For the twenty years after my philosophy of religion class I avoided thinking carefully about the challenges that class posed. Biblical Apocalyptic: What is BeingRevealed? My way through it was to decide we should read the Bible as ancient literature, as telling stories, as not making a lot of metaphysical assumptions. Reflections on Old Testament Prophets (2Isaiah), 05. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); We have a Catholic will when we love God and obey God, love the Church and obey the Church. The phone rings just as I climb into bed. to be his/her instruments of peace? Bruce SpringsteenTHE GHOST OF TOMJOAD, 73. be who we should be and do what we should do? So, our choice is between #1 and #3. Yet we see that God was there all the time working all things together for good for Joseph and millions of others (Romans 8:28). Instead of diving, he knelt down and finally asked God to come into his life. God has used these passages to spark conviction in my life when I find myself placing the days plans above people, my agenda over others claims and petitions. Bonhoeffer notes that the priest and Levite in the story of the Good Samaritan not only fail morally to bring aid where it is needed, but also fail to see the visible sign of the cross that God has laid in their path. What I learned only much later was that he was born in Germany in 1930 to Jewish parents. We need to remember that sin is a constant in our lives while we are yet on this earth (Romans 3:10, 23). Now, a God who is simply love and cannot intervene with controlling power may, to many,notseem like God. Upon arrival in the city, I observed two men fighting, one of whom had been seriously injured. So, the reason that God does not intervene is because God is love. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Well, first of all theres our fallen creation which is currently under the control of the evil one (1 John 5:19). One night the diver went to the indoor pool at the college he attended. I have had several incidents in my life that I know were Gods direct intervention on my behalf. God creates the world in six days and then rests on the seventh. In fact, the urging of the Lord was so strong, I called men in this church to meet with me here in the sanctuary to pray for you. Healing and Smiting. Does God Intervene in our Lives? My friend Bob, a retired lawyer, is a lifelong Christian and We may pass them by, preoccupied with our more important tasks. Non belief in these things literally makes it impossible to truthfully identify yourself as a Christian. The success with which Joseph was able to continue to conceal his identity and pull off the framing of Benjamin for thievery and all the anguish the brothers experienced as a result was part of Gods plan (Genesis 43:1544:17). Its even difficult to find good jokes about Godwhen I searched the internet, this is the best I could do: God was talking to an angel and said, I just figured out how to rotate the Earth so it creates this really incredible 24-hour period of alternating light and darkness. The angel said, Thats great. Living the Catholic life, always and everywhere for God, February 7, 2018 by Deacon Frederick Bartels 1 Comment, By Deacon Frederick Bartels An elusive synchronicity seems to be at work. He walks by, pretends he doesnt see it, and moves along. It means that, as the prophet Isaiah says, Gods ways are not our ways. His/her reasons are simply beyond my grasp. Potiphars wifes being given over to sexual immorality was part of Gods plan (Genesis 39:712, Romans 1:24). something you want, or want to happen, and you get it. This means I am at Gods disposal. But we have the habit of saying simply, God is this or God is that. I will share today about the evolution of my thinking about Godand it seems more authentic to use the kind of language about God that I have used in the past. If you need to flag this entry as abusive. Jesus Death and the Powers: Cultural Exlusivism(Law), 7. If we wished, there are more sightings we could include from this drive. We read a novel by Peter De Vries,The Blood of the Lamb,that focused the issue of God and evil. Three people stop by. It means dying to self; it means self-entrustment to Christ; it means living a moral life of holiness and purity that is countercultural; it means public worship at the Sunday celebration of Eucharist; it means a readiness to give ones life for the love of God; it means a willingness to martyrdom. human history since the death of Jesus. starting with the Acts of the Apostles a cloud of witnesses have asserted For the pastor, this is done in hundreds of ways, not excluding faithful exegesis and sermon prep. I treated him for his injuries and at the same time talked to him about the Lord Jesus Christ. This type of intervention, as I said, is big and showy. So what are these other factors? Earl L. Henn (1934-1997) Genesis 1: Fact or Fiction? That means He's not arbitrary, intervening sometimes and not others without any apparent reason. Its a way to affirm the universal character of love. Josephs whole scheme to test his brothers was part of Gods plan (Genesis 42:744:34). They defy God; they ask him to get out of their lives; they resist him, and God lets it be. Think about it. That may be why he's a regular reader of this blog, one of whose principle aims is to assert that skepticism and faith are not mutually exclusive. The first reading informs us that to these four young men God gave knowledge and proficiency in all literature and science, and to Daniel the understanding of all visions and dreams. The Lord God gave these gifts. The missionary told the congregation the date, and the man who interrupted told him this story: On the night of your incident in Africa, it was morning here and I was preparing to go play golf. I have struggled with this question as well but your conclusion is not Christian and if true completely undermines Christianity. Pacifism and Knowing: John Howard YodersEpistemology, A Pacifist Way of Knowing: Postmodern Sensibilities and PeaceTheology, Bibliography: Peace and Justice and theBible, Conrad Grebel Review (Spring 2009)responses toJ.D.Weaver, Pacifism with Justice: The Biblical and TheologicalCase, 1. But I can say that love exists. I not only believe love exists, I have seen it. But the question still lingers, does God intervene in our lives today? Why does God allow so much terrible stuff to happen? He ignores the man (not looking good for the religious folks). force you to stop wanting to smoke Cigarettes, it had not happened. It isourconcept of God that we talk about. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. For me, to say God is love is a way to assert that war and the death penalty and any other kind of lethal violence toward any human being is wrong, blasphemy in fact. Does God intervene in our lives? Reflections on Old Testament Prophets (Jeremiah,2), 10. Interruption Is God's Invitation Project MUSE - Thinking about God Discipline is a good thing! I wonder though about people who are pure evil. I was about to putt when I felt the urge to pray for you. For those of us in a creative field, we have the peculiar privilege of weaving all of these interactions and experiences into something artistic and meaningful for the love of neighbor. What are some undeniable examples of divine intervention? It is a strange fact that Christians and even ministers frequently consider their work so important and urgent that they will allow nothing to disturb them. it. Part of HuffPost Religion. Granted, its hard to tell the difference between a no and a no reply, but in both instances above, I would say not necessarily. In my relationship with God, I like the analogy of parent-child. The best way to view our articles and Q&A. She argues against the common belief that God was absent during the Holocaust. Here are some of the scenes (warning: you may find some of these scenes disturbing). It is hard to imagine how such a project could be effectively managed and we dont even know the true extent of it including what is beyond the universe? Two weeks later I repeated my journey. According to The Oxford American Dictionary, deism is defined as, "the belief in the existence of a supreme being, specifically of a creator who does not intervene in the universe. At this point in the sermon, one of the men in the congregation jumped to his feet and interrupted the missionary and asked if he could tell him the exact day this happened. Believers tend to have three convictions: (1) God is good and loving, (2) evil is real and destructive, and (3) God is all-powerful. What about our daily responsibilities? Like De Vries, Kushner addressed the big questions while responding to the tragic death of his young son. God is often portrayed as some super-spiritual, mystical being that occasionally throws a human a bone. Trust: The foundation forspirituality, Reflections on sin: Brokenness in the world [Romans1:18-23], (01) Reading the Bible with PacifistEyes, (04) Retribution and MercyGenesis 69;1819, (06) In and Out of EgyptGenesis 3750; Exodus115, (08) The Conquest: Gods Dark Side?Joshua111, (10) Israel, Kingship, and ViolenceI Samuel 8; Deuteronomy17, (11) King David and the Ambiguities of Power2 Samuel12:1-14, (12) King Solomon and Temple Politics1 Kings19, (13) The Battle with Baal1 Kings21:1-29, (14) The Prophetic FaithAmos 5:14-24; Hosea11:1-9, (15) Sometimes Repentance Isnt Enough2 Kings22:1-13, (16) Israels Fall and Its HopeJeremiah 8:18-22; Isaiah43:1-7. God was indeed present, right in the midst of the suffering, when people loved one another. Can you please help me understand why its OK for Him to stop attacks like this sometimes and not others? Then it sort of drives down the road of Josephs life, devoting to it nearly 30% of its content. Your answer is unsatisfactory and blasphemous. Simeons being chosen to remain in Egypt was part of Gods plan (Genesis 42:24). The writer Rebecca Solnit addresses this dynamic in her terrific book,A Paradise Built in Hell. Its a way to recognize that all of life is sacred, that every human being and every other living creature deserves respect and care. Personally, I find God consistently using those interrupted moments of life not only to use me as a means of grace in the lives of others, but also to shape me and change me, and perhaps knock me off the well-beaten path of agendas and give me a fresh awareness of himself through the lives of others. Certainly, the Bible provides countless examples of God's intervention on behalf of His people, those reported in Exodus being perhaps the most vivid. Accidents happen. What does this story about the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel and this three companions, have to do with our lives today? He lives in Texas with his wife, Kimberly, and their two girls, and is a singer-songwriter in their band March of Morning. Does God intervene in our lives? After all He has to be incredibly busy. What was Jesus Christ then? God the Father is the God of absolute love, truth, beauty and justice. By Deacon Frederick Bartels 27 November 2017 As a starting point, I think most people actually agree that God does notusuallydirectly intervene in the affairs of human beings. Does God intervene in our lives, as individuals and as a nation? At the same time, I suspected that reality actuallydoesntcorrespond. Some say Gods intervention makes him/her arbitrary. His brothers 20-plus year deception of Jacob regarding Joseph was part of Gods plan. It is no small thing for disciples of Jesus to admit that they do not experience the power of God in their lives. It made me anxious to feel at the mercy of uncontrolled violence and chaos. More recently, I lost my prescription sunglasses, which made driving on sunny days rather painful. Greg responds to a question he received about the legitimacy of churches requiring people to be baptized in order to receive communion, then he answers questions about whether God's will affects everything that happens in our lives and Bible references for Greg's view on tithing. If I were to teach Philosophy of Religion now, I would use a book,The Female Face of God in Auschwitzby Jewish theologian Melissa Raphael. Does God Intervene in Our Lives? | HuffPost Religion Pagans offered their food and drink in sacrifice to the gods and then consumed it afterward. But Gods intricate involvement in Josephs life is not unique to yours. Second chance for people of promise (Ezra3:1-13), 4. I know God loves both the victim and the criminal with a love we can never understand this side of eternity. Lets look at one perhaps lesser obvious reason. The epistle to the Ephesians is much shorter than the narrative of Josephs life, but it is not less important. Daniel 6:22 (NIV) Consequently, when Nebuchadnezzar interviewed these four men, none of the other men originally chosen to enter the kings service were found to be their equal. it seems God sometimes intervenes and sometimes He doesnt. You know, God will give favor to anyone who will believe Him. Even most pious Christians have experienced enough tragedy to know that God simply does not step in and stop bad things from happening. Thinking About God | The Jewish Publication Society In investigating how Jewish thinkers have approached these and other questions, Rabbi Kari H. Tuling elucidates many compellingand contrastingways of th .more. Bonhoeffers point of concern isnt so extreme. She discovered what I would call the presence of God in the midst of these terrible eventsnot in preventing them but in working within them through human love that unexpectedly created powerful communities of healing. The brothers bowing to Joseph in unwitting fulfillment of the dreams they hated was part of Gods plan (Genesis 42:6).
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