God's Wrath or His Discipline?

I wake to the voice of the Holy One. It is always interesting to come to our place of fellowship. I never know what He will speak next. The topics and lessons are so vast coming from the mind of the Creator of all things. Who can begin to know the mind of God? Yet, in fellowship and love, He speaks to His child.

Today I hear the Spirit speak, "There is a distinction between discipline and wrath: Look to my Word and see the distinction I make between My wayward, rebellious people and the nations that are not mine."

The Spirit takes me to His Word, Malachi 3:16-18, "Then those who feared the Lord talked to each other and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in His Presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored His name. They will be Mine.......vs 18...and you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."

In the context of this promise, this book was written as the last prophetic word before the 1st coming of Christ, the Messiah.

We have the extreme blessing of the written historical account of the day in the saga of men when God, as Jesus Christ, came in the flesh to fulfill the Divine Mandate of the "Suffering Messiah". Prophecy spoke it and history recorded it, so we can look back and know it as fact.

We live today in the Prophetic anticipation of the return of our King, Jesus Christ. He has already accomplished all that it took to be our Savior, Messiah. He died for the sins of men since Adam fell in the garden. Jesus cancelled the curse, and paid the Blood debt associated with sin. God's wrath was poured out on Him as He died upon the Cross for all men and He was resurrected in new life, an event that was seen by many and recorded for all generations. He lives, and the Word says, He is coming back as the rightful King of all He created.

Yes, we live in the time zone of great anticipation. As believers in the absolute truth of God's Word and the inerrant aspect of the Holy Scriptures, we wait in faith knowing that the day of our King's return is imminent.

The question is "How do we wait?"

Jesus said, (of end times), "You will be hated by all nations because of Me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness the love of many will grow cold. But he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached to the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come."

As we look around at the events taking place in the circumstances of our daily lives, over our nation, and around the world, we are all being shaken. Consequences of our rebellion of God's principles through bad choices are being served up by a Holy God. But one thing is true; there IS a distinction between those who serve Him and those who do not.

As I face the trials of this life and in this epoch time in history, I am so thankful to know that I am safe in the hands of my Abba Father, who brings me through His Divine discipline, with the goal of my refinement and not to the end of my destruction. If I am wise, I will yield to His ways of achieving His goal to refine me and not, in self pity "judge the Judge".

Remembering His promise put forth in Malachi, I must wait, in faith, knowing that every hard circumstance will work out for my good, unlike the non-believer facing similar world events.

There comes a peace and joy in the knowledge of the Truth about our God. Being prepared and through discipline waiting for a Glorious King to come and make all things new, is quite different than waiting for "death" as an end to the torment of life. I know that Jesus' death shields me from the wrath of a Holy God, so whatever unfolds in my life is a discipline to teach me not wrath to destroy me.

And this is what we have to share with the unbelieving world around us:

Rev 22:12, "BEHOLD I AM COMING SOON"

Jesus is coming soon........

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?