Can Satan create?

[Uisdean]

Has anyone mentioned that God ALLOWS evil?
I have no scripture for this.
I know God is a God of Love so I don't understand why He would,,,but I don't dwell on this anymore - I used to when I was a new Christian.

Frank Lee, quoting his granddaughter, answered this: "to see who we would follow". If you accept that Evil = Disobedience then you can understand it, at least a little bit. Evil/disobedience does not exist in and of itself; it is a motive within us. While He does permit it on this planet, We are told that it will not be allowed in Heaven. It is because Evil is not a thing that it is so horrid to you and so attractive to others.

I sort of understand why God allows us to exist; but why did God permit The Snake into Eden? That is the question. I just have to trust Him about it.

Rejoice Always !!!

 

[GodsGrace]

Frank Lee, quoting his granddaughter, answered this: "to see who we would follow". If you accept that Evil = Disobedience then you can understand it, at least a little bit. Evil/disobedience does not exist in and of itself; it is a motive within us. While He does permit it on this planet, We are told that it will not be allowed in Heaven. It is because Evil is not a thing that it is so horrid to you and so attractive to others.

I sort of understand why God allows us to exist; but why did God permit The Snake into Eden? That is the question. I just have to trust Him about it.

Rejoice Always !!!

Well U, now you're speaking my language!
Of course God wants to see who we will follow...and the one we follow is the one we'll go with for eternity.

BTW, I don't accept evil = disobedience.
What causes the motive inside of us then?

Disobedience is sin.
Sin is evil. But not the kind of evil I'm talking about.
It's evil because it's bad. The evil I'm talking about is within everything....God's creation is infested with it.

Romans 8:19-22
19For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope
21that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

You speak my language when you ask about the serpent. Not only that, but why did God make us if He foreknew how it would all turn out? Yes. We just have to trust Him.

I do however, see bad/evil/the negative as its own power and not the absence of good. No. It goes beyond that. A cool breeze is pleasant. A hurricane is not. What turned that cool breeze into a hurricane? (and don't tell me it's a meteorological thing!).

 

[Enoch111]

BTW, I don't accept evil = disobedience.

Why not? All disobedience is evil, and all evil is disobedience to the moral and spiritual laws of God.

 

[GodsGrace]

Why not? All disobedience is evil, and all evil is disobedience to the moral and spiritual laws of God.

I think I explained it in my post.
Evil is not a something to me,.,,it's a "someone". It's satan,,,it's the enemy and his influence on things.

God equals all the good.
Satan equals all the bad and/or evil.

I'm just not addressing the fact that evil is disobedience to God... of course it is.
I'm addressing the evil found in man and in nature.

In another thread I just saw Adam and Eve are being spoken of and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Adam broke his relationship with God, with other men, with himself and with nature. EVERYTHING was now affected by "evil".

Evil is more than disobedience...
It's what is found in everything that is not determined to be good.
Everything is either good or bad.

 

[amadeus]

Has anyone mentioned that God ALLOWS evil?
I have no scripture for this.
I know God is a God of Love so I don't understand why He would,,,but I don't dwell on this anymore - I used to when I was a new Christian.

I don't know of any place immediately where in scripture He specifically allows it, but there are probably many examples of it being that way. Consider the very first temptation in Genesis. They were certainly allowed to eat of the wrong tree even though they were warned against it.

 

[Enoch111]

Evil is more than disobedience...

We need to step back a bit. God's character is absolute righteousness, goodness, perfection, and purity. He has expressed His character through His commandments. Therefore every violation of His commandments is disobedience. And every disobedience is essentially sin and evil, since it is opposed to th character of God and Christ.

e·vil
ˈēvəl/
adjective

1. 1.
   profoundly immoral and malevolent.
   "his evil deeds"
   synonyms: wicked, bad, wrong, immoral, sinful, foul, vile, dishonorable, corrupt, iniquitous, depraved,reprobate, villainous, nefarious, vicious, malicious;

noun

1. 1.
   profound immorality, wickedness, and depravity, especially when regarded as a supernatural force.
   "the world is stalked by relentless evil"
   synonyms: wickedness, bad, badness, wrongdoing, sin, ill, immorality, vice, iniquity, degeneracy,corruption, depravity, villainy, nefariousness, malevolence;

It's what is found in everything that is not determined to be good.
Everything is either good or bad.

