold.

At the Pentagon in northern Virginia, a low rumbling built and built to the point that the building was shaking. People ran into the corridors of the government's biggest building and as the shaking continued there were shouts of "Evacuate! Evacuate!"

In New York, the 26-story federal courthouse in lower Manhattan began swaying and hundreds of people were seen leaving the building. Court officers weren't letting people back in.

The quake came a day after an earthquake in Colorado toppled groceries off shelves and caused minor damage to homes in the southern part of the state and in northern New Mexico. No injuries were reported as aftershocks continued Tuesday.

In Charleston, W.Va., hundreds of workers left the state Capitol building and employees at other downtown office buildings were asked to leave temporarily.

"The whole building shook," said Jennifer Bundy, a spokeswoman for the state Supreme Court. "You could feel two different shakes. Everybody just kind of came out on their own."

In Ohio, where office buildings swayed in Columbus and Cincinnati and the press box at the Cleveland Indians' Progressive Field shook. At least one building near the Statehouse was evacuated in downtown Columbus.

In downtown Baltimore, the quake sent office workers into the streets, where lamp posts swayed slightly as they called family and friends to check in.

Social media site Twitter lit up with reports of the earthquake from people using the site up and down the U.S. eastern seaboard.

"People pouring out of buildings and onto the sidewalks and Into Farragut Park in downtown DC...," tweeted Republican strategist Kevin Madden.

"did you feel earthquake in ny? It started in richmond va!" tweeted Arianna Huffington, president and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group.

Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill tweeted that her staff in Washington was in an "emergency location. Hope everyone is ok."

John Gurlach, air traffic controller at the Morgantown Municipal Airport was in a 40-foot-tall tower when the earth trembled.

"There were two of us looking at each other saying, 'What's that?'" he said, even as a commuter plane was landing. "It was noticeably shaking. It felt like a B-52 unloading."

Immediately, the phone rang from the nearest airport in Clarksburg, and a computer began spitting out green strips of paper — alerts from other airports in New York and Washington issuing ground stops "due to earthquake."

http://news.yahoo.com/quake-rocks-washington-area-felt-east-coast-181550612.html

We felt it! I knew it was an earthquake as soon as I heard that ominous grumbling sound. Thank the Lord it wasn't anything really bad.

I felt it, too! I'm glad it wasn't very long, though! I'm about two hours from it's epicenter (the one in VA, that is).

by KrispyKrittr...One thing an earthquakes does is it brings out all the "wannabe prophets"!
Krispy

Well that's how the "wannabe prophets" make their "Profit"

One thing an earthquakes does is it brings out all the "wannabe prophets"!

Hahaa... Right on!

2 things came to mind when I heard about this eartquake. First I wondered who will come out and declare this to be some kind of judgment of God?

The other thing is that is this just part of the tectonics plates moving that don't normally move very much?

It also makes me think that when Jesus died there was a great earthquake and the dead rose. Do earthquakes happen much around Israel? I don't know but it is something to think about.

And now a hurricane is threatening the east coast...

I don't claim to be a prophet and I can't say that the recent earthquakes (or any other natural disasters) are judgments from God. But I do think, however, that there is also danger on the other side - being flippant about the possibility.

Here's what I do know: There are far too many events going on around the world for any of this to be random.

- The uptick in serious earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, tornados, and every manner of natural disasters.

- Japan's nuclear meltdown due to the earthquake and tsunami.

- Norway's evil attack on children.

- The debt crises around the world, including whole countries needing bailouts. Not to mention

- Massive unrest, revolutions and fears in the Middle East.

- Israel facing a nuclear Iran who declares their Mahdi is near that war with Israel will precede his coming.

-Recent riots in London. Flash mob violence in the US.

These are just a mere fraction of what's been going on. I'm not going to play with semantics over these are "warnings," "judgments" or anything else. The fact of the matter is, God is trying to get our attention. He's giving people the chance to recognize Him, repent and turn to Him. THIS is the important message in all of this, not who is being punished or judged or who is going to come out claiming this is judgment.

Haggai said this was coming in chapter 2:6-7: “For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. I will shake all the nations.

And again in verses 20-21: "I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations.”

And we're all familiar with Hebrews 12:25-27 by now, "See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain."

The point is, God is shaking things up - shaking people up - so they'll let go of the things that give them false peace. He's shaking up the folly of the governments of the world. He's doing all this by even shaking the world itself!

His goal? To get people to turn from their sins, accept and reverence Him as their God and Savior.

by ginnyrose on 2011/8/23 19:05:33

And now a hurricane is threatening the east coast...

___________

Yes all along the east coast and there are many brothers and sisters in Christ in these areas so please be praying.
rdg

Search For Hidden Damage After East Coast Quake
by The Associated Press

text size A A A MINERAL, Va. August 24, 2011, 09:13 am ET
Office buildings, schools and towering landmarks were being inspected Wednesday for hidden structural flaws a day after initial checks turned up little damage from a rare East Coast earthquake.

Public schools and a handful of government buildings in Washington remained closed for further assessment, and engineers were taking a closer look at cracks in the Washington Monument and broken capstones at the National Cathedral. Some residents of D.C. suburbs were staying in shelters because of structural concerns at their apartment buildings.

Further south, Tuesday's 5.8-magnitude quake also shattered windows and wrecked grocery stores near its Virginia epicenter. There were no known deaths or serious injuries.

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said the quake serves as a reminder for residents to be prepared.

"We talk about hurricanes this time of year, but we forget that A: earthquakes don't have a season and B: they are not just a western hazard," FEMA administrator Craig Fugate said in an interview Wednesday on ABC's Good Morning America.

