For those who understand
little else
or couldn’t give a damn.
We say God is everywhere. Implicitly this means everywhere at the same
time. We cannot mean He is here and then
over there for this would mean He is not in the space He just left. Many people like to believe that He is both
here and there, He is in all places at once.
We know that space (the universe) is expanding so if God were in the
universe He would have to be expanding also to be everywhere at once. But God doesn’t change so he cannot be in
space or the universe. The only way he
could be everywhere is to be outside space and time, outside the universe. As the creator of the universe, this makes a lot of sense. He did not create the universe around
Himself, rather He created the universe within Himself; He surrounds the
universe. Ancient Hebrew scholars say
God retracted to allow the universe to exist. This is how He can be everywhere at once. The universe depends on God for its survival;
its continued existence. No thing and this includes the universe, is
more expansive than God because God is all there is.
When God created the universe He
created space and time. As God is
eternal He is not restricted by space and time.
To be eternal means that time does not pass because there is no
time. There is no past or future. Everything is the present; everything is
always now. What does this mean for us,
who live on the earth where time does pass; where the past and future seem to
exist? Well, for one thing, it means that
God knows our future because for Him it has already happened. Our future is His present. He doesn’t wait for
it to happen for that would mean He is within time but for God there is no time. Everything for God is instant. He speaks
everything into being and that includes our lives. Such is the power of God. We have to wade through past, present and future because we are constricted by
time. We each have to struggle through our destiny. We have to catch up to eternity; we have to
catch up to God. How does that work?
We learn from scientists
(Einstein in particular) that our understanding of time depends on where it is
being measured. Time measured in space
(the universe above and beyond the earth) is different from the same time
measured on earth. For example, a clock runs slower (and this includes
our biological clock) when moving in space than when stationary. If you were on a spaceship traveling at 99%
of the speed of light for a whole year you would discover when landing on earth
that a bit over 7 years had passed since you left but you will have only aged a
year. If you could travel at the speed
of light time would stop and you would not grow old. Of course, we cannot travel at the speed of
light. God moves at the speed of light and, indeed, even faster so what is an
instant for God, when measured from our perspective on earth, may well be as much as billions of years. God created the universe in less than the
blink of an eye but when we measure it from earth we discover somewhere between
13 to 15 billion years have passed! God
is outside of time and space remember.
He never grows old.
Scientists who have measured the
age of some rocks say the earth is 4 ½ billion years old. Some religious groups, who count the
generations of people listed in the Bible from Adam to now, believe the earth
is about 6000 years old. They believe
that God made Adam immediately after creating and seeding the earth. By now we should understand that what God
does in an instant in eternity, could be
millions of years, earth-time. Most
religious groups believe that God made Adam and then Eve, placed them in the
garden in Eden where they stayed for a
brief earth-time, sinned and consequently were
banished. Did they even stay a
week? We don’t know.
Why did God create the universe
with its trillions and trillions of stars and planets? Why did He reserve one small planet for
us? Why did God create us? God made angels to do his bidding and to
sing his glory. The universe is a
demonstration of God’s glory. We were created
to demonstrate God’s glory. We are less
than glorious to be sure; our failings are quite unattractive. Nevertheless,
as sentient beings, we are a remarkable
creation though we leave much to be desired in the glory department. God made us in His image. Does this mean we look like God? Maybe God looks like us? That’s an ugly thought. Early Hebrew scholars say looks has nothing
to do with it. To be made in God’s image
is to have an intellectual perspective; we can think; recognize we are
conscious; we can know ourselves much like God.
Perhaps it is merely the case we are products of God’s imagination like
everything else. Your guess is as good
as mine.
If the Majesty and Power of God do not humble you, nothing will. He made you and all the plants and animals
and all the fish in the sea from the dust of the stars. He made the water from the gasses swirling
about in space. He knows the people He
created tend to do stupid things. They
sometimes forget that He exists. That’s
a no-no. Some people are convinced He doesn’t actually exist. That’s even more of a no-no. What else?
Oh yeah, God gave us free will.
We can choose to ignore Him or worship Him. If you’re convinced you are right that He
doesn’t exist, go right ahead and ignore Him.
He knows where you live. Of course,
if He doesn’t exist there’s no more to say about it. This story has to end here.
Ok, I was just trying to make a
point. To keep you on your toes, so to
speak. You can relax, He does exist and
He wants you to know it. Read His
book. He is sad for you when you ignore
him. It’s no skin off His nose but if
you ignore Him you will be in deep do-do when you meet Him - and you will meet
Him. He’ll straighten your short and
curlies. It’s a must happen sort of
arrangement. What smart people call a
logical necessity. You see, God is a
just God and He can’t not be God. He must show that He is God who must be
worshipped. What sort of God would He be
if nobody worshipped Him and failed to give Him His due as God? So there it is. If you don’t worship Him you deny His
Glory. He gives you room to do the right
thing but He will not let you diminish him for long. God giveth and God taketh away, as they
say. And don’t think when you give up
the ghost that you’ve got off scot-free. He will drag you back at His convenience and
make you pay what you owe. I’ve been
told it won’t be very pretty. You know,
sizzling like a sausage in the lake of fire and time doesn’t pass, that sort of
thing.
It’s a good thing He’s a
merciful God or we all would be in for it.
Those of us who worship Him are stumble-bums. We keep falling down on our
responsibilities. We are a bit less than
the angels and it’s no comfort to know that the angels are not perfect either. Only God is perfect. It’s to be expected, isn’t it? We just have to do our very best and ask for
forgiveness when we fail, which is often.
God will forgive those who ask.
He knows we are inept. He created
us that way. Asking for forgiveness is
an act of worship. It recognizes His
glory. If we sincerely recognize God’s
glory through worship we become worthy of God’s protective embrace, His
love. Did I forget to mention God is
love? Wow, what a loving God He is! Surveys show that those who worship God are
much happier than those who ignore Him.
God’s love is infectious, it grows inside of you and the more you do His
will the happier you are. The happier
you are the easier your struggle becomes.
God rewards us for worshiping Him.
Yeah, I heard those stories
too. God once drowned everybody on earth
except a guy called Noah and his family.
And He dropped firebombs on a
couple of towns called Sodom and Gomorrah.
They were all bad dudes in those towns.
They fought among themselves, they ignored God, they killed their own
babies for some superstitious belief it
would bring them power and they had sex with infants and animals and anyone who
could accommodate their desires. They
were a sick mob of Canaanites, they were.
The world was better off without them.
Yeah, God took care of them. He
resolved their pathological desires.
Their just deserts have yet to come.
Oh, I didn’t tell ya, His Son is coming back. We’re not being told when, just some signs to look out for. A lot of people think it’s going to be
soon. They’ve been saying that for the
last 2000 years. But all the bad dudes
that ever existed in the world are going to get theirs. If you’re a good dude you get to watch. It promises to be the biggest show the world
has ever seen. Of course, it won’t last long. Jesus has little patience for malevolent
types. But don’t worry. If you’re on God’s side you’re safe. Winners are grinners. How do I know all this? I read His book.
©Launt Thompson
Auckland
2018 New Zealand
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