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The god who is not there.
by DaySounds ©2018
Francis A. Schaeffer, the great Christian philosopher, entitled one of his books The God
Who Is There. In it, he demonstrates through logical means the existence of God. Yes,
There is a God, there is one God.
Oftentimes, though, His existence is doubted--if not scorned--by many people. Why?
Because the Bible claims that He is Love, but many of His followers are far away from
displaying that Love.
Where is God when one of His followers falls into a rut of unemployment and difficult,
serious, financial struggles? The so called "church" is swiftly ready to say comments like,
"We'll be praying for you. Everything is going to be alright. Hang in there. God will
provide. Have faith. Don't lose your hope..." However, nobody takes that needy brother
or sister by the hand, and helps him or her look for a job; nobody cries with him or her;
nobody offers him or her rides to places; nobody opens the door of their house until he
or she is up again. It is rather the opposite: Christians turn the other way, and in a literal
way, try to avoid him or her--of course, when they see him or her at church, the obvious
routine of "How are you?" and "We are praying for you" is always there.
Where is God when one of His followers falls sick with cancer? The so called "church"
is ready to pray for that person; but, how many go to the house, to the hospital, on a regular
basis to truly comfort, with a burdened heart, the suffering brother or sister? Very few.
Many avoid him or her because it is an inconvenience, or because they don't want "to get
that illness" themselves.
Where is God when one of His followers is going through the devastating suffering that
goes along when knowing that the spouse has been unfaithful, when there is a divorce,
when one's children refuse to speak with him or her? The church is ready to say the
"magic" words: We are praying for you. Hang in there. Everything is going to be fine.
With time, the suffering brother or sister might fall into a severe depression; and, the
church, instead of comforting the suffering person, taking him or her by the hand, crying
with him or her, inviting him or her to places or events that might be of encouragement,
makes comments like, "He or she is really obsessed with his or her children, can't talk about
anything else. It is so unpleasant to be with him or her. He or she is listening to Satan. God
has given as joy, and he or she is always sad.", ...and avoid the suffering brother or sister.
Where is God when wealthy Christians boast about their giving to famous evangelists or
Christian organizations; however, when they see their real neighbor, the poor, needy
brother or sister who is attending their same church, politely shake his or her hand with a
"God bless you," and quickly move on to talk with one of the other wealthy members?
Where is God when suffering immigrants come from other countries and cultures, and
they are despised, heavily criticized by the church, abandoned, instead of showering them
with God's Love, sharing with them the Good News of Salvation in Jesus, trying to meet
their emotional and physical needs?
Where is God when someone is in prison, and the church fails to visit him or her? Or, if
they visit him or her is out of duty, not out of compassion, concern, and Love; and they
leave the prisoner in greater misery than he or she was, feeling despised, put down?
Where is God when Christians are unrepented, unforgiving, keeping grudges, when
they keep slandering, deceiving, cheating, stealing, destroying lives, and "get away with it"?
Many people answer those questions by saying that there is no God anywhere. However,
they should look further. They might be right by concluding that the lives of those
Christians they have known through the years are far away from displaying God's Love;
nevertheless, there is a remnant, a small group of true Christians scattered through all the
world, from different denominations and labels, whose only purpose in life is to Love, to
Love God and their neighbor, despite their own comfort and self-preservation.
Yes, as our dear brother Francis A. Schaeffer said, "There is a God Who Is There,"
...and here as well.
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"I am crucified together with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives
in me; and the life that now I live in this body I live in the faith of the Son of God, who
loved me, and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)
"As it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart
of man, that which God has prepared for those who love Him." (I Cor. 2:9)
DaySounds,© 2018
PO Box 2145
Estes Park, CO 80517
PO Box 746497
Arvada, CO 80006
USA
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