The crisis in Japan is worsening. At the same time, the situation in the Middle East is volatile. And let’s not forget last month’s seismic shock in New Zealand, Sumatra 9.1, Katrina, Rita, massive flooding in Australia, birds and fish dying around the world, and bees disappearing.

Even the secular media is using phrases like “of biblical proportions” to describe current events. Believers who recognize the signs of the times aren’t surprised, and high-profile evangelists are proclaiming that the end is near. 

Jesus issued an ominous warning more than 2,000 year ago: “There shall be signs, and great earthquakes in various places…the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear and for the expectation of those things that are coming upon the earth” (see Luke 21:11,25,26).

Does such an idea reflect merely the hardhearted ravings of religious fanatics bent on making a buck from humanity’s misery, or is it possible that planet earth is indeed approaching the biblical “end of days”?

Charisma magazine sat down with Steve Wohlberg, director of White Horse Media and author of 25 books, including Surviving Toxic Terrorism and End Time Delusions, to talk about why things will grow worse before they get better—and the eminent return of Jesus.

Charisma: What’s going on, Steve? Nobody knows the day or the hour of Jesus’ return, but the signs of the times appear evident.

Wohlberg: When you look at the trend of natural disasters—and many other types of disasters and other things that are happening in the world—it seems pretty clear to me that we are seeing an escalation of large-scale problems on the planet. To me, these are indicators that we are getting closer to the return of Jesus Christ.  As you mentioned, nobody knows the day or the hour so I’m very careful not to set any kind of dates. 

Charisma: Are tsunamis mentioned in the Bible as part of the end times?

Wohlberg: I used to consider the end of Luke 21:25—“the sea and the waves roaring”—as the sea of humanity being full of turmoil. But then when the big tsunami rolled across the ocean after the Sumatra earthquake, I relooked at this verse and I think it certainly applies to a big wave rolling across the ocean. When the Japanese earthquake hit, it actually moved the whole island of eight feet, and then the tsunami occurred right away. 

Charisma: The sweeping fear in the hearts of men is also telling. Japan’s emperor is deeply concerned and praying.

Wohlberg: In Luke 21:26, Jesus said, “Men’s hearts will be failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming upon the earth, for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” That sure sounds like what’s happening now. People are afraid. They are concerned. In the next verse, verse 27, Jesus says, “Then shall they see the Son of Man 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 is drawing near.”
 
Jesus talks about earthquakes, pestilences, famines, fearful sights from heaven, all kinds of different things. When you look at what’s happening on earth right now, it sure seems to me that things are lining up with what Jesus predicted. So I believe that we are getting closer to the return of the Lord. 

Charisma: I’ve never seen anything like this in my life—the convergence of events. Between Christian persecution, terrorism threats, the earthquakes and tsunamis, the revolution in the Middle East, and a number of other events over the past few years…

Wohlberg: On Friday when the earthquake hit Japan and the tsunami was rolling across the ocean, I was watching Shepard Smith on Fox News. He was covering the quake, covering the tsunami, then he bounced over to Khadafy and what’s going on in Libya, and then he bounced over to Saudi Arabia and the “Day of Rage.”

Smith interviewed somebody that said that if Saudi Arabia is wracked with civil war like Egypt and like Libya it has the potential to bring down the economy of America because we are totally dependent upon oil. Saudi is the main place where we get our oil. Smith made a comment right on the air. He said, “I’ve been covering the news for a long time and this is a new day in news. We’ve never seen all of these things of such magnitude happening at the same time.” When I heard him say that, I just had this apocalyptic sense that this is what’s going on. 

Charisma: So what’s the bottom line?

Wohlberg: It’s going to get worse before it gets better. But the good news is that when it’s all over, it’s going to get really good. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. The Bible says that Jesus is going to come and He is going to get rid of sin. Satan is not going to have the upper hand like he does right now. God is going to put down evil. 

Revelation Chapter 21 says that eventually there will be a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and first earth will pass away.  There will be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain for the former things have passed away.
 
I’m not a doom-and-gloomer. I certainly don’t consider myself to be a far-right religious fanatic that’s raising the sign saying, “The end is near.” I have a wife. I have two little kids. I’m a student of prophecy. The indicators are all flashing right now that we are getting closer to the coming of Jesus. When things really get bad, the difference will be apparent between those that are genuine Christians that are trusting in Jesus and the rest of the world. 

