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John 10:10
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal,
and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life,
and that they might have it more abundantly.
John 10:10
This is the favorite verse of a movement in the churches,
'The Word of Faith Movement'. It has teachers such as
Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland and Casey Treat. The verse John
10:10 is great. The problem lies in the twist the movement
ascribes to it. It can be easily twisted, and the ramifications
are great.
The teaching I've heard goes essentially like this:
'Jesus came to give life abundantly. God only gives us good
things. If anything bad happens to you, it's the devil.
Only he steals, kills and destroys. If evil befalls you,
it's because you've sinned and are out from under the
protective hand of God. If you get right with God, you will be
back under His protection. If the cause isn't sin, then
it's lack of faith in God's provisions. The problem
is either sin or lack of faith. If you have enough faith,
you'll gain all kinds of abundant blessings of this life -
money, health, etc.'
They attack poor Job for saying:
21b . . . the LORD gave, and
the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
Job 1:21b
They say this was Job's opinion, not the
Lord's, 'thus saith the Lord'. They say Job was
lying down, blaming God, when it was all the devil's
work.
I personally heard this type of preaching from Casey Treat. I saw
friends struggling to obtain health and get rid of their glasses
by faith. They became gimme gimme Christians with God. You
can't blame them in some ways for, according to this
teaching, if you don't have perfect health, it's
because your faith is faulty. As a Christian, you want faith to
be there, trusting the Lord.
A major problem is created in the Christian life. You see,
God's concerned with our spiritual state first and
foremost. We tend to think we're so perfect, that God
won't have much correcting to do with us. Our pride and
self are larger than we would ever think. God has to arrange
things in our lives so we're constantly in contact with
things that try us. Only in this way, do we learn to let Him live
His life out through us:
13 For it is God which worketh in you both
to will and to do of his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without
murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and
harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a
crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the
world;
Philippians 2:13-15
You see, the struggling has to come to its end, so we see that we
can't glorify God. Once our own struggling is over, we let
Him do the doing in us. In the constant troubles that come in
life, the world will see Christ in us, having the unexplainable
right attitude. This will bring glory to God and the witness goes
out.
The victims of 'The Word of Faith Movement' are
rebuking Satan at the trials, and keep claiming God's
supposedly promised abundant life. Abundant life doesn't
mean carefree, wealth and health. It means we will have His life
in the midst of the trials that come. The Lord does take care of
His own, don't get me wrong on that. We can't take
that to mean however, that His will is for all His children live
in financial wealth and perfect health. That's a complete
study in itself, so let's stay on the main goal in view
here.
When I heard the accusation against Job, that got my rankles up.
I started a list of references throughout the Bible that clearly
show God does bring harm, both now and in the judgment. There are
many verses, as you're about to see, that specifically say,
'thus saith the Lord'. These verses can't be
accused of only being the writer's feelings or opinions.
They're God's verbal declaration itself. I tried to
tell one of my friends about these passages. I encouraged him to
read the whole Bible. He could see no reason for reading all of
it. He said he got blessed reading and meditating on the passages
the movement's religious leaders had pointed out. This is
so sad. Such laziness with God's Word lays us open to all
kinds of deceptions.
For those who aren't mixed up in 'The Word of Faith
Movement', you may be wondering what benefit this kind of
study will do you. The study of passages such as the ones to
come, help us better know what God is like. We need to know what
He's like, if we're to be conformed to His image. If
we see He hates sin, and with what fervor, we can look at
ourselves and see if that attitude is found in us. We need to
gain understanding of things like this.
Another important benefit of studying passages such as this, is
the basis of interpretation. There are quite a few verses that,
on their own, create confusion. Such passages abound in
Ecclesiastes and John's writings. John speaks of things,
predominantly, from the view of how it boils down in God's
eyes. This passage is one such verse. Some others are:
6 Whosoever abideth in him
sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known
him.
1 John 3:6
9 Whosoever is born of God
doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot
sin, because he is born of God.
1 John 3:9
We can look at such verses and, taking them to their strict, word
for word, reading, come up with an interpretation which few can
accept. These are just some of John's difficult passages.
What John aims for, is seeing ourselves in Christ. In Him,
we're perfect and have complete victory over sin.
That's why verse 6 above says about our abiding in Him.
There's our victory, in the passage, that walks absolutely
perfect and finds overcoming for sin.
What about the main passage under view, John 10:10? We see from
the previous verses 7-9 the point John aims for:
7 Then said Jesus unto them
again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the
sheep. 8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers:
but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door: by me if any
man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and
find pasture.
John 10:7-9
Here we're hearing John talk about entering into
Jesus. He's the only way to eternal life. When we enter
Him, being the door, we enter into the only way to be saved. All
other methods are false doors. Any other religion is a devilish
way Satan has provided, which comes to no better end than being
robbed of your opportunity for life, ending in death and eternal
destruction with Satan in the Lake of Fire. To understand any
passage, we must enter the spirit of the passage. How does God
see it? What is His perspective on it? We will otherwise come up
with bizarre interpretations to clear our difficulties.
