Acts of God?

I hear this used all the time. Usually as an excuse for something we can not explain. I guess people feel if is God's fault then it is OK?

Personallly, I don't blame anything on God although I guess since He created everything in some way it is all His fault. People say he controls everything and knows everything that is going to happen before it happens. I don't believe this. Things happen usually because of a bad decission made by somebody but for nature it just happens as a continual force that God put here on earth. I do not think he intends or put hurricanes and storms here on this earth to intentionally destroy althoguh there are some Biblical accounts of this happening in the past. Just like our decissions this force of nature just happens. It is really hard to explain in words but IT HAPPENS!

I thank God daily for giving me the courage and wisdom to make the decissions I make but I do not thank him for everything.....well for example a parking space. I really don't think he had a hand in it being right u front. It just happened. in the same light, I do not blame Him for everything. You know, the "God's will" kind of stuff.

I do not think He knows what we will do with our decissiosn and life before we are even born. I look at life as a trial. A kind of "are you worthy" to enter the Kingdom. If we follow his word we will, if not we won't. He hopes we will follow him but it our decission. I don't think he put us here on earth knowing that we will make the wrong decissions!

Randy,

This is my take on it:

I don't believe God controls everything for if He did he would not make anything bad. God is in control in that he could make anything happen and he could stop anything from happening. I believe God allows things to happen (such as 9-11). We don't know what all he has prevented from happening (imagine that). I agree that many of the bad things that happen to us are from making poor decisions. I disagree with you on one point, I believe He does know what decisions we will make. We will never be worthy to enter into the kingdom, that's why Christ died for us.

Gonna have to disagree with you on this one Randy.

I can't doubt God's power and his omniscience. He knew before creation that he would send Jesus to be our sacrifice on the cross. He knew Adam and Eve would sin.

He allows bad things to happen. They happen to stengthen our faith in Him. It is a test by Him for us to pass/fail based on our faith and commitment to his purpose and will.

You questions are questioning God's omniscience and knowledge which is just the same as questioning God's power. How can he NOT know what will happen. He has foreknowledge of every event that will ever happen. He know exactly the time and place of the second coming.

As far as the hurricanes that went through Florida, they were God's will. Maybe they were a message by Him for people to wake up and start doing what He wants. Didn't 3 of the 4 go almost through or near Disney (which we know is a gay/homosexual supporter)?

Also, there is nothing to "blame" God for. He is and His Word is and His purpose is. If something happens to us, good or bad, it is because of His purpose and will. Blame is a human need to explain bad things instead of an acceptance of His will.

OK. So if God knew the decision Adam and Eve was going to make then he was just kind of playing with them when he said don't eat the fruit, knowing all the while they would? So when you are born, your life is already pre-determined? So no matter what you do in life and what decisions you make your life was already pre-determined and you really have no choice to follow his word or not. You mean God puts people on this earth knowing from the beginning that they will be murders and child molesters? This is not the God I know. Now I have no dought some may be put here for a specific reason which is why I think some rise above the rest. But for the majority of us I think this is a test of our faith a commitment as you say. How can it be a test if the outcome is already known?

Ok, here goes.

"So no matter what you do in life and what decisions you make your life was already pre-determined and you really have no choice to follow his word or not."

Wrongo. Your life is not pre-determined, he just already knows what you are going to do. Also, you always have a choice to follow his word or not. That's called sinning or not sinning.

"How can it be a test if the outcome is already known?"

It is not a test for God. The test is for you to see if you will follow His word or not.

Yes, God knows exactly what you did and will ever do. He knows how often and exactly what you will do to Sin. The beautiful thing is that even though He knew all of those things and knows how unworthy we are, He still gave us His Son.

Also, He was not playing with Adam and Eve. Think about it. They had all of creation and the most beautiful garden on earth to themselves. They could do anything they wanted except eat off the fruit of one tree. He put that tree there as a test of their faith to resist temptation. They failed and we have been sinners ever since.

y'all are bringing up the predestination theory here. i'm kinda in between on this one.

personally, i think you just need to have faith, be saved, and be ready for when your time comes! that way, regardless of how things happen, you're ready when they do!

I am sorry, but my Bible says in John 10:10 that, "The thief does not come except to kill, to steal, and to destroy. I have come that you might have life and that more abundantly."

God is not a thief, a murderer, or a destroyer.

Randy,

This is simply insurance industry code for "We want to give you the shaft because we can".


T

God 'making' something happen and God 'knowing' something will happen are two very different things in my eyes.
I do NOT believe He 'makes' everything happen including plenty of bad things. I do however believe He KNOWS everything that will happen. How can He not? I guess if you don't believe in his omniscience and perhaps his omnipotence, then I guess I could see how He could be perceived as a spectator. That's inconceivable to me though.
We have free will, thank God, literally.
Hunt/fish safely,
Phil

GeauxLSU said:

God 'making' something happen and God 'knowing' something will happen are two very different things in my eyes.
I do NOT believe He 'makes' everything happen including plenty of bad things. I do however believe He KNOWS everything that will happen. How can He not? I guess if you don't believe in his omniscience and perhaps his omnipotence, then I guess I could see how He could be perceived as a spectator. That's inconceivable to me though.
We have free will, thank God, literally.
Hunt/fish safely,
Phil

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Very well said.

KM \o/

Would we not be much happier if God had not given us free will? If we had only allow His will to be a part of our lives think of how great life would be!

I know that when I make the right choices (read: Act in His will) my life is wonderful. But when my flesh takes over, I'm generally miserable. :

Jeff Young said:

Would we not be much happier if God had not given us free will? If we had only allow His will to be a part of our lives think of how great life would be!

I know that when I make the right choices (read: Act in His will) my life is wonderful. But when my flesh takes over, I'm generally miserable. :

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But would God be happier without freewill Jeff? God is a god of love and love demands freewill to be true. Freewill is a great thing, though it certainly does make things harder!