The Town of Odyssey

'Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy.' Micah 7:18
I was reading an article last night talking about how God is not angry with us. I had never really thought it applied to me before. "Of course I know God isn't angry with me. He's a forgiving God." But I had something weighing on my conscience that I couldn't seem to shake. After reading about how Satan remembers every tiny thing we have ever done wrong and will do his best to remind us of them every chance he gets I knew God had lead me to something. It said later on that God forgives COMPLETELY, not partially or almost, but completely!
What joy and freedom can come from reading one article inspired by God!

I love that verse, Humby! Thank you for sharing it, as well as your own thoughts.

You're most welome, Sunshine!

thanks for that Humby very inspiring.

Thank you very much for this, Humby. It really was an inspiration and exactly what I needed.

I'm often wondering why I'm here, and what my purpose is. I know God doesn't make mistakes, but sometimes I just really feel like one. I remember the days that I ran away, and every path I took lead me to a dead end. I really did wonder, perhaps God was still mad at me? I turned away in sin, and did some things I would have and should have never done. I was so convinced that God hated me back then. And sometimes I wonder if He's still disappointed in me the same way; Which makes me hate myself. But, I have to remember that it's Satan reminding me of all I've done wrong. Not God. He's forgiven me, and forgotten my sins. "As far as the east is from the west."
Like that Casting Crowns song goes "One scarred hand to the other."

I'll keep this verse deep in my heart, Humby. Thank you.

Oh, that's one of my favorite songs in the world! When I first heard it I had tears running down my cheeks.

Samantha14 wrote:. He's forgiven me, and forgotten my sins. "As far as the east is from the west."

And it's not just that, Sammy... He loves you. That is the thing to meditate on. That's why we're forgiven; it's the staple and reason for our faith, because God so loved the world, and each and every one of us.

This is a good thing for us to remember as parents- we are the representation of God our children will see. Especially men, with God being our Heavenly Daddy and all that.

Samantha, my story is similar in that after i got saved I went into the military. Let me say that if you're a new born Christian, the military can be a very difficult place to be in. I wasn't well grounded in my faith and after about 2 years I was doing things a Christian should not have been doing. I remember one night I was walking into a night club with a couple of friends and a couple of Christian men ( young, perhaps 20 or 21) were standing outside the club preaching to everyone how they needed to get saved. One of my friends said, "I got saved once. I was drowning in a pool and someone saved me." I was offended by that comment. Another time I was at a Bon Jovi concert and I remember Bon Jovi saying, "They tell me I'm in the Bible Belt. Well they can kiss my ___!" The crowd erupted in cheers but I stood there in shock, again I was offended. It was these 2 events that caused me to turn my life back to God. I'm still not perfect and I know there are some things I'm doing that I shouldn't but I'm working on it! I know they are wrong and not pleasing to God. I heard someone on an Unshackled episode say "Getting saved is easy, living for God is the hard part". He couldn't be more right.

That's an intriguing story, WindowWasher. It makes you think.

Thank you for that verse.

However, we must have reverence. We must "fear" God as well, for the Bible often mentions the "fear of the Lord" or "fear God", etc. True, God is love, otherwise he's not God. True, he's merciful, otherwise he wouldn't be God, and wouldn't have sent the Lord Jesus Christ to die for our sins. However, God is not always friendly. Sometimes, he can be stern. Deny it? How about your father? He's friendly and kind, true. But sometimes, he can be stern - that's why children get chastened with the rod. Our God is like that. He's stern because he loves us. He can punish us for our benefit. "For as many as I love I rebuke and chasten" - Revelation 3:19. Sometimes he's gentle, and sometimes stern. However he can be wrathful too. Why did he kill people? Why did he kill Ananias and Sapphira when they were most likely Christians?

What if someone's father beat them and was never kind to them? What should they consider then? Or what if they come from a family where one of their siblings was beat to death with a rod using the Bible as justification, would you emphasize God's wrath to them?

Why did God kill Ananias and Sapphira?

1. I say God is not such a God.
2. Because they commited a dreadful sin.

But you've just said God is a wrathful God and kills people, wouldn't saying that to someone from a home situation like I described just turn them off of God?

Did I? OK, I get what you mean, but that "Ananias and Sapphira" thing is a extremely rare incident.
God is wrathful only when he needs be. Often, he's a loving God.

Why was their case an extreme example? Why doesn't God commit more wrathful acts?

The Mysterious wrote:We must "fear" God as well, for the Bible often mentions the "fear of the Lord" or "fear God", etc.

“Fear of the Lord” doesn’t mean we should be afraid of God, it means we should be in awe of Him. It’s a poor translation because in English fear is negative.

John Chrysostom wrote:Why was their case an extreme example? Why doesn't God commit more wrathful acts?

Because he's also merciful. He does kill people, but not so often. These incidents were more frequent in the Old Testament.

bookworm wrote:

The Mysterious wrote:We must "fear" God as well, for the Bible often mentions the "fear of the Lord" or "fear God", etc.

“Fear of the Lord” doesn’t mean we should be afraid of God, it means we should be in awe of Him. It’s a poor translation because in English fear is negative.

Very true. So therefore, we must be reverent as well.

My main point is God is a God of love, but He's also a God of justice.

Do you think God still kills people today like He did with Ananias and Sapphira?