Returning to the 'Word of Faith Movement' problem, I
came up with a lot of verses contradicting their cardinal
doctrine. Since there was so much, and I felt most people
wouldn't spend the time looking up all of the passages,
I've quoted them here for a thorough, thought provoking
study. Quoting all of them, I will briefly comment on each as we
go:
OLD
TESTAMENT
17 And, behold, I, even I, do
bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh,
wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing
that is in the earth shall die.
Genesis 6:17
Here we find God speaking about His plan to kill and destroy on a
mass scale.
3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his
name. 6 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy
right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
Exodus
15:3,6
These verses are two out of a song Moses and Israel sang
to the Lord. Moses well knew God's ways through what He had
just accomplished, and Moses was also a prophet. If Moses said it
here, we can trust his statements are accurate. What is it that
Moses pointed out? God killed and destroyed. The whole account of
the Exodus out of Egypt speaks of this.
28 Then I will walk contrary
unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven
times for your sins.
Leviticus 26:28
We see here God declaring He would personally bring His fury upon
the law breakers. He says, 'I will chastise you'.
This isn't just saying, 'You will remove yourself
from under my protective hand so Satan will be able to afflict
you'.
5 Thou shalt also consider in
thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy
God chasteneth thee.
Deuteronomy 8:5
When a father spanks his son, who is the inflicter of the
pain? Not the enemy, unless your father has become your enemy.
This also shows one of God's reasons for afflictions.
20 As the nations which the
LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye
would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your
God.
Deuteronomy 8:20
Here we're told God destroyed the nations before
Israel. He also shows He would do the same to His own people if
they forsook Him.
6 The LORD killeth, and maketh
alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. 7 The LORD
maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. 8
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar
from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them
inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the
LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them. 9 He will keep
the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in
darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. 10 The
adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven
shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the
earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the
horn of his anointed.
1 Samuel 2:6-10
This passage packs a punch. Not only do we see God kills, if He
so chooses, but He also sets some in poverty. This passage shows
God does choose blessing for His people, if they truly follow
Him. This isn't a diehard contract to mean a saint will
only get riches, and perfect health. Look at the Apostle Paul. He
knew poverty, hunger and a great deal of suffering. He would
qualify as an obedient and faithful saint. I remember hearing
from Casey Treat that God promised that man's life-span is
to be 120 years in Genesis. If a man died before that, it was
because of Satan getting a hold of him. From the historical
knowledge of the apostles, not one of them reached the ripe old
age of 120 years. Would you dare say they weren't faithful
saints?
11 Thus saith the LORD,
Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house,
and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto
thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of
this sun. 15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD
struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it
was very sick.
2 Samuel 12:11,15
This verse not only came directly from God, but it came to the
great King David. He was called by God, after David's
decease, 'a man after mine own heart'. David was a
saint. He fell and was in this passage judged by God. God's
judgment wasn't only decreed or orchestrated by God.
We're told David's son was personally struck by the
LORD.
12 Go and say unto David, Thus
saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of
them, that I may do it unto thee.
2 Samuel 24:12
This was a decision of sentencing to choose from. David
chose pestilence. From reading the account of the pestilence, you
actually see the angel of the Lord doing the slaying, when David
sees him in Jerusalem. God didn't just allow Satan to do
his dirty work, God's faithful angel or angels did the
executing of God's judgment.
14 And the LORD stirred up an
adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the
king's seed in Edom. 23 And God stirred him up another
adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord
Hadadezer king of Zobah:
1 Kings 11:14,23
The 'Word of Faith Movement' would explain such
passages away by saying, 'the writer's opinion was
that the LORD did the stirring up, but he was wrong'. To
take this stand would destroy the reliability of God's Word
as a whole. We could never be sure whether any teaching was some
man's opinion or God's testimony. There are some
passages in the Bible that are shown by context to be a
man's particular opinion, such as Job's friends and
the context of the book of Ecclesiastes.
7 Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus
saith the LORD God of Israel, Forasmuch as I exalted thee from
among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel, 10
Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam,
and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall,
and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away
the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung,
till it be all gone. 15 For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a
reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of
this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter
them beyond the river, because they have made their groves,
provoking the LORD to anger.
1 Kings 14:7,10,15
Another, 'thus saith the LORD' passage.
We're told here the LORD will personally smite Israel, and
He will have them carried away into captivity.
42 And he said unto him, Thus
saith the LORD, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man
whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall
go for his life, and thy people for his people.
1 Kings 20:42
Not only do we see God appointing someone's
destruction, He held the king responsible for carrying out His
decree. For the king to not kill the man, he sinned against God.
Before God, to not do the violence was the sin in this case. God,
hence judged the king for the sin of not destroying.