When the quake struck, many feared terrorism in New York and Washington — places where nerves are raw as the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks approaches. The tremblor sent many pouring from high-rises like the Empire State Building.

"I ran down all 60 flights," accounting office worker Caitlin Trupiano said. "I wasn't waiting for the elevator."

Chris Kardian, working in his garage in suburban Richmond, Va., not far from the epicenter, opted for the more prosaic and plausible: He blamed the shaking on two of his children in the overhead playroom.

"I just thought they were running around and being really loud," he said. "After about 15 seconds, it didn't stop and I thought, `I don't have that many kids in the house!'"

The most powerful earthquake to strike the East Coast in 67 years shook buildings and jarred as many as 12 million people. The U.S. Geological Survey said it was centered 40 miles northwest of Richmond in Mineral.

The U.S. Park Service evacuated and closed all monuments and memorials along the National Mall. The Pentagon, the White House, the Capitol and federal agencies in and around Washington were evacuated. Roads out of the city were clogged with commuters headed home.

Stressed-out D.C. mother of four Marion Babcock, who spent two hours traffic instead of her normal 25 minutes, did the only sensible thing for her frazzled, frightened kids: "I treated their post-traumatic stress with copious amounts of chocolate mint and cookie dough ice cream."

Between cell phones and social networks, news of the quake seemed to travel faster than the temblor itself.

Jenna Scanlon of Floral Park, N.Y., ended a phone call with someone in McLean, Va., and announced to her office colleagues there had been an earthquake. Seconds later, 7 World Trade Center began to shake.

The scope of the damage — or lack of — also quickly became clear on social networks. Instead of collapsed freeways, people posted images of toppled lawn chairs and yogurt cups, broken Bobbleheads, picture frames askew on walls.

On Facebook, people joked with posts such as "S&P has downgraded earthquake to a 2.0," a swipe at the rating agency that recently lowered the federal government's creditworthiness. Another suggested New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a large man, had just "jumped into" the presidential race.

A 5.8-magnitude quake releases as much energy as almost eight kilotons of TNT, about half the power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II.

Still, those along the West Coast who are used to the earth moving couldn't help but take a jab or two.

"Really all this excitement over a 5.8 quake??? Come on East Coast, we have those for breakfast out here!!!!" wrote Dennis Miller, a lifelong California resident whose Pleasanton home sits on a fault line.

A 5.8, he said, wouldn't even wake him from his sleep.

"We were laughing," said 26-year-old San Francisco resident Stellamarie Hall, "but we definitely understand that New York and certain metropolitan areas are not designed around earthquakes."

The earthquake that devastated Japan released more than 60,000 times more energy than Tuesday's, but there was real damage. At the majestic Washington National Cathedral, at least three of the four top stones on the central tower fell off, and cracks appeared in the flying buttresses at the cathedral's east end, the oldest part of the structure. The top of the Washington Monument has a crack.

Ceiling tiles fell to the floor at Reagan National Airport. The gothic-style Smithsonian Castle, built in 1857, had minor cracks and broken glass. And vigorous shaking left a crack and hole in the ceiling at historic Union Station when a chunk of plaster fell near the main entrance.

The steeple and bell tower at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Baltimore were badly damaged, and the building was closed as a precaution.

In West Virginia, environmental regulators sent engineers to inspect massive coal slurry dams that could wipe out entire communities if they were to fail and release billions of gallons of wastewater.

Meanwhile, the Tennessee Valley Authority said that checks of its dams and nuclear plants in several states had turned up no problems.

Amtrak said trains along the Northeast Corridor between Baltimore and Washington were operating at reduced speeds and crews were inspecting stations and railroad infrastructure before returning to normal.

Even those who knew what was happening had braced for worse, some remembering the Indian Ocean quake that triggered a tsunami and a nuclear disaster in Japan.

"I knew it was an earthquake, but my first thought was, `Oh my God, something's going to happen to the power plant," said 21-year-old Whitney Thacker in Mineral, Va., a town near the epicenter where the sidewalks were littered with fallen stones, masonry and broken glass. "It was scary."

Dominion Virginia Power shut down its two-reactor nuclear power plant within 10 miles of the quake's epicenter, but said there was no evidence of any damage to the decades-old North Anna Power Station.

In a news release, the utility company said off-site power to the nuclear plant was restored Tuesday night and it was no longer relying on backup generators. The utility didn't say when the plant's two reactors would be restarted.

By the standards of the West Coast, where earthquakes are much more common, the Virginia quake was mild. Since 1900, there have been 40 of magnitude 5.8 or greater in California alone.

But quakes in the East tend to be felt across a much broader area, the waves traveling "pretty happily out for miles," said U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Susan Hough.

The last quake of equal power to strike the East Coast was in New York in 1944. The largest East Coast quake on record was a 7.3 that hit South Carolina in 1886.

The fear in some places was real.

Michael Leman had been mowing a neighbor's lawn in Mineral when bricks began falling from a chimney and the earth heaved a large propane tank about a foot off the ground.

"I thought that tank was about to explode," he said, "and I ran for dear life."

———

I hope I am not hijacking this thread by posting this. Someone posted this and it appeared on my Facebook page. It caused me think and ask if christians are really shallow or what is the meaning behind this.
The passage is below

New King James Version (NKJV)
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences,[a] and earthquakes in various places

What I am seeing here is something that has taken place throughout written history. I know this verse was probably published in light of the earthquake we just had but yet, is this rightly using the Bible? Why do you think this verse was place in its place in the first place?
For what purpose does it serve us if these things have been happening throughout recorded history and why should we use this verse for anything constructive today>

Yes the media has really gone wild, they get folks in the panic mode about Hurricanes as soon as it starts raining off the coast of Africa, and the Weather channel really takes advantage of the Hurricanes, they turn up the hype 80%. I agree, we must use our wisdom to help us prepare for national disasters of all kinds, but the scare tactics that the media employ, could possibly be defined as humorous. It's all about attracting attention during possible disasters, and cranking up the commercials during the shows to make more money, and brother do they crank up the commercials.

