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Is God only good?

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abbygirlforever

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Satan is very, very real. God created him and knew what would happen, knew that Satan would rebel and deceive the world. I guess you could say that God did create evil. Without evil there is no free will and no choice, so I suppose it was necessary. As for natural disasters, that is all the result of sin. "For the wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23a). Evil in the world brings death, and natural disasters is a result of the curse of death.
 
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Justice4JC

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Wow! I actually wrote a devotion on this topic a while ago (maybe a year and a half ago). I'm actually shocked about it being brought up in a topic.... it's kind of long:

My first reference is going to refer to God doing good, and only good. Some people believe that God does bad things to them, which will later turn out good in their own lives. There's this one guy (I won't give any names) that I know on the computer, and he says that God doesn't exactly do "bad" in His eyes, but it seems "bad" in our eyes. So he believes what appears to be "bad" to us will later on be "good" later on. As if God will put someone in a car accident to stiffen up that person, or like He would kill a relative. Honestly, the guy once said that if he had lost either one of his brothers, he wouldn't know what he'd do... Interesting, really. He might blame God for doing it.

One thing that I don't get about this is that he has this like "Underground" thing which he sends every few weeks, and there's a list of prayer requests. Prayer requests which are sometimes filled with people being sick. He tells everyone inside of the Underground to pray for the people, but what I think, but I never told him, is that if he thinks God puts sickness on us, why would they pray to God to get it off? If it's His will for us to be sick, there's no reason to even pray. Right?

At one time, I sent a letter to everyone that was inside of the Underground a letter about Satan. It was based on the first chapter of the book Know Your Enemy, by Norvel Hayes. I told everyone how it was that Satan deceives a lot, and that he's in control of a lot of music which speaks negative. He had that talent over music when he was in heaven (Ezekiel 28:13). That's not the part I want to get in to right now. What probably really got this guy offended (perhaps not the right word, but the word that I'm using), is when I said that all good things come from God, and all bad things come from the devil.

It was close to two months before I responded to his response. I didn't know what to say to him. My father (natural father) told me not to write back at the moment. Taking matters into my own hands (or more likely matters into my own mouth), I began to speak in tongues every day for an hour. Two months passed and then I began to search the Bible for scriptures that referred to what this guy's situation was. I wrote it with different scriptures bringing them out to him. One of the scriptures I'd thought that would clear it up for him would be,

1 John 1:5: "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."

but it didn't. He stayed true to his false believing. He was probably brought up to believe God did things like that, so it would be hard for him to just turn. At least I was sowing a seed that someday someone else would water and make grow.

I don't look down on the guy. After he replied to my response to his response of my letter to Underground, I told him that he didn't hurt me (which he thought he did), and that I could make him change what he believed just like no Christian can make a non-believer believe in Christ Jesus and say the prayer of salvation.

Now, before I bring out the scriptures, here's a devotional that I sent to the guy. It was sent to me by WuzupGod.com on May 12, 2001.

" One Christmas Eve, a man was driving two young women to church when they came upon a multiple-car collision. They were unable to stop on the slick road and slammed into the back of a car. One of the girls, Donna, was thrown face-first through the windshield. The jagged edges of the broken windshield made two deep gashes in her left cheek.

At the hospital, the doctor on duty happened to be a plastic surgeon. He took great care in stitching Donna's face. Nevertheless, the driver was devastated by what had happened.

A short time later Donna's family moved away. Fifteen years passed before the driver happened to see Donna's mother, who gave him the following report. "Donna was so intrigued by her hospital stay that she became a nurse, got a good job at a hospital, met a young doctor, married him, and then had two children. God took a stormy day and created a beautiful rainbow. Donna told me that the accident was the best thing that could have happened to her!"

God is not the initiator of tragedy and suffering in our lives, but He is always there to bring some good to every situation. If you are in the midst of a fierce storm, don't lose hope. Look for the rainbow!"

God isn't the one that brings sickness, suffering, death, and etcetera unto us, but He can always shine a rainbow on the situation, just like He did for Donna.

One thing I asked this guy, which he never replied to, was if he believed that both God and the devil gives sickness, how the heck he knows which sickness is from whom?