29 Seest thou how Ahab
humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before
me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's
days will I bring the evil upon his house.
1 Kings 21:29
A passage, such as this, shows how Job's statement
in Job 1:21b is accurate. God is expressly speaking, saying
'I'. This is clearly not some man's opinion of
what God did, but God Himself speaking.
7 And thou shalt smite the
house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my
servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the
LORD, at the hand of Jezebel.
2 Kings 9:7
More of the same tenor as we've seen so far. What's
new in this passage is that we see all suffering isn't
necessarily by God's decree. The 'Word of Faith
Movement' does have a point, in that we should be careful
to not receive as from God all suffering. In this passage, we see
God's faithful suffering at the devil's hand. How can
we tell if our suffering comes from God? First, ask yourself if
you're diligently following the Lord. Is your suffering
persecution? Second, what's your attitude towards the loss
you suffer? Job didn't hold the possessions he had as his
own. He saw them as always under God's hand, so he
didn't grudge them being removed. What about the things,
people and so forth in our lives? Do we cling to them and feel
enraged if they're taken? Where's our heart? God may
remove things from us just to test our hearts, or to bring growth
in some area we were totally unaware needed correction. If
we're truly in a state of fear and trembling before God, we
won't have brass confidence and contempt of any
suffering.
32 In those days the LORD
began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the
coasts of Israel;
2 Kings 10:32
The LORD was smiting Israel through the use of pagan
nations. This is the rod of man that Solomon was told God would
judge him with, if he forsook the ways of God.
3 Surely at the commandment of
the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight,
for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did;
2 Kings 24:3
The suffering wasn't just God saying, 'Sorry,
I can't help you. You removed yourself from under my
protective hand because of your sinning.' The suffering was
by God's decree.
3 The sons of Judah; Er, and
Onan, and Shelah: which three were born unto him of the daughter
of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil
in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him.
1 Chronicles 2:3
God killed a man.
14 And enquired not of the
LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David
the son of Jesse.
1 Chronicles 10:14
God killed another man.
14 So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel:
and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
1 Chronicles 21:14
God killed a lot of men. God, himself, sent the
pestilence.
13 If I shut up heaven that
there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land,
or if I send pestilence among my people;
2 Chronicles 7:13
This is God speaking. All the events listed here would be
ascribed to Satan by the 'Word of Faith
Movement'.
20 Neither did Jeroboam
recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the LORD struck
him, and he died.
2 Chronicles 13:20
God killed another man.
37 Then Eliezer the son of
Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying,
Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath
broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not
able to go to Tarshish.
2 Chronicles 20:37
God destroyed a measure of prosperity that the good king
Jehoshaphat knew because he sinned in his fellowship. What a
warning this is!
8 But if thou wilt go, do it,
be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the
enemy: for God hath power to help, and to cast down.
2 Chronicles 25:8
God's power is complete. God not only has power to give
life abundantly, He also has power to destroy and kill.
16 And it came to pass, as he
talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art thou made of
the king's counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten?
Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath
determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast
not hearkened unto my counsel.
2 Chronicles 25:16
A messenger of God, acting in the office of a prophet, declared,
'God hath determined to destroy thee'.
19 For the LORD brought Judah
low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and
transgressed sore against the LORD.
2 Chronicles 28:19
The LORD brought Judah low, not Satan.
8 Wherefore the wrath of the
LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to
trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your
eyes.
2 Chronicles 29:8
God delivered them. As we can see from the other
passages, when God delivers one to destruction, He's the
hand behind the action. The ultimate authority over the
action.
24 Thus saith the LORD,
Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the
inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the
book which they have read before the king of Judah:
2 Chronicles 34:24
Those curses were spine-tingling. God said, 'I will bring
evil'. What could be more clear?
22 For I was ashamed to
require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us
against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the
king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that
seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that
forsake him.
Ezra 8:22
Not only is God angry with those that forsake Him, so
they're out from under His protective hand, God's
power is actually working against them.
13 And after all that is come
upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing
that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities
deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this;
Ezra 9:13
God executes the punishment. The godly man, Ezra, here shows his
knowledge of the evil having come from God.
18 Did not your fathers thus,
and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this
city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the
sabbath.
Nehemiah 13:18
Another godly man professes the evil to have come at the hand of
God. The 'Word of Faith Movement' would believe that
all the godly men and prophets, that we've read of so far,
were in a great deception of the devil.
6 If thou wert pure and
upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the
habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.
Job 8:6
Here, we have the 'Word of Faith Movement's'
point of view. They take the stand of Job's friends, which
were accusing him of some failure. Now, they would probably
correct me and say that Job wasn't in sin, but deceived so
he couldn't exercise faith to overcome. Either way, the
accusation against Job would be wrong, and Job's friends
stood condemned before God, as the end of Job tells us.
22 Now consider this, ye that
forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to
deliver.
