Jesus be the centre

At Spring Harvest I bought a new Bible in a year book to refresh my reading of the scriptures. As a result I am currently reading Genesis and last night I was so inspired reading about Abraham.

When God asked Abraham to do something, even when it meant leaving family & friends and going to a unknown destination. Abraham didn't question God, He upped and leaved. His heart was fully given to God and He achieved the great things God had planned for him and was blessed as a result.

Too often in my life I stop letting God build the blocks of my life and start building myself, taking it in the creative direction I think is best. Whilst I am quite a creative person, I rarely get everything right and often this leaves aspects of my life in a messy place. This is when God has to knock the blocks down and start again, which is a very hard thing to go through. It is so easy to begin creating ourselves, it happens through small compromises.
We start following the world and our own desires on small things or one off occasions and then it grows.

One of the verses read at the Royal Wedding yesterday was Romans 12:1-2

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."


If we be who God made us to be, we will set the world on fire!


RevRunWisdom on Twitter tweeted this earlier - Feeling a little off course? Use G. P. S (G)ods (P)ositioning (S)ystem

Let's all put our eternal goggles on, fix our eyes on Jesus and set this world on fire!

Congrats!

Congratulations to William & Kate!! It seems like the perfect day and all of God's Blessings for your future.

The best bit for me was the sermon, it summed up the world today...a world full of peril and demand but ignoring the One that can help them in everything.

Here it is in full:-

The Bishop of London's Sermon

29th April 2011

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” So said St Catherine of Siena whose festival day it is today. Marriage is intended to be a way in which man and woman help each other to become what God meant each one to be, their deepest and truest selves.

Many are full of fear for the future of the prospects of our world but the message of the celebrations in this country and far beyond its shores is the right one – this is a joyful day! It is good that people in every continent are able to share in these celebrations because this is, as every wedding day should be, a day of hope.  

In a sense every wedding is a royal wedding with the bride and the groom as king and queen of creation, making a new life together so that life can flow through them into the future.

William and Catherine, you have chosen to be married in the sight of a generous God who so loved the world that he gave himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ.

And in the Spirit of this generous God, husband and wife are to give themselves to each another.

A spiritual life grows as love finds its centre beyond ourselves. Faithful and committed relationships offer a door into the mystery of spiritual life in which we discover this; the more we give of self, the richer we become in soul; the more we go beyond ourselves in love, the more we become our true selves and our spiritual beauty is more fully revealed. In marriage we are seeking to bring one another into fuller life.

It is of course very hard to wean ourselves away from self-centredness. And people can dream of doing such a thing but the hope should be fulfilled it is necessary a solemn decision that, whatever the difficulties, we are committed to the way of generous love.

You have both made your decision today – “I will” – and by making this new relationship, you have aligned yourselves with what we believe is the way in which life is spiritually evolving, and which will lead to a creative future for the human race.

We stand looking forward to a century which is full of promise and full of peril. Human beings are confronting the question of how to use wisely a power that has been given to us through the discoveries of the last century. We shall not be converted to the promise of the future by more knowledge, but rather by an increase of loving wisdom and reverence, for life, for the earth and for one another.

Marriage should transform, as husband and wife make one another their work of art. It is possible to transform as long as we do not harbour ambitions to reform our partner. There must be no coercion if the Spirit is to flow; each must give the other space and freedom. Chaucer, the London poet, sums it up in a pithy phrase:

“Whan maistrie [mastery] comth, the God of Love anon,

Beteth his wynges, and farewell, he is gon.”

As the reality of God has faded from so many lives in the West, there has been a corresponding inflation of expectations that personal relations alone will supply meaning and happiness in life. This is to load our partner with too great a burden. We are all incomplete: we all need the love which is secure, rather than oppressive, we need mutual forgiveness, to thrive.

As we move towards our partner in love, following the example of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is quickened within us and can increasingly fill our lives with light. This leads to a family life which offers the best conditions in which the next generation can practise and exchange those gifts which can overcome fear and division and incubate the coming world of the Spirit, whose fruits are love and joy and peace.

I pray that all of us present and the many millions watching this ceremony and sharing in your joy today, will do everything in our power to support and uphold you in your new life. And I pray that God will bless you in the way of life that you have chosen, that way which is expressed in the prayer that you have composed together in preparation for this day:

God our Father, we thank you for our families; for the love that we share and for the joy of our marriage.

In the busyness of each day keep our eyes fixed on what is real and important in life and help us to be generous with our time and love and energy.

