The California Fires Were Not God's Judgment

Luke 13:1-5, “There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

I have tremendous respect for Pastor Steven Anderson of the Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona. I love my Brother in Christ and support his aggressive soulwinning ministry. 

Having said that, Pastor Anderson is considered the founder and leader of the New IFB (New Independent Fundamental Baptist) movement in the United States and abroad. This all began in 2006 when Brother Anderson started the Faithful Word Baptist Church. He has a strong influence over hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. I have been slandered, attacking and horribly criticized by some members of the New IFB for daring to disagree with Pastor Anderson, who is effectively the New IFB Pope in the eyes of some followers. Regardless, I am going to preach what I believe to be THE TRUTH, even if it harelips every dog in the county.

I heard a sermon last week by Pastor Steven Anderson titled: “California Wild Fires Are The Judgment Of God.” I humbly disagree. When told about some victims whom Pilate sacrificed upon an altar with the animal sacrifices, Jesus mentioned the Tower of Siloam that fell and killed 18 victims. Jesus asked the group if they thought the victims were more sinful than they are. The Lord makes it very clear in this passage from Luke 13:1-5 that accidents and disasters are NOT God's judgment upon specific sinners; but rather, they are the result of living in a fallen world because of Adam's sin (Romans 5:12).

If Jesus were here today and you told Him about something bad in the news, He might mention the wild fires in California. Jesus might ask you if you think those victims in California are worse sinners than you? This was a rhetorical question with the implication that we are all equally guilty sinners. James 2:10, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” One sin is enough to send a person to Hell.

The wild fires of California are simply a natural occurrence in that region. In recent years southern California had above average rainfall, which made the grass and brush grow. Then a drought affected the area this past year. All of that extra grass and brush dried out and became fuel for the fire this year. The fires are not God's punishment upon California.

I saw some fool holding a sign recently in Hollywood, which said that Californians don't want God in their state. Many superstitious churchgoers are using that one person's foolish sign to claim that the wild fires are God's judgment on Californians. In fact, the state of Mississippi had the most murders in 2024. The state of Florida had the most abortions in 2024. The state of Alaska had the most rapes in 2024. I hope you get my point. If God were going to judge a state, why would it be California when you've got more murders, rapes and abortions in three other states? If I were God and I wanted to punish a city, I would judge “Sin City” Las Vegas—a cesspool of iniquity if ever there was one! Religious people can become so foolish in their thinking. Always remember that there is a fine line between faith and foolishness.

What is happening in California is simply a natural part of living on planet earth. Granted, there has been much mismanagement by Democratic government in California. The mayor of Los Angeles cut the fire department's annual budget by $17,000,000. That was very foolish. The governor of California rejected a bill that would have redirected billions of gallons of rain run-off water to be used to fight fires and help the people. The governor felt that the Smelt fish in the Pacific Ocean needed the additional water more than the people he serves do. That also was very foolish. Everything rises and falls on leadership. The 12,000 homes that recently burned down and $250,000,000,000 in damages could have been mostly prevented by responsible government. Regardless, forest fires have always been, and always will be, inherent to southern California due to their dry climate.

I remember when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, which caused $160,000,000,000 in damage and killed 1,392 people. Then, just as now, the superstitious religious crowd were claiming that it was God's judgment upon New Orleans.

In 2019, a little 11 year old Girl Scout was instantly killed in a freak accident when a tree fell over and landed on her. It had been raining all week, which loosened the soil. Was God judging that little girl or her parents? Some ignorant people would say yes. God was not judging her anymore than He is judging California in 2025. Bad things happen. It's just a part of living. Life is a veil of tears.

Certainly, the Bible teaches in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death. We all must eventually die as a result of our fallen sinful state. When a person gets born-again by trusting the Good News (Gospel) of Jesus Christ crucified, buried and risen the third day, that person's soul is redeemed. The flesh won't be redeemed until the Rapture, when we receive our glorified body fashioned like unto the Lord's perfect risen body (Philippians 3:21; 1st Corinthians 15:51-58).

When something bad happens to a person, unless it is a direct result of their own foolishness (e.g., a drug overdose), we ought never think that it is because of God's judgment. Jesus made it clear in Luke 13:1-5 that we are all equally guilty as sinners. California has always had wild fires, so this is nothing new to southern California. I think it is a horrible thing for Pastor Anderson (or anyone) to take the high ground in hypocrisy, by condemning the people of southern California as if they are worse sinners than we are. That is not fair, honest or right. 