Psalm 50:22
The 'Word of Faith Movement's' use of John
10:10 absolutely couldn't stand this verse. By their
interpretation of 10:10, they would have to accuse God of being
the thief.
12 Also unto thee, O Lord,
belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his
work.
Psalm 62:12
The Judge does justly. He doesn't just reward.
27 For, lo, they that are far
from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a
whoring from thee.
Psalm 73:27
God's the destroyer, in this verse.
A gardener plants and sculpts a lovely garden. To gain great
beauty, and not come under the condemnation of neglect, he must
pull the weeds, burn the rubbish, prune the good trees and trim
the bushes. Not only the bad things must be removed, but the good
plants must be worked to attain beauty. This is what God must do
with us. How can we balk when He prunes and trims us? Is this
pruning in our lives because of sin or lack of faith? In some
instances it may be, even some good plants sometimes exhibit
diseased branches that must be removed to prevent the death of
the entire plant. In other instances it's not. A plant has
a natural life of its own, and the bush will become rather unruly
looking, in the garden, if it's left to itself. This
natural life must be kept in bounds, so the design the gardener
wants will show forth. The garden then will be a masterpiece.
31 The wrath of God came upon
them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men
of Israel. 34 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they
returned and enquired early after God. 46 He gave also their
increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees
with frost. 48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and
their flocks to hot thunderbolts. 49 He cast upon them the
fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by
sending evil angels among them. 50 He made a way to his anger; he
spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the
pestilence; 51 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of
their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:
Psalm 78:31,34,46-51
In many ways, this sounds like it could be an excerpt from the
local newspaper of the many sufferings of this land.
Unfortunately, most will never recognize God's judging hand
in our land.
The point of this passage is God's hand upon Egypt to bring
out Israel. What's important to consider, is that Satan was
opposing Moses. When Moses brought a plague, the sorcerers tried
to duplicate it with the devil's aide. Some they could
weakly do, others, not at all. If Satan brought the sufferings of
Egypt, he would have been working against himself. The sorcerers
tried to duplicate it and couldn't. If the sufferings were
the devil's hand, he could have duplicated it through his
magicians. Just a little something for the 'Word of Faith
Movement' to think about.
6 He shall judge among the
heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall
wound the heads over many countries.
Psalm 110:6
The 'He' here is God. What else does a judge do of
evildoers?
25 Therefore is the anger of
the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth
his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did
tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the
streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand
is stretched out still.
Isaiah 5:25
These are the words of a great and faithful prophet. We're
told 'He' did the judging and smiting.
'He' left the torn carcases in the streets.
5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine
anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. 6 I will
send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people
of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to
take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the
streets.
Isaiah 10:5,6
God actually sent the pagan nation to rob, steal and destroy.
14 They are dead, they shall
not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast
thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to
perish.
Isaiah 26:14
God visited and destroyed.
36 Then the angel of the LORD
went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and
fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the
morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
Isaiah 37:36
God's angel went and killed a great army.
7 I form the light, and create
darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these
things.
Isaiah 45:7
This verse is the 'creme de la creme' of this issue.
You may want to put a reference in the column of your Bible next
to John 10:10 referring back to this one. God speaks directly
here and takes credit for both life and death.
What does He mean by 'create evil'? Look at it this
way, if you come under His judgment and plague comes your way,
wouldn't you see the plague as evil coming at you? It
doesn't mean the Lord does wickedly.
11 Behold, all ye that kindle
a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the
light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This
shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.
Isaiah 50:11
From God's own hand will come sorrow.
17 For he put on righteousness
as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and
he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad
with zeal as a cloke. 18 According to their deeds, accordingly he
will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies;
to the islands he will repay recompence. 19 So shall they fear
the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising
of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit
of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
Isaiah 59:17-19
Fury, recompense and judgment will come from the LORD.
16 For by fire and by his
sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the
LORD shall be many.
Isaiah 66:16
Over and over we find passages showing God has slain many, and
will slay many more.
15 Lo, I will bring a nation
upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it is a
mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language
thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say. 16 Their
quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men. 17 And
they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons
and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and
thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they
shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with
the sword. 18 Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will
not make a full end with you. 19 And it shall come to pass, when
ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these things
unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken
me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve
strangers in a land that is not yours.
Jeremiah 5:15-19
If I was in Israel's shoes, I would most certainly fear God
when He sent His messenger with this message. We find,
'Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these
things...'. NOTE: God does it and HE WANTS THEM TO KNOW HE
IS THE DOER OF IT!
8 Be thou instructed, O
Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee
desolate, a land not inhabited. 21 Therefore thus saith the LORD,
Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the
fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour
and his friend shall perish.
Jeremiah 6:8,21
A warning to repent, or God would cause occasions of falling to
destruction to come upon them.
16 I will scatter them also
among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have
known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed
them. 17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Consider ye, and call for
the mourning women, that they may come; and send for cunning
women, that they may come:
Jeremiah 9:16,17
God, Himself, will send death after the wicked.
