The Lake of Fire Installment XV, Part C

Frank1

The Myth of ‘Free Will’ Exposed

It has been foolishly asked from time immemorial whether God could ever build a rock so heavy that even He couldn’t lift it. Let me suggest, that if we let “will” represent a rock, and “free will” a rock so heavy that God can’t lift it, then God has indeed, finally built a rock so heavy that even He cannot lift it! For just like the proverbial immovable object, man’s phantom “free will” has become God’s very Own Achilles heel. The only Sovereign-Buster in the universe is man’s fabled “free will.” According to Christian doctrine: the “Irresistible Force”—GOD’S will; has been decidedly and eternally thwarted by the “immovable object”—MAN’S will.

Someone accused me yesterday of going against “The Greatest Theological Thinkers of our time.” Actually I thought it a nice compliment. Not many religions spell out in just a sentence or two what they believe is the plan and purpose of God. But here’s one from a “Great Theological Thinker”—Milton G. Henschel prior director of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society—Jehovah’s Witnesses. He said this with regards to the plan and purpose of God:

“His [Jehovah’s] supremacy has been challenged by Satan, who caused the rebellion in Eden and who puts the integrity of all men to the test. God’s primary purpose is the vindication of this supremacy.”

So here we have the words of a Great Theological Thinker from a very large denomination of worldwide believers, but it is sheer nonsense. Not one word of his statement is Scriptural, and yes, like all great religions, this one too believes that God gave mankind the power of “free will.”

First he suggests that Satan is challenging God’s supremacy (sovereignty). Not true. Satan couldn’t challenge his own tail in the presence of God. Next man’s integrity is being tested. Not true. Man has no integrity. And finally that the “primary purpose” of our very existence is “the vindication of God’s supremacy (sovereignty).

And just how does the god of this world’s religions hope to accomplish this great goal of being adjudicated as “Supreme Sovereign of the Universe?” Why by creating billions and billions of humans with “free moral agency,” all of which supposedly CAN, and most of which supposedly WILL, THWART AND WRECK HIS PRIMARY PURPOSE, and never ever love or obey him!!

The instant that this god created “free moral, uncaused, independent of god, god-thwarting will,” his plan of “supremacy” was doomed, for by so doing he created his own Frankenstein Monster which would ultimately turn on him and knock him off of any presumed “supremacy” or “sovereignty.” So much for another “great” thinker.

This God-demeaning, God-weakening, God-defying, God-thwarting attribute of so-called “free-will” is lauded as one of God’s single-most ultra-grand achievements and gifts to humankind. Albeit the very thought that God would build a rock (man’s ‘free-will’) so powerful that it would thwart the very will and purpose of its own Creator is absurd.

SATAN AND THE ANGELS DID NOT HAVE “FREE-WILL”

Was Satan once an angelic cherub named “Lucifer” who used his supposed God-given free-will to rebel against God and thus become Satan the Devil?

It’s a fable. It never happened. It is a Christian hoax. Satan was never “good.” Satan was never “truthful.” Satan does not have free-will. Satan was always Satan, and nobody but Satan “…from the beginning.”

For proof that Satan was never an angelic cherub named “Lucifer,” see Installment IX. I will not take the time to re-write that proof here, however, we will look at Scriptural proof that Satan was Satan from the beginning, and that God created him as he is. Satan did not create himself or free-will himself into the Devil.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1;1).

We all know what the earth is. The heavens, however, is a different matter. The physical heaven is where we find the moon, sun, and stars. But God’s domain is a spiritual heaven.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world [Gk: ‘age’], against spiritual [Gk: ‘spiritual powers of, or spiritual hosts of, or spiritual forces of’] wickedness in high places [Gk: ‘heavenly places’]” (Eph. 6:12).

So God created the plural “heavens” “in the beginning.” And Paul tells us that there are “principalities and powers” in these “heavenly places” or “celestials” as it is in the Greek. And that these “principalities and powers” are powers, hosts, or forces that are “wicked!”

“For by Him [Jesus] were all things created that are in the heaven [Gk: ‘heavens”—it is plural in the Greek as it is in the Hebrew], and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers ALL things were created by Him, and for Him” (Col. 1:16).

“Principalities and powers” are part of the “all” which Jesus created “in the beginning,” at the beginning of creation. And these “principalities and powers” are “wicked” forces, which we wrestle against. These powers are under authority.

“But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow does not cast out devils [demons], but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils” (Matt. 12:24).

Beelzebub is from the Hebrew, Baal [a Phoenician deity] and Zbuwb [a fly], thus the “god fly.” Couple this with the knowledge of where flies hang out, and in parody, Satan was known as the dung god. Fitting, I think. Jesus accepted their use of this title for Satan:

“And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. And if Satan [referring back to Beelzebub introduced by the Pharisees] cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?” (Matt. 12:25-26).

Satan never was a cherub possessing free will; neither does he now have free will. Satan is a creature that obeys the commands of his Creator and never talks back. Whenever Jesus told Satan to “get thee behind Me,” Satan got behind Him (Matt. 16:23, Mark 8:33, Luke 4:8). When God said he could go so far and no further in the trial of Job, then that’s precisely how far he went and no further. When Jesus told Satan “get thee hence… then the devil leaves Him…” (Matt. 4:10). Satan has no “free will” to resist.

ONE OF THESE CREATED WICKED FORCES WAS A SERPENT

“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made” (Gen. 3:1).

This God-created serpent deceived Eve (I Tim. 2:14). God “made” “the serpent” who “deceived” Mother Eve. Notice that God did not create something called “Lucifer,” that was “…more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.” If this “serpent” is indeed, “the Devil,” then the Scripture plainly tells us that this was a beast “…which the Lord God had made.”

God told Adam and Eve:

“But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.”

Satan the Serpent, however, said:

“Ye shall not surely die” (Gen. 3:3 & 4).

The Old Serpent, the Devil, LIED!

Now then, was there ever a time when the Devil was not a liar?

“Ye are of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).

Satan the Devil was a liar “…from the beginning.” But didn’t he once “abide IN the truth” before he became Satan? Never.

The phrase, “…and abode not in the truth…” is proof against any such theory. Someone suggested that Satan once did stand in the truth, and this verse is telling us that he “…did not continue standing in the truth…” That is not what this phrase is stating. Notice a few other translations of this phrase:

Young’s Literal Translation: “…and in the truth he has not stood….”

