While there is a lot we cannot know about God, there is a lot that we can know.  We can know what God reveals about Himself.  Consider the following points.

• God does not have any joy in seeing any person suffer.
• God is absolutely just, and there will be no suffering in vain.     Every person will see, in the end, that everything is fair, just, and right.
• All suffering has a part in working out God's ultimate plan. Not even a sparrow falls to the ground that God doesn't know about. Every hair on your head is numbered. There will be a day when we understand, as God does, the purpose for every bit of suffering and sorrow of every person.
• In the light of the glory that shall be revealed in the faithful, all the sufferings of the present are insignificant.
• God makes progress in everything He does, even when we don't understand how that could be possible.
• In the light of Hell, all the pleasures of sin are insignificant.
• It is part of the human condition that humans want to assume that anything they don't personally understand must make no sense or that it must not be true. This, however, is only an illusion.     The natural mind is totally rebellious against God and cannot understand spiritual things.     If you or I think we can analyze these types of things or come to an understanding by intellectualizing them, we are just stuck in our own prideful fantasy.
• God understands the entire situation and is ultimately in control.
• If there were no sin on earth, there would be no suffering.
• If there were no sin on earth, there would be no death.
• When Adam sinned, that put Satan in charge on a temporary and limited basis. Yes, Satan is real.     God will even use Satan to bring about His ultimate plan.
• God has a plan by which He will turn all of this around.     That plan is being executed by God through a remnant who are learning to be obedient to the Spirit of God.
• God's heart breaks for people with pain and suffering.
• God has disappointment with us and is saddened by our rejection of Him.
• Much of the suffering is a reward for not loving and obeying God, or not worshiping and respecting God, or not believing God, or not receiving God's free gifts.
• Some suffering is for other purposes, such as tempering the faith of the faithful, or bringing those who have been born to maturity, or filling up the cup of iniquity of those who cause suffering, or for purposes we may not fully understand yet.
• God would have all to be saved.
• As in Adam all die, so in Christ, shall all be made alive.
• Beyond all of this, God does not look at things the way that we do. He understands what is going on, while we only see from our limited viewpoint.     He sees the end from the beginning. God knows exactly what He is going to do and how He is going to do it.

FREE on-line BOOK (a classic): The Real Faith, by Charles S. Price

FREE on-line BOOK (a classic): The Meaning Of Faith, by Charles S. Price

Family Research Council

Topic: How to be Born Again

You can start over.  You can have the slate washed clean.  God loved us so much that He gave us a way, and that is the only way.  It's all about God's family. You can't join God's family. You can't buy your way in. You can't work your way in. You must be born into this family. The way is simple. All who will receive Jesus as their savior from...

You can't join.  You have to be born into God's family, you know, born again. So how can you be born again?  1 Peter 1:23 says that you must be born of incorruptible seed by the word of God. John 1:1 says that Jesus is the Word. You need to be born of Jesus, the incorruptible seed, who is the Word of God.     Romans 10:9 says that if you confess the Lord...

So how can you know Jesus and how can you know God? How can you be born again? First Peter 1:23 says that you must be born of incorruptible seed by the word of God. John 1:1 says that Jesus is the Word. You need to be born of Jesus, the incorruptible seed, who is the Word of God.  And once your are born in Him, you must go from...

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 God loved you (put your name in here) so much that he gave His only unique Son so that if you (put your name in here) believe in Him, you won\'t die, but you will have a Aionial life. This is a specific kind...

Romans 10:13 says that whoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.   Are you willing to call upon the name of the Lord? You can, you know. Why not call on Him right now? Tell Jesus that you know you have fallen short of the glory of God. Tell Him that you know that you need His help. Tell Him that you want Him to change your life and to...

There is a huge difference between knowing about God and knowing God. Knowing about God is nice, but it can't change my life. God makes exclusive claims for His way.  There is only one way back to God. As I come to know God more intimately, that changes my life even more than being born again. That's why God gave so much beyond just being born again. Everyone who believes in Christ is born...

