~ Faith of The Fathers

Well I guess this is where the rubber hits the road, so to speak. Even going into this endeavour I had my doubts about it. The doubts were about my ability not about The Master’s, after all I was the one who could not keep a creative thought going. Well I guess this is where the test proves the faith.
If ever there was to be a day when these arms and legs needed God to verify direct inspiration today is it. My brain is in a pea souper of a fog, my nose is running a 100 yard drip and to sum it up I am not well. So let’s see how this turns out.
I guess today’s theme must be about faith making a difference. After all isn’t that what my claim is that He can produce a blog that I cannot. The Book of Hebrews in the New Testament is full of stories of faith all the great characters of Israelite history as it is written in the Old Testament. There are other stories of heroes of faith from the “Missionary era” but today we are venturing into an era of faith that asks us to make sense of a world gone off the rails.
It rather reminds me of the time after the resurrection when Jesus appeared supernaturally to the disciples except for Thomas. Poor Thomas, Doubting Thomas, he got a bad rap about his assertion that unless he saw the Master’s hands, Feet, and spear pierced side that he would not believe: next time Jesus turned up Thomas had no difficulty believing. Jesus answer to him then is just as applicable today, for He told poor Thomas “fortunate are who see and believe but more power to them that believe without seeing.”
You see today it is not just “mankind’s inhumanity towards man” that seems to be conspiring to put God in the defence box but nature itself. If God is so loving and good the world slanders how come all these bad things are happening: and then expect an answer as if. Of course, those who seek to oppose our God know that there is no answer that will satisfy most people.
We could perhaps, suggest that like the prophets of old that He send down judgement on those who have corrupted His just law and perfect creation but that would include us. Also, it would not be very loving coming from us. We know that He is not only a Loving God but also a Just God. One who is in control of our world but without controlling it, and that to a point He permits autonomy among mankind. He allows us to make the wrong decisions in the hope that we will recognize our wrong and turn away from it
Jesus is our way back. Many of us know this by faith, but most refuse to accept this proposition, because, they will not consider “the believe before you see“ clause in the deal. They can accept electricity without thinking about flicking the switch and they will sit in a box on wheels expecting the car to get them where they want without understanding the principles of the internal combustion engine that gets then there but will not accept the invisible Living God who waits for them.
The irony, if irony is the word, is that He also waits for us to gird up and express our faith in supporting the downtrodden, and the impoverished, by visiting the socially excluded the prisoners, the homeless, and the sick. He also waits for us to say enough this is not right, to stand on our faith and live the life of faith that we as believers were intended and called by Jesus to live.
It isn’t irony; it is sad and is at best a betrayal of His plan for us.