Green’s Interlinear Greek-English New Testament: “…and he has not stood in the truth…”

Emphatic Diaglott Interlinear: “…has not stood in the truth…”

No, Satan the Devil has never stood in the truth. He was a liar and a murderer “…from the beginning.” And so we have proof that God created Satan just as he is.

About five times a year I get a long email from someone trying to prove to me that the “serpent in the Garden” was not Satan, but Adam’s carnal mind, or some other such thing. God tells us, however, who Satan really is: “that old serpent." Proof:

“And the great dragon was cast out, that Old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan” (Rev. 12:9).

Is this not the same “crooked serpent and dragon” mentioned in Isa. 27:1 which God will yet punish:

“In that day the Lord with His sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea” (Isa. 27:1).

The word “liviathan” means: “SERPENT.”

The word “dragon” means: “figuratively the constellation of the dragon; a sea SERPENT.”

God is not going to “punish” a constellation in the sky or a fish in the sea. This is speaking of that great and wicked spirit: Satan, the Devil, that Old serpent, the dragon, the crooked serpent, the destroyer, the accuser, the Adversary.

Did “…the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan…” (Rev. 20:2), form himself out of a perfect angel/cherub, or did God form this serpent as he now is? Answer:

“By His spirit He [God] has garnished [adorned] the heavens; His hand has formed the crooked serpent” (Job 26:13).

God did not form a perfect cherub named Lucifer who then became the crooked serpent.

Satan was not an “Angel of Light which transformed himself into Satan,” as the Christian Church teaches, but rather:

“And no marvel: for Satan himself is transformed [Gk: or ‘disguised’—Strong’s #3345] into an angel of light” (II Cor. 11:14).

The “Lucifer became Satan” fable is Scripturally contradicted by the “Satan pretends to be an angel of light” truth.

Satan the serpent is a destroyer:

“Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer” (I Cor. 10:10).

What is this “destroyer?” The word is taken from the Greek word, olothreutes, and guess what it means? It means “venomous SERPENT.” This serpent is a “destroyer.” God “formed the crooked serpent,” and this serpent is a “destroyer.” Isn’t that the very purpose for which God created this “venomous serpent/destroyer?”

“Behold I have created the smith that blows the coals in the fire, and that brings forth an instrument for his work; and I [God] have created the waster [Heb: ‘destroyer’] to destroy” (Isa. 54:16).

Another reference to this destroyer:

“The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way…” (Jer. 4:7).

God had “sown His word into Adam and Eve.” When the serpent appeared unto Eve, she still had that “sown word in her heart”—“But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said [this is the word of God which was still sown in Eve’s hear speaking—she retained it, and knew what God had said, and knew it to be the ‘word of God’], ‘Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die’” (Gen. 3:3).

The Word of God was sown to both Eve and Adam “by the way” and Eve certainly “heard” the Word in her ear, and took it “to heart.” But it obviously was not well rooted. It had not as yet become part of her spiritual character. And so the serpent came on the scene very quickly:

“And the serpent said unto the woman, ‘Ye shall not surely die. For God does know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Ver 4-5).

The serpent appealed to Eve’s carnal mind and took away the word of God. Next:

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes… she took of the fruit thereof, and DID EAT…” (Ver. 6).

Now then, just who is it that Jesus tells us plainly “takes away the word” when it has not had time to be properly rooted? Answer:

“And these are they by the wayside, where the word is sown, but when they have heard, Satan comes immediately, and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts” (Mark 4:15).

It was the serpent in the Garden, which took away the word of God from Eve. Hence we have proof that “the serpent” was “that Old serpent—Satan.”

And although God said that “He” destroyed and killed the firstborn of Egypt, there is one verse that specifically tells us Whom it was that God used to accomplish this slaughter:

“For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood upon the lintel, and the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer [permit] the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you” (Ex. 12:23).

We now have a mountain of Scriptural proof that Satan is “the serpent,” and that he has always been the serpent from his creation:

Satan is identified as: “…that Old SERPENT, called the Devil, and Satan…” (Rev. 12:9 & 20:2).

God is going to punish “liviathan,” and liviathan means, SERPENT. (Isa. 27:1).

God calls this adversary, “…the piercing SERPENT…” (Isa. 27:1).

God also calls him, “…that crooked SERPENT…” (Isa. 27:1).

God calls him, “that dragon…” Dragon comes from a Hebrew word meaning: sea SERPENT. (Isa. 27:1).

God says, “…I have created the waster [Heb: ‘destroyer’] to destroy” (Isa. 54:16). In I Cor. 10:10 we learn that those who murmured in ancient Israel, and the first born of Egypt

“…were destroyed by the destroyer,” (I Cor. 10:10 and Ex. 12:23),

and the word translated destroyer in I Cor. 10:10 means, “venomous SERPENT.”

And according to Job, Who was it that formed this “crooked serpent” in the first place?

“…By His spirit He [God] has garnished the heavens; His hand has formed the crooked SERPENT” (Job 26:13).

Jesus said that “Satan comes immediately and takes away the Word.” Eve had God’s Word, and it was taken away by the serpent, hence, Satan is the SERPENT.

Was the Garden serpent a fallen cherub or was he a “serpent which God had made” AS a serpent?

“Now the SERPENT was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made” (Gen. 3:1).

In Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 Satan is called “that OLD SERPENT.” Could any serpent be older than the one God had made at creation and placed in the Garden?

Satan deceived our first parents in the Garden, and he has been deceiving the whole world ever since. There is absolutely not one scrap of Scriptural proof that Satan was a perfect cherub or that he has EVER exercised a power known as free will.

Satan thinks he has free will. Eve thought she had free will. All mankind still thinks he has free will. But the Scriptures disprove it over and over and over again.

EVEN GOD’S CHOSEN ELECT WERE ONCE DECEIVED

The workings of Satan have deceived the whole world including the ones whom God would later call to be His elect:

“And then shall that Wicked [‘Lawless One’—the beast within all of us] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan [It is not Satan, but is ‘after the 0working of Satan] with all power and signs and lying wanders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God [yes, God Himself] shall send them strong dilusion, that they should believe a lie [Gk: ‘the lie’]…” (II Thes. 2:9-11).

And just how much of mankind and how much of this world has God given to that same Old Serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, to deceive?

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which DECEIVES THE WHOLE WORLD” (Rev. 12:9).

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect” (Matt. 24:24)

Once one becomes a member of God’s very elect, he can be deceived no more.

Don’t you be deceived. This verse does not say: “Satan, which deceives the whole world (except the two billion twenty-first century professing Christians of the world).” No, Satan deceives “the whole world,” including the two billion professing Christians. How many have escaped the deception of Satan by the use of their “free will?” Not one man possesses a will by which he can freely resist Satan. If we are to “resist the Devil so that he flees from us,” we will need the power of God’s Spirit in us.

