God is NOT in Control

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God is NOT in Control!
Why is there Suffering in the World?
Answer
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"Thy Will Be Done..."

• Gods will is NOT being done in the earthGod is
  not in control of what people do.
• Many believe that Gods sovereignty means that He
  is controlling everything that happens to us.
  Were just puppets?

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Jesus said, "Pray that God's will is done on
earth as it is in heaven..."
Why? Because God's will is not being done on the
earth
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God is Sovereign

• Gods LAWS ARE GOVERNING everything in life but
  He has given us dominion to operate within these
  laws That means we can choose to work our will
  within the Laws of God.
• A VIDEO GAME explains it well. A programmer
  designs everything that can happen in a video
  game. When someone plays a video game every
  choice has consequences. A player cannot add to
  the game or take from it, he/she can only play it
  according to the design.
• Each person is given a WILL which is like being
  given a controller

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God Programmed Our World

• When we take our life and live it contrary to
  Gods Will whos responsible?
• If our choices lead to bad results and suffering
  is it bad programming?

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The World is Like a body of Water

• Each decision we make is like dropping a rock
  into that water. From the rock hitting the water
  ripples like waves expand in all directions.
• Multiply the rippling effect by everyone else
• We are NOT playing the game of life ALONE.

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I Call...
Heaven Earth

• Deuteronomy 3019 "I call heaven and earth as
  witnesses today against you, that I have set
  before you life and death, blessing and cursing
  therefore choose life, that both you and your
  descendants may live

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God Didnt Baby Proof the World

• Baby proofing a room means removing ALL the
  choices a parent does not want the baby to make
• This is good while the baby is still a baby
  however, keeping the room baby proofed forever
  would retard a child from growing up!

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Most Suffering Comes From Human Decisions

• Evil in the world comes from treating others in
  any way we would NOT want to be treated.
• Love your neighbor as yourself this is Gods
  RULE for us.

Which way above produces suffering?
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Other possible causes of suffering are

• If life is like a Video game then who are ALL the
  players?
• God
• Angels
• People
• Animal Kingdom
• Mother Nature
• Satan and demons

Who causes the most suffering?
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Who is or What is MOST responsible?

• God?
• Angels?
• MAN?
• Animals?
• Devils Demons?
• Mother Nature?
• Anyone or anything else?

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MAN AS SOURCE OF SUFFERING What WE do effects
others

• Our choices have consequences for us and OTHERS
  for good or for bad
• Our decisions can have devastating results on
  OTHERS.

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Gods Sovereignty is in the PROGRAM of Life!

• 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked for
  whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
• 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh
  reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit
  will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
  Galatians 67,8

Don't blind yourself to the truth!
God shows no favoritism
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Life is UNFAIRBECAUSE Gods will is NOT being
done!

• The world is full of corruption, deceptions,
  lying, along with human reasoning
  justifications, rationalizations, and denials,
  relative morals ethics, and doing what is best
  for selfall contribute to life being unfair!
• When things dont work out people RAISE their
  fists toward God and curse HIM for the injustice!

God's Fault!
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GOD AS SOURCE OF SUFFERING

• Gods activity according to the Bible produces
  suffering mostly through chastising, discipline,
  and judgment.
• He chastises in rebuking, correcting, and
  admonishing us to obey His commands.
• He disciplines us to free us from the influences
  of sinful desires.
• He judges us many times by letting us have what
  we deserve.

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For example

• God judged the world with Noahs Flood
• God judged Egypt Pharaoh with the plagues to
  free Israel from slavery
• God sent various judgments upon disobedient
  Israel while in their land and then removed them
  from it
• In personal relationship with us God convicts us
  of sin, pricks our conscience, and prompts us
  with guilt to repent.

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ANGELS AS SOURCE OF SUFFERING

• Angels are sent by God to minister and help Gods
  people.
• However, God has used angels to destroy Jericho,
  smite to death thousands, and will remove from
  the earth those who offend at the harvest at the
  end of the age.

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SATAN AND DEMONS AS SOURCE OF SUFFERING

• The suffering they bring is primarily through
  deception and lies.
• Their efforts (temptation oppression depression
  possession) are to get us to do the wrong
  things in order for the laws of God to bring back
  upon us a curse and NOT a blessing.
• Demon possession is the final condition of
  pursuing rebellion towards God.

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Doctrines of DemonsI Tim. 41

• Half-truths, misdirection, rationalizing, self
  justifications, denials, unforgiving,
  unrepentant, arrogant, anger, hatred, murder,
  destructions
• False religions, worship of idols, pursuing self
  gratification and lust
• Atheism, humanism, evolution

There is NO God!
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THE ANIMAL KINGDOM AS SOURCE OF SUFFERING

• Since the fall of man it has been devouring and
  being devoured (Predators prey) in life and
  death survival
• Diseases, illness, plagues, and infections,
  through germs, parasites, mosquito, fly flea
  and other bug bites
• Crop devastation through infestations such as
  worms, caterpillars, locusts, and other
  insectsalso the competition for food with large
  herds, flocks, and schools of mammals, birds,
  fish, rodents, etc

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What about Mother Nature and Natural Disasters?

• They create great suffering why do they happen?
• Is God Angry?
• Is it His Wrath?

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Humanity was to have dominion

• Through God we were supposed to control the
  animal kingdom and the natural world! Gen. 126
• When Adam Eve rebelled against God we lost our
  connection to Godthe result is a world without
  someone to control it.

By spoken words we were supposed to exercise
dominion
The Weather
Like Cars without driversor at least good ones!
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Dont MOST of the worlds suffering come from
these HUMAN things?

