AN ANGRY GOD PART FOUR
February 17, 10:37 amIf you are new to this message, please read the first three parts in the Previous Posts section before reading this final part of my four part message.
My goal with a message like this is to try and expose all of the “love” preachers. And it is not because part of their message is false: for part of it is true; God is love. However, if you preach the whole Bible, and not just preach a Bible full of holes, you will find there is much more to God than just love. Therein lies their grave error... they are only preaching partial truth and thereby it makes their preaching in its entirety... wrong!
Typically speaking in a message like this where the verses I am using are familiar, and because I don't bother to put together an outline when I am writing anything on my blog, and because what I am writing about I wholly believe, this four part message would have only taken a normal person a couple of hours to finish. Albeit, because of my poor typing skills I will have more than five hours in this four part message when I am done with my thoughts today.... plus... several more hours with a concordance looking at very small print. Let me explain.
The reason I sought out a concordance was because I wanted to make sure before I wrote my next thoughts that I was correct in something I had guessed even before I ever checked to make certain: it has to do with the “God is love” phrase.
I wanted to look up the word, “God” and see how many times it is used. For this message I used Strong's Concordance and I found that God is used more than 4,400 times in the KJV Bible, the only real Bible! Each page in the concordance has extremely small print and three columns with 116 lines in each column and page after page after page after page.... do you get the idea that I was getting weary reading all of the words in the Bible which follow... “God.”
Keep in mind that Jesus changes not... now let me show you just a few things that this unchanging
God is! In the book of Numbers we see that … “God is not a man.” (Numbers 23:19) In Nahum we see that “God is jealous.” (Nahum 1:2) In Psalms we see that “God is angry.” (Psalms 7:11) In Deuteronomy we see that “God is a God of gods.” (Deuteronomy 10:17) Trust me, with more than 4,400 opportunities I could show a lot more verses speaking of things that … “God is...” Rather than take the time that would be needed to show all of that I will now get to the crux of what I want to talk about.
In all of the Bible how many times do you think it states that “God is love?” 5... 20... 50... more? How about twice? And both times it is in the New Testament and both times it is in the same book of the Bible. The phrase “God is love” is found only in I John chapter four. Now, I am in no way discounting the fact that it is not mentioned often, nor am I finding fault that it is in only one Testament. One single verse found in either Testament, when kept in proper context is certainly enough to accept as truth from God and solid doctrine can be taught from it. All that I want to point out is that Jesus, who never changes is far more than a God of Love.
You see, I too believe that He is love and I believe that Romans 5:8 explains how He proved His love to us. However, I believe the whole Bible and because of that I believe that Jesus is also, “a consuming fire!” Two times in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament we read the words... “God is a consuming fire.” Deuteronomy 4:29, 9:3 and Hebrews 12:29.
Now, let me ask everyone a question. Does the fact that God is love, mitigate or make untrue the fact that He is a consuming fire? Or that He is jealous, not a man, angry, … etc. etc. etc. The whole council of God is that He loves, and judges, He makes alive, and kills: you see, God makes everything. There is an amazing verse found in Isaiah 45:7... read it very carefully. “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil. I the Lord do all these things.” Of course this verse is speaking about what we would call inanimate objects or concepts. But, what about people?
God wants Moses to lead His people out of bondage, but Moses begins to object and he lists some of his shortcomings, and that is in the first verse, but I especially want to call your attention to the Lord's answer in verse 11. Exodus 4:10-11 “And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” Now that verse, number ten, is Moses' complaint. Now, if necessary, read the next verse ten times, or a hundred times if need be until you fully understand what God is revealing. (verse 11) “And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? Or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I the Lord?”
Again, keep in mind that I started all of this to try and help those who call themselves “Christian” to return to what every person believed and practiced who followed the true God of the Bible from creation and through the first 1,900 years of the early church... that is they greatly feared God! And I am speaking, of course, about believers... those who are born-again! The unbelievers do not fear God, for the simple reason they do not accept the fact that He is even real.
The only way I know to try and do that is by showing that in all of the theophanies and appearances of Christ throughout the Bible, He was only a meek and sacrificial Lamb during one of those times. He will not be that ever again. Hebrews 10:10-14 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all, And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”
Let me ask you a question. When the Lord returns as a “Lion” … does that some how trump Him having been at one time been a “Lamb?” The answer of course is no! You see, what all of these “love” preachers can not seem to grasp is that Jesus was always a Lion... and always a Lamb... with great love... yet, He can still be angry... He is the Lord, He changes not!
I love the fact that Christ both died and then rose from the dead in order to pay for the sins of fallen mankind, were that not true than we have all wasted a lot of time in following Him! My point is that nowhere does the Bible teach or imply that because He did this and proved His great love for His creation that we are supposed to stop fearing Him.
