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To: stuartcr; Alamo-Girl; betty boop

That’s YOUR construction on reality.

It’s not mine.

It also sets you over God as His judge.

That could be an interesting position to be in.

I don’t think that linear thinking is a good model to use in judging God or in understanding much at all about God. It seems to me that God is, by definition, beyond linear thinking and linear . . . constructs.

God declares that His ways are beyond finding out. Yet He tells us much about His ways that bear on our RELATIONSHIPs with Him.

As to ultimate good and evil . . . satan is not God’s opposing equal. He’s a gnat, comparatively. Useful in the current construction on reality for training rulers and reigners with Christ . . . particularly about learning humility and love and wisdom . . . pretty high priorities those.


76 posted on 06/19/2010 11:47:18 PM PDT by Quix (THE PLAN of the Bosses: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2519352/posts?page=2#2)
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To: Quix

It doesn’t set anyone over God as His judge.


86 posted on 06/20/2010 5:55:32 PM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to...otherwise, things would be different)
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To: Quix; stuartcr; betty boop; metmom; The Comedian; caww
Thank you so much for sharing your testimony, dear brother in Christ!

I would add that it's not "about" this heaven and earth. It's "about" the next heaven and earth, wherein God has gathered His adopted children to live with Him forevermore. (Revelation 21, Colossians 1:15, John 1, etc.)

From Genesis to Revelation, "all that there is" culminates in that "final cause."

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence.

For it pleased [the Father] that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, [I say], whether [they be] things in earth, or things in heaven.– Colossians 1:15-20

To many, the world is like the opened back of a wristwatch. Everything happening in the physical realm seems to run in opposition to itself. Good people die young, even babies. Catastrophes happen. And in this case, cancer happens.

Cells are programmed to die.

It makes no "sense" to them.

But to the Christian, the present heaven and earth is like the front of the wristwatch. It is keeping perfect time.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose. - Romans 8:28

Certainly, God could have made everything perfect from the beginning. But if He did, we would not be able to make mistakes. And children cannot be raised in a bubble.

As the Scriptures say, God created it "good." (Genesis 1) He did not create it "perfect."

God didn't need this heaven and earth. We did.

He doesn't change. We do.

Once we have matured spiritually, God will gather His adopted children together to live with them forevermore in the perfect, new heaven and new earth.

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. – Revelation 21:1-7

So no matter what happens in this present world, those whose lives are hid with Christ in God have peace.

For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. - Colossians 3:3

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? - I Corinthians 6:19

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. – Matthew 24:35

But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep [you] from evil. – 2 Th 3:3

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. – John 5:24

Love God. Believe Him. Trust Him.

101 posted on 06/21/2010 7:47:29 AM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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