Does God Truly Care About this Earthly Life?

toLiJC said:

why not to be able to think of time in the longest run of the time's infinity?!, for example i believe that the eternity is a circle i.e., more strictly speaking, a cycle and eventful repetition with a beginning and an end, i also believe that there is a full rotation of the eternity consisting of many shorter revolutions each of which is a single eternity, or, in other words, we were exactly what we are now before one full rotation of the eternity...

in the recent centuries there were also people that lived more than 70 years, some of them lived even over 100 years



how to be sure that it is not about human(666) religion/spirituality as it is with the so-called "yoga" of krishna and patanjali where the worshiper has to exercise/practice transcendental meditation concentrating/being concentrated in the sixth chakra with the premise to "open" all others aiming mainly the seventh chakra and the superior ones?!

Revelation 17:9-12 "And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains(i.e. seven occult realms), on which the woman sitteth(i.e. on which the process of "kundalini"/yoga's activity is based). And there are seven kings(i.e. seven chakras): five are fallen(i.e. the inferior five chakras are considered to be most dependent), and one is(i.e. the sixth chakra is the (most) operative one), and the other is not yet come(i.e. the seventh chakra is the main intent); and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth(i.e. the "beast" is even the eight chakra), and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns(i.e. the superior chakras i.e. the ones above the sixth/seventh chakra) which thou sawest are ten kings(i.e. are considered to be higher and highest occult realms and levels of spiritual self-realization), which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast."



and if the purpose of the suffering is not any experience, why do you say suffering is allowed in our lives as it reveals our character?!, why does God have to allow there to be suffering for the human and the other besouled beings if He is omnipotent to provide them with abundant and everlasting life just directly (including in quite a painless way)?!



the Holy Law of faith is not done away, but is still in effect

the right exercise of faith is the reliable way we can have the Holy Spirit as the Holy Apostles had it while still living in this world



God is hardly dependent on informing humans before He starts doing His Work(s)

there are some things that are not a part of the old testament, especially the official thoroughgoing affirmation of the righteousness of the true Lord God that has been effectuated since the enactment of the New Testament

Blessings

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That which has a beginning has an end. A seed falls to the ground dies and it sprouts roots that spring up. The plant grows from infancy to maturity where it bears fruit which produces fruit and eventually that plant dies.

scripture does not really support any reincatative concept within it. A man is appointed to die and then the judgement.

I see you are trying to mix occultist mysticism with scripture. That does not work. One can not mix truth with a lie and get more truth. If you mix poison with water you do not purify the water you poison it.

Suffering occurs for a multitude of reasons. But the focus on suffering misses the broader point and that is that man's time on earth is a like that of a blink of an eye in comparison to eternity. G-d views this from the eternal and man views things from the temporal. It is why we cannot understand why things happen as they do.

historyprincess710 said:

Where is God when we suffer? Really, where is He?

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The world we live in is not the Garden of Eden.

At the precise instant of salvation (confessing Jesus as Savior) a straight, solid, glowing silver Path is laid out before us. God is never anywhere but overseeing that path. We journey along on it, eternity ours, in view. Every circumstance, every event we encounter is already in His embrace. No, He does not plan any of those, nor does he place obstacles or tests or trials along the way. He never blocks, nor places obstacles on the Path He prepared for us. He is there to provide the solution........ always.

We veer off the Path when we question God; when we yield to doubt, fear, guilt, sin (words and thoughts and deeds). Where is God? Right there. How do we get back on the Path? 1 John 1:9 is the best reference.

What about struggles? We're on the Path, then encounter a struggle. We get off the Path. He provided the ability to respond, but we chose our own response; anger, lashing out, withdrawal, blaming, accusing, doubting ... all that "stuff" He would never cause and would have dealt with, without a moment's thought that we could do it ourselves.

What about coughs, colds, the flu, serious crippling disease, physically disabling injury, plane crashes, motor vehicle collisions, floods, tornados? Where was God? Right there. He had nothing to do with any of those; He was there all the time. The Path, from the moment you were saved, included the Faith to see all of it through. Walking in Faith is in His embrace.

How can all this be? God created people. People rebelled. They doubted God. They set off on their own course. What happened? The flood. God sent Abraham. What happened? Abraham's followers fell away. God sent Moses. What happened? The followers of Moses fell away. God sent Jesus. Not "Plan B," but right there on that straight, solid, glowing silver Path that people, Abraham's followers, the followers of Moses, got off of. They left the Path. In each case, those who did so, those who chose to do it on their own, blew it.