The first scriptures regarding this sitch (situation) is from Numbers 23:19 & 20 (all verses are in King James Version).

"God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it."

John 3:17: "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

John 5:36: "But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me."

John 9:5: "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

John 14:10: "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works."

The last four, as you may have guessed, was Jesus speaking. Now, since Jesus is God’s Son, it doesn’t make sense for Him to do against what God does. Just like the Bible doesn’t contradict itself, the Father and the Son don’t contradict each Other. You never saw Jesus put sickness on someone to make it good for them in future times.

In Mark 16:18 it says, "They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

It tells us to heal the sick, not put sickness on the healed!

Matthew 10:1: "And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease."

James 1:17: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

Variableness’ root word is variable, which means apt to vary. Apt means likely, and vary means alter; in other words make different. So, "with whom is no likely to make different."

The Father of lights…… neither shadow of turning. He doesn’t change like the shadows produced by the sun and the moon.

James 3:17: "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy."

Revelation 22:5 ("…" means there’s more in the verse): "And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light:…"

Go back through the Bible and look up John 5:30. Jesus says, "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me."

See, Jesus came to do God’s will, not His own will. So everything Jesus did is everything God would have done.

The last verse (John 10:10): "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

You know who that thief is? …Satan.

Now, if you're reading this and are thinking that I'm coming down on you if you believe/believed that God did bad things, don't think like that. I'm not coming down (or up depending how much taller you are than me) on you, nor am I looking down (up?) on you. Jesus/God once said that "My people are destroyed because lack of knowledge."

-Justice4JC
 
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Thanks for the paper you wrote, very interesting. I agree with your online friend, that Goddoes something that we think is bad, but in the long run it might actaully be good for the world, such as earth quakes or floods etc.. The world is changing and I think God has a plan for that. We shoudln't be figthing it too much, not try to control Gods actions too much. Thanks again for all the replies
 
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God does good and 'evil' things, depending on how you look at it. First, let me state that yes, Satan is very real and in control of the air (weather is left to him) but does God have the power to stop bad things? Yes. When peoples loved ones get sick and die, people say "Why would a GOOD God let this happen?" but is Gods job to give everyone in the whole world a perfect sitcom-worthy life? No...

God has to give us obstacles to make us stronger. He can see in the long run, and some things (as tragic as they may be) are necessary for us to be who we are in the very end. God sees forever...we can barely project what will happen tommorow.

It is too bad when people get angry that God allows for "bad" things...they tend to forget that God gave them a MILLION more good things, they just never noticed. What about where they live, the loving relationships and friendships they have, the different members of their family, the small gifts of grace they get each day, every meal set at their table, little things such as a beautiful bird that lands near you....

Our God is an Awesome God. Maybe he doesnt give us all exactly what you wanted..but we are just children of his. Would you allow your 4 year old to dictate what you did and what you gave him?
 
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SpiritPsalmist

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lilam70 said:
I know God does many good things, he created the Earth , the mountains,the waters etc... but he also creates Earth Quakes, Tornado's, Floods, Fires etc... Is it God or the Devil creating the bad things? What are your views?

I don't believe in the Devil though, I believe that God creates both good and evil.


There is no darkness in God at all.

When God says in scripture that He created the good and evil, I believe He is referring to when He created Lucifer. Lucifer was an angel that hovered over the throne of God. Lucifer was a beautiful angel. He had instruments of worship built into him. Lucifer's job was to orchestrate the worship toward the throne. However, Lucifer got his eyes off of God and onto himself and began to believe that since He was so grand looking that gave him power. :( But he was mistaken and got himself thrown out of heaven. Oddly enough, 1/3 of the other angels followed him. His name then became Satan.

In the garden there were not earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, fires, or etc. With the fall Adam came all of this.

Satan cannot create anything. He can only kill, steal, and destroy. This of course would extend from all of our hopes and dreams to the world we live in. According to the Bible we have authority over him but people have believed his lies and instead of taking authority over him they cower in fear.

