Show notes
WHERE IS GOD? MAKING SENSE OF FAITH DURING A PANDEMIC DOES GOD CONSPIRE WITH EVIL? What about God’s wrath, judgment, angels of death, etc.?
During times of crisis ALL of humanity is faced with “God” questions.
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Where is God in this pandemic?
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Did God cause the novel coronavirus?
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Is God being passive-aggressive to allow it to happen?
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If God is loving WHY doesn’t He intervene?
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Is the pandemic an act of God’s judgment?
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Is there anything humans/believers can do?
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Can we expect special protection during these times?
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Will prayer motivate God?
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What does God feel towards human suffering?
All of these questions often hang with no more resolution, stopping at the question marks. During this amazing series we will look at philosophical and theological ideas that help us make sense of God, returning us to wholehearted intimacy with God, ourselves and those around us. Join us as we explore the peace of God in times of crisis.
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ARE GOD’S PROMISES RELIABLE? 2 CORINTHIANS 1:20 KJV For all the PROMISES of God in CHRIST [are] YEA, and in him AMEN, unto the glory of God by us.
PSALM 33:18-20 KJV Behold, the eye of the LORD [is] upon them… that hope in his MERCY; 19 … to keep them alive in FAMINE. 20 …he [is] our HELP and our SHIELD.
EXODUS 23:25 NKJV And I will take SICKNESS AWAY from the MIDST of you.
PSALM 91:10-11, 14-16 NKJV NO EVIL shall befall you, nor shall any PLAGUE come NEAR YOUR DWELLING; 11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. ... 15 I [will be] with him in TROUBLE; I will DELIVER HIM and honor him. 16 With LONG LIFE I will satisfy him, and show him My SALVATION."
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WHERE IS GOD? MAKING SENSE OF FAITH DURING A PANDEMIC BUT WHAT ABOUT… ?????????? ____________________
FAITH ALWAYS STOPS AT THE ??????? ____________________
INTERPRETING GOD - DIFFICULT TEXTS: DEUTERONOMY 29:20 NKJV THE LORD would not spare the idolater; for then the ANGER of the LORD and His JEALOUSY would BURN against that man, and EVERY CURSE that is written in this book would settle on him, and THE LORD would BLOT OUT HIS NAME from under heaven.
PSALM 78:49 NKJV [God said about the Exodus] He cast on them the FIERCENESS of His ANGER, WRATH, INDIGNATION…
ROMANS 9:22-23 NKJV [What] if God, wanting to show [His] WRATH and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of WRATH PREPARED FOR DESTRUCTION, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the VESSELS of MERCY, which He had prepared beforehand for glory…
REVELATION 16:1 NKJV Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go and POUR OUT the BOWLS OF THE WRATH OF GOD on the earth.”
PSALM 5:5-6 NLT Therefore, the proud may not stand in your presence, for you HATE ALL WHO DO EVIL. 6 … THE LORD DETESTS murderers and deceivers.
MATTHEW 10:14-15 NKJV [Jesus said] 14 "And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. 15 "Assuredly, I say to you, it will be MORE TOLERABLE for the land of SODOM AND GOMORRAH in the day of JUDGMENT than for that city!
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INTERPRETING GOD - DIFFICULT TEXTS: ____________________
INTERPRETING GOD - DIFFICULT TEXTS: ____________________
MISTAKES WE MAKE WITH BIBLE DIFFICULTIES -
Assuming that the unexplained is not explainable
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Presuming the Bible guilty until proven innocent
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Confusing our fallible interpretations with God’s infallible revelation
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Failing to understand the context of the passage
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Basing doctrine/teaching on an obscure passage
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Forgetting the Bible is a human book with human characteristics
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Neglecting that the Bible uses different literary devices (figures of speech)
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DOES GOD… RAGE HATE JEALOUSY LIKE HUMANS ?????????? ____________________
DOES GOD… CREATE DO CONSPIRE WITH EVIL ?????????? ____________________
WHAT DOES EVIL LOOK LIKE? ANYTHING THAT LACKS PURE GOODNESS! -
Plagues (Viruses)
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Physical Weakness
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Infertility
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Accidents
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Death
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Financial Need
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Famines
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Oppressive Labor
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Hating Work/Labor
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Sexual Assault
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Harassment
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No Justice
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Fear For Safety
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Hard Heartedness
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Seared Conscience
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Mental Disorders
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Anxiety Disorders
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Depression
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Fear & Confusion
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Faulty Cognition
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Addictions
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Divorce
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Broken Families
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Child Abductions
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Kidnappings
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Perpetration
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Shame & Guilt
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Embarrassment
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Humiliation
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Regrets
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Hiding & Inferiority
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Isolation
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Rejection
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Victimization
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Exploitation
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Oppression
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Cynicism
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“Life Is Hard”
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Etc.
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GOD IS ALL GOOD 1 JOHN 4:8 NKJV He who does not love does not know God, for GOD IS LOVE.
GOD IS ALL PURE PSALM 99:9 NKJV Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His holy hill; For the LORD our GOD [IS] HOLY.
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WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT GOD WILL DEFINE EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT YOU! ____________________
INTERPRETING GOD – HOW? BEGIN WITH WHAT “IT” IS NOT!
BECOME CURIOUS IN EXPLORATION!
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HOW TO INTERPRET GOD – WEEK 1 -
COMPARE WITH JESUS
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OVERLAY REDEMPTION AGAINST EVIL
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REMEMBER PERMISSIVE VERBS
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INTEGRATE CREATION’S PROCESS LAWS
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ACTIVATE AUTHORITY THROUGH REDEMPTION
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JUSTICE DOES NOT CONSPIRE WITH EVIL God’s justice is not a spin for God to conspire with evil.
