There are only a few times in the Bible that God used destructive fire and brimstone as a form of judgement on a people. The two cities of Sodom and Gomorah are the chief example. It is important to note that God did not destroy Sodom and Gomorah only for their sexually deviant practices. He destroyed the two cities because at the core of their practices was a heart that imposed on God, saying He must accept them as they choose to be. They said to God You created us this way with these feelings, so You must endorse our feelings. 

Truth is, we were all born with a fallen nature. We all posses the propensity for sin and self destruction. If we all acted on our feelings, the world would be a crazy place to live in. God did not only create us with feelings, but also with the ability for self restraint and commonsense so that we know how to apply ourselves. I must say however that when people do not know God, they operate by default under the fallen nature. Only a true and meaningful relationship with Jesus acts as a speed governor and rescues us from the fallen nature. 

Another reason God destroyed Sodom and Gomorah was because they had a heart that said, we know better than God how this life should be. The cities of Sodom and Gomorah celebrated pride.

The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: they will not go unpunished. (Proverbs 16:5).

Abraham the father of faith made an effort to save the two cities because his nephew Lot somehow lived there. Abraham pleaded with God in Genesis 18.

Then Abraham approached the Lord and said: ‘Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing – to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?’ The Lord said, ‘If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake. (Genesis 18:23-26)

Abraham pleaded with God for 50 people and stopped at 10 people. As it turns out, there was not even 10 righteous people on whose behalf God would spare Sodom and Gomorah. When the fire rained down, only Lot escaped. His wife got caught looking back and turned into a pillar of salt. She like Eve did what ought not to be done. God's instructions are not suggestions. 

I do not think that everyone in Sodom and Gomorah was sexualy deviant. I do think that a lot of the others that got burned, even though they did not practice homosexuality, affirmed it, supported it and even promoted it, participating in pride parades in the name of love. In God's eyes, supporting and affirming and promoting that which He hates makes you an accomplice even though you do not practice it. To God, the most loving thing you can do as a Christian is to disagree with that which dishonors Him. This makes a distinction and sends a message. The Bible calls it planting a seed. To disagree is not to hate. But to endorse that which God hates might as well be hate because it only leads to destruction. 

The city of Nineveh would have suffered the same destiny as Sodom and Gomorah except they were repentant. The Bible says they practiced wickedness and God sent Jonah to give them warning. Jonah gave the warning though reluctantly after some persuasion with a sea storm and a big fish encounter. Nineveh repented in sackcloth and ashes, they humbled themselves, from the king to the peasant. God saw their hearts and relented. Jonah anticipated fire and brimstone would fall on the city, but instead the rain of God's grace fell on the city.

The difference between Nineveh and Sodom and Gomorah was that Nineveh repented of their sin, and the later justified their sin.

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. (Isaiah 5:20-21)

In light of present day current affairs, this is why I think that Trump as president of the United States is the best thing that could happen to this nation at such a time as this. His administration rejected the idea of celebrating pride and instead said June is family month. They have instructed foreign missions to remove the display of pride flags, and only show the American flag. They have distanced themselves from promoting anything pride and I know that God acknowledges that. 

If only the current administration would keep away from pride of heart, from the pride and ego of personal accomplishments and acknowledge God, YAHWEH, Elohim the maker of all things as the source of all good things, God would grant that their tenure in leadership would endure not just for a term at a time, but for many successive terms until their opponents come to their senses and realize that no matter the schemes of men, it is God who allows leadership and it is God who disallows leadership, all for accomplishing a higher purpose. God has been humbling kings from the days of Adam and Eve.

They would acknowledge that all good things come from God who is the maker of Heaven and earth. All things are His, and our lives are not a result of some cosmic accident, but all life and existence was planned and intricately created by a creative genius God who alone is worthy of praise forever amen.