House Church Talk - holy places? a disappointed God?

[David Anderson]

     Hello church,

Allow me to muse with you just a minute before returning to my corner of 
the rock pile. Thanks, I feel better already...

I am becoming a little annoyed by all the talk of Iraqi holy places like 
Najaf and Karbala. Sneaky "Cleric" Moqtada al Sadr had been hanging out 
in Najaf knowing that Coalition forces would not attack the sacred places 
of Islam.

My feelings, for certain, need to be transformed into charity and to 
activity. I need to pray for the growing church in Iraq and for the 
apostolic message to go out freely and for clericalism to fizzle out. 

Here is a portion of the apostolic message:

Acts 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he 
is Lord of heaven and earth, DWELLETH NOT IN TEMPLES MADE WITH HANDS!!!!

Observe, too, the next sentence which is in contradistinction with some 
"home church" and "deeper life" material which I have encountered over 
the past few years which portray, in essence, a defeated, frustrated God 
who just can't get people to cooperate with Him. One guy appeared on 
House Church Talk  several years ago and made the statement that since the church 
was the bride of Christ, then what Christ really wanted to do was to have 
sex with his bride. One girl on another house church list spoke of 
getting into the back seat of a car with Jesus. (I suppose that if she 
were impregnated then the world would have another "Son of God.") Oh, 
brother... 

Here is the next sentence:

Acts 17:25 Neither is he worshipped with men¹s hands, AS THOUGH HE NEEDED 
ANY THING, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.

God does not need anything or anybody. Away with the idea that the 
eternal Jehovah is somehow incomplete or unhappy unless this or that 
thing happens upon earth. Furthermore, nowhere is it revealed that God is 
needing "a relationship" with anyone. We are already related to him as 
creature to creator and as an enemy or a friend. It is true that he 
desires intimacy and prayerful connectedness with us but He is not going 
to die of loneliness, sadness, or sorrow if it doesn't happen. The 
Scriptures do not teach that He made man because he was lonely or 
unhappy. Father, Son, and Spirit were perfectly happy from eternity past. 
Their fellowship was uninterrupted except momentarily by the cross.

Folks like John the apostle who were truly intimate with the Lord fell 
down at his feet as dead, unworthy to be in his presence. Rev. 1:17. 

Two texts from Isaiah come to mind with respect to today's defeated Jesus:

Isa. 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, AND SHALL BE 
SATISFIED. Why? Because all that the Father gave to him in eternity past 
shall come to him in real time. John 6.

Isa. 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times 
the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I 
WILL DO ALL MY PLEASURE.

Our God is an awesome God. Bow or burn - either way, he will receive 
glory. Praise his name that he delights in showing mercy to those who 
fear him from one generation to the next.

But there's more - here's good news from Revelation: Rev. 21:22 And I saw 
no temple therein (the city also called the bride, Rev 21:9-10): for the 
Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. 

      David Anderson