12 The spoilers are come upon
all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD
shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end
of the land: no flesh shall have peace. 13 They have sown wheat,
but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain, but
shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues
because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
Jeremiah 12:12,13
The sword of the LORD will cause the abundance of life to depart
from all in the land.
14 And I will dash them one
against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith
the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy
them.
Jeremiah 13:14
This is brutal. You see, not all violence is wrong. The
'Word of Faith Movement' must look at violence as
wrong in the way they interpret John 10:10, but passages such as
this show otherwise.
4 And I will cause them to be
removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the
son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in
Jerusalem. 6 Thou hast forsaken me, saith the LORD, thou art
gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee,
and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting. 7 And I will fan
them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of
children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from
their ways. 8 Their widows are increased to me above the sand of
the seas: I have brought upon them against the mother of the
young men a spoiler at noonday: I have caused him to fall upon it
suddenly, and terrors upon the city. 9 She that hath borne seven
languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down
while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and
the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their
enemies, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 15:4,6-9
Here's a curious passage. What does God mean by saying,
'I am weary with repenting.'? He refers to the fact
they were really playing games with Him. They would try to
appease His wrath by feigning repentance, but no fruit came.
Hence, death from God came upon them, as testified in
'saith the LORD'.
8 And I will make this city
desolate, and an hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be
astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof.
Jeremiah 19:8
God's punishment was extraordinary for their
wickedness.
20 The anger of the LORD shall not return,
until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts
of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.
Jeremiah
23:20
In the latter days, they would turn to the Lord and so would
properly understand God's wrath that had to be executed at
that time. So seeing and understanding, they would see it was
just and proper. They would see it was only proper for Him to
respond to them in that manner. Considering He's a holy
God, and also knowing He's a loving God, they would
understand the balance. They would understand abundant life, and
also why God had to kill and destroy.
9 Behold, I will send and take
all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar
the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this
land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these
nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them
an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.
Jeremiah 25:9
God is very clear that He will destroy. It's interesting to
note the king of Babylon is called 'my servant'. The
reason for this, is that God used Babylon to bring His wrath on
the other nations, so doing His will. They exceeded His charge
however, and thus deserved judgment themselves as well as being
pagans. They served His action of wrath being ignorant of His
overseeing the orders for actions of war.
29 For, lo, I begin to bring
evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be
utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call
for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD
of hosts.
Jeremiah 25:29
This speaks of destruction from God on a mass scale. This was
fulfilled before Christ came, and isn't just referring to
Armageddon.
14 All thy lovers have
forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with
the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for
the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased.
15 Why criest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable
for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were
increased, I have done these things unto thee.
Jeremiah 30:14,15
Here God says He brought the affliction.
42 For thus saith the LORD;
Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so
will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.
Jeremiah 32:42
God says He personally brought the great evil.
5 They come to fight with the
Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men,
whom I have slain in mine anger and in my fury, and for all whose
wickedness I have hid my face from this city.
Jeremiah 33:5
Pay attention here, this is God speaking saying, 'whom I
have slain...'.
4 Thus shalt thou say unto
him, The LORD saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I
break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even
this whole land. 5 And seekest thou great things for thyself?
seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh,
saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in
all places whither thou goest.
Jeremiah 45:4,5
Here we have God destroying and leaving very little to
escape. We do see God's loving kindness exhibited here, but
also a very strong lesson. God says to one who fears Him that,
since the judgment will take everything away in the land, the
righteous would also suffer loss of possessions, but He would
watch over their life to preserve it. The suffering loss meant no
lack of faith or sin on the part of the God fearing person.
5 Her adversaries are the
chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for
the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into
captivity before the enemy.
Lamentations 1:5
This is the prophet Jeremiah talking. He spoke 'thus saith
the Lord' many times, so he knows what he's talking
about when he says the Lord did it.
10 And they shall know that I
am the LORD, and that I have not said in vain that I would do
this evil unto them.
Ezekiel 6:10
Isn't this verse enough of a comment in itself?
24 Wherefore I will bring the
worst of the heathen, and they shall possess their houses: I will
also make the pomp of the strong to cease; and their holy places
shall be defiled.
Ezekiel 7:24
Ezekiel lays the messages of woe on strong. Note the person
who's talking though. It isn't Ezekiel's
personal opinion, but a 'thus saith the LORD' from
Ezekiel.
9 And if the prophet be
deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived
that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will
destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. 17 Or if I
bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the
land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:
Ezekiel 14:9,17
Seeing verses like these, I wonder how some preachers have the
nerve to say, 'All the anouncements of woe were the
prophets opinions of what God was doing and what Satan was
doing.'
