Actually, most people don't really understand what this means, in my opinion.
The truth is that God is NOT in control. Not in a calvinistic sense, anyway.
Consider: "knock, and the door will be opened".
Now REALLY think about this. What does that mean?
It means that you, I and every human being has an element of control. What determines if the door is opened or not is not God. It's you. You have to knock.
Consider: Christ sacrificed himself on the cross. He took our sins upon his blameless self. What does that mean? Think about it. REALLY think.
It means that the Father and the Son make choices and decisions for the benefit of us. They love us more than they love themselves.
Now, put the two realities together.
What do they show us?
Together, they reveal this truth: Although omniscient, and omnipotent, God voluntarily placed Himself into a position where OUR actions influence and affect that God does. Because of love. Because of his love.
We influence God. Our choices and decisions affect God, just as His decisions and choices affect us.
In order to raise and establish the supreme value of love, the Creator created a universe where the future and the unfolding of his plan is not unilaterally decided by Him alone, but where we, each man and woman, each child of God, also affects the unfolding.
In other words, its a TEAM effort. A joint operation.
Consider: all the examples in the Old Testament where God turned from his plan and intention in response to the pleadings and efforts of Moses, various prophets, etc.
And THIS is why it has taken so long and why so much effort, so much sacrifice and so much suffering even had to be put up with. No, not so that somehow magically we can learn - do we have to suffer in order to learn? Do you cause your own children to suffer so that they will learn? Give them poison so that they learn not to drink cyanide? Break their bones so that they learn to be careful on a bike?
It's really quite an immature conclusion. Understandable, but immature. Suffering is natural and part of life, but its NOT necessary for learning. What is necessary for learning is an open heart, and open mind, and awareness.
It's not logical to think that the reason why humans suffer is simply because that's only way they can learn. We learn a LOT more by trying, failing, and being successful.
Consider: "now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known"
Now it is time to more fully know.
The real reason why there is and has been so much suffering is because God created the universe with his Children being responsible for a part of the plan and a part of the fulfillment.
Suffering continues because, due to lack of understanding and a lack of purity, we fail to step up and realize that we have a part of play, a part that cannot be replaced or even done by the Father himself. Because he designed it that way.
It's not that "God is in Control". (I mean, God is in control of what GOD is in control, but the point is, God is NOT in control of everything. He is in control of HIS part of the plan and HIS part of the unfolding, but not ours. So regardless of how much suffering, how much difficulty, God has to work and persevere and try again and again and again in order to set things up so that finally WE can do what we need to do to bring it to completion.)
What we have to wake up to realize is that the fulfillment of God's plan requires US to do OUR part.
God in control of God's part + us in control of our part = full control and full completion of the work and the plan.
Christ returns, NOT to finish everything up, but to guide and lead US so that WE finish everything up. People waiting for Christ to return and fix everything are missing the point. Christ returns to inspire and guide YOU to do what you have to do: step up. THEN, just as the unity between Father and Son resulted in victory in the spirit, so unity between the Son and US when he returns CAN and will result in the physical or fleshly victory.
Yes, let us take comfort from the fact that our Father is absolutely faithful. God will NEVER abandon, never desert us, never NOT fulfill his responsibilities. But we also must strive, as much as we humanly can, to emulate our Father and be faithful, to fulfill OUR responsibility.
Whether we allow God to step in and use us, that is the real question. For us to be in control, we have to relinquish the control our own fallen nature has over us, the control our own misguided egos exerts over us, and then take action on God's behalf by putting Christ in control.
When WE step up, in unity with God, THEN is God fully in control.
Evidence: Christ.
Because Christ stepped up, in unity with the Father, THAT's what made it possible for everything to happen. That's the model. Step up, unite with the Father, and then its two for the price of one. Father and son, or Father and daughter, in unity, reveals full control and complete fulfillment of the plan.
Yes God is. Amen.
NOTHING CAN STOP WHO IS COMING!
This is where I am.
And maybe God's Army should keep a watchful eye.
Amen๐๐ป๐บ๐ธ
Absolute Truth!
Actually, most people don't really understand what this means, in my opinion.