If you are referring to God's creation, it is all good, but has been cursed because of Adam's sin.

 

[bbyrd009]

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.

But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world?

Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.

 

[GodsGrace]

I don't know of any place immediately where in scripture He specifically allows it, but there are probably many examples of it being that way. Consider the very first temptation in Genesis. They were certainly allowed to eat of the wrong tree even though they were warned against it.

The very fact that evil exists means that God allows it. Nothing can exist unless God so wills it.

We need to step back a bit. God's character is absolute righteousness, goodness, perfection, and purity. He has expressed His character through His commandments. Therefore every violation of His commandments is disobedience. And every disobedience is essentially sin and evil, since it is opposed to th character of God and Christ.

e·vil
ˈēvəl/
adjective

1. 1.
   profoundly immoral and malevolent.
   "his evil deeds"
   synonyms: wicked, bad, wrong, immoral, sinful, foul, vile, dishonorable, corrupt, iniquitous, depraved,reprobate, villainous, nefarious, vicious, malicious;

noun

1. 1.
   profound immorality, wickedness, and depravity, especially when regarded as a supernatural force.
   "the world is stalked by relentless evil"
   synonyms: wickedness, bad, badness, wrongdoing, sin, ill, immorality, vice, iniquity, degeneracy,corruption, depravity, villainy, nefariousness, malevolence;

If you are referring to God's creation, it is all good, but has been cursed because of Adam's sin.

That's what I said.
Let me just add this: There is moral evil and natural evil.
Moral evil is what you're speaking to...when we sin we do evil.
Natural evil is more what I'm speaking about...it's found in
Romans 8:19-22 which I posted above.
As I said, everything is affected by evil...God did NOT create it.

This is why we have such an important decision to make...
Do we want to follow God
Or do we want to follow the evil one?

One of the most popular themes in stories is the conflict between good and evil.

 

[Harvest 1874]

Has anyone mentioned that God ALLOWS evil?
I have no scripture for this.
I know God is a God of Love so I don't understand why He would,,,but I don't dwell on this anymore - I used to when I was a new Christian.

We have, please see The Permission of Evil and or Why Does God Permit Evil?

 

[Uisdean]

Well U, now you're speaking my language!
Of course God wants to see who we will follow...and the one we follow is the one we'll go with for eternity.

BTW, I don't accept evil = disobedience.
What causes the motive inside of us then?

Disobedience is sin.
Sin is evil. But not the kind of evil I'm talking about.
It's evil because it's bad. The evil I'm talking about is within everything....God's creation is infested with it.

Romans 8:19-22
19For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope
21that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

You speak my language when you ask about the serpent. Not only that, but why did God make us if He foreknew how it would all turn out? Yes. We just have to trust Him.

I do however, see bad/evil/the negative as its own power and not the absence of good. No. It goes beyond that. A cool breeze is pleasant. A hurricane is not. What turned that cool breeze into a hurricane? (and don't tell me it's a meteorological thing!).

I had no intention what-so-ever of getting involved in this sort of deep theological discussion. I'm not trained for this. I told God that. He just laughed. So...

I'm going to try to write a blog about this. There has been so much confusion posted in the last several days. Now, I'm not an expert. All I know is what I've yelled at God about and then, when I stopped and listened, He gave me some small bit of understanding. Your questions are fantastic. You are thinking.

But I have got to answer your question about the cool breeze: What turns a cool breeze into a hurricane? Climate Change!!!

Rejoice Always!!!

 

[Heart2Soul]

I don't know of any place immediately where in scripture He specifically allows it, but there are probably many examples of it being that way. Consider the very first temptation in Genesis. They were certainly allowed to eat of the wrong tree even though they were warned against it.