Satan will use whoever, or whatever he can. . .if we let him. God however is a Master at taking what Satan has destroyed and working it out for good to those who love Him. We even learn something in the process.

Quaffer
 
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carebeare

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People say that God has the ability to see all, the future is what I will discuss here. If that is so, then he knew that Lucifer would be created. You know what they say, everyone needs a nemisis. So if one isn't available create one, right? Right. Christians try to convince other people that God is all good. But the truth is far from that. God does not give the free-will to a child to decide whether or not he wishes to be abused. Or am I wrong? I will explain further. In the bible it says that it is wrong to kill yourself, so that option is out for the child. In the bible it says that one must listen to his parents, so running away is kind of too difficult for the child. What is a child to do? Sit on the front porch every day waiting for his 'father' to arrive and take him away? Yet, time after time, the sun goes away, the darkness consumes, and the 'father' is nowhere in sight. The child cries himself to sleep every night, sleeping on his left side because the rights side burns. His sheets are stained with blood. What choice does a child have in this matter? None. God is not all good. He is not perfection, for perfection does not exist. If you have a hard time with this you are more than welcome to write to me. I may believe in God, but I don't believe that he is just and all loving.

Great power requires great responsibility and care. Sometimes, even God has a slip up. But it's still wrong and someone should say so, besides the Atheists.
 
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carebeare

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If God himself came down from heaven and said to you, "If I were to stab you a 777 times in order to set you free of the sin you were forcefully born with, would you allow me to stab you for something you really didn't have a choice in?" What would you say. Yeah, sure, father. Come on, now. It's not that simple. Take down the walls around your castle and stop dodging the bullet. If the bullet is meant to strike let it strike. What's with all the fear. God is not all good. Children are abuse every day. Who gave them the free will to choose what to do? God, you say. But what does free will do. Corners a person and makes them feel worthless and stupid for not knowing what to do. The arguments I read are so weak. God is all knowing. He knows a child is going to be born into a dysfunctional home, a home where the child will suffer for years. What's the point? It gives you perserverence and strength. That's a load of bulldoddy. You end up with doubts, inner hate and remorse, you end up searching for love blindly. Oh, but God makes up for it later in life. How so? How many kill themselves, thousands. Where in the bible does it say that these individuals will go to heaven? Where? Come on people, look deeper than your bible laid out in front of you. The bible has had to be corrected so many times to make it appear that God is all just, so therefore he cannot be held responsible for what people do. Can you imagine what his existence would be if he didn't create us? He would be bored out of his mind. Why did he create evil? To add some spice to the action. Think about it. Where in the bible does it explain why God created us all? It doesn't.

Loneliness kills. Boredom can make an eternal existence dreadful. There are more angles to the Good/bad God scenario. But you don't tap into that. Why because it rattles your new reality of your surroundings, you discourage yourself. But why fear that, or why avoid it? God will protect you from wrong, right? God isn't always there. So don't shrug off the possibility that God is not good.
 
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SpiritPsalmist

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carebeare,

I believe I can answer your questions. Maybe not tell you want you want to hear, which is what you already believe, but I can answer.

Before you tell me I'm full of bulldoddy let me tell you that I speak as an abused child who is now grown up.

I accepted Christ in my heart as a young child and am so thankful that I did. Why? Because every single time I cried to Him, He was there comforting me. It was not His fault that my parent used their free will to not get past their own hurts and took it out on me.

It was only by His Grace and Mercy that I survived my childhood. Did the abuse make me stronger? No! Abuse made me bitter. Was God there when I needed that bitterness removed? Yes!

God is ALWAYS there. When I look at His face and look only at Him I see Him and I feel Him and I experience Him. When I look at my surroundings I don't see Him, I don't feel Him, and I don't experience Him.

That is why it is so important to teach how to KNOW God. . .not just know about Him. But, it is not His fault that those who are supposed to teach are not, nor is it His fault that those on the receiving end don't receive it when they do.

Being set free is work. But I can guarantee you. . .the final results are wonderful. There's no loneliness, no boredom, no dread, no fear, and no hate. It's not God who did all this to you honey. . it's people who were exercising their free will and ignored God.