Strengthened by our union help us to serve and comfort those who suffer. We ask this in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

David Wilkerson

Yesterday the legendary Christian pastor David Wilkerson passed away after a car crash at the age of 79. He is most famously remembered for leading gangster Nicky Cruz to Christ and telling him, when Cruz threatened to kill him before his conversion, that if he cut his body into pieces that every piece would cry out that Jesus loves him and always will.

On the day he died he posted on his blog and I wanted to share all of his post as I think it is wonderful and such a great thing to go out of life on earth saying..

"To believe when all means fail is exceedingly pleasing to God and is most acceptable. Jesus said to Thomas, “You have believed because you have seen, but blessed are those that do believe and have not seen” (John 20:29).

Blessed are those who believe when there is no evidence of an answer to prayer—who trust beyond hope when all means have failed.

Someone has come to the place of hopelessness—the end of hope—the end of all means. A loved one is facing death and doctors give no hope. Death seems inevitable. Hope is gone. The miracle prayed for is not happening.

That is when Satan’s hordes come to attack your mind with fear, anger, overwhelming questions: “Where is your God now? You prayed until you had no tears left. You fasted. You stood on promises. You trusted.”

Blasphemous thoughts will be injected into your mind: “Prayer failed. Faith failed. Don’t quit on God—just do not trust him anymore. It doesn’t pay!”

Even questioning God’s existence will be injected into your mind. These have been the devices of Satan for centuries. Some of the godliest men and women who ever lived were under such demonic attacks.

To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights—and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, “I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident. It was no failure on your part. Hold fast. Let me embrace you in your hour of pain.”

Beloved, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love. When all means fail—his love prevails. Hold fast to your faith. Stand fast in his Word. There is no other hope in this world."

Wilkerson is now enjoying his reward in perfect eternity with the Lord :) Let us be inspired by his inspirational faith acted out in his life and rejoice that he was saved :)

Spring Harvest

Last week I went to Butlins in Minehead for an annual event known as Spring Harvest. It is a Christian event aimed at the Church where Christians meet together for worship, teaching, encouragement and fellowship.

I went to accompany a friend and to be honest, whilst I looked forward to it, I wasn't overly excited as I had a few bad memories from being there previously (nothing to do with the event, just a personal situation I was in that partly happened during my previous time there).

Rest is also something that figures way too low on my list of priorities!

But, PRAISE GOD, I had a wonderful time!

The Big Top where the main services are held

So many wonderful things happened during my five days there. Firstly, God encouraged me so much spiritually. The last few months have been very busy and demanding for me so I really needed God to remind me how much He loved me and to encourage me that He is using me for lots of good and will continue to do so. I felt so empowered in pretty much every area of my spiritual walk but most particularly in prayer. I saw that it was a tool from God that I had not utilized enough in my life.

The Bible teacher at Week 3 was Stephen Goukroger. Gaukroger is an experienced Bible teacher who preached coherently, sensibly and humourously showing a great love and enthusiasm for scripture which inspired me in my own love for scripture.

God also helped me rest. I do so much and it was nice just to sit back and let things happen without having to do something myself. To prove He really worked magic, I felt great in work yesterday and was noticeably (in my eyes anyway!) more productive!

My kind of deckchair! Just my size!!

God also helped me banish the bad memories. I was staying with a close friend of mine and also had other close friends on site and we had a lot of great moments...getting our faces painted (or in Adrian's case...his arm...coward :P), mucking about on the fairground rides, Football tournaments, swimming. I can now go back to Spring Harvest and think about those times rather than the past ones. Thank you Lord!

Feeling tigerish

So I just want to thank the Lord for a brilliant time (He always works when we are a bit reluctant to go somewhere...maybe that's something for us all to think about! Think about Jonah..his teaching saved a whole city) and encourage everyone that wherever you are or whatever has happened...God has a way out for you and we just need to keep seeking Him out and walking with Him to find the light in the darkness :)

Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Half marathon information!

Spring Harvest was absolutely amazing and I will blog on that later this week but I have something very important to share today :)


My good friend Laura has been working very hard lately on getting stuff together to raise money for Doctors Without Borders/Medecines sans Frontieres (MSF). e believe in the good work that they do all over the world, providing medical care in some of the most challenged areas of the world.  They work in the places people don't often willingly go to because they believe in baring witness and speaking out against inhumane conditions and treatment of all people.

MSF are an international medical humane organisation.  In 1999 they won the Nobel Peace Prize for their work.  They define themselves best:

"Today, MSF provides aid in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. MSF provides independent, impartial assistance to those most in need. MSF reserves the right to speak out to bring attention to neglected crises, to challenge inadequacies or abuse of the aid system, and to advocate for improved medical treatments and protocols."