THE INVISIBLE HAND OF DECEPTION

Just how does God deceive mankind into thinking that their thoughts and choices are “free and uncaused?” The answer is quite simple: man does not see, feel or perceive in any way, either internally or externally, any force or power causing him to think or do anything other than what he consciously wills. Surely that is enough proof for any carnal-minded person that his will and choices are free from any causality whatsoever. If he can’t see, feel, or perceive of anything making or causing him to choose a particular way, then surely, there is nothing there, and his “will is free.”

As though a mortal, carnal-minded man can perceive things of the spirit. A little later we will look at a verse that unlocks the secret as to why carnal people cannot understand the reason why they don’t have a free will.

God uses means and ways that are not perceived by man in causing his thoughts, will, and choices. What are always miracles from God are perceived by the carnal mind to be merely routine acts of nature. Here is an example that doesn’t involve any real danger or evil that should be apparent to any thinking person:

All week your wife and you plan to take the children on a picnic at a local state park. Everything is prepared and ready; everyone is excited; and the will of everyone is set on this picnic. But when Saturday morning arrives and the car is loaded and ready to go, everyone changes his will about going on the picnic. In a matter of moments all decide that they no longer want to go on this picnic that they have been looking forward to all week. Why? What happened? What changed their minds? Answer? It’s raining.

God does, of course, as we shall see from the Scriptures, often use much harsher and more painful means to cause men to exercise their carnal minds in very evil ways. But even then, they are totally oblivious to the actual causes of their thoughts and deeds.

Is it a sin to want to go on a picnic with one’s family? No. Is it a sin for God to make (cause) it to rain? No. But when shown from the Scriptures that God often uses ways and means that are very severe and brutal, virtually all, professing Christians refuse to believe even the very words of God Himself. They instead become extremely angry with me for showing them these Scriptures, and for insisting that these hard-to-accept Scriptures are true, and actually eventuate in a much higher good than would have been otherwise possible.

Back to our example of a family picnic: God doesn’t force our family to desire a picnic or force them to change their mind about going on a picnic, but God does control the weather, just as He controls all circumstances leading up to the rainy day. The weather is but one of millions of things that control and influence our daily decisions. Weather is no more a natural uncaused event than was the recent Christmas tsunami:

“He [God] causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightnings for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries” (Psalm 135:7).

God, “causes,” “makes,” and He “brings” into existence the manifestations of nature’s powers. Nothing “just happens” without a cause, and God says that He is the cause—every time and always. Yet how many Christians reading this will now believe that it is God Who causes the weather and all catastrophic (even acknowledged by insurance companies as “acts of God”)? It is not really “me” and “my” statements that people find difficult, if not impossible to believe, but rather the Scriptures that I quote to them.

So maybe most of my readers will concede that it was indeed God who caused the rain, which caused our family to change their minds rather than to have a wet picnic. But is God the ultimate cause of all things that cause all mankind to make every choice and decision based on powers and circumstances way beyond their control and often beyond their knowledge? If it is God, who causes all circumstances which cause all of our thoughts and decisions and acts, then clearly our thoughts and actions are not based on uncaused and non-existent circumstances. Clearly our will is caused and not “free” or “uncaused.”

Did God, for example, cause the Christmas tsunami that killed and injured hundreds of thousands of people, which in turn, caused millions of people worldwide to think and make choices based solely upon this one disaster? We shall see.

GOD HAS PERFECTLY CHOREOGRAPHED HIS CREATION

All that has been, and is, and will be, has been planned and choreographed down to the movement of the last atom, by the Designer and Operator of the Universe, without Whom everything would fall apart in oblivion:

“For by Him [Jesus] were ALL things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible [unseen powers], whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him, and for Him. And He is before all things and by Him all things consist [‘has its cohesion,’ ]” (Col. 1:16-17).

Since “by Jesus all things consist and have their cohesion,” why is it that only man and his fabled “free-moral-agency-will” is the only truly “free radical” in the universe? Nonsense! Even “free radicals” operate under law—God operates all that exists, by law. Jesus did not create the universe and all that in it is, and then goes off on a trip to let the universe fend for itself. God presently is “working—operating” all that exists, and that includes the “will” of all mankind. Here’s some more Scriptural proof:

“…God which works [‘operates’] all in all ” (I Cor. 12:6). God works all that there is in all that there are. Pretty neat, huh? When we have a God this great, we can expect nothing but perfect assured success. The Christian teaching that God only can “desire” great things, but He cannot actually “accomplish” great things is absurd.

Here is Christian theology at its best: God invents man. God desires for man to work a certain way. Man fails to work in the way that God desires. Out of uncontrollable frustration, God tortures his mal-functioning invention for all eternity. And no one sees a problem with this anti-scriptural heresy.

Who among us has not seen in real life or in the movies: A man invents a machine. He desires for his invention to work a certain way. The invention fails to work in the desired way. The inventor smashes the mal-functioning machine into a thousand pieces? We laugh at such stupid and juvenile behavior, yet we worship a god who supposedly acts a thousand times more stupid and evil than our carnal-minded inventor. Go figure.

What kind of insanity blames a “created machine” for any mal-functions? God created the human race; God is responsible for any and all activities of the human race. No one asked to be born! And yet… and YET, there are those evil-minded theologians and Christians who believe that God will not only torture most of His creatures, but that He actually knew in advance of their creation that He would torture most of them in literal fire for all eternity!

Not only would such an “Inventor” be stupid, but he would be evil beyond words to describe. Yet even all of this stupidity and evil of the human heart, “…is of God.” Most have not yet even conceived of the Judgment that will come on them for the heresy of their own hearts. This judgment of our hearts is also part of God’s grand plan. God has made man in this weakened spiritual state for a grand and glorious destiny. Man is not yet created in God’s full spiritual Image, but that is the process, purpose, and destiny of the human race—to finally be the very Image of God Himself.

The Scriptures plainly show and state in many places, that the natural mind of man cannot love and obey God. Yet theologians tell us that unless man does, of his own free will, love and obey God, that God will torture them in fire for all eternity. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place!

“…Who works [‘operates’] ALL THINGS after the counsel of His own will” (Eph. 1:11).

“For OF Him, and THROUGH Him, and TO Him, are ALL THINGS…” (Rom. 11:36).

“And ALL THINGS are of God…” (II Cor. 5:;18).