I am going to throw another curve in this.....since God is Omnipotent and Omnipresent and Omniscient then He already knew what the outcome of putting the tree in the garden would be...yes or no....and if indeed He has seen everything from beginning to end what is there that is hidden from Him?
You see I believe we are here to be tested in our faith....the trial by fire....the purging...the test through our trials and tribulations.....I also believe there are more teachings than what is in the Bible....the Book of Enoch, for one, was not chosen because the Christian scholars back then did not believe it was inspired of God however Enoch is mentioned in the Bible as a prophet of God and was taken up by God so that he should not see death.
The Bible mentions the hidden wisdom of God and the mysteries of God and I believe that all things will be known in His perfect timing.
Sooooo.....my point is that we cannot begin to fully understand why God placed a tree in the garden that would be the very thing that would cause our downfall (being Omnipotent He would have already seen this). But I do trust His purpose for what He does and what He allows. As Job put it He is a Sovereign God...He giveth and He taketh away. And He allows satan to afflict us as He did with Job.

3. THE SOVEREIGN GOD

The third character that we meet in this first chapter is the living God, and the book of Job is teaching – amongst its many lessons – that God sovereignly controls everything that happens whether it be good or bad. God is in charge of his creation, involved in everything, every detail and every event, yet without himself becoming the agent of sin. Now are we nervous about this doctrine? Do we have a problem that emerges because we are trying to protect God from the charge of being the author of sin? Job’s comforters in all their arguments were determined to protect God, trying to make it more rational to believe in a just and holy God. “You must have done something evil, Job,” they said to him. “Come on, confess it! There is something you’re hiding from us, actions in your past or attitudes in your heart, because God is fair and just in everything he does. We exempt God from everything bad in creation. No one can blame him. You have been plunged into these calamities. It must be for some secret sin. Own up!”
Even Job has a pity party and points out how obedient and faithful he has been and didn't deserve this.....AND THERE YOU have it....this sin in his heart would never have been realized had he not been tested, he would never have understood enduring faith.

So about that tree.....it was created and planted by God as was the serpent....to test their hearts.

What do you think?

 

[Helen]

Amen..Good post. @Heart2Soul

Just as He used to Wilderness to 'test and try the hearts, to see if they would love God or not..'
The Garden was a loving 'set-up'...
I personally believe that when He said "Let us make man in Our Image and likeness..." He started right there...
He desires us to love Him for Him...not be be or get..but Just for Him.
Satan said to God..." Does Job love/ serve God for naught?"
God said..' Lets test it..'
That is also the test on us...Will there be a people who love Him for Himself and nothing else?

So as I see it "The Man" began to be 'made' back there in the Garden...and, at the end, we will be that One perfect man in His image and Likeness in the final union, with our Lord, The One True Man. And God will be all and in all.
He will have made man , in His Image and Likeness.

Just my thoughts...

 

[faithfulness]

Amen..Good post. @Heart2Soul

Just as He used to Wilderness to 'test and try the hearts, to see if they would love God or not..'
The Garden was a loving 'set-up'...
I personally believe that when He said "Let us make man in Our Image and likeness..." He started right there...
He desires us to love Him for Him...not be be or get..but Just for Him.
Satan said to God..." Does Job love/ serve God for naught?"
God said..' Lets test it..'
That is also the test on us...Will there be a people who love Him for Himself and nothing else?

So as I see it "The Man" began to be 'made' back there in the Garden...and, at the end, we will be that One perfect man in His image and Likeness in the final union, with our Lord, The One True Man. And God will be all and in all.
He will have made man , in His Image and Likeness.

Just my thoughts...

Jesus said...Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven...Jesus said...you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind...it's His will that we love Him, He wants us to love Him! with all...

