Thursday, October 15, 2009

A Christian Worldview and Science - Build Bigger Boxes



Sometimes our stated Christian worldview and the way we live is an enigma.
   On one hand we effectively enjoy a compartmentalized life, but in the reality of our existence, most things eventually meld into one symbiotic relationship.
   For instance, the world that we call chemistry intersects life as we try and "feel better" than normal, whether it be by hooka or heroin. We also use good chemistry to make the pain go away or even change our brain chemistry to decrease the onset of depression.
   Physics stuff intersects life every time you fire up your mp3 player holding its thousands of songs or sit placidly in front of the super high quality HDTV watching some mind-numbing sitcom.
   As an avid environmentalist, I always chuckle at the irony of a "save the planet" sticker on a big ole' SUV.
   In the bigger principle syndrome, notice how the worlds of entropy, enthalpy and conservation laws entwine themselves into the seasons of southern California.
  • When it rains, the mountain vegetation grows 
  • When it doesn't rain, the extensive growth dries out
  • Fire starts and the dry growth burns wildly
  • The fire removes the vegetation
  • Rain comes and the mudslides move some ground around
  • Seeds germinate and grow again
  •  ...and the sequence starts all over
   If we really believe that God is actually in all things, where IS He in all of the above?

   Or is the God-box only at the place where you go on Sunday?

   Do we believe our cliches?

   God is in everything?

    ALL things work together for GOOD?

    Or do our actions promote the lie of Romans 1?

    Have we acquiesed to worship the created rather than the creator?

    Here's the challenge; live like you really believe what you say you believe.

    Who knows, it might actually work!


30 comments:

  1. "Have we acquiesced to worship the created rather that the creator?" Yes. I think it is very obvious to see that this is true. I don't know if it was ever not true, at least to some extent. If you look at it this way, everything that is here, be it statues or money or animals, the sky or even other people, was created by God if you believe in creation. That would mean that when we put anything at all above God, if we give anyone or thing higher priority that we do Him, we are worshiping the created.
    Now to the question of whether God is in everything or not i would say a tentative sunday school answer of yes. I am tentative for reasons i will address in one moment. First i want to settle an argument that i have heard towards this. People have said to me, "If God is in everything, then everything is God." To this i answer with an emphatic no. I say God is IN everything, but God is not everything. See the difference? Now i am still slightly hesitant on answering yes to that because it is something that i know HOW i'm supposed to answer it technically, but i'm hashing out some of the why.
    Here is my question to you... If God is in everything, then where is in things that we consider to be wrong, things such as perverse homosexuality as was talked about in class, or in genocide. Is He in the mundane things as well? Is God in a stubbed toe or a splinter?

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  2. i forgot to put my name on the last one... so ya the last comment was by me

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  3. My full response would be consistent with statement of natural disasters relating to the power of God. First and foremost this is something that astounds me as a result of christianity. I have had several discussions with other classmates about the issue of Global Natural disasters and how it relates to God

    As you have said Do we believe God is in all things, or just God is put in a box that we only open on Sundays.

    I believe God is in all things truly cliched, and TRUE. Even in the natural disasters. If we only looked back in the Old testament how God used the Ten plagues against Egypt to show as a result of their sin? NATURAL DISASTERS... Mostly all relating to lightening or things falling from the skies. Now not all things relate back to this, but to me this is God showing his power as a result of our sin. Look at the Flood now as long as we have lived we have no experience that extreme of a natural disasters but what does Revelation say about the end times? That correlates to what God has taught us Hmmm

    I think its very interesting on people's perspectives about Natural disasters and if God has the power to produce these disasters. Is that not limiting God's power and contradicting to cliches we have for God. Yes is he humanly Good, but must be have so anger for our sin? I believe YES. So do i believe God can create and does create these storms, hurricanes, and earth quakes undoubtedly yes.


    ~JMG~

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  4. This is in response to the question posed by HJ.