22 Yet, behold, therein shall
be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and
daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall
see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted
concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even
concerning all that I have brought upon it. 23 And they shall
comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye
shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have
done in it, saith the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 14:22,23
God clearly takes the credit here, and lets us know the evils
aren't lightening strikes from a merciless God. All the
evil He brought, He brought because righteousness demanded
it.
35 Wherefore, O harlot, hear
the word of the LORD: 36 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy
filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through
thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy
abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst
give unto them; 37 Behold, therefore I will gather all thy
lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that
thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even
gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy
nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness. 38 And
I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are
judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy. 39 And I
will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down
thine eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they
shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair
jewels, and leave thee naked and bare. 40 They shall also bring
up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones,
and thrust thee through with their swords. 41 And they shall burn
thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the
sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing
the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more. 42 So will
I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart
from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry. 43
Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast
fretted me in all these things; behold, therefore I also will
recompense thy way upon thine head, saith the Lord GOD: and thou
shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations.
Ezekiel 16:35-43
God oversees all the judgment. The evil upon Israel wasn't
without reason, and wasn't without God's hand in
it.
50 And they were haughty, and
committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I
saw good.
Ezekiel 16:50
We see here God is indeed God and not just something akin to the
tooth fairy.
3 And say to the land of
Israel, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I am against thee, and will
draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee
the righteous and the wicked. 4 Seeing then that I will cut off
from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword
go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to
the north: 5 That all flesh may know that I the LORD have drawn
forth my sword out of his sheath: it shall not return any more.
Ezekiel 21:3-5
The LORD wanted mankind to clearly know the evil that came was an
act of God. The decree of the righteous and the wicked was
touched above, where we saw the righteous had his life as prey,
but all his possessions were lost. Since the land was carried
away, he necessarily suffered loss, but God wasn't
punishing him. See Jeremiah 45:4,5.
7 Behold, therefore I will
stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a
spoil to the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people,
and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will
destroy thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 25:7
God very much wanted the wicked to know the evil that came upon
them was from His hand.
14 For I will be unto Ephraim
as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I,
will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue
him.
Hosea 5:14
We see God repeatedly using the pronoun 'I'. He
earnestly wants us to be aware of who's doing the
judging.
25 And I will restore to you
the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the
caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among
you.
Joel 2:25
God wants the wicked to return and promises a turn of events to
the good for those who seek Him. The plagues that smote the land
were God's army, not Satan's.
12 But I will send a fire upon
Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah. 14 But I will
kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the
palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a
tempest in the day of the whirlwind: 15 And their king shall go
into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the LORD.
Amos 1:12,14,15
God here says that He would send fire, destruction and
captivity.
5 But I will send a fire upon
Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.
Amos 2:5
Ditto from above.
2 The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days
shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and
your posterity with fishhooks. 6 And I also have given you
cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all
your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. 7
And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet
three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one
city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was
rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. 8 So
two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but
they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith
the LORD. 9 I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when
your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive
trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not
returned unto me, saith the LORD. 10 I have sent among you the
pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain
with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made
the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have
ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. 11 I have overthrown
some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as
a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned
unto me, saith the LORD.
Amos 4:2,6-11
Man, does this list all kinds of plagues!
If these happened to us, we would be sure they were the
devil's works. We can see here, these definitely
weren't the devil's works, but God's.
6 Seek the LORD, and ye shall
live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and
devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.
Amos 5:6
'Lest he break out', not lest you fall from under
God's protective hand, and Satan's able to afflict
you.
9 And it shall come to pass in
that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go
down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day: 10
And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs
into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins,
and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning
of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day. 11 Behold,
the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in
the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of
hearing the words of the LORD:
Amos 8:9-11
More of God's personal pronouncements of bringing
judgment.
1 I saw the Lord standing upon
the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the
posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I
will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them
shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be
delivered. 2 Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand
take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring
them down: 3 And though they hide themselves in the top of
Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they
be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I
command the serpent, and he shall bite them: 4 And though they go
into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the
sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them
for evil, and not for good. 5 And the Lord GOD of hosts is he
that toucheth the land, and it shall melt, and all that dwell
therein shall mourn: and it shall rise up wholly like a flood;
and shall be drowned, as by the flood of Egypt. 8 Behold, the
eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will
destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not
utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD. 9 For, lo, I
will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all
nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the
least grain fall upon the earth. 10 All the sinners of my people
shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake
nor prevent us.
Amos 9:1-5,8-10
This shows God's decree to pursue and destroy.
13 Thy graven images also will
I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and
thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. 14 And I will
pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy
thy cities. 15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury
upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.
Micah 5:13-15
God 'will execute vengeance in anger and fury'. When
He brings suffering, it's not just with the attitude of,
'I feel bad about this, but, I'm sure you understand,
I have certain obligations.' For those He judges, He judges
because they won't repent, and so executes His judgment
with wrath.
13 Behold, I am against thee,
saith the LORD of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the
smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut
off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers
shall no more be heard.
