If you have ever been in church for any length of time or if you are someone who cares nothing about God there are certain things that people think they know but they really don’t.  If I said God is love I am quite sure I would get a very vocal  Amen.  A loud yes, even from the atheist or agnostics in the audience.  But in order for us to understand God and the Scriptures, we must realize that we serve a balanced God.  Yes, He is a God of love but He is also a God of wrath.  What??????
 
Did you know that God's love is unconditional, and it's not based on feelings or emotions. He doesn't love us because we're lovable or because we make Him feel good; He loves us because He is love. He created us to have a loving relationship with Him, and He sacrificed His own Son (who also willingly died for us) to restore that relationship with our Heavenly Father (God).  But there is also another side to this equation and it speaks of the wrath of God.
 
Wrath is a very strong word.  It is sometimes defined as anger, temper, indignation.  It is not an uncontrolled, unthinking, violent reaction.  It is a deep, permanent, settled, thoughtful, controlled anger and temper.   In the English language it is almost exclusively used for describing God’s anger with human beings and their sinful actions. God’s wrath is His anger against sin.  His wrath is His reaction against unrighteousness.  His anger is the opposition to the injustices of man.  His anger is His punishment of evil and wicked men.
 
If you read the Bible you will see that in the New Testament and the Old Testament both teach that God is storing up His anger for the great and final day of judgment.   This day is frequently called the Day of the Lord. 
 
This idea was repeated by the prophets to warn Israel and the nations that no one can escape the righteous out pouring of God’s wrath (Amos 5:18-20).  We also see this day spoken of even in the New Testament by John the Baptist and also the writer John in the book of Revelation 6:16-17.
 
Those who do not profess faith in the risen Christ remain in their sins and will be subject to God’s wrath (Roman 5:9).  Those who have been delivered and reconciled themselves are delivered and are not under condemnation (Romans 5:10).
 
God’s wrath will be poured out on the devil, his angels and all who rebel against Him.  If you need to see this graphically it is portrayed in the Book of Revelation.  You will see scene after scene of God executing judgment on the ungodly.  You see your choices in life is what arouses God’s anger .  Unfortunately,  we think we are a good person, maybe not perfect but you can think of other people in church or the family or in the world who would be better off struck down by lightening (LOL) .  But what we think of as acceptable and good is inconsequential to a Holy God of the Universe.  Yes, God has the nerve to judge our secret thoughts, true motives and our vilest, sordid and corruptible desires.
 
We are living in a Politically Corrupt world of sin.  Everyone wants instant fixes and satisfactions but the God of the Universe is a God of absolutes and He is not soft on sin.
 
In the Book of Revelation we see that God’s stored up wrath will be unleashed in horrible ways, as He brings destruction on the earth, those dwelling on the earth, the merchants of the earth, false religions, the antichrist and all the enemies of the Gospel.  The good news is that God’s wrath will be satisfied when He has put the devil, his angels, and all unbelievers in the lake of fire, to be tormented for eternity in eternal separation from God (Rev. 14:16, Rev. 20:10-15).
 
Now I know many of you believe that you are so good that you are perfect but the Bible tells us that if we do not make a commitment to Jesus Christ and serve Him only that we are truly living under the wrath of God.
 
Consider this example:  You see the person who has not made a commitment to Christ and he acts against God…he does not act for God.    You see the person who has not made a commitment to God rejects God…He does not receive God.  The person who has not made a commitment to God ignores God.  He does not confess God.  The person who has not made a commitment to God denies God. He does not acknowledge God.   The person who has not a made a commitment to God curses God. He does not praise God.  The person who has not made a commitment to God serves religion.  He does not serve God.  The person who has not a made a commitment to God honors a personal ideal.   He does not honor Christ, the very Son of God.  
 
I know you find it hard to believe but a person who has not made a commitment to Christ acts against God and you are a child of wrath and not a child of God. We all think we are God’s children but the Bible says NO because we have to choose to serve Christ.  If you are not serving God then you are serving the devil.  The Bible says that you shall reap what you sow and the wrath of God will fall on you.
 
