Do we Tick God Off?

"I don't know. Something about you really ticks me off."

This is a slightly adjusted line from a Mini series based on Stephen King's writings. It is called Storm of  The Century. This is the supposed answer, in the story, God gave Job for a reason all that awful stuff happened to him. God never informed him of why. We know a little more about it by the interaction between God and Satan but still do not understand the why.

God never tells us why either. Even if he were to inform us of the reasons we would not understand and most certainly not approve of them. This is due to the fact we still have an inner brat. Said brat never learns, never improves and will be dogging us all our life on this fallen world.

I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous,
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
Let your steadfast love comfort me
according to your promise to your servant.
(Psalm 119:75-76 ESV)

The offense happens when the sinner is told that their suffering is because God the Lord is angry. What is given to the sufferer is a Christ less presentation of the law. This law is given as an attempt at behavior management. Behavior management is good in business and the civil realm. In the realm of our life together before God it is devastating. We cannot teach the inner brat how to behave and have it work. The flesh will take that instruction, try to do it, and get all puffed up about it. The flesh will never learn, improve or go away while on this fallen world. The flesh is our natural distrust of Our Father and confusing him with one of  many idols. He is a God beyond all our imaginings.

The difficulties brought into our lives are from the Lord. However, it is not from anger but rather from a loving Father. A loving Father will correct his children to guide them away from harm. That is what sin does. It consumes lives, drives loved ones from each other and will seek to lead us away from Jesus. Our Lord has placed his name on us. The way we know that is he had a minister apply water and the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit which shows us our adoption into God's family. This way we do not have to see how life is going and how we are reacting in order to measure how God sees us. We are in Jesus and that is how we are seen by Our Father in Heaven.

In Jesus we are in God's peace. Depart from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it. Psalm 34

In the name of Jesus. Amen. †

Heavenly Minded Means No Earthly Good?

"You are so heavenly minded you are no earthly good."

This started in the liberal part of the Christian Church and took the form of social activism. We are indeed, as children of our Heavenly Father, concerned about the plight of our neighbors. We are to seek and help him in his well being out of service to him in the name of Jesus. If she needs aid in raising her children, and we can help, we prayerfully give it in the name of Jesus. But Jesus is not particularly needed to do this. Many people give aid that are not believers in Jesus. Thank God we have people that help out in time of need.

This phrase has since been adopted by the more conservative element of the Christian Church. The social activism takes the form of working toward becoming a success at all that we do. The guarantee is that if we do all the right things, work hard at our employment we will be a raging success. This as well can be done without Jesus as savior.  A new reformation more about what we do than what we believe? A new reformation not about justification by faith? Bah!

Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

(1 John 3:1-3 ESV)

What is offensive to those who believe in Jesus is to hide this promise. The Apostle John gives us one of the differences we have as believers in Jesus.  Being heavenly minded is also being earthly good. The purify John speaks of is all throughout the epistle. Loving one another. Giving aid to those in need. And confessing and receiving forgiveness of sin. This is what life is like now for the children of God.

But there is more. Some day Jesus is returning in power and great glory. Although he is with us now, as he promised, we do not see him with our eyes. When he comes to judge the living and the dead we will finally behold him and be like him. No more sickness, sin or death. We had the name of God Father Son and Holy Spirit placed upon us at our baptism. A certainty that cannot be taken away regardless of success or failure in earths endeavors.

Trust this good news and live in the peace it gives. Amen. †