GOD’S WRATH (God se Toorn)
WE THINK THAT WHEN WE HEAR THE WORD WRATH WE TEND TO THINK OF UNCONTROLLED ANGER. THAT IS HUMAN WRATH. GOD’S WRATH IS HIS SETTLED HOSTILITY TOWARDS ALL SIN, IT MEANS THAT GOD’S HOLINESS CANNOT COEXIST WITH SIN IN ANY FORM WHATSOEVER.
ROMANS 1:18-32
God's anger is revealed from heaven against every ungodly and immoral thing people do as they try to suppress the truth by their immoral living. What can be known about God is clear to them because he has made it clear to them. From the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly observed in what he made. As a result, people have no excuse. They knew God but did not praise and thank him for being God. Instead, their thoughts were pointless, and their misguided minds were plunged into darkness. While claiming to be wise, they became fools. They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for statues that looked like mortal humans, birds, animals, and snakes. For this reason God allowed their lusts to control them. As a result, they dishonor their bodies by sexual perversion with each other. These people have exchanged God's truth for a lie. So they have become ungodly and serve what is created rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen! For this reason God allowed their shameful passions to control them. Their women have exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. Likewise, their men have given up natural sexual relations with women and burn with lust for each other. Men commit indecent acts with men, so they experience among themselves the punishment they deserve for their perversion. And because they thought it was worthless to acknowledge God, God allowed their own immoral minds to control them. So they do these indecent things. Their lives are filled with all kinds of sexual sins, wickedness, and greed. They are mean. They are filled with envy, murder, quarreling, deceit, and viciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, haughty, arrogant, and boastful. They think up new ways to be cruel. They don't obey their parents, don't have any sense, don't keep promises, and don't show love to their own families or mercy to others. Although they know God's judgment that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do these things but also approve of others who do them.
SO WE CAN SAFELY SAY THAT GOD’S WRATH IS NOT UNCONTROLLED RAGE, VINDICTIVE BITTERNESS OR GOD LOSING HIS TEMPER.
IF WE LOOK AT THE ABOVE SCRIPTURES, THEY BOTH PRONOUNCE GOD’S JUGDEMENT ON THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE AND IT COMES INTO RESPONSE TO MAN’S REJECTION. THE TRUTH IS WE HAVE THE PROBLEM NOT GOD. FIRST MAN REBELS AND THEN GOD RESPONDS WITH HIS WRATH.
REVELATION 16
I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Pour the seven bowls of God's anger over the earth." The first angel poured his bowl over the earth. Horrible, painful sores appeared on the people who had the brand of the beast and worshiped its statue. The second angel poured his bowl over the sea. The sea turned into blood like the blood of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died. The third angel poured his bowl over the rivers and the springs. They turned into blood. Then I heard the angel of the water say, "You are fair. You are the one who is and the one who was, the holy one, because you have judged these things. You have given them blood to drink because they have poured out the blood of God's people and prophets. This is what they deserve." Then I heard the altar answer, "Yes, Lord God Almighty, your judgments are true and fair." The fourth angel poured his bowl on the sun. The sun was allowed to burn people with fire. They were severely burned. They cursed the name of God, who has the authority over these plagues. They would not change the way they think and act and give him glory. The fifth angel poured his bowl on the throne of the beast. Its kingdom turned dark. People gnawed on their tongues in anguish and cursed the God of heaven for their pains and their sores. However, they would not stop what they were doing. The sixth angel poured his bowl on the great Euphrates River. The water in the river dried up to make a road for the kings from the east. Then I saw three evil spirits like frogs come out of the mouths of the serpent, the beast, and the false prophet. They are spirits of demons that do miracles. These spirits go to the kings of the whole world and gather them for the war on the frightening day of God Almighty. "See, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains alert and doesn't lose his clothes. He will not have to go naked and let others see his shame." The spirits gathered the kings at the place which is called Armageddon in Hebrew. The seventh angel poured his bowl into the air. A loud voice came from the throne in the temple, and said, "It has happened!" There was lightning, noise, thunder, and a powerful earthquake. There has never been such a powerful earthquake since humans have been on earth. The important city split into three parts, and the cities of the nation’s fell. God remembered to give Babylon the Great the cup of wine from his fierce anger.
