Ok, well since you asked and have provided this space, I will share here a question I've been prompted to think about since reading "Good News About Injustice," by Gary Haugen.
Does God need us?
Is He dependent on our actions in order to accomplish His will?
Gary has left a bit of confusion in my mind, though - like many things about God - perhaps I'll just have to live with that confusion for now.
Regarding the question of "how does God seek justice? He writes:
...the answer to the how question has something to do with what God's people do or don't so. If you think about it, two truths apply to everything that God wants accomplished on earth: (1) he could accomplish cit on his own through supernatural power; but instead, (2) he chooses for the most part to limit himself to accomplishing that which he can achieve through the obedience of his people. . . Occasions certainly may arise when God intervenes in some utterly supernatural fashion that bypasses all human instruments, but overwhelmingly God chooses to limit himself to those miracles he can perform through people who are obedient to his call. (pp. 96-97, 98)
But maybe the question "does he need us?" doesn't really matter. Because whether he needs us or not - we know he wants us to seek justice, bring relief to the oppressed, defend the orphan and fight for the widow.
"And the Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. he saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene." "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?'" (Isaiah 6:8; 59:15-16)
today we ended up at the church where my wife and i met and where her parent's still go. it's good to get out of my routine every now and then because i am able to compare and contrast in a good way what's going on at our own church with the visiting church. but i also am able to evaluate my own self in the same sort of way.
the biggest "ah ha!" i had today was after church, after lunch, after a bit of time had gone by and i had time to process. the realization i had was that i am way more self-focused than i realize or want to admit.
when i thought about it, i realized that i'd rather be sitting on my couch watching "master and commander" than seeking the Lord's will for my life.
knowing is half the battle. i think God's been trying to get my attention lately.
"When you are too sure about God and faith, you are sure of something other than God: of dogma, of the church, of a particular interpretation of the Bible. But God cannot be pigeonholed. We must press toward certainty, but be suspicious when it comes too glibly."
- Sietze Buning
Posted by manda at April 26, 2004 10:34 AM
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The nations are in shambles, dictators are falling, terrorists flea!
G-d thunders, and the earth melts!
The Lord Almighty is here among us; the G-d of your ancestors is a peaceful place in this storm of confusion.
Watch and you will see the glorious work of the Lord: he sees that destruction comes to the destroyers.
He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He walks fields of land-mines, diffuses our exploding anger; he speaks peace to the storm.
"Be still, and know that I am G-d!"
Ok, well since you asked and have provided this space, I will share here a question I've been prompted to think about since reading "Good News About Injustice," by Gary Haugen.
Does God need us?
Is He dependent on our actions in order to accomplish His will?
Gary has left a bit of confusion in my mind, though - like many things about God - perhaps I'll just have to live with that confusion for now.
Regarding the question of "how does God seek justice? He writes:
But maybe the question "does he need us?" doesn't really matter. Because whether he needs us or not - we know he wants us to seek justice, bring relief to the oppressed, defend the orphan and fight for the widow.
"And the Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. he saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene." "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?'" (Isaiah 6:8; 59:15-16)
today we ended up at the church where my wife and i met and where her parent's still go. it's good to get out of my routine every now and then because i am able to compare and contrast in a good way what's going on at our own church with the visiting church. but i also am able to evaluate my own self in the same sort of way.
the biggest "ah ha!" i had today was after church, after lunch, after a bit of time had gone by and i had time to process. the realization i had was that i am way more self-focused than i realize or want to admit.
when i thought about it, i realized that i'd rather be sitting on my couch watching "master and commander" than seeking the Lord's will for my life.
knowing is half the battle. i think God's been trying to get my attention lately.
"When you are too sure about God and faith, you are sure of something other than God: of dogma, of the church, of a particular interpretation of the Bible. But God cannot be pigeonholed. We must press toward certainty, but be suspicious when it comes too glibly."
- Sietze Buning
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