Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate.  Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach.  For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.

 
 
 

Going to Jesus

Daily Thoughts

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Thought for the Evening
5-31

TRIBULATION AND “UNCONDITIONAL LOVE”

A letter from Sister Amy Pittman

Hey there,

I was listening to the “What Must I do to be Saved” teaching series this morning, and you were talking about the coming wrath of God and the many things He is going to pour out on this nation, such as famine, destruction, death, etc., some of which He has already done. As I was thinking on that, I had a thought about the god of “unconditional love” that is taught in many places. I saw something very cunning and crafty behind that teaching that I had never seen before. If someone believes that God has “unconditional love”, then when something very tragic happens, it makes room for bitterness and hatred, and that hatred can turn against God. So, if people believe that God loves everybody unconditionally, but then something tragic happens, it sets them up for disappointment and a hatred toward God. It works evil because what they claim to believe is shown to be false and that can cause pride to rise up and harden their heart from God. It looks very loving on the outside but it deadens the heart on the inside. That “unconditional love” doctrine is just another crafty teaching to fool God’s children and make them disappointed.

The teaching of “unconditional love” damages the tender areas of the heart so that it is harder to see the wonderful hand of God working. It keeps people from learning Him and really getting the point. I pray for God’s children everywhere that they could know the real, living, true God; the God who is full of conditions and truth. I look forward to the day when our God is revealed to all, and the god of Christianity and prince of the Earth is exposed in his pitiful state. God has a plan and it’s conditional! I pray that we all submit to the hand of God and live that we might be saved from the coming wrath of God!

Amy

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Hey, Amy!

Jesus’ great desire was that his disciple would keep his commandments so that they would abide in his love, just as he had kept his Father’s commandments and, so, abode in His love. He said in John 15:10, “You shall abide in my love if you keep my commandments, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and am abiding in His love.

Unconditional love does not exist anywhere in this universe, not even in the hearts of those who claim that we all must have it.

It is the same sort of thing with the doctrine of many Christian ministers who are telling people that believers in Christ will not go through the “Great Tribulation”. Their error is setting millions of people up for a very great disappointment and shock because the saints of God will not only go through the “great tribulation” mentioned in Revelation 7, but they will also go through another, even greater, tribulation when the Beast and False prophet arrive on the scene. And believers will suffer at other times, besides these two general persecution times.

It may be that people invent these images of God as never punishing people or testing the hearts of man, so that they can win souls to such a good God. But such a god as that is not good; he is foolish and blind. And it may be that Christian ministers tell people they will never suffer adversities or persecutions so that those people will have a better attitude toward God and feel better about the future. I can’t say in all cases why men teach such things, but I do know that in every case, it is wrong. If God determines a time of suffering for the saints (as He most certainly shall), their misguided feeling of security will turn to ashes and their attitude toward God will most certainly change. It is cruel and destructive to persuade people to trust in a god that only exists in the imagination of men.

Pastor John

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