Unless you are born again, you will lose out.  You can\'t enter the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith to him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother\'s womb, and be born?  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say to thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the <\"\" />kingdom of God.  ...

God's Purpose Is To Bring You Back Into His Family. We're talking about God's family. You can't join God's family. You can't buy your way in. You can't work your way in. You must be born into this family. The way is simple. All who will receive Jesus as their savior from sin are born as spiritual babies into the family of God the Father. Did God send Jesus to save you...

Many years ago while preaching about the harlot who washed the feet of Jesus, the late evangelist JOHN ALEXANDER DOWIE (1847-1907) of Zion City, Illinois, related the following: "This poor woman, a harlot, who came in from the streets is called 'Hamartolos'; in the original word, that is to say, a prostitute, a poor, wretched, outcast woman, a harlot. Oh, is there any being upon earth so much to be pitied,...

You need to be saved from slavery and from the unhappy results of that slavery. Everyone who sins is a slave to sin, and everyone sins.  No one reaches the high calling that God has planned for them except through Jesus Christ. The result of sin is death. There is the first death and the second death, commonly called hell. That's what you need to be saved from.  And you...

Romans 10:13 says that whoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Are you willing to call upon the name of the Lord? You can, you know. Why not call on Him right now?   Tell Jesus that you know you have fallen short of the glory of God.   Tell Him that you know that you need His help.   Tell Him that you want Him to...

With free salvation being such a great offer, the only reason anyone would reject this salvation is because they love darkness rather than light. It\'s not just freedom from the punishment--it\'s freedom from the sin. A lot of people try to trick God. They say give me the salvation from punishment, but I still want to keep my sin. John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into...

To be a Christian-in-name-only won\'t cost you anything. You can keep all your flesh and misery. Trying to put God\'s new wine into your old wineskins allows you to keep your old wineskins, but to truly have an experience with the living Savior will cost you.  To be freed from bondage to sin will cost you your bondage to sin.  To be free of depression will cost you your depression. ...

You can have it all. No matter how great life may seem to be, you will never know life\'s best until you have the ultimate experience. No matter how terrible life may be, you can still have this same ultimate experience. And it\'s free. It\'s a free gift. Got baggage in your life? You know; burdensome things in your life!? You do have to drop off your baggage that...

1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. Ezekiel 39:7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not [let them] pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I [am] the LORD, the Holy...

We All Fail To Keep The Commandments. We All Need Jesus. The emphasis on avoiding hell and getting to heaven is sometimes over-done. This misses the glory that is available in God. Jesus is the only one who can reconcile us to God. Romans 3:23 \"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God\" We have not pleased God. God is absolutely holy and just. Justice must judge all...

No.  All ways do not lead to God.  God has made one way by which mankind may approach to Him. Acts 4:12 says, \"Neither is there salvation in any other [speaking of Jesus]: for there\'s none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.\" Satan is offering every other way in hopes that foolish people will obey him once again and, so, come into greater...

God is Love. All who reject God, reject love. Any who does not love does not know God. God gave His unique Son for me and for you, and that way is the one and only way that anyone will be able to approach God. Contrary to what the New Agers in Hollywood, in the universities, in the news media, and in our neighborhoods have been trying to tell us,...

We're talking about God's family. You can't join God's family. You can't buy your way in. You can't work your way in. You must be born into this family. The way is simple. All who will receive Jesus as their savior from sin are born as spiritual babies into the family of God the Father. ...

Jesus said, "You must be born again."  Nicodemus didn't have a clue what Jesus meant.  He asked, 'How can I be born again?"  It's a great question.  The answer is, "you must believe in Jesus for deliverance from your sins."  Being born again is getting started on the road to spiritual success.  Once you get started, hopefully, you take ground, hold the ground, and go on to total victory. ...