MSF are 90% independently funded world-wide.  They are not government funded and so are able to be impartial, they have no agenda except justice.

We are running this race, rising to this challenge because we want to support the work of MSF.  By donating to our project your money will go directly to Doctors Without Borders and you can join us in making a stand against injustice. 

This is an American website so it should be noted that you will be donating in $ and not £.  The minimum donation is $10 which is just under £7, if this is too much for you then please don't worry, you can always raise money for us by using our search engine or by giving it to me directly and then I can pay it in.


Please support us in this, we are only making a small difference but I believe this is only the beginning and if we can keep making small differences it will add up to something more meaningful and this will certainly inspire us to carry on. Maybe you will be inspired to do it yourself someday!


The website for giving is here - http://www.crowdrise.com/runningwithoutborders


Even if you cannot give any money you can always use this as your search engine to raise a little extra - http://www.everyclick.com/runn
ingwithoutborders

Thank you guys!!!

Happy Good Friday

I am currently at Spring Harvest with my good friend Adrian Southgate and others! I hope you are all having a blessed Easter!

Thank you God for all you have done for us, 2000 years ago, in the last few years and everything you will do in the future!

Hallelujah! He is Risen!

The Wonder of the Cross

This is a great song by Vicky Beeching and reminds me of how amazing it has been since I gave my life to Christ and is a great reminder of how awesome it is that Jesus died on the cross for our sin...a topical thought right now!

Our Cross

I spent most of last week with my family in Saundersfoot and whilst there we went to nearby Oakwood theme park. I think following Jesus is a lot like going to Oakwood and this is why...

Theme parks divide opinions, there is those who love it and will go on anything and the scarier the better (me haha). There are those who have a limit,  they will go on a lot of the rides but some of them are just too much for them...or they go on ones they don't want too but don't enjoy them much and are glad when they get off. Then there are those who point blank refuse to go on anything remotely scary (used to be me! Which are you?).

I used to be really scared of theme park rides and would not go on anything too bad and wouldn't even enjoy those that were slightly bad. I got a bit ill but it was mostly in my head that I would happen to be on the ride that kills someone and it would be me. I had false preconceptions about how risky the rides were and what they were like. I was blind to how fun they were.

I don't know when I began enjoying rides but I know it began with me swallowing my fear and going for it and thus having my eyes opened to how good it was by how much I enjoyed it.

Christianity is like this. People have so many wrong ideas, that it is untrue, that it is boring, that it restricts you from having fun. I had some wrong ideas and only by swallowing my own ideas and going for it did I find that it was true and the most exciting, wonderful thing.

Luke 14:27
And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.


Jesus doesn't ask us to literally be crucified here, He is asking us to swallow our wrong ideas and trust Him, even when you think it won't be that good. The cross seemed like a huge defeat for the Disciples and followers of Jesus. Two days later, with Jesus having returned from the dead, it looked perfect.


I promise that if you choose to trust Jesus and swallow your doubts and fears, you will find a whole new reality and it will be so much better than you ever imagined.

God of the Gaps

'God of the Gaps' is usually what Atheists refer to as Christians filling unsolved scientific and philosophical problems with arguments such as 'God did it' thus refusing to consider an option that isn't of God. These atheists are hypocrites as they do exactly the same thing, saying that Science will answer all of these problems and refusing to consider that maybe the reason these problems are unsolved and all scientific research has failed is because it really was an act of God. ANYWAY.....I am not going to blog about that, I am going to blog about Easter and how almost 2000 years ago God literally filled a gap and it changed my life and it can change yours too.

In PCY last night Alun drew a great picture describing what Jesus did by going to the cross to die, He could have easily saved Himself...He was God. He chose to die and this is why....(I'm a poet and I didn't know it!)

Romans 6:23 

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nobody can claim to be perfect, Jesus aside. We all have things we wish we didn't do, we wish we didn't say and we wish we didn't think. We cannot even manage a perfect day, maybe not even a perfect couple of hours, probably not even a perfect couple of minutes. We were made perfect by God, but by through the disobedience of the entire human race since Adam, we have been made imperfect. Once something is imperfect it cannot be perfect again. When we work we receive wages, the wages of our imperfection is death, which is not going to Heaven for eternity. Our sin means are not good enough for Heaven, so somebody else had to be for us. That man was Jesus. The gift He offers is Himself, His Perfect live. In exchange, He took on all of the sin and shame of mankind and paid the price for it. If we choose to believe and trust in Him, we get His perfect life in return when we go before God, only then are we good enough for Heaven. As you can see from the image above, the gap between us and God is filled by the cross! Make this Easter the most incredible one ever and make the best choice I ever made!