If you want to better understand  God’s wrath you will find it in Ezekiel 38:18-19 and in those verses it is referring to what will happen to the northern military invaders who in the end times will come against Israel (God’s chosen people).  In Ezekiel  mention is made of Russia, Turkey  and Iran and also Libya and Ethiopia will join the three and we will have  Ezekiel 38-39 front and center.   Who is like God, He who foretells the end from the beginning? 
 
The Bible tells us that God’s wrath is real and active.  God is holy, righteous, and pure as well as loving, gracious and merciful.  He executes justice as well as love.  He shows wrath and anger as well as compassion.  His wrath is both present and future.  God’s wrath is present and active in this life.  His wrath abides upon men now.  His wrath is manifested against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men (Romans 1:18).  God punishes sin in this life by giving men up to uncleanness, to vile affections, and to degenerate minds.  Sometimes the worst thing is You want it, You got it
 
God will punish sin by giving men up to everlasting fire (Matthew 25: 41;25:46).

To hell found in ( Matthew 5:22).  To outer darkness (Matthew  8:12).  To weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12). To the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15).  God’s wrath will be especially visible and active in the last days during what the bible calls the Tribulation years which is found in: (Revelation 6:16,Revelation 11:8, Revelation 14:10, Revelation 16:19 and Revelation 19:15).
 
Now that I just told you about God’s wrath I want you to know that there is only one way to escape judgment and it is by turning  back to God.
 
While you are alive you are never lost unless you refuse to repent and ask God for forgiveness.  You see, if you have an elitist attitude or an I know better than God attitude or if you mock God you are on your way to hell.  But if you ask God for forgiveness and confess that you have sinned,  yes, even once or even if you think you are too messed up for God to forgive you-ask Him to forgive you and He will-as long as you are alive.  Once we die the decisions we have made will set the end path for us. 
 
Yes, the earth is under the curse of sin, the same curse that plagues all of creation since Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden.  Yes, there are natural disasters of all kinds, causing immense pain and suffering.  Everyone has problems.  This is what life is like in this sinful world.  BUT GOD who is the Creator of all things, the God who loves us and who is in complete control, is not  or put off  by the way things are.  He has big plans in place, and those plans include all creation and everyone who has turned to God. 

Romans 8:21-24 tells us that "the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.  For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children,[a] including the new bodies he has promised us.  We were given this hope when we were saved."

Now if we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it.  Our hope comes from the Cross which brings deliverance.  When man fell,  Creation fell and the opposite is true, when man shall be delivered, Creation will be delivered as well.  For we know that the entirety of Creation has been affected or I guess we could say infected by Satan’s rebellion and Adam’s fall.  The groaning refers to the longing of the elements of the Creation to be brought back to their original perfection and that includes ourselves, also. When we get saved, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior remember Jesus addressed every single thing lost in the Fall at the Cross, we only have a part of that possession now; with the balance coming at the Resurrection for Jesus paid it all.  Our new bodies will take place at the Resurrection.  SO……what is coming is so far beyond that which is here at the present time and it is to be no comparison of what is to come-the beyond.  More is coming.  The best is yet to come!

After we get saved and have been “born again” everyone tells me that I should have a personal relationship with the Lord.  Well, what does that mean?  How do I have a personal relationship with my Lord - someone I cannot even see?   

Yes, He is Holy, and pure and without sin and I am not. While not everyone is a child of God, Jesus extends the invitation to become one to all. I pray for everyone to know what it is like to be a child of God, to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and to experience the forgiveness and love of the Father. 

So when we get saved does that mean that we are perfect from that time on? NO!   So how can I have a personal relationship with a Holy, perfect and sinless Savior, while I am not perfect?
 
This personal relationship with God is not as hard to find as we might think, and there is no mysterious formula or incantations for getting it. As soon as we become children of God, we receive the Holy Spirit, who will begin to work on our hearts. 