Those to whom Jesus presented Himself chose to have Him crucified. He was their Messiah, but they chose to do it their way. Even so, Jesus presented Himself to them and to us on the Cross, cancelling the sin-debt against us (sin = stepping off the Path). He presented His sacrifice as the most amazing Gift of all time: eternal life. What happened?

Some receive Him as Savior. He becomes Lord. Some never accept His free Gift. Some accept it, then drift away. What are the consequences of refusing the Path in the first place, or stepping off of it later? We're on our own, until we step back on.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

[Where is God when we suffer? Really, where is He?]

Where are we when God offers the Path? Really, where are we?

Where are those who have a glorious Path laid out before them that leads right into God's Presence? Safe.

Yeah, safe until your comrades lie dead around you, or you're facing a violent death. If this is the case, then either God should not have created us in the first place, or he should have created us in a different way (i.e. without free will).

So what if we wouldn't have free will? All pain would be non-existent, and God could have what he wants from us. Everyone wins.

historyprincess710 said:

The caterpillar does not understand that his body needs to amass a vast store of energy for his metamorphosis into a glorious butterfly. We too do not understand the growth journey we are on. Just as the caterpillar does not understand his suffering, we too do not understand ours.

The problem with this is that a caterpillar is an animal. It doesn't have the same soul that people do. People kill each other every day. Children are raped. And somehow it's all supposed to be a part of this grand plan. As if war, disaster, illness, and crime are all good things. What could possibly be worth all this death and destruction?

And to those who say suffering produces character, what do you have to say to the fact that every few minutes someone takes their life? Who are you to judge them for facing despair?

So yeah, I'm more of the opinion that God may love us, but not in the way we think he does. He seems more concerned with our afterlife than the life we have now. Well, if this whole life is supposed to be some sort of boot camp, then I don't want any part of it.

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the possibility of evil is a sacrifice God has to make in order for us to be free. if humans would only be near to God who is good then evils would not be. if the kingdom of God only depends on God it would have already came about but the kingdom of God also depends upon man and thus the world has a kind of tragedy to it since the world is a reflection/symbol of the deeper spiritual nature of reality. what is worth the sacrifice of the crucifixion of the Son of God? free, eternal and everlasting love.

I hope no one is offended by this question, but I was wondering what people believe they deserve? Why do you deserve to live in a world without suffering? I'm just curious how people would answer this question.

I am likely going to run into objections here, so I think I should state that I am Pentecostal in my beliefs, because the first question I must ask is, Have you followed the first principles of Jesus doctrine [Hebrews 6:1-6]; have you followed the instruction of Peter in Acts 2:38 to it's fullness [repentance, water baptism, and the infilling of the Holy Spirit]?

In answer to the first part of your question God's involvement with each individual grows closer as each one draws closer. To put it in terms of family, if you want your father's attention keep him next to you. In answer to why not all are healed Jesus indicates that faith is required. In Matthew 8 he gives the example of only one widow receiving Elijah the prophet and then turns to the centurion and says by your faith. I do believe it really is that simple though I know I'm going to cop a lot of stick on that one.

Healing cannot merely be for a sign because Jesus said a wicked and perverse generation wouldn't see one and in that case there would be nada. Actually Jesus indicated that miracles are to show God [the Father] to us. People tell me they can't see God. I ask if they have ever seen a miracle? When they answer yes I tell them then you've seen God.

Yes God is limited in how he can interact with the world but only because he limited himself. God actually makes everything freely available - everything. But God is pure and so cannot contravene that purity. Can an apple become a pear, or a peach a grape? God is without sin and simply cannot sin; he is as unable to do this as the peach is to become a grape. So when the world wants him to relate to it as anything other than God he must fail. Actually it is not God who fails but us because we are looking for solutions in something other than God.

If you want to share God's intimacy get to know him and draw near to him. The closer my son stays to me the greater the benefits he receives - even those he doesn't deserve. These things exist because we are looking for solutions outside of God.

Today we need also to understand God's plan for our recovery since we have wandered so far from home. God is bringing us home through Jesus Christ.

Secretsis said:

I hope no one is offended by this question, but I was wondering what people believe they deserve? Why do you deserve to live in a world without suffering? I'm just curious how people would answer this question.

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Suffering has been with us since the exit from the Garden. Our Creator created us, the first people decided he didn't do a good enough job, and here we are. Authentic Christians deserve eternity in His Presence, and will experience it, because of His free Gift. We can question Him forever, in mind-mental roundabouts in these forums, or we can rejoice and be glad.

BukiRob said:

That which has a beginning has an end. A seed falls to the ground dies and it sprouts roots that spring up. The plant grows from infancy to maturity where it bears fruit which produces fruit and eventually that plant dies.

scripture does not really support any reincatative concept within it. A man is appointed to die and then the judgement.