Charisma: In what ways do you expect it to grow worse?

Wohlberg: In Revelation 16, we have the seven last plagues described. Those are going to devastate the planet. That’s right before the Second Coming of Christ. Those plagues haven’t started yet but they are coming at some point. And in Revelation Chapter 16, verses 18 and 19, it describes a “great earthquake such as was not since men where upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake and so great.” And as a result of that quake, it says that the cities of the nations fell. That’s the final spasm right before the Second Coming.

The Haiti quake, the Japan quake, the Pakistan quake, and other things like this, are indicators of a much larger catastrophe that is coming.  I wish it wasn’t the case but that’s what I see.  All of this is the tragic outworking of sin. When Adam and Eve chose to follow Satan that brought sin into the world. The sin is here. The planet is suffering. People are suffering. And a loving God is allowing these catastrophes and the demonstration of the consequences of human sin so that when He finally intervenes and ends it that He can end it permanently and it will be over forever. That’s why He’s allowing this.
 
Read part two of this interview, “Does Japan Quake Signal Second Coming is Imminent?“.

Controversy over Saturday’s referendum on proposed constitutional amendments is intensifying in Egypt.

Rex Rogers  with SAT-7 explains, “This is the hard part, after the revolution, when you have to put back together the pieces in order to form some kind of government that meets the needs of the people. In terms of SAT-7, we’ve been encouraging people to pray for new leaders to emerge with the right kind of heart.”

Rogers goes on to add that “there are those who are suggesting they should wait until after a presidential election and form a constitutional committee–revise from the ground up. Then, of course, there are those who wish to move on and accomplish things incrementally.”

Those supporting the uprising and presidential ouster are urging a “no” vote, indicating the reforms don’t go far enough, while the Muslim Brotherhood and the National Democratic Party want the amendments to pass as they are. 

The main issue is the timing of the reconstruction. Changes up for grabs in Saturday’s vote involve presidential term limits, shoring up election supervision, as well as easing some of the restrictions for the candidates. The issues can be divisive, and with the country already charged from the public revolt, Rogers says,  “We’re continuing to pray that nothing results in sectarian violence and that people can find their way forward to a free and open society.”

SAT-7, a Christian satellite television service to the Middle East and North Africa, does not take positions in these kinds of issues. However, their teams take special care to encourage a public forum.

Rogers says kids are particularly sensitive to some of the issues in and around their country. On a recent SAT-7 Kids program, in which the host “Dr. Know” responds to live callers, “This little 8-year-old boy from Egypt prayed for the people of Libya,” says Rogers. “He prayed rapidly, articulately, and then what blew me away was a great knowledge of theology.”

What struck Rogers most is that “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and don’t hinder  them.’  They can teach us their heart for God and their heart for others. That’s the kind of thing that SAT-7 is doing on all of its channels: they continue to pray, to express love, and to continue toward reconciliation.”

Regardless of the outcome, Rogers asks us to “pray that Christian people, in particular, on the ground would have opportunity to be open with witness. Pray that the Egyptian people would see their way to respect each other in terms of freedom of worship.”

Deeply concerned. Those are the words that Japan’s Emperor Akihito used to describe his feelings about the nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in northeastern Japan.

The 77-year-old emperor’s taped television address is especially significant because it marks the first ever in his reign. Akihito ruled during the 1995 earthquake in Kobe that killed 6,500, but did not take to the airwaves to address the nation.

Akihito’s remarks were also his first public comments since the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami devastated part of his country on Friday. Akihito called the situation at the plant “unpredictable” in the wake of radiation levels surging, forcing 70 workers off site on Tuesday.

“I am deeply hurt by the grievous situation in the affected areas,” Akihito said, noting the disaster’s “unprecedented scale.” “I hope from the bottom of my heart that the people will, hand in hand, treat each other with compassion and overcome these difficult times.”

The situation in Japan is unstable. A containment vessel in a second reactor unit may have ruptured. Authorities announced the unit could be releasing radiation. Hong Kong officials are now monitoring radiation levels, though reports are so far normal in southern China.

Japan also experienced violent aftershocks on Wednesday. According to the United States Geological Survey, 54 earthquakes hit Japan by mid-afternoon—and four of them ranked higher than magnitude 6.

Japan officials have confirmed more than 3,600 people dead and another 7,800 missing. About 440,000 people have been displaced from their homes. Food, water and fuel shortages, as well a cold weather front, are making conditions there worse.

