Scripture
The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.
~John 3:36 (CSB)
Quote
Sin is the dare of God’s justice, the rape of His mercy, the jeer of His patience, the slight of His power, and the contempt of His love.
~John Bunyan
Let me ask you a question: is God vindictive or merciful? Give it some thought before you answer. What do you think? Actually, God is vindictive and He is also merciful. Logic would testify that He cannot be both but God’s word states otherwise. Just as God is a God of love and a God of hate–He loves good and He hates {abhors} evil– so He is both a God of vengeance and a God of mercy. The key to understanding the paradoxical truth is Jesus. It seems like Jesus is the key to everything. In or through Christ, as John 3:36 states, you can experience mercy and the wrath of God can be removed. In our natural state, God’s wrath abides on us. This is what Jesus meant in John 3:18, “Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.” Natural man is in a state of condemnation. Through Christ God, who is just, offers mercy and pardon but those who reject Christ will receive no mercy.
In Deuteronomy 32:35, God states through Moses–“Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay. In time their foot will slip, for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.” Twice in the N.T. this truth is restated…“Vengeance belongs to Me.” [Romans 12:19, Hebrews 10:30] Let me assure you, especially if you are a pastor, God will vindicate His servants and not occasionally, He will do it 100% of the time. I’ve been in the ministry for 50 years and I have yet to see Him fail. When someone sinned against me which is rare, I don’t worry about it. I do worry for them and pray for them. I have learned over time to pray the same prayer that Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.” Go to Blue Letter Bible and type in “I will repay.” You will find that scripture records again and again this warning to all who do harm to God’s people. If God avenges Israel and all who profess His name, will He not avenge the death of His Son? As Luther would say, “You better believe it!”
I may have mentioned this before, one of my friends at Grace Point ask me last Wednesday night if I thought God still avenges the Jews even though they have been unfaithful. I told him, “Yes, I believe He does.” I don’t know about you but I was terrified during the days of Obama. My fear was that He would betray Israel and he did but he was unable to get our nation as a whole to betray them. God have mercy on us if we do. Thank God our present administration is friends with Israel. You can call me old foggy or superstitious if you want but I am not about to attack God’s anointed. I know of some who did and they are no longer with us. They are either dead, crazy or have been given over to a reprobate mind. You better do a lot of praying before you go against one of God’s servants and don’t ask for my help. I’m like David, if God wants to remove them, He can do it himself. I am not laying my hand on his anointed: it is not healthy or wise.
- I want to praise the LORD for a good day, our 47th wedding anniversary. We drove up into Tennessee. Our plan was to visit Hohenwald, Tennessee which we did but we didn’t tarry long. It is not a “Bell Buckle” or “Lynchburg” type place. It is a city about the size of Hartselle. We wound up in Ethridge, Tennessee, home to 57 Amish Farms. You can stop at the AMISH COUNTRY FLEA MARKET [Hwy 43 North] and they will give you a map. They have cedar swings for $110, single gliders for $110. June bought some lye soap and we plan to go back in about a month because they will be cooking out their molasses at the end of September. I carried the Senior Adults to Ethridge some 30-35 years ago but after that the community went into decline but they are stronger than ever today. We must have seen at least a dozen wagons and about that many buggies. Like us they need a rain. We did not see any horses working in the fields: they were either in pasture or pulling wagons or buggies. I would love living off the land, being anti-social and not paying taxes but I can handle the dust, the dark and the dirt. I could make it fine without TV but I need me some A/C and I am addicted to electricity. I am with Paul on this one…For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, since it is sanctified by the word of God and by prayer. God created electricity didn’t He and we are thankful, aren’t we. Well, hallelujah! Thank You Jesus for electricity.
- Don Widner’s daughter Madison is back in the hospital. Say a prayer for Madison. She has a blood clot in her lung.
- Mary and I set a date for our ROCKY FORD BLOCK PARTY. It will be October 13 at 4:00 pm right out here beside the EASTERN GATE headquarters. We are inviting all of Ray’s friends. He is looking forward to it. Anyone who knows Ray should consider attending. It would mean a lot to him.
- Speaking of being sinned against: I do have a beef, my retarded sister gave my phone number to a cousin who calls me four times a day. Trust me, there is no one on the planet that I want to talk to on the phone four times a day. Thank you sister: may all your tomatoes die on the vine.