The Bible teaches how to overcome Him. If you are willing to learn I am willing to help teach you. I speak as an overcomer. . .one who no longer is in torment due to what a parent chose to do to her. :hug:
 
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water_ripple

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Yes God is good and God is also love. Above all He is holy! Humans really have no capacity to understand the mind of God. He is infinite in His wisdom.

In my opinion, since God is omnipotent (and knows all) satan was simply part of His plan. God knew when he created satan that he would rebel. God has no evil. He is the only perfect being. He gave us all a healthy dose of freewill to face Him or to walk away from Him (although it is His will that all come to Him). And satan has the ability to tempt us. He has the power to try and confuse us. But, those of us that resist temptation and focus on the Lord truly glorify God.
 
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carebeare

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I think many of you aren't willing to fully see what I'm trying to get at. I'm not a God hater. I believe in God. Maybe not the way many of you do, but does that mean you have to brush me with simple answers to the atrocities done. I was abused myself for many years, and God was not there. What I mean by 'there' is he didn't help me by letting me know that I would survive the beatings. I'm sure he was up in his castle watching the spectacle. There are so many things that can't be properly answered. Why? Because even Christians, have gone out into the world and did the opposite of what Jesus told them to do. They went out and killed many. Many Jews were put down, spit upon. Many people were killed because they were supposedly witches. Yeah, Christians are also killed, but they are killed by non-believers. Christians knew better but they did it anyways. God did not stop it. Hitler even claimed to be a strong christian, yet, God didn't punish him for claiming to be a Christian. People hide behind their faith to avoid any form of blame. That is what bugs me. That million of children die of starvation, but the pastor is wearing a nice Italian suit. Everything isn't perfect, nor do I believe it will ever be. But there are some things that should not have happened. Someone needs to stand up for the little guy.

I will get very deep into many issues, why, because my beliefs are well grounded. Since the age of fourteen I have gone on a crusade to find answers, and I'm not about to stop.

Anyone can wave their hand and dismiss the truth, I'm not one of those.
 
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SpiritPsalmist

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carebeare said:
I think many of you aren't willing to fully see what I'm trying to get at. I'm not a God hater. I believe in God. Maybe not the way many of you do, but does that mean you have to brush me with simple answers to the atrocities done. I was abused myself for many years, and God was not there. What I mean by 'there' is he didn't help me by letting me know that I would survive the beatings. I'm sure he was up in his castle watching the spectacle. There are so many things that can't be properly answered. Why? Because even Christians, have gone out into the world and did the opposite of what Jesus told them to do. They went out and killed many. Many Jews were put down, spit upon. Many people were killed because they were supposedly witches. Yeah, Christians are also killed, but they are killed by non-believers. Christians knew better but they did it anyways. God did not stop it. Hitler even claimed to be a strong christian, yet, God didn't punish him for claiming to be a Christian. People hide behind their faith to avoid any form of blame. That is what bugs me. That million of children die of starvation, but the pastor is wearing a nice Italian suit. Everything isn't perfect, nor do I believe it will ever be. But there are some things that should not have happened. Someone needs to stand up for the little guy.

I will get very deep into many issues, why, because my beliefs are well grounded. Since the age of fourteen I have gone on a crusade to find answers, and I'm not about to stop.

Anyone can wave their hand and dismiss the truth, I'm not one of those.
carebeare, I know exactly what you're getting at. :)

I know you're not a God hater and that you believe in Him. I also know that you don't trust Him. IN essense you feel that He should have stopped all the things that were done to you. Since He was able to view it all He certaintly could have stopped it.

I am not brushing you off with simple answers to any atrocities. But I am telling you that Jesus is our only Hope. No one else can do anything about all the atrocities except for remembering and mourning year after year after year after year. Some of these people are in their old age and still can't get past what was done to them when they were young children.


I remember fighing my mother off while my brother and sister stood in the doorway crying because she was attacking me with a butcher knife. I remember another time, waking up with her beating on me. Fortionately there is a lot I don't remember. My brother and sister remember far more stuff than I do regarding what my mother did to me.