    We know that God is possible to all things, but that does not mean that God will do all things just because he can. I don't recall the passage of scripture that states God is in all things, but let's say that it is scripture (I really don't know whether it is or not, maybe someone can post a verse?). If God is in all things, does that means he controls all things? No, he obviously does not control all things because he gave us humans free will. Volition is something that God created in us, that he chose not to control so that we might choose to come to him. It would be impossible for love (a choice) to exist if we had no choice, but instinctively loved God. I hope that answers your question somehow HJ, have a good one!

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  5. This is something that I have actually been struggling with lately. Why does God allow natural disasters to happen? Why do innocent people suffer because of natural disasters or other things? I don't think it is God's will for us to suffer, and yet we do. I agree with Andrew in which he says that God does not control all things because He does not control us. We choose our actions.

    In regards to natural disasters, I do think He controls them; however, I continue to struggle as to why people must suffer. Therefore, I don't have an answer I can give as to why horrible things like natural disasters happen.

    Regardless of what we choose, or what natural disasters happen, I do believe that God can use all things for good. Are all things good? Definitely not! But God can turn a situation around and over time some sort of good can be produced from a horrible situation.

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  6. I agree with HJ on her answer to "Have we acquiesed to worship the created rather than the creator?" But I think it can go even further than other items or things. This is something I've been thinking about lately, how we can worship the works of someone rather than God who is behind all of it. They can be doing good things, but we have to remember that it is because of God and NOT from our own power.

    I agree with NV that God can use all things for good, the bad experiences we have we can use to help others when they go through similar things, and a lot of the times natural disasters and tragedies can bring people closer together. But I too have a hard time answering the question of why people must suffer. I think though it all comes down to when sin entered the world, it did not just cause humans to have a sinful nature, but it caused the dirt to not grow crops as well and so on, all of creation was affected.

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  7. My comment is in response to the question many haved raised: "Why does God allow natural disasters, if he is in all things?"

    First off I would like to suggest that anyone who has a difficulty with the idea of their being a God (let alone an omnicient omnipotent good one), should read C.S. Lewis's book "The Problem of Pain." I have read excerts from it for a class, and it is one of the most powerful cases for God and religion that I have ever come across. A key question which he asks the reader is this: "If the universe is so bad... how on earth did human beings ever come to attribute it to the activity of a wise and good creator?" (Lewis, 299)

    C.S. Lewis provides us with a weighty question, for sure, but how can it be applied to why God lets natural disasters happen? Well because God is good, he will do what is good for us, in fact he will do what is best for us. Our perception however of what is good or best for us, is not always going to be in line with God's, because we are not God. God has the ability to see what affects a natural disaster or great tragedy will have, and often he allows them to happen because he knows that in the future what is best for us will be brought into fruition by the tragedy.

    My question for you all is this: Is it easier for God to let intense emotional and physical pain befall the ones he loves infinitely, or for him to save them from that? We know that God is capable, why would he choose the harder for him and for us? C.S. Lewis already told us, it's because he is good. While we do not understand it because we are just finite mortals, our perceptions and value judgements will never change the fact that God can only ever be good.

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  8. We must always remember that we can not put human limitations upon God for He is an infinite being that we will never fully grasp. In the Old Testament God shows himself as a God who allows oppression to befall his people. In Exodus, God hears the cries of the Israelites but does not move until eighty years later. We can may question why God allows harm to befall his people. We may never see the broader picture of how God moves in the lives of people that have been effected by a crisis. Growing up I have had my life effected by disasters. In the end God shows his sovereignty by leading my family out of it stronger and having more trust in him. God allows crisis to test us and grow us. Even though it may seem to be the end of the world one can look back and see God moving through it.
    Frost

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  9. I believe that God is indeed in everything. However, when we boil down what scripture tells us, it does not say life will be easy. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Jesus taught that his followers would face persecution and hardships. Through all of this, God has made one crucial promise: he will provide for us all that we need.

