The Christian church no-no
Rod Smith
June 13, 2008
That is the wrath of God. To hear of it would surely mean a stomach upset for believers fed for so long on love, joy, peace and all the (true) pleasantries of the Bible.
That’s why God’s wrath is a rare topic in today’s average, upset-no-one church. Thank God for the exceptions. Yet those who bother to dust off and read their bibles can see God’s wrath is in the New Testament along with the goodies.
Why the lack of church preaching on God’s wrath? Probably it’s because that wrath will not be on steadfast believers, though persecution will be. Failing to speak on God’s wrath is self-centered and insular. What about visitors who have come into the church at the last minute and don’t know Jesus? Not to mention the millions who never visit a church.
Since the days of Noah and the great flood, humanity has not experienced God’s wrath. Many have never heard about it - yet it’s coming as surely as the bills that arrive in our letterboxes.
For churches that practise evangelism (and they are too few), God’s wrath is a lead balloon topic. “Oh we must love people, befriend them, show them Jesus by our behaviour. Let’s focus on the positives,” is the cry.
Hence the general public have no fear of God, know nothing of the coming wrath. What a shock awaits those who are currently breaking God’s laws – the Ten Commandments - with impunity. To hear of God’s wrath is as strange to people today as seeing someone wear pyjamas on Main St.
The street preachers of long ago were not shy in talking of fire and brimstone. However, they didn’t balance it with God’s love, and so their message was one-sided. Nevertheless, people knew about the lake of fire. Now it’s all God’s love and none of the “negatives.”
Because of that, folks scoff and laugh when told (by so few) of that lake of fire: Revelation 20:15. Christians say “Ah, but to speak of that is legalism.” Really? What about Acts in the New Testament (NT) where Ananias and Sapphira (both apparently healthy) fell dead within three hours? They had embezzled money which should have gone into the “pool” for God’s work. Then it says their deaths put a great fear of God into people.
Again in the NT, Matthew 5:17, we read of Jesus saying He did not come to destroy the law of God but to fulfil it. Martin Luther said: “The first duty of the gospel preacher is to declare God’s Law and show the nature of sin.” Today’s preachers take note.
Jesus took our sins on the cross, but for those who reject Him the punishment still awaits until they repent and come to the Saviour.
The scoffers – and there are many – seem to think God is asleep. Not so. God is patient and merciful with us all – but for a limited time! The coming wrath of God on Planet Earth is described in detail in Revelation chapter 16 – and it isn’t pleasant reading. It tells of what will happen in the time preceding Jesus’ return.
Written centuries ago, and speaking futuristically, it says loathsome sores are coming upon those who take the (now-approaching) mark of the beast thereby worshipping that system (see earlier articles). Revelation 16 describes the sea and all water becoming blood; men scorched with fire – and still not repenting; people gnawing at their tongue because of the pain; the Euphrates River drying up. The chapter concludes by saying hail will fall upon men, each hailstone weighing a talent – at least 66 pounds (30 kilos). Now that is heavy in every sense of the word!
What is your church doing to warn people of this?
That’s why God’s wrath is a rare topic in today’s average, upset-no-one church. Thank God for the exceptions. Yet those who bother to dust off and read their bibles can see God’s wrath is in the New Testament along with the goodies.
Why the lack of church preaching on God’s wrath? Probably it’s because that wrath will not be on steadfast believers, though persecution will be. Failing to speak on God’s wrath is self-centered and insular. What about visitors who have come into the church at the last minute and don’t know Jesus? Not to mention the millions who never visit a church.
Since the days of Noah and the great flood, humanity has not experienced God’s wrath. Many have never heard about it - yet it’s coming as surely as the bills that arrive in our letterboxes.
For churches that practise evangelism (and they are too few), God’s wrath is a lead balloon topic. “Oh we must love people, befriend them, show them Jesus by our behaviour. Let’s focus on the positives,” is the cry.
Hence the general public have no fear of God, know nothing of the coming wrath. What a shock awaits those who are currently breaking God’s laws – the Ten Commandments - with impunity. To hear of God’s wrath is as strange to people today as seeing someone wear pyjamas on Main St.
The street preachers of long ago were not shy in talking of fire and brimstone. However, they didn’t balance it with God’s love, and so their message was one-sided. Nevertheless, people knew about the lake of fire. Now it’s all God’s love and none of the “negatives.”
Because of that, folks scoff and laugh when told (by so few) of that lake of fire: Revelation 20:15. Christians say “Ah, but to speak of that is legalism.” Really? What about Acts in the New Testament (NT) where Ananias and Sapphira (both apparently healthy) fell dead within three hours? They had embezzled money which should have gone into the “pool” for God’s work. Then it says their deaths put a great fear of God into people.
Again in the NT, Matthew 5:17, we read of Jesus saying He did not come to destroy the law of God but to fulfil it. Martin Luther said: “The first duty of the gospel preacher is to declare God’s Law and show the nature of sin.” Today’s preachers take note.
Jesus took our sins on the cross, but for those who reject Him the punishment still awaits until they repent and come to the Saviour.
The scoffers – and there are many – seem to think God is asleep. Not so. God is patient and merciful with us all – but for a limited time! The coming wrath of God on Planet Earth is described in detail in Revelation chapter 16 – and it isn’t pleasant reading. It tells of what will happen in the time preceding Jesus’ return.
Written centuries ago, and speaking futuristically, it says loathsome sores are coming upon those who take the (now-approaching) mark of the beast thereby worshipping that system (see earlier articles). Revelation 16 describes the sea and all water becoming blood; men scorched with fire – and still not repenting; people gnawing at their tongue because of the pain; the Euphrates River drying up. The chapter concludes by saying hail will fall upon men, each hailstone weighing a talent – at least 66 pounds (30 kilos). Now that is heavy in every sense of the word!
What is your church doing to warn people of this?
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