THE ISSUE IS HOW JUSTICE OR EVIL ACTUALLY HAPPENS! ____________________ - GOD’S EMOTIONS - DOES GOD… RAGE HATE JEALOUSY LIKE HUMANS ?????????? ____________________
INTERPRETING GOD – BELIEVERS ROMANS 5:8-9 NKJV But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be SAVED FROM WRATH through Him.
1 THESSALONIANS 1:10; 5:9 NKJV … [even] Jesus who DELIVERS US FROM THE WRATH to come…. 5:9 For GOD DID NOT APPOINT US TO WRATH, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ…
EPHESIANS 2:2-5 NKJV … the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of WRATH, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
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- GOD’S EMOTIONS - GOD’S RAGE HATE JEALUOSY IS ALWAYS ABOUT JUSTICE, NOT RETALIATION! ____________________
INTERPRETING GOD – GOD’S JUSTICE ____________________
INTERPRETING GOD – GOD’S PATTERN -
GOD WARNS IN ADVANCE (MERCY)
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GOD GIVES GRACE TO AVOID IMPENDING SUFFERING
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ALL WHO REPENT/CHANGE GIVEN A WAY TO ESCAPE
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SOMEONE IS ALMOST ALWAYS “SAVED” OUT OF SUFFERING
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JUDGMENTS MAKE PUBLIC AWARENESS
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MATTHEW 16:19 NCV[Jesus said] I will give you the KEYS of the kingdom of heaven; the things YOU DON’T ALLOW on earth will be the things that God does not allow, and the things YOU ALLOW on earth will be the things that God allows.
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GOD’S PROMISES PSALM 33:18-20 KJV Behold, the eye of the LORD [is] upon them… that hope in his MERCY; 19 … to keep them alive in FAMINE. 20 …he [is] our HELP and our SHIELD.
EXODUS 23:25 NKJV And I will take SICKNESS AWAY from the MIDST of you.
PSALM 91:10-11, 14-16 NKJV NO EVIL shall befall you, nor shall any PLAGUE come NEAR YOUR DWELLING; 11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. ... 15 I [will be] with him in TROUBLE; I will DELIVER HIM and honor him. 16 With LONG LIFE I will satisfy him, and show him My SALVATION."
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ACTIVATE GOD’S PROMISES 2 CORINTHIANS 4:13 NKJV And since we have the same SPIRIT OF FAITH, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," WE ALSO BELIEVE AND THEREFORE SPEAK…
JAMES 2:18, 26 NKJV … show me your faith without your works (activations), and I will show you my FAITH by MY WORKS (ACTIVATIONS)… 26 …FAITH without WORKS (ACTIVATIONS) is DEAD also.
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DECLARATIONS FACING PRESSURE I am of God and have overcome him (satan). For greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world. (I John 4:4)
FACING PRESSURE I am far from oppression and fear does not come near me. (Isaiah 54:14)
FACING PRESSURE No weapon formed against me will prosper, for my righteousness is of the Lord. But whatever I do will prosper for I’m like a tree that’s planted by the rivers of water (Isaiah 54;17; Psalm 1:3)
PEACE The peace of God which passes all understanding keeps my heart and my mind through Christ Jesus. And things which are good, and pure, and perfect, and lovely, and of good report, I think on these things. (Philippians 4:7-8)
REACH POTENTIAL The Lord will perfect that which concerns me. (Psalm 138:8)
GAINING WISDOM I am a new creation in Christ, I am His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. Therefore I have the mind of Christ and the wisdom of God is formed within me. (II Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10; I Corinthians 2:16)
FREEDOM/GUILT And I, having received the gift of righteousness do reign as a king in life by Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17)
FREEDOM DARK I am delivered from the power of darkness and I am translated into the kingdom of His dear Son. (Colossians 1:13)
REDEEMED KIDS Great is the peace of my children for they are taught of the Lord. (Isaiah 54:13)
PROTECTION No evil will befall me neither shall any plague come near my dwelling. For the Lord has given His angels charge over me and they keep me in all my ways, and in my pathway is life and there is no death. (Psalm 91:10-11; Proverbs 12:28)
SECURE DECISIONS I do follow the good shepherd and I know His voice and the voice of a stranger I will not follow. (John 10:4-5)
SECURE DECISIONS The Lord enlarges my steps and establishes my thoughts. Therefore I will make healthy Holy Spirit-led decisions. (Psalm 18:36; Proverbs 16:3)
RESTORATION The Lord redeems my life from destruction and crowns me with tender mercies. The Lord satisfies my mouth with good things. My steps are ordered by the Lord. Even if I were to fall down, He upholds me with his hand. (Ps 103:4; Ps 37:23-24)
SUCCESS AND PROSPERITY The Lord makes my way prosperous and gives me good success. Jesus has redeemed me from the curse of sin and given me the grace (power in human weakness) to have unlimited available resources. (Joshua 1:8; Gal 3:13; 2 Cor 8:7)
GOD’S FAVOR The Lord has given me favor with God and man. I execute authority over my calling and future. The free favors of God are profusely abounding in my life. I am at the right place at the right time with the right people. People of power are stirred and predisposed to give me special advantages and preferential treatment. I reek with, and am crowned with, the abundance of God’s free favors over my life. Incredible things happen to me every day that other people don’t have happen in a lifetime. (Pr 3:4; Luke 4:19; Pr 8:5)
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