Ralph Martin - Flee Now! From the Wrath That is Coming

[Music] hello brothers and sisters i've only done this once before that was way back in june when i was talking about father michael scanlan's second prophecy from 1980 and i i did it at the end of the message it's when i ask for your help in order to continue what we're doing as we get closer to the end of the year i need to let you know that everything we're doing is because of the generosity of supporters like you and we do a lot of stuff we do the weekly television program we do two daily radio programs with peter herbeck and sister ann shields we do mission work in 40 different countries uh and we're really putting a lot of effort into these youtube videos partly because of the lock down the close down the canceled travel but partly because we feel like the holy spirit's telling us that this is a very important time and we need to be more timely in what we're doing so if you'd like to have all this continue if you'd like to have these youtube videos continue if you've been benefiting from them in any way uh i'd just like to ask you for your help donations to renewal ministries are tax deductible uh just go to renewalministries.net and you'll see a donate opportunity there and whatever you can do would be a tremendous help for us uh we think this is a critical time in the church critical time in the world and we feel like the lord's giving us a clear message to to speak and uh i just hope that you can continue to help us the reason why i'm doing this kind of announcement at the beginning is that i'm pretty deeply moved by what i'm going to be speaking about and i think at the end of it i'm not going to be wanting to talk about practical things so that's why i'm talking about practical things now now the topic fleeing now from the wrath that is coming i i know it sounds a little unusual i know that wrath sounds kind of scary and what's this thing about flea now how do we flee what are we fleeing from what are we fleeing to what's going on about this whole concept of wrath of god it sounds scary it sounds old testament well it is old testament this i think a 127 times no 227 times the wrath of god is spoken about in the old testament but it's also in the new testament 38 times it's in gospels it's in epistles it's the book of revelation so let's talk about his first appearance in the new testament and this is john the baptist matthew chapter 3 verses 7 to 12. when he saw many of the pharisees and sadducees coming for baptism he said to them you brew to vipers i bet you haven't heard that recently in a sermon who warned you to flee from the wrath to come bear fruit that befits repentance and do not presume to say to yourselves we have abraham as our father even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire wow this is kind of tough language but it's language that jesus himself endorses and takes up in those very moving chapters in john's gospel where he's talking about the most deepest communion with him and the father and his believers he says those who bear fruit my father will prune so they bear more more fruit and those who don't bear fruit will be cut off and thrown into the fire so this is a right at the very heart of jesus's teaching this is very right at the very heart of jesus's ministry this is a very significant moment where john the baptist is introducing jesus to the world and this is what he says about jesus i baptize you with water for repentance but he who is coming after me is mightier than i he will baptize you with the holy spirit and with fire his winnowing fork is in his hand and he will clear he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the granary but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire eternal fire hell so right at the moment when jesus is introduced to the world by john the baptist we have a really challenging message jesus has come to bring god's spirit to everybody to baptize people in the holy spirit to forgive our sins but those who reject jesus are going to be lost are going to be the chaft that's thrown into the fire so right at the beginning of the announcement of who jesus is and what his mission is we have this shocking warning about the wrath of god and john is saying who warned you to flee from the wrath of god john wasn't sure the sincerity of the pharisees the sadducees who were coming out to get baptized they didn't maybe they were doing it to win favor with the people maybe they were doing it because uh you know they just thought it would be a politically good thing to do you know so john's saying if you're sincere in repenting and baptism was a symbol of repentance if you're sincere in repenting change your life stop doing the things that you're doing that are displeasing to god and bear the fruits that are that are the fruits of true repentance okay so now how do we understand the language of wrath it's human language it talks about anger it talks about uh punishment it talks about a kind of vengeance so this is human language that the gospel writers are using to express something that's true about god it's not true about god like it is about human beings god doesn't lose his temper god doesn't erupt in a fit of desire to punish people but this is revealing something about god's nature god is holy god is pure god is love god is goodness and he wants nothing but goodness and love and mercy and kindness for his creatures but he is angry he is utterly opposed to anything or anyone who would deface his creation who would dishonor him who would block his people from the happiness from the goodness that the lord has for them god hates sin it's totally incompatible to have somebody who is an unrepentant sinner in the presence of god the only way an unrepentant sinner can come into the presence of god and come into heaven is by repenting and that's why this message of repentance at the very beginning of announcing jesus to to the world this word repentance is so important it's the first thing that jesus himself preached when he started his public ministry repent for the kingdom of god is at hand and the kingdom of god was at hand and is at hand in the person of jesus so the wrath of god isn't like an emotional outburst