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Post by John on Jun 9, 2023 14:12:38 GMT -5
Something that I believe is important to establish is whether or not God not only knows everything present or if He also knows everything that will happen in the future. Are there any limits on what God knows? Based on what I have read in scripture, I believe that God can see into the future and knows everything down to the smallest detail of our life, such as what we will have for dinner. Not everyone agrees.
Some Christian theologians hold that God knows everything that will happen in the future, including the actions of human beings. This view is known as "divine foreknowledge." From this perspective, it would follow what God knew Adam and Eve and even Lucifer would do before creating them.
Other theologians argue that human beings have free will and that God does not determine their actions in advance. From this perspective, it would not necessarily follow that God knew what Adam and Eve or even Lucifer would do before creating them. Rather, God created them with the capacity to make their own choices, and their actions are the result of their own choices rather than of God's prior knowledge or determination.
This is an important issue, because it greatly affects the way we view what is taking place in the world, both good and bad. I hold to the belief that God does know everything including all we will ever do before He creates us, meaning that there is no great mystery about where evil came from. It is part of God's plan. He uses both good and evil to bring about his finished work, the new heaven and new earth we read about in Revelation. If God does not have such knowledge, that may make some feel better, but it also means God is not all powerful and things are hidden from Him. Based on things I have read in scripture; I do not believe that is true.
Feel free to share your thoughts and why you believe as you do? Did God create Lucifer knowing he would fall? The Bible states he was perfect in all his ways, until iniquity was found in him, but it never says the iniquity didn't exist before he acted on it. What about Adam and Eve? Why create them knowing they would fall? God created both Cain and Abel. Did God know Cain would slay his brother? Is everything that happens in this world working together in God's plan? I think it is, but I am interested in others sharing their views.
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Post by frienduff on Jun 9, 2023 19:44:58 GMT -5
Known unto GOD are all things . Yes indeed john . GOD knows ALL . The LORD is with the lambs and we shall cling to HIM .
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Post by John on Jun 13, 2023 1:23:49 GMT -5
It is commonly taught that God is not in control of this world, and people use this to explain why we see so much evil. We are led to believe that God has just left us to sink or swim on our own in a world Lucifer controls. There is no doubt that Lucifer is behind the world system that we are told to come out from and separate ourselves from, but God has not given him free reign as some think, and in many ways, the devil is a pawn that is helping bring about God's plan. God uses both good and evil to bring about His will, and He knows all that will ever happen. I want to give a major example of how God used evil to bring about His purposes.
We all know that God had a plan to bring the children of Israel into the land of Canaan, but they had to endure a lot of evil in Egypt first. Did God know that would happen? Was it in His plan? I believe it was, including Egypt having an evil Pharaoh that would enslave his people. I want to use scripture to prove this.
In Genesis 15:12-16, God foretells Abram that his descendants will be strangers in a foreign land and will endure affliction for 400 years before being delivered and returning to their own land. We know this prophecy was fulfilled exactly as God said it would be. The question is why. How come God put His people through this? What must the children of Israel have thought during the worst years of affliction?
There are several reasons mentioned in the Bible as to why this was necessary. First, it was a test of their faith and obedience to God. In Deuteronomy 8:2, Moses reminds the Israelites that God led them through the wilderness for forty years to humble them and test them, to know what was in their hearts, whether they would keep His commandments or not.
Secondly, the affliction of the Israelites in Egypt served a redemptive purpose. God had promised Abraham that his descendants would be a blessing to all nations in Genesis 12:3, and through their suffering and eventual deliverance, they became a powerful testimony to the sovereignty and faithfulness of God. As Moses declared to Pharaoh, "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness." Exodus 5:1.
Next, the affliction of the children of Israel in Egypt was also an act of judgment against the wickedness of the Egyptians. In Exodus 3:7-8, God tells Moses, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey."
The Bible also indicates this time in Egypt served to allow the children of Israel to grow into a mighty nation before marching into the promised land and conquering the Canaanites. God also states that the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet complete. There is a thing known as a cup of iniquity, and when it is full, then comes the judgment. The cup of iniquity for the people in Canaan was not full but would be in 400 years.
In Exodus 1:7-12, we see the fulfillment of this prophecy as the children of Israel grow and multiply in Egypt, becoming a mighty nation in a nation. The Pharaoh at that time became afraid of them, thinking that they might join with their enemies in a time of war, so he enslaved them, leading to them crying out to God, and their eventual deliverance through the hand of God's servant Moses.
In Deuteronomy 7:1-2, Moses reminds the Israelites that God is giving them the land of Canaan, not because of their own righteousness, but because of his promise to their forefathers and because of the wickedness of the nations inhabiting the land. He also warns them to completely destroy the Canaanites and not to make any covenants or intermarry with them, lest they be led astray to worship other gods.