“…calls those things which be NOT, as though they WERE” (Rom. 4:17).

“Declaring the END from the BEGINNING…” (Isa. 46:10).

“For in Him we LIVE, and MOVE, and have our BEING [Gk: ‘we ARE’—we exist]…” (Acts 17:28).

All energy, all matter, all creation, and all humans are in God. We can only “live and move… IN HIM.” And this is why:

“O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself. It is not in man that walks to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:23).

No man has a will that can choose contrary to what God already knows will be: “…and calls those things which be not [thoughts and deeds which have not yet been supposedly ‘freely’ thought of] as though they were [as though they already were thought of—how is that ‘freedom’ of the will?]” (Rom. 4:17).

I will repeat this until I am blue in the face, and perchance somebody out there will say, “Ah, yes, now I get it.” Once more: Since God says very plainly that He knows all things and that He knows all things before they happen, how is it then possible that anyone can think a thought which God didn’t know he would have to think? And if God already knows every thought that you must think: how are you free to not think those very foreknown thoughts and those foreknown thoughts only?

If any person in the history of the world can think one thought that God did not foreknow that he would think, then God cannot;

“call those things which be not as though they were.”

“Man’s goings [Heb: ‘steps’] are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?” (Prov. 20:24).

“The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.” (Prov. 16:1).

No one can make one statement out of his mouth, unless it was first pre-ordained, foreknown, and approved of, by God!

“The Son of man [Jesus] can do nothing of Himself… without Me [Jesus] ye [all of you—all of mankind] can do nothing” (John 5:19 & 15:5].

THE CHRISTMAS TSUNAMI IN INDONESIA—ALL IS OF GOD

Shortly after what has been called the Christmas tsunami which destroyed the coastal regions in a half dozen countries surrounding the Indian Ocean, Joe Scarborough of MSNBC News had 700 Club President Pat Robertson on his show. The previous night Scarborough asked religious leaders why a loving God allowed so many thousands to die in this disaster. He reported that the L.A. Times and the Washington Post also asked similar questions.

Mr. Scarborough introduced his evening topic by asking the following: “So, is God a loving father or a mass murderer?”

Is God a mass murdered? How did guest Pat Robertson answer this question? By leaving God out of the equasion altogether! The truth be known: God does kill, destroy, and war, but He does not “murder” nor has He ever sanctioned “murder.” The 6th Commandment is: “You shall not murder” (Ex. 20:13).

After introducing Pat Robertson, Mr. Scarborough posed the following question: “Pat, I want to ask you a question… that Christians, Jews, Muslims, men and women of faith all over the world are asking tonight. And that is, how does a loving God allow a disaster like this to happen?

After giving a plug for his own relief program in the disaster area, Mr. Robertson said the following (I have the transcript):

“…the truth is, Joe, that natural disasters will happen on this planet. It was one of a subduction of one of the tectonic plates in the Indian Ocean. And it’s not God’s do [doing?]. It was one of those things, like a hurricane. It’s a natural release of heat in the atmosphere. And if people choose to live along the coastlines in dangerous areas, they are in trouble, just like people who live on the San Andreas fault in California …but you can’t blame God for your foolishness. If you want to live there, that’s too bad.”

What? It was a natural release of heat? It was just one of those things? God had nothing to do with it? If you want to live there, that’s too bad? And he takes the liberty to use the word “foolishness?”

First we are told that God has nothing to do with this tsunami. As though it is not God’s fault if this earth is fraught with unseen dangers of Biblical proportions. What does “God” have to do with such things? I mean, after all, God only created this earth and its surrounding universe. Is God’s “sustaining” ability a little lax, seeing that an awful lot of bad things on earth just “seem to happen out of the blue?” Second, maybe we are to believe that God was even unaware of this tsunami before it was too late for Him to do anything about it? I speak as a fool.

Since Pat Robertson really personifies much of fundamentalist Christendom, it might be a good idea to pursue his premise a little further. Just where does Mr. Robertson think that the six billion people on this earth should be living? Let’s look at Mr. Robertson’s answer a little more closely and see if there is a lick of Scriptural truth or wisdom to what he said.

If Pat Robertson were to read the book of Joshua, for example, he would see where God specifically gave Judah a border on the Mediterranean Sea Coast for a possession to dwell there (Joshua 15:12). So let’s not be assuming that God considers all people “foolish” who live in coastal areas of the world. If, however, coastal areas are to be avoided as foolish places to live—that would render huge portions of the earth uninhabitable, as would most of the remaining land of planet Earth:

And he already mentioned that living near fault lines is a foolish thing to do (there are fault lines virtually everywhere on earth).

What about living on the plains where tornadoes are a constant threat to life, limb and property, not to mention killer hail storms.

Certainly steep hills and mountains are not a good place to live. There is the constant threat of mudslides such as witnessed in Southern California, and avalanches which have already claimed many lives, and rock slides.

What about the many islands and areas of volcanoes? We have much historical evidence of the dangers in living at such places (witness Mt. St. Helen). There is also the infamous “ring of fire” which virtually surrounds the Pacific Ocean.

Are the deserts of the world a good place to live? Hardly anything can live in such arid areas, not to mention the perils of constant sand storms.

And the whole Caribbean is potentially a dangerous place, seeing that we have killer hurricanes in this area.

Maybe the many river valleys of the world would be a good place to live. Of course there is the constant threat of flooding. Many lives are lost, crops are wiped out, and damage caused annually by the over-flowing of major and minor rivers.

So with that all said and considered, just where, Mr. Robertson, do you propose that the six billion people on this earth live? Just where can six thousand million citizens of planet earth live where they are guaranteed permanent “safe soil?” No, Mr. Robertson, the people in Indonesia did not die because they were foolish for living in an unsafe area of the Earth.

The tsunami was the means by which these people in Indonesia were killed, but it was not the reason that they were killed. God always has a purpose behind His means, and God was behind that tsunami.

CAN YOU HANDLE THE TRUTH?

Even if we were to accept Mr. Robertson’s theory that God had nothing to do with this Christmas tsunami, we would still be forced to concede that “God allowed it.” That is, in fact, the terminology that is used in most discussions of this subject—Why did God “allow” it? Why does God “allow” this, that, and the other thing?

Allow, allow, allow. That is the mind-set of most discussions whether they are religious or secular—Why did God “allow” it? Surely no one doubts God’s ability to stop any or all such catastrophes if He so desired? A man in an Atlanta Court House murdered three people. Since God obviously did not stop it, why then did God “allow” it? Would you really like to know why God “allowed” those murders and why He allowed the Christmas tsunami?