Some people say that there are many ways to God or to fulfillment.  This is untrue.  There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we can be saved. There is only one Jesus. Whoever is not for Him is against Him. Whoever is against Him cannot be for Him. There is no middle ground. Fulfillment is only available in Jesus. Only through Jesus can we approach...

We have missed out on the very best.  We have failed, fallen short of the glory that God planned for us.  This glory is centered on a relationship.  God wants a relationship with us and we need a relationship with God.  God's plan is that we be born into that relationship and that we grow in that relationship. God has a pattern for being born again;  we can't do it our...

 I'll Do It Myself   God provided a way of salvation, and He is looking for those who will accept it. He is looking for those who will not reject Him. Those who reject God's salvation are rejecting a wonderful gift. They are exhibiting the ultimate in rebellion against God. There is no way to sugar-coat this situation. Those who reject Jesus are rejecting God and are condemned already. If you reject...

God's love is so great that He gave His only unique Son so we would not have to be cut off from Him in hell. God is Love.  All who reject Jesus reject God's salvation. All who reject Jesus reject God. All who reject God, reject love. Any who does not love does not know God. God gave His unique Son for me and for you, and that way is the...

Those who reject God are rejecting Love.  God is Love. No one has ever found an error in Scripture, and those who don't want the Bible to be God's Word do so because they want to follow the leading of their own mind rather than receiving the revelation of God's will in their lives.   They want darkness more than they want Light. They want darkness, and they hate the pure love of...

Many people try to rationalize away the salvation of God. Examples include evolutionism, Naturalism, materialism, uniformitarianism, Atheism, Humanism, Agnositicism, Hinduism, Islam, and New Age. Why do people do this? It is plain, from Scripture, that acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior causes a person to leave behind worldly behavior and to walk in righteousness. John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness...

Both materialistic evolutionary theory and theistic (God-controlled) evolutionary theory claim that we are all descendants of fish.  Who could believe such a message?  Only someone who wants to avoid God. Given the scientific facts that have been uncovered, a person would have to be willingly ignorant to believe such a thing. They would have to want very badly not to know about God\'s power and sovereignty, wouldn\'t they? They...

God's plan is that we have a progressive experience with Him.  There are many ways that the Bible refers to this progressive experience.  It is called walking in the Spirit.  It is called going on to perfection, perfection meaning completion or maturity.  It is called edification. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to...

God has shown us, through His Word, that there are ways that will stunt our growth. They will cause us to fail spiritually and in every other way. The Bible gives the warning concerning these various pitfalls.     If we try to approach God while rejecting His Son, Jesus, and the amazing salvation that God has given, we will fail. We have to do it God's way, or we fail...

God is love. There is no other source of love. God created a perfect universe. Mankind was separated from God by rebellion. Rebellion, that is sin, brought death. God, who is love, wants a relationship with you and every other person. God is Light and in Him is no darkness at all. God is good and cannot even look at evil. God\'s law is love. God, by His nature, must judge evil and reward good. The human race is...

Lately, we have been hearing more and more about the glorification of the human spirit. To a member of the New Age, Atheist, Agnostic, and Humanistic religions, the human spirit (or even an evil spirit) is the source of salvation and revelation. The intellectuals are put forward as the prophets of New Age, Atheist, Agnostic, and Humanistic religions, although they are false prophets. There is another Spirit that is available...

What does it mean to be born again? What does the Scripture say?   \"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.\" 1 John 5:1     If you believe that Jesus is the Christ, then you are born again. \"for, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be...

God so loved the world, that is the cosmos, the universe and its order, that He gave His unique Son so that whoever believes into Him should not die but should have the life of the coming age, an uncreated life that does not end. And how do we believe into Him? It is \"into\" in the original language. Well, who is Christ?  Christ is the Head of the Body in...

