Thank God for Miracles!

[Mr. Smith]

Originally Posted by NotforSale

This Thread reminded me of something I pondered many years ago. I even asked others in the Church about this, without a good response.

Praying for food, or being grateful to God for a meal. Does this mean those who are starving are somehow not on God's list to be fed, being that God gave me something to eat?

God's plan is for us to prosper. Those other poor schmucks must be doing something wrong.

(This is a caricature statement to illustrate the absurdity of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, which is the mentality that many Christians have)

[NotforSale]

Originally Posted by pelathais

Smith is obviously a wacko, but are we correct in attributing any of this to God?

If God "miraculously" intervened to save the first family that is described here, why didn't he miraculously intervene for the second family in the Hummer? Does God only protect those vehicles that meet the new Federal CAFE standards?

It sounds like the first family benefited from the alert and effective defensive driving skills of the dad. The second family was in a larger vehicle, one known to lack maneuverability, and they died.

Does God really sit up in heaven, eating popcorn and watching our coming and going and intervening for a few while others are slaughtered? Or, are we sort of left to our own devices when we get behind the wheel and thus we face licensing requirements, vehicle inspections, traffic laws and the myriad numbers of laws and regulations intended to keep the mayhem on the highway to a minimum?

I think that wacko Smith's sarcasm was motivated by the implied judgement that is given when someone "rejoices" at dodging a bullet that kills another. I guess Smith did come right out and say that, too. What a nut.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmcwk...eature=related

[NotforSale]

Originally Posted by Mr. Smith

God's plan is for us to prosper. Those other poor schmucks must be doing something wrong.

(This is a caricature statement to illustrate the absurdity of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, which is the mentality that many Christians have)

Thanks for finally clarifying the TRUTH! Why didn't I figure this out???

[Mr. Smith]

Originally Posted by NotforSale

Thanks for finally clarifying the TRUTH! Why didn't I figure this out???

I have a HUGE problem with nationalistic pride. Maybe I'm changing the subject. But not really. You asked a VERY pointed question and it really deserves an answer. The only problem is, I'm not totally sure what it is. Just being honest. Every time some right-wing Christian starts spouting off that America is a blessed nation loved by God, I wonder what John 3:16 must have meant. It doesn't say, "For God so loved America." Does God even recognize our nationalistic borders?

While I am thankful for every meal, it seems there must be a constant awareness of the incredibly good fortune we have to eat that meal, as well as an awareness that millions, at that moment, won't have a meal. The ONLY way I got that meal was to have been fortunate enough to have been born of a woman who just happened to live in the United States. Just as easily, my life could have started in Ethiopia.

Hebrews 11 describes a large group of biblical icons who were greatly delivered. But the writer abruptly puts on the brakes in verse 35 when he says, "But others trusted God and were tortured." I will not pretend to have a theological explanation to it all.

I am grateful for the meals I eat, the accidents I haven't had, the marriage that has prospered, and the clothes I'm able to wear. But there has also been unspeakable devastation. Why?

I don't know.

Gideon asked three very valid questions in Judges 6. 1) Why is all this happening to us? 2) Where are all the miracles our fathers told us about? 3) How are we going to make it?

There is no answer recorded. The next time God speaks in the middle of Gideon's questioning he says, "Surely I will be with you."

In the absence of a LOT of things not making sense, I have, SO many times, arrived at a place of Divine presence where I've KNOWN God was with me. I may not always have answers, but I always have His presence.

[Esther]

Originally Posted by Mr. Smith

But originally, there was NO mention of grief for that other family, just, "Yea us, somebody else was killed." Can we really claim a miracle when an entire family was, in an instant, burned to death??? Maybe you'd like to attend their funeral and stand by several caskets and rejoice because it wasn't your family, but personally, I couldn't do it.

Excuse me Mr. Smith but just exactly did my post say "Yes usk somebody else was killed."?

It is NOT there. It disguss me that folks try to make something out of nothing.

If you can't rejoice that a family of four was spared by prayer to God then I have no answers for you.

[Esther]

Originally Posted by Mr. Smith

I would hope that my volume would be heard MUCH more for the tragedy that took place. A family died here. Devastation took place. A mother lost her daughter, a dad, his son. I'm sorry, I don't see a miracle.

I'm sorry you are so focused on the negative that you can't see a miracle.