TAKE THE FLOOD; GOD WAS NOT SO IMPRESSED WITH THE PEOPLE. WHAT DID HE DO, HE WIPED THEM ALL OUT. LOOK AT THE PLAGUES; HE WIPED OUT AN ENTIRE GENERATION.
THERE IS A SIMPLE PROGESSION HERE:
MEN BY NATURE SUPPRESS THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD
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THAT SUPPRESSION LEADS TO UNGODLINESS
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UNGODLINESS LEADS TO WICKEDNESS
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THAT WICKEDNESS LEADS TO EVERY KIND OF EVIL AND VIOLENCE
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WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS HOW YOU LIVE AND ONCE YOU TURN YOUR BACK ON GOD, THE END OF THE RESULT IS A RIVER OF WICKEDNESS FLOWING OUT OF YOUR LIFE
WHAT CAUSES GOD’S WRATH:
STAGE 1: INDIFFERENCE TO GOD - ROMANS 3:11(there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.); ISAIAH 42:20(He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear.)
WE DO NOT GLORIFY HIM AS OUR GREAT CREATOR, WE DO NOT SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS, WE ARE OFF THE IMPRESSION THAT HE EXISTS BUT WE DO NOT WANT TO ACKNOWLEGDE IT. WE DO NOT WANT TO BOW DOWN TO ANYTHING BUT OURSELVES. IF WE DO NOT REPENT, WE ARE IN THE PATH OF HIS WRATH.
STAGE 2: MORAL BLINDNESS EPHESIANS 4:18 (They can't understand because they are in the dark. They are excluded from the life that God approves of because of their ignorance and stubbornness. )
WE TURN AWAY FROM THE WRONG WE SEE BEING DONE; WE ACCEPT THE WORLD’S REASONING IN EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN DONE. JOHN 3:36 (Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, he will see God's constant anger.")
STAGE 3: LOSS OF GOD (DEUT 8:11)( Be careful that you don't forget the LORD your God. Don't fail to obey his commands, rules, and laws that I'm giving you today.)
WE HAVE LOST SIGHT OF GOD AND HIS GOODNESS, WE HAS MISPLACED WHAT JESUS CAME TO DO, TO SHOW EVERYONE LOVE. GOD IS NOT IN HIS RIGHTFUL PLACE IN OUR LIVES.
STAGE 4: IDOLATRY – ACTS 17:16;( While Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy in Athens, he saw that the city had statues of false gods everywhere. This upset him. )
ROMANS 1:20-24(From the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly observed in what he made. As a result, people have no excuse. They knew God but did not praise and thank him for being God. Instead, their thoughts were pointless, and their misguided minds were plunged into darkness. While claiming to be wise, they became fools. They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for statues that looked like mortal humans, birds, animals, and snakes. For this reason God allowed their lusts to control them. As a result, they dishonor their bodies by sexual perversion with each other. )
WE PLACE MORE VALUE ON MATERIAL THINGS THAN GOD; WE FILL OUR LIVES, MINDS WITH THINGS NOT GODLY.
STAGE 5: GOD’S JUDGEMENT – ISAIAH 13:11;( I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their wrongdoing. I will put an end to arrogant people and humble the pride of tyrants. )
ROMANS 2:12(Here's the reason: Whoever sins without having laws from God will still be condemned to destruction. And whoever has laws from God and sins will still be judged by them. )
GOD HAS GIVEN MANKIND FREE WILL, WHICH HE RESPECTS, IF YOU SAY THAT YOU WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH GOD, HE WILL NOT FORCE YOU, IT IS YOUR CHOICE BUT IN THE END YOU WILL BE SORRY.
GOD’S FINAL JUDGEMENTS ON THOSE WHO REJECT HIM
LET US GO BACK TO THE PLAGUES, THESE EQYPTIANS ARE DEPENDENT ON PHAROAH AND THEIR GODS. ONCE THE PLAGUES CAME, THEY HAD NO FRESH WATER, NO FISH, SORES WITH NO RELIEF, CONSTANT NAUSEA, HEAT EXHAUSTION, SCORCHED BY THE SUN, ALL THEIR FOOD SOURCES GONE, INSECTS BUGGING THEM, YET DO THEY REPENT?
