GOD IS NOT A CONTROL FREAK ...
BUT HE IS IN CONTROL!!!
I have been wanting to write about this subject
for a long, long time.
Ever since I got hooked up with certain dudes on Facebook,
who shall remain nameless here ...
They have been telling folks in no uncertain terms
just exactly what GOD is like.
I, for one, am not going to pretend that
I fully understand the Almighty,
so I was willing to learn.
But then, the more I read what these guys wrote,
the more confusing it all sounded.
These dudes seemed to have it all figured out,
and were happy with the outcome of what they believed.
I WAS NOT.
"Sorry." >>> No, Not Really.
I wasn't buying all of it.
And I wasn't allowed to just accept
part of the doctrine, and reject the rest.
Nope. I wasn't swallowing it.
Now, let's see if I can put it all in a nutshell.
THEY SAY:
God is SOVEREIGN.
God controls all, knows all, and causes all things, period.
He created "evil for the day of evil"
and he also created the evil one.
{OK> I accept that last part about evil and the evil one.
And that God KNOWS ALL}.
To continue: They say that God
causes all the ugly and evil and catastrophic
things to happen on earth,
since "free will is a myth"
{I believe "free will" is overstated, yes}
and that satan is not a "rogue" being
who has free reign to do whatever he pleases.
{that true, he does not}
AND God does ALL these things for His own
higher purposes and we should never question
or doubt Him on these things, just accept
it as part of our life here on earth.
THERE. That pretty much sums up what 'they' believe.
NOW ... HERE'S WHERE I DIFFER FROM THEM:
I BELIEVE that GOD is a benevolent God,
who does not wreak havoc on the earth,
who does not send evil upon people
to "teach them a lesson"
{barring all judgment/punishing/chastising/purging for now}
-- especially upon His children.
God no more would send sickness, disaster, tragedy
or the like upon His child even as an earthly
parent would never do such!!
This "God" was then pictured to me as
a confused and criminally insane or split (at best)
control freak, who cannot make up His mind
what He wants to send upon His children!
{It's no wonder insurance companies fashioned
the "acts of God" clauses!}
NO, NO, A THOUSAND TIMES, NO!!!
What these philosophical postulators
don't talk about are the following:
THE GOODNESS OF GOD
THE GIFTS OF GOD
THE BLESSINGS OF GOD
THE PROMISES OF GOD
THE POWER OF GOD
manifest to all of His children!!!
Please allow me to quote some other brethren
from Facebook and then I will close.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
BUT HE IS IN CONTROL!!!
I have been wanting to write about this subject
for a long, long time.
Ever since I got hooked up with certain dudes on Facebook,
who shall remain nameless here ...
They have been telling folks in no uncertain terms
just exactly what GOD is like.
I, for one, am not going to pretend that
I fully understand the Almighty,
so I was willing to learn.
But then, the more I read what these guys wrote,
the more confusing it all sounded.
These dudes seemed to have it all figured out,
and were happy with the outcome of what they believed.
I WAS NOT.
"Sorry." >>> No, Not Really.
I wasn't buying all of it.
And I wasn't allowed to just accept
part of the doctrine, and reject the rest.
Nope. I wasn't swallowing it.
Now, let's see if I can put it all in a nutshell.
THEY SAY:
God is SOVEREIGN.
God controls all, knows all, and causes all things, period.
He created "evil for the day of evil"
and he also created the evil one.
{OK> I accept that last part about evil and the evil one.
And that God KNOWS ALL}.
To continue: They say that God
causes all the ugly and evil and catastrophic
things to happen on earth,
since "free will is a myth"
{I believe "free will" is overstated, yes}
and that satan is not a "rogue" being
who has free reign to do whatever he pleases.
{that true, he does not}
AND God does ALL these things for His own
higher purposes and we should never question
or doubt Him on these things, just accept
it as part of our life here on earth.
THERE. That pretty much sums up what 'they' believe.
NOW ... HERE'S WHERE I DIFFER FROM THEM:
I BELIEVE that GOD is a benevolent God,
who does not wreak havoc on the earth,
who does not send evil upon people
to "teach them a lesson"
{barring all judgment/punishing/chastising/purging for now}
-- especially upon His children.
God no more would send sickness, disaster, tragedy
or the like upon His child even as an earthly
parent would never do such!!
