Why doesn't God make His existence more obvious to everyone?

Jackson Cooper

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Jesus made His existence extremely obvious, and plenty of people still hated Him. There are people who claim to have seen the Holy Fire on Easter.

The majority of people have never seen Jesus or the Holy Fire. Why doesn't God reveal Himself to everyone and tell us who has the correct interpretation of scripture and so on?
 

ArmyMatt

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Jesus made His existence extremely obvious, and plenty of people still hated Him. There are people who claim to have seen the Holy Fire on Easter.

The majority of people have never seen Jesus or the Holy Fire. Why doesn't God reveal Himself to everyone and tell us who has the correct interpretation of scripture and so on?

those who crucified Christ taunted Him and told Him to come down to prove He is the Son of God. but the very act of Him dying is what proves it. His death destroyed death, which is something only He could do.

so the problem is not that God isn't revealed, it's that we refuse to accept the revelation given.
 
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God gave the gifts of miracles and wondrous deeds to the people of His time that more than proved who He was. Jesus established his godly credentials when he raised a man and a little girl from the dead, healed the blind and lame, exorcised demons, walked on water, multiplied loaves, and did a host of other awesome things for thousands and thousands to see. Word traveled fast.

Christians in the early centuries saw miracles. Peter and the apostles brought forth miracles thanks to the Lord, and many martyrs are associated with miracles. So, I would argue God gave a plethora of evidence to all for centuries, but.......

We live in the era of faith. Most of us (not in the Middle East or Africa, etc.) don't have to fear having our heads chopped off for professing Christ Jesus. That is the blessing most of us have in 2018. But, with some exceptions, few miracles are witnessed or extolled. We live on the principle of faith without seeing.

Personally, I wish God would show us Mt. Tabor-style miracles more often. I'd love to see God appear and blow our minds. But I'm not the Lord. He has His agenda to save us, and He knows better than this 43-year-old puny mortal civil servant!
 
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ttcmacro

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This is certainly a question I have pondered myself, and I cannot say I have an answer. But of course, I am not God, so with my limited understanding as a human perhaps it is something we will never understand, at least not in this life.

It does seem to me that there would be a benefit for God to reveal himself more obviously. More people would believe, society would be kinder, etc. Especially historically, there have been parts of the world that may have not received any direct revelation of God, except what was "written on their hearts." Of course, they may have received more revelation than we realize.

On the other hand, it amazes me how some people actually are not interested in searching for God. I know many people who are atheist, agnostics, and theist who have never really examined this question, at least as far as I can tell. Whether God exists, and his nature, seems to me to be the most important (and interesting) question we have on this earth. And in 2018, examining this is much easier than its ever been. I have never been to the holy fire, and have never witnessed the Taylor Icon weep, but I find the evidence that these events are miraculous to be compelling. I think most people would if they actually looked at it objectively, so perhaps God is obvious enough?
 
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Jackson Cooper

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Jesus seemed to have compared the Kingdom of God to a buried treasure.

It seems to implicate that the Kingdom or the knowledge of it isn't supposed to be easy to find.

It's meant that way for a reason.
So you think it's part of the test? A teacher doesn't give all the answers to students. Learning on one's own is more rewarding and causes more growth.
 
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Jackson Cooper

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those who crucified Christ taunted Him and told Him to come down to prove He is the Son of God. but the very act of Him dying is what proves it. His death destroyed death, which is something only He could do.

so the problem is not that God isn't revealed, it's that we refuse to accept the revelation given.
Why doesn't God give even more revelation? Why have miracles been reduced so greatly in number?
 
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yeshuaslavejeff

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Why doesn't God give even more revelation? Why have miracles been reduced so greatly in number?
?

What was the reason Jesus could not perform many miracles (as written) in places?

the problem is not that God isn't revealed, it's that we refuse to accept the revelation given.

WHO ? Who is "we" ? And then WHY do those who are "we" you refer to refusing to accept YHVH'S Revelation given ?
 
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Jesus made His existence extremely obvious, and plenty of people still hated Him. There are people who claim to have seen the Holy Fire on Easter.

The majority of people have never seen Jesus or the Holy Fire. Why doesn't God reveal Himself to everyone and tell us who has the correct interpretation of scripture and so on?
God's presence is undeniable. However, on account of the hardness of our hearts, especially these days, we are largely unable to be aware of that. The saints are often quite fully aware of God's presence, because they choose to be aware of it. You see, knowing God is a choice we all must make for ourselves. Sin is the opposite choice. Thus, the degree and extent to which we personally exist sinfully is the degree and extent to which we have chosen to become unaware of God's presence. The degree and extent to which we personally exist righteously is the degree and extent to which we will be aware of God's presence:

"In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't." -- Blaise Pascal
 
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timewerx

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So you think it's part of the test? A teacher doesn't give all the answers to students. Learning on one's own is more rewarding and causes more growth.

Yup, and I can't tell much either other than don't ever stop wondering, never stop looking for the Truth.

YOu think you found the Truth or maybe not.
 
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ArmyMatt

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Why doesn't God give even more revelation? Why have miracles been reduced so greatly in number?

they haven't. there are miracles everywhere. there is a Bulgarian parish outside of Boston that has six icons that at one point gushed myrrh. it's not a monastery, just a normal parish with a loving priest.
 
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ArmyMatt

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WHO ? Who is "we" ? And then WHY do those who are "we" you refer to refusing to accept YHVH'S Revelation given ?

those folks who approach Christ like the Romans and the Jewish leaders at the time of the crucifixion.
 
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ttcmacro

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they haven't. there are miracles everywhere. there is a Bulgarian parish outside of Boston that has six icons that at one point gushed myrrh. it's not a monastery, just a normal parish with a loving priest.

I haven't heard about this one, but there certainly is a tendency in the Orthodox Church not to make a show of such miracles.

I don't know if anyone here has read any of the books by Kyriacos Markides such as the Mountain of Silence or Inner River, but is seems from these books that miracles occur very regularly on the Holy Mountain. BTW, Father Andrew Stephen Damick has a new podcast up on AFR about the Holy Mountain which is quite fascinating.
 
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ArmyMatt

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I haven't heard about this one, but there certainly is a tendency in the Orthodox Church not to make a show of such miracles.

I don't know if anyone here has read any of the books by Kyriacos Markides such as the Mountain of Silence or Inner River, but is seems from these books that miracles occur very regularly on the Holy Mountain. BTW, Father Andrew Stephen Damick has a new podcast up on AFR about the Holy Mountain which is quite fascinating.

no, we don't because if God is who He says He is, this should be expected.
 
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