I see you are trying to mix occultist mysticism with scripture. That does not work. One can not mix truth with a lie and get more truth. If you mix poison with water you do not purify the water you poison it.

Suffering occurs for a multitude of reasons. But the focus on suffering misses the broader point and that is that man's time on earth is a like that of a blink of an eye in comparison to eternity. G-d views this from the eternal and man views things from the temporal. It is why we cannot understand why things happen as they do.

Click to expand...

i am not any kind of occultist, nor a supporter of occultism/esoterism, nor do i mix the biblical scriptures with occultism/esotericism, but i believe only in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ Who are presented in the Bible, and when it comes to speaking a god's word i speak only Their Word

maybe you meant "reincarnative" in the second paragraph, but more suitable for such use would be the adjective "reincarnational" - i do not believe in reincarnation, because there is no reincarnation, though the soul will be physically born again at some point within the first few millennia of the relevant next eternity - the millennia during which the sin can reign over the world, but this will be after some unknown rotation of the eternity, for there can be no second physical birth within a single eternity

it is explained in the Bible that the suffering is a phenomenon of the "death" i.e. of the spirit of deterioration which is one of the main manifestations of the "darkness", and that it is not created by the true God

Blessings

Llewelyn said:

I am likely going to run into objections here, so I think I should state that I am Pentecostal in my beliefs, because the first question I must ask is, Have you followed the first principles of Jesus doctrine [Hebrews 6:1-6]; have you followed the instruction of Peter in Acts 2:38 to it's fullness [repentance, water baptism, and the infilling of the Holy Spirit]?

In answer to the first part of your question God's involvement with each individual grows closer as each one draws closer. To put it in terms of family, if you want your father's attention keep him next to you. In answer to why not all are healed Jesus indicates that faith is required. In Matthew 8 he gives the example of only one widow receiving Elijah the prophet and then turns to the centurion and says by your faith. I do believe it really is that simple though I know I'm going to cop a lot of stick on that one.

Healing cannot merely be for a sign because Jesus said a wicked and perverse generation wouldn't see one and in that case there would be nada. Actually Jesus indicated that miracles are to show God [the Father] to us. People tell me they can't see God. I ask if they have ever seen a miracle? When they answer yes I tell them then you've seen God.

Yes God is limited in how he can interact with the world but only because he limited himself. God actually makes everything freely available - everything. But God is pure and so cannot contravene that purity. Can an apple become a pear, or a peach a grape? God is without sin and simply cannot sin; he is as unable to do this as the peach is to become a grape. So when the world wants him to relate to it as anything other than God he must fail. Actually it is not God who fails but us because we are looking for solutions in something other than God.

If you want to share God's intimacy get to know him and draw near to him. The closer my son stays to me the greater the benefits he receives - even those he doesn't deserve. These things exist because we are looking for solutions outside of God.

Today we need also to understand God's plan for our recovery since we have wandered so far from home. God is bringing us home through Jesus Christ.

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That is not what Jesus said.
Faith,ceremony,belief,prayer,ritual,process,pronouncements etc will not of itself guarantee you anything.
What is important is how you conduct yourself.
He was very clear about this-Matthew 31-46-the Sheep and the Goats.

Dear Fortran. God made Man in His image, and God made us good. God also gave us free will, and the Bible tells us what happened in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve chose to go their own way, and we are all followers of our own will. In Galatians 6: 7-8: we are told: " God will not be mocked, and we all reap what we sow," starting from the Old Testament until now. God is Love, and God wants loving sons and daughters.
In time Jesus came and showed us how to live. Jesus Christ our Saviour died that we might live, He paid for our sins and transgressions. Now we are free once more, and can choose the way we want to go.
In Matthew 22: 35-40: Jesus tells us: " The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds. The second is like it: love our neighbour as we love ourselves." Verse 40 tells us:
On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." (our neighbour is all we know and all we meet, friends and not friends) Matthew 7: 7-10: we are told:" Ask and you shall receive," we ask for Love and Joy, then thank God and share all love and joy with our neighbour. We keep asking for Love and Joy, then thank God and share all love and joy with our neighbour. God sees our loving efforts, and God will bless us. The Holy Spirit will help and guide us, and Jesus our Saviour will lead us all the way back: JESUS IS THE WAY. We might stumble and forget, but then we ask God for forgiveness and carry on loving and caring, be kind and always use friendly words.
A Christian`s weapon is love, with love we can overcome all anger and jealousy. Love is also very catching.
God truly Loves us, therefore let us show our love to God and our neighbour. I say this with love, Fortran.
Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Who Then Came to Realize That Life Was Meaningless
http://existentialcomics.com/comic/124

Secretsis said:

I hope no one is offended by this question, but I was wondering what people believe they deserve? Why do you deserve to live in a world without suffering? I'm just curious how people would answer this question.

