Figuring Out God – Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him."

The most important thing to figuring out God is to proceed from the assumption that he is beyond our figuring.  You cannot plumb the depths of who God is.  This is not an attempt to be mysterious or to dismiss reason.  Both mystery and reason are involved in knowing God. 

There is a limit to what the finite can know about the infinite.  Eventually we will know to the depth we are known.  For now, however, we must not assume that we know who God is.  We can know some things about him within the scope of our humanity. 

Whether it is the good or the bad the assumptions we make about God are limited.  We do not know.  We can surmise.  We can trust and follow.  We cannot on see it all.  We can have confidence.  We can believe.  “Lord I believe, please help my unbelief.” 

What we are promised is that we will find God if we seek him with all our hearts.  After all it is the heart he is after. All of his interactions with us are predicated on his love for us.  If we love him back it can all be sorted out.  Like any noble suiter, however, he does not force us. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Figuring Out God – In Disguise

Greetings Dear Reader,

God hides himself.  He does so because he wants us to have faith.   I get that this is a challenge for many.  I cannot explain why God set things up this way but he has.  One of the things this affords him is the opportunity to hide and see how we interact with him.

Jesus made it clear that how we treat others is how we treat him.  Whomever we think of as least of his brothers are worthy of our compassion and kindness.  We are supposed to treat strangers well.  We are required to tend to their needs.

God does not need anything.  He loves people who do.  He counts on his followers to care for them.  If we want to understand who God is then we must realize that he can be seen in those in need.

The compassion we show is vital to understanding God.  Realizing where they are and their needs helps us realize who we are relative to him.  We can do nothing for ourselves relative to our souls.  If I hope to see God clearly I must see him in the people how have the deepest needs.

I cannot hope to figure who God is without obeying his command to see him in those in need.

Distressing Disguise – Michael Card

He is in the pain, He is in the need

He is in the poor, we are told to feed

Though He was rich, for us He became poor

How could He give so much, what was it for?

In His distressing disguise

He waits for us to surmise

That we rob our brothers by all that we own

And that's not the way He has shown

Every time a faithful servant serves

A brother that's in need

What happens at that moment is a miracle indeed

As they look to one another in an instant it is clear

Only Jesus is visible for they've both disappeared

He is in the hand that reaches out to give

He is in the touch that causes men to live

So speak with your life now as well as your tongue

Shelter the homeless, take care of the young

In His distressing disguise

He hopes that we'll realize

That when we take care of the poorest of them

We've really done it to Him

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Figuring Out God – All Out of Wine

Greetings Dear Reader,

Weddings have been large celebrations for thousands of years.  They one of the primary things we do that involve feasting and family.  They have been grand on the political scale, uniting nations.  They have always involved uniting families on some level.  They almost always have good food and good libations.

By the door in many first century Jewish households were large jars.  They were ceremonial jars reserved for the washing of the dead.  Jesus is at a wedding that has run out of wine.  He is on the verge of going public with his hidden identity.  His mother, in typical mother fashion, volunteers him to solve the problem.

He instructs the servants to fill the jars intended for washing the dead with fresh water.  This violates so very many traditional mores.  The servants do as instructed.  He instructs them to take what is in the jars intended for death water to the head of the feast.  The new wine is served to the guests and they are amazed at is quality.

Jesus turned water into wine.  Christ followers have been trying to turn it back into grape juice for two thousand years.  We think we have God figured out concerning alcohol.  We do not.  What matters more here is that Jesus does do the unexpected.

I feel as if the world is out of wine.  We spend more time washing the dead than in true celebration.  God has decided to bring life from death.  The water meant for washing the dead becomes the best wine of the celebration.  If we figure anything out about God is that he makes life and will not be denied.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Figuring Out God – The Walking Dead

Greetings Dear Reader,

We all have those moments when we are interrupted in our travel by a funeral procession.  They do not seem as common as they were when I was younger.  Still you are stopped in your progress.

In the first century world people were carried through town to the place of burial on a funeral bed.  There would be a loud group of mourners.  The people in procession would wail and lament.  This was common.  Jesus must have witnessed it often.  In some cases he acted.

