Posted on 08/10/2014 9:31:05 AM PDT by OneVike
Assuming free will as a reason for negative events in our life assumes that God did not plan for things to be at this point at this time. That assumes a lot of allowing bad things to happen and could be argued to mean that God has not been directing things.
Is it possible for us to argue that God BOTH allows events and directs events? Or,Is it necessary to conclude that He does one or the other?
Why would anyone with a modicum of intellect suggest that a finite man could apprehend the mind of God. Few thinking people would expect an answer and even fewer thinking people would ask the question.
If you wish to amuse God, tell him of your plans.
Like a good parent, yes. We are humbled by our mistakes.
Jesus told us that in this world, we would have tribulation but to be of good cheer, for He has overcome the world.
Overcoming means overcoming, not being delivered from every unpleasant situation that we encounter.
We cannot overcome evil with good, if we don’t encounter the evil to overcome.
Good for your pastor and his congregation.
Be well, all.
Daily Reflections with Oswald Chambers [August 10, 2014]
The Holy Suffering of the Saint
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3191256/posts
Funny how this is the one for today when you posted this.
Thanks for the link.
I often notice how pastors at various churches who know nothing about each other or commentaries posted throughout the web, and even radio programs of various pastor sermons will seem to have a common theme at the same time. It’s as if God knows our need and that is what he is ministering us on.
I say, as if, more like it is Him doping so.
There are many in the world today who are suffering and seeing suffering, especially Christians in the Middle East, and God is hearing our prayers and letting us know that the here and now is not what we should dwell on so much. it’s not the temporal, it’s the hereafter that matters.
Did Yeshua not promise that we must suffer, and even be killed?
He certainly never indicated that life would be rosy.
.
Perhaps he wouild like other Christians to step up and take the opportunity to help where and when they can. In suffering there is an opportunity for ministry. Unfortunately we miss this way to often.
Also, we can never really know when and if God is intervening. I believe He is doing this constantly.
At the times I’ve felt that the Lord is showing me something, He never does it just once.
I always get hit with it at least three times from completely unrelated sources.
I’ve had it happen as often as 5 times in three days.
Then I really take note.
I’ve been having a rough summer as this food problem I’ve been dealing with seems to be growing worse. I’ve begun to react to things that I had previously been able to tolerate. This disorder never gets better, but only gets worse and there’s nothing that can be done for it medically.
My ONLY option is divine healing. In the meantime, it’s been a real struggle.
I am not much for shrinks, but I have a great respect for Viktor Frankel’s ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’... One of the most poignant and profound works I have ever read as concerns the meaning of suffering. Frankel lost everything, and nearly everyone, barely surviving a Nazi death camp - His point of view is priceless.
thanks, I will look it up and check it out.
we also suffer from other folks’ choices. current choices and ones’made by people in the past.
cs lewis wrote on this topic as well.
if God intervened all the time it would render free will useless. and people would get really angry being micromanaged all the time. they would get angry because they are still sinful and God isn’t.
angels, not angles. and please forgo the right angles are in heaven and the wrong angles are in hell, joke.
Book of Job
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