Those who are against You shouted in Your meeting place and raised their flags there. They came with axes raised as if to cut down forest trees. They smashed the carved panels with their axes and hatchets. They burned Your temple to the ground. They have made the place where You live unclean. They thought, "We will completely crush them!" They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land.
We do not see any signs. There are no more prophets, and no one knows how long this will last. God, how much longer will the enemy make fun of You? Will they insult You forever? Why do You hold back Your hand? Your right hand? Take it from the fold of Your garment and destroy them! (Verses 4-11)
There are places right now in the world where churches are being burned down and Christians tortured and killed for their faith. Often by other religious zealots not wanting the mixed theologies that would complicate their national religion. But here in America, so far, we are pretty free to love Jesus and express it in local churches. Maybe not in homes where parking is a problem, as here in Southern California recently. I mean, we have our priorities. Wondering then, as I was reading this portion of the Psalms today what it means to me in my world. Nietzsche proclaimed God to be dead. (Of course, He rose again, but that is beside the point here.) Bill Maher made a documentary on how ridiculous we who believe in God are. Ricky Gervais has a routine about being nice to those of us who believe. It's okay with him if it helps us, but he knows there isn't a god. These people aren't going to burn down the little church I attend or come for me with axes and hatchets...yet, anyway. But they are profaning God just the same. And that is the point for me. I talk with enough people who've given up on God to have been the brunt of their jokes as they look down on me as less than vaguely unaware of the scientific workings of the universe. If I weren't so dumb...naive, kindly...I would agree there is no God.
Richard Dawkins described the God of the Bible this way: "The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.” If God were at all as Dawkins describes, Dawkins wouldn't be alive to be quoted. If there is no God, of course, there are no vices, either. Dawkins's judgments of God would be idiotic. As animals, there is no reason why we cannot be characterized by all the ugly attributes he ascribes to our Maker. Right and wrong in a random universe doesn't exist. The picture of the Lord in this psalm is that He stands and takes the bullying Himself and waits. God's strong right hand resting against His heart in the fold of His garment. What's He waiting for? Why doesn't He deal....and show up in a way that these haters will see that He is God? Of course, we understand that when He is insulted, we are insulted. We can't defend Him because we don't know what He is doing. For some of us, it begs the question: "Does God really exist if it takes Him this long to intervene?" But the Father is holding back. The creator of the world could certainly shake it loose in a moment....will someday.
He has been very patient and kind, waiting for you to change, but you think nothing of His kindness. Perhaps you do not understand that God is kind to you so you will change your hearts and lives. Romans 2 When I consider all God, if He exists, of course, must watch humans do every day, I am amazed we are not destroyed by fire, consumed by our own awfulness. Rape, murder, sexual abuse, physical abuse, lying, cheating, stealing, coveting, infanticide, genocide, starvation and greed. These are things we are guilty of. Not God. If He is the God of Dawkins, He should vaporize us on the spot. Were God unforgiving, we should all be doomed to our own devices. But God waits, even for Dawkins. Wanting until the last minute for us to get it. I know this sounds like a cop out to the atheist. We are giving an excuse for God to not do anything by saying we are waiting for Him to do something. But for those of us who are have allowed Him into our lives, believe me, we have seen Him do some things. Perhaps not measurably on a scientific scale. But daily things go on that science can't explain. Daily science changes its mind. Christ, historically valid and exhaustively validated, cannot be argued. He is a person. Not an idea or a religion. It is He Who shows Himself to mankind. Argue theology if you will. Jesus, however, was either Who He said He was or a lying lunatic. And the heart of God is obvious to all who will read the history of the cross. Even from there, bloodied by the very skeptics who called Him a ridiculous blasphemer, Jesus forgave them. Why? They didn't know what they were talking about.
The Lord wants to show His mercy to you. He wants to rise and comfort you. The Lord is a fair God, and everyone who waits for His help will be happy. Isaiah 30:18
We do not see any signs. There are no more prophets, and no one knows how long this will last. God, how much longer will the enemy make fun of You? Will they insult You forever? Why do You hold back Your hand? Your right hand? Take it from the fold of Your garment and destroy them! (Verses 4-11)
There are places right now in the world where churches are being burned down and Christians tortured and killed for their faith. Often by other religious zealots not wanting the mixed theologies that would complicate their national religion. But here in America, so far, we are pretty free to love Jesus and express it in local churches. Maybe not in homes where parking is a problem, as here in Southern California recently. I mean, we have our priorities. Wondering then, as I was reading this portion of the Psalms today what it means to me in my world. Nietzsche proclaimed God to be dead. (Of course, He rose again, but that is beside the point here.) Bill Maher made a documentary on how ridiculous we who believe in God are. Ricky Gervais has a routine about being nice to those of us who believe. It's okay with him if it helps us, but he knows there isn't a god. These people aren't going to burn down the little church I attend or come for me with axes and hatchets...yet, anyway. But they are profaning God just the same. And that is the point for me. I talk with enough people who've given up on God to have been the brunt of their jokes as they look down on me as less than vaguely unaware of the scientific workings of the universe. If I weren't so dumb...naive, kindly...I would agree there is no God.
Richard Dawkins described the God of the Bible this way: "The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.” If God were at all as Dawkins describes, Dawkins wouldn't be alive to be quoted. If there is no God, of course, there are no vices, either. Dawkins's judgments of God would be idiotic. As animals, there is no reason why we cannot be characterized by all the ugly attributes he ascribes to our Maker. Right and wrong in a random universe doesn't exist. The picture of the Lord in this psalm is that He stands and takes the bullying Himself and waits. God's strong right hand resting against His heart in the fold of His garment. What's He waiting for? Why doesn't He deal....and show up in a way that these haters will see that He is God? Of course, we understand that when He is insulted, we are insulted. We can't defend Him because we don't know what He is doing. For some of us, it begs the question: "Does God really exist if it takes Him this long to intervene?" But the Father is holding back. The creator of the world could certainly shake it loose in a moment....will someday.
He has been very patient and kind, waiting for you to change, but you think nothing of His kindness. Perhaps you do not understand that God is kind to you so you will change your hearts and lives. Romans 2 When I consider all God, if He exists, of course, must watch humans do every day, I am amazed we are not destroyed by fire, consumed by our own awfulness. Rape, murder, sexual abuse, physical abuse, lying, cheating, stealing, coveting, infanticide, genocide, starvation and greed. These are things we are guilty of. Not God. If He is the God of Dawkins, He should vaporize us on the spot. Were God unforgiving, we should all be doomed to our own devices. But God waits, even for Dawkins. Wanting until the last minute for us to get it. I know this sounds like a cop out to the atheist. We are giving an excuse for God to not do anything by saying we are waiting for Him to do something. But for those of us who are have allowed Him into our lives, believe me, we have seen Him do some things. Perhaps not measurably on a scientific scale. But daily things go on that science can't explain. Daily science changes its mind. Christ, historically valid and exhaustively validated, cannot be argued. He is a person. Not an idea or a religion. It is He Who shows Himself to mankind. Argue theology if you will. Jesus, however, was either Who He said He was or a lying lunatic. And the heart of God is obvious to all who will read the history of the cross. Even from there, bloodied by the very skeptics who called Him a ridiculous blasphemer, Jesus forgave them. Why? They didn't know what they were talking about.
The Lord wants to show His mercy to you. He wants to rise and comfort you. The Lord is a fair God, and everyone who waits for His help will be happy. Isaiah 30:18
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