The report showed that the world suffered about 120 natural disasters per year in the early 1980s, while the current figure is now about 500 per year.

Jeremy Hobbs, Oxfam International Executive Director, noted, "This year we have seen floods in South Asia, across the breadth of Africa and in Mexico that have affected more than 250 million people. This is no freak year. It follows a pattern of more frequent, more erratic, more unpredictable and more extreme weather events that are affecting more people."

The press release also noted that the number of people affected by these extreme natural disasters has surged by almost 70 percent, "from an average of 174 million a year between 1985 and 1994 to 254 million a year between 1995 and 2004. Earlier this year the Asian floods alone affected 248 million people." Floods and wind-storms have increased from 60 events in 1980 to 240 last year, with flooding up six-fold.

This Oxfam study was compiled using data from the Red Cross, the United Nations and specialist researchers at Louvain University in Belgium plus the London (AFP) report of November 25, 2007.

A worldwide scenario

According to The Economist (May 10, 2007) Africa is already facing the possibility of acute food and water shortages and "the spectre of rising mortality"—if present trends continue. But in addition to what is happening on the African continent, our world faces many other potential problems.

For example, about two dozen earthquakes occur every day, some with a significant magnitude of destruction. Compounding natural disasters are what seem to be the never ending man-made calamities such as violence, injustice, wars and disease epidemics.

If the scientists are correct concerning the magnitude of the future calamities that they are predicting, no human organization, government or system will be able to rescue all of us.

Also, their predictions are very similar to what the Bible predicts for the troublesome time that will precede the return of Jesus Christ. And they give us cause to think seriously about what Jesus and His apostles said about that time.

Jesus summarized those calamitous days and their effect on the whole world: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places ... For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again" (Matthew 24:7, 21, NIV). Are we approaching that prophesied time of worldwide trouble and distress? There are many real indications that we are!

However, Jesus also cautions us, "But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (Matthew 24:43-44).

It is how ready we are spiritually for that day that really counts.