It's no surprise the world is full of fucked up people and fucked up thinking. Russian citizens praising Putin while he's murdering people. Christians praising god while he's enacting revenge on creation.
Whatutalkinbout? I answered you! https://www.elitetrader.com/et/threads/another-christian-whack-job.366172/page-5#post-5579326 I thought that was enough of an answer. Let me try again. God made people with the ability to make choices, and to judge between matters. He gave Adam and Eve the ability to choose to remain in fellowship with Him or to choose to break covenant with Him. Satan convinced them to break the covenant with God. It would seem, from the Scriptures, that although God is angry with Satan and people for their rebellion and evil deeds, that He allows Satan to continue to have an influence over people and God allows people to continue to choose to follow Satan rather than God, although God WANTS all to repent. themickey said, "Why allow devil to live thousands of years and to rein again for another thousand years" The sentence above contains an error. The Bible says, "When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations." Revelation 20:7, 8 Satan is still around in our time, but when Jesus physically rules on the earth, Satan will be banished to a dungeon for the 1,000 year reign. He will be released for just a short time period, and a simple, plain reading of the Scriptures makes it sound like God's purpose in releasing Satan will be to allow him to once again try to turn people away from God, which he does do, and then, Satan and all who rebel and everything in this universe is burned up, but God says He will create a new heavens and a new earth and those who have been saved will be there and there will never be a problem with rebellion again. My speculation: One reason people might not ever rebel again could be because they are aware that there is a hell and that would be a strong deterrent to rebellion. "while humans get three score years and ten, then eternal punishment" God says that he limited our lifespans because he didn't want to always "strive with man." Another verse says that God is being patient with us and another place says that God is angry with the wicked every day. In a sense, if you realize that every sin will be accounted for, then it would be better not to live very long, and Satan will get the extreme punishment, since he has lived longer and accumulated more hateful deeds. God said he created hell for Satan and the angels. It wasn't originally for people, but people will end up there since people choose to follow Satan and demons in their rebellion. It's all very sad. I don't like to think about it. The only thing that keeps me from getting overwhelmed by it, when thinking about anyone who will be going there, is focusing on God's character, that He is good. He is loving but He is also a judge against evil. There is one thing about it all that has helped me to trust that God really is good. It's realizing that if He wasn't so purely good, than evil wouldn't be so offensive to Him. I would rather have a very good God who doesn't tolerate evil, than one that couldn't be trusted to always do good. It boils down to us. People are the ones that choose contrary to God. We can't blame God for our bad choices. To liken it to trading....we can't blame the market for our poor trading choices, we didn't have to place a trade, we chose to place it. That is probably one of the worst comparisons ever, but whatever. As sad as the reality of hell is, the solution is the most simplest thing ever. Even a child can turn to Christ and be saved. The choice is yours. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live... Deuteronomy 30:19
@themickey....no wonder you hate preachers! Is that really the type of message you listened to in your church when you went? He had a lot of things to say but didn't say the ONE thing that a preacher needs to say, which is to point people to knowing God! Please listen to this. He talks of God and our relationship with Him. This is good, Bible-centered preaching:
REALLY! Right at the end he says we are not saved by good works! So it doesn't matter the fuck we do in life, good or bad. As long as we repent, we will be saved! Why the fuck would I want to follow a God that rewards a person who does bad work all their life but repents, but does not reward a person who does good all their life and repents about nothing, because they did not sin? (And I know what you are about to spout...The guy who did nothing but good work their whole life has sinned, because everyone has sinned no MATTER their station, because we were born into sin because Jesus died on the cross.) It's BULLSHIT!
So, in one sentence, God is ok with anything anyone does while alive, but you'll be sorry for not kowtowing to Him before you die.
Oh man, I cannot wait for his "hamanahamana" stammering through Biblical verse to answer my question. This should be good.
I don't follow you. God isn't OK with the things people do that aren't good. Wait, do you mean, God is being patient with people while they add to their guilt before Him? .
"REALLY! Right at the end he says we are not saved by good works! So it doesn't matter the fuck we do in life, good or bad. As long as we repent, we will be saved!"Well, it does matter what you do because you will face judgment for what you do. It's just delayed, so it doesn't seem like it's coming. God seems to be letting people do what is in their hearts to do, and I suspect that it is partly because of the good angels that are watching. They will see the crimes committed on this earth and see that it is in Justice that people are judged. That's my understanding. "And I know what you are about to spout...The guy who did nothing but good work their whole life has sinned, because everyone has sinned no MATTER their station, because we were born into sin because Jesus died on the cross." Yes, except I think you mean that because we were born into sin Jesus was willing to come and die on the cross to take the punishment we deserve..... You are on the right track....if ONLY you would believe it!! Think about it, say I offend you, maybe I stole your trading secrets it only makes sense that to have reconciliation I'd need to acknowledge what I did and tell you I was sorry. That wouldn't be something you would just let slide. God isn't going to let what we've done just go away without us acknowledging it AND submitting to His offer of being saved through Jesus. Does that make sense? It does to me.