How would you feel if your home burned down, and all your neighbour's homes burned down too, and some self-righteous hypocrite said that it is because you are all sinners? The New IFB do a great disservice to their movement by preaching hatred, unforgiveness and vengeance on everyone with whom they disagree. Just because it snows 10 feet in New York doesn't mean that God is judging them. I am wearied from hearing superstitious Christians cite every accident, disaster and hardship as God's judgment. If God were to judge humanity, the ground would immediately open and swallow all of us whole into the everlasting fires of Hell.

There are many forms of judgment. There is judgment when someone breaks the law of man. That is why millions of American citizens are incarcerated in prison. Then  there is God's judgment when we die. Hebrews 9:27-28, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Death itself is a form of judgment because of Adam's sin, which allowed sin and death into the world according to Romans 5:12.

In the Old Testament, God often used a heathen nation to judge His people in Israel. We see this in Judges chapter 6. Judges 6:1 teaches that because of Israel's wickedness, God gave them into the hands of the Midianites for seven years as judgment. So we see that there are different forms of judgment.

The $64,000 question arises then: Does God sometimes cause bad things to happen in a person's life as judgment against them? When King David sinned by committing adultery and having Bathsheba's husband murdered, evil never departed from David's house. David's sons commit rape, murder and conspiracy against their own family. Absalom revolted against his own father's leadership, which eventually led to his untimely death. But I do not believe God caused these evil things to happen. James 1:13 teaches that God cannot be tempted with evil nor can He commit evil. God is completely holy, righteous and innocent.

God does curse evildoers. Proverbs 17:13, “Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.” Galatians 1:6-9 warns that God's curse is upon anyone who tampers with the Gospel. Revelation 22:19 warns that anyone who tampers with God's Word is not saved, because God promises to remove their name from His Book of Life. That is, corrupting the inspired Holy Bible is effectively the same as rejecting Jesus Christ, who is The Word Of God (Revelation 19:13).

We know in Hebrews 12:6-8 that God promises to scourge and chastise His children when we sin. I dare not speak for God. I do not claim to understand all the ways and intricacies of how God's deals with mankind. I know that God convicts His children when we sin. I believe this is what is part of chastisement. Sometimes God chastises us with human courts and magistrates, if we do evil. But I caution you dear reader not to become superstitious. I have seen some believers who thought God was judging them every time they sneezed. I think it will be obvious if God is judging us. But I humbly believe that 99% of the tragedies, disasters and hardships in everyone's life is simply because we live in a fallen world.

I heard in the news years ago about a deadly tornado that set down in Georgia. The tornado destroyed a Baptist church and killed 7 people. Was that God's judgment? No, I think not. We live in a fallen world. Bad and good things happen to good and bad people alike. And to be clear, even so-called “good” people are still guilty sinners in God's sight. We are all wicked.

I do not believe that A.I.D.S. in the 1970's through the 1990's was God's judgment against wicked homosexuals, anymore than I believe that COVID-19 was God's judgment against children and elderly people whom it affected the most.

Nor do I think that the 9/11 attacks were God's judgment upon America. Evil men in positions of high powers had prior knowledge of the 9/11 attacks (Ephesians 6:12). President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney had prior knowledge of 9/11. The White House helped orchestrate and coverup the attacks. Fox News were instrumental in whitewashing the attacks. I still vividly remember paid LIARS Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly demonizing anyone who dared to question the official 9/11 narrative (which was fabricated by the government).

I still remember that ungodly liar at Fox News, Sean Hannity, calling former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura “unpatriotic” and telling the governor that he should move out of the United States, for daring to question the official 9/11narrative. I'll never forget what Governor Ventura wisely said: How do TWO planes bring down THREE buildings? No one would answer his simple loaded question. That is because carefully planned Controlled Demolition brought down all three World Trade Center buildings on 9/11. No plane struck building 7, but it imploded in classic demolition fashion to the ground in less than just 10 seconds! It is clear to anyone who has honestly done their homework that 9/11 was an INSIDE JOB!!! 9/11 was not God's judgment upon our nation; but rather, subversion from within by our own White House.

I encourage you dear reader to be careful not to blame God for disasters (e.g., Katrina in 2005, California's wild fires in 2025, the Blizzard of 1979 in Chicago, the devastating Chicago fire in 1871, et cetera). We live in a fallen world where bad things happen to everyone. That is why we get sick and eventually perish. That is why children sometimes get cancer and die at an early age. When Jesus disciples saw a blind man in John 9:1-5, their first impression was that either the man or his parents had sinned. Jesus rebuked them for thinking so foolishly. Jesus said that the man's blindness had nothing to do with anyone's sins; but rather, he was born blind so that God would be glorified. Amen and amen.