I would imagine that the children of Israel felt abandoned by God and didn't understand why they had to go through hardships. This could not be part of God's plan, I would imagine they said to themselves, but it was. There was a reason for everything, and there is yet more. I am not going to get into that in this post because it will be too long, but I am going to discuss it further in follow up posts.
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Post by John on Jun 13, 2023 1:35:46 GMT -5
Another reason God had the children of Israel suffer for a time was so God could show his power. In Exodus 9:16, God tells Pharaoh through Moses, "And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout the earth." This passage indicates that God had a specific purpose in allowing Pharaoh to rise to power and resist the release of the Israelites from slavery.
In Romans 9:17, the Apostle Paul also references this passage, stating, "For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth." Paul uses this passage to illustrate the sovereignty of God in choosing whom he will have mercy on and whom he will harden.
That God raised up Pharaoh to show his power is further emphasized in Exodus 14:4, where God tells Moses, "And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honored upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord." This passage reveals that God's ultimate purpose in hardening Pharaoh's heart was to display His power and bring honor to His name. While Pharaoh's resistance to releasing the children of Israel may have been driven by his own pride and stubbornness, the Bible teaches that God orchestrated these events.
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Post by John on Jun 13, 2023 2:16:58 GMT -5
Something that I find especially fascinating about this story is the way God brought the children of Israel into Egypt. I am speaking of the story of Joseph and his journey to Egypt that is found in the book of Genesis, chapters 37-50.
Joseph was one of twelve sons of Jacob, who was renamed Israel by God. Joseph was his father's favorite son and was given a special coat of many colors, which made his brothers jealous. To make matters worse, Joseph had two dreams that seemed to indicate that he would one day rule over his brothers.
As a result of their jealousy, Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery to a passing caravan of Ishmaelites. Joseph was taken to Egypt and sold to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard. However, God was with Joseph and he prospered in Potiphar's house, becoming his personal servant.
Unfortunately, Potiphar's wife falsely accused Joseph of attempting to seduce her, and he was thrown into prison. While in prison, Joseph interpreted the dreams of two of Pharaoh's servants, predicting that one would be restored to his position and the other would be executed. Joseph asked the restored servant to remember him to Pharaoh.
Two years later, Pharaoh had a dream that no one could interpret. The restored servant remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh about his gift of interpreting dreams. Pharaoh summoned Joseph, who interpreted the dream to mean that there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine.
Pharaoh was impressed with Joseph's wisdom and put him in charge of storing food during the seven years of plenty. When the famine came, Egypt had enough food to feed its people and even sell to neighboring countries, including Canaan, where Joseph's family lived.
Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy food, but Joseph recognized them and tested them to see if their hearts had changed. Eventually, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers and brought his entire family to live in Egypt, where they prospered and grew into a great nation.
God used the famine and Joseph's enslavement to bring His people into Egypt, where they would eventually become enslaved and cry out to God for deliverance. All of this was part of God's plan to fulfill His promise to Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars and inherit the land of Canaan. The Israelite's time in Egypt would also prepare them for the challenges they would face during their wilderness journey to the promised land.
We know that Joseph saw what he went through as God's doing because of what he tells his brothers in Genesis 45:5-8. He said, "Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt."
It is clear Joseph believed that God had a purpose in sending him to Egypt and allowing him to endure slavery and imprisonment. He saw his rise to power as a means of preserving his family and ultimately fulfilling God's promise to Abraham. In Genesis 41:25-32, during his conversation with Pharaoh, Joseph told him that God was doing these things, including bring the famine. What we see as random things happening in the world are not random at all. They are taking us to our final destination as mentioned in Revelation, a new heaven and a new earth.
In many cases, God must use evil to bring about His purposes, but people do not understand this or do not want to accept it. In my way of thinking, God is sovereign and can do anything He pleases. We may go through hard times in this life, but if we accept what God is doing, and endure till the end, our eternal future is bright. What I have posted here is just one example of God being in control of everything in this world. He is not hands off and has not abandoned us.
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Post by Giller on Jun 17, 2023 14:38:54 GMT -5
God knows all things, yet at the same time even though he knows all things, the bible also shows that here is free will, as the scriptures shows us, such as in the words: "choose ye this day in whom ye shall serve".
So if both are mentioned in the bible, and yes God is in control, then I believe both, I do not want to pit any scripture against any scripture.
God would that none would perish, and it says for us, that is us, to take up our cross and follow Jesus.
What God defines is, is.
