I have been asked by many about the earthquake and tsunami that just hit Japan. Is this a "natural" accident or is God still in charge of His world? The answer is clear: The Lord controls His world, and He judges His creation and men who reject the truth of Christ.
Following World War II thousands of missionaries, at the urging of General Douglas MacArthur, went to Japan as missionaries. While thousands came to the Lord, in time, the Japanese rejected the gospel. Today, there are less than 1% who are Christians!
The Japanese are into Shinto (ancestor worship), Confucianism and Buddhism. The last two are not really religions but philosophies of how to live the pure life. If the Japanese are good, they are absorbed into nirvana, the great big IT which is not a god, or God. They believe in living the pure and wise life. Some believe in magical powers; many are animists, that is, they worship the trees, mountains, fleas, bees, and trees! Suicide and dying for the emperor is also part of their Shintoism. The emperor is a god and the descendant of the sun-goddess Amaterasu.
The Bible teaches us that God is the first cause of all things and He is sovereign in His universe. There are no accidents. All things happen by His providence.
If you do not believe that God is sovereign, look up these verses: Job 36-26-37:13 and Daniel 4:34-35.
There is a paradox in our Christian theology. On the one hand, God is sovereign and on the other hand we are to extend charity for those suffering. I don't know how that works but I do know that God is Absolute and His providence controls all things. He is not passive or caught off guard. I used to ask my students: "Who do we think we are?" and "Who is in charge?" The answers are clear from the Word of God!
--Dr. Mal Couch (3/11)