What percentage of the past 2000 years have they been keeping records of earthquakes? 10%? so are we going to judge what we are seeing now on 10% of these? What if they had 50 earth quakes of a magnitude of 7.5 or more in 900 AD? how would we know? how do we compare? and there is no possible way for anyone to know if the frequency of the quakes are increasing,increasing compared to what? as we know it because of the records we have? There is just not enough evidence of the past 2000 years to compare it to today's times.

There was a strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake a few minutes ago in Peru:

http://news.yahoo.com/strong-6-8-magnitude-quake-shakes-central-peru-180732820.html

This can't be good. I think they are planning another sneak attack! We're gonna wake up some morning and Japan will be right on top of Nebraska and there wont be a thing we can do about it!

Run for the hills!

It's true, Krispy! The Japanese have developed a highly technologically advanced bomber that uses bombs that are so amazing, they seek out all military sites and blow them to kingdom come! Unfortunetly, after these planes were developed, it was found that they actually went a mere 8 feet less than a plane could safely land on the American continent. Voila! An sinister plan was developed to artificially manufacture an earthquake of such magnitude that would fix the problem (how they did that is a long story)! But, for a donation of just $49.99, we can send you your FREE copy of the book DECEPTION which will tell you how they masterminded this plan, how to keep your family safe in these horrifying times, plus an earthquake blocker, and tons more pertinent information!

Haha... yeah, it's funny how some people can get drawn into crazy stuff like that. XD

Martyr

I take things like this seriously as well and I think we need to be careful whenever we decided 'judgment' is coming. Sometimes a crying out can be like crying wolf too much.
So many times when a natural disaster happens many in the church seem so quick to point to some kind of judgment but in reality, how true is it. The earth goes through alot of natural things. Even a wildfire for instance and in many cases it is a natural thing to kill the old and bring in new life. Is there judgment there?

So I ask, by using the Word of God for this earthquake and the one in Chile, are we using the bible correctly when saying these things? I don't think we are and if we are how do we know we are. Pointing to scriptures about certain events doesn't prove these things. For the sake of natural disasters they have gone on throughout history. Even in the OT in some of the disasters, such as famines you never hear of it being as a judgment, only that God says prepare.

So what gives here? We need to be intelligent in what we say, lack of intellient voices in christianity give rise to mockings because we can't seem to discern anything intelligently.

Folks I say in all soberness and sincerity that your mocking and scoffong are very dangerous. God in his mercy is speaking to the church. Jesus says in the opening chapters of Revelation he that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the church. Jesus told us the warning signs in the gospels. The apostles wrote about what would take place prior to the return of of Jesus. The last book of the Bible is dedicated to his return. Do not despise what God is speaking to his church. He is still giving us time to repent. For if we reject what he is saying we do so at our own peril.

I was also referring to what Krispy said about the scammer prophets, not what you were talking about. I'm sorry if it came across like I was scoffing at judgement. I do believe that all these earthquakes are not a coincidence as you said, and that it is a sign of Christ's return, as is said in the Bible. However, it will be as a thief in the night, not at some completely known time as the scamming "prophet" Harold Camping would have you to believe. Thanks for your concern though, Martyr.

Endzone, IMO you read way to much into KK posts, I have never read one of his post yet on this thread that he said or even seemed to be saying God has no control over earthquakes, hurricanes, etc. If you re-read this thread real slow, you will read where he only said, because the frequency of the quakes are increasing, does not mean it's the end,and that because of the frequency only as we know it today or at the most for the past 200 years, it usually brings out the likes of Pat Robinson and other so called Prophets. Hey, maybe it me, but this is the way I read it, but I am reading his post/posts at face value.

Are There More Earthquakes Now?

Are we are experiencing more earthquakes? Have they been increasing in recent years? No, says the United State Geological Survey (USGS) in Common Myths about Earthquakes. Earthquakes with a magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant in numbers throughout the last century.

Simpleliving,

This that you wrote here is such a Blessing!

So soboring!

Bless you,

Elizabeth

by martyr . The quakes are increasing in frequency and becoming more destructive.

Posted by Blaine Scogin

Blane, I am not writing anything off, but we cannot also buy into this statement "The quakes are increasing in frequency and becoming more destructive". Blane if you have some proof that they are increasing in frequency and becoming more destructive, please just show me/us. They have only been keeping records of earthquakes since about 1850, the lack of accurate records pre-dating modern seismology hinders our ability to understand long-term variations, and thus, possible future trends or past frequencies of earthquakes. We would not be using our God given wisdom if we believed everything someone posts, but if you can prove your statement, you might change my mind.

There are so many signs that we are in the end times, and these are some of them. I keep hearing "worst in recorded history" for floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis. They are happening in a higher frequency than I've ever seen. The end times officially started when Israel became a nation in 1 day, as prophesied in the old testament. It says that "this generation will not pass away before the 2nd coming of our lord." If you start the clock then an add 70 or 80 yrs (a righteous generation) you are at 2018 or 2028 as the season of his 2nd coming. This is it folks, there is no excuse to be caught unaware.

go to god.tv, hit "programming" and find "The 28th International Prophecy Conference" where some of the most studious scholars have studied the end times for decades. They all agree that "we are in the last minutes of the last days." We have maybe a decade or two but certainly not 200 years.