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Post by John on Jun 18, 2023 0:40:20 GMT -5
God knows all things, yet at the same time even though he knows all things, the bible also shows that here is free will, as the scriptures shows us, such as in the words: "choose ye this day in whom ye shall serve". So if both are mentioned in the bible, and yes God is in control, then I believe both, I do not want to pit any scripture against any scripture. God would that none would perish, and it says for us, that is us, to take up our cross and follow Jesus. What God defines is, is. As hard as it is to explain, I believe that God knows all things, yet we make our own choices. It is strange, but predestination is true, and we also make our own choices and are accountable for what we do.
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Post by Giller on Jun 18, 2023 9:26:52 GMT -5
Here are verses to meditate on:
1Jn 1:5 (5) This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
Joh 8:44 (44) Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Isa 45:7 (7) I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
Now in what way are these things said ?
That is worthy of meditation.
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Post by John on Jun 18, 2023 12:51:53 GMT -5
Here are verses to meditate on: 1Jn 1:5 (5) This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. Joh 8:44 (44) Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. Isa 45:7 (7) I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. Now in what way are these things said ? That is worthy of meditation. I believe that God himself is good and perfect, but He created Lucifer knowing evil would one day be discovered in him, so in that way, he created evil. I also believe that God uses good and evil to accomplish His will. How can it be otherwise if God is all knowing? To get to that New Heaven and New Earth at the end of Revelation, a battle between good and evil must be fought.
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Post by frienduff on Jun 19, 2023 6:24:28 GMT -5
Here are verses to meditate on: 1Jn 1:5 (5) This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. Joh 8:44 (44) Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. Isa 45:7 (7) I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. Now in what way are these things said ? That is worthy of meditation. I believe that God himself is good and perfect, but He created Lucifer knowing evil would one day be discovered in him, so in that way, he created evil. I also believe that God uses good and evil to accomplish His will. How can it be otherwise if God is all knowing? To get to that New Heaven and New Earth at the end of Revelation, a battle between good and evil must be fought.
Think about this john . God is above all and HE alone has the RIGHT to desire to be exalted . God made man in his own image , Gave us and the angels free will . Its not a sin or evil for GOD , the created to desire pre eminence . IT is for the created to do so .
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Post by John on Jun 19, 2023 12:15:16 GMT -5
I believe that God himself is good and perfect, but He created Lucifer knowing evil would one day be discovered in him, so in that way, he created evil. I also believe that God uses good and evil to accomplish His will. How can it be otherwise if God is all knowing? To get to that New Heaven and New Earth at the end of Revelation, a battle between good and evil must be fought.
Think about this john . God is above all and HE alone has the RIGHT to desire to be exalted . God made man in his own image , Gave us and the angels free will . Its not a sin or evil for GOD , the created to desire pre eminence . IT is for the created to do so . I couldn't agree more. We have this idea God is in a box and must do things in a certain way, but that is not true, and it is one reason people cannot fully understand the Bible. Jesus walked as a man and was an example to us as to how He wants us to behave, but God is not bound to these things. People still see Jesus as the man that was crucified by his creation, but He is ruling and reigning as a King on a throne, and He is our judge.
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Post by frienduff on Jun 19, 2023 18:24:36 GMT -5
Think about this john . God is above all and HE alone has the RIGHT to desire to be exalted . God made man in his own image , Gave us and the angels free will . Its not a sin or evil for GOD , the created to desire pre eminence . IT is for the created to do so . I couldn't agree more. We have this idea God is in a box and must do things in a certain way, but that is not true, and it is one reason people cannot fully understand the Bible. Jesus walked as a man and was an example to us as to how He wants us to behave, but God is not bound to these things. People still see Jesus as the man that was crucified by his creation, but He is ruling and reigning as a King on a throne, and He is our judge.
And the massive problem is , most folks are under the mindset of taking GOD out of the box . BUT they mean TAKING GOD out of the BIBLE and recreating another image of HIM . ITS ALL OUT WAR for the souls of men . SOON biblical true lambs will be seen as a grave and a dire threat to humanity . I know what they are doing . I got a lil video for you my friend . I know what they doing john . THEY , with the devil as their head , are preparing all people to see fundamental biblical christains as DANGEROUS . Take a peek at this video . THEY DOING IT .
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Post by frienduff on Jun 19, 2023 18:24:43 GMT -5
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Post by frienduff on Jun 19, 2023 18:29:22 GMT -5
Look at the four sixteen mark . MY GOODNESS , THE IDEA they will say is RE EDUCATION . RE EDUCATION . they aint saying it , BUT ITS Exactly what they will try and do . WE NEED TO RE EDUCATE THEM . PS , didnt bode well for the jews either .
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Post by frienduff on Jun 19, 2023 18:31:19 GMT -5
Pay attention to what gets said around the four minute and fifteen second mark . TO FIND a way to get them to not be SO SUSCEPTABLE . Of course re education. These folks are getting minds ready for what they plan to do to US .
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