Misconceptions - 6. Stuff people say about the Lord Jesus

1. Jesus didn't even exist


No serious historical scholar of any faith will deny that a man called Jesus of Nazareth existed. Roman historian Josephus and over 30 other non Biblical accounts suggest He existed also. The Gospel of Luke, which records some of His life, is one the most accurate historical records ever written.

2. Jesus was a criminal


Jesus was wrongly convicted of blasphemy by the religious leaders, who abused their power to meet their own ends. Jesus ministry was turning people away from their legalistic rituals and they obviously were deeply unsettled. Jesus, as God Himself in human form, had the power to get away but chose to die to pay the price for the sin of all mankind.

3. Jesus was just a good man


Make no mistakes, Jesus was a good man...He was perfect, He was the best man ever. But He was so much more than just good. He was God Himself in human form. He is the bridge between man and God. Our sin seperates us from God and we are condemned but Jesus stepped in and paid the price for it all so that we can have a relationship with God. Jesus also claimed to be God. A good man doesn't lie and if Jesus was just a good man then He was also a liar in a major way and led many people astray and to death (the Pharisees didn't stop their executions at Jesus, they executed His followers as well) for nothing, which doesn't make Him a good man.

4. Jesus was a madman
Jesus said some of the most incredible and insightful things ever said. His Words are not the words of a madman.

5. Jesus isn't for me


Luke 19:10
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."


No matter how far away you are, Jesus came to find you. If you feel an urge to be saved and change your life, just ask Him tonight to forgive your sin and help you repent. It is the best decision I ever made :-)

Jeremiah 29:13

Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.


Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.


I always find that my most amazing and special moments with God (Those moments mean I can never be an atheist just as much as I can never believe my Mother doesn't exist...I've met her!) come when I really make an effort for Him. Instead of during a rushed token gesture at the end of the day, it is the times where I go out and make time and get myself free of distractions when I have the best times. Of course, God meets you in the rushed times as well and there have been good times there too.


My point is...I have heard many complain that they never know that God is there for them and that they don't know what He thinks or wants them to do.


My advice is to make time, find a quiet place, remove all distractions and get in touch with the Creator :-)


Psalm 37:7
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.


Revelation 3:20
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

Follow Easter!

The below link gives you a chance to have the Easter story sent to your Facebook, Twitter, mobile or e-mail in real time this Easter. I think it is a great chance to help myself meditate on this wonderful occasion and the day my eternity was paid for! Thank you Jesus :)

http://www.thepassionexperience.org.uk/site/

A message

I just want to put something out there. I have it so easy in my life...I have the money to get everything I need, I have wonderful, loving parents who encourage me in my faith, I have a job (a blessing in these times), I have some awesome Christian friends and some awesome non-Christian friends as well. I have a roof over my head. I  know where my next meal is coming from. Even though Christianity generally appears to be disliked in this country, I won't be killed or stopped from expressing my faith in this country.

I just to want to express my admiration for those who don't enjoy all or some of these privileges and yet still keep their faith and keep fighting the good fight :-) You truly are beautiful people and God is storing up much riches for you in Eternity.

2 Corinthians 4

Present Weakness and Resurrection Life

 ¹ Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. ²Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. ³ And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴ The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵ For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

 ⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

 ¹³ It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴ because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. ¹⁵ All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

 ¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

0.00000000001 % of our lives are on Earth. God has an amazing thing in mind for the other 99.9999999%. Keep fighting the good fight, you are incredible & I love you all so much!

The way to success?

It's a important time of the year. Exams are coming up, essays are due, the football season is entering the final month! Just one extra bit of effort can make all the difference. The pressure is on, you feel as if life doesn't go beyond that final deadline. Everyone has their advice, their techniques to handling all of the work & pressure...it can feel as if there are so many different ways and you don't know which way to take so you sit there and hope that whatever you do end up doing, it is enough!


I'm not here to tell you which way is right when it comes to exam and essay work and I am no Jose Mourinho, so no football teams will be ringing me up for advice!


Whatever you do, however you do it....cover it in prayer. Soak it in it, don't let any part of this journey escape without being completely immersed in God.....


Why?


1. Because God wants to help
1 Peter 5:7 - Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.


God is our Heavenly Father, He doesn't want us to sit here and suffer, He wants to strengthen us and assure of us that He has a great plan for us and He will see us there! (Jeremiah 29:11 guys :D)


2. Because Jesus did it
Jesus constantly was in prayer, He made a point of going to the Father and spend hours at night with Him. The night before He was crucified, where was He? He was giving all of Himself to God, so that He would have the strength to do the Lord's Will. Jesus lived by prayer in His Ministry, this is shown in His healing of many illnesses and sending demons away from the possessed.


