Here is a true picture of one side of the Lord's Personality. If we really would know Christ we must understand his terror as well as His boundless mercy. So many today are in deception! At one time they have "accepted" Christ and now do not feel any conviction of worldliness or sin. They imagine they will receive a royal welcome into the heavenly Jerusalem when they die. But unless they are living in the world as cross-carrying, victorious, sternly obedient saints, they may be facing the anger of Christ.

It appears few Christians of our day actually have forsaken their own life and are carrying their cross behind Jesus. Yet the Lord taught that no person can be His disciple unless he forsakes his own life.

We of today are not always obeying the Word of Christ. But because the love of God has been overemphasized to such a great extent we cannot bring ourselves to believe we actually shall be punished. We do not know the terror of the Lord. The demons know the terror of the Lord but the believers of our day do not know of this aspect of the Lord's Personality.

Our preachers and teachers have deceived us. They have presented a false witness, a false vision. They will be held accountable for their words and we will be held accountable if we follow them.

Because of David's cry for help, smoke went out from the nostrils of the God of Heaven. God is not a human being, He is a Spirit. God requires the shedding of blood to appease His wrath. Christ was born a human being. But God the Father is a Spirit. His love is total. His wrath is total. His standard of righteousness is absolute.

Smoke does not proceed from the nostrils of any angry human. But neither does a human ruler require that offerings of blood and fat be made to him. Before we dismiss the concept of smoke coming out of God's nostrils as "Hebrew imagery" or anthropomorphism, let us consider the fact that God is a Spirit and not a human being—and let us tremble in godly fear.

The fire of judgment comes out of God's mouth and coals are kindled by it. When the saints pray, judgment follows. The fires of judgment and conviction cause the wood, hay, and straw in the lives of men to begin to burn. Fire falls on the heads of those who have persecuted the saints and then have been forgiven by them. The adulterers take fire in their bosom. Fearfulness surprises the hypocrites. Everything that cannot dwell in the Divine fire is consumed.

A godly man or woman is a terror to Hell and a source of conviction and torment to all those who are near him or her. The spirit of burning is contagious. He who is dwelling in the fire of God tests by fire the works of the flesh, revealing the thoughts of every heart.

We have been chosen to dwell in the Consuming Fire of Israel, and because of this election we are tested by fire all day long. Our tests and trials will not be concluded until every one of our imaginations, motives, thoughts, words, and actions has been examined by the fires of God's judgments. If we endure to the end we will possess our own soul, now purified by the Divine fire.

When the righteous pray, crying out to God for deliverance from their enemies, every creature, thing, and circumstance in their environment is visited by God's fire. All that is "coal," that is combustible, will burst into flame.

To be continued.