Nahum 2:13
A minor statement of God's personal judgment, but a
statement nonetheless.
2 I will utterly consume all
things from off the land, saith the LORD. 3 I will consume man
and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes
of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will
cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.
Zephaniah 1:2,3
The environmentalists would be in shocked horror at the thought
of this verse!
Yes, God even destroys the things of nature because they're
a blessing to us. If they're gone, so is a major portion of
our food source.
17 I smote you with blasting
and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands;
yet ye turned not to me, saith the LORD.
Haggai 2:17
The suffering God inflicts is always with the intent to cause us
to repent and forsake our evil ways. It's like a spanking,
only on a more serious scale.
From here we leap to the New Testament:
NEW
TESTAMENT
19 And when he saw a fig tree
in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves
only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward
for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. 20 And when
the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig
tree withered away!
Matthew 21:19,20
14 And Jesus answered and said
unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his
disciples heard it. 20 And in the morning, as they passed by,
they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
Mark 11:14,20
Environmentalists take note! Many people worship nature, and see
no excuse for ever destroying any of it. Jesus knew that an
illustration was sufficient cause for killing a tree. Jesus, by a
word, spoke out an act of destruction. This type of action plays
havoc with the John 10:10 'Word of Faith Movement'
crowd.
11 And as they heard these
things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to
Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God
should immediately appear. 12 He said therefore, A certain
nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a
kingdom, and to return. 13 And he called his ten servants, and
delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I
come. 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after
him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. 15 And
it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the
kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him,
to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every
man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, Lord,
thy pound hath gained ten pounds. 17 And he said unto him, Well,
thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very
little, have thou authority over ten cities. 18 And the second
came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. 19 And he
said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. 20 And
another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I
have kept laid up in a napkin: 21 For I feared thee, because thou
art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down,
and reapest that thou didst not sow. 22 And he saith unto him,
Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant.
Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not
down, and reaping that I did not sow: 23 Wherefore then gavest
not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have
required mine own with usury? 24 And he said unto them that stood
by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten
pounds. 25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) 26
For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be
given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be
taken away from him. 27 But those mine enemies, which would not
that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before
me.
Luke 19:11-27
This is a parable illustrating God's dealing in judgment,
when He comes back to set up His kingdom. God's nature
doesn't just suddenly begin at the Second Coming.
He's the same yesterday, today and forever. His standards
for judgment and vengeance are always the same.
15 And when he had made a
scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and
the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers'
money, and overthrew the tables; 16 And said unto them that sold
doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house
an house of merchandise.
John 2:15,16
Here, again, we see Jesus acting out in violence towards
iniquity. God doesn't just sit passively by, taking no
action over evil. The belief that Gods unable to protect us, and
we become victims of Satan's attacks, is absolutely false.
God Himself takes action.
36 He that believeth on the
Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son
shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 3:36
This well-known verse points out this aspect of God that's
often overlooked. To not be in the Son is to not only be out from
under God's protection, it's to be under His direct
wrath. This means violence is declared against your person.
9 Then Saul, (who also is
called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, 10
And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of
the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease
to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the
hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not
seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a
mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him
by the hand.
Acts 13:9-11
This sounds like one of the passages straight out of the Old
Testament. God's way of dealing with man didn't
change, because we entered the New Testament era. Paul declares
that God's hand personally was upon this man to destroy his
vision for a time. God did show mercy in limiting the time, but
still was the doer of the action, which the 'Word of Faith
Movement' would say He never personally takes.
19 And when he had destroyed
seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to
them by lot.
Acts 13:19
Steven, under the power of the Holy Spirit, in his defense of the
Gospel, made the statement that God did the killing of the
nations when Israel moved in to take their inheritance.
3 Then said Paul unto him, God
shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me
after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the
law?
Acts 23:3
Paul had no doubt who would do the violence to this
hypocrite.
17 If any man defile the
temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is
holy, which temple ye are.
1 Corinthians 3:17
For those who defile the body of a Christian, God will personally
destroy them.
10 Therefore I take pleasure
in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions,
in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then
am I strong.
2 Corinthians 12:10
This is the Apostle Paul speaking. Now here was a man of faith
and faithfulness. The reasons Paul suffered couldn't have
been either of the reasons the 'Word of Faith
Movement' lists as the only reasons for suffering.
What's more, if a man as great as Paul needed to suffer, do
we think we're above that need for suffering? Are we so
confident we could never fall that we see no need for such to
humble us?
Look at the 'pleasure' part. No way would the
'Word of Faith Movement' ever encourage the idea of
taking pleasure in sufferings.
6 Let no man deceive you with
vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God
upon the children of disobedience.
Ephesians 5:6
Whoa, this directly points the finger at the 'Word of Faith
Movement'. It calls their doctrine 'vain
words'.
12 I know both how to be
abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I
am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound
and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me.
