In treating this issue with Scripture and the Nature of God, we must clear up some notions, personal bias, theological errors. I have taken my time to bring out the messages in this series because I desire to mature the messages and hear what God is beginning to say, and ask that we all seek Him for our own personal balance. I am more prolific in messages sometimes, but sometimes when there is a silence is because what I projected to do, sometimes goes through a major refining in my own heart, and a directed research.

In times of wrath the balance is that God always remembers His own Mercy…

One thing that troubles the student and scholar of the Word is the plethora of prophetic words that circulate. One friend, minister from Brazil sent me recently some videos of various prophetic words coming out from that nation of interpreting the times. The times are indeed intense with a pandemic, misinformation, persecution, stress, family breakdowns etc etc. The so called prophetic words range from the hyper judgment, to the hyper grace. These are both opposite poles and are both heresy. The Scripture from Habakkuk is a standard to interpret God’s ways and His Word to humankind. It brings us into balance, it brings us into an insight that even when God shows His anger toward sin, toward iniquity and those who live in it, there is a place in God where He remembers His Mercy. We need to therefore examine what it means when we enter times of God’s wrath, and we must discern and decipher when He remembers Mercy. It is not enough to quote this verse and apply the One size Fits All philosophy and then expect our circumstances to change. Nor it is enough to follow what was known as the faith movement to “speak to the mountain” that God worked through for a season but now the demand is to determine the context of such foundational scriptures. You may call me critical but my own vision of His Word demands this kind of detail. In fact the phrase “the devil is in the detail” can be a watchword for those who care to deceive and scam others. However today we can turn that round when we treat Biblical Truth as saying: “God is in the midst of Biblical detail and depth”. Therefore this Scripture in Habakkuk is a prophetic standard.

In times of wrath must be defined because they must come to God’s people first so that when the world walks into judgment the covenant people can be a source of Mercy

I take exception with those who so readily prophesy and preach judgment without really understanding the context of judgment and what the Bible really says. The standard regarding prophesying judgment is Jeremiah, who wept at the deafness of King and Priest in that time. However there is a great and more complex issue to address. The fact that the Old Testament deals with Judgment that falls in a context of Law, whilst the New speaks of Judgment in a context of Grace. Grace is not a license to sin. Hebrews 10 shows us that God is still a consuming fire! Our privilege in Christ does not make room for lack of godly fear, for lack of pursuit of holiness through faith and obedience. We are not in line for judgment but chastisement according to Hebrews 12. Chastisement comes in the context of sonship. This chastisement comes to draw us into correction and purity. If we fall outside of these then our sin will reap for us spiritual death. Our judgment comes when what we have sowed falls upon our heads. Some of these harvests come now, some are reserved in the Day of the Lord.

The problem with these so called modern day prophets comes when they adopt a Old Testament model in the prophet without taking into account the context by which Isaiah or Jeremiah or the others were raised up. What were their role with exhorting God’s people? What did their message point to? What was God pointing them to in the affairs of Israel? If we are prophesying in a leadership, social media, publication medium we cannot use this Old Testament model because we must also define where Grace fits into the Message, what season we are in, what role does the Gospel play in this age? Great errors have come into the modern day by adopting this model.

The other error is seeing the age of the Gospel is being less “times of wrath” because Jesus bore it all. That then nullifies the power of the prophetic word that exhorts to repentance and a pursuit for holiness. We can sometimes paint the God of the Old Covenant being more severe than the New. That is gross error.

The other error today in these so called modern day prophets is the lack of accountability and testing. The reason for this is 44 thousand denominations and the tendency for a DIY theology. This way these so called Messengers can publish their messages and can flow in prophetic models that interpret Scripture in a way that is wrong deceiving the flock. There needs to be a new spirit of unity that accountability can be effective. The correction in this day of the Body of Christ can make it a true and pure representation of the God who remembers His Mercy in times of great wrath!

This difficult age will bring out purity and bring out truth about God’s dealings with the world today making the Gospel clearer and a fountain of revival throughout the world

God is going to raise up a generation whose commitment to the Word of God with passion shall ascertain the truth. In fact the other day whilst studying the Psalms the Scriptures came alive as God spoke concerning the restoration of teachers, that their teaching become so restored that people began to hear the Voice of God in their inner being directing them. I understood that when God releases His Teachers of His Word God releases a thirst that brings them into hearing God clearly. The hearing of His Word transitions from external to internal. This pandemic is not a judgment in the sense of destruction, it is a refining fire, which the things of God will stand, and that which is of humanity shall be burned away. It is a glorious challenge and a glorious opportunity for the Gospel to reach ears of people who have lost hope, lost faith, whose life’s pillars have been shaken, yet now the Gospel is purely spoken then they will respond. So the pandemic becomes a force of change. God will help resolve it in the end when His people pray and God responds. The deaths are unfortunate but for whatever reason God has allowed it. It is for a greater good. It shows us that in “times of wrath He will always remember His Mercy.” The balance is to see wrath and mercy in equal measure.

Shalom!