I would like to thank you and all the staff at RBC Ministries for your dedication to our Lord Jesus Christ and to your presentation of the Gospel of the Kingdom in all you do. I remember watching the Day of Discovery nearly 40 years ago when all I can recall were the singers around the lake. Ha. We have all changed a bit since then.
The programs have been such an inspiration to me over the years. So much so that the desire I had to go to Israel, which was planted in my heart while watching you and Jimmy DeYoung teach from there, was realized two years ago as I went with Jimmy and Joshua Travel. What an incredible trip where the Bible just “came alive” and anew to me.
I’ve read Our Daily Bread for many years and have been touched by how the Holy Spirit speaks to me in things happening in my life as I read. I have followed your “Been Thinking” article for some time also, have listened to the radio program, and read many other booklets and articles which RBC produces.
Now as I have been participating in this Been Thinking blog, the Lord is continuing to bless. You have challenged me to study the scripture to understand what it truly says rather than coming with my opinions and beliefs which I have previously held. Thank you for helping us to discover the Truth in the tension of the Word and our lives.
May God bless you and direct you and RBC as you continue to do your utmost for His Highest.

Dependent, yes a groan for all the suffering in the world, to those who have not found Jesus yet:

While we are in this chaptre Revelation 12
v12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!

So we who are in Christ rejoice because of the suffering, but woe to the yet lost.
Also Romans 8:22-23
22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Thank you for these words:

“All this to say: Enjoy the doors that God has opened for you to grow as you meet in the fellowship He has planted you in. Blessings in His name.”

I always new God had planted me at The Barn and when someone told me to leave, because I said I did not like some things going on, I immediately retorted ” I can’t leave, God has planted me here.” I let satan get hold of stuff in me and I rebelled against God and have had an 18 month absense from His Church.
Thanks to The Holy Spirit you have just reafirmed what God originally showed me.

lilu1314h
You said

“Just a thought…

Why God did not banish Lucifer when he disobey Him??”

I thought God did bannish Lucifer together with one third of the Angels (Who are now called demons)to Earth.
There were three Archagels in heaven Lucifer(in charge of Worship and Light), Micheal(the power/leader of God’s army)
and Gabriel (God’s communicator/messenger)
Each commands one third of the angels.
And I may be wrong, but each one seems to reflect the Godhead.
Gabrel to Jesus(The Word made flesh), Micheal to The Holy Spirit (Gods Power and might), and Lucifer to The Father. (Worship & Light)

Bob

God and the Word must have discussed it, and both came to the conclusion that the solution would be the appearance of Jesus in the flesh:
It says in 1 John 3: 3 But you know that He appeared so that he might take away our sins..
v8 the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the work of rhe devil.
Even in Revdelation it is written that God will bind Satan for a 1000 years, and after that he must be set free for a short time. Rev 20:1-3. And when he is released, he immedialtely starts to deceive the nations again, and the fighting too, v 7-10, even the city of Jerusalem is surrounded again!
God does not say why this is so. The question -why- is so useless, as if God is going to explain everything to us, while His ways are so much higher then our ways, as was written here on this blog.
But I was raised in a church which did try to explain this, they were into a lot of prophecies, and about the second coming of Christ, they searched the scriptures fron Genesis to Revelation. The advantage for me is now I have a lot of scriptures in my memory.
The disadvantage was that the one main solution, Jesus the Deliverer, was a bit undervalued. I had to find that later, as the one main Cause of Grace, and Healing, and Forgiving, and the One source fo real Life.
But they said, all the people that turned to Christ while Satan was still around are the firstfruits, the hard fruit, those that would be kings and priests in His kingdom. 1 Peter 2:9, James 1:18, Revelation 14:4
The rest of the people who will turn to Jesus after Satan is bound, are the softer fruits.
Like the fruit in the spring is the hard fruit, the grains, the fruit of the harvest is the soft fruit, the apples, oranges, the vegetables.
It is already said here that we are formed and molded against suffering, persecution, and because of that our character is much more firm and persevered.
God is making a government of us now, a government to rule in His coming Kingdom, which will cover the earth.
So keep on, turning to Christ, to live your life through faith in Him.

Mart, I appreciate how deftly you have posed these ‘truths in tension’. The resulting exploration of the truths of God’s word is edifying and valuable.

A couple of observations about this “thankful FOR everything and IN everything” discussion:
It seems most of the posts have focused on sorting through the implications of the ‘evil/calamity’ that happens to each of us individually, as believers. And how God’s word (in addition to blessed hindsight) assures us of his plan and intention to work good both in and through *despite) every thing we face. Praise God for his grace and mercy!

But even though I embrace this notion of being thankful FOR/IN all things as a believer who desires to walk in total submission, I struggle with the idea of being thankful FOR the evil that affects others. There seems a danger of justifying my non-action in the face of the injustice and havoc that trails behind the evil people in the world. I guess at some level I can be thankful that the weak and vulnerable suffer so that “the glory of God can be revealed”–but that honestly seems a stretch for anyone other than Christ himself.

And for good measure, it seems the notion of being thankful FOR all things (including evil) is at odds with Jesus’ prayer “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil”… Guess to be honest, after seeing all the scripture traded here, and all the valid arguments, I can’t seem to embrace the idea of being thankful FOR evil while at the same time rejecting it/resisting it (in my life or my surroundings).

—-
It’s also interesting to reflect on the idea that the very concept of a holy and righteous God assumes *by definition* that an alternative exists…something less than holy, something less than righteous.

Might be a bit philosophical, but thought it germain to the discussion about the ‘beginning’ of evil…

Thanks to everyone for their hearfelt and thoughtful responses. I learn something every time I read and reflect on your input.

Blessings.

Bob, I want you to know that you are loved, and I want to encourage you to let go of the past, including any words that were said beforehand. Perhaps you have had many people in your lifetime who have a tendency to harbor animosity in their hearts. Be sure of this; I don’t :-). Whatever happened days ago is history as far as I’m concerned. All this to say: Enjoy the doors that God has opened for you to grow as you meet in the fellowship He has planted you in. Blessings in His name.

Love in Messiah,

Ron Ben Yaakov

Why God did not banish Lucifer when he disobey Him??