Topic: Persecution and Trials

The kids were encouraged to make the posters expressing their thanks during the Thanksgiving season. But this one child\'s poster was removed because the child wanted to thank Jesus. The 3rd Circuit Court upheld the school\'s actions. But Judge Alito \"stood on the wall\" in opposition and filed a blistering dissent that stated, \"Public school students have the right to express religious views in class discussion or in assigned work.\"...

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Education has become one of the most anti-Christ elements of society. Why would Christians stand in the counsel of the ungodly? Why would Christians cause their children to stand in this counsel. There are wonderful alternatives to the secular and public...

            \"This is what the LORD Almighty says: \'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.  Haggai 2:6      Most of the world\'s charities helping in the effort are Christian and American.  Indonesia is the world\'s largest Muslim nation, yet Muslim nations, including the fabulously wealthy Saudi regime, have given chump change compared to those countries...

1 Peter 4:12-13 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you:But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ\'s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed [Apokalupsis: removal of a covering or veil], ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. Suffering is one of many forms of temptation.  When we suffer, we are also drawn...

Dear Brothers and Sisters, The trials of the saints have been many, but the victory is assured. Here is a "Word of Wisdom" gleaned from the writings of a forerunner of this present Move of the Spirit, offered as a word of encouragement to all who are going through "something": "When trials come our first inclination is to ask what we have done to deserve this, or why does God allow...

When you endure trials and suffering such as stress, betrayal, tragedy, disappointment, criticism, contempt, malice, rebukes, disrespect, disobedience, dismissal, tantrums, mind games, and such, and you respond correctly, you will be sanctified. This is what is meant by God\'s illustration of the refiner\'s fire (Zechariah 13:9, Haggai 2:7-9, Malachi 3:1-3, faith Is Much More Precious Than Of Gold\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https://seekfind.net/1_Peter_17_The_Trial_Of_Your_Faith_Is_Much_More_Precious_Than_Of_Gold_.html\">1 Peter 1:6-7, Isaiah 48:10-11). Many of the most evil seeds...

Zechariah 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God....

Haggai 2:7-9 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.  The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.  The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith...

1 Peter 1:6 & 7  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found to praise and honour and glory at the appearing [Apokalupsis: removal of a covering or veil] of Jesus Christ FREE on-line BOOK (a...

Isaiah 48:10-11 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory to another. Many are called, but few are chosen.  Look at the place where the chosen are chosen: the furnace of affliction.  God does...

  If you have not read Stories Versus Truth, you may want to read that before reading this.     You may hear a question like this: \"God knew everything before he created it, so why did God make people who he knew in advance would turn on him and go to hell?  I guess the same can be said for why did God make angels he knew would turn on him too?\" In these...

Our walk is one of overcoming the lies that we have been told. We need to see reality as it really is. If we could see reality regarding suffering, then we would always be thankful. It is the lies that are in our hearts that make us unthankful and unable to reap the benefits of suffering. Some of these lies were in our hearts from the day we were born....

This page is provided to answer a specific question, but don\'t get tied up in detail and forget where you are going. You get past the questions/attacks so you can proclaim the Gospel. It is the proclamation of the Gospel, not argumentation, that transforms minds. See Give Them the Gospel. If you have not read Stories Versus Truth, you may want to read that before reading this. Evolution is NOT Science Many...

If you have not read Stories Versus Truth, you may want to read that before reading this.   Fun Stuff With Evolution Let\'s have fun with some of the obvious and strange facts surrounding the theories that say that things can create themselves. These are the theories that are generally called by the name Evolution. What is the molecules-to-man evolution conjecture / fabrication (sometimes erroneously called the Theory of Evolution)? It\'s simply this:...

Expect Persecution. Accept it as a gift from God. Blessed is everyone who is persecuted. Everyone who is righteous is persecuted. Woe to those who are not persecuted for their righteousness. Never be persecuted because you are doing wrong or because you are being a jerk. You probably know a Christian who is obnoxious. There is no goodness in suffering for doing wrong. But the ungodly will try to control you,...