And not only why did He allow this tsunami, but all tsunamis, and typhoons, and hurricanes, and floods, and tornadoes, and violent thunderstorms, and rock slides and mud slides, and avalanches, and volcanoes, and earthquakes, and forest fires, and droughts, and famines, and diseases, wars and holocausts, and (not just the killing 3 people in Atlanta), but all deaths? Do you really want to know why God “allows” these things? Are you sure you are ready for God’s answer to this most profound mystery in all creation?

I am reminded of the film, “A Few Good Men.” In a dramatic court scene Tom Cruise demands of the witness: “I want the TRUTH!” To which Jack Nicholson shouts back: “You can’t HANDLE the TRUTH!!”

This is what I fear is the situation here. People think they want the truth, but they can’t handle the truth. Very few indeed want the whole Truth: the whole counsel of God. And most of those who have heard it have been highly offended by it. Often they killed the messengers who brought God’s message of Truth. That’s just how offensive the Truth of God is to the carnal mind. I have a drawer full of emails that speak volumes against God’s Truth.

But I know that there are a few chosen of God to whom the Truth is not offensive. For those few I will continue. As Joan Rivers used to say: “Can we talk?” Are your kids in bed? Can we talk? The remainder of this series on free will is not for the immature or faint of heart.

Okay then, back to our question: Why does God “allow” all of the pain, suffering, disasters, and even mass killing of the innocent to happen? Actually, the question is not even a legitimate question because God does not “allow” any of these disasters to happen. Here then is one of the greatest truths in all the world and of all Scripture:

God does not “allow” anything to happen: God is the ultimate CAUSE of all things that happen!

If a person is able to prevent a crime (let’s say without any expense or harm to himself) but doesn’t, he is no better than the one who commits the crime. So now the question is: “Where is Jesus Christ when all such crimes are committed?" Is Jesus no more powerful or responsible than the god Baal?

“About noontime, Elijah began mocking them [the priests of Baal]. You’ll have to shout louder than that; he scoffed, to catch the attention of your god! Perhaps he is talking to someone, or is out sitting on the toilet, or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!” (I Kings 18:27, The Living Bible).

No, Jesus does not live far far away on the other side of the universe in a place called heaven. Heaven is not a place; heaven is the realm of spirit. Jesus does not sleep in heaven. Jesus does not live in a physical heaven. Jesus will not live in a physical body full of holes, for the rest of eternity either. It is impossible to even think about these important issues of life with the mentality of Christian doctrines. Jesus Christ is “spirit”: “Now the Lord is that SPIRIT…” (II Cor. 3:17). Make no mistake about it; Jesus Christ is present at every crime scene that ever was or will be.

Jesus is at the scene of every crime in the world, and He is there before the crime actually happens. What would Jesus say to a woman if she were in the presence of some slimeball who is hell-bent on raping her little daughter? We know that Jesus is there, but what if Jesus manifested Himself right there, at the scene? What would Jesus say when the woman would beg Him to stop this slimeball from raping or murdering her daughter?

Surely He would stop the crime, right? Well if that be the case, how come there are so many rapes and murders that have not been prevented by Jesus? Do not all parents (almost all) pray for the safety of their children? So the pat Christian answer is: “Well, we don’t know why, but God allowed it.” God no more allows crimes that harm one or two individuals than he allows tsunamies that harm and hundreds of thousands.

I am well aware of the fact that Jesus does at times intervene and stop some crime or evil from taking place. I am now referring to those times when He does not intervene and stop the crime. Why does He “allow” it?

You say, “Well, nobody knows the answer to that!” Oh but we do know the answer. The Scriptures give us the answer. We don’t want the Scriptural answer. We don’t want the truth. We can’t handle the truth. And woe to the messenger who delivers the truth!

And just what do we think we gain by using the catch phrase: “God allowed it?” Does that phrase get God off the hook of responsibility and place the responsibility upon His mal-functioning inventions? Does the word “allow” carry the connotation: “I had nothing to do with it?” “My hands are clean?” “It’s not my job to prevent evil crimes?” Is this what the word “allow” really means?

The American Heritage College Dictionary:

“ allow v. –lowed, -lowing, -lows. 1. To LET do or happen; PERMIT.”

“permit v. –mitted, -mitting, -mits. 1. To ALLOW the doing of; CONSENT. 2. To GRANT. 3. To AFFORD OPPORTUNITY.

Now then, do we feel better about this theological heresy and nonsense by using the word “allow”? If a Police Officer were to, LET HAPPEN, PERMIT, CONSENT, GRANT, and AFFORD OPPORTUNITY for a horrible crime to take place without lifting a finger to stop it, would he be morally guiltless for “allowing” it to happen? Does the catch phrase “allow” with all of its definitions somehow make void the responsibility of the Police Officer? Is God Almighty less capable and less responsible than even a carnal-minded Police Officer?

Why then do theologians invent their own solution to the problem by applying the unscriptural word “allow” to the acts of God, rather than to accept the plain truth of Scripture concerning these matters? Well, for the exact same reason they invent the unscriptural phrase “free-will” to get God off of the hook of responsibility for the evils in God’s Own creation! They don’t want the truth; they can’t handle the truth; the truth would convict their own evil and carnal-minded hearts, and they would be forced to humble themselves and repent!

Could any of us honestly say with respect to our presence at an imminent crime, that if we: “allowed, let happen, permitted to happen, consented to its happening, granted it to happen, and afforded it the opportunity to happen,” then our hands are clean? We have no involvement in the crime? We had no obligations, and we are not to be held accountable and responsible?

You know that I speak the truth, but many of you can’t handle the truth.

So am I saying that since God is the Creator of all, and Sustainer of all, and by Him all things Consist, and He already knows all that is and will be, and He works all things after the counsel of His Own will, that all of the crimes of the world are a part of God’s plan? No, that is not my teaching. But this is precisely what the Scriptures say! This is not some perverted theory. I read it in the Bible—in hundreds and hundreds of places!

I have no problem in justifying God in all of His doings, even though I personally am overwhelmed at times over the magnitude of pain and evil that God has subjected us to. It is humbling! It surely does produce God’s desired purpose, and I can personally attest to this fact. Inventing an unscriptural and anti-scriptural term like "human free will" or "free choice" does not remove the consequences of evil from God's shoulders.

GOD THE CREATOR OF EVIL

“That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I made peace [good], and create evil: I the Lord do all these things” (Isa. 45:6-7).