Thirteen nations have sent in rescue teams, which continue searching for survivors. And Christian groups like Operation Blessing and Samaritan’s Purse are on the ground. Stay tuned for updates from Christian groups on the ground in Japan.

The public relations battle over building a mosque at Ground Zero is cranking up even as a New York Supreme Court judge considers whether to allow the suit to go to trial.

CNN is running an opinion piece that suggests “Mosques are a positive force in America.” The cable news network also rehashed a six-month-old Islamophobia report last week. And a Boston University professor thinks Mormons should support a Ground Zero mosque because they know what it’s like to be a hated religious minority.

All this led up to a Tuesday hearing to decide whether or not the case of a New York City firefighter who survived the 9/11 terrorist attacks will be heard before a jury. The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) filed suit on behalf of the firefighter, who opposes the mosque.

The ACLJ argued today in New York Supreme Court that the building that would be replaced by the Ground Zero mosque must be preserved.

“This site, in the shadow of the Twin Towers where landing gear from one of the hijacked planes landed, is part of sacred, hallowed ground and not the place to build a mosque,” says Brett Joshpe, counsel for the ACLJ.  “Attempting to do so deeply offends many Americans—including family and friends of the 9/11 victims—and is simply wrong.”

The ACLJ filed suit against the city, naming the New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), the New York City Department of Buildings, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and the mosque’s developers.

The defendants filed a motion to dismiss, but the ACLJ argued that the LPC abused its discretion by declining to landmark the building that would be replaced by the mosque, a building that was severely damaged on 9/11 but remained standing. The ACLJ alleges that political pressure from Mayor Bloomberg’s office caused the LPC to act in contravention of prior precedent and to treat the subject building different from nearly identical buildings in the past.

Bloomberg nor the LPC could not immediately be reached for comment.

“Because of the political correctness surrounding a proposed mosque at the site, the Landmarks Commission deviated from its own procedures and succumbed to pressure from the Mayor’s office in failing to landmark the building at issue,” Joshpe says.

New York City already has landmarked 148 similar buildings. The ACLJ calls the city’s rationale for not landmarking the building “the very definition of arbitrary and capricious.”

Attorney Virginia Waters represented the city. According to WNYC, New York’s flagship radio station, Waters argued, “The court must defer to the agency’s decision, and the agency’s decision was that it wasn’t closely connected to September 11.” Adam Leitman Bailey represented Park51 developer Sharif El-Gamal, which is building the proposed mosque and Islamic center.

Judge Paul G. Feinman said he would rule on the lawsuit within a month.

It’s the biggest nuclear crisis in decades as a third explosion erupts at Japan’s already fragile nuclear plant that was damaged in the 8.9 magnitude earthquake last week.

The crisis is being compared to Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, two of the most devastating meltdowns in nuclear history.

The government ordered residents that live within 12 miles of the plant to leave. Another 140,000 people have been ordered to stay indoors and seal their doors and windows as radiation spread in the wake of the fire.

“Now we are talking about levels that can damage human health. These are readings taken near the area where we believe the releases are happening. Far away, the levels should be lower,” said Yukio Edano, chief cabinet secretary. “Please do not go outside. Please stay indoors. Please close windows and make your homes airtight. Don’t turn on ventilators. Please hang your laundry indoors.”

The Fukushima facility has seen three blasts in the past four days. A fire also broke out at one of the reactor units on Tuesday, causing radiation leaks. This is especially dangerous because if the water in the pool begins to boil it, the fuel could ignite and send a plume of radiation into the atmosphere.

Seventy engineers in Japan are still scrambling to cool nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi facility. Non-essential personnel have evacuated as radiation levels become too dangerous for staff to man control rooms. Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency fears the suppression chamber may be damaged, which increases the risk of radiation leaks. International help has been enlisted to help contain the leak.

Experts are already predicting that the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan will rank among the most costly natural disasters on record.

Three days later, officials struggled to deal with the dead, hospitals ran out of medicine, and entire communities in the hardest-hit areas remained completely silent. Peter Howard with Food For the Hungry (FH) says, “It’s a modern country, so this is unparalleled for the scale of this disaster in a modern country. People are without food and without shelter. The Japanese emergency services are moving very quickly, along with the Japanese military. The U.S. military is heavily engaged, so it’s really an international partnership on a large scale.”

