Through Book, Christian Author Peter B. Angier Re-Introduces God as Sovereign Lord and Designer Creator
The former missionary to the Middle East intends to reach out to people who, due to different crises in life, find it hard to trust God.
In this century, how does one (re)imagine God? Does He have anything to say about the lives of people who struggle with life’s ambiguities and challenges?
He does – because He cares. This is the central message – and the great truth – of the book written by Peter B. Angier titled Rough Waters, Polished Stones: Victorious Living Based on Biblical Truths (Xulon Press, 2008).
The book’s title speaks volumes for it serves as a metaphor for individuals who lost it all and had a rough time in their lives but would later emerge stronger and more successful. People who read their Bible will know Rough Waters, Polished Stones refers to the Biblical figures Job and Joseph, which the author did not
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As sovereign God, He works within and through man to “produce a quality of life quite unseen or acknowledged at the time.” This is made possible only through numerous trials, hardships, sicknesses, and difficulties – experiences that polish and perfect creation.
As designer creator, He, in His sovereignty, prescribes man’s unchangeable features even before he is born. The action itself carries a promise that He will fulfill His purpose for man.
“We must accept the fact God has not finished with us yet,” said the author in his
He wants to see whether we are capable of overcoming our base instincts... We have no right to despair. And if He punishes us mercilessly, it is a sign that He loves us that much more…” (Wiesel 45) Akiba Drumer’s unshakable faith in God undoubtedly shows the toughness of the human spirit.
This is exactly why Christology is so important in this day and age. The consternation and conjecture behind the author’s central three questions (Who am I?
He received a B.A. degree from Philander Smith College in Arkansas in 1958, a B.D. degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in 1961, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Northwestern University in 1963 and 1965, respectively. He taught theology and religion at Philander Smith College, Adrian College in Michigan, and beginning in 1970 at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, where he was awarded the distinguished Charles A. Briggs Chair in systematic theology in 1977. He taught theology and religion at Philander Smith College, Adrian College in Michigan, and beginning in 1970 at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, where he was awarded the distinguished Charles A. Briggs Chair in systematic theology in 1977. The thesis of this book is that one's social and historical context decides not only the questions 2 we address to God but also the mode or form of the
The ideology behind Dillard’s concept of “beautiful suffering” is that God is like an artist who allows suffering (or burning) upon his creations. According to Dillard, God allows this suffering as a part of his mysterious art form; in order for physical and/or mental evolvement. Thus, the creation results in a unique beauty in preparation for placement
Re-invention has thousands upon thousands of opportunities to appear and influence a person’s life. It can happen without a person being aware of the event happening, like what a person eats, how they get places, or what music they listen to. Every decision a person makes has a cost or trade off. The re-invention god does not care if the decision a person makes is about what shoes they wear today or if the person is deciding about which house to buy; the choice shifts all past decisions creating an altogether new entity. A person’s ancestral history and the relationships they are in also re-invent someone.
In his world, his life is much harder than ours. Imagine living in a world where everything is constantly thrown at you and yet you still try your best.
And if God is God, why is He letting us suffer?” (1) The lifelong quest for answers to these questions shaped his theology
What does Your grandeur mean, Master of the Universe, in the face of all this cowardice, this decay, and this misery? Why do you go on troubling these poor people's wounded minds, their ailing bodies?” (66). This presents the thought that with the constant physical struggle and torment, he begins to question whether those things he believes in strongly are even valid things. He questions why all these people need to suffer and why God has allowed them to suffer for his cause.
In this book, Hick holds the position that God allows for certain kinds of suffering to allow for the possibility of overcoming for his creation. In other words, God allows for pain and suffering. Furthermore, the allowance of pain, according to Hick, allows for the process of “soul-making”. By the way of an indeterminate future and the possibility of pain, humans are left with the choice as to how much unnecessary suffering they are willing to restrict. By the way of making these allowances, however, Hick’s God seems to have limited Himself to not understanding the world in its entirety and, therefore, engaging with the world in a temporal way that is at least very conceptually similar to that of process
You have the power to manipulate and coerce if you want to. You can avoid and ignore if you choose. But you can also ennoble and inspire (123).” This sums up the idea that feels like Ortberg is displaying. People are the most valuable part of God’s plan, and it is our job to cherish that.
Craig ends on the note that we cannot possibly surmise that God’s overall plan does not work to contribute to the salvation of the greatest number of people (p.
Vallejo continues by displaying an acute message, painful frustration at being unable to determine why life is so hard. This would interpret that not only difficulties of life can take a toll physically, but mentally as well and lead you to question why our lord and savior continues to be blind or to assist with our derailments in life. Vallejo’s thinking of God could be looked at as unorthodox. Most refrain from having an unorthodox kind of mentality about God. Most usually, worship, praise, pray, and see God as a true savior of humankind and that God is always there by our side.
God is also calling each and everyone to go out there and make a change in another person 's life. This generation is blessed with abundance in so many ways. Restoring families, governments, cities, and the world is a daunting, but noble goal. Living with knowledge that God is faithful and has a purpose for everyone is the beginning of
This means going through life when faced with decisions, He does interfere or enforce a predisposed plan upon an individual. Reasoning for this stems from personal everyday actions. Upon waking up, there are many decisions that can be made, all of which can slightly alter the future, yet its feels as though there is no divine power at work when making one of these decisions. Individuals go through mental monologues to come to a decision based on the facts and opportunities presented with them. Saint Augustine claims the very same thing in Book V of the text when he says, “that God knows all things before they happen; yet, we act by choice in all those things where we feel and know that we cannot act otherwise than willingly.”