All Things Seen & Unseen

In reading through the Acts of the Apostles following the stand ard lectionary readings after E aster used in Roman, Anglican and Eastern Orthodox churches we have been amazed at how references to the holy judgement of God are avoided in the guide. For example, Ananias and Sapphira who both lied to God, to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5) and were killed at Peter's word for their sin: no portion is set for reading. This case becomes a model for exclusion of those passages which the church, appar ently, does not want to hear (the so-called, 'terror pas sages' of the scriptures) . Of course this process fits with today's lost sense of sin and its almost exclusive emphasis on the 'love' of God. A s if love need mean that God cannot also judge mankind (Acts 17.31) in this life and in the next. The world clamours for justice when people do bad things and blame God -often the very God they refuse to believe exists- for those bad things. It never considers that God...

I've just come across an excerpt from a wonderful book I have, The Divine Forbearance or The Dynamics of Forgiveness (2001) by Paul T. Harrison 1 . I want to focus on some points he makes from Rom 5.1-11 concerning the love of God. In Romans ch 4, the subject is faith: 'the means by which we are rightwised 2 to God' (Harrison, p. 52). But what, Harrison asks, arouses faith; what 'has Christ revealed about God that makes us able to trust Him?' Fire of God Ministries International Church-see http://fireofgodservants.blogspot.com.au And to that question he answers, God's forgiving love . God's love is so faithful and true that we may depend on it absolutely. Why is that so? That is explored in Rom 5.6-11. Our status before God as ungodly sinners (Rom 5.6, 8) in the past meant that we were the 'enemies of God' (Rom 5.10). Think of that! Being an enemy of God means to be subject to his wrath (Rom 5.9) and displeasure. People don't give their live...

In Philippians 2.12-13 the apostle Paul counsels the church to 'work out your own salvation with fear and trembling FOR God is at work in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure'. God is at work in us; therefore, we can work out what He has already done within. Ephesians 5.1-2 sets out an important aspect of the conduct of the Christian: walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us (repeated in 5.25 to husbands). In 5.1-2 we are called to be 'imitators of   God' (!): to be like our parent seeing we are his children. We, who have been loved beforehand (even when we were enemies of God, Rom 5.10) are called to walk in LOVE. ('Walk' means 'to conduct your lives' [according to the will of God].)

Heard in church today the bewitching song based on Psalm 139 and felt myself struck dumb by the line: and with love everlasting you besiege me I sat and couldn't get the image of the besieging love of God out of my head. As great powerful armies besieged cities in ancient times, so the love of God in Christ, lays siege to our hearts, encompassing them round and about.