Jude 2

Wen did the Lord stop passing judgment on nations and thus destroying them for their sin?

If HE did then why do people always say things like God is going to make us pay for taking prayer out of school and legalizing abortion?

Consequences for our action or inaction.

the consequences of prayer being taken out of the school has already come to haunt america.....a generation that has little reverence, respect for discipline, authority and the list goes on. It is not a matter of God striking a nation......it is the fact that we reap what we sow.

Abortion is the same....a generation that has become hardened to some degree toward the sanctity of life, because it has we have instilled in this generation that if a pregnanticy interfeers with you agenda then that life is expendably......we have already began to reap what we sowed....

Full Quiver wrote:Wen did the Lord stop passing judgment on nations and thus destroying them for their sin?

If HE did then why do people always say things like God is going to make us pay for taking prayer out of school and legalizing abortion?

Has He? I didn't get the memo!!!

Seriously, isn't that in the offing for all of creation?

So is it possible that Japan's woes are due to the worship of a false god and their unbelief in God at all? As a nation they are majority atheist and Buddhist, less than 1% Christian. Those type numbers got Sodom destroyed.

Full Quiver wrote:So is it possible that Japan's woes are due to the worship of a false god and their unbelief in God at all? As a nation they are majority atheist and Buddhist, less than 1% Christian. Those type numbers got Sodom destroyed.

They did? so what was the population of Sodom and Gomorrah at that time?

I think this is stretching things a little, I don't know what God's plan is in this, but I haven't heard of him bringing out the Christians before an "attack" nor did he completely wipe them out (as with Sodom) so I'd say this situation is a little different.

I'm echoing Pastor Bill here: I don't know what God's plan in this is. I DO know what our purpose in it is: to love them with the love of Jesus.

Paul wrote, "Walk circumspectly, not as fools, but wisely, redeeming the time for the days are evil."

Redeem the time. Make this thing count for the kingdom.

I'm not saying it's so; God hasn't told me that. I'm asking is it a possibility?

God warned Lot via an angel or angels. Lot could have refused and in fact his wife looked back.

Had Lot stayed I'm sure God still would have destroyed Sodom as he was warned. The scenario of 50 righteous people was presented to God and God told Abraham he would spare the city if there were 50 righteous people in it but there wasn't. As far as population goes Japan's population far outweighed Sodom's and therefore there were far more heathens in Japan than in Sodom.

With a population of 127 million and less than 1% of Japanese people claiming to be Christian then it's probably safe to say less than 1 million Christians in Japan.

The estimated population of Sodom at the time of it's destruction was less than 1200. So God would have spared Sodom if 2% were righteous. God was even willing to spare the cities if 1% (10)were righteous according to his conversation with Abraham. Less than 1% did not get such mercy.

Again I don't know but it is a reasonable thought is it not? To me God could use this to turn the Japanese people towards Christ. You watch the news and you don't see much activity from the Japanese govt. trying to search for survivors or help the hurting. The people by nature will be looking for a Savior and the Gospel along with the love of Christians can meet that need.

Besides how do we know Christians weren't warned, weren't in another place at the time, or weren't spared? I'm sure missionaries such as our own Pastor Gary are praying for revival in Japan and sometimes as they say you have to be careful what you pray for.

You're math is a little off there. 2% of 1200 is 24, God said he would save the city for 10, which is less that 1%. Also if Japan's population is 124 Million like you said, than there may well be more than 1 million Christians over there (1 million is less than 1% of 124 Million)

Full Quiver wrote:Wen did the Lord stop passing judgment on nations and thus destroying them for their sin?

I'll say when God sent fire down and casted satan into the lake of fire. That's the last nation(s) destroyed.

If HE did then why do people always say things like God is going to make us pay for taking prayer out of school and legalizing abortion?

As we are in the kingdom of God we do the will of the Father and that's all we can do. Lets remember God's dealing with the house of Israel they where taken captive and remove to heathen nations and profaned God' holy name among the heathens. God said to Israel that he would have pity not on them or for their sake, but for his holy name. God would bring them out of those nations and back in their land to sanctify his name among the heathen. So in short there many things that God allows for his purpose that we don't see nor understand at the time.

Let's get specific: You're asking whether God is smiting the Japanese for their lack of Christian dominance. You don't know the true spiritual history of Japan. All I can tell you is that IF God is, in fact, pouring out his wrath on Japan, his timing and his aim is way off:

Japan has experienced more revival in the past decade than in centuries with many churches planted and young Japanese turning toward Jesus, while North Korea is not that far away, where atheism is officially demanded and the leaders are worshipped as false gods.

Explain that.

What is the religious history of Japan? I will say this. Never in my life have I felt a pull to any foreign land in ministry at all. (including south Georgia) In the last week i have had a burden for Japan that I can't shake. I do feel that God is sovereign. If he wants to destroy a nation because of sin he will do it. I don't know that God has "stopped". if he wants to do it he will do it. Its his world. In my mind there is no other nation worthy of being destroyed than the USA. So if he still does this, we should look out.

Perhaps it is not the past we should reflect on. The future contains events that will be part of God's plan. If anyone believes the Bible, surely we can see that we are in the last days of this earth. All of these events of the last few months are part of God's plan to bring this world to a close. Would any of us have thought that the leadership changes in Egypt was at hand? The Bible says there will be earthquakes and we have been having them for years. For Japan, hopefully, the international outreach to them will exhibit the Christian spirit and will serve as a witness to them. Prayfully some will be saved. As far as this being a punishment for their worshiping other Gods, I can't see it. I think this is just part of the last days events.

dawgs10 wrote:What is the religious history of Japan?

Far too involved for a post on a forum. I'll post a few links --
http://www.keikyo.com/index-e.html
http://www.atour.com/religion/docs/20011114a.html
My friend is the producer of these videos: http://godsfingerprintsinjapan.com/

Pastor Gary, I realize you have ministerial work in Asia but let's not sugar coat this. If the revival was so big there would be more than 1% of the population designated as Christian. Will this event bring revival? I sure hope so. The Japanese people in GENERAL are godless. They worshiped an emperor that caused thousands upon thousands of civilians to perish in atomic bomb attacks

The Japanese ONLY differ from the North Koreans due to their surrender to the US in 1945 and McArthur being the governor as well as the US's heavy hand in their economy over the past 70 years. Japan has been a prosperous nation and it sure hasn't been due to their godly living, faith in Christ, and worship of the one true God.

Sure the US should be careful and may as well get ready. We all know it's coming but many want to join the atheist in their denial of the sovereignty of the Lord. Mother Earth does what God tells her to.

And on another note. In Haiti and Chili we saw teams of people digging through the rumble for survivors. Why do we not see this in Japan? If it's happening then great but we have 24 hour news coverage and I see a few people here and there looking for their missing family members.

Danny, I'm just taking a wild guess here, but I'd venture to say that you have never give a penny in direct mission support targeting Japan, and have never been to Japan, yet you condemn them as godless emperor worshippers.

I wonder who deserves the greater wrath: those who have never heard or those who never told them?