it's a relentless opposition to everything that blocks the plan of god and to anyone who would persist in blocking the plan of god even to the point of death why is sin profoundly offensive to god it's because it ruins his love it ruins his plan it blocks his love and that's why it's so so important to take seriously the wrath of god we see the wrath of god expressed in history there's the great day of wrath that both the old testament and the new testament talk about the the final day of judgment where evil will finally be removed from the universe and all unrepentant sinners will be removed from the presence of god and the reward will be given to those who have been faithful to the lord and have followed him and have received his mercy but there's expressions of god's wrath and history god's wrath isn't express it isn't perfectly expressed in history but it is from time to time expressed in very visible ways it's expressed when god judges individuals like he did miriam when miriam mocked david for celebrating the lord she was struck with leprosy it was a judgment of god the wrath of god broke out against miriam we see that happening in other individuals in the old testament but we also see god's wrath breaking out in terrifying ways against his beloved people against his chosen people i i did a couple videos several weeks ago about shocking judgments and i'm still shocked i'm still shocked that the severe punishment that god enacted on his own people because they weren't being his people they weren't treasuring the relationship that he was giving them they weren't being faithful to the covenant to the the solemn commitment that god made to be their god if they if he would be their people if they would be his people and so terrible things uh pestilence plagues severe famine even to the point of people eating their own children cannibalism wars defeat by military enemies deportation i mean really severe punishments because god's people were worshiping false gods god's people were committing immorality they were oppressing the poor they were committing sexual immorality they were worshiping false gods they were ignoring the prophets they're ignoring the word that god was sending them to wake them out of their slumber to wake them out of their sin to shake them into mercy and salvation we also see that happening in the new testament when jesus comes the final age has begun the age the time between the first and second comings of jesus is the final age of the world the final age of god's plan has begun and is unfolding now is the time for the church to announce mercy and forgiveness for sins now is the time for the church to preach repentance and call people to the lord to repentance to conversion that time is going to come to an end and jesus is going to appear again in glory to judge the living of the dead it is going to be the final separation the final judgment the final expression of god's wrath and the final expression of god's amazing mercy in giving us weak sinful human beings the opportunity to be redeemed to be saved from the wrath that's coming jesus himself expresses the wrath of god during his earthly ministry remember he overthrew the the tables in the temple and got angry righteous anger at those who were dishonoring his father's house and he made a whip and drove out the animals and the money changers that was an expression on earth a perfect expression of god's perfectly right righteous anger remember when jesus cursed the fig tree because it wasn't fulfilling the purpose for which it was created an expression of god's righteous anger but one of the most shocking expressions of god's righteous anger jesus prophesied he said because you've missed the hour of your visitation the roman armies are going to arrive and they're going to set up siege works around the city and they're not going to leave a stone standing upon a stone because you have missed the hour of your visitation and the reason why i'm doing this video today is i don't want anybody alive today i don't want anybody listening or watching today to miss the hour that this that this hour is this is another hour of visitation god is giving us many warnings many invitations he's sending many signs to draw us back to himself and i don't want anybody to miss this hour of this visitation what were the consequences of the jews in jesus time missing the hour of visitation rejecting jesus crucify him mocking him so many people today are mocking jesus so many people are mocking the church so many people are mocking god's word mocking the prophets mocking the saints mocking the holy ones mocking those who are living a righteous life so many people are the punishment the wrath of god expressed against the city of jerusalem was i'm speechless i spoke about a little while ago the historian the jewish historian josephus writes in excruciating detail the horrible consequences of the roman siege of jerusalem and the burning of the temple and the people who were dying inside the temple being burned to death and people being slaughtered outside a million people died the wrath of god broke out against his own people again this isn't an old testament times this is new testament times this is because of the shocking rejection of jesus the wrath of god will again break out against those who persist in rejecting jesus it may happen in our time it may happen in individual lives it may happen to a culture it may happen to a country it may happen to a church in a particular region but it will definitely happen on that great day of wrath when the lord returns in glory to judge the living and the dead if god's beloved people in the old testament could experience such severe judgment and if god's people even in new testament times could experience such strong judgment what will happen to us many of the strongest new testament churches are no longer here many of the strongest new testament churches in asia minor in the book of revelation the spirit is speaking to seven churches of asia minor in turkey and greece no longer there their lampstand has been removed just like the spirit warned that their lampstand would be removed if they didn't deal with immorality and false doctrine in their midst whole