Today, not judgment but grace and peace. . .

"Thy word is true from the beginning...," "Thy word is truth" (Psalm 119:160; John 17:17).

"As even the limited evidence we've presented suggests, this winter's extreme weather, animal deaths, and even earthquakes are not the beginnings of divine judgment...but rather these events appear to be the consequences of entropy, in conjunction with the wickedness of men" and Satan's power.

You mention God's chastenings in men's lives, to either bless them or call them to repentance. It is true that the Lord chastens those whom He loves (Heb 12:6). This principle applies to God's children--those who have been made joint heirs through faith in Christ(Rom 8:17). Scripture tells us that it is not God's wrath but His kindness that leads us to repentance (Rom 2:4)

With the professing church, it's important to note that in the New Testament we see God's judgment of unrepentant believers: "deliver[ing] such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh" (1 Cor 5:5). This may occur in a sudden, catastrophic manner, or perhaps in a slow but obvious deterioration of health. God simply allows Satan to do what comes naturally as the thief and destroyer and sworn enemy of God's people. This method of justice seems consistent with what we see in regard to peoples and nations today.

There is no scriptural or physical evidence to suggest that our Creator is presently doing the "thundering" or "shaking" that results in catastrophic death and devastation. Instead of a biblical view of love, grace, and mercy, this paints the Lord as a spiteful, vengeful being, who indiscriminately hurls lightning and waves upon the continents. Such a picture is largely indistinguishable from that of a mythological or pagan perspective.

Today in the age of grace, God "maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust" (Mt 5:45)--not for judgment, but for blessing.
(From The Berean Call Newsletter, May 2011.)