 

[amadeus]

I am going to throw another curve in this.....since God is Omnipotent and Omnipresent and Omniscient then He already knew what the outcome of putting the tree in the garden would be...yes or no....and if indeed He has seen everything from beginning to end what is there that is hidden from Him?
You see I believe we are here to be tested in our faith....the trial by fire....the purging...the test through our trials and tribulations.....I also believe there are more teachings than what is in the Bible....the Book of Enoch, for one, was not chosen because the Christian scholars back then did not believe it was inspired of God however Enoch is mentioned in the Bible as a prophet of God and was taken up by God so that he should not see death.
The Bible mentions the hidden wisdom of God and the mysteries of God and I believe that all things will be known in His perfect timing.
Sooooo.....my point is that we cannot begin to fully understand why God placed a tree in the garden that would be the very thing that would cause our downfall (being Omnipotent He would have already seen this). But I do trust His purpose for what He does and what He allows. As Job put it He is a Sovereign God...He giveth and He taketh away. And He allows satan to afflict us as He did with Job.

3. THE SOVEREIGN GOD

The third character that we meet in this first chapter is the living God, and the book of Job is teaching – amongst its many lessons – that God sovereignly controls everything that happens whether it be good or bad. God is in charge of his creation, involved in everything, every detail and every event, yet without himself becoming the agent of sin. Now are we nervous about this doctrine? Do we have a problem that emerges because we are trying to protect God from the charge of being the author of sin? Job’s comforters in all their arguments were determined to protect God, trying to make it more rational to believe in a just and holy God. “You must have done something evil, Job,” they said to him. “Come on, confess it! There is something you’re hiding from us, actions in your past or attitudes in your heart, because God is fair and just in everything he does. We exempt God from everything bad in creation. No one can blame him. You have been plunged into these calamities. It must be for some secret sin. Own up!”
Even Job has a pity party and points out how obedient and faithful he has been and didn't deserve this.....AND THERE YOU have it....this sin in his heart would never have been realized had he not been tested, he would never have understood enduring faith.

So about that tree.....it was created and planted by God as was the serpent....to test their hearts.

What do you think?

Oh I do agree with you.

"All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." John 1:3

From the beginning of His creation, God had a complete plan which left out nothing. What we have, each real believer, is a vision of His plan, which is seen by us "as through a glass darkly". This means as you have effectively said that we cannot see [understand] it all and what we do see is incomplete although we should be filling in gaps and/or replacing errors as we walk with Him toward the end of our course, which is the end of our personal part in our veil of flesh in His plan.

Our tests, our trials, as explained in the scriptures are a very important part of how we get to the end and what we'll be at the end and how well we will fit at the end as a part of the Body of Christ.

His plan is perfect, but to be a part we must be perfectly formed or we will have no part.

Even satan, be that a separate entity or something else, has a part in God's plan, but we really don't want to work together with that part, because when the work is done that part will gone.

As to other books or writings being a part of what God has given to man, there is no doubt of that, but as some people are always wanting to say God will not contradict Himself. I have read the Book of Mormon [many years ago now] and recall that a many parts of it are paraphrasing or even citing precisely things written in the Bible. The New World Translation [Jehovah's Witnesses translation] of the Bible for whatever reason disagrees also with some of our other translations, but a lot of the Truth may be found in it as well... if the reader is able to discern it. I would suspect that the same thing is so for other religious writings even if we are unable to receive all of it and also walk with God.

God spoke His Word and some men as they heard it wrote things down under inspiration of the Holy Ghost. I only regularly read the KJV Bible in English but I also read, the Luther Bible in German and the Valera Revision in Spanish. I see differences, but will not God help me wade through those to what He Spoke... that is, to that which is the Word? I don't quickly throw out things because they are not included in my KJV or because I don't understand them all. I strive to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit what ever that requires. The extra books such as Enoch and others, including those in Catholic Bibles, may also be used by God to speak to us if we are being led by Him rather than by our own biases.

Reading through the book of Job, we may understand that his three friends were also reading and learning probably from some of the same books as Job and coming to different conclusions... at from what we see written. None of us according to what I have seen know all that God has Spoken… even though we have read all of the Bible [66 books?] many times.