Luke 7:11 – 16   Soon afterward, Jesus went to a city called Nain. His disciples and a large crowd went with him.  As he came near the entrance to the city, he met a funeral procession. The dead man was a widow's only child. A large crowd from the city was with her.  When the Lord saw her, he felt sorry for her. He said to her, "Don't cry."  He went up to the open coffin, took hold of it, and the men who were carrying it stopped. He said, "Young man, I'm telling you to come back to life!"  The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. Everyone was struck with reverence and praised God. They said, "A great prophet has appeared among us," and "God has taken care of his people."

When Death comes to collect us it is a one sided conversation with no reversal.  That is what we expect.  We do not expect a carpenter who is also an itinerant preacher to interrupt.  We do not anticipate a reprieve from death of a loved one. 

Jesus would sometimes do the unexpected and raise the dead.  After all on the grand scale Jesus’ mission was to give us all a reprieve from death.  His family thought that they had him figured out when they sent for him to cure a sick Lazarus.  They did not understand when he waited until Lazarus was dead.  They gave up hope when he did not act as anticipated.  He chose to have the walking dead explain it to them.

When we think we have God figured out we give up hope.  It is in his nature to do beyond what we think he will do. Faith is what manufactures hope.  Jesus is the ultimate definition of turning death into a fighting chance to live.  The death of people, goals, and dreams are all within his wheelhouse.  I must live that way.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Figuring Out God – Judgement

Greetings Dear Reader,

There are things which God reserves for himself.  One of them is judgement of others.  I have to discern between right and wrong.  I have to assess what is in front of me to make wise choices.  I am not allowed to judge others or condemn them. 

There is nothing that allows me to determine someone else’s standing with God.  I may ask.  I may ponder and pray.  I may observe but God reserves to himself the right to judge us. 

Within that reservation is the balance of justice, love, grace, and mercy.  The comparison is his righteousness and holiness.  This means we all come up short.  We are all guilty before him.  The laws of God are just teachers to show us our need for him.  They are hammers for us to use on each other.

In an effort to figure out God one must realize that he will judge us as he sees fit.  We are not given a choice on that count.  We are given a way to circumvent whatever penalty is due from our failures.  God wants to deal with us in love, grace, and mercy.  First we need to see that we need it.

I must not judge.  God will.  I may be honest about how I feel concerning someone else’s condition but if that does not motivate me to love and compassion I am doing it wrong.  When I see someone overtaken by wrong I am supposed to restore them in love.  If I am judging and condemning then I cannot do that. 

If we want to understand God we cannot deny him the right to judge us as he sees fit.  We cannot act as judge on his behalf.  I must also remember that I will be judged by the standards that I use to judge others.  That alone should motivate me to great grace and mercy.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Figuring Out God – What He Hates

Greetings Dear Reader,

We put God into a box when we fail to understand that even though there are things that he hates he does not hate people.  When we say that God hates any group of people we are putting God into a box which is not his.  He does not fit and will not abide.

In short God does not hate:

Gay people

Racists

Prostitutes

Tax Collectors

Politicians

Bronies

There are some things that God hates:

Lust (not just for sex)

Gluttony

Greed

Sloth

Wrath

Envy

Pride

God hates these things because they cause us to damage each other and ourselves.  He wants things to be good.  This definition of God excludes using each other, hurting others, and not caring for each other’s needs.  When we do the things we hate we exclude God.

It is vital that we not assign hatred of any people or people group to God.  If God disallows me to hate anyone then if follows that he does not hate anyone.   If someone claiming to follow Christ says we are to hate anyone they do not speak for me. 

If we put God in the box of hating someone we remove his love for them.  He would not command us to love each other, as neighbors or enemies if he did not do the same.  He loves the worst person you can think of just as much as he loves you. 

In attempting figure out God I must not fail to proceed from the place where he loves everyone.  He hates only wrong.  I cannot assign hatred of others to God and be an honest follower.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Figuring Out God – A Loving God

Greetings Dear Reader,

One of the things I often hear is what a loving God would or would not do.  We put our own standards on God and decide how he will behave based on those standards.  Putting God in this box presumes so much.

We must presume that God’s standards are equal to ours.  We also presume that we have the same level of knowledge of all the things involved in how God is acting.  We assume that his ways are our ways when he has clearly said that they are not.  “’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.  ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’”

God loves us.  He declares this as well.  We cannot manipulate his standards into aligning with ours.  We too often blame him for the consequences of our own actions.  We want him to align the world to what our vision of right and wrong is. 