Millions are without shelter, food, water or heat today, heading into yet another night in near-zero degree temperatures. “We like to take the cues from our local partners,” says Howard. “There are typical things that we do in a response like this, and that’s helping people get shelter, food and basic non-food items like hygiene kits or kitchen kits.”

Howard says, “Minutes ago, I got another e-mail from our partner who’s directing the relief response. That’s the issue that she brought up–trying to get warm clothing into this community right near Fukushima nuclear plant.” Temperatures are dropping to 1 degree C (34 F) at night. FH managed to get two trucks sent out bearing some of the needed emergency supplies.

The nuclear threat hangs heavily as survivors watch the damaged power plants continue to belch smoke and dust. Howard says, “Several of those have started to have explosions which are releasing some nuclear material into the air, and that’s causing great concern in the region. That’s the issue that they keep bringing up as one of their biggest concerns and fears.”

Fuel rods at Fukushima Dai-ichi have been exposed, and that raises the threat of a meltdown in the wake of a massive explosion that tore through the building housing a different reactor.

Roads are impassible in some areas, and fuel is a precious commodity. The lack of communications has also interfered with planning their response. “Not being able to get fuel in cars, or getting on trains to be able to get to different meetings so that they can coordinate, are just some of the things involved,” Howard explains. “Landlines are down and phone calls aren’t going through, so communication has been extremely difficult. That does slow everything down as far as getting supplies in and coordination.”

Yet Howard says their team is coordinating a plan that flexes with the needs: “For Food for the Hungry, our niche is really working with the local churches and local church partners throughout the region affected and trying to get supplies in through those churches and basically provide support through those churches and ministries.”

In fact, many churches are opening their doors to receive the survivors. “We believe that the church is God’s vehicle for spreading the Gospel of love and compassion and the message of peace,” says Howard. “We’re really hopeful that the Japanese church supported by churches all around the world will rise up and truly show what Christians are all about.”

Although it’s far too soon to measure the full impact of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in Japan—especially since meteorologists anticipate possible 7-magnitude aftershock, volcanoes are erupting and the nuclear power plant is leaking radiation—early estimates are emerging.

Iwate, Fukushima and Miyagi, three districts in northeastern Japan, were the hardest hit. The death toll in that region is expected to surpass 10,000. More than 3,000 people have been confirmed dead in northeast Japan, but another 15,000 people have not been accounted for. That compares to about 250,000 deaths in the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

According to the Mainichi newspaper, about 500,000 have been evacuated from 10 jurisdictions. Many others remain there without food or water. In terms of infrastructure, more than 6,300 buildings were are in total rubble, according to NHK, and another about 76,000 buildings sustained damage in the disaster.

The Japanese foreign ministry reports 102 countries and 14 international organizations are offering assistance. That figure doesn’t take into account the many smaller missions and church groups that are rallying resources.

Is your church doing anything in response to the disaster in Japan?

Much of northern Japan was rattled to wreckage Friday.

The 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck shortly before three o’clock in the afternoon (local time) and spawned several tsunamis, including a 33-foot wave along the country’s coastline.

The temblor was the fifth-largest to hit the world since 1900, and the tsunami it set off swallowed whole sections of land as it fanned out across the Pacific Ocean. Warnings were issued for 53 countries, including ones as far as Colombia and Peru.

Radiation contamination from damaged nuclear power reactors is also being reported. Aftershocks followed throughout the weekend as emergency workers scrambled to respond to the overwhelming needs. The death toll is also expected to rise.

Reach Global, the international mission arm of the Evangelical Free Church, has a team in Japan. We spoke to Howard Plucar from Tokyo via Skype about the team’s welfare. He says, “We’ve been doing some phone calling and using Skype and e-mail to find out how everybody is doing. Essentially, our team is healthy.”  The exception is the Furukawa EFC. So far, there’s been no contact with the pastor and wife”

Despite the destruction, Plucar doesn’t think the overall ministry will be disrupted much because the bulk of their group is in Kyushu and Sapporo. However, “In the city of Sendai, I think our team-which is one family-will have more opportunity to actually minister to their neighbors because of what’s been happening.”

TouchGlobal Crisis Response is assessing the situation. Plucar says, “There’s going to be immediate need that’s going to flow in through churches and through Non-Governmental Organizations, but I think where the church is really going to have its greatest impact is in the long term…helping people rebuild their lives.”