I believe that Krispy is right in that when a significant earthquake occurs there are some that want to prophesy something into it that is just not there. We will always have want to be prophets around.

On the other hand, God does speak to us in and through natural disasters, and I do not believe that this earthquake near the nation's capital is without significance. In the last days God is going to shake all things, and I believe that this applies in both a spiritual and a natural way. If men will not speak for God, He will even use the rocks to cry out.

I found this article to be very interesting about how God used Frank Barleman during the Azusa Street Revival to declare God's judgements as a result of the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906.

But What Has God To Do With Earthquakes?

"The awesome earthquake and subsequent tsunami in the Indian Ocean that occurred on 26th December 2004 is truly of a magnitude that has effected the whole world, either by way of direct involvement or due to the impact it must have on the consciousness of us all. Through modern News Broadcasts we have all been able to witness the horror caused by the power unleashed by this colossal earthquake - one of the largest on record.

I am sure we are all touched by the tragedy that suddenly effected so many. The death toll at this time of writing being over 150,000 and rising. And we are seeing an amazing and spontaneous response through the magnanimous personal giving from those individuals able to help. The world governments are responding equally to try and restore as best they can that which has been lost or destroyed. It is calculated that this could take five to ten years. As the airwaves are ringing, however, there can be a deafness to just what God is saying to all mankind at this time.

If one were to ask the opinions of the 'religious' one would obtain many differing replies, but little truth, for few understand God's perspective on this present evil and wicked generation. Few Christians have an understanding of God's wrath that the Bible tells us is yet to be poured out on the earth and its inhabitants. Few wish to consider that it will soon be time for God to judge this sinful generation as this age finishes and the earth is prepared for the coming reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. Such considerations are far too 'way out' for many to consider, yet this is all prophesied in Scripture. These prophecies of scripture tell us that far worse catastrophes than this recent earthquake and tsunami await us, despite the magnitude of it. And as God shakes not only the heavens, but also the earth, in His desire to warn us and open the hearts of those who might yet desire His Kingdom, will we hear?

Hard to understand for many is God's holiness that brings judgement despite His great love for each one of us. But before judgement there is always mercy and this can sometimes seem difficult to comprehend as God endeavours to speak through our hardness of heart. Without tribulation few are prepared to listen but rather would hope in what they selfishly desire and imagine. But God wants us to hear Him!

God speaking through earthquakes is not without precedent. At the beginning of the Twentieth Century God moved in revival power, in Wales, in India, and diverse places around the world, but especially in Los Angeles in the USA. Few have taken note that this mighty move of God, that restored the gifts of the Spirit to a mainly powerless church, coincided with the infamous San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Frank Bartleman, who was involved in this move of God, has left us an eyewitness account of this time. Let us hear his words speak again:-

Extracts from His Diary of Events in 1906 by Frank Bartleman

Sunday, April 15, the Lord called me to ten days of special prayer. I felt greatly burdened but had no idea of what He had particularly in mind. But He had a work for me, and wanted to prepare me for it.

Wednesday, April 18, the terrible San Francisco earthquake came, which also devastated the surrounding cities and country. No less than ten thousand lost their lives in San Francisco alone. I felt a deep conviction that the Lord was answering our prayers for a revival in His own way. "When Thy judgements are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness."- lsa. 26:9. A tremendous burden of prayer came upon me that the people might not be indifferent to His voice.

Thursday, April 19, while sitting in the noon meeting at Peniel Hall, 227 South Main Street, the floor suddenly began to move with us. A most ugly sensation ran through the room. We sat in awe. Many people ran into the middle of the street, looking up anxiously at the buildings, fearing they were about to fall. It was an earnest time. I went home and after a season of prayer was impressed of the Lord to go to the meeting which had been removed from Bonnie Brae Street to 312 Azusa Street. Here they had rented an old frame building, formerly a Methodist church, in the centre of the city, now a long time out of use for meetings. It had become a receptacle for old lumber, plaster, etc. They had cleared space enough in the surrounding dirt and debris to lay some planks on top of empty nail kegs, with seats enough for possibly thirty people, if I remember rightly. These were arranged in a square, facing one another.

I was under tremendous pressure to get to the meeting that evening. It was my first visit to "Azusa Mission." Mother Wheaton, who was living with us, was going with me. She was so slow that 1 could hardly wait for her. I have always been a "lone wolf" for this very reason. My time is not my own. I am His servant. "The King's business requires haste." We cannot wait all day for some one to get ready who neither has the orders, nor feels the necessity. "Salute no man by the way." God's business is important. He requires obedience. Thus we also keep out of some one else's way. There is too much involved to fail God. Let those take their time and come behind who have no message. The devil can often use them tremendously to hinder those who have.

We finally reached "Azusa" and found about a dozen saints there, some white, some coloured. Brother Seymour was there, in charge. The "Ark of God" moved off slowly, but surely, at "Azusa." It was carried "on the shoulders" of His own appointed priests in the beginning. We had no "new cart" in those days, to please the carnal, mixed multitude. We had the devil to fight, but the Ark was not drawn by oxen (dumb beasts). The priests were alive unto God," through much preparation and prayer. Discernment was not perfect, and the enemy got some advantage, which brought reproach to the work, but the saints soon learned to "take the precious from the vile." The combined forces of hell were set determinedly against us in the beginning. It was not all blessing. In fact the fight was terrific. The devil scraped the country for crooked spirits, as always, to destroy the work if possible. But the fire could not be smothered. Strong saints were gathered together to the help of the Lord. Gradually the tide arose in victory. But from a small beginning, a very little flame. I gave a message at my first meeting at "Azusa." Two of the saints spoke in "tongues." Much blessing seemed to attend the utterance.