What is the Word of God?

 

[faithfulness]

Oh I do agree with you.

"All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." John 1:3

From the beginning of His creation, God had a complete plan which left out nothing. What we have, each real believer, is a vision of His plan, which is seen by us "as through a glass darkly". This means as you have effectively said that we cannot see [understand] it all and what we do see is incomplete although we should be filling in gaps and/or replacing errors as we walk with Him toward the end of our course, which is the end of our personal part in our veil of flesh in His plan.

Our tests, our trials, as explained in the scriptures are a very important part of how we get to the end and what we'll be at the end and how well we will fit at the end as a part of the Body of Christ.

His plan is perfect, but to be a part we must be perfectly formed or we will have no part.

Even satan, be that a separate entity or something else, has a part in God's plan, but we really don't want to work together with that part, because when the work is done that part will gone.

As to other books or writings being a part of what God has given to man, there is no doubt of that, but as some people are always wanting to say God will not contradict Himself. I have read the Book of Mormon [many years ago now] and recall that a many parts of it are paraphrasing or even citing precisely things written in the Bible. The New World Translation [Jehovah's Witnesses translation] of the Bible for whatever reason disagrees also with some of our other translations, but a lot of the Truth may be found in it as well... if the reader is able to discern it. I would suspect that the same thing is so for other religious writings even if we are unable to receive all of it and also walk with God.

God spoke His Word and some men as they heard it wrote things down under inspiration of the Holy Ghost. I only regularly read the KJV Bible in English but I also read, the Luther Bible in German and the Valera Revision in Spanish. I see differences, but will not God help me wade through those to what He Spoke... that is, to that which is the Word? I don't quickly throw out things because they are not included in my KJV or because I don't understand them all. I strive to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit what ever that requires. The extra books such as Enoch and others, including those in Catholic Bibles, may also be used by God to speak to us if we are being led by Him rather than by our own biases.

Reading through the book of Job, we may understand that his three friends were also reading and learning probably from some of the same books as Job and coming to different conclusions... at from what we see written. None of us according to what I have seen know all that God has Spoken… even though we have read all of the Bible [66 books?] many times.

What is the Word of God?

I enjoy your thought-provoking posts and can't-resist questions. Makes me think/search/cut & paste!
Seriously, you asked What not Who, so...John 1 was too obvious...
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick and powerful. Sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow; and is a discerner of the thoughts and intent of the heart.
Hebrews 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

 

[amadeus]

I enjoy your thought-provoking posts and can't-resist questions. Makes me think/search/cut & paste!
Seriously, you asked What not Who, so...John 1 was too obvious...
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick and powerful. Sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow; and is a discerner of the thoughts and intent of the heart.
Hebrews 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

The simple answer to the question of what or who is the Word of God, is Jesus. When a person says that Bible, the paper pages with inked words printed on them, is the Word of God, how correct are they? Is Jesus the book? Just what is Jesus? Just what is it we are to eat and drink?

"Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." John 6:32-35

"I am that bread of life.
Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." John 6:48-56

Jesus, the Word of God, became what?

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." John 1:14

He became flesh! We are dead flesh when born to our natural mothers, at least we are dead in the eyes of God. Jesus became flesh but he already had Life before born to Mary. She only gave him flesh as a baby. The Life was what He already was:

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Our flesh needed that same Life. We don't need more flesh. We need what Jesus had before He was made flesh. So he told us we need to eat His flesh and drink His blood in order to have eternal Life.

If you cannot see what He offered and what was necessary based on the above verses consider these:

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter [scripture printed on the pages], but of the spirit [Holy Spirit]: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." II Cor 3:5-6

The "letter" is the dead flesh of Jesus, which is...what? Jesus's flesh like our flesh without the Spirit was dead.

"And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost." Luke 23:46

Jesus was then dead without the Spirit... until the Resurrection occurred. He was dead for three days.

Even so the Bible without the Holy Spirit quickening it is a dead thing... not the Word of God. God does not quicken the Bible on the shelf.