They’re hoping that the local churches will unite in the name of Christ. “As we show the love of Christ, we also declare the meaning of Christ to people whose lives have been turned upside-down and who don’t have  a lot of hope. So, to weave meaning into the acts of kindness is going to be key for the church.”

Ask God for mercy upon the people of Japan, especially where tsunami waters have done great damage. Pray for wisdom and sensitivity to know how to move quickly to give aid and comfort to the many that have been affected.

With news just rolling in that Japan’s nuclear plant has been hit by a second explosion—and with Japan’s Meteorological Agency predicting a 70 percent chance of at least a 7 magnitude earthquake hitting within the next three days—the situation is growing more dire in the Asian nation.

To put things in perspective, a 7 magnitude quake would equal the rumble that devastated Haiti in 2010 and could do irreparable damage to the Fukushima Nuclear Plant that has already seeing radiation levels exceed legal limits.

While the international response does everything possible in the natural, many leaders in the Body of Christ are crying out for supernatural intervention.

Charisma magazine caught up with Mary Alice Isleib over the weekend to discuss a prayer strategy for Japan. Isleib is the director of Christian Outreach International (COI), a world-wide, faith-based, humanitarian, mission and outreach organization, and the author of Effective Fervent Prayer.

COI has a missionary, Marc, on the ground in Japan since 2002 and has been in close contact with him since the killer quake. After consulting Marc, Isleib is asking for prayer in the following areas.

1. Pray for those that are trapped and still alive to be found and rescued quickly. Fires are still breaking out around the country. The biggest concern is nuclear power plant. Engineers need wisdom to fix the coolant system.

2. Pray for all first-response personnel to be filled with wisdom, grace, strength and peace as they work hard to find the lost, help the injured, comfort the traumatized, and serve the survivors with food, housing and supplies.

3. Pray that faith-based relief organizations and Japanese churches will have wisdom as they access the situation and the damage, etc.—and that they have wisdom as to the areas and ways they can be most effective in outreach, relief and impact.

4. Pray that the Church and believers, though small in number, will be strong in their witness for Christ. Pray that new doors will open for the Kingdom of God to be revealed and the hearts of the Japanese people will be open to the sharing of the Gospel.

5. Pray that the government leaders will lead effectively with wisdom and courage in the time of crisis.

6. Pray for continued protection for all as aftershocks continue to rock the nation. Pray that they will not hamper the relief efforts.

7. Pray for the quick restoration of basic vital necessities so some semblance of daily life can be restored to the people, avoiding frustration and chaos, and those that need to be reached can be contacted.

“COI is prayerfully pursuing a plan to provide aid to churches, believers and the needy in Japan through the work of our COI missionary and his team in Tokyo,” says Isleib. “Marc will be traveling to the affected area in Northern Japan as soon as transportation resumes.”

News of the 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Japan — an event that triggered a 32-foot tsunami and has killed several hundred people so far — is dominating media headlines around the world even as the ripple effects are not yet fully understood.

Much like other natural disasters, social media is at the heart of the coverage. From prayer requests to on-site reports to cries for help to requests for donations, social media is delivering the messages of tsunami victims. Citizens of Japan, California, Oregon, Hawaii and beyond tapped into the power of social media to share information.

The disaster is drawing plenty of tweets from celebrities. Comedian and actor Robin Williams tweets, “Dear Earthquakes, Floods, Tsunami & Hurricanes… It isn’t 2012 yet, check your calendar first. Sincerely Humans.” Former wrestler-turned-actor “The Rock” tweets, “Our prayers, love and support for JAPAN and it’s families during this tragic time…STAY STRONG…USA..”

There are also plenty of shouts out for donations to the Red Cross. UberSoc tweets, “Our thoughts are with those in Japan. If you would like to help you can txt REDCROSS to 90999 to make a donation to @RedCross.” And markhoppus tweets, “Horrible what’s happening in Japan. You can text REDCROSS to 90999 to send $10 to relief efforts. Thoughts and prayers.”

Then there’s the news updates. The Scientific American posted, “Tokyo Electric Power Co says pressure inside a reactor at its Fukushima-Daiichinuclear plant is rising, w/risk of leak” with a link to its story. And citizen reporters are getting in on the coverage, posting photos. Even President Barack Obama took to Twitter to express his thoughts on the disaster: “Sending condolences to the people of Japan, particularly those who lost loved ones in the earthquake & tsunamis. U.S. stands ready to help.”