It was soon noised abroad that God was working at "Azusa." All classes began to flock to the meetings. Many were curious and unbelieving, but others were hungry for God. The newspapers began to ridicule and abuse the meetings, thus giving us much free advertising. This brought the crowds. The devil overdid himself again. Outside persecution never hurt the work. We had the most to fear from the working of evil spirits within. Even spiritualists and hypnotists came to investigate, and to try their influence. Then all the religious sore-heads and crooks and cranks came, seeking a place in the work. We had the most to fear from these. But this is always the danger to every new work. They have no place elsewhere. This condition cast a fear over many which was hard to overcome. It hindered the Spirit much. Many were afraid to seek God, for fear the devil might get them.

We found early in the "Azusa" work that when we attempted to steady the Ark the Lord stopped working. We dared not call the attention of the people too much to the working of the evil. Fear would follow. We could only pray. Then God gave victory. There was a presence of God with us, through prayer, we could depend on. The leaders had a limited experience, and the wonder is the work survived at all against its powerful adversaries. But it was of God. That was the secret.

A certain writer has well said: "On the day of Pentecost, Christianity faced the world, a new religion-without a college, a people, or a patron. All that was ancient and venerable rose up before her in solid opposition. And she did not flatter or conciliate any one of them. She assailed every existing system, and every bad habit, burning her way through innumerable forms of opposition. This she accomplished with her "tongue of fire" alone. Another writer has said: "The apostasy of the early church came as a result of a greater desire to see the spread of its power and rule than to see new natures given to its individual members. The moment we covet a large following and rejoice in the crowd that is attracted by our presentation of what we consider truth, and have not a greater desire to see the natures of individuals changed according to the divine plan, we start to travel the same road of apostasy that leads to Rome and her daughters." 1 found the earthquake had opened many hearts. I was distributing especially my last tract, "The Last Call." It seemed very appropriate after the earthquake.

Sunday, April 22, I took 10,000 of these to the New Testament Church. The workers seized them eagerly and scattered them quickly throughout the city.

Nearly every pulpit in the land was working overtime to prove that God had nothing to do with earthquakes and thus allay the fears of the people. The Spirit was striving to knock at hearts with conviction, through this judgement. I felt indignation that the preachers should be used of Satan to drown out His voice. Just as he later used them to stir up hatred and murder, during the great war. Even the teachers in the schools laboured hard to convince the children that God was not in earthquakes. The devil put on a big propaganda on this line. I had been much in prayer since the earthquake, and had slept little. After the shock in Los Angeles the Lord told me definitely He had a message for me for the people. On the Saturday after, He gave me a part of it. On Monday the rest was given. I finished writing it at 12:30am. Tuesday, ready for the printer. I kneeled before the Lord and He met me in a powerful way, a powerful witness that the message was from Him. I was to have it printed in the morning. From that time until 4am., 1 was wonderfully taken up in the spirit of intercession. I seemed to feel the wrath of God against the people and to withstand it in prayer. He showed me He was terribly grieved at their obstinacy in the face of His judgement on sin. San Francisco was a terribly wicked city.

He showed me all hell was being moved to drown out His voice in the earthquake, if possible. The message He had given me was to counteract this influence. Men had been denying His presence in the earthquake. Now He would speak. It was a terrific message He had given me. I was to argue the question with no man, but simply give them the message. They would answer to Him. I felt all hell against me in this, and so it proved. I went to bed at 4 o'clock, arose at 7, and hurried with the message to the printer.

The question in almost every heart was, "Did God do that?" But instinct taught men on the spot that He had. Even the wicked were conscious of the fact. The tract was set up quickly. The same day it was on the press, and the next noon I had my first consignment of the tract. I was impressed I must hasten and get them to the people as quickly as possible. I was reminded that the ten days I was called by the Lord to prayer was up the very day I received the first of the tracts. I understood it all now, clearly.

The enemy tried to hinder, by smashing a part of the type in the press. I had warned the printer of this. But it was set up again so that 1 lost no time through it. I distributed the message speedily in the missions, churches, saloons, business houses, and in fact everywhere, both in Los Angeles and Pasadena. Besides I mailed thousands to workers in nearby towns for distribution. The whole undertaking was a work of faith. I began without a dollar. But He supplied the money, as needed. I worked hard every day. Brother and Sister Otterman distributed them in San Diego. It required courage. Many raved at the message. I went through all the dives with them in Los Angeles. All hell was stirred. A man followed me on the street raving like a maniac. He followed me into a business house, to do me violence. But the Lord protected. He then tore my tract up publicly at the curb, to show his hate. Many threw the message down in a rage, only to pick it up again and read it. It seemed God held them to it. The saddest part was the fact that nearly all the preachers worked with the enemy in the matter. But I was only giving them the Word of God, on earthquakes.

I ordered the tracts in 25,000 lots. A policeman was put on my track. The people were stirred up so. But the Spirit warned me and I saw him coming. I was enabled to dodge him. He would have stopped the circulation of the tract before my work was done. I could feel hell's rage rolling up against me like a cloud. But God gave me courage for the work. Hundreds were distributed in Santa Barbara. A conductor stopped me giving them out on a Pasadena car, though the people were reaching out their hands for them. He threatened to throw me off the car. The devil was stirred. Orders came in for thousands from towns in Southern California, which I mailed to them. Everyone was curious for the tract, though it burned the most of them like fire. Sometimes they would get so excited on the street cars they would get off before they reached their street. My very presence seemed to convict many. My soul was steeped in prayer. The message struck consternation to thousands of souls. I have never written a tract that had so much influence.

