oak

If your dealing with a person who has been abused as a child - goals are near impossible. Yes I believe structure is important and I believe in goal setting. The answers are many and all of them can be used. But I'm talking about it being a journey rather a one stop destination. I'm well aware of pleasures that are good for the soul. Another point is assistance is always needed - when do you stop asking Christ to guide you? In mentally / emotionally and addictive people it's building on coping skills till they become stronger than bad cravings and then you keep on building. The one's that are looking for an easier way miss the narrow path that leads to healing or salvation.

I hope you are back for a prolonged stay as well .I have found that there is a very large percentage of people who have an alcohol or drug addiction who are self medicating themselves because underneath that addiction is an illness.Have you found that? Yes, that is true. The addiction is a surface result of trying to numb emotional pain.

I am starting to work for the mentally and emotional ill and I found and interesting spiritual parallel at play. The key to this field or perhaps any field is to find patterns of behavior that either benefit or hurt a person. One of the most important ones is achievement. We have to grow and overcome those things that hold us back or reach for higher standards and responsibility. That’s pretty standard for any life. However, working with mentally emotionally struggling you see deceptive thinking that undermines their goal to get better. So my focus is how they see achievement and to my sadness, I find that people in general suffer from the same deception. How we see finish lines or progress whether they be graduations, financial goals or overcoming bad situations is a key to sound mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health. People who are ill want to get better for the most part very quickly and successfully. Unfortunately, for the most part whether it’s becoming OSAS, employed, married etc., it has to be done in a way that is accepting of it being a lifelong issue. Let me be more specific. What I hear is, “I got married and felt that everything would be made well…” or “I got a job and moved out and I felt nothing changed.” The comprehension of the award or goal is flawed because the expectations are too high and the discipline and responsible commitment to it are not evident. Once you achieve anything it takes a lot of nurturing to see growth and improvement. Finishing lines are great but what you do after is a more lasting concern. Let’s look at this spiritually. A person may find Christ as a Savior of his soul, but the experience is a beginning. This moment may come with great emotional joy but it’s only a beginning as well. The fact is you have to lose yourself to Christ, your ego, to gain Christ within yourself. “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matt 11:39 This is a lifelong struggle. Don’t be fooled, even to heal an addiction or illness takes a lot of denying yourself “pleasures.” The more so with faith. , Oak P.S. I have been gone for over a year due to a family member who practices Satanism, trouble with identity theft and computer hacking. Hopefully, I'm back for a prolonged stay.

Oak stated Revised: Here on earth we are to strive for the acquisition of the Holy Spirit through the power of Christ. " And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit." (John 1:33) “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, (Luke 12:11) "...for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” Luke 12:12 " And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[a] his Spirit who lives in you." (Romans 8:11) Left as was stated: Yes, salvation is through Christ. But we have to be obedient to Christ. You just quoted me back. How do you read Acts? What does Christ want his disciples to do: "But you will receive "power" when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 6:8 "Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit..." Acts 2:33Again, what is the purpose of Acts? What does Christ mean when he say's to his Apostles, " ...it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper, will not come to you." John 16:7 Who is the Restrainer here on Earth? How do the Apostles confirm Christ on the people in Epistles? Yes I am declaring what I was taught by faith. This is not my idea but I believe it to be true. The Trinity is one; God is one. By what power was Christ able to minister and teach on earth? Please answer at least one of my scripture quotes or show me my mistake? Oak Nebula stated: If the goal was to acquire the Holy Spirit, what was the goal after the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples (Acts 2)? Once you were filled with the Holy Spirit, is there a further acquisition that you are to strive for? And why strive for what is freely given? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith ? 3 Are you so foolish ? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh ? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain -if indeed it was in vain ? 5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith ? (Gal. 3) Oak stated: I see your point and your feelings about me being foolish. Of course by my own exertions I can not receive faith - and thereby live in spirit - by works, law or flesh. But I feel that we need to be awake to our spiritual state. That is receiving the gift of Salvation from Christ, we should honestly look at how aligned we are with Christ's commandments. For I believe you can fall asleep in the faith and you can wrongly be living your life in addictions, putting worldly things above Christ etc. "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves that is Jesus Christ is in you? -unless you indeed you fail to meet the test." 1 Cor. 13:5 We can pray to God for more faith, wisdom, and other good things. Further, the Galatians received the gift of the Holy Spirit but were reproached by Paul, "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the Grace of Christ are turning to a different gospel." Gal 1:6. By many peoples understanding neither the Galatians nor even Peter should be corrected after receiving the free Gift. The best thing that can be said is that Pastor Kevin and I are saying the same thing in different ways. However his article does not ring true to me, almost point by point. Oak