sections of the church in northern africa that was once so strong the church of august and the church of cyprion is not there anymore their lampstand has been removed in many of the traditionally catholic and christian countries the lampstand is being removed catholic ireland catholic france catholic and christian germany catholic italy the turning away from the faith has been horrendous the apostasy has been terrible the going over to the spirit of the age has been unmistakable [Music] we don't want our lampstand removed we don't want to be chastised or have the wrath of god break us out against us as individuals or as a people or we need to learn whole pagan societies today are being more and more taken over by the spirit of the age you know the ruler you know jesus says and the apostles say that the ruler of this present age of darkness is the devil and those who are not under the lordship of christ are under the rule in some ways of the devil and as catholic culture collapses as christian culture collapses the hold of the devil on whole society's whole cultures whole countries is increasing and the hostility to christ in the church is is is mounting as as catholic support is taken away you know second thessalonians chapter two talks about certain restraint on the evil one but before the lord returns that restraint is going to be taken away and and certainly the church has been a restraint on the work of the evil one the in the catholic and christian countries the church has restrained the work of evil but that restrainer is being removed the health of the church is being removed the infidelity of the church is being judged and and the salt is losing its savior and the light is growing dim and the voice of the lord is not going forth like a strong trumpet cry like paul said if the trumpet gives an uncertain sound who will who will come to battle the such wishy-washiness there's such ambiguity there's such confusion that such cowardness that people are not coming for battle people are not rallying around jesus but they're being being swept away by by the false teachers and the false prophets into a culture that's under the control of the evil one now how does all this apply to us as catholics today i might say it's not just catholic countries who are going this way but there's these manifestly atheistic countries communist china that is with renewed aggressiveness trying to crush the church trying to prevent the faith being passed on to the next generation how does this all apply to us as catholics today well a number of decades ago right after vatican ii saint pope paul vi uttered a cry of alarm he said the smoke of satan is rising up from cracks within the church and that's even more true today we thought some of those cracks had been covered over some of those fumes of satan had been dispelled under the pontificates of saint john paul ii and benedict the 16th but they're back again and those fissures are opening wider than ever and the smoke of satan is building forth with suffocating toxic effect what shall we do how shall we flee from the coming wrath and the wrath is coming the judgment of god is coming we don't know the timing but we know it's coming but one of the severe judgments of god is turning people over to their idolatry turning people over to their sin turning people over to their foolishness and they may think they're wise and they're just living a great life but their life is being destroyed it's being eaten away psychologically physically and and they're experiencing the penalty for their foolishness in their own bodies mind souls it's so hard to see the rise of psychological disturbance the rise of sexual confusion it's it's it's punishment for turning away from god romans chapter 1 says it is it says everybody knows something about god he reveals his divinity he reveals his power but because they refused to worship him and refuse to thank him god turned them over to their own disordered desires and they're without excuse they they knew god's will but they refused to do it they're without excuse and now all this disorder is unfolding not only in individual lives but in whole countries whole cultures and all parts of the church first peter chapter 4 verses 17 to 18. this is peter writing to help perplexed christians who were perplexed and confused and concerned about the rising hostility against christ and the church against them first peter chapter 4 verses 17 to 18 the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of god and if it begins with us what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of god and if the righteous man is scarcely saved where will the impetus and sinner appear therefore let those who suffer according to god's will do right and entrust their souls to a faithful creator the lord wants to purify his church the lord wants to purify his people some of the punishments some of the chastisements were not unto death but unto repentance god right now is is chastising the church the the poverty of the church is being revealed the fig leaks are being pulled off the immorality is being exposed the weakness of god's people is being exposed the world no longer fears the church the world no longer even consults the church the law the world no longer even wants to listen to the church because we've muddied our message we're not boldly preaching and teaching the truth we're wishy-washy we're hemming and whoring on one side this on the other side this and yet jesus gave us the holy spirit to preach and teach with authority the church is being judged its fig leafs are being ripped away there's an unrelenting exodus for the past 50 over the past 50 years unrelenting surrender of buildings schools parishes unrelenting stripping of leadership and vocations unrelenting diminishment of finances exposure of horrible abuse of children and cover up immorality of clergy with adults homosexuality that won't even be spoken about has refused to be acknowledged polluted waters even flowing from rome the churches being judged our weakness our infidelity is being exposed so what shall we do we began this talk talking about that primordial that paradigmatic paradigmatic introduction of jesus by john the baptist there was