God sent Brother Boehmer from Pasadena to help me. He stood outside and prayed while I went into the saloons with them. They were mad enough to kill me in some instances. Business was at a standstill after the news came from San Francisco. The people were paralysed with fear. This accounted to some extent for the influence of my tract. The pressure against me was terrific. All hell was surging around me, to stop the message. But 1 never faltered. I felt God's hand upon me continually in the matter. The people were appalled to see what God had to say about earthquakes. He sent me to a number of meetings with a solemn exhortation to repent and seek Him. At "Azusa Mission" we had a powerful time. The saints humbled themselves. A coloured sister both spoke and sang in "tongues." The very atmosphere of Heaven was there.

Sunday, May 11, I had finished my "Earthquake" tract distribution. Then the burden suddenly left me. My work was done. Seventy-five thousand had been published and distributed in Los Angeles and Southern California, in less than three weeks time. At Oakland, Brother Manley, of his own volition, had printed and distributed 50,000 more, in the Bay Cities and round about, in about the same space of time.

The following are some extracts from the "Earthquake" tract: "But what has God to do with earthquakes?

But what has God to do with earthquakes?

'When Thy judgements are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness' - Isa. 26:9. 'Which removeth the mountains, when He overturneth them in His anger, which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble' - Job 9:5, 6. 'The mountains quake at Him, and the hills melt; and the earth is upheaved at His presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken asunder by Him' - Nahum 1:5,6. 'And 1 will punish the world for their evil. Therefore I will make the heavens to tremble, and the earth shall be shaken out of her place, in the day of His fierce anger' - lsa. 13:11,13. 'Then the earth shook and trembled, the foundations also of the mountains moved, and were shaken, because He was wroth. There went up a smoke in His wrath, and fire out of His mouth devoured. The Lord thundered from Heaven, and the Most High uttered His voice. Then the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were laid bare, by the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of His anger' - Ps.18. 'Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and turneth it upside down (perverteth the face thereof), and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. The foundations of the earth do shake, the earth is utterly broken, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall stagger like a drunken man, and shall be moved to and fro. The transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it.' - lsa. 24:1, 18, 20. 'Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of Hosts with earthquakes, and great noise, and the flame of a devouring fire.' - lsa. 29:6. 'Men shall go into hen he the caves of the rocks, from before the terror of the Lord, when He arises to shake terribly the earth.' - lsa. 2:19. 'And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air and there was a great earthquake.'-Rev. 16:17, 18. And will you claim there is no God in earthquakes? John Wesley has said, 'Of all the judgements which the righteous God inflicts on sinners here, the most dreadful and destructive is an earthquake.'

From "Earthquake Tract," April, 1906.

The San Francisco earthquake was surely the voice of God to the people on the Pacific Coast. It was used mightily in conviction, for the gracious after revival.

Frank Bartleman

………………

Just as in the days of the San Francisco earthquake I sense that it is very hard for us to accept that God somehow allowed the recent Indian Ocean disaster. The question in almost every heart in 1906 was, "Did God do that?" Frank Bartleman’s comment, "But instinct taught men on the spot that He had. Even the wicked were conscious of the fact." I think we might find a different response today. I fear that we are not ready to accept that this dreadful earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean was the work of God but would prefer to think that this was some random natural event outwith His control or purpose. Maybe we would rather consider that Satan is able to shake the earth. But on my heart is the fact that we need to be asking God to speak to our hearts, seeking Him for understanding. We need to consider that we do not understand God's view of the gross sin and evil that is increasing, perhaps like it has never done before. Our seared consciences mean that we now accept evil on an unprecedented scale. We no longer discern the filth that Satan is spewing out upon us all - and it is going to get worse! And even our acts of goodness ignore the existence of the God who made us and in whom we live and breath and have our being. Man sees himself as his own salvation but few discern this sin. Some may seek revival but "the depth of revival will be determined by the depth of the spirit of repentance." (Frank Bartleman - 1906)

Jesus warned us that there "will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth dismay among nations at the roaring of the sea and waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken." (Luke 21:25&26) Jesus went on to say, "When these things begin to take place straighten up and lift up your heads for your redemption is drawing near," (verse 28).

The present disaster does not mean that the end of this age is coming immediately for there must yet be even greater shaking. Jesus also told us that "Nation would rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there would be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are the beginning of birth pangs," (Matthew 24:7&8).

I say again, further shaking is yet to be seen as has been prophesied. The fullness of the wrath of God - the day of the Lord - is still future. Before then we will see "a time of distress such has never occurred since there was a nation until that time," (Daniel 12:1). Even this distress is not the coming judgement of God for this distress will occur when Satan is thrown down to the earth and great tribulation will result, for then he knows he only has a short time. (See Revelation 12:12). This "great tribulation," Jesus told us, would be "such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world," (Matthew 24:21). Few understand this time aright but it will be in this tribulation, not before, that we are going to see the good news of the Kingdom preached unto all the world as never before, those, part of the true church, laying down their lives even unto death. God is still "not wishing any to perish but for all to come to repentance," (2 Peter 3:9) In what lies ahead we need have no fear for we can be safe in the Kingdom of God. A reality that can bring salvation to spirit, soul and body, nothing harming us outside God's will and purpose. This reality also brings the assurance that we are saved for the future aspect of the Kingdom that will see our full redemption. Let us, therefore, "strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for our feet, so that which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Pursuing peace with all men and the sanctification (holiness) without which no one will see the Lord," (Hebrews 12:12-14), for beyond tribulation let us be aware God’s full wrath will be poured out on the sin and evil that has been chosen by a mankind who have turned their backs on their Creator.

