Are You A Christian? Can't Wait for Divine Judgment and the "End-Times"? Slow Down.

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"Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign LORD. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live." --Ezekiel 18:38 (New Living Translation)
There is an element in the Christian community that seems to enjoy the idea of the "wicked" suffering, dying, and receiving divine judgment and retribution. You may have seen or heard the broadcasts featuring preachers gleefully threatening lost souls with fire, brimstone, and dancing devils. Their theme seems to be "I'm so glad I'm not you! You've got it coming!!"

That thinking is not aligned with God's thinking.

There is a part of us that always wants goodness to prevail and carry the day. We want "badness" (however we define it) to fail. That makes sense. 

We must, however, separate that wish from the desire to see people fail, experience doom and divine judgment, and remain forever separated from God.

As we become more mature and grounded in our faith, we will come to the place where we want everyone to experience mercy, repentance, and enjoy the goodness of knowing and loving God.

There is nothing to be happy about when someone fails, loses the opportunity to self-correct, or is doomed to permanent separation from the Creator who loves them.

We live in a time when many people are doing inexplicably bad things. We live in a time when younger people are experiencing extreme disorientation from their environments and older people are looking with longing back to a time when things seemed clearer and simpler and easier to handle.

We were created for order and peace and love and creativity. We did not emerge from a nameless choas. When chaos enters our experience, it doesn't feel right. If we were the random results of a chaotic process, we wouldn't have the responses we have when purpose and peace disappear from our experiences.

Yes, we long for a time when things will be made right. At the right time, divine judgment and correction will be made. "Not yet" or "Not now" are not the same as "Never."

In the meantime, our prayer is not for God to send lighting bolts of destruction upon those who are wicked and commit wicked acts.

Our prayer is that they will turn, change, repent, and find their purpose in God.

Don't know what to pray for in the middle of the current madness? Pray that every lost soul will connect with God and leave behind every element of destruction. 

"Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign LORD. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live." --Ezekiel 18:38 (New Living Translation)

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