As the saying goes ‘In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes‘ and many can relate to this. However, for true Christians we know there is so much more that we can be certain of – for instance, there are numerous prophetic events still to come, some very soon, with the climax being the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ! But it seems while the Coming King is at the door, churches keep quiet about the coming judgment!
There is no doubt at all that God’s prophetic Word is true, the past has been proven and the future stage is already being set! One other certainty we all have to face is the reality of an individual judgment:
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (Hebrew 9:27)
Whether you are a believer or not, judgment is certain – either the Bema judgment seat or White Throne judgment await us. When we die, or are raptured, there is no changing our predicament when we face our Creator at the judgment seat as it will be too late – this alone should cause us to look at our own lives and see where our priorities lie. Do you live a life for Christ?
So the question is, why are the major churches not speaking about a coming judgment?! This is so clear and important we have created a website named after this truth! Surely speaking on this subject would get the attention of some, causing them to seriously investigate the claims. Michael Brown covers this subject well in his blog – Pastors, Preach on the Coming Judgment. Although it’s targeted at an American audience, the points are very relevant for us in the UK too.
Christianity is under attack from all directions and unfortunately, this has resulted in the majority of pastors only preaching a selective ‘seeker-friendly’ message instead of standing firm on God’s Word – Jesus was certainly not ‘seeker-friendly’!
As Michael asks it for America we can for the UK – how much fear of God is there in the United Kingdom today?
Political correctness now dominates our society, anything said that is perceived as ‘offensive’ causes uproar and may well land you in the courts! But who do we fear – society’s pressure to conform to their thinking or the holiness of God?
God is certainly a God of love and pastors should proclaim this but not at the detriment of His other attributes!
The Old Testament details many examples where God’s wrath was carried out in different ways but it was always in response to sin and disobedience and motivated by the desire for our repentance. God is holy and righteous, so His wrath is justified but many pastors don’t seem to understand this and often avoid preaching on anything in the OT and even denying the literal accuracy of some events! This then means that teaching from the Book of Revelation is totally out of the question! In reality, God’s judgment is a common theme throughout the whole of Scripture, pastors cannot preach the true gospel message without covering judgment!
God’s hand of protection this nation once had over it is all but gone. Can we get it back? If we repent as a nation and turn to God, then yes, but this will not happen while pastors and church leaders let go of the authority of God’s Word. There are good pastors in the UK (e.g. Mike Barnard) and there are very good Biblically grounded ministries like Moriel Minitries, PWMI, and Real Christianity who stand firm to Scripture. We pray more can be like these!
The worrying trend in our churches is that the leaders do not even read the Word of God, let alone understand what it says! This is just a shocking fact and, in part, a reason why the churches are in such a state. It’s time for the pastors in the UK to wake up and speak the truth! There is no time for embarrassment or denial, it is time to step up, let Scripture do the talking and declare the real God we worship.
Like it or not judgment is coming…
The Psalms sing of it:
Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together Before the Lord; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.(Psalm 98:7-9)
Daniel warned about it:
I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. (Daniel 7:9-10)
Paul warned about it:
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10)
Peter warning about it:
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:7)
John warned about it:
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)
And ultimately Jesus spoke about it:
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. (Matthew 25:31-33)
So, pastors and we individually should tell people about it!
Pastors will be held more accountable than others for their handling of Scripture by God but we are all told to ready to give an answer (1 Peter 3:15), are we being truthful when sharing the gospel message to others without mentioning judgment? The more time we spend reading the Bible and looking to God the more prepared we will be. We will all meet Jesus face to face one day – if that day was today, how confident would you be?
For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. (John 5:22-27)
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