    The next question we must ask ourselves, therefore, is what do we need? Do we need the materials of this world? Cliche as it sounds, no, we do not. Do we need family members and loved ones? That is debatable, but the fact is at some point in our lives they will leave us or we will leave them. The truth is, the only thing we truly need at all times is God. That is what he has provided: himself. God has given himself to us with the possibility of a relationship with him. This in itself, is more than enough to sustain us. God is here and will continue to provide us with everything we need and more.

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  10. I do believe that God is present in everything, as hard as it is for me to comprehend. We as humans look at a saddening or destructive situation and wonder "where was God when this happened? Why was he not present in this situation?" I agree with Robert here, in his point that the Bible does not tell us that life will be a walk in the park and everything will go our way. God works in mysterious ways, and we cannot even begin to understand all that He does, therefore, who are we to question His motives? We cannot see the grand scheme of things the way He can, and He does everything for a reason. He never promised life without tragedy or pain, so I do not know why we expect these things.

    Also, I do not think that a Christian should compartmentalize different aspects of their lives. Not to say I am innocent of this crime, but I think that even though we all do it sometimes, we all can see that it is wrong. CHristianity should be a lifestyle, not just a belief. Ergo, if we claim to be CHristian, should that not be present in all aspects of our lives?

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  11. “God’s word of sustaining power lies behind every human attempt to mathematically express the order, power, and beauty of the universe.”
    Learning about God in nature is a beautiful thing. It confirms over and over again the power of God’s hand in his creation. Using math and science to attempt to understand the way things are put together is one way that we can view God in nature. When the equation is completed, and somehow makes sense, beyond all human reason, it is easy to see God’s presence in action. However, this is also an example of just how limited our knowledge as human beings is. There are many small things that we can observe and discover about God in his mathematical and scientific world, but when thinking of all of the things that are beyond our knowledge, we find strength in God’s work there also. I am reminded of a phrase from a passage in Psalms 139, which says, “…such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” I find this statement beautiful, because it shows how small we are and how great He is. He has established an order that we can only begin to comprehend. He has sustained the universe, and our world in particular, for millenniums. The mathematical equations that we come up with are one way to view God’s beauty in nature, but it is also an expression of how blessed we truly are to only know a piece of the information that God has created to put order into our world.

    Cassie Gahm

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  12. I agree with most of the comments stated above and i do believe that GOd is in all things. While we must see him in the good things we also must see him in the bad because he is the only one that can get us through the bad. In the bible it says that God will not give us anything that we cannot handle. We must take the bad things that happen to us and turn them into good.

    THis brings up the philosophical question, If GOd is all powerful, loving, and good, then why is there evil in the world?" I struggle with the same question that many of you have of why would a good God let natural disasters happen and genocide happen? My only explanation and answer for it is that its out of our hands...we will never be able to understand why certain horrible things happen in the world and why God allows them to happen. God is mysterious that way.

    One thing i personally believe is that while GOd pushes us to our limits and stretches us so that we will depend on him, he is not the source and it is not his intent for things like genocide, accidents, rapes, murders, etc. to happen. WHile he knows every possible possibility in our lives, GOd gives us a choice for which path we want to take. It is the decisions of sinful people that cause those devastating things to happen, not GOd.

    I also believe that we worship the created more than we worship the creator. Even when i am sitting in church sometimes i find myself thinking about money or how i wished i had that jacket or dress. Even in church my mind wanders to material things, and i can become consumed by them. Just thoughts like those are worshipping the created. I think everyone at one point or another, Christian or non-Christian, has worshipped something that belongs to this world and has put an idol of something material before GOd...i know I have. But what is so GOOD about God is that he knows we all fall short and he still loves us and forgives us for worshipping others.