Revised: Here on earth we are to strive for the acquisition of the Holy Spirit through the power of Christ." And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit." (John 1:33) “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, (Luke 12:11) "...for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” Luke 12:12 " And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[a] his Spirit who lives in you." (Romans 8:11) Left as was stated: Yes, salvation is through Christ. But we have to be obedient to Christ. You just quoted me back. How do you read Acts? What does Christ want his disciples to do: "But you will receive "power" when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 6:8 "Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit..." Acts 2:33Again, what is the purpose of Acts? What does Christ mean when he say's to his Apostles, " ...it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper, will not come to you." John 16:7 Who is the Restrainer here on Earth? How do the Apostles confirm Christ on the people in Epistles? Yes I am declaring what I was taught by faith. This is not my idea but I believe it to be true. The Trinity is one; God is one. By what power was Christ able to minister and teach on earth? Please answer at least one of my scripture quotes or show me my mistake? Oak

I read the article by Pastor Kevin and though he does say things that I can agree with like Christ after His Resurrection is not a type of imaginary figure to be contemplated, in distant way. But I think Pastor Kevin does an injustice by ignoring The Holy Spirit and the importance of the Pentecost. Christ told his apostles: ...it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper, will not come to you." John 16:7 Further, "And they were all filled with Holy Spirit...." Acts 2:4 And so Pastor's quote of Wright, “Our task in the present… is to live as resurrection people in between Easter and the final day, with our Christian life, corporate and individual, in both worship and mission, as a sign of the first and a foretaste of the second.” This is not what I believe to be the task of a Christian at all. Here on earth we are to strive for the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. Pastor Kevin's ideas sound like a false doctrine to me. Oak

I'm sorry, gamnot, but I couldn't let this comment go by... I agree with most of what you have said except for you commenting on, "the people most vulnerable..." I would maintain that we all are vulnerable especially Christians who try to be obedient towards Christ. Here in Worthy I have witnessed people seeing demons, having terrible words and thoughts in their minds, led to a panic of the mind and heart. And I think, partially, what did they lead into their hearts, unknowingly? I have spoken to many when Worthy had a variety of chat rooms. It's difficult to calm them down but sometimes you are given grace.. .

It can't last much longer. God is going to leave it until it is in such a mess that only he can sort it out. He's trying to show us that we need him. I agree with you both but I would say that at looking at all this ""mess" and "news," my heart as those who are near me is feeling the effects. The most dastardly thing is that I see scripture under attack. I'm sure all Christians want to reassure the non-believers, we love them or are taught to love them. I'm sure priest and pastors would like to marry people without constraints, or pushing anyone away. But none of us are able to change God's word. We can take the stance of the recent Pope who said about homosexual's, something like, "who am I to judge?" Please correct me if I'm wrong because it came from an article and or conversation which I can't totally rely on. At one point we will have to make a stand for Christ and the Bible, saying, "we would love to do all that your asking but we have to be true to our beliefs." *This being said with a good faith and love in our hearts. * Added on for further clarification.

" ...and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many will wax cold." Matthew 24:12 These are Christ's words concerning the end of the world. The lawless. unjust and the unfair is all around us and it takes on many, many guises. And the question is to what degree does a person who is weighted down by misfortune, continue to love? And still in our nation it's still possible to take advantage of freedoms including religion. But there are signs all around us. For instance, seeing Boston shut down within a matter of hours by the new state security police without constitutional restraint is a very frightening circumstance. Yes, I know it's to control terror but I can see it used indiscriminately. Information collected can be used in many different ways as well; for example the conservative Tea Party IRS scandal. There so much more that can be mentioned where politics and religion are being targeted. Many ignore the news and stuff their personal tragedies back into their souls. The results are heart numbing. This scripture might still be in our distant future, but it's effects are certainly being felt. Oak . .

