The “Severity” of a Compassionate God By Mike McClung

Romans 11:22: “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.”

The Lord can at times seemingly be the most gracious and compassionate Being in the universe and also seemingly, the most “severe.”  His severity only appears to be so severe because we are seeing Him through the eyes of the fallen Adamic nature.  Adam, and all pertaining to him, is under sin’s curse.  There is no good in it, and it must be eradicated.  God’s “severity” is only such as we dwell in fleshly lusts and carnality.  His discipline comes into our lives to grow us up, and cause us to be literal partakers of His nature and divine attributes (2 Pet. 1:3-4).

The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord By Mike McClung

Both the Old and New Testament foretell of a “Great and Terrible Day of the Lord” yet to come. This seemingly paradoxical description comes clearly into focus as we recognize that our position (either in Christ or not) will determine just what kind of day it will be for us. This “Day” is a period of time which is fast approaching. It promises to evoke a full spectrum of emotions ranging from spectacular awe to a terror that will drive even the hardest, most rebellious heart to hide in fear and dread of the approaching wrath of God. Can we know when this day is coming? Where we will stand? How we should prepare?

Days of Decision, Preparing for Days of War By Mike McClung

Proclaim this among the nations: "Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, 'I am strong.'" Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O LORD. "Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow-- for their wickedness is great." Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. - Joel 3:9-14

Believers are presently being exercised to make decisions, and not to have them made for us as children. We are faced with decisions that will have far-reaching and powerful effects and consequences now and in the ensuing weeks, months and years. To many, the Lord is seemingly silent. We have been, much like children, used to asking the Lord to do such-and-such for us, for others, etc. His silence is His answer that it's now time for us to make decisions based on our intimate knowledge of Him, His character, His ways, and the knowledge of the truth through the word and indwelling Spirit of God. It will take FAITH...true faith and not that which has been bantered around as something we use to get stuff from Him. It's the "faith of the Son of God" who dwells within us, Who is also seated at the right hand of God.

Babylon vs. Zion By Mike McClung

Acts 3:19-21: “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”

Rev. 18:1-5: “After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.’ And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.’”

Rev. 19:1-8: “After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, ‘Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.’ Again they said, ‘Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!’ And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, ‘Amen! Alleluia!’ Then a voice came from the throne, saying, ‘Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!’ And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, ‘Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.’ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”

The scripture is clear that it is God’s intent and design for the bride of Christ to be made ready for His return. This will also be preceded by a world-wide harvest of the nations coming into His kingdom. We are in the first throes of this restoration of the church to New Testament purity and power and the nations harvested for the glory of God.