Oh, you mean we are a work in progress? YES!
 
We should pray without ceasing, read the Bible, and join a Bible-believing church; all these things will help us to grow spiritually. Trusting in God to get us through each day and believing that He is our sustainer is the way to have a relationship with Him. Although we may not see changes immediately, we will begin to see them over time, and all the truths we are taught in scripture, will become clear.
 
Having a personal relationship with God begins the moment we realize our need for Him, admit we are sinners, and in faith, receive Jesus Christ as my Savior.  God, our heavenly Father, has always desired to be close to us, to have a relationship with us.

I don’t know if you know it or not but before Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden (Genesis chapter 3), both he and Eve knew God on an intimate, personal level.  They walked with Him in the Garden and talked directly to Him! This was God’s plan for us.  BUT…….due to the sin of man, we became separated and disconnected from God.

What many people do not know, realize, or even care about these days, is that Jesus gave us the most amazing gift—the opportunity to spend eternity with God if we trust in Him.
 
 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
 
God became a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ to take on our sin, be killed, and then be raised to life again, proving His victory over sin and death.
 
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). 

If we accept this gift, we have become acceptable to God and can have a real relationship with Him!

Those who have a personal relationship with God include God in their daily lives.  They pray to Him, read His word, and meditate on verses in an effort to get to know Him even better.  Those who have a personal relationship with God pray for wisdom (James 1:5), which is the most valuable asset we could ever have. They take their requests to Him, asking in Jesus’ name (John 15:16). Jesus is the One who loves us enough to give His life for us (Romans 5:8), and He is the One who bridged the gap between us and God.  So, when we are saved: We have God the Father, Jesus the Son who died on the Cross for our sin and the Holy Spirit working in us.
 
I want to encourage you to know that there is something better still for you, you have not yet received the full reward   You who are beginners in this new life, for now you are a new creation.  You may not know what God has planned for you, yet there is something better still for you.
 
I can tell you that over the years I have people tell me that all humans are children of God and it does not matter which religion (if any) we follow.  Doesn’t that sound so cutesy and fuzzy, and comforting; but that is not what the Bible teaches.  Yes, we humans were made in God’s image with a moral compass that sets us apart from the animal kingdom, but the Bible makes it clear that we are NOT all His children.  Actually, in Ephesians 2:3 we are told that before we are saved we were called children of wrath.  There is that sin nature that is hostile to God, and that is why there is so much hate for Christians. Jesus told the religious people of His time that the devil was their father John 8:44 and we become children of God only when we are born again of His Spirit  (John 3:3) and it is only then that we can call God “Father” (Romans 8:15).
 
The Bible leaves no room for homemade religion.  We can’t pick and choose what we want to believe.  So we are going to have to pray for clear vision so that we may know where to stand and what to stand for or we shall fall for anything.
 
You will have happier views of heavenly things as you climb the hill in your spiritual experience.   As you abide in Christ your confidence will begin to grow in the Lord.

Just as when you are an infant and you begin to grow up, it is the same in our spiritual lives when we abide with the Lord,  Of course, there are those in this world who do not ask,or seek or knock of their Lord.  There are many who keep away from Jesus who do not pray to Him . Their attitude is “che sera, sera, whatever will be will be!”
 
You see a true relationship with the Lord can best be described as when we fall in love.  

Have you or a friend ever fell in love with someone special? You can’t stop talking and thinking about the ‘love of your life‘. 

That is what it is supposed to be with each of us and Jesus.   He is now the love of our lives. Yes, Jesus loved us so much He went to the Cross for us.   In todays’ language we would say He took the bullet for us.

If you don't have a personal relationship with JESUS the Savior, why not start today.  Allow HIM to be LORD and the LOVE OF YOUR LIFE, you won't regret it!