"He (God) has promised, saying, 'Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven' And this expression, 'Yet once more' denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a Kingdom which cannot be shaken let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:26-29)

Colin Winfield - January 2005

If , as some want to say that this earthquake in Virginia is some kind of judgment then would the same thing be said of the one that happened in Chile as well? I saw there was an after shock in Virginia this morning. Is this judgment or just a plain instance of the earth shifting? When does spiritual discernment come into play vs it being a natural thing?

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Miriam and Moses

"My God, Moses, the girl is black!"

The end of Miriam's attack

Made Moses wince and set his jaw

Like stone to guard his tongue with law,

And hold his peace, if somehow love

Might be reborn. There was more dove

In Moses than the hawk. Her words,

Like wolves upon the hapless herds

Of Midian, had almost ripped

The meekness from his heart and stripped

Him of the deep respect he'd known

For Miriam. Almost a stone

Now, Moses watched his sister's face,

And feared, lest pedigree and race

Had eaten, like a leprosy

Of pride, the root of sympathy,

And killed the power to confess,

And serve as Israel's prophetess.

Two years Zipporah had been dead.

And though she was not born or bred

A Hebrew lass, she looked like one.

Perhaps too swarthy in the sun

Some said. But few denied that she

Was strong and helped her husband be

The greatest man in Israel.

None doubted Moses loved her well.

Now she was gone, and in her place

The great man Moses turned his face

To love a Cushite slave. He shocked

All Israel. And while some mocked,

He married her and made her free,

And said, "She will be wife to me.

Zipporah came from Midian,

The Cushite from the Land of Sun.

God made them love himself, then me;

There is here no idolatry."

But Miriam seemed singed with hell:

"Are there no maids in Israel!

And is our own tribe so unfit

That you should turn your face and spit

On all the widows in the land

And offer up your noble hand

To foreigners? Has not the clan

Of Levi any wives a man

Like you could love or tolerate?

Or, Moses, do you really hate

Your own, to raid a Cushite shack?

My God, Moses, the girl is black!"

The thought flashed over Moses' mind:

This is not Miriam, the kind,

And gentle prophetess. Oh, she

Was strong, but animosity

Was not the way her strength would show.

And then she gave another blow,

And stunned her brother once again:

"Do you think you're the only man

Who hears the Lord in Israel?

When God has plans does he not tell

To me as well, and Aaron too,

What he designs and plans to do?"

The knuckles of his hand turned white

Around his rod, and all the might

Of Moses' meekness ruled his heart,

Until the silence broke apart

With heaven's voice: "Come out you three

Before the tent. Confer with me,

And we will have a reckoning."

And as they came before the King,

The Lord descended in a cloud,

And stood with glory for a shroud,

And said to Miriam, "Stand forth

With Aaron now and hear the worth

Of murmuring against the friend

Of God. There is a sudden end

For pride in priest and prophet both.

Beware, for I am God, and loath

To let my friend be vilified

For long. Do you not know I hide

My plans from prophets in a dream:

They are not always what they seem.

Not so with Moses, Miriam,

All of the words I speak to him

Are mouth to mouth and clear as day,

And he knows everything I say.

Why were you not afraid to mock

The faithful shepherd of my flock?"

And suddenly the cloud was gone,

And Aaron looked, and saw upon

The skin of Miriam, as white

As melting snow, the dreaded sight

Of leprosy. And Aaron turned,

"Have mercy Moses, we have learned

Our lesson well. Let her not be

Among the living dead. For we

Are old, and do not always say

What we approve. Now, brother, pray

For her."

Before the words were out

Of Aaron's mouth there was no doubt

What Moses meant to do. He knelt

Beside the rotting flesh and felt

A wave of pity break behind

His eyes and flood his face with tears,

And heave his chest for all the years

That he had known his sister's joy,

Since he was just a little boy.

She pressed her forehead into him,

And heard him say, "I love you Mim.

It's only right, you know, that I

Should hold you near me now and try

To save your life the way you saved

Me more than once, because you braved

The river glades and made the ark

To carry me with pitch and bark

Above the flood of Pharaoh's wrath.

And many times along the path

For eighty years now you have raised

Me up with songs, and I have praised

The Lord for your prophetic gift.

Forbid that there should be a rift

Between us in the evening of

Our lives; I feel the same deep love

For you today I felt beside the sea

When you sang out the victory

Of God, and led the massive choir:

Ten thousand women full of fire!

Oh, Miriam! Has not our God

Been good to us! You see this rod?

It's been a snake, and eaten three!

It's beckoned frogs and split the sea.

Now, Miriam, I'm going to pray."

"There's something first I'd like to say,

I'm sorry, Moses. What I said

About your wife was wrong. Your bed

Is pure. Of all the women I

Have taught in Israel, they fly

Beneath the heights of faith and love

Where she's at home just like a dove

On wind. And it is no surprise

That you should choose not Hebrew eyes

Or Hebrew skin, but one who loves

Your God and soars on wind with doves.

It was an ugly thing to say,

Perhaps the leprosy should stay."

"I think not, Miriam! Let's pray:

O God, I simply ask today

That you would heal my sister's life;

Remove the remnants of our strife.

Create a bond between my wife

And Miriam, and let no knife

From earth or hell divide with pride,

Or shame."

And so the Lord replied,

"I give you what your love has seen:

In seven days she will be clean."

Today let fire from candle three

Consume all family enmity.

