• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

Who is in control of this world?

Thedictator

Retired Coach, Now Missionary to the World
Mar 21, 2010
989
529
Northeast Texas
✟65,142.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
God is in control of this Universe and any other that may exist. However this Universe is under the law of Sin of which Christians have been set free of ( but not of the affects or consequences ). The Nature of sin has devastating affects on the guilty and innocent. There is no such thing as a victimless sin. All sin in some way affects the innocent. God also set up the laws of nature and sin has altered the laws of nature in a negative and drastic way. Satan has a massive amount of power but it is limited by God. We see this in the book of Job.
 
Upvote 0

ChristianFromKazakhstan

Well-Known Member
Oct 9, 2016
1,585
575
46
ALMATY
✟37,300.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
I sometimes wonder whether God or Satan is currently in control of this world.

Let me give just one example: A famine in Africa. We’ve all seen the pictures on TV of people starving to death; even children. Now we could say that this is all man’s fault because if everyone worked together on the continent of Africa, it could be one of the wealthiest continents on the planet. Think about it – Africa has precious minerals like gold, diamonds, a desert area where sunshine could be turned into electricity, wetter areas to grow crops, wonderful beaches and game reserves for tourists, oil for fuel and so on. But instead of working together for the common good, we see corruption, fighting, barbarity in the name of a god called “Allah”, etc. So we could put the blame 100% on man’s actions. But what about if a significant cause could be attributed to lack of rainfall. It begs the question, why doesn’t God at least send rain to help people grow their crops and feed themselves? Or is Satan being allowed to wreak even more misery that he has already done since the fall of creation? Or (third option), is the planet running on autopilot and as such, these things are bound to happen? Has anyone any ideas on this that they could share?

God is God
 
Upvote 0

Thedictator

Retired Coach, Now Missionary to the World
Mar 21, 2010
989
529
Northeast Texas
✟65,142.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
I blame the mega rich. They need to halve their wealth. It would still be enough for them to have a comfortable life.

The United States of America is the Richest nation on the planet, should America take 1/2 of it's wealth and share with the poorest parts of the world. Are you willing to give 1/2 of your wealth to the very poor? I really have no respect for people who are so willing to force others to do what they themselves are not willing to do.
 
Upvote 0

Thedictator

Retired Coach, Now Missionary to the World
Mar 21, 2010
989
529
Northeast Texas
✟65,142.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
I'm not good with words, so I'll just try my best, and hopefully I make at least some sense. It's not the fact that God cannot send rain to help people grow their crops; he can. It's just that if he did, then we would not learn from Him. By praying to Him to help us, he will provide. It is also our responsibility to help those in need, like the poor in Africa, however, human greed has led to this. We do not help one another because we are worried about our own problems.

Good Post I agree greed is one of the biggest sin we Christian Americans struggle with.
 
Upvote 0

Thedictator

Retired Coach, Now Missionary to the World
Mar 21, 2010
989
529
Northeast Texas
✟65,142.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
I suggest a cool, unemotional appraisal of available data shows that, on average, the state of the world is actually improving with time.

Despite appearances, the world is getting better, not worse.

I disagree
 
Upvote 0

Blade

Veteran
Site Supporter
Dec 29, 2002
8,175
4,001
USA
✟654,188.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Hey..NOT_BY_CHANCE....well over time I have heard "God is" preachers and songs (BJ THOMES LOVE HIM) and preachers. Then the flip, heard "if GOD has everything under control, he really has it all mess up"

So what I know. With the sin of Adam and Eve. We see a lie that all said was.." you dont die, you will just be like him". That lie ..and all they did was take a fruit and take a bite. They never agreed to anything. That alone should show us that just one TINY LIE can have a HUGE price that we NEVER saw.

So God gave man all the works by His hands. They sin..all they had now becomes Satans. We know for when Satan temped Jesus. "All this is mine.. it was given to me". Jesus said.. Satan is the God of this world.

So we know Satan does in fact have RIGHTS.. He can do things..but what so many of US and me forget is.. there are angels bound in chains because even GOD can not control them. YET.. Satan STILL answers to GOD so to speak. Ah..our Father had this all planned out before it started. For me even though Satan is the god of this world.. what is written? We know the end.
 
Upvote 0

Phantasman

Newbie
May 12, 2012
4,954
226
Tennessee
✟42,126.00
Faith
Christian Seeker
Marital Status
Married
Jesus said three different times in John that the prince of this world is the devil. Jesus judged him by becoming physical and confronting him with truth. The spiritual Jesus said that the prince had nothing on him.

The physical was created by and is owned by an ignorant god who thinks he is God. All of Jesus orations points to that, and because he dared enter the physical, he was put to physical death by the prince (devil).

Truth is in the spiritual, not the physical. Jesus said his words were spirit.
 
Upvote 0

Thedictator

Retired Coach, Now Missionary to the World
Mar 21, 2010
989
529
Northeast Texas
✟65,142.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
Thanks for asking. Let me start with something I am quite confident about claiming: the world is getting markedly less violent over time - less war, less murder, less genocide, less animal abuse, etc. The data supporting this claim is compelling. There was a Christian movement that started around the end of the 19th Century called the Christian social justice movement it became a very large movement worldwide, it's fundamental belief was that the world was getting better and that Christians could make a Christian Eutopian society. That movement fell apart after World War one and Two.

I concede that I have not carefully looked at available data re other aspects of human life. However, there are reasons to expect the world is indeed getting better: Less violent, really Look at what is going on in the Middle East with the Muslim Caliphate. Every Continent on this world is at war somewhere but Antarctica.

1. Technology greatly improves life overall, especially relative to healthcare. On the other hand, it has spawned global warming which could be disastrous; Technology has devastated the Job market for almost a billion people.

