I'd start with the entire Book of Hebrews.

Then look at:
Jeremiah 31
Luke 22
1 Corinthians 11
2 Corinthians 3
Hebrews 8, 9, 12 specifically

I know that God allows evil but I believe it is only because we allow evil. God has given us dominion of this world for good or evil until he takes control of it again. At that time there will be no evil, sickness or pain.

The earth is the Lord's but he has given it to us until the appointed time. God's will is done but he works through men and has men to declare his will into the earth.

We agree on 99% of most theology I'd suspect. But....I would say there is much more to it than that.

Satan is real (which I'm sure you agree) and he has been allowed to have some level of rule or power here on the earth and in the spiritual world too. There is a spiritual battle being waged and there is real legitimate evil happening as a result. He is called the prince of darkness, god of darkness (little g), hurls flaming darts, and prowls like a lion--in Scripture. I'm not saying how much rule or power he has because I don't know for sure. I just know I'm to look out. The reason I say this is based on Scripture...The result of Adam's sin is a fallen world where sin and evil abounds and where Satan has deceiving power. We are warned repeatedly to guard our hearts and to flee from evil.

Job...God allowed Satan to try to make Job fold. Satan was allowed to do those things here on earth.

The Gospels tell us of Satan tempting Christ. So bold to tempt the Lord.

Satan is said to be the deceiver of the whole world in Revelation 12:9..shows his power and ability.

Satan is told to have deceiving quantities to blind the minds of men from the Truth.
2 Corinthians 4:4
4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Ephesians 6: 10-20 tells us more about the spiritual warfare going on between the devil and us. We are to arm ourselves and to put on armor--defensive weapons and offensive weapons are called for in this passage. Weapons of war.

We are told to watchout and keep our minds in tune to God
1 Peter 5: 8-10
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.


Now I know we agree that Satan is deceived himself and the Lord will reign because all dominion is his. But I would say based on Scripture that at the heart of all sin and all the bad choices we as mankind make lies the Father of Lies--Satan. It isn't us men that allow evil to exist...it is evil that exists because of the fall that deceives us into allowing evil to take root, to manifest, to hold us captive, to separate us from God and Christ. This is the battle Satan is waging against us. This is the battle between good and evil as told in Genesis 3:15...enmity between Satan and mankind.

Now God is Sovereign and will work it all out. But we are tasked with a priority assignment in the meantime:

James 4: 7-10
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Brother, I don't see much to disagree with there. I know Satan is the source of evil but he was only allowed into authority by Adam's obedience to him. Satan has no power or authority over or in any believers life unless we give him access.

We could have a discussion about Job one day that might be interesting. I believe I could show you how Job allowed Satan into his life and how all God did in that situation was speak the truth. God did not hand Job over to Satan.

Have at it, I'll be tuned in and watching for that one. I look forward to it.

I agree, I also believe he is a true soul. I need hearing reminders to be a better man.

So when some child is killed in a car wreck that is just gods will, and god just allows this happen so some good is suppose to come of it. It is impossible for me to wrap my head around that and if it is true I can tell you I don't think it works. I personally believe that bad stuff just happens to good people and bad people. I do enjoy reading your posts.

I don't think bad things happen because it is God's will. I think they happen because we live in a fallen world.

Bad stuff happens to everyone and its not so much his will as its life in general. he lets us live in a free world to do as we please with a choice to follow him or not and he knows what will happen to every one of us.

The House on the Rock


(Luke 6:46-49)


24Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Notice that the storms came to both houses but the house founded upon the rock of Christ stood. That is not to say that as believers we aren't in a better position to keep the storms of life away. We can release our faith for divine protection and charge our angles to work for and protect us. We can keep ourselves from sin which will open the door for destruction in out lives. We can pray and listen to the Holy Spirit who will warn us of disaster to come.

Parables are powerful teaching tools. Imagery combined with TRUTH.