• Wars, conflicts, violence, killing, stealing,
  destroying, lying, deceiving, prejudice,
  hoarding, poverty, spread of sickness and
  disease, death and dying, immorality, addictions,
  abuse, divorce, rape, incest, envy, jealousy,
  pride, arrogance, lust, greed, selfishness,
  abandonment, neglect, devaluation of human life,
  fear, hatred, strife, anger, malice, pornography,
  gambling, quest for power, disrespect for
  authority, rebellion, disobedience,
  willfulnessDID I MISS SOMETHING?

God calls this sin the curse!
Its a long list
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What is Sin the Curse?
Sin is at the core pride coupled with
selfishness. We love ourselves more than
othersif we love others at all. The Curse is
the result of the fall of mankind from Gods
grace. It is death and dying, sickness, disease,
illness of all kind-- (body, soul, emotions,
mental, heart) affecting humanity nature. See
Deuteronomy Chapter 28
We are cursing ourselves by living unloving lives
in a world meant to be governed by (God kind)
love.
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Sin has separated US from God

• This IS the reason for suffering in our worldIt
  is rebellion towards Gods Will.
• THINK ABOUT ITwhos will do we REALLY want to
  do? Sin is NOT wanting Gods will BUT OUR OWN!

My Will My Way!
My Money!
My Things!
My Plans My Dreams...
It's about Me!
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Complicating this issuethat our own sin is
causing suffering

• Our Human (sinful) nature is what we are born
  with/or into. This nature is NOT something we can
  rid ourselves from.
• Our (Personal) bondage to sin nature is
  unbreakable. The power for this incurable
  condition is NOT the devil, our mothers, or our
  own willit is the law of God. I Cor. 1556 The
  sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is
  the law.

Law of Genesis Everything reproduces after its
own kind
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Therefore Sinners Reproduce Sinners!

• Our nature NATURALLY opposes the WILL of God.
• Our nature NATURALLY wants to do our own WILL.
• Our nature NATURALLY causes suffering because
  selfishness pride produce acts that are EVIL.
• We cannot walk away from our NATURE!

Rebellious
Opposition!
We are trapped in Sin!
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Trapped in Sin? Listen to these verses

• John 834 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly,
  I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of
  sin.
• Romans 714 For we know that the Law is
  spiritual but I am of flesh, sold into bondage
  to sin.
• Romans 719 For the good that I wish, I do not
  do but I practice the very evil that I do not
  wish.
• Romans 720 But if I am doing the very thing I
  do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but
  sin which dwells in me.

The Cause of Suffering Dwells in US!
Slaves
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God didnt leave us without hope or help

• People are going to disobey God by nature God
  gives us a choice!
• God made a way to overcome the law of bondage in
  us! He sent Jesus Christ to pay the Laws
  requirements against our sins on our behalf.
• Ro 58 But God demonstrates His own love toward
  us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ
  died for us.

Payment for sin...
Why did He die for us?
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Wages/payment/consequences of sin is DEATH!

• THE SOUL THAT SINS WILL DIE! Ezekiel 1820
• Jesus said "I tell you, no but unless you
  repent you will all likewise perish." Luke 135
  
• Death means eternally separated from God! God is
  Holy and NO sin can ever be in HIS presence

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The Solution for OUR suffering is Jesus

• For He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to
  be sin for us, that we might become the
  righteousness of God in Him. 2Co 521
• Jesus came to bring peace between God and
  manthrough repentance, surrendering to Gods
  Will, AND being born again!

He takes our place!
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When We belong to GodHe can and does INTERVENE

• Through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
  we have a NEW COVENANT!
• If we understand the dilemma were in, and seek
  to find a way out of the curse and the fall, we
  can come to Christ and become ONE IN SPIRIT with
  God.
• This gives God the right to INTERVENE on our
  behalf to provide, protect, guide, heal, rescue,
  deliver, restore, bless, keep, savethrough the
  ATONEMENT in Christ Jesus.

His Word
His Spirit
His Grace
And Our Faith!
His Promises
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Warning!

• Mark 835 "For whoever desires to save his life
  will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My
  sake and the gospels will save it.
• John 1225 "He who loves his life will lose it,
  and he who hates his life in this world will keep
  it for eternal life.

Seek First God's Kingdom...
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Jesus said,

• "The thief does not come except to steal, and to
  kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may
  have life, and that they may have it more
  abundantly. John 1010

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God will bring an END to suffering!

• How can God NOT stop the suffering now?
• If God stops the suffering HE MUST STOP THE VIDEO
  GAME! This world would endno more human free
  will
• When He stops the video game there is no more
  freedom to chooseGod is going to rid the virus
  called sin from the video game of life. There
  will be no more rebellion, lying, stealing, pain,
  sorrow, killing, and destroying in ALL His
  kingdom! Revelations 214

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God Has endured the suffering of our world 24/7

• God gave us dominion and didnt take it back when
  man used it to do evil! God is not a liar
• Gods wrath is certainly full! His Punishment
  will be severe and just.
• When Jesus Christ comes againHe is coming to
  stop the suffering!

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Why is God waiting?

• For everyone to choose whom they are going to
  serve
• If self and sin or surrender to His Christ
• When the last person to accept Christ and repents
  comes to GodHe will end the suffering!

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Want to know more

• Contact the Church
• Lord of Lords Bible Community Church
• 32 Clearwater Drive
• Waretown NJ, 08758
• 609/971-9700
• You Must Be born againJohn 33
• "For God so loved the world that He gave His
  only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
  should not perish but have everlasting life.
  John 316