Notice that God did not create light to shine IN the darkness. No, God “created” darkness, itself. Darkness is not just the absence of light. Darkness was created by God. It does not “naturally” exist independent of His creating it. This, like everything else in the Bible, is a parable. Mankind is spiritually in “darkness.” And it is a very painful thing to come out.

“For God, Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness [not ‘in’ darkness], has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (II Cor. 4:6).

Before we go further, it is necessary for those who have never seen it proven, that it is God Who is the Creator, User, and unltimately, the Destroyer of evil.

I often receive emails from readers who assert that the word “evil” in this verse should be translated “calamity.” That is decidedly a fabricated assertion, but little would be gained by it even if it were true. Would the Christmas tsunami in Indonesia have reeked less havoc had it been a “calamity” rather than an “evil?” What would be gained by calling “evils” by the name “calamities”? That is nonsense.

Nevertheless, let it be known that the word translated “evil” in Isaiah 45:7 is the Hebrew word ra. The Hebrew word for “calamity” is the Hebrew word ade which means “misfortune, misery, or ruin. Whereas the Hebrew word ra means “bad or evil.” It is the same word used for the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil [ra].” It was not the tree of the knowledge of “good and calamity.” Did Jacob really mean to say, “a calamitous beast” had devoured his son? (Gen. 37:33)? Did Israel really “do calamity in the sight of God” by worshipping Balaam, or did they do evil? (Jud. 3:7).

The Hebrew ra means “bad or evil” and it is used over four hundred times to represent bad or evil, not calamity.

God created ra—EVIL. Furthermore God used evil and continues to use evil against His creatures all day long.

Understand that I take no emotional pleasure in teaching these truths other than that they are absolutely necessary if we are to understand the deeper ways of God with His creatures. But I will haste to add that like all of God’s deeper truths they can only be discerned spiritually by the Spirit of God. The carnal mind cannot and will not understand these truths.

THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH GOD CREATED EVIL

This is all the strange work of God. There is no free will about it. We are all born out of a dark womb into the natural light of day, but this too is but a parable. We must be “born again” out of spiritual darkness of this age into the glorious light of the Sun of God. It is a painful journey, and requires an experience of evil to accomplish.

“And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail has God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith” (Ecclesiastes 1:13).

What a horrible translation! My King James has three superior numbers in this one verse indicating three different words in the margin. Especially the last phrase:

“…this sore travail has God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.”

What pray tell does that mean? One of the most all-encompassing and profound verses in all Scripture, and most translations butcher it beyond understanding.

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE: “A thankless task God has appointed for men to be busied about.”

JEWISH PUBLICATION SOCIETY: “…it is a sore task that God has given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.”

NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION: “What a heavy burden God has laid on men!”

YOUNG’S LITERAL TRANSLATION: “It is a sad travail God has given to the son of man to be humbled by it.”

This is really an important verse; we have got to get it right. Young’s Translation gets a little closer to the truth than the KJV or the previous three references. He got the humbled part right. But what is all this “sad travail,” “heavy burden,” “thankless task,” business all about? It is not that difficult if we will just look at the Hebrew words:

Ecc. 1:13 from the King James:

First, the word “this” may be better translated “it,” as some have done.

But far, far more important than all, the word “sore” should be translated “EVIL” as almost none have done. It is the Hebrew word ra which always means “EVIL,” and is translated as “evil” in hundreds and hundreds of other verses. Why not in this verse? The few times that ra is translated “sore” in the KJV, it ALWAYS means “evil” as in “evil sickness” or “evil troubles.”

The word “travail” in the KJV is not out of line with the Hebrew, but is nebulous and not easily understood by most. It would better translated as “employment” or “experience.”

And we have already seen from other versions that the KJV “exercised” is better translated “humbled” as Young’s and Concordant has done.

Here then is a proper translation of this most profound verse:

“It is an experience of evil Elohim [God] has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it” (Concorant Old Testament).

Now we can easily understand what is being said in this verse.

This “experience of evil” is not the purpose or goal of human existence, but this is indeed the process by which God is bringing His Sons and Daughters into glory! Most translations have hidden the meaning of this verse of Scripture. The translations just couldn’t believe that God would do such a thing. They see it all around them. They see it in thousands of Scriptures, but they just couldn’t bring themselves to come right out and say it, as God obviously has stated in the original Hebrew of this verse.

“It is an EXPERIENCE of EVIL that God has given to the sons of humanity to HUMBLE them by it.”

And to this agrees the rest of Scripture:

“For ALL his days are SORROWS, and his travail [experience] GRIEF…” (Ecc. 2:23).

The destiny of the human race is indeed GLORIOUS, but the journey is filled with evil and sorrow. This not to say that there are not many beautiful and good things in life, but for most the misery far far outweighs the pleasurable.

Do not be deceived: when Jesus said—“…I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10), He was surely not speaking about this life, now, in the flesh! Contrary to the evil teachings of prosperity ministers, Jesus never promised us LARGER HOMES AND GREATER MATERIAL POSSESSIONS after we start following in His steps.

Jesus said that if we leave our parents, families, houses and possessions for His sake that we would receive a hundred fold of parents, families, houses and possessions NOW. But He was not speaking of receiving back NOW, these same PHYSICAL parents, families, and possessions, but rather the families and possessions we would receive NOW would be SPIRITUAL.

Does anyone really believe that if we leave our PHYSICAL PARENTS that He will give us another, different set of PHYSICAL PARENTS? Well, yes, I guess there are those who are so spiritually ignorant that they might really believe that they will receive a brand new set of BIRTHING PARENTS to take the place of the ones they left. However, the truth is: “…the words that I speak unto you, they are SPIRIT…” (John 6:63).

JOB’S TRIAL ANSWERS MANY ENIGMAS

Who was responsible for Job’s trial? Satan? Job? God? Are “calamities” better than “evils?” Can Satan operate independently of God? Does God use evil for good? Is it a sin to hold God responsible for all the evil in the world?

Job was a man who feared God and eschewed [shunned] evil. God gave Satan authority to test Job. God set the guidelines. Satan caused all of Job’s oxen, sheep and camels to be stolen, and his servants to be killed. He also caused a house to collapse in a wind and kill all the young men and Job’s sons and daughters. Satan then covered Job with painful boils.

Would anyone suggest that these trials that came to Job were not “evil?” Well here is what Job called them:

“But Job answered and said, O that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together!” (Job 6:1-2).

Calamity is the proper translation in this verse. Now then, does the argument (which is totally untrue) that God created “calamity” in Isa. 45:7 rather than “evil” carry any weight whatsoever in any practical way. No, Job’s “calamity” was very evil.

