* “Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them.” (Isaiah 63:10 NIV)

Lately, I have been hearing too many pastors trying to describe God’s wrath as something passive and mild. One pastor even said that God’s wrath in the Old Testament times is removed, and that when He comes again His wrath will look like salvation and mercy. What Bible is that pastor reading? What God does He speak with in prayer?

* “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, ‘Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.’” (Revelation 16:1 NIV)

Listen, maybe I get a very different picture as God’s prophet than the pulpit pastors receive. I’m always being given a word of warning, caution, and rebuke to deliver from God. You can wrap it in that it must be from the devil so that you can feel good about your nonsense, but that doesn’t change anything from God’s perspective. God knows it was a warning. Play your games and you will find yourself being humbled under His wrath. Then perhaps you will know that He is God.

So, I don’t like writing this on September 11th while many people, myself included, mourn the great losses of that day. But you must at least consider that God could have stopped the events of 9/11. I’m not saying that everyone who was lost on that day was a victim of God’s wrath. Some people were surely just at the wrong place at the wrong time and even had a heavenly home for eternity that began on that day. But you cannot take God’s sovereignty out of the picture. Yes, I know you think that I’m a horrible person for bringing up the matter. But you aren’t denying God’s sovereignty are you?

Over and over again, God allowed His chosen people Israel to be taken into captivity for refusing God. They bowed down to false gods and provoked God’s wrath against them. Have we done the same thing in this nation? (And should I point out that the devil wants you to believe that God doesn’t have a wrath so that you just keep on ignoring God and His warnings through the prophets.)

Finally, the God of the Old Testament is the exact same one and only God of the New Testament.

* “You have wearied the Lord with your words. ‘How have we wearied him?’ you ask. By saying, ‘All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them’ or ‘Where is the God of justice?’” (Malachi 2:17 NIV)

* “I myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over. And I will bring the sword on you to avenge the breaking of the covenant. When you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague among you, and you will be given into enemy hands.” (Leviticus 26:24-26 NIV)

* “Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings. But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand, since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you—when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me, since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord. Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.” (Proverbs 1:23-33 NIV)

A warning has been issued!