Were you in Japan? Do you know any Japanese Preachers? And just because a prophecy is fulfilled certainly does not mean people will accept one as a Prophet. I have a journal of my walk with Christ where many things the Lord has shown me have come to pass.
Where you? Do you have specific knowledge of a prophet in Japan warning everyone and being dismissed as a nut?
Why can Harold Camping make international news but the prophet in Japan that warned Japan of this earthquake/tsunami is to this day unheard of, except for you?
__________________ Let it be understood that Apostolic Friends Forum is an Apostolic Forum.
Apostolic is defined on AFF as:
There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (1Tim 3:16)
Every sinner must repent of their sins.
That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
That the Holy Ghost is for today and is received by faith with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
The saint will go on to strive to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
He killed my brother with cancer? And that was good?
God can and does bring good out of tragedies.
I don't want to trivialize his suffering or your loss-- or the suffering and loss of anyone in any terrible circumstance past or current.
However, the belief in the existence of an Almighty, All Power, Sovereign Father, Savior and Guide necessitates that realization that in good and in bad, our GOD has it ALL in control.
Even when it's not fair to our judgment.
__________________
"The choices we make reveal the true nature of our character."
I don't want to trivialize his suffering or your loss-- or the suffering and loss of anyone in any terrible circumstance past or current.
However, the belief in the existence of an Almighty, All Power, Sovereign Father, Savior and Guide necessitates that realization that in good and in bad, our GOD has it ALL in control.
Even when it's not fair to our judgment.
That's not the same thing as saying everything God does, including allowing things to happen, is good.
"Everything HE does is good.
Everything HE ALLOWS is good."
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
That's not the same thing as saying everything God does, including allowing things to happen, is good.
"Everything HE does is good.
Everything HE ALLOWS is good."
If it's bad and it happens, did evil somehow trump God?
Did satan sneak a fast one behind God's back?
When the tornadoes struck Joplin, was God's master switchboard for earth malfunctioning?
When bad things happen here on earth, is God's Hands up in the air in exasperation declaring, "I just don't know what to do?"
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"The choices we make reveal the true nature of our character."
Timmy,
I'm sorry for your loss, but, God didn't kill your brother with cancer. Cancer, the same thing that took my wife, killed your brother. I say that to say this: Bad things happen to all people. You know that as well as I do. And, bad things aren't a result of God's judgement. I'm afraid this "judgement" view of God is disturbing to say the least. For one thing, it portrays God as one who plays favorites. Job questioned that when he wondered why the righteous suffer, while the unrighteous seem to prosper. Life is as random as death. Christopher Reeves died as a result of his paralyzing injuries. His wife, who stood with him thru it all, died of lung cancer though she never smoked. No one knows why, thats why some resort to the "Cause and Effect theory". Their flawed reasoning, "This must have happened becaue THIS happened" is their way of trying to create order in a world full of chaos. I heard a preacher say "So and so died of a heart attack because he rejected God". The same preacher died of a heart attack and it was said of him, "He preached the truth, so the devil killed him". The order we try to create makes no sense.
The second reason I find this veiw disturbing is that it seeks to compell people to serve God out of fear rather than love. I talked to someone on the phone this morning that goes to church simply because she fears "what will happen to her if she don't". How sad is it that people see God as the vengeful God that is eager to destroy a mid-western city just because someone voiced his opinion. She told me about the death of a grandchild that happened "because she was out of church". How sad it is for people to see God as this vengeful, manipulative God.
Jesus taught the nation of Israel to love their enemies. To pray for those who persecute them. What kind of God would tell us to do that then turn around and smite the children of our enemies?
On 9/11 everyone, including Pres. Bush, assumed Iraq was behind the death and destruction in New York and Washington DC. I'll probably be lambasted for saying this, but America acted on an assumption. Pres. Bush justified his actions by saying "Sadaam Hussein MIGHT have weapons of mass destruction and MIGHT use them". So, Iraq was invaded. On an assumption. On vengence. No WMD were found and no proof of Husseins involvement was ever forthcoming. But yet, we wanted blood. And we got it
.
What I'm saying is this: Human beings act all too often on flawed logic. On flawed reasoning. God doesn't. And the God protrayed in this thread is a flawed God, that sends vengence on the righteous as well as the wicked. And, thats not the kind of God I wish to serve.
And please don't turn this around by saying OA doesn't support the troops. I most certainly do. They deserve and have my respect. And, on Memorial Day especially, I honor those who sacrificed their all, even though I may not wholeheartedly agree with the policy of a flawed, human government.
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"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him...." -Psa. 37:7
Waiting for the Lord is easy... Waiting patiently? Not so much.
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