Who was responsible for these evils and calamity that came upon Job? Satan, right? Wrong. Satan was merely the club in God’s hand. Notice what Job was inspired to say:

“And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned NOT, nor charged God foolishly [with wrong]” (Job 1:21-22).

Dr. Fred Price wrote me a letter along with a booklet he wrote in which he states that the phrase, “…the Lord has taken away” in this verse of Scripture, is not true. Dr. Price argues that God does not take away. Clearly God did more than “allow” these evils to come on Job, rather God caused these evils to come on Job. It was “The Lord” Who took away all of Job’s possessions and his family. Satan was merely the club in God’s hand.

Surely all of my readers are aware if you or I did to Job and his family what God did, it would be a crime of the highest magnitude and would be punishable by death.

All through the remaining chapters, Job charges GOD with being responsible for his trial, not Satan. In the last chapter God reprimands Job’s three friends by saying:

“…ye have not spoken of Me the thing which is RIGHT, like My servant Job” (Job 42:8).

Job charged God with all the evils that came on him and God said Job spoke the truth and what was right,

Job had no “free will” in any of this. God was in total control and God was responsible for all that happened. God caused Job’s uprightness; God caused Job’s downfall; God caused Job’s restoration and blessing. He will do the same for all humanity, with the exception that our blessings will be spiritual and eternal, not just physical and temporary as Job’s were. Job's spiritual blessings will come when “…the heavens be no more” (Job 14:12). The book of Revelation tells us precisely when this event will occur in the life of Job and the Patriarchs of old.

THE KINGDOMS OF SATAN AND HIS ROLE AS ADVERSARY

A note of great importance: Why didn’t God personally, and directly bring all of these trials and calamity of evils upon Job? Why did God USE Satan? Or is this just another case of God “allowing” Satan to test Job? We shall soon see how much God “allows” in the Scriptures, and it will shock most people when they learn the Truth.

At the start of this paper we learned that Satan (Beelzebub) has a “kingdom.” And that it involves the spiritual realm of demons and devils.

But Satan rules over far more than just the realm of demons. Lets learn a few more Truths that have been hidden from the eyes of Christendom.

Did God really, merely, allow Satan to try Job? God will reveal to our spirit many many spiritual truths of paramount importance if we will read His word and BELIEVE WHAT WE READ.

“And the Lord said unto Satan…” (Job 1:7).

“And the Lord said unto Satan…” (Job 1:8).

“And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he has is in THY power; only upon himself put not forth your hand. So Satan went…”(Job.1:12).

Now really, is this whole scenario something that Satan thought up? Is this something that God is just “allowing?” Be honest. God set this whole thing up from the beginning. GOD goaded Satan into a negative response. GOD pushed Satan to find an excuse for Job “eschewing evil.” GOD set up this trial. GOD commissioned Satan to bring evil against Job. GOD instructed Satan as to just how far that evil could extend. THIS WAS ALL OF GOD!

But God does not work this way with all mankind, seeing that God is a respecter of persons and God changes His overall approach to the trying of mankind, doesn’t He? I speak as a fool:

All mankind:

“An experience of evil God has given to the sons of humanity [that’s everyone] to humble them by it” (Ecc. 1:13).

A respecter of persons:

“Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34).

God changes:

“For I am the LORD, I change not…” (Mal. 3:6).

No, God CAUSED and USED Satan in the trying of Job.

Did God merely “allow” Satan to try Jesus Christ our Lord?

“Then was Jesus led up of the SPIRIT [of GOD] into the wilderness [This is the Spirit of God leading Jesus up into the wilderness. But why? For what purpose?] to be tempted [Gk: ‘tested’] OF THE DEVIL [Satan, Ver. 10]” (Matt. 4:1).

Is this not the very same thing we read concerning Job; that he was “tested of God” through the vessel of Satan?

“But He knows the way that I take: when He [God] has tried me [Hebrew: ‘tested me’]” (Job 23:10).

Satan has a kingdom. Jesus said he has a kingdom. Jesus Himself created all of those “powers and principalities” and kingdoms:

“For by Him [Jesus] were ALL things created that are in heaven [we covered this part earlier] and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions [Greek: ‘rulers’], or principalities, or powers…” (Col. 1:16).

Notice that Jesus created “dominions—RULERS.” Are we told anywhere specifically who or what these “rulers” are?

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the RULERS of the darkness…” (Eph. 6:12).

The Greek word translated “rulers” in Strong’s Greek Dictionary is “#2888, kosmo [from #2889, the world] krator [from #2902 to seize/strength], a world ruler an epithet of Satan” (Strong’s p. 143-144).

“A WORLD RULER”! An epithet of SATAN! Wow! Where have we seen this before? This word kosmokrator—A WORLD RULER—an epithet of Satan is used nowhere else in the entire Bible but in Eph. 6:12, and refers to no one else except Satan. And rightly so: after all, how many “world rulers” can there be?

There is only ONE “ruler of this world” and it is SATAN!

Make no Scriptural mistake about it: Satan has an invisible kingdom in “heavenly places” but he also has a kingdom “in the EARTH.” Get ready for a spiritual EARTHQUAKE.

“Again, the devil takes Him [Jesus] up into an exceeding high mountain, and shows Him ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD, and the glory of them; And says unto Him, ALL THESE THINGS WILL I GIVE YOU if You will fall down and worship me” (Matt. 4:8-9).

Notice how Jesus answers Satan. Jesus does not say to Satan: “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt NOT LIE…”

Jesus doesn’t accuse Satan of “lying.” No, Satan didn’t lie: Satan “TEMPTED” Jesus with the TRUTH. ALL OF THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD REALLY DO BELONG TO SATAN!

How many reading these awesome Scriptures will believe them? Maybe a “few” whom are “chosen.”

There’s more: Not only is Satan the possessor of all the kingdoms of this world, but he is, in fact, THE GOD OF THIS WORLD:

“In whom THE GOD OF THIS WORLD has blinded the minds of them which believe… [just ask yourselves if you really believe all of the Scriptures that I am presenting in this paper?…] …believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, Who is the Image of God, should shine unto them” (II Cor. 4:4).

And where do you suppose Satan has his throne to all his kingdoms? Answer: In the church!

"I know your works and where you dwell, even where Satan seat [GK: 'throne'] is...,"

And the very "depths of Satan" are in the church (Rev. 2:24).