Please, do yourself a favor. Take some time and read messages and sermons from church leaders before the turn of the last century. First, read New Testament messages that are found in the Bible. Then read what the early church fathers wrote and thought about God... even after He had proven His love for them at Calvary. Then, continue reading preachers, famous and otherwise, for the next 1,900 years and you will see that they took God very seriously and continued to fear Him!
Now, here is an easy choice for you to make. Because it boils down to a simple equation: someone's theology is right and someone's theology is wrong... it's really as simple as that. We have both the Old and New Testaments that teach to fear God greatly. Then we have more than 1,950 years of followers of God, all preaching to greatly fear God and shun materialism.
Only in the last 60 years or so have we had supposed leaders in the church teaching that God is really just this big teddy bear and He loves everyone and wants you to be happy, healthy, and wealthy. So, here is your choice: either believe that the Bible and 1,950 years of preaching that men had it correct... else, believe that only these men in the last 60 years with their thousand dollar suits, private planes, lavish lifestyles, and their message of God is love and He wants us happy theme is correct theology: for only one can be right. For me it is an easy choice. I accept the Bible and 1,950 years of teaching and preaching compared to the last 60 years of materialism and the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God lies... which are being proclaimed!
Hebrews 10:30 states: “For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.” Now, we know that the Lord takes vengeance on His enemies and we also know that He judges His people: do not forget about the judgement seat of Christ for believers, i.e., Christians. So, the above verse shows that God will punish the lost and judge the redeemed... now let's look at the next verse. Hebrews 10:31 “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” I'm going to repeat that. “IT IS A FEARFUL THING TO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE LIVING GOD!”
According to John 1:1-3 God Himself … the Word made all things... right. I mean, verse three states... “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Imagine all of the stars, the planets, and all life on Earth. Picture if you can the amazing wonder of all of the beautiful things your mind can imagine... now keep in mind that it was Jesus who made all of this... correct? Now, think of something else that He made... Hell... correct? Imagine a place of eternal torment: fire, pain, suffering, endless falling, terror, etc. “...and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Again, Jesus is Love... but He is more than that... He will and can judge and condemn and that without mercy. He is to be greatly loved and feared!
In The Revelation Jesus appears to John. This time He will not be a Lamb, this time He will be a Lion... ready to rend and kill. Let's take a look at what John saw. “His head and his hairs white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;” (Revelation 1:14) This chapter Jesus begins to tell John what to write in these visions of his. Later in this same book when Christ returns we see this same description of Him... but now he is wearing a particular vesture. Revelation 19:11: “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.” Now we see Christ, not as a lamb, but as a lion ready to judge and make war!
Revelation 19:12: “His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.” Again, if you are facing a God with unlimited power, whose eyes are as a flame of fire... and he is angry with you... wouldn't you just have to be afraid?
Revelation 19:13: “And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called the Word of God.” Refer back to John chapter one and you will have no doubt that this God standing before the world and ready to judge is Jesus, the meek and lowly Lamb who is now in a different theophany, that of a Lion and judge! Notice also that what He is wearing has been dipped in blood, and not just a little blood. Revelation 14:19-20: “And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.”
Keep in mind that the killing which is taking place is God (Jesus) taking vengeance upon his enemies! Hopefully, with these next verses I can use the Bible to prove to all skeptics that Jesus is a Lion and a Lamb at the same time: for He changes not. The fact that He was a Lamb does not take away the fact that He is also a (Lion) warrior!
Revelation 5:5-6: “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of Davis, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” You see, Jesus has always been the Lion from the tribe of Juda and He has always been the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world! You see it was the “Lion” who prevailed to open the book, yet, when John beheld Him, He was also a Lamb... as it had been slain. (Jesus)
Let me give you just three messages that you ought to read. Believe me when I tell you that they will do more for your soul than 10,000 messages you would hear from CBN. When Jonathan Edwards preached “Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God” in 1741 he was preaching to his own congregation and there was no open or known sin within that group. Most who heard that message were devout believers who were already in service to God. Yet, those people knew that God was not to be trifled with and many felt God would fall upon them in anger even before Mr. Edwards finished his message! They loved God, but they also knew to fear Him.
Another great message and a more recent one is “Pay-Day Someday” by R.G. Lee. He went to Heaven in the 70's, but that message is extremely relevant for today. Finally, by far it is not his greatest message: but “Is there a Hell” by Dr. Jack Hyles is probably the message that is more needed today than any at other time in history!
Do yourself and your immortal soul a favor. Turn off Trinity television and CBN and find some good sermons on tape by men who knew and feared God and listen to those messages instead. Don't feed your soul on the rot of modern evangelism. These men do not know God, if they did they could not tell lies about Him continually and not be punished. They get by with it because Jesus does not (in this life) discipline the Devil's children. Hebrews 12:6-8: “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.”
FEAR GOD... THAT... IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM!
You can always email me at clarkmatthews1@aol.com
posted by Robin Johnson @ 10:31 AM
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