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I deserve God. I deserve to live in a world without suffering because I belong to God. suffering will become irrelevant the more I get what I want.

Secretsis said:

I hope no one is offended by this question, but I was wondering what people believe they deserve? Why do you deserve to live in a world without suffering? I'm just curious how people would answer this question.

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That is a good question.We may not deserve to live in a world without suffering because some suffering is unavoidable.
What is avoidable is man made suffering and that encompasses a great deal of suffering from schoolyard bullying to brutal wars to man made climate change.
We have also been very effective at reducing much of the suffering that has been imposed on us by God.Things like polio,TB,small pox,bacterial infections,cancer,chronic pain and a host of debilitating and lethal illnesses.Which raises the question- are our efforts to reduce suffering acting against the will of God?

We also need to consider the role of religion in suffering.It is hard to imagine anything more likely to cause conflict between people than religion-both within the same religion and between the [especially]monotheistic religions.

If we believe in the Incarnation then we believe in a God who is very much concerned with and for this world.

-CryptoLutheran

The only reason Jesus came to earth was to be a sacrifice so we could have a good afterlife, that's all.

James 4:17
New International Version
If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them.

historyprincess710 said:

The only reason Jesus came to earth was to be a sacrifice so we could have a good afterlife, that's all.

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I think it's fair to say that this statement, at best, is a tremendously reductionist and massive over-simplification of anything the New Testament says, and at worst is a total twisting of what the New Testament says.

Because no where in the Gospels, or Paul's letters, or anywhere else is it given that Jesus came to die so we could have a blissful happy pie-in-the-sky afterlife. Jesus came preaching the kingdom of God, which by the way, isn't "heaven" but the reality of God's kingly reign which is not "up there" but has come down here, in and through the person and work of Jesus.

Our Lord taught us to pray thusly, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven"; the great penultimate vision of the Apocalypse is that of the heavenly city descending upon the earth.

-CryptoLutheran

Yes, the Apocalypse only comes after some grand millennia long plan goes through, and we play no part in it anyway, except maybe to try and warn everybody, which won't work. God does all the work and gets all the glory and credit, as usual.

historyprincess710 said:

Yes, the Apocalypse only comes after some grand millennia long plan goes through, and we play no part in it anyway, except maybe to try and warn everybody, which won't work. God does all the work and gets all the glory and credit, as usual.

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By "Apocalypse" I mean the book in the Bible. Also known as the Revelation, traditionally known as the Apocalypse (the Greek word for "revelation" is apokalypsis).

-CryptoLutheran

hiphopopotomus said:

That is a good question.We may not deserve to live in a world without suffering because some suffering is unavoidable.
What is avoidable is man made suffering and that encompasses a great deal of suffering from schoolyard bullying to brutal wars to man made climate change.
We have also been very effective at reducing much of the suffering that has been imposed on us by God.Things like polio,TB,small pox,bacterial infections,cancer,chronic pain and a host of debilitating and lethal illnesses.Which raises the question- are our efforts to reduce suffering acting against the will of God?

We also need to consider the role of religion in suffering.It is hard to imagine anything more likely to cause conflict between people than religion-both within the same religion and between the [especially]monotheistic religions.

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I disagree that disease or even natural disaster is imposed on us by God. That would mean our disobedient actions for millennia would have had no lasting physical effect on the world, and I find that more unlikely than the reverse. Of course, you may then say that God could stop it if He wanted to, but He would be interfering with our free will. This may be playing into the original poster's second point, though I find that reasoning a bit too simplistic. It's not necessarily a lack of omnipotence, but simply asking God to do two different things. No one can both sweep and not sweep the floor. God could not create beings that had the free will to either choose or reject Him and make everything perfect, because when we reject Him we do the exact opposite. And that's not just a one time action, it's with every breathe we take. We are either submitting to His will or our own, and every time we choose ourselves we have the potential to introduce suffering into the world, even in the smallest of ways.

I've never felt like I deserved to be with God because of His Son, but maybe I've been mistaken. I view God's love to be a gift that I cherish but could never deserve. It's incredible the joy that He provides in the face of atrocities, and I am so very grateful for every part of it, but certainly not expectant of it. I know who God is and I know who I am. I don't deserve Him, but I'll take Him because He gave Himself for me, and it would be really hard for me not to.

Some Tim Keller quotes: