edwardmurphy wrote:
Sorry, been busy.
No problem.
edwardmurphy wrote:
Let's start with these:
1) God, why are you such a crappy communicator? You've given us your word in a form that means something different to everybody and always has. You could have given us clear, concise wisdom, but instead you went with allegory. What's with that?
Matthew 13:10-16
The Purpose of the Parables
10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
15 For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
God is not crappy communicator. It is our hearts that have grown dull, it is our eyes we closed, it is our ears that barely hear.
edwardmurphy wrote:
2) Why not just reveal yourself and tell us what you want? I anticipate hearing something about free will, but once you add Hell to the equation free will is out the window. So what gives?
He revealed himself to us and told us what he wants.
Read Jesus' sermon on the mount
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?s ... thew%205-7
This world is a great display of the separation from God. It is a broken world we live in after the rebellion of angels and disobedience of people.
You know, when one sees that the more man rules the worse the world gets, one then appreciates God a lot more. Adam and Eve wanted to try not to listen to God.
But if they sinned why we have to suffer too? Question is whether also we would try not to listen to God and be our own gods.
God created people to have loving relationship with them. And that requires certain amount of freedom. Freedom to also reject him.
But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.
-- 1 Thessalonians 5:21
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
-- Philippians 1:6
#foreverinmyheart