Satan did not gain and acquire all the kingdoms of this world as personal possessions against the purpose and intention of God his very Creator! What greater power and authority could there possibly be than to be the possessor of “ALL the kingdom of the world,” and to be the very “god OF THIS WORLD?” Is all this power and might just “allowed” by God or rather is it not purposefully ORDAINED of God?

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power BUT OF GOD: THE POWERS THAT BE ARE ORDAINED OF GOD” (Rom. 13:1).

There is an important distinction to be made between [1] the “god of this world”—Satan/kosmokrator—world ruler—who is Satan (II Cor. 4:4/Eph. 6:12), and [2] the civil “powers” and “rulers” which are called “magistrates” in the Greek, who make laws that govern and suppress some of the evil in the world. Both the “world ruler/god of this world” AND the “powers and magistrates” are “ordained [Gk: ‘appointed’]” OF God, but one we are to “be subject to” but the other we are to “resist.”

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers [‘governing authorities’]…” (Rom. 13:1)

BUT:

“Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

This is a most important point, and our own Lord has given us the perfect example of how we are to "resist the Devil," but, "be subject unto the higher powers:"

“Then said Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan [Jesus ‘resisted’ the Devil]: for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve. Then the devil LEAVES HIM…” (Matt. 4:10-11).

Though Jesus resisted the Devil, He was then “subject to the higher powers” for the rest of His ministry:

“And they that had laid hold on Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest…” (Matt. 26:57).

“Then said Pilate unto Him, speak you not unto me? Know you not that I have power to crucify you, and have power to release you? Jesus answered, You could have no power at all against me except it was given you from above; therefore he that delivered Me unto you has the greater power” (John 19:10-11).

But above all:

“We ought to obey GOD rather than MEN.”

And so we have read that God used Satan to try, and test Job, He used Satan to try, and test Jesus, He uses Satan to try, and test believers, and He also uses Satan to try, and test THE WHOLE WORLD:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour [Gk: ‘swallow down’]: Whom RESIST stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished [‘experienced] in your brethren that are IN THE WORLD” (I Pet. 5:8-9).

As I have said before, God does not turn man’s lemons into His lemonade. No, God first creates the lemons and then turns them into lemonade.

God does not “allow” Satan to do ANYTHING. Satan was created by God to do exactly what God wants him to do—nothing more and nothing less.

Satan is an intricate and necessary creation of God to accomplish His awesome purpose and goal for the human race. When God desires something, HE CREATES IT. God desired an “adversary,” an “enemy,” but there is no natural adversary or enemy of God:

“I am the LORD, and there is NONE else, there is NO God beside me” (Isa. 45:6).

And so when God needed a “god” to rule ALL THE NATIONS of this world, HE CREATED ONE—one that would lie, deceive, accuse, tempt, and murder. A Devil who would “deceive the WHOLE WORLD.” But one who would appear as “An ANGEL of Light.” My how flawlessly he has performed his duty to God. And you thought he was a “free moral” renegade running amuck through heaven and earth destroying God’s handiwork!

God have mercy upon our stupid and foolish hearts for ever believing that Your Own creation could wreck and destroy Your Own creation.

ALL THE BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF WHAT GOD ALLOWS

Here then are all the Biblical examples of what God “allows”:

“But as we were allowed [Gk: ‘approved’] of God to be put in trust with the gospel…” (I Thes. 2:4).

That’s it! That is the totality of everything in the Bible that God “allows.”

NOW A FEW BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF WHAT GOD CAUSES:

EARTHQUAKES :

The Christmas tsunami was caused by an under water earthquake. Pat Robertson says this earthquake was not from the Lord. Earthquakes are mentioned in 17 verses of Scripture, and everyone one of them is FROM THE LORD:

“You shall be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake…” (Isa. 29:6).

“And, behold, there was a great earthquake for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven…” (Matt. 28:2). Etcetera,

After each category of evil that I will Scripturally prove comes from God, we need to ask ourselves, “Does God ‘allow’ all of these things, or does God create, cause, and bring these evils upon humanity?” God does not “allow” earthquakes, but rather He causes and brings earthquakes. I will give a second witness to each of these categories, although with some of these evils, there are hundreds of Scriptural examples.

FLOODS :

“And with the blast of Thy [God’s] nostrils the waters were gathered together [Heb: ‘piled up’], the floods stood upright as an heap [Heb: ‘mound, a wave’ as in the tsunami quake which caused a huge wave!], and the depths [Heb: ‘an abyss (as a surging mass of water), especially the deep (the main sea or the subterranean water-supply), Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary] were congealed in the heart of the sea” (Exodus 15:8).

Sounds pretty much like what God did in the Indian Ocean to destroy the coastal regions of Indonesia, doesn’t it? Theologians refuse to believe that God would purposefully CAUSE the Christmas tsunami, yet it was God who destroyed not just a few hundred thousand with a flood in Indonesia, but destroyed the whole human race (save eight souls) in a worldwide flood:

“And, Behold! I [GOD] even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, where in is the breath of life, from under heaven; and everything that is in the earth shall die” (Gen. 6:17).

Does Mr. Robertson believe that this too was just a “subduction of one of the tectonic plates in the ocean?” Was it really just “a natural release of heat in the atmosphere?” Or was it a work of God to “…destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth…”? (Gen. 6:7).

PLAGUES AND DISEASE :

“Moreover He will bring upon you all the diseases of Egypt, which you were afraid of and they shall cleave unto you. Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of the law, them will the Lord bring upon you, until you be destroyed” (Deut. 28:60-61)

“The LORD shall smite you with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue you until you perish” (Deut. 28:22).

POVERTY :

“The LORD makes poor…” (I Sam. 2:7).

“The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of all” (Prov. 22:2).

FAMINE :

“Moreover He [God] called for a famine upon the land: He broke the whole staff of bread” (Psalm 105:16).

“And I [God] will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from the land…” (Jer. 24:10).

AFFLICTIONS :

“…the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted [Heb: ‘to make good for nothing’] me” (Ruth 1:21).

“And the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them [Heb: ‘hurt and weakened’]” (II Kings 17:20).

THE SWORD :

“I [God] will consume them by the sword…” (Jer. 14:12).

“I [God] will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their father have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them” (Jer. 9:16).

WAR :

“The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is His name” (Ex. 15:3).

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and He that sat upon Him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he does judge and make war” (Rev. 19:11).

DESTRUCTION :

“Howl! Ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty” (Isa. 13:6).

“Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come” (Joel 1:15).

“PESTILENCE:

“And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall DIE of a great pestilence” (Jer. 21:6).

“If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people…” (II Chron. 7:13).

HAIL :

“Beh