God & Storms

[Gregory Matthews]

See;

https://atoday.org/does-god-use-disasters-to-punish-sinners/

 

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Uncertain about the article, but do feel it missed some important concepts brought out in the Great Controversey. There is a difference between the wrath of God and withdrawing His hand of protection from the world as this age draws to a close. I do not think people realize how much God has protected this world from the hatred of the dark side and when that protection is gradually withdrawn, the sinfulness of humanity will lead to mass blaming of God for the misery and destruction occurring. It will only get worse with periodic "reprieves" until humanity is wholly given over and the image of Satan is "perfectly" reproduced within them. 

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Satan works through the elements also to garner his harvest of unprepared souls. He has studied the secrets of the laboratories of nature, and he uses all his power to control the elements as far as God allows. When he was suffered to afflict Job, how quickly flocks and herds, servants, houses, children, were swept away, one trouble succeeding another as in a moment. It is God that shields His creatures and hedges them in from the power of the destroyer. But the Christian world have shown contempt for the law of Jehovah; and the Lord will do just what He has declared that He would—He will withdraw His blessings from the earth and remove His protecting care from those who are rebelling against His law and teaching and forcing others to do the same. Satan has control of all whom God does not especially guard. He will favor and prosper some in order to further his own designs, and he will bring trouble upon others and lead men to believe that it is God who is afflicting them. – {GC 589.2}
While appearing to the children of men as a great physician who can heal all their maladies, he will bring disease and disaster, until populous cities are reduced to ruin and desolation. Even now he is at work. In accidents and calamities by sea and by land, in great conflagrations, in fierce tornadoes and terrific hailstorms, in tempests, floods, cyclones, tidal waves, and earthquakes, in every place and in a thousand forms, Satan is exercising his power. He sweeps away the ripening harvest, and famine and distress follow. He imparts to the air a deadly taint, and thousands perish by the pestilence. These visitations are to become more and more frequent and disastrous. Destruction will be upon both man and beast. “The earth mourneth and fadeth away,” “the haughty people ... do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.” Isaiah 24:4, 5. – {GC 589.3}

[JoeMo]

We have not seen anything close to the wrath of God yet.  Harvey and Irma are gentle spring showers compared to what the wrath of God will bring.  Do we see the wrath of man against man?  Yes - for thousands of years.  Do we see the wrath of satan against men? Yes - for satan knows he has but a short time left and is seeking as many as he can to devour.  Do we see God's wrath against men?  Not yet.  For a description of what God's wrath will be like, see Rev. 16.  We ain't seen nothin' yet.  Hopefully, the faithful will be "raptured" (aka "translated" in SDA  speak) before the seven bowls are poured out.  I believe Rev. 14:14-16 speaks to this.

[LifeHiscost]

52 minutes ago, JoeMo said:

We have not seen anything close to the wrath of God yet.  Harvey and Irma are gentle spring showers compared to what the wrath of God will bring.  Do we see the wrath of man against man?  Yes - for thousands of years.  Do we see the wrath of satan against men? Yes - for satan knows he has but a short time left and is seeking as many as he can to devour.  Do we see God's wrath against men?  Not yet.  For a description of what God's wrath will be like, see Rev. 16.  We ain't seen nothin' yet.  Hopefully, the faithful will be "raptured" (aka "translated" in SDA  speak) before the seven bowls are poured out.  I believe Rev. 14:14-16 speaks to this.

Would it seem unwise to apply the attributes of Love to that which chastens, with the hope it will bring about repentance  before it is at last too late to come to one's senses.

Love
…5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. 6Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. 7It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.… 1 Corinthians 13

…15If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is Love;  whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgement; for in this world we are just like Him.…1 John 4

God is Love!~Jesus saves!