The phrase God is Dead, by noted German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, first appeared in a German magazine in 1882.
Thomas J. J. Altizer was convinced God transmuted the Spirit of the Lord into a human Jesus, and God’s spirit died with Jesus on the cross. The rabbi Richard L. Rubenstein believed God is no more than a historical process.
Where, then, is the promised coming of the Lord spoken of in John 14:3, where we are told he goes to prepare a place for us, and he will come again to take us that we might be with him?
The atheist movement has taken prayer out of our schools. They advertise the falsity of Christ’s salvation message on lighted billboards in Times Square. However, we should not despair, for it is just now the third hour of the day, and God is already with us in all his glory and power.
The world just doesn’t recognize him.
In Acts 2:14-17 Peter stood before a mocking crowd. It was the day of Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit had come upon the believers with the evidence of speaking in unknown languages.
The onlookers jeered, calling out, “You drunken fools! Your Christ is dead, and you must fill yourself with drink to overcome your grief and shame.”
What the unbelievers failed to see was the obvious. Through their doubt and unbelief, they only knew Jesus’ death. They thought they stood before a crowd of mistaken believers gathered to bolster false hope amongst themselves. They derided insensible behaviors that were laughable to them.
What they saw and did not recognize was the sweeping power of our Almighty God.
When the world tells us God is no more, and that his power is ineffectual against modern-day science and Scientology; when the unbeliever derides the believer for being gullible and soft, we know it is the third hour of the day. Soon God will fall on us in his power and glory, giving us strength to complete the work he has for us to do.
Peter called to the disbelieving crowd, “Get a grip on yourselves, people. It is only 9:00 in the morning. This is not drunkenness, as you claim. This is God fulfilling his promises. He said that in the end times his Spirit would come upon all people, and he would give them power in his name. You are seeing the evidence of just that.”
When we have unanswered prayers; our cancers continue to rampage through our bodies; financial disasters beset us at every turn; or family members scorn our beliefs, just remember that it is now the third hour of the day. It is at this moment that the heavens will part; God’s power will sweep across his children; and the renewing strength of the Holy Spirit will give us new life.
When the world tries to convince us that God is dead, and that his power died on the cross, we only have to trust in him. To God it is but the third hour of the day, and he is just starting to pour out his blessings on us.
What the world sees as foolishness is really the triumphant hand of our Almighty God reaching out to renew us.
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