The Wrath of God

The 2 sided coin of the gift of salvation are 1. Biblical Repentance and 2. Saving Faith.  If you don't have faith in what Jesus did on the cross and look to him for salvation, you merely switched addictions or you gained self reliance or self righteousness as you turned from a life of "crime".  A clean life doesn't save.  Yet, if truly got saved, you had a one-on-one confrontation with the God of the Universe and you will be forever changed.  Like someone who met a mack truck one on one.  Everyone would know you were different from that moment on.  That leads to a holy life, one not sinless but one where you SIN LESS because your taste buds are changed.  Before I was saved I enjoyed going to bars, listening to rap music and heavy metal like Metallica and the Beastie Boys and Iron Maiden and Nirvana.  I enjoyed Marlboro Ultra lights at bars and Budweiser and cigars.  I was into fornication and hooking up and pornography and my mind was a constant cess pool of fantasy and indulgent and it never let up always wanting more. I hated those Christians who seemed to not have a life.  I was a man of science and thought Christians were the dumb ones.  Looking back, I was the one who needed a life and was blind and foolish.

 I am saved now.  11 years ago Jesus became real to me and delivered me from many sins immediately.  For example I haven't touched a cigarette in 11 years.  That is nothing to brag about but it is from God making me a new creature.  The drinking gradually went away at least 7 years ago when I truly saw the truth about what God says about alcohol.  Other sins were gone for long stretches but would resurface during extreme times of stress when I was not trusting God and turned back to my old ways.  These times I saw the grace of God and how long suffering he is and I learned from my falls.  Each time it seemed like the pressures of life would grow and it would take more to get me to give in.  Now I have seen God even turn the corner with those stubborn habits and addictions that seemed to creep back.  I know I need to be sober minded and watchful, but I also know the real living God more and more.

Recently at our church we had 2 wonderful sets of messages.  The first set was from Pastor Marvin Smith from Dodge City Iowa.  He did a spiritual warfare conference.  That was on Monday April 8th through the 10th.  Writer and Pastor Bill Grady preached our past Sunday on April 14th on Acts 27 and the Holocaust at night. You can listen to them on Oldtimebaptist.com  on our Old Time Website.  I also recommend Bill Grady's books (I believe you can find them at amazon.com) What Hath God wrought! and How Satan turned America against God.   Deep and good stuff!!!!

The other 2 sided coin is who God is.  1. He is a God of love.  2. He is a God of wrath.  He is a God of judgment and a God of mercy. He is the God of Heaven but also created hell.  He is a loving God but a jealous God.  He is a just God but a forgiving God.  A guy today responded to my tract I offered him that we will all get forgiven.  That is not so.  Forgiveness is only available at the Cross where the 2 sides of God meet.  Today we reject the negative side of God and create a Jesus in our own image.  There is no fear of God because the God we re-made is too warm and cozy to fear.  When I watched the Bible series on TV, the Jesus they projected was too effeminate to punish sin or put any fear in anyone.  Like a loving but stern earthly father, Jesus is to be respected and loved.  He is to be revered and we are to worship him and realize he has the power to cast us into hell and the love to save us from hell. 

We don't have both sides down.  These messages likely push one side intentionally.  In America the love of God has been pushed so far that almost everyone in America, Obama included, thinks they are on good terms with "The man upstairs."  That man upstairs is just as fictitious as the man in the moon.  His name is Holy, wonderful, amazing, and invokes fear and worship in our heart of hearts. 

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.

DO YOU KNOW HIM?

DO YOU FEAR HIM?  YET LOVE HIM?  DO YOU GIVE HIM YOUR WORSHIP?

HE IS GOD.

IS HE YOUR GOD?