Let all repent and all forgive.

Let Miriam and Moses live.

And as we sing the birth of Christ,

Think well why He was sacrificed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BASED ON

Numbers 12

1And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.

2And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.

3(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)

4And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.

5And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.

6And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

7My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.

8With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

9And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.

10And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.

11And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.

12Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb.

13And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.

14And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.

15And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.

16And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/poems/miriam-and-moses

The earthquake in Virginia last Tuesday was the largest one to hit the Eastern Coast of America since 1897.

One of the few buildings damaged by the quake was the National Cathedral:
http://www.ecusa.anglican.org/79425_129551_ENG_HTM.htm

Could there be a connection between the very sad state of the Episcopalean Church, the pain it has caused God's heart, and this event?

Personally, I believe that all natural disasters, small and great, are a reminder that something is not right in our world. When God created the world all was good, very good. Only after sin entered the world did suffering begin, God's loving wake-up call. I believe (so brutal it might seem) that every form of suffering that we know, including the suffering caused by natural disasters, began sometime after the fall in order to point us back home to God.

O LORD, in distress they sought you; they poured out a whispered prayer when your discipline was upon them.
Isaiah 26:16

I came across this a week ago. I know the target audience is Ninevah, but the writer is stating the obvious and how God will unleash His power in response to their rebellion. Those of us who live in storm prone areas, whose livelihood is weather dependent do take these concepts seriously.

(BTW, we are very dry, ...our rains have been very scattered, the yards are turning brown. Usually we get lots of rain beginning the last part of August but there is none in the forecast in the next week.)

Nahum 1:2-7 NASB:

2 A jealous and avenging God is the LORD;
The LORD is avenging and wrathful.
The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries,
And He reserves wrath for His enemies.

3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power,
And the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.
In whirlwind and storm is His way,
And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.

4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry;
He dries up all the rivers.
Bashan and Carmel wither;
The blossoms of Lebanon wither.

5 Mountains quake because of Him
And the hills dissolve;
Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence,
The world and all the inhabitants in it.

6 Who can stand before His indignation?
Who can endure the burning of His anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire
And the rocks are broken up by Him.

7 The LORD is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble,
And He knows those who take refuge in Him.

That is a great poem! Did you write that?

BREAKING NEWS:

President Obama has just confirmed that the DC earthquake occurred on a rare and obscure fault-line, apparently known as "Bush's Fault". Obama also announced that the Secret Service and Maxine Waters are continuing an investigation of the quake's suspicious ties to the Tea Party. Conservatives however have proven that it was caused by the founding fathers rolling over in their graves. Residents of D.C. don't be alarmed with the earthquake or aftershocks. That is just the country shifting to the RIGHT!!

That is a great poem! Did you write that?

Who are you talking to? Ginnyrose's is from the NASB version. :)

Martyr

Hey, bro, I can't speak for everyone but in relation to your comments about some not wanting people to speak about the 2nd coming of Jesus- for me it is the reactionary side of humanity that does disservice to this.

Any natural disaster seems to brings out people who want to quote scripture and while it seems to be a nice gesture, is that really of the Spirit? A person can use so many parts of the bible to prove many things but in the end, is it authentic inspiration or just a case of emotional reaction. My thinking is that it is emotional reaction and does not promote the Voice of God in this world.

Does that make sense?

I'm talking about the poem HeartSong posted. :)

BREAKING NEWS:

President Obama has just confirmed that the DC earthquake occurred on a rare and obscure fault-line, apparently known as "Bush's Fault". Obama also announced that the Secret Service and Maxine Waters are continuing an investigation of the quake's suspicious ties to the Tea Party. Conservatives however have proven that it was caused by the founding fathers rolling over in their graves. Residents of D.C. don't be alarmed with the earthquake or aftershocks. That is just the country shifting to the RIGHT!!

Hahaa! That's some of the funniest "breaking news" I've seen in awhile! XD

Sadly, I can sense a certain flippancy about the reactions of some of the subscribers to this thread. All the more do I thank those subscribers who can sense the gravity of natural disasters, be they great or small.

Yes, I can see the danger of crying wolf too often, but I don't think it is because the smaller natural disasters are not important, rather because the men and women who speak about them sometimes do so in their own strength and not with true spiritual discernment of God's loving heart. May the Lord not only help us to fear Him and His actions, but also to fear the wrong words that sometimes can fall from our lips, that misrepresent and dishonour Him.

I do believe that these "little" natural disasters are a reminder that our world is no longer the place God meant it to be. I also believe that they are God's wake-up call to the majority of His creatures who have forgotten Him, excluded Him or willingly rebelled against Him in their demand for happiness now.

May the Lord give us sensitive hearts, to sense the anguish in His heart. The anguish that one day after the "little" unheeded warnings, He will have to send the "big one". Why? Because He loves us, and out of love will undoubtedly send correction.

The USA, my own country, England, and most of the nations have sinned so flagrantly and are so corrupted (first and foremost we Christians in our compromised walk and powerless message to the lost) that the arrogant question:

"How can a God of love let such things happen?"

no longer applies.

The question of any truly God-fearing soul today MUST be:

"God, why have you not completely destroyed our nations yet?"

May this forum and website help to raise up true prophets for the Lord, now in these times when He will indeed have to increase His judgments.

yea i agree with you shorn lamb

god created the faults lines

not mother nature

and the the book of acts ,it say he preapoints ,the extent of mans dwelings and the time he has upon the earth

if nation is dweling over a fult live god made ,it is becasue god ordained it

there is no chance in this friends
god works all things accoring to the councel of his will says, paul said to the epheasians