another introduction this time to the the fullness of the church age on the day of pentecost i'd like to read to you right now what peter said we shall do because the final age of the church is being ushered in on the day of pentecost announcing the next phase of salvation history the sending of the spirit as vindication of jesus and who he is acts chapter 2 verses 37 to 42 now when they heard this they were cut to the heart and said to peter and the rest of the apostles brothers what shall we do and a lot of people are asking that question today what shall we do given the confusion given the hostility given the uncertain sound coming from the trumpet and peter said to them repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of jesus christ for the forgiveness of your sins there's the word again repent every one of you but now we know that this repentance should should include baptism for the forgiveness of our sins joining the church being part of christ's body and you shall receive the gift of the holy spirit the holy spirit's so important brother says we need the holy spirit i don't i don't care what you think about the charismatic renewal movement i don't care what you think about renewables the church forget about them we need the holy spirit jesus says you earthly fathers as as bad as you are when when your son asks you for a loaf of bread you're not going to give him a stone when he asks you for an egg you're not going to give him a scorpion how much more will your heavenly father give the holy spirit to those who ask him we need the holy spirit because jesus says when we're facing persecution don't worry in advance what you're going to say the holy spirit will let you know what to say so we need that kind of relationship with the lord we need that kind of relationship with the holy spirit we need that kind of taking away any limits that we place on the working of the holy spirit we need the holy spirit to lead us and guide us today we need the holy spirit to strengthen us we need the holy spirit to console us and and give us the words we need to speak in all the situations that we face on a daily basis repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of jesus christ for forgiveness of your sins and you receive shall receive the gift of the holy spirit for this promise is for you it's for your children and it's for everyone that god is calling to himself brothers and sisters god is calling everyone to himself he doesn't want anybody to perish he doesn't want anybody to experience that final wrath the day of wrath on the day of judgment but we've got to make a decision right now we can't just drift along we can't just keep a foot in in both camps you know i've been speaking about my new book a church in crisis pathways forward and chapter five is titled stop straddling the issue we've got to stop straddling the issue we've got to get both feet in the kingdom of god both feet in in relationship to jesus our whole life in harmony with him under his lordship and we need the holy spirit to do that and he testified with many other words and exhorted them saying save yourself from this wicked generation we need to save ourselves from this wicked generation we need to examine our conscience we need to see if there's any areas in our life where we've compromised with the world we need to see whether there's any areas in our life where the fumes of satan have come into our lives and we believed his lies and we've made accommodations to sin in any kind of way we need to repent how do we save ourselves from this wicked generation by getting with jesus living the true life of the catholic church knowing that in the mrs confusion jesus christ is the same he's the same yesterday he's the same today he's the same forever and we can stand on the rock of jesus and his church that the teaching of the church has come without error through its tradition and we can find it today in the catechisms of the catholic church so anytime you hear confusing stuff anytime you're puzzled about what the church really believes and really teaches what the teaching of jesus and the apostles really is as it's come down to us today you can look at the catechism of the catholic church we just simply got to get with jesus we've got to get over any lukewarmness remember what the holy spirit said to that early christian church because you are lukewarm because you're neither hot or cold i'm going to vomit you out of my mouth brothers and sisters you've got to get over any lukewarmness we've really got to get with jesus we've got to dedicate ourselves to growing in holiness we've got to get with brothers and sisters one of the things that happened when people responded the previous teach preetis teaching they got together with each other they broke bread together they went to the sacraments together they they did prayers together they they had a community life together we need to find our brothers and sisters in christ in our neighborhoods and our in our parishes and get together with other people who want to live a fervent catholic life we need to flee now from the wrath that is coming because it is certainly coming it may come as severe chastisement to our countries it may come as severe humiliation to our church it may come as personal chastisement and judgment to us but brothers and sisters the wrath of god is breaking out it says in ephesians chapter five the wrath of god is breaking out even now against all immorality and all impurity brothers and sisters we need to turn away from those things and embrace the cross of jesus christ and commit ourselves to following him and depend on him for the strength and grace we need to do it anyway i wanted to talk to you about fleeing now for the wrath that is to come and if you can help us at all carry on this mission carry on this work carrying on this message just go to renewal nurseries.net and you'll see an opportunity to to donate thank you you

Channel: Renewal Ministries

Views: 185,205

Rating: 4.9103856 out of 5

Keywords: Christianity, Jesus, Christ, Evangelism, Mission, Spirituality, Evangelization, Religion, Catholic, Church, God, Trinity

Id: gqZh_wJKWJE

Length: 29min 48sec (1788 seconds)

Published: Wed Dec 09 2020