"TORMENTED" in CHRIST's PRESENCE??
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
"TORMENTED with FIRE and BRIMSTONE in the
PRESENCE of the LAMB"
-by Marc White.
Over the last two weeks my main accountability brother and I have
been in the [book of] Revelation of Jesus Christ. If youre like me,
every time I return to the fresh waters of the Living Spirit and ask
Him to show us new dimensions to our great and fear-inspiring
God, He answers.
When we first started each on our own, I read the book through all
at once. Its quite a jolt to the heart. Since most Christians I know
arent in His word much at all, and certainly not reading through
entire books in one sitting, such a spiritual discipline can reveal
Gods mind to our spirit in ways previously unknown.
Let me ask you a personal question, if I may. When you think of
God, what comes to your mind? Who is He to you? What is He
like? Take a moment here and reflect in the Spirit.
Most believers or those making some claim to Jesus describe God
as kind, gentle, humble, never harsh or speaking words other than
a still small voice or whisper, always forgiving, full of unconditional
love, always accepting, always smiling at us, etc. In short, sort of
like an easy-going Grandfather who lovingly approves of all things
and sending us to Disneyworld, complete with enough money to
have loads of fun.
There is a side of God that is gentle, as demonstrated by Jesus
Himself, and written of by our brother Paul. But is that who God
really is in His fullness? Is that it? Or is there more?
On occasion, I hear believers who run across a speaker who they
say is too, well, harsh and unkind. They say things to me like,
Oh, it was terrible, he was just a fire and brimstone preacher.
Brimstone is burning sulphur, I understand.
But, you know what? God HIMSELF is a fire and brimstone preacher.
This is one of the many things the Spirit shook me up about as I
read Jesus Revelation of Himself:
Rev. 14:9-10:
"Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud
voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a
mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine
of the WRATH of God, which is mixed in FULL STRENGTH in the
cup of His ANGER; and he will be TORMENTED with FIRE AND
BRIMSTONE in the presence of the holy angels and in the
PRESENCE of the LAMB."
Wait a minute. Didnt I always hear from all the preachers over the
years that those in hell were eternally SEPARATED from Him?
Many of those teaching such things would sort of pass over these
concepts quickly and move on to other kinder attributes of God.
But, this passage clearly states those rejecting Jesus will
experience the fierce wrath, the full anger of our Creator.
But worse yet, TORMENTED in His PRESENCE. Forever, and ever
and ever and ever and ever and ever.
I was fearful that early morning at the prospect of most humans who
have ever lived ending up in this way, and the implications. My heart
was beating fiercely. I had started to sweat. My mind raced. And
after a bit, I had to ask Him the obvious questions. I just had to.
Oh, my Lord, I cried out in my heart, why do You do this? I
couldnt. Why do You do this? Does it bring You pleasure? It cant,
can it? Does it bring You immense satisfaction? It must. Buy why?
I dont understand. I cant bear it. What in Your perfect character
and purpose does this accomplish? All Your ways are good and
perfect and just. Oh, my Father, people tormented forever and ever
in the presence of the Lamb, Your very Son, and His holy angels.
I cant bear it. Help me.
Oh, how I was struggling. Weve always been taught that God loves
all these people. Yes, but at the throne the seraphim call out to
one another saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the
whole earth is full of His glory.
I thought of my own life. Am I worthy to be called His? Am I just
fooling myself? Do I need once again to test myself to see if Im in
the faith and not fail the test (2 Cor. 12:5-6)? Do I really love God
enough in my obedience to be counted worthy (2 Thes. 1:5)? Am
I still greedy like most people I know, not being content with just
food and covering, and headed for this torment (Eph. 5:3-5)? Am
I insulting the Spirit of His grace in any way at all, knowing its a
terrifying thing falling into the hands of the living God (Heb. 10:26-31).?
Jesus spoke much more about hell than He did heaven, heaven
being the destination for those who OBEY Him, the proof of active
faith. This was one of the many verses that flooded my heart that morning:
John 3:36:
"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who DOES NOT
OBEY the Son will not see life, but THE WRATH OF GOD abides on him."
In my lamentation, the Spirit began to answer my terrified heart.
Marc, He said, was I kind when I caused that truck to rear-end that
dear brother of yours, almost killing him, to move Him to repentance
so hed finally leave the sinful ways that would have sent him to hell?
Was I kind when I disciplined you severely for grumbling and
disputing about My character because of the state of My Laodicean
church in America? Yes, its My kindness that leads you and others
to repentance. I AM holy. That is who I AM. In the end, My creatures
sing of My holiness, not My grace or love.
But, I still desired more from Him. Is the Father being kind when He
torments these people for all eternity?
He answered me again in His word the next day:
Psalm 145:17- "The LORD is RIGHTEOUS in ALL His ways;
And KIND in ALL His deeds."
Who is God to you? What is He like? Is it the God of His word? Is
it the God of the Trinity of His Sons Revelation? What do you say?
He asks of us all, who do you say I AM?
When were in the Spirit, walking worthy of His name by His marvelous
grace, we have absolutely nothing to fear, even if were fearful like a
dead man at His feet:
Rev. 1:17-18:
"When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a DEAD MAN. And He placed
His right hand on me, saying, "DO NOT BE AFRAID; I am the first
and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am
alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades."
But, in our life here on this planet, fear the One who can kill us, fear
Him NOW, my brethren, and avoid any remote possibility of being
tormented in His presence FOREVER. The words of Jesus are NOT
vague, and are written to us, His friends who believe:
Luke 12:4-5-
"I say to you, My FRIENDS, DO NOT BE AFRAID of those who kill
the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will
WARN you whom to FEAR: FEAR the One who, after He has
KILLED, has authority to cast into HELL; yes, I tell you, FEAR Him!
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Copyright (c) Marc White, 2005.
EMAIL- <marc@corpfl.com>
-MONDAY MANNA - a 'Walk Worthy' ministry.
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