3. Because other Bible characters do it
In Nehemiah 1 & 2, Nehemiah's passionate prayer for Israel is noted as well as his prayer before responding to the King (he had a scary job, to ask a King who could kill him to let him re-build this wall in Jerusalem which he may not have been pleased about). Nehemiah went and re-built the wall under the blessing of God. Everything amazing that happened on Mt Carmel in 1 Kings 18 was due to God answering Elijah's prayer.
I believe, to change this world, we should concentrate more on prayer than actions, not that actions are not important...they often seem to be the response of prayer anyway. 


4. The Bible says so -  Phillippians 4:6-7....Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.


Lastly, always remember this wonderful verse in Proverbs 16:3, the book of wisdom...


"Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
   and he will establish your plans."


God isn't blind to your suffering, He wants to hold your hand and get you through everything. Let Him in today. I have been realising more and more myself the power of prayer. God answers it so often, and when He doesn't you end up seeing why and being thankful! 


Give it all to Him today :-) 

Misconceptions - 5. Christianity is just a bunch of rules

Hello strangers, sorry I haven't posted for sometimes. With my exams life is very busy and the blog is taking a bit more of a back seat but I promise I haven't given up! If you have any more misconception ideas please let me know :-)


Anyhow, this is another moot issue for many people. I have seen people very attracted to Christianity over the years but put off by the idea that Christianity is just a load of rules that will stop them having fun in their lives.


Christianity isn't about people not having fun, Jesus states in John 10:10 that He came to give us life in all of its fullness.


It isn't about just obeying rules to please God. In Amos 5:21 God stated that He despised the religious feasts & assemblies of the Israelites because of their hypocrisy and attitude towards them. Jesus came and fulfilled this Old Testament law by living a perfect life and setting us free from it. Forgiveness and righteousness before God comes from accepting His Grace through Christ not through achieving a standard. Paul describes it best in Ephesians 2:8-9...


"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."


It is very sad to me that other faiths such as Islam try to achieve grace by works and don't even know whether they have done enough or not until they die. As Christians, we can know our eternity right now.


Christianity is about relationship with the Father, God wants to know us and that is why He sent Jesus...to remove the barrier between us, sin.

Misconceptions - 4. God is Evil

When I am debating Atheists I find that, when you dispelled all of their 'scientific' reasons why God doesn't exist (one such  reason being Evolution) they turn to the character of God & why suffering happens. Whilst I covered suffering a few weeks ago twice. I haven't covered the strange Atheist argument that God is Evil.

This opinion is most famously expressed by Richard Dawkins in his widely seeling book 'The God Delusion':-


'the God of the Old Testament is...petty, unjust, vindictive, bloodthirsty, misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal...'


My first thought on reading it this is that Dawkins has clearly not read the Bible! I think this quote pleases Atheists and riles Christians not because it is true, but because it is a blatant lie being propagated as truth.

Rabbi Moshe Averick (a Jewish rabbi would know the Old Testament very well) in his new book 'Nonsense of High Order' responds to this as such:-

'Can an intellectually honest and open minded person ignore the fact that this same deity commands the Israelites not to take revenge or bear a grudge, to view the use of inaccurate weights in business as an abomination, to view all human beings as created in the image of God, to open our hands wide to those in poverty, not to oppress the stranger who lives among us, to leave a portion of every field unharvested for the poor, never go to war against an enemy without first offering peace, that "justice, justice shall your pursue", to "love your neighbor as yourself"?


Atheists will bring up passages where God has commanded that certain acts will be condemned by death with some of them being seen as particularly harsh in today's world. But the problem for them is this:-

1. Context - what may be harsh today may have been perfectly reasonable when commanded. Also, Old Testament commandments were fulfilled in Jesus so that Grace comes by following Him not these laws. God knows the context of today too!
2. Morality - How can argue with God about His morality? HE invented morality!?! He invented Justice! You could say that instead you are arguing with Christians about God's morality, but the problem there is how you do account for the existence of morality without the existence of a higher power? No answer I have ever seen has been anywhere near satisfactory and often have Atheists declaring that rape etc. is okay if someone decides it is.
3. Attitude - the Israelites never just decided to kill off a group. The groups that were killed off were groups practicing child sacrifice and other detestable things which God hated and wanted gone.

Ephesians 2:4-5

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

1 John 4:10
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

God is not evil, He all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving and all-amazing!