2. It seems pretty clear to me that, in the west at least we are making progress at becoming more humane. Do you realize that public torture was common in Europe a few hundred years ago. Now, it is unheard of. And if someone so much as slaps their cat, public outrage ensues. Donald Trump aside, I also think racism is clearly on the way out. I suggest it is fairly clear that, on the while, humanity is getting kinder and gentler. As far a government being better that may be the case but we have a lot of atrocities going on in the general public, things that were unheard just decades ago.

3. The media enormously distorts and bears a huge chunk of the blame for people thinking the world is getting worse. There is a well-known phenomena in psychology whereby we exaggerate the likelihood of things we hear about. Terrorism is an example. I believe an American is more likely to die in the bathtub than at the hands of a terrorist. Yet people greatly magnify the risk of being a victim of terror.
We have always had yellow journalism in one way or another for Centuries.

Just some thoughts.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nathan98
Upvote 0

Thedictator

Retired Coach, Now Missionary to the World
Mar 21, 2010
989
529
Northeast Texas
✟65,142.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
All of Jesus orations points to that, and because he dared enter the physical, he was put to physical death by the prince (devil).

Sorry, That is just not true, no one took Jesus Christ life, he had the power to lay his own life down for the World. It was not taken from him.
 
Upvote 0

Not_By_Chance

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
May 25, 2015
813
176
71
✟84,806.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Non-Denom
Sorry, That is just not true, no one took Jesus Christ life, he had the power to lay his own life down for the World. It was not taken from him.
Exactly. Listen to what Jesus had to say about this:-

John 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
John 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
John 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
John 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. [emphasis added]
 
Upvote 0

Godlovesmetwo

Fringe Catholic
Mar 16, 2016
10,398
7,248
Antwerp
✟17,860.00
Country
Djibouti
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian Seeker
Marital Status
Married
Politics
CA-Others
The United States of America is the Richest nation on the planet, should America take 1/2 of it's wealth and share with the poorest parts of the world. Are you willing to give 1/2 of your wealth to the very poor? I really have no respect for people who are so willing to force others to do what they themselves are not willing to do.
"mega rich" please note
 
Upvote 0

Phantasman

Newbie
May 12, 2012
4,954
226
Tennessee
✟42,126.00
Faith
Christian Seeker
Marital Status
Married
Sorry, That is just not true, no one took Jesus Christ life, he had the power to lay his own life down for the World. It was not taken from him.
Physical death is the death of the flesh. Orthodox believes the flesh was created by God (the Father). Since the flesh is imperfect, it is impossible to be created by perfection, but imperfection. And imperfection owns the body as Jesus said, "the flesh profits nothing".

Jesus pursued death. From the moment he became Christ (christened by the Father). Jesus laid down his life for the world when he became physical to teach us spiritual truth, something that was never revealed before.
 
Upvote 0

TaylorSexton

1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith
Jan 16, 2014
1,065
423
33
Mundelein, IL
Visit site
✟42,801.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Protestant
Marital Status
Married
  • Agree
Reactions: Thedictator
Upvote 0

Thedictator

Retired Coach, Now Missionary to the World
Mar 21, 2010
989
529
Northeast Texas
✟65,142.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
Orthodox believes the flesh was created by God (the Father). Since the flesh is imperfect, it is impossible to be created by perfection, but imperfection. And imperfection owns the body as Jesus said, "the flesh profits nothing".

Not sure what your saying here, but it sounds a lot like the false teachings of Gnosticism. It does not surprise me that the Orthodox Church is steeped in Gnosticism.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: TaylorSexton
Upvote 0

Shempster

ImJustMe
Site Supporter
Dec 28, 2014
1,561
787
✟281,411.00
Country
United States
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
There are many in control.
God the Father is the master planner. He controls the overall outcome of humanity.
Next, you have Satan, the ruler of this world in control. He can only affect things and people of this world if humans let him by their sin. When people agree to act against the law they allow Satan (or an evil spirit) to affect them and others. But when one is led by the Spirit that lives in them, they allow the Father to control their thoughts and behavior.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: Thedictator
Upvote 0

ByTheSpirit

Come Lord Jesus
May 17, 2011
11,460
4,690
Manhattan, KS
✟198,594.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
I sometimes wonder whether God or Satan is currently in control of this world.

Let me give just one example: A famine in Africa. We’ve all seen the pictures on TV of people starving to death; even children. Now we could say that this is all man’s fault because if everyone worked together on the continent of Africa, it could be one of the wealthiest continents on the planet. Think about it – Africa has precious minerals like gold, diamonds, a desert area where sunshine could be turned into electricity, wetter areas to grow crops, wonderful beaches and game reserves for tourists, oil for fuel and so on. But instead of working together for the common good, we see corruption, fighting, barbarity in the name of a god called “Allah”, etc. So we could put the blame 100% on man’s actions. But what about if a significant cause could be attributed to lack of rainfall. It begs the question, why doesn’t God at least send rain to help people grow their crops and feed themselves? Or is Satan being allowed to wreak even more misery that he has already done since the fall of creation? Or (third option), is the planet running on autopilot and as such, these things are bound to happen? Has anyone any ideas on this that they could share?

Cavities in your mouth don't mean that toothpaste or dentists do not exist.

Crime on the streets doesn't mean cops are not in control.

Bad things happening doesn't mean God has forgotten or some how stopped caring. He gave the earth to man, and it is man that is responsible for the evil on the earth.

This is why Jesus came and gives us as believers power and authority over the forces of darkness. So we, as believers, can bring light to the earth and be salt on the planet.
 
Upvote 0