    KV

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  13. I like the phrase "live like you really believe what you say you believe." The past couple weeks in Bible Study we talked about how not all Christians live like they believe in God. I believe that it is impossible for Christians to always live like they believe. But I also believe that if people were to at least try live like Christ and live as people who believe there would not be as much negative views of Christians. If people were to at least see that Christians are trying to live like Christ, Christians would not be considered hypocrites. This is something that my roommates and I continually pray about: that Christians no matter if they are baby Christians or mature Christians will attempt to live like Christ
    -JP

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  14. I believe that it is important to remember that God has called us to grow and one way that people may really grow in is when they are in times of trail. I know that often times God may use natural disasters to bring growth and development in our lives. Growing up in an area that was known for summer floods I have dealt with living through a natural disaster. Through these times of trial I have seen communities pull together and work to help those who had lost homes through this I have seen how God has used disasters to bring about a greater good. My family was able to bless others by helping them remove the mud and debris from their yards through this we were able to show Christ love to others. So in the end I do believe that God is in all things he uses all things for the good of those he loves it may not be apparent at the time but if one looks back they may see God's greater plan.

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  15. God is always there, He does not have to make everything perfect every minute of everyday. Destruction can happen in our society and it has. Does not mean God isn't there. God shows His ways in the beautiful creations that He makes and shows us with the beautiful mountains and pastures that He has created and lets to keep growing back after destruction. Destruction is going to happen, it is inevitable. It is just what God does with that land after it has been destroyed is what i beautiful and magnificant. God is everywhere in our lives today whether we know it or not. We do not just see Him on Sunday's but He is there every day of the week. We take for grantite the creations that he has created rather then Him. We look at the created and worship those instead of worshiping Christ Himself. We do need to believe what we say and worship Christ for who He is and for what He has created and done for us. He lets us live, He gives us life.

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  16. I'm a stronger believer that everything happens with a purpose and everything happens towards those that seek God, so God knows all the things and all of our suffers. I do think that God is on everything. The things that happen in the world is to shape us humans to strive for better lives and better things. If the fire didn't happen we would not develop more technology and imporve houses methods to fight the fire and all of that. So God knows about everything and everything works for those who seek God.

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  17. I also believe everything happens for a reason and that reason is God. He has his hands in everything we do and everything that may happen around us. I feel like scares like natural disasters are Gods way of reminding us that there is a higher power. I think he also uses it to raise awareness about how precious and fragile life is. We are not here for long so we should do Gods work as long as we can while we are still here.

    I often feel guilty about saying I live my life one and doing things differently than I say. I think there are some things which we as Americas blow out of proportion to be sinful or bad. I know I am not the one who makes the decision on what is considered to be sinful or not but if I am trying to live my life in a manner that is please to God but I do not do exactly what is seen as right in there eyes I am a hypocrite. I just worry about setting an example for those who are non Christians because I often fill like i wont fit the criteria for what is seen to be "Christian"

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  18. I agree with the comments above that say that everything happens for a reason. I definitely agree with that.
    Although not all things are EXPLAINABLE, all things do happen for a reason. to question something that happens, is to question God.
    this also ties in with trusting God for solely WHO He is. whether it be a fire in the world and the chemistry that goes along with it to a divorce in the family...it all happens for a reason and for the best in our lives. God can take something bad and change it to something good. it all depends on whether we are willing to surrender it all to God and trust that He knows what He's doing or not.
    as for all the chemistry and science in the world that i do not understand, i most definitely will make note of it in my mind and ask God for the answers when i get to Heaven. so all in all, i will set my heart and mind on things above.

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  19. The example used describes the cycle of nature.
    There is a never ending cycle and flow in which all of nature is bound to the current.

    "God is in everything." John 1 describes the "Word" that goes out from God and creates the existing world. So I guess the real question is what it means to be "in" everything. Is it possible that his essence is existence itself. If so, then yes God is certainly in everything that exists.

    I do think that things work out for the best...eventually.
    The more I think about this topic of discussion, I think that Buddhism has a lot of similar views that Christians do. The idea that God is in everything and the belief that everything came into existence from sound.