NO, THEY CARRY ON BLAMING AND CURSING GOD.
NOW GOD IN HIS JUDGEMENT COULD OFF JUST KILLED THEM ALL BUT HE CHOOSE TO GIVE THEM CHANCES TO REPENT.
SO, HOW DO WE STOP A PERSON’S ANGER? BY BEING NICE, BY GIVING LOVE OR A HUG, HAVE YOU EVER GIVEN A PERSON A GIFT IN THE MIDDLE OF SHOUTING AT YOU, WHAT HAPPENS THAT PERSON STOPS AND MAYBE JUST LOOKS AT YOU.
DO YOU ALL AGREE WITH ME WHEN I SAY THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN GIVE GOD TO STOP HIS ANGER.
BUT WAIT
IT IS ALREADY DONE. (Picture of Jesus died on the cross)
JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS, GOD’S JUSTICE WAS SATISFIED, THE PRICE FOR SIN HAS BEEN PAID, GOD’S MERCY IS NOW FREELY AVAILABLE TO ANYONE WHO WANTS IT.
BECAUSE CHRIST BORE THE FULL WEIGHT OF GOD’S WRATH WE NOW ENJOY THE FULL BLESSING OF GOD’S MERCY.
IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN AND YOU ARE LIVING WITH A GUILT COMPLEX BECAUSE YOU THINK THAT GOD HATES YOU AND THAT YOU ARE NOT WORTHY, THINK OF THE CROSS.
THE TABLE OF THE LORD IS GOD’S FINAL PROOF THAT HE IS NOT ANGRY AT YOU, HE LOVES YOU AND IS MERCIFUL TOWARDS YOU.
THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN AMONG MEN WHEREBY WE MUST BE SAVED, SO REPENT, TURN AWAY FROM YOUR SINS AND TURN TO GOD, OTHERWISE YOU WILL FIND THAT THERE IS NO OTHER PLACE TO GO.
GOD EXTENDS HIS ALMIGHTY ARM TOWARDS YOU AND IN HIS LOVING HAND IS JUST A PIECE OF PAPER, BUT IT REPRESENTS FORGIVENESS, SALVATION AND IT WILL SET YOU FREE!!!
WILL YOU WALK OUT THAT DOOR TODAY AND REJECT THE PARDON?
(Picture of good, evil side doing battle)
TWO SIDES WILL DO BATTLE (GGOD-EVIL)
THERE WILL BE A FIELD OF BATTLE (BIBLE SAYS – VALLEY OF MEGIDDO)
THERE WILL BE A GAME PLAN (PLAN OF ATTACK FROM EITHER SIDE)
AN OFFICIAL WILL BE ON THE SCENE (JESUS – THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE)
THERE WILL BE SPECTATORS (THE VULTURES, THE CHRISTIANS)
THERE WILL BE A WINNER AND A LOSER AT THIS BATTLE.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHO WILL WIN THE RUGBY BUT I DO KNOW WHO WILL WIN THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON.
THE BIGGEST QUESTION IS?
WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?
THERE MUST BE A CHOICE
EITHER YOU ARE FOR GOD OR YOU ARE AGAINST GOD?
ARE YOU WINNING THE BATTLE AGAINST THE BEAST? ARE YOU CALLING ON THE LAMB?
GOD’S WRATH IS PERFECTLY JUST AND HOLY. THERE COMES A TIME WHEN ALL WHO REFUSE TO REPENT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO SO. LOOK CAREFULLY AT THE EVIL IN THIS WORLD, DO NOT LET IT HAVE ANY PLACE IN YOUR HEART OR MIND
DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY EVIL BY EITHER WORD OR DEED.
Choose this day who you will serve.
AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE CHOOSE TO SERVE THE LORD.
OUR HEAVENLY FATHER
MAY YOUR HOLY SPIRIT MOVE IN THE STUBBORN HEARTS TODAY, MAY THEY COME TO KNOW YOU AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOUR. I PRYA THAT ALL WILL COME TO YOU AND ASK FOR THE FORGIVENESS THEY NEED. WE PRAY THIS IN YOUR NAME
AMEN.