The truth is that God is NOT in control. Not in a calvinistic sense, anyway.
Consider: "knock, and the door will be opened".
Now REALLY think about this. What does that mean?
It means that you, I and every human being has an element of control. What determines if the door is opened or not is not God. It's you. You have to knock.
Consider: Christ sacrificed himself on the cross. He took our sins upon his blameless self. What does that mean? Think about it. REALLY think.
It means that the Father and the Son make choices and decisions for the benefit of us. They love us more than they love themselves.
Now, put the two realities together.
What do they show us?
Together, they reveal this truth: Although omniscient, and omnipotent, God voluntarily placed Himself into a position where OUR actions influence and affect that God does. Because of love. Because of his love.
We influence God. Our choices and decisions affect God, just as His decisions and choices affect us.
In order to raise and establish the supreme value of love, the Creator created a universe where the future and the unfolding of his plan is not unilaterally decided by Him alone, but where we, each man and woman, each child of God, also affects the unfolding.
In other words, its a TEAM effort. A joint operation.
Consider: all the examples in the Old Testament where God turned from his plan and intention in response to the pleadings and efforts of Moses, various prophets, etc.
And THIS is why it has taken so long and why so much effort, so much sacrifice and so much suffering even had to be put up with. No, not so that somehow magically we can learn - do we have to suffer in order to learn? Do you cause your own children to suffer so that they will learn? Give them poison so that they learn not to drink cyanide? Break their bones so that they learn to be careful on a bike?
It's really quite an immature conclusion. Understandable, but immature. Suffering is natural and part of life, but its NOT necessary for learning. What is necessary for learning is an open heart, and open mind, and awareness.
It's not logical to think that the reason why humans suffer is simply because that's only way they can learn. We learn a LOT more by trying, failing, and being successful.
Consider: "now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known"
Now it is time to more fully know.
The real reason why there is and has been so much suffering is because God created the universe with his Children being responsible for a part of the plan and a part of the fulfillment.
Suffering continues because, due to lack of understanding and a lack of purity, we fail to step up and realize that we have a part of play, a part that cannot be replaced or even done by the Father himself. Because he designed it that way.
It's not that "God is in Control". (I mean, God is in control of what GOD is in control, but the point is, God is NOT in control of everything. He is in control of HIS part of the plan and HIS part of the unfolding, but not ours. So regardless of how much suffering, how much difficulty, God has to work and persevere and try again and again and again in order to set things up so that finally WE can do what we need to do to bring it to completion.)
What we have to wake up to realize is that the fulfillment of God's plan requires US to do OUR part.
God in control of God's part + us in control of our part = full control and full completion of the work and the plan.
Christ returns, NOT to finish everything up, but to guide and lead US so that WE finish everything up. People waiting for Christ to return and fix everything are missing the point. Christ returns to inspire and guide YOU to do what you have to do: step up. THEN, just as the unity between Father and Son resulted in victory in the spirit, so unity between the Son and US when he returns CAN and will result in the physical or fleshly victory.
Yes, let us take comfort from the fact that our Father is absolutely faithful. God will NEVER abandon, never desert us, never NOT fulfill his responsibilities. But we also must strive, as much as we humanly can, to emulate our Father and be faithful, to fulfill OUR responsibility.
Whether we allow God to step in and use us, that is the real question. For us to be in control, we have to relinquish the control our own fallen nature has over us, the control our own misguided egos exerts over us, and then take action on God's behalf by putting Christ in control.
When WE step up, in unity with God, THEN is God fully in control.
Evidence: Christ.
Because Christ stepped up, in unity with the Father, THAT's what made it possible for everything to happen. That's the model. Step up, unite with the Father, and then its two for the price of one. Father and son, or Father and daughter, in unity, reveals full control and complete fulfillment of the plan.
Just saying...
Always has been.
Simple truth!
Shouldnt it be 'Orrep'?
(Let's see how long it takes for someone to get that)
God in Spanish is Dios, not Orrep or Perro backward.
I know that, but you kinda got the joke (I think)
Yes, I got it, but I assumed some other pedes wouldn't. They can get some research practice by looking up the words. ;-)
Dad jokes... Lol