We do not have God’s love figured out.  We know it is there, unconditional, and eternal.  How it works out juxtaposed to the problem of evil and the tragedies in human lives is not always clear.  That does not give us leave to define things for him.  We do not have it figured out.

I must have faith that God loves me.  I cannot pigeonhole the character of God and the demand that he express his love by my standards.  I have done this in the past with people and it just does not work.  I cannot imagine it working with someone so far beyond my comprehension. 

God loves me.  I have not figured out how that works in every area my life but I know it does.  Once again I come back to the fact that I must follow in faith and attempt to love others whilst I work out God’s love for me. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Figuring Out God – A Sense of Humor

Greetings Dear Reader,

When I ponder certain situations I cannot help but laugh.  Jesus has five thousand people with him in the country.  There is not fast food available.   There are no diners or taco stands.  There are five thousand hungry people.

The apostles have been with Jesus for some time.  They have seen him turn water to wine.  He is mourning the death of his cousin.  He has just spent the day healing the sick.  Please take a moment to get that firmly in your mind. 

Jesus is healing sick people on the spot.  He is caring for the lives of others whilst dealing with the beheading of his cousin John.  His disciples are witness to this and he has already explained to them that they can do as he does. 

The day is wearing on and the people are hungry.  His followers tell him to send them away to the villages to buy food.  Again, no pizza delivery or vendors selling food “On a Stick” are an option.   The response holds so much that we overlook. 

Jesus says to them, “You give them something to eat.”  Jesus wants them to act.  He is telling them to provide for his followers.  The disciples do not get it.  They ask him if he wishes for them to go buy food.  They are concerned that it will cost too much.  I can picture the face palm. 

I can picture the moment so easily and it makes me smile.  Jesus asks them what they have.  The answer is simple.  They have five loaves of bread (picture flat bread here such as Nan or a pita. {I want to launch into a myriad of Nan puns here but I will spare you out of my deep love for you Dear Reader.  Besides they would be Nan-Sequential to my point here}).  They have two fish as well.

Jesus, in a moment of glorious humor tells them to sit the people in groups.  He already knows what he will do but they have lost site of the possible.  They have forgotten the potential promised in the things they have witnessed all day. 

Jesus feeds them all by dividing the loaves and fishes.  He does not make tuna fish.  He does not spend a penny.  Do we think of God as having a sense of humor?  Do we ponder that we can see God as laughing, joking, and dare I say making a bad pun or two.

When we attempt to see who God is we must remember that all of our good traits are created by him.  I hear God in good laughter.  I am sure he has played a joke or two on me.  If I fail to see God’s sense of humor then I will not know him in full.

I want to continue to discover the good things about this God who so many think they have figured out.  Beginning with laughter is a great start.  It grounds to the fact that the human condition is one that God chose to experience so that I could better relate to him.

Know You In The Now – Michael Card

Echo of history

A light so many strain to see

The One we talk so much about

But rarely ever live it out

Could You tell me why

Was it for this You came and died

A once a week observance

When we coldly mouth Your words

Lord I long to see

Your presence in reality

But I don't know how

Let me know You in the now

We should confess

We lose You in our busyness

We've made You in our image

So our faith's idolatry

Lord, deliver me

Break my heart so I can see

All the ways You dwell in us

That You're alive in me

Lord I long to see

Your presence in reality

But I don't know how

Let me know You in the now

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Figuring Out God – Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

We ponder God whether we believe in him or not.  It requires thinking to get to the place where we choose to believe or not believe.  I have met people who have said on the subject that they have not thought about it. 

It takes me back sometimes when I think I have God figured out.  I really do not want to have God figured out or understood or boxed up in any way.  I want to know him.  I want an intimate relationship that defines who I am.  I do not, however, want to ever think I have plumed the depth of who God is.

I often think that one of the mistakes we make with people is thinking we have them figured out.  We limit who a person is or can be by our failing to see the intricacies of others.  We put people in a box based on past behavior.

We do the same to God.  We decide who he is and how he does things.  We choose how he thinks and will act.  We assume that our view is the view.  I think that God likes to surprise us.  I think that he is so much more than we can imagine. 

I want to ponder this for a bit as I walk.  I need a bigger view.  I need an ever expanding one if I am to journey well.  Let me know what you are thinking Dear Reader as we discuss this.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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