What is God doing? (page 2)

Elsewhere

Yeah... but what if Zeus is the TRUE god??? Hell, then you're REALLY screwed!!

Elsewhere

Now for some Blond Poetry... "The walls at the mall are like, totally totally tall."

Edited by - Elsewhere on 16 September 2002 21:3:8

Elsewhere

Darn toot'n !!! I'll take a piece of that!

TR

LOL at the thought of an invisible God clubbing his dolphin with a rubber on!

TR

Actually Jesus Himself did comment on the kinds of disasters and accidents and tragedies that befall us in life. He gave a startling answer to the question "Why did God allow such a terrible thing to happen?"

Luke 13 gives the account. Jesus was asked about a tragedy in the temple in Jerusalem when Pilate had brutally killed some devout Jewish worshipers at the time of the temple daily sacrifice, mingling their blood with that of the sacrificed animals:

"...Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered thus? I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen upon whom the tower (under construction) in Siloam fell, and killed them all, do you think they were worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." (Luke 13:1-5)

The answer Jesus gave is very surprising. Jesus did not apologize for either incident. God had not lost control. Neither did He assign any blame. In a fallen world, innocent people suffer and die. There is no safe place in this present life. There are no guarantees. Jesus does not promise His followers good health, a long life, and material riches. It is more likely Christians will find trouble, adversity, opposition, and trials, but they will inherit the kingdom of God. The only sure refuge is one's relationship with God. Jesus said the most important thing in life was to repent--that is, to be in a right relationship with God at all times.

"I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. "And I tell you, every one who acknowledges me before men, the Son of man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; but he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And every one who speaks a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious how or what you are to answer or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say..."

And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, `What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, `I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, `Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, nor about your body, what you shall put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass which is alive in the field today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O men of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be of anxious mind. For all the nations of the world seek these things; and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things shall be yours as well. "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Luke 12:2-34)

The Hebrew (Old Testament) word for repentance (nacham) means essentially to change one's life style, to turn and go in a different direction. The root means "comfort" suggesting that positive benefits will follow a change of attitude or disposition which brings one into harmony with the compassion and mercy of God. If one is a liar, he is to stop lying; if guilty of stealing, he is to make restitution; if in need of forgiveness, he is to seek forgiveness. And, he is to be accountable to others for his actions. In the Old Testament God Himself is said to repent by often delaying judgment when His people respond to His pleas for reform. The New Testament Greek word (metanoeo) for repentance means "to have a different mind"---that is, to see things in a different light. Of course, when we are truly enlightened, our behavior changes for the better. Repentance means radical change---in thought, word and deed---in anyone who comes to know God.

Disasters can happen to individuals or entire societies because of our general and individual alienation from God. If all life, health, blessings, and love come from God as the Source, and we have distanced ourselves from that Source how can we expect to avoid certain natural consequences that must follow? If we deny God's protection and help by our actions that effectively shut Him out of our lives, why should we complain when thieves break in to rob and to destroy?

Neither are we the good, deserving people we think we are. Not a single one of us deserves to be rescued; not one of us is worthy because of meritorious performance. Were God just, without being merciful, all of us would be lost. That He rescues any at all is the amazing thing. In fact, all of Planet Earth is headed for near self-destruction according to the Bible. The coming dark time of trouble on earth spoken of by the Hebrew prophets (including Jesus the Chief Prophet of both Israel and the Church) will be, at the same time, the dawning of a new golden age for mankind. But the words of Jesus are binding on all men: "...unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." (Luke 13:5) Because God loves us all, there is hope. The future of mankind is to be nothing short of paradise regained. But it is possible to be left out of God's plan altogether, and to perish not just temporally, but also eternally.

Tzu

Neither are we the good, deserving people we think we are. Not a single one of us deserves to be rescued;

But what about a little baby? Doesn't it deserve to be recued when it is being brutally raped? In SA this happened recently to a young baby (between 3 and 9 months old), it was so damaged, it had to have it's bowel removed. I can't accept that God doesn't intervene in a situation like that, regardless of what the plan is for mankind. Adults may not be the deserving people they think they are, but a young baby has not sinned and is innocent. I wish I could get over this type of thinking as it interferes in my relationship with God. I want to believe in Him and to worship Him, yet the suffering of the innocent, especially animals, gets to me so much, and I immediately feel angry with God. I don't think we are supposed to be angry with God (sigh).

nakedmvistar

My comfort comes from knowing that that baby will live again. If I didn't hold to a belief in God, then baby would have still died and she would have no hope. We are limited beings in our understanding, I wish I knew all of the answers right now, but until I do in an that afterlife, then I will continue to place my faith in him....If i'm right then all will eventually be well, If there's no God then we'll all be screwed equally. To believe or not to believe, that's the ultimately gamble.

Outsider Friend

I definitely think it is not only okay to be angry with God but also important to be honest with Him about. He is not just some being that we cannot know and are forced to fear; He is our Abba, Father.

What God is NOT is someone to be filthily disrespected, (no matter how burned you have been in the past), like in the closet statement above. Especially when Kagloo is trying to ask a genuine question.

I really wish I knew the answers to why awful things happen in this world or why horrific things happen to great people or innocent children. It would be so much easier if God had not allowed Evil to enter into our world.

Naked - I appreciate your insights; you seem to be right on.

Elsewhere

It is impossible to offend someone who does not exist.

What is God doing?

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