[Esther]

Originally Posted by pelathais

Smith is obviously a wacko, but are we correct in attributing any of this to God?

If God "miraculously" intervened to save the first family that is described here, why didn't he miraculously intervene for the second family in the Hummer? Does God only protect those vehicles that meet the new Federal CAFE standards?

It sounds like the first family benefited from the alert and effective defensive driving skills of the dad. The second family was in a larger vehicle, one known to lack maneuverability, and they died.

Does God really sit up in heaven, eating popcorn and watching our coming and going and intervening for a few while others are slaughtered? Or, are we sort of left to our own devices when we get behind the wheel and thus we face licensing requirements, vehicle inspections, traffic laws and the myriad numbers of laws and regulations intended to keep the mayhem on the highway to a minimum?

I think that wacko Smith's sarcasm was motivated by the implied judgement that is given when someone "rejoices" at dodging a bullet that kills another. I guess Smith did come right out and say that, too. What a nut.

Well have you considered that God gave hime the skill to avert the accident?

I believe prayer is what spared them.

That doesn't mean I think God chose judgment for the other family. If that were my family I would be as devastated as their family must be.

But I give God the credit and not man for avoiding the accident. As he was intent on hitting someone head-on.

[Esther]

Originally Posted by Mr. Smith

I glanced at that picture for an instant and had to close the page. It's too painful to look at. Too difficult to comprehend...an entire family. Burned. I can't begin to comprehend how those close to the family must feel. I remember what AQP said about neighbors telling how it's strange to see no one going in and out of the house as normal. Silence. Silence where vibrant life once happened.

But thank God for a miracle, huh?

Yes, absolutely, thank God for a miracle!

[Esther]

Originally Posted by Timmy

Despite what people think, there is such a thing as luck, and there is such a thing as good driving skills. Just sayin'.

And there is such a thing as Divine intervention. Just sayin'.

[NotforSale]

Originally Posted by Mr. Smith

I have a HUGE problem with nationalistic pride. Maybe I'm changing the subject. But not really. You asked a VERY pointed question and it really deserves an answer. The only problem is, I'm not totally sure what it is. Just being honest. Every time some right-wing Christian starts spouting off that America is a blessed nation loved by God, I wonder what John 3:16 must have meant. It doesn't say, "For God so loved America." Does God even recognize our nationalistic borders?

While I am thankful for every meal, it seems there must be a constant awareness of the incredibly good fortune we have to eat that meal, as well as an awareness that millions, at that moment, won't have a meal. The ONLY way I got that meal was to have been fortunate enough to have been born of a woman who just happened to live in the United States. Just as easily, my life could have started in Ethiopia.

Hebrews 11 describes a large group of biblical icons who were greatly delivered. But the writer abruptly puts on the brakes in verse 35 when he says, "But others trusted God and were tortured." I will not pretend to have a theological explanation to it all.

I am grateful for the meals I eat, the accidents I haven't had, the marriage that has prospered, and the clothes I'm able to wear. But there has also been unspeakable devastation. Why?

I don't know.

Gideon asked three very valid questions in Judges 6. 1) Why is all this happening to us? 2) Where are all the miracles our fathers told us about? 3) How are we going to make it?

There is no answer recorded. The next time God speaks in the middle of Gideon's questioning he says, "Surely I will be with you."

In the absence of a LOT of things not making sense, I have, SO many times, arrived at a place of Divine presence where I've KNOWN God was with me. I may not always have answers, but I always have His presence.

It seems the simple Scriptures carry such a great weight in matters such as this; "The rain falls on the just, and the unjust".

I don't know totally why humanity is so drawn into the superstitious, always trying to attach God to things He's never been attached to. Why is it such a hard thing to accept that unusual circumstances are just a part of life?

This and more has become clearer to me as I've gotten older. We see divorce just as high in the Church as out of the Church. I've got dear friends who've been happily married for decades but don't go to Church, while the perfect marriage in Church falls apart.

I've seen Christians lose jobs, and non-Christians keep them. I'm in the insurance business, and accidents happen to everyone. I've watched kids from great homes, go wild. I’ve seen the young die, and the old live.

I think we put God in things He was never in to begin with, and when we stop this kind of false accountability, we all can gain a healthy ideal about our Creator that is very real and honest.