    Bad things do happen.
    Human beings are fearful of the unknown and so we try believe that there is a God who knows why bad things happen.

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  20. The interesting thing about worshiping the creation instead of the Creator is that the creation is supposed to point us to the Creator. The creation is so amazing in its variety and detail that it is easy to get caught up in its splendor rather than the grandeur of the Creator himself. This is the trademark move of the devil, take something created for good, and twist it to be used for evil. How ironic that the very thing that should point us to God can become our god, and blind us to the greater reality.

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  21. Our worshipping God can sometimes be like our love of shoes.

    I find that I love shoes because I don't really love them, and you immediately build the whole, I don't love you, but I NEED you relationship with them, and then you find that you're a completely different person without them. and gradually you fall in love with them. But you still have this little spot of hate, just like in real love where you hate yourself for making the commitment to love, when you realize you actually have to work now. You enjoy it, but it's still a chore. maybe not always, but eventually you get up, look your loved one in the eye, and say, "I just want to go barefoot today..."

    In the end you find that you're shopping around looking for a "better" pair of shoes and you find nice looking but recycled ones, or new clean just designed ones and you want to wear them, but if you're smart you'll just by inserts for the ones you have and suck it up.

    And then comes that final day when the shoes are FAAAR too gone, and you stand over the trash can holding them in their little box, looking at them tenderly. You lower it slowly towards the bin...and then you keep them in the closet for the rest of your life no matter how many other shoes you get, you'll always have the ones you truly love with your other junk until you die. So shoes are JUST like God because you know no matter how screwed up you can get, you can always rely on God because he loves you unconditionally rather than the world which is a creation and can end up screwing you over.

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  22. After the flood, God said, "It was good" God has created everything on this earth and everything he created to be good. God is in everything. There are bad things that happen, yes, however these are all causes of sin that MAN brought into this world. God did not force or make man since but we did and therefore we have consequences that we have to live with everyday. There could also be a hidden secret meaning behind events that happen. A fire might burn down a mountain side but a few years later will be filled with beauty. Everything happens for a reason, God is in control and knows exactly what he is doing.

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  23. All things work together for good.
    Yes, I beleive that they do. If we take the universe at its simplicity we know that their is good (God) and bad ( Satan). Its a constant battle that we all know will end in victory. However, if their was no bad, no evil, their would be no war, we would never know how much God loves us. So, even evil works toward the greater good. - Nicole Damon

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  24. This made me think back to all the natural disastes that have happen within my lifetime and realize how truly horrible they are and how much they affected our nation as a whole. It is an interesting point you bring up about God being in everything. I believe that God has the power and ability to control all of our actions, but chooses not too. He wants us to grow form these challenges and He sees the ultimate goal, not us. This can easily bring into discussion the argument of freewill and whether we have freewill or not, however not right now. You make a great point Hitchcock!
    Brooke Van Fossen

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  25. I think that God IS in everything - but that may not mean that he is literally there, as if "that flower IS God" , "that grain of sand is God...", but I think that he did create everything and therefore everything is a trace of him. I do think that God works all things together for the good of those who love him. God is victorious, and if we love Him , we are victors in Him. He has conquered Satan, so when we live in obedience, even if things do not go as planned or as we'd desire, things will work for our good. We have eternity in Heaven, if nothing else!

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  26. In response to Andrew Benton’s comment:

    Andrew starts out by talking about how we know that all things are possible through God. This is something that we not only know, but we can indeed see through many of the miracles in which we encounter or hear about on a regular basis. And if God is in fact everywhere, then God is in all things, and all things are in God. Right? Theologians call this Biblical position "panENtheism," meaning literally, "all in God." Panentheism is distinguished from pantheism, which maintains that God is all, and all is God.

