tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20930767.post116219883876748955..comments2023-06-01T14:08:49.977+00:00Comments on Confessions of a Doubting Thomas: What does God do?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20930767.post-1162377959156821252006-11-01T10:45:00.000+00:002006-11-01T10:45:00.000+00:00Marcus, Mike,Hi. Good to know that two of the folk...Marcus, Mike,<BR/><BR/>Hi. Good to know that two of the folk that I consider as 'regular lurkers' are still here.<BR/><BR/>Sorry, when I wrote this post I wasn't really talking about what I think of as <I>'the work of the Holy Spirit'</I> - that is, the direct interactions between God and the hearts and minds of His people, through the Spirit. I know all about this work and certainly don't deny it. <BR/><BR/>I was really thinking about the interactions (or apparent lack thereof) between God and his creation. Can you point to anything current in nature and say 'God <I>did</I> that' or 'God <I>changed</I> that'. I don't mean the creative act itself, but once something in nature has been created, does God ever directly interact with it, or are all his (inter)actions done through His people?<BR/><BR/>Mike, I wonder if you'd care to give examples of the answered prayers - and here again, I'm not talking about the interaction between God and the minds of people (where he caused someone to behave in a certain way towards you, for example), but of the physical interaction of God with his world?<BR/><BR/>This line of thinking is working towards an answer to the big <I>'why does God allow...?'</I> type questions. If God doesn't ever interact then the answer is (comparitively) easy, but if God could interact but sometimes choses not to, then the answer is very complicated.<BR/><BR/>Cheers,<BR/><BR/>RickyRicky Carvelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17975085318645232701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20930767.post-1162370932713154292006-11-01T08:48:00.000+00:002006-11-01T08:48:00.000+00:00A very interesting post, as usual!My belief of wha...A very interesting post, as usual!<BR/><BR/>My belief of what God does is speak to us, advise us, and I think, occasionally do things. I don't think he always does things through people, for instance, when I recieve answered prayers, I believe God has taken action.<BR/><BR/>I agree with Marcus, I think God wants to just change the world and change us through his love. The only thing I don't like is the idea of "softening our heart", because, personally, I believe we make our own decisions, and personally can choose whether to do as God wishes or not, and he cannot force us.<BR/><BR/>So basically, I believe that God answers prayers, loves us, communicates with us, but I don't think he can affect the human will, perhaps just influence it with dreams and speaking through the spirit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20930767.post-1162335446897238202006-10-31T22:57:00.000+00:002006-10-31T22:57:00.000+00:00What does God do today...Love us so much that we m...What does God do today...<BR/><BR/>Love us so much that we might overflow and love others? <BR/><BR/>Is that enough to start with? Knowing how hard I am to love, I find it rather a lot. <BR/><BR/>And even more than this, he softens my heart so that it might well receive that love, like a gentle rain that prepares the ground for the deluge it needs. If just the deluge came, I would be washed away, lost, overwhelmed and angry; so he loves me gently, a little at a time, and slowly he captures me, bit by bit, and fills me, inch by inch, so that imperceptibly the water-table of my heart is deepened and filled and overflowing for others yet I do not drown. I live and am loved and selfish man that I am I too discover I may love.<BR/><BR/>It's not a parting of the Red Sea, nor is it 5,000 fed in a moment. For me it is a far greater wonder than that, and a far greater wonder still is that if he does it even in me - how many other hearts and minds and souls are experiencing this and more?Marcus Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06603530412980948533noreply@blogger.com