I asked my mentor Pastor Randall Floyd of the Clayton, New Mexico Assemblies of God Church to address the issue of “Is God’s Judgement on New Mexico?” Thank you Pastor Randall for sharing your message with the world! I wept as I read Pastor Randall’s message. It had a huge impact on me.
New Mexico, along with many other places around our nation, is seeing a massive increase in violence, tragedy, natural disasters, and an overall decline in societal behavior. With the increase in easily accessible information through 24-hour newscasts and social media, we are made more aware of it than at any other time in history. It leads many to wonder, “What is the reason for all of this?” Many religious people (remember, not everyone who calls themselves a Christian really are: …by their fruit you will know them – Matthew 7:20) are asking such questions as: “Is this God’s judgement and wrath? Or something else?” Here are this Pastor’s viewpoints on these matters.
First, yes, it is God’s judgement and wrath for the sin we have allowed to run rampant in our state, cities, and towns. We cannot continue to endorse and condone the satanic sacrament of abortion, the wanton taking of life, the decline of morals, corruption in leadership (at all levels and in all areas of society, not just political), and an overall disregard for the sanctity of life and expect God to turn a blind eye:
Ecclesiastes 12:14 – For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
However, let every true believer and follower of Christ be cautious in speaking this truth rashly and arrogantly. Let us not forget the words of:
1 Peter 4:17-18 – For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
The Church of New Mexico (all true believers) is not entirely innocent in all of this. Too many have prostituted themselves in the bed of politics, becoming adulterous to our true Bridegroom, Jesus Christ; choosing to seek ultimate solutions in the Roundhouse rather than the Church House; in the books of law rather than in the Word of God. While we must participate in the political process as citizens of this state and nation, may we never do so at the sacrifice of the Gospel. Remember, Jesus, the Twelve, and Paul all spread the Gospel and had a worldwide impact under a government at least as corrupt as todays, and maybe even more so.
So, yes, some of what we are witnessing is God’s judgement and wrath. However, that is not the sum total of what we are seeing and why we are experiencing these things.
Second, we must realize that much of what we are experiencing and witnessing is prophetic fulfillment. Prophetic fulfillment that should have true believers rejoicing.
Here are a few passages of Scripture that show us how the things we see are necessary so that prophecy might be fulfilled:
Matthew 24:4-13 – 4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. 9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold…
2 Timothy 3:1-5 – But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
So, what do we do as these things continue to happen and increase exponentially? Do we hang our heads in despair? Crawl into a hole and hide? NO!
Luke 21:28 – When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Finally, some of what we are witnessing and experiencing is simply life – life in a broken, sinful world. It is creation “groaning as in the pains of childbirth” (Romans 8:22). This world has been broken ever since the Fall in the Garden of Eden; since the “days of Noah”. Jesus said this about those days:
Luke 17:26-27 – “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
What it really comes down to is not why, but what – what are we as true believers in Jesus Christ supposed to be doing? Rather than trying to determine the level of judgement or wrath or prophetic fulfillment, let us not forget the two “greats” given by Jesus:
The Great Commandment:
Matthew 22:37-40 – “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
The Great Commission:
Matthew 28:18-20 – Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