    One of the next things mentioned was, “No, he obviously does not control all things because he gave us humans free will”. But to be honest, part of me does not agree with this statement. Yes, God did give us free will and the absolute ability to make our own choices. But does that mean that he entirely takes his hands out of the choices that we make? I do not feel that that is the case. I believe that God works hard to guide us and show us all of his glory through the obstacles we are faced with, and the blessings and people placed in our lives.

    Yes, it is true that through God all things are possible, but it is also true that IN God all things are possible. It is not a matter of things even JUST being possible but they are ONLY possible through God. In a society that slowly places the focus on selfish intentions I believe that it is extremely important for us to each remember that although we have been gifted with our own choices, we must remember that without God’s in hand in each of our lives, we would not be in remote existence. Just some food for thought!

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  27. Build Bigger Boxes

    For just a moment think about God as the actual creator of all things. How is it possible to build even a bigger box around God if he created the box in the first place? The point I am trying to make is that though I understand the concept of limiting God and putting him into a box, we must add that this is only a reality of our minds. God, in his infinite power and might would never do something against his will (like be limited by our lack of faith or inclusion of Him in our daily lives). By viewing the problem this way, it is obvious that we humans are the ones messed up and missing out. God isn't in a box. We just pretend that he is for our convenience.

    Since God is not bound by any human means, I do believe that he is in everything. Of course, my life is by no means a perfect example of living that belief but it's what I strive for. It's hard to understand how He can be working all things for good when the trials of life are so difficult at times.

    Even with our advanced technologies in medicine and rehabilitation technology and countless other means of self-preservation or improvement, I still cling to the truth in Isaiah 55:9, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." Ironically the following passages refers to God's power over nature, which was mentioned in the original post, which is at times difficult for us to understand.

    The hardship of it all is that we may not be able to see even a hope of the good in something that's effected us or people we love, but that's where trust comes in.

    I think the idea of God controlling the weather is relevant to this conversation because even though we live in a high tech society, natural disasters rage beyond our control and their effects continue to be detrimental. Examples include the earthquakes in Haiti, and Chile, the flooding just this week in Nashville, TN, the hurricanes all over the world a few years back, and on and on and on.

    I am reminded of Luke 8:22-25 where Jesus calms the storm on the Sea of Galilee. This was a prime example of believers being overcome with fear of the elements, God's commanding power over nature, and questioning of where the faith of the disciples truly lies. Jesus' reaction to their cries for help was to immediately bring a calm back onto the lack. His actions had nothing to do with the disciples lack of faith (the opposite of fear), but his question, "Where is your faith?" shows is obvious disappointment in their reactions.

    I challenge the Christian community, or anyone who may read this, to answer that question in your own life. Let Jesus ask, "Where is your faith?"
    Does it lie in the trust of modern medicine and an updated weather report?
    Or is your soul at rest, trusting that though times may be tough, God is not bound by our limited faith and has an plan for our lives that is ultimately good...

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  28. Helen SchoenenbergerMay 7, 2010 at 10:22 AM

    I believe as humans we try to place God in a box to evaluate, pock and prod him. How dare we put the creator of our very own self in a box. God is unfathomable. He is present in our everyday life just as the evidence of him is everywhere.
    I believe God is everything and in everything. We are a lower creation of him. He has molded the very minds people use daily to accept him as the creator or to deny him. His creation is everything we see around us. It’s the evidence of God.
    The statement that all things do work together for the good is arguable. Define good? What we as humans define as good in our own life might not be what God defines as good. For example, we may think a troubled future in our life is horrible but in God’s eyes he is making a troubled path so we may strengthen our walk and faith with him. He will then make everything work together for the greater good. I see “the good” as heaven. If we look at everything works better for the good through the optimistic lens then yes everything does indeed.