There has never been a time when you were unloved by God.  I know many, many people do not believe that statement, but it is true.  God’s love is perfect, faithful, unconditional, forgiving, all-encompassing, pure, lasting, sacrificial, strong, enduring, refreshing, redeeming, everlasting, lavish, full, inspiring, hope-filled, gracious, and so much more. It’s never based on us, our abilities, or striving to ever be good enough. It’s found in Him, His character, and a huge capacity to give. It knows no boundaries and has no limits. There’s no place too deep that His love can’t reach us still. As the old hymn says:  “He can reach way down to pick us up.”
 
Over the years, He has cared for us, thought about us on a moment-by-moment basis, and never resisted the idea of loving us.  He has been willing to laugh with us, cry with us, and listen to us describe every detail of our lives.  When the world rejects you, God is your constant Friend who accepts you just as you are.   I know many times people see and think of God as an ogre with a heavy hand ready to knock us down but that is not the God of the Bible.
 
The problem we face is not God loving us, but how we love Him.  Do we truly know how to experience the love He has for us?  Can we accept the fact that He loves us unconditionally, and that the plans He has for our lives are ones that overflow with goodness and mercy and grace?  Think about this:  God does not withhold anything in loving us.  He gave everything He had to give when He extended His love to us through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  His love is a free gift of grace.  All that we need to do in order to have this love is to accept it, claim it and cling to it.

So how do you perceive God?  Several years ago, a student in seminary class stood to his feet and announced to the professor, "I don't believe in God!" The professor, unraveled, replied, "Describe this God you don't believe in?" After the student had described an unlovely and vengeful God, the professor confessed, "I don't believe in that God either. My God is a God of love."

It is so difficult to describe God’s love. How do you describe a rose to a blind person? How do you describe Handle's Hallelujah Chorus to a deaf person? How do you describe the thrill of down hill skiing to one who has never walked? How do you describe the impeccable, infinite love of God to impure, finite human beings?
One of the most vivid characteristics of God is that He is a God of love. The Psalmist was descriptive in recording the love-nature of God. He stated that he was "abounding in love" (Psalm 103:8 NIV), "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His  love for those who fear Him" (Psalm 103:11 NIV), "As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him" (Psalm 103:13 NIV),  "But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’S love is with those who fear Him (Psalm 103:17).  (The word fear as used here means to respect, to honor and to worship Him!)

The point is not simply that God "loves," but that He is love itself. Love is not merely one of His attributes, but His very nature. The Scripture says, "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. (1 John 4:16 NIV). To say that God is love is not to imply that love is God. God is love means that God wants the very best for you. God has your best interest in mind. He wants to give you good gifts and provide you with "all His benefits" (Psalm 103:2, NIV).

God's love touches every part of our life. Nothing - no calling or circumstance, no adversity or advancement, no pain or promotion, no status or station - escapes the brush strokes of God's love. God's love bleeds into every fabric and fiber of our lives.  The number of times the three-lettered word "all" is used in Psalm 103 reminds us that God's love is all consuming. His love touches every area of our lives. There is nowhere we can go to escape His love. There is no problem that we will encounter that is not touched by His love. There is no advancement that we will make where God is not already there. Even when our world falls apart, we can say, "God, I don't know why this is happening. I don't understand it, but I'm sure glad to know you love me."

The Bible cuts through all the philosophical ideas and declares that God is a Person. As a personal being God is capable of loving and being loved. And as a personal being he loves each one of us intensely and personally. God's love is not simply for mankind as a mass. It is not a sentimental, vague, diffused feeling - something like Charlie Brown's attitude when he says, "I love mankind; it's people I can't stand." God really likes individual people.

When Karl Barth, the famed German theologian, visited the United States, a reporter at a dedication service asked: "Dr. Barth, what is the single most important truth you have learned as a theologian?"  Barth replied, "The most important thing I have learned is this: 'Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.'"

"Jesus loves me" is the central pronouncement of the Christian faith and the cornerstone of the nature of God.  When God says I love you, He is saying that you matter to Him!

You are a person of worth. 

You are valuable to Him.

Regardless of what others think, in His eyes you are wonderful.

Have a Great Day and Remember...God Has Always Loved You!