At that age I did'nt know that was Him comforting me. I thought I was gonna die. Just because other people do bad things, supposed Christians or not does not mean He is not there.


What I came to understand was that as an adult I can no longer go around blaming everybody who ever hurt me or hurt other people. God has plans for each of us. Plans for good and not evil. He calls us to life. . .abundant life.

The reason you don't see a lot of that is due to people not realizing that Jesus and His Word are the same today as it was yesterday. And He'll be that way forever. Satan has lied and told you God did not care about you and he's used the circumstances to convince you.


I'm not making light of anything. I know all too well what you are going through.

Jesus is the Truth honey, He's the only right answer. You will find help in Him alone. I know, I've been there.



 
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cyberwing

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Carebeare,
I answered you on another thread and you chose to move to this one to avoid my answer. First of all, the bitterness in you is keeping you from seeing who God is AND the truth of His Word. The Lord created the earth and gave dominion (rulership) over it to MANKIND. It was Mankind that chose to sin and believe the devil about 'becoming like a God' and when he did this, he handed over dominion of the earth to Satan.
God is NOT your enemy, Carebeare. Satan is and he has you SO deceived! This is why you are angry with God, because Satan has lied to you. His sole purpose is to kill, steal from and destroy YOU. It is Satan that brought sickness, disease, cruelty, hatred and death to this earth. Under Satan's control the earth groans for release! Satan and his fallen angels (the demons, devils) are your true enemy. My own mother was a victim of abuse, terrible abuse but when she cried out to the Lord at age nine and surrendered to Him, He came to her and assured her He was with her. She had to make the first move, after she read the Bible. God will not FORCE Himself on anyone, He is a gentleman. All of this is in your old testament and that is PROVEN correct by the Dead Sea Scrolls.
You are a deeply wounded spirit, Carebeare. It is up to you what you do now. Hold onto your bitterness (Which is what your enemy Satan WANTS you to do) or realize your pain (and that of many others) is inflicted by those whose God is not the same one in the Holy Bible. There are Christians I know whose god is really money, social status, etc. Jesus has no place for them, He is just someone to read about in Sunday School. What a pity, a personal relationship with Him is ALL that matters.
You are in so much pain you are striking out at the very one who loves you so much, HE let them beat him with a cat-o-nine tails 39 times until his back was like shredded hamburger. HE let the Roman soldiers beat his face until his own mother barely recognized him. He could have stopped it at any moment and called down the wrath of God on man, instead Jesus kept His eyes fastened on those who would love Him and accept Him. For these He suffered. For YOU Carebeare, you need to get Frank Peretti's book, The Wounded Spirit. It might help you.
I grieve deeply that men and women of today "...have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof...." That they can do such horrendous things to another human being! I can stand in a garage and call myself a car, but that doesn't make me one. Being a Christian is a LIFE changing experience, it is not just 'saying you are'. No Christian can torture someone else. Jesus told us we would know those who were our TRUE brothers and sisters in Him by their fruits, what they do. We know we have been forgiven for so much ourselves that we see all people with the Love JESUS has for them.
You can choose to reject my words and stay bitter or you can open your heart to Him and begin to heal! Remember bitterness brings destruction of your life, your purpose, your future. If you want to begin to heal, find Joyce Meyer's teachings online. She was a victim of terrible abuse and now is one of the great teachers of His Word. I think her teachings might help you the most.
I am so grieved you and so MANY others like you have suffered, but make no mistake, you have suffered at the hands of the enemy satan who thinks he has deceived you into thinking God has done this. Around the world men have been rejecting God. Rejecting even His basic tenants for behavior, the Ten Commandments. Even Israel had to pay the price for rejecting God and turning away from Him. He cannot help us when we do that. He cannot shelter us when we are headstrong. God has been rejected and removed from our lives by very subtle means but we LET it happen and now we pay the price. More sadly, Carebeare you have paid the price. Turn and run to Him. Get to know Jesus and find out how much HE loves you. Let Him heal your pain and sorrow. The choice ultimately though is UP TO YOU! :prayer: I will pray for you and for the Holy Spirit to send someone to help you find Jesus and His healing touch for your heart.
~DJ
 
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