First they were not transformed, more correctly, they themselves chose evil. God's intent was for Lucifer,at the time, was to serve him by music. Also, pride or hubris is the greatest sin upon which all others are built. In regards to your hubris and fear oscillation, what comes to mind is keep God first. This is the first Commandment, for a reason. If we can keep it then we don't have to fear becoming "gods" or placing false "gods" in our path.

First, I was going to advise that he learn to pray for others. But that's no longer an issue. The issue with him now is salvation. I would say do everything to build up his trust in Christ. It's not an instant process, and encourage him on any and all aspects as he draws nearer to faith. Oak

I thought that with Abraham it was through blood lines. In fact the Epistles underline the spirit over flesh or law. See Romans 9:6-8 But I agree with the direction you've taken. ***Somehow, your text has changed or maybe I initially misread it. The only thing that I can add is through Jacob we are now saved in faith/spirit.

In the Duality of the Dark Side, I am showing you that our perceptions of God being a duality can and does lead to disaster but my concern is also for people barraged by evil who unwittingly let it enter their hearts. We have films, and stars, heroes that produce evil and let their adoring, admiring fans, hearts brush up against the dragon's wing. The results can make you have a great spiritual warfare waging inside your soul. From observation it is the very sensitive soul's who are evil's juiciest target. If we look at the dark side's understanding of "god," we not only see a thirst to undermine everything that is good but a very real need for duality. You don't need a satanic or occult book to gain this information, just living in these times is enough. My admiration of the Beatles exposed me, involuntary to a modern day satanist who burned children as a sacrifice, Aliester Crowley. "It was 20 years ago today, Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play," the Beatles sang in 1967; "coincidently" Crowley died in 1947. This guy didn't start evil but his corrupt influence on these times are considerable in this earthly realm. He corrupts the Sovereignty of God, in just one sentence that starts one of his books. "Do what thou whilst, is the whole of the law." Therefore people are "gods" able to choose how we understand God or do anything we please because our will be done. Also, Crowley had a fondness for Indian mysticism which spawns dual gods. An example of A.C's devotees can be read in Bugloisi's "Helter Skelter. Bugliosi in his research of the Manson murders finds a satanic cult who dealt with Manson; he said, "the cult's leader and himself were one." This satanic group believed in the duality of God, that is Christ who forgave Satan is now working with Satan to bring about the end of the world. God using or creating evil for a greater good - where did I hear that before? This group on the evidence of a book called "Ultimate Evil" influenced and supported the "son of sam" killings in NY in the 70' s. You see Christ is on the same side as evil, and it takes a great deal of love to kill people but they're doing God's will. To top it off, I saw a clip on YouTube having "good" witches differentiate themselves from bad witches; they state that the evil "witches" are fanning the flames of the entertainment's agenda to destroy the family unit as well as supporting the destructive rise of the homosexual and pedophile agendas - that further destroy the family. Junior comes home to Daddy and Father. The duality of evil is kept by the "good" witches," themselves; the "good" witches acknowledge Christ but believe in Mother Nature. In conclusion, you may take extra caution on what you deem as good and let into your heart. That includes your favorite talk show host. Also, accepting good and bad from God is a sign of humility. However don't you think our God is powerful enough to create Lucifer and keep him apart from Himself when he chose to fall? Oak

I tried to simplify the post but then again that may be offensive to some people.

The discussions taking place about God's Soverign nature has specific roots in Romans 10-24, the scriptures point to us being pottery made by God, some shaped for dishonor (the damned) some for honor (the saved). With this in mind, we are reminded that if we're not happy with ourselves according to God's election (being just pottery), we have no right to talk back because this is the will of the all knowing God. These scriptures may indicate that we have no free will, that everything is done by God. Lets take a look: Romans 9:10-24 (ESV) 10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion,[a] but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. 19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? Many Bibles now have "Center (or perhaps differently in your Bible) Column Cross Reference System" for most every verse. These are for the most part additional scriptures cited by Bible scholars (Oxford and Cambridge Universities - in the Bible I use) from many years ago, to actively expand on the meaning of a verse. They remind us that the Bible is linked together as a whole, complete work that can prompt you to go into even a deeper search for yourself. It's a magnificient work. Let's use this aid to further our understanding together. I put in bold certain verses for two purposes: 1) I don't want to make this a term paper 2) You can continue the search without me. Also, I used Italic when commenting on the reference scripture: Verse 14: Deuteronomy 32:4: "He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he." 2 Chronicles 19:7: Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality or taking bribes.” Job 8:3: Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert the right? Job 34:10: "So listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do evil, from the Almighty to do wrong. Psalm 92:15 "to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. Perhaps you may disagree, but the reference verses underline the fact that God is not evil nor does He use evil for His purposes. Verse 19: 2 Chronicles 20:6: "...and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. Job 9:12 12 Behold, he snatches away; who can turn him back? Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’ *Daniel 4:35: all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” Very important point for someone taking note of the sum of the verses. God is speaking to kings: Jacob who is the spiritual king and Pharaoh, an earthly king. But in a larger sense to all human kings (in the Bible the only king who was not assigned kingship is the anti-Christ), who presently have turned their attention to destroying the family unit and Christianity, by legislating things like homosexuality, pedophilia, etc. As much as they may think their actions are independent of God, they will have to answer to Him on that account. *Daniel 4:35, is King Nebuchadnezzar's words to God, when his sanity was restored. Also, this speaks to people in terms of dealing with their own authority (children, jobs, etc.) and human authority over all. Verse 20: Job 33:13 - Why do you contend against him, saying, ‘He will answer none of man's words’? Isaiah 29:16 - "You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, “He did not make me”; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”? Isaiah 45:9 9 “Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’? I declare what is right." These verses bring to light words like "contend, no understanding, strives." We all have questions that contend, do not understand, strive to protest the Word of God. Why were the chosen people rejected? Why are millions perishing from abortions? These are often asked in the spirit of rebellion. More deeply, we all have questions within ourselves that prevent us to fully come to Christ. Why was I humiliated, abused or suffer the loss of limb, eyesight, calm spirit and on and on. Striving and contending will never work, stop! You have to make peace within yourself though it's very hard. I still cry out, "why me?" I have done nothing to deserve this punishment. Acceptance can be a very hard path. Please pray for yourselves and others. Love, Oak

Thank you for sharing the hope we have in Christ and your thoughts on a New Heaven and Earth. I feel what you and Butero have done is, at the least, to draw people to the Bible. However I didn't raise the questions in regards to our Lords Crucifixion, to ask unanswerable questions. In this time of evil, where God is portrayed as murderous and aligning Himself with evil, we must look upon The Crucifixion to awaken us. This is a very relieving event. Would a God that creates evil or allows it, have His Son who even a thief see's as innocent, subjected to a miserable fate with no just cause? The Jews and Muslims cry out God can not die. He can't be poor, he can not be mocked or tortured - He is Sovereign. Christ is a humble God. Accusing Him of wrong is unmerciful! Again in this Crucifixion and Resurrection are the most important, act of grace in the Bible. Christ cry's out in pain; go to the Cross; is this the act of an evil puppeteer? There is no worldly glory in the Crucifixion and it is often dismissed for that reason alone. Is this what God truly wanted - to make himself human, to be like His creation and be tortured for it. The Crucifixion, in these times, show God being evil towards His Son and The Trinity. And if you don't believe in salvation or Christ, then it's just that. Again remember what the good thief said, "for we are receiving the due reward for our deeds but this man has done nothing wrong." Lk 23:41 And this is true for all of us. Through Christ's great act of mercy ask your questions. We really only have an action to take and that is belief. But Is Christ aligned with evil in any way - "God is One" - and the answer is a resounding no!!! In fact The Crucifixion is a line being drawn - God is Holy and will not tolerate or accept evil of any kind to the point of shame suffering and death. How more clearly can this be made? Love, Oak

To be absolutely sure of course I would...... The Bible does not answer all my questions..... it makes a way for salvation and introduces me to the Father...... but I do have questions.... this would be one. While I can -actually see both sides from what the Bible says, I can't fathom that my God would create a being to make all the death, destruction, heartache and pain that this creature has caused. I find it very difficult to believe that he would do that on purpose. Do that with the possibilities I can see, but not that he knew for sure before hand. Some say that I limit God by believing this...... Could I love a God that would kill several million unborn babies a year..... I don't know that I could do that... can you??? I can. I believe God can do anything he wants, and since I know his ways are higher than mine, I just accept what he does. Can someone love a God that has the ability to put a stop to Satan and could have destroyed him before he did anyone any harm? If it wasn't God's plan from the start, it is obvious he allows the devil to do harm to people. If you had the power to speak the word and put an end to Satan now, would you? I would. I wouldn't think twice about it. God has that power, so it is obvious to me he has a plan and is using the devil to fulfill it. I trust God completely. He is the potter and I am but clay. Who am I to say anything against anything God does? Hi Butero, Thank you for your response on the "Does God make mistakes" post. I just zigzagged my way here. I know your entrenched in your belief on the subject of God creating evil but I just wanted to add a few additional thoughts. Something you said in the debate with Enoob, struck me and it's in keeping with your answer to him here as well. That is you state God is an all knowing God and therefore He is responsible for everything. Being very well aware that we can both be wrong in part, I will suggest to you that God gives dignity to all His creations, evil or good. And that He takes their actions seriously. From the human side of things there are the 10 Commandments. These laws apply to everyone. Yet God knew that not all laws would be followed and perhaps most people would not follow these laws. In your estimation what is the reason for these laws considering your position? Lastly when I say go to the Cross, I don't mean to just ask Christ your questions; I mean literally go to the Cross with Christ on the Cross. This single action, along with His resurrection, is saying thousands upon thousands of things. Including why would God suffer degradation and great pain? Why would God appear as sin to God? Why would the world reject it's own Creator? The Cross is defeat and victory, hopeless and with a wealth of hope. Through the contemplation of the Cross, we can bring many questions to that particular event. Including why would God need to defeat evil in this particular way? Why would he respond to evil at all? I believe Christ did not go to the Cross because He created evil. That just does not ring true. When I look at Christ on the Cross, this took place because of dire necessity. Did God know about it all along - yes. But knowing about everything does not suppose exactly the way God will act with that power. Anyway you draw your own conclusions and if you'd like to share, I'm all ears. Yours in Christ, Oak Oak

I am going to try to explain this as simple as I can so hopefully you can see where I am coming from. Lets start out with agreement. Lucifer and all the angels and all mankind has free will. We choose to follow God or to rebel. At the same time, do you agree that God is all knowing, and can see into the future? Do you agree that God knows what choices his creation will make? If he does, and he goes ahead and makes them anyway, God being the potter and us being the clay, and he creates someone knowing they will do evil and wind up in hell, since they are created the way God made them, did they really have free will? They made the choices, but they were created by someone in a way where they would make the choices they made. Where we find ourselves disagreeing is over whether or not God is truly all knowing? When God created Lucifer, did he know he would rebel down the road? Did God create men like Judas Iscariot, knowing he would betray Jesus? Did God create good men, like John the Baptist, knowing he would point people to Jesus? They all had free will in the sense they made the decisions they did, like Judas with the 30 pieces of silver, but since God created Judas, knowing what he would do, and the Bible even prophesies about the 30 pieces of silver, did he really have free will, or was he really created for the purpose of being the betrayer? Those who believe in absolute free will believe that God would not create anyone to do evil, and even spend eternity in hell, so he is taken by surprise when his creation does wrong. That doesn't make sense to me, when you can find examples of a person being told exactly what he is going to do, like Peter denying Jesus 3 times. In one way, Peter had free will and chose to do that, but if his creator knew all along what he would do, because he made him in a way where he would react in a certain manner, what free will did he really have? Free will is really an illusion in that sense. If I believe and trust in God, I can only do so because I was created with faith to believe, as opposed to the good moral person who lacks that faith and doesn't believe there is a creator. I know someone like that. She is a good moral person who just doesn't believe. Why? Does she just choose not to believe, or was she created without faith, knowing this will lead to eternal torment in hell? This is a tough subject, but it is important. You either believe in a God who isn't all knowing and isn't all powerful who just makes things and hopes for the best, and is taken by surprise when there is a bad outcome, or you believe in a God who is all knowing and all powerful, and his creation is doing as he designed it would do in all areas. I choose the latter. I am very much interested in your further thoughts on this subject Oak. Butero, you know I care deeply for you, so I will tread carefully. I read your ongoing debate on "Did God create Lucifer (evil)," so there is a lot there that clarifies your point or stance. I agree with you that God is all seeing but I believe God is Holy and Perfect. And your way of looking at this is, God is Holy and Perfect but he wills and desires evil to suit His purposes. This I can't believe. Further, with your way of thinking what need do we have of a Final Judgment? Can Judas say, "You made me this way, so I did your will for me and maybe I deserve a little bit more credit for falling in line with your Great Design?" If your reasoning is to be followed this is a possibility. I am well aware of the epistle of God making pottery of his own choosing and who are we to talk back? This scripture does pose difficulty but I feel there's a lot more to this since the statement alone can suffice for the whole Bible. Why does the Bible go into great detail regarding our behavior? In this instance I feel it's instructional for our salvation in terms of fear and accepting the unknown. If not it is totally discouraging. Also, I don't believe in your premise of God being all powerful or it's just a matter of surprises. If God is all powerful why would He go through the effort of making Satan, an angel of light? God certainly would go directly to creating an adversary. And with difficult questions I believe a person should ponder the Cross. Within a question I wrote a terrible thought. Just ask Christ anything, and I believe in time it will be answered for you. (updated) Yours in Christ, Oak Further

The discussion between Butero and other one, escapes me. As an example, "...[Love] does not insist on its own way." 1 Cor. 14:5 This as well as many other scriptural truths open up the premise that God allows His creations free will and choice. It is remarkable to have a Perfect Entity allowing its creations to not follow the true path. So, Satan was able to go against God not by God's directive but by his own choice. The same applies to us, and we can say God is not good for allowing us this freedom and not conforming us to His will by force. Ultimately God is perfect and all knowing, and people like Hitler choose to serve their own will - do you fault God for free will? Finally and most importantly, Christ was crucified by the world (and resurrected) so those who believe on Him may live. What more do you want God to give? Yes there are people who can't accept a God that gives the ultimate sacrifice without earthly glory and riches. The world was and is waiting for an Alexander The Great type to come and that horror will come. In the midst of confusion and questioning, one should look upon the Cross. This should answer questions like, is God bizarrely evil or does He make mistakes etc.

We live in very dark times - dangerous times. Are we to worship an imperfect Christ? Will we be raised from the dead by an imperfect God who learns from his mistakes? Will we be judged by imperfection? The Old Testament should be read by the beacon of the New Testament. To judge God in any way is a product of our fallen free will. Aren't we to give our free will to Christ? I wish for us to have a true faith that can withstand doubt. Oak

I never saw "Noah" and certainly will not after viewing your concise view of the film. It bleeds into something that I think is pervasive in this day and age. Our country now is on a course where it is saying, "We are wiser than God and have no need of Him." This is done in various ways, in your instance making God blend with evil in a movie. Even Obama's insurance package is causing problems: since The Little Sister's of the Poor," didn't fill out the birth control section, they were denied coverage and now are in the midst of a court battle. We are seeing a new morality which with very serious issues like homosexuality - the Supreme Courts ruling in regards to those who will not obey their ruling is worded in a very punishing way - are bringing about the rational that God's laws are outdated, corrupt and they simply don't belong with the new enlighten view.* Additional thought: I had to add that now movies in general have a mentality of a "good" evil being the only thing that can conquer evil. Oak

First of all, I apologize to anyone that I have offended or in any way upset. I think standing up for your principles is right but not when your pride can be blinding you. I have to consider my actions with self-reflection and prayer. Therefore I will take some time off, because I need to take a hard look at myself and actions. Oak

"For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself." Gal 6:3

You know, not such a long time ago, your question would get many replies. It seems that mostly trivia and humorous questions are the ones being answered at the present time in General Discussions. I'll try to get answers to this new phenomenon. Anyway, as far as your question, your struggle is shared by many believers even if it's in another form. The best advice I can give you is that your awful experience is not easily put to rest. Yes, forgiveness is a great virtue, however this calls for a great level of faith. It's more important, at this time for you, not to become fixated with the issue of your father since you will shut yourself down, and certainly not live in the moment. Our task is to build a good foundation first. In other words begin forgiving the small resentments that may bother you first. As far as your main issue I would suggest that you not be alone when thinking about the problem - practice shutting it out because you'll end up going in circles.. It's better to go to a good Christian friend, your priest or pastor even a therapist. Oak .

"For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself." Gal 6:3