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  29. There are many examples of natural disasters in the Bible. From the plagues, to earthquakes, to drought, God uses these happenings for his divine purposes. Even in Joshua God uses a mudslide to aid the Israelites in crossing the Jordan to the Promised Land. "the fact that the river was stopped by an earthquake and mudslide does not in any way undermine the Bible's giving God the credit for it… Mudslides damming the Jordan did not happen every day; from what we can tell such an event happens there on average once every couple of centuries or so. Yet the river was stopped at just the right time for the Israelites to cross over into the Promised Land and march on Jericho. Ironically, by using such natural processes to bring about some of his dramatic provisions for the people of Israel, God left behind ‘clues’ to the veracity of the biblical accounts that we can examine and verify millennia later.”
    In conclusion, droughts earthquakes and mudslides, etc. are more than just natural disasters. They are more than facts and statistics of casualties. They are reported on the news and we hear about how they affect our lives today. But we must also realize their historical significance through their Biblical pertinence as well. In the Bible God is the center of these events, and he has a divine purpose for their happening. We cannot for a moment lose sight of the fact that God is STILL at the center of these events. Just because we are not living in Biblical times, does not mean that God’s involvement has disappeared.
    Even though we may not be able to initially see how God is using these disasters as a part of his heavenly goal, does not mean that he is absent throughout them. In fact, if you look at how people pull together and show love and compassion toward one another in the midst of these crises, you will see God working in and through the hearts of the people.
    This is especially true for human tragedy as well. People look at events like Hurricane Katrina and 911 and say, how could a good God ever be part of something so terrible. But I look and say, how could he not be? It is easy now to look at the story of Moses and the Plagues and say, it was a God moment. But I can guarantee that all of the people who lost their first born were not proclaiming the glory of God. When fire reigned down form the skies they were not saying, God is part of this tragedy. Yet we look back at the Bible stories now and can clearly see God's presence.
    It is the same way for tragedies now. In the moment they seem only heartbreaking and void of God. There may not have been a Moses to deliver people from the burning twin towers, but there were firefighters who were just as courageous risking their lives. They may not have led the way with a staff, but led the way with a hose. Why is it so easy for Christians to believe that God led Moses to deliver the Israelites, but yet they doubt that God could lead a common fireman- or fire men, women, and business men and women. What is harder to believe, that God would give power to one man to part the seas, or that God would change the hearts of thousands of people to show love and compassion? This is hypocrisy at it finest. To believe in God’s presence in the Bible and not see it now is all a matter of a skewed perspective. God said that He is with us always. ALWAYS. In evrything He IS there. If you are going to believe a part of the Bible, believe that part.

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  30. RESPONSING TO THE QUESTIONS:

    Or is the God-box only at the place where you go on Sunday?
    I don’t think so... I believe that God is everywhere not just at church!
     
    God is in everything?
    I believe God is in everything. I realized that God is in everything but He is not everything. God makes sure we there is good and bad in our lives. He doesn't make bad things happen because we have sinned but rather He does not have control over any of the adversity. But as a believer in Christ we overcome adversity through His spirit. I must agree that God is in everything see, hear, and do!

    My favorite verse is I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
    -Philippians 4:13

    And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
    -Matthew 19:26

    It is like saying, we need Him

        ALL things work together for GOOD?
    -While we must see Him in the good things we also must see him in the bad because He is the only one that can get us through the bad.
    _ This saying reminds of the song, All things work together for good. It also is seen in the scriptures;
    Romans 8:28:we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.



    Vinicius Dantas said...
    I'm a stronger believer that everything happens with a purpose and everything happens towards those that seek God, so God knows all the things and all of our suffers. I do think that God is on everything. The things that happen in the world is to shape us humans to strive for better lives and better things. If the fire didn't happen we would not develop more technology and imporve houses methods to fight the fire and all of that. So God knows about everything and everything works for those who seek God.
    My response:
    To reply to Vinicus Dantas response, I agree with him. Things that happen in the world turns out to shape us to strive to be better people and much more. I really liked how he used the example of technology! I would agree and say the same about medicine. We wouldn’t have medicine to cure people who are sick if it weren’t for God who created us and gave knowledge to people to create cures for sick individuals!

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