This "God" was then pictured to me as
a confused and criminally insane or split (at best)
control freak, who cannot make up His mind
what He wants to send upon His children!
{It's no wonder insurance companies fashioned
the "acts of God" clauses!}
NO, NO, A THOUSAND TIMES, NO!!!
What these philosophical postulators
don't talk about are the following:
THE GOODNESS OF GOD
THE GIFTS OF GOD
THE BLESSINGS OF GOD
THE PROMISES OF GOD
THE POWER OF GOD
manifest to all of His children!!!
Please allow me to quote some other brethren
from Facebook and then I will close.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Does God really micro-manage our lives????
by Noah Jefferson Cooke on Sunday, December 19, 2010
"This question is something I've been pondering for awhile
now.
We know that all of God's
will for mankind will stand.
We also [know] that Jesus will triumph in the
end and that HE will save ALL mankind. These
are HIS ultimate purposes. BUT does GOD need to micro-manage our
lives to accomplish
His ultimate purposes?
His ultimate purposes?
Is every event decision in our
live preordained?
Or consider this:
Perhaps it
is possible that God will save all mankind in spite of itself. God is
powerful enough . . .
he doesn't have to micro-manage every event of our lives to
do this.
We all make good and bad decisions .
That's just it, they are
our decisions.
Proverbs 16: 9.
A man's heart devises his way: but the LORD directs his steps.
Proverbs 19: 21.
There are many devices in a man's heart;
nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.
But God will save us all despite our bad decisions.
He doesn't have to micro-manage our lives to do it.
In other words
DON'T GIVE GOD THE CREDIT OR BLAME, IF YOU WILL,
for our own screw ups.
A man's heart devises his way: but the LORD directs his steps.
Proverbs 19: 21.
There are many devices in a man's heart;
nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.
But God will save us all despite our bad decisions.
He doesn't have to micro-manage our lives to do it.
In other words
DON'T GIVE GOD THE CREDIT OR BLAME, IF YOU WILL,
for our own screw ups.
**********
"If there is but one thing in the world that is not of God, then it does
not require much proof that all things are not of God. If but one thing
is not God's will,
then there may be other things which are likewise."
then there may be other things which are likewise."
-- Rick Farwell
************
{The following excerpt is from Jerry Bowers}
"Who
could handle being plastered with so many scriptures, and not just be
overwhelmed into agreement? Only those who are unfamiliar with these,
and so many other scriptures that at the very least prove that God does
not God ordain, dictate, call for, command, cause, perform, and control, bring about every word, action, deed, thought, decision and/or
response of man.
[The following verses are mostly spoken by God Himself,and are not part of the 9 or 10 passages that False Sovereignty of God people use, which I have left OUT on purpose for article brevity].
Deuteronomy 17:3 “and
hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun,
or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded”
Deuteronomy 18:20 “But
the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I
have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of
other gods, even that prophet shall die”
Jeremiah 14:15 “Therefore
thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name,
and I sent them not, yet they say, 'Sword and famine shall not be in this
land'; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed”
Jeremiah 19:5 “they
have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire
for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spoke it,
neither came it into my mind”
Jeremiah 23:21 “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied”
Jeremiah 23:25 “I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed”
Jeremiah 27:15 “For
I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my
name; that I might drive you out, and that you might perish, you, and
the prophets that prophesy
unto you”
unto you”
Jeremiah 29:9 “For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them,
says the LORD”
says the LORD”
Jeremiah 29:23 “Because
they have committed villainy in Israel, and have committed adultery
with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken lying words in my name,
which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, says the
LORD”
Ezekiel
13:6-7 “They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD
said: and the LORD has not sent them: and they have made others
to hope that they would confirm the word. Did you not seen a vain
vision, and did you not speak a lying divination, whereas you say, The
LORD said it; albeit I have not spoken?”
Micah
3:5 "Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people
err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, "Peace!"; and he that putteth not
into their mouths, they even prepare war against him"
Romans 8:7 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be”
James 1:13 “Let
no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God
cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone."
-- Jerry William Bowers Jr.
To read more from this author,and view the "other verses"
please visit his site:
*****
OK. This is a deep, heavy subject and I
simply wrote a few paragraphs on it.
AND I didn't mention the passage
from Romans 8 that these FSOG dudes use.
But hopefully, I helped clear out some of the mud.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
BYE FOR NOW!
TONY ;)