I travel and work in areas where the predominate theme is suffering. It's tough even as a christian with a biblical worldview to process much of it even after years of ministry in these areas. Many who aren’t Christ-followers wonder where God is to be found in this hurting world. Why he seems so distant. How do you reconcile His presence and sovereignty with the reality of suffering? Even those of us who are followers still struggle at times with doubt and are broken and alienated by its lies instead of being broken and brought near by truth. I believe an understanding of what took place on the cross can shed light here. The cross alone has the power to bring us to full intimacy with the Father. Jesus could have bypassed the pain and suffering of the cross but would have himself been alienated from the Father’s heart as well and left us broken and apart from God. But in allowing himself to be broken, he draws us into intimacy with himself and the Father.

So let’s take a fresh look at the cross and let its implications sink in. Let’s not avert our eyes but look straight at it. We will be undone by it and questions will force their way to the surface as we see the tragedy of it. Let’s linger with our questions. Don’t rush the grieving process of the “why.”

I was moved recently in reading a story from Night by Elie Wiesel. During the holocaust, he, along with the whole concentration camp he was in, was forced to watch the hanging of three fellow prisoners. Two were adults and the third was a boy. The adults died quickly but the boy, being much lighter, strangled for quiet some time on the gallows before he finally died. Elie was losing his faith as he watched the hanging, asking in a growing crescendo "WHERE IS GOD?" He was struggling with the “WHY” of it all. Elie came to a partially wrong conclusion at the time, that he had witnessed God dying on the gallows and that God must surely be dead. Let this poem I wrote not too long ago and the conclusion of it, be something that strengthens our faith rather than weakens it, as we see the answer to Elie's question, but through the eyes of faith and hope, not fatalistic despair.

-GOD WHERE ARE YOU-

What can you learn from a victim of rape
Or a boy swinging wildly from the gallows of hate
Where is your God Oh you derelict fool
As children are slaughtered in the sanctity of school

I searched and I looked as the terror flew in
I listened in the thunder and the mighty whirlwind.
Some speak of his justice and his sovereignty too
But I couldn’t see either from my dreadful view

I thought I might find him looking down from above
With eyes full of sadness and surely with love
But it seemed he was hiding or absent in deed
At the moment my life had the most terrible of need

Although I had missed him in my desperate search
As I gazed up to heaven and pursued him in church
I found him at last, not at all where I thought
And yet right in the midst of the places I sought

He was swinging from the gallows; he was hanging in a tree
He was buried in the rubble of the tower’s debris
Being sold as a slave and robbed of his rights
Then pimped out to johns in the darkest of nights

He’s shot with a bullet and stabbed with the knife
Abused alongside of a tormented wife
He’s ripped from the womb and smothered with a bag
He’s beaten in the streets with a man called a fag

He’s orphaned and starving and tossed to the side
Violently raped as a child…. and he cried
“You'll find me if you look at the least one of these
In as much as it’s done, it's being done unto me.”
Roger Patterson ©2013

One day suffering will be gone and the tables will be overturned on evil once and for all. Christ's incredible passion and intense love will rage a final war on evil and all of it's pain. Can't wait to ride out with him on that mission.....

-Roger

What kind of man would I be had I not experienced adversity in my life? What kind of Christian would I be?

I doubt it would be the kind of man I want my son to be.

When my wife and I find ourselves trying to protect him from everything we have to step back and realize he will be a better man for suffering the adversities he goes through. Big or small, doesn't matter, they all make him a better man and hopefully a better Christian.

I love my son enough to let him fail. God loves us all enough to let us fail.

thanks for the post i really enjoyed reading it. keep them coming.this subject makes me think of my husband chris franks also known as packrat. he was a very good person but why did abad thing happen to him.like why did he have to get cirrosis and get sick and die in 2004 and his dad passed away with the same thing. i think te reason is god took them both tomake there family stronger andhewanted them to be closer to him. now i guess its left up to me to lead them in that direction. i enjoy reading the boks of the bible so keep these post coming becausemaybe it will help somebody one day.