Even so He quickens those words of the scripture we have consumed [read, heard] by the Holy Spirit in us... if we will allow Him to do so.

This brings us to the point where we can begin to become like Him. We have been born again or born from above. Now we must grow in this new inner man while killing the old man with which we were born when our natural mother gave birth to us.

"He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30

What is the required nourishment for the new or inner man to grow?

Joh 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

 

[GodsGrace]

Oh I do agree with you.

"All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." John 1:3

From the beginning of His creation, God had a complete plan which left out nothing. What we have, each real believer, is a vision of His plan, which is seen by us "as through a glass darkly". This means as you have effectively said that we cannot see [understand] it all and what we do see is incomplete although we should be filling in gaps and/or replacing errors as we walk with Him toward the end of our course, which is the end of our personal part in our veil of flesh in His plan.

Our tests, our trials, as explained in the scriptures are a very important part of how we get to the end and what we'll be at the end and how well we will fit at the end as a part of the Body of Christ.

His plan is perfect, but to be a part we must be perfectly formed or we will have no part.

Even satan, be that a separate entity or something else, has a part in God's plan, but we really don't want to work together with that part, because when the work is done that part will gone.

As to other books or writings being a part of what God has given to man, there is no doubt of that, but as some people are always wanting to say God will not contradict Himself. I have read the Book of Mormon [many years ago now] and recall that a many parts of it are paraphrasing or even citing precisely things written in the Bible. The New World Translation [Jehovah's Witnesses translation] of the Bible for whatever reason disagrees also with some of our other translations, but a lot of the Truth may be found in it as well... if the reader is able to discern it. I would suspect that the same thing is so for other religious writings even if we are unable to receive all of it and also walk with God.

God spoke His Word and some men as they heard it wrote things down under inspiration of the Holy Ghost. I only regularly read the KJV Bible in English but I also read, the Luther Bible in German and the Valera Revision in Spanish. I see differences, but will not God help me wade through those to what He Spoke... that is, to that which is the Word? I don't quickly throw out things because they are not included in my KJV or because I don't understand them all. I strive to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit what ever that requires. The extra books such as Enoch and others, including those in Catholic Bibles, may also be used by God to speak to us if we are being led by Him rather than by our own biases.

Reading through the book of Job, we may understand that his three friends were also reading and learning probably from some of the same books as Job and coming to different conclusions... at from what we see written. None of us according to what I have seen know all that God has Spoken… even though we have read all of the Bible [66 books?] many times.

What is the Word of God?

Jesus.

 

[GodsGrace]

Ooops!
Too late with the answer!

 

[GodsGrace]

I had no intention what-so-ever of getting involved in this sort of deep theological discussion. I'm not trained for this. I told God that. He just laughed. So...

I'm going to try to write a blog about this. There has been so much confusion posted in the last several days. Now, I'm not an expert. All I know is what I've yelled at God about and then, when I stopped and listened, He gave me some small bit of understanding. Your questions are fantastic. You are thinking.

But I have got to answer your question about the cool breeze: What turns a cool breeze into a hurricane? Climate Change!!!

Rejoice Always!!!

CLIMATE CHANGE!
I thought I told you not to tell me that!
LOL

 

[bbyrd009]

Frank Lee, quoting his granddaughter, answered this: "to see who we would follow". If you accept that Evil = Disobedience then you can understand it, at least a little bit. Evil/disobedience does not exist in and of itself; it is a motive within us. While He does permit it on this planet, We are told that it will not be allowed in Heaven. It is because Evil is not a thing that it is so horrid to you and so attractive to others.

I sort of understand why God allows us to exist; but why did God permit The Snake into Eden? That is the question. I just have to trust Him about it.

Rejoice Always !!!

dunno if you know this, but @Frank Lee will send them a tag.

and i guess the snake ran Eden or something, until he blew it?
You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every kind of precious stone covered you: carnelian, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and emerald. Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold; they were prepared on the day you were created.