Philippians 4:12,13
Paul's concern wasn't with winning out over the devil
remaining in a materially and physically prosperous way. His
concern was Christ, and being found in Him with Him being all he
needed. This verse can't be a 'Word of Faith
Movement' favorite.
6 Seeing it is a righteous
thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble
you;
2 Thessalonians 1:6
This verse gives us a perspective of God our own reasoning
probably wouldn't see. The act of God's sending
suffering to troublers of Christians is actually righteous.
30 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. 31 It is a
fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:30,31
The belief that God only sends good, can never instill the fear
of God. It can definitely instill greed, no question about that.
This passage says that God not only brings suffering on the
unbelievers, but also on the household of faith.
5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you
as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the
Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord
loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for
what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be
without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye
bastards, and not sons.
Hebrews 12:5-8
The spankings are His. When a child is bad and gets a spanking,
who is it who spanks? The child isn't sent to the local
druggie house for them to afflict the child. The father or mother
does the spanking. Scourging is definitely a severe spanking.
From our point of view, we would see it as evil occurring to us,
but this is just like the passage in Haggai 2:17.
12 There is one lawgiver, who
is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest
another?
James 4:12
Hold this up next to John 10:10. This verse really helps us to
understand the accurate usage of that verse.
22 Behold, I will cast her
into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great
tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
Revelation 2:22
This was decreed to occur to a New Testament church back in the
first and second century. It's not just looking forward to
the end of the world.
3 Remember therefore how thou
hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore
thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou
shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Revelation 3:3
Here Jesus says that He will come as a thief. Remember the
illustration of John 10:10, kill and destroy.
9 And men were scorched with
great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over
these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
Revelation 16:9
God is the one with the power over the plagues mentioned in the
Tribulation. Read the whole of Revelation. You see angel after
angel sent from God to pour out suffering. In one occasion, the
plague is a host of demons, and even that is called forth by
God.
6 Reward her even as she
rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works:
in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. 7 How much
she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much
torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a
queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. 8 Therefore
shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and
famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is
the Lord God who judgeth her.
Revelation 18:6-8
This passage is an example of the type you find throughout
Revelation. God's personal vengeance and suffering sent
out.
20 Rejoice over her, thou
heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged
you on her.
Revelation 18:20
Imagine this, God calling for His servants to take joy in seeing
killing and destruction.
1 And after these things I
heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia;
Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our
God: 2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath
judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her
fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her
hand. 3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for
ever and ever.
Revelation 19:1-3
Again, like the above passage, joy in seeing killing and
destruction. Surely this should wake some people up.
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.
Revelation 19:11
Holy war, that is what's mentioned here. Killing and
destroying from God and not Satan. God has no qualms about
inflicting suffering when necessary.
18 For I testify unto every
man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any
man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the
plagues that are written in this book:
Revelation 22:18
The closing words to the Bible decree God will pour forth His
suffering on certain persons. He wants all to be aware He will
take action against evildoers. He won't simply ignore you
and let Satan afflict you if he feels like it.
IN
PONDERING
We've taken a look at a lot of powerful passages. Passages
such as these should cause us to walk humbly before God.
Don't get overconfident, if you're not one of the
crowd of the 'Word of Faith Movement'. I've
seen some who condemn the teachings of the 'Word of Faith
Movement', but they're guilty of the same sin in a
slightly different form. They don't feel having glasses is
a sign of sin, so look down on their brother for having glasses,
but they still manifest arrogance and self-confidence.
When the Christian musician, Keith Green, died in a plane crash,
I was so saddened. He really loved God. I told my friend, who
went to Casey Treat's church, about Keith Green. He
didn't really seem to care and said something like,
'its a shame, Satan really got a victory over him'.
The 'Word of Faith' teaching removed love and gave
arrogance. The belief, 'If he only had faith, it never
would have happened to him', carries sinful pride that
smells of superiority. Instead of trembling, fear and meekness,
it breeds pride, arrogance and contempt of others. Definitely not
a Galatians 6:2 attitude.
You see, these attitudes are strong amongst Christians of all
sects. In fact, the very point they don't hold to such
teachings, of the 'Word of Faith Movement', is a
source of pride, arrogance and lack of love. Remember the
illustration of the gardener I gave. If we're to be a
beautiful shrub in the garden of the Lord, we have to let Him
prune and trim us. Not only sin must be dealt with, but our own
natural growth must be kept in check. Do we fear even the natural
life that's in us? We think that if the recognized sins are
dealt with, all is well, so no suffering of judgment will come
our way. Remember Romans chapter 8, if it's not of the
Spirit, it is death. This study should encourage humbleness, not
arrogant self- confidence. If it fails in this, maybe it's
because we've failed to take an honest look at ourselves.
Take heed and spend time seeking to have an honest and good heart
before Him, so we can really bear fruit.
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 Free to Copy under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND3.0 License by Darrell Farkas
All quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible
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