Deconstructing
God
Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not…
Many believe the future of
humanity as we know it is at risk because our system of values has become corrupt and the world at large is
suffering from moral bankruptcy. We
derive our value systems from our cultures and our cultures get their values
from religion. Christianity once was
that flagship religion whose mission was
to convert the world, the same as democracy was hailed as the government of
choice by many emerging nations.
The earth is groaning under
the pains of global warming, wars, and Christian values are becoming more and
more toxic every day. Romans 8:22
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain
together until now. The president of the United States chose to publicly state,
“America is no longer a Christian nation.” Our schools now can teach that man evolved
from apes, but they cannot teach that man was created by God. Christianity has dumbed down and accepted a
position of adaptability as it seeks to create a non-confrontational God.
At an early age, my first
impression of God was that of an angry God who underwent periods of silence
when dealing with his wayward creation. A
fact that has been removed from our modern day interpretation of the scripture is
that God often vented his anger and frustration upon his creation. David understood and expressed the sentiment
of God heart when he said in Psalms 7:11, “God judgeth the righteous, and God
is angry with the wicked every day.” God’s
wrath was poured out in the form of a flood in Noah’s day and he continued to vent his angry when dealing with the people of the
wicked nations.
God’s anger peaked when he
gave Israel, his bride, his chosen
people a bill of divorcement. Jeremiah
3:8 And I saw, when for all the causes
whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her
a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah (western civilization) feared not, but went and played the harlot
also. God spoke through his prophets
concerning the final consummation of things, then God was silent until the
fulfillment of time and his Son came forth, not to broker a peace or
prosperity, but a plan of salvation.
The grace of God brought through the works of the cross did not turn God
into a fun loving God, but a God who is storing up his wrath until the works of
Grace is complete. Revelation 15:7 And
one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of
the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Now I have introduced an idea or concept of God that
is not politically correct, nor is it in the best interest of promoting a
loving God. The Old Testiment depicted
a God that was prone to bouts of angry and long periods of silence. The Old Testiment introduced us to a God that
actively participated in killing
sprees. The New Testament introduced us
to the Son of God who extolled the virtues of love. To overcome the obstacles presented in the Old
Testiment and to make God more user friendly it became necessary to deconstruct
and reconstruct God in a fashion that is compatible with todays standards.
Nations that were once
considered ‘God fearing nation’ are
backing away from the concept of one nation under God. World leaders seek to shed the image of a
Christian nation, and many have publicly stated that the way of the cross is
just one of many ways to this new concept of heaven. The church had no qualms about making God
more user friendly, because it open up a
new level of power and control.
Under the direction of the church,
this deconstruction and reconstruction process produced a type of
religion, (charismatic religion) that embodies many of the excesses that the
God of old frown upon.
To deconstruct means to
systematically remove layer after layer of the supporting structure, whether it
is an idea, concept or even a religious deity.
This is done for the purpose of doing an analytical examination of
something (as a theory) often in order to reveal its inadequacy or relevance and to bring about changes. Deconstruction is an environmentally friendly,
it is the alternate to demolition or
destruction. Rather than destroying or cast aside and
item, idea, or even God, it is more
fitting that a process deconstructing and reconstructing be initiated. The children of Israel attempted to do the
same thing at the base of the Holy Mountain.
They just wanted a God that they could see and touch.
In
our modern and ever changing world, it is necessary that certain items, things
or even our belief structure be updated to maintain their relevancy in a modern
and high-tech society. Let's look at the cook stove of the early
1900’s, a wood burning configuration
that certainly would be out of place in the modern homes of today. Yet no home would be complete without the
presence of a stove. To fulfill the
need of the home did not require creating a new method of processing food, heat
would still be needed to heat a chamber or oven to a temperature necessary to
cook the food. Therefore a process of
deconstructing and reconstructing the wood stove allowed for the emergence of
the gas, electric and microwave ovens, thus eliminating the smoke and grit. Yet, they all have one thing in common that
makes them an oven.
Blessings and miracles were
the first two attributes of God that was subjected to an analytical examination. A blessing had to be more than the power to
act in God’s name, it had to represent financial gain. A miracle became something that could be
advertised and even sold. Blessings and
the miracle would be the selling points of this new or updated God. The key to obtaining the blessing would be through
an unholy translation of the scripture call “the planting of a seed”. Jesus attempted to correct the disciples
thinking when he stated in Matthew
5:45 That ye may be the children of your
Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the
good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. There are things that God allows or ‘maketh’
without regard to one’s status as a believer or not.
There is no divine
directive that says the design of a stove cannot change, but there is a divine
directive that deals with the changing of God.
God simply stated in Malachi
3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not… As a
child growing up in a church going family the name of God was spoken with
reverence and respect. We were taught
to never use the name of God in vain.
There was always the proper place and time to honor and praise God. Often praise and prayer were a private thing
being careful to adhere to the teaching of Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs,
neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their
feet, and turn again and rend you.
This new or reconstructed
God can now be found in many places where he once was not found. Many of us are doubtful as to whether God
wants to be acknowledged in some of the venues that make the claim of honoring
God. The rap star, whose music caused
many to blush, is often quoted as thanking God for his blessings. God has exploded all over the social media
and many have concluded that God is doing great things. If you type “Amen’ under the picture of the
huge stack of money ‘God’ will give it to you.
Once the door was open to the redesigning of of God many became caught
up in defining and redefining God. Today ‘God’ can be found doing so many wonderful
things that the judgement of God spoken of in the Book of Daniel and Revelation
is no longer an issue. We have trivialized
the name of God, and now we are well on the way to rendering the message of
Jesus Christ impotent.
