Matthew 3:7-12 KJV
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Jonathan Edwards a preacher in the ancient days of America(1700), Preached fire and brimestone to a generation we would think by our standards were very puritan and protestant in life style, but far from in apparently that he preaching so angrily one revival "The Hands Of Angry God". We think not about the hands of an angry God, we think only of a God of love we deceive ourselves, in think that God is not a God of wrath as well. God's anger foretold in scripture demonstrated in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Noah ark, but we see no fire but in Sodom and Gomorrah, we see the tears of God in the story of Noah, as he repented that he made man. Yet Noah was righteous of his generation. Each generation needs to understand that wrath of God, and yet most people would rather see a God of love and compassion on his people, so that he protects his people. His wrath only coming to children of disobedience. The spiritual mindness so high that they think not of the wrath of God.

Wrath of God on children of disobedience. is hard to understand. Why destroy when you have the power to enforce the right standard of living at the minimum. God is a God of free will. Giving his children a chance to repent on their own. A chance to submit to the will of God. Yet when people do not repent his wrath will come. 1700's we think of a time period life was hard and even harsh in comparison to our world today and yet they need the fire and brimstone sermons as much a we do today. One must ask how come, because each generation must decide if they repent or face the wrath of God to come to each generation. There is always a remnant from each generation that we often forget the wrath of God.

This month is fire prevention week, and the easiest way to prevent the fire of God from coming is through repentance, but one has to truly believe in the need of repentance and turning from sin, to receive God's redemption plan of salvation through Christ Jesus. Jesus is carrying an axe to cut down the trees of the forest, to cut up for fire wood, and burn it in the fire of God. We don't see Jesus as a axe carrier but remember his father was a carpenter, He had the knowledge to cut wood and use it for kindling, if the wood was not good for things they would make in the carpenter shop. Perhaps John had witness Jesus going after kindling or wood for a project. Yet as John the Baptist preached he seen the fruit of good trees being formed into something beautfiul at the hands of Jesus. After all they were cousins. If I want to go a little further in John thinking as he preached he knew the fruit of repentance was not kindling but each man/woman/boy/girl had to fall to their knees and ask for forgiveness to be saved. That a change had to occur in the hearts of the people. Those that fell to repent to only pick up their load of sin they were carrying and do more was becoming firewood if they did not turn from their sin and follow after the Spirit of God. Our reality of God is perhaps the first of acknowledge his being, but until we recognize his power to change our life for good if we allow it or his ability to destroy our life because of our wickedness, one will never repent and seek God's forgiveness for one's sin against God.

The power to control our actions. I get angry sometimes and my fingers can type on the notepad my anger, but it not fruitful. It unproductive. Yet I can write a devotional and it fruit product of God's love and my love for the people of this world. My love matters not in comparison to God's love for you, to warn you of his wrath to come. I rather preach love then about God's consuming wrath. His power to not only cut us down but to throw us in the fire of hell. As a teen in english class we read the sermon of Jonathan Edwards. and yet because my God was a God of love this wrath, this condemption did not seem a part of my God who saved my soul. Are we standing on this side of salvation or the side where man is fleeing still from God and his wrath to come. If you fleeing you are in need of repentance, in need of turning around falling to one's knees(at least figuratively) and coming to a point of laying one sin at the cross of Jesus asking him to forgive you, and repenting(turn away) from sin in one's personal life. We can not make the world repent with us, but we can do our part in the process. It like a church dinner, everyone brings a dish and one goes through the buffet line of church food, that is out of this world. Each doing their part to admitting their sin and desire to dine to the feast on the manna of God's word, food to feed the starving soul of faith. God fills it to completion til the heart is overflowing. Manna being bitter sweet and other times only sweet. Bitter sweet, having to deal with the sickness of the soul(stomach), and other times just having a revival of hope and love for the believers heart. Believers heart hears the word and rejoices while other are running or repenting in the fire of the word of God.

This imaginery doesn't sound exciting perhaps to someone not grasping the full measure of God's Spirit and his wrath. I remember as a young child hearing my first fire and brimstone sermon and being in fear of God but already saved. The knowledge of God's wrath coming on unbelievers scared me. I wanted the world to repent. Yet in my fifty years I seen less repentance and more compassion to even the unbeliever. One might ask why more love, because the compassion for the ignorance of the need of salvation perhaps. However without the sermon of wrath, one never knows God is more then a God of love, hope and peace. That there is the alternate because his love is to all people and all generation, yet his wrath is for them too, without repentance.

Truth be told there are ministers that can preach on the wrath of God quite eloquently, but eloquence has no value without people coming to repentance in faith in Christ Jesus. Our dead works and our sin is not fruitful and it meant for a fire, but our faith and hope is meant for eternity a place from the wrath of God but a place to live in peace with God for eternity.

Holy Spirit will chop the wheat down to take the seed to plant for growth to the gardner who is God the Father. He take the fruit of the wheat to produce more seeds of faith. God's word in us, produce fruit of repentance if sowed. Our life should bring others to the knowledge of Christ not push them away. God's people until they repent, until they allow God to cut them down and take that seed of our life and sow it before the world no new wheat will be produced. It it becomes unfit for God to use us to help those in need of him.

Something that television world tries to do is show the changes of people ove their years in their stories and often the reason for those changes, of time and growth of a person, but without God these changes still are without value. though a story maybe of a person or maybe fiction, it will still illustrate change of time. Television rarely shows the inner soul without an apology. With God some changes are instant and without God some changes are by the will of man, but with God all change by the power of the Holy Spirit working in our life to be children and fruit of God's love and grace.

You choose whether you flee from the wrath of God or whether you run towards the love of God who wants to mold and make you into a person of his love and hope. Fleeing from his wrath the only salvation is toward his love of his salvation plan in Christ, otherwise the wrath of God will catch you. Christ was and is the fruit of God's love for mankind and the hope to the world to all that receive him.

Dear Heavenly Father help us to run toward your love and flee from the wrath of your hand to come. Let your love shine in our hearts and not the wrath of revenge you have for children of disobedience. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Galatians 5:13-26 KJV
13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. .