In the following Bible commentary, Kit Olsen talks about how that the imprecatory prayer that IS Psalm 83 fits in with the up-coming, prophesied Gog-Magog war that is described in The Book of Ezekial, Chapters 38 and 39: -- "Psalm 83 and the Battle of Ezekial 38 and 39."


Chess Fan

I'm not sure I agree, Ed. Christianity is a broad umbrella and I think it is very hard to define a set of beliefs which are compulsory for Christians. On the one hand you have people calling themselves Christians who believe that it is compulsory to take almost everything the Bible says completely literally (e.g. 6 day creation, women must not speak in church meetings), and on the other hand you have people calling themselves Christians who don't believe any of the supernatural events recorded in the Bible (e.g. Jesus' healing miracles and his resurrection).

And could you expand on your statement that 'perpetrators of things like "Open Theism" do more damage to Christianity than the Crusades'? What kind of damage are you thinking of?

Final question! I don't have the philosophical training to really grasp arguments like St Anselm's. Do you have any suggestions of books that would give me a layperson's way in to religious philosophy? Thanks very much.

Well, Dr. David Jeremiah of Turning Point ministries is preaching an on-going weekly 10-part series of Bible teaching messages that has the overall title of: "Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World."

In this week's final edition of this on-going series, Dr. Jeremiah preaches from the Word of Almighty God about how we as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ can stay truly convinced and un-shaken in our Lord IF we continue to live lives that are fully committed and devoted to Him as we look for the return of our Lord to take us Home to be with Him in the Rapture of the Church **at any moment**!

The main Bible text that Dr. Jeremiah uses for this message is from The Book of Romans, Chapter 13, Verses 11 through 14.

So now, here now is Part Ten; **(which also is the final part)**, of this teaching series: -- "Stay Convinced."


Chess Fan

@Kevin:

Please do not take this the wrong way; but, once again, **you really DO need to ground yourself more fully** in your knowledge of the Scriptures.

I have been "breezing over" this discussion that you have been having with Ed here recently about this so-called "Open Theism" stuff that you and him have been talking about.

Kevin, the Bible teaches *from cover to cover* that Almighty God is **in total control of ALL things!!**

Indeed, we mortal human beings with our limited knowledge can NOT fully answer some questions like, "Why did an all-powerful, all-knowing God allow sin and evil into this world in the first place?"; but, just because we as Christians certainly do NOT "have all the answers", there ARE some things that we DO know from what the Word of God teachs us.

And, one thing that the Bible does teach us, (both directly and in-directly), is that **Almighty God is in TOTAL control of all things**, and, that He has all power, and, all knowledge, etc.!

Kevin, Ed is right when he tells you that this so-called "Open Theism" garbage that says that God is NOT all-knowing, all-powerful, etc. DOES do damage to the credibility of what message of what true Christianity is all about.

I mean, Kevin, IF God is NOT all-powerful, then, how do you know as a Christian that God really DOES have the power to keep you truly saved?


Chess Fan

So if God is 'in TOTAL control of all things', how do you explain the Holocaust; the fact that thousands of children die from malnutrition and treatable diseases every day; natural disasters like the Boxing Day tsunami a few years ago? Why does God not stop these things?

I do believe that God is all-powerful but he has delegated power to other agents, in particular human beings to 'reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock...' [Genesis 1:26] This means that a lot of what happens in the world is up to us and, of course, we are selfish, greedy, insecure, angry etc. so we don't rule the earth perfectly. Far from it. But, I believe, God's approach is to share sovereignty and he seems not to be in a hurry to take it all back from us.

Chess Fan, following on from your view that God is in control of all things, can I ask you a couple of questions? Do you pray for things like good health, safe journeys etc.? If so, what would you say the purpose of your praying is?

My, my, Kevin, when you ask questions like those, you really DO look and sound like a brand-new believer in the Lord who knows **nothing at all** about what the Bible teaches!

** Kevin, because you say that have been a Christian for a long time now, how can you say something like, "IF God is in TOTAL control of all things?!"

I mean, Kevin, how can you have read the Bible for a long time now and NOT see that the Bible clearly teaches that God IS in control of ALL things?! **

Anyway, all of these bad things happen BECAUSE we live in a sin-cursed world, that's why.

(Kevin, please go back and read what God has to say about it in the Book of Genesis).

Kevin, none of us as Christians can fully answer the question as to WHY that Almighty God allows such bad and evil things to happen in this world; HOWEVER, the Bible also **clearly teaches** that there IS a time coming when God will put an complete and total end to this current "order of things" and bring forth a NEW Heavens and a NEW Earth that will be totally free of ANY AND ALL bad things, evil, sin, etc.!


Whatever "sovereignty" that man has is ONLY partial sovereignty; remember, that God IS, overall, sovereign above all.


Yes, I DO pray for things like that.

And, the purpose OF my praying for things like that is BECAUSE I know that God is in TOTAL control of all things.


Chess Fan

So God allows bad and evil things to happen but we both agree he has the power to stop them. I think this paradox needs to be acknowledged and an explanation attempted. How can God be both all-powerful and all-good when he permits things like natural disasters, warfare, famine etc. to happen?


So God is in total control (meaning that his will is always done in full?) but you pray for him to do things like keep you and your loved ones safe. That doesn't make sense to me - aren't you saying that, seeing as God is in full control, he either will or will not keep you and your loved ones safe according to his will? What's the purpose of praying then?

Good questions, Kevin. I wonder if anyone has managed to wrap their minds around these. C.S. Lewis' book The Problem of Pain is one I highly recommend reading, as it deals with some of these issues.

Incidentally, I also liked his God in the Dock book, a collection of short essays on a variety of topics. The "dock" is not referring to a place to moor boats, but the court dock. Basically, God on Trial. This book also looks at some charges against God and attempts to answer them, or to show the charges themselves are based on a misunderstanding or lack of knowledge; and how understanding can lead to deeper questions, some of which can't be answered satisfactorily. Good thinking material.

I couldn't disagree more. I think it shows a progression from child-like acceptance of 18th dogma, to a more sophisticated intelligent form of Christianity.

BTW i find the will of god argument, and that we can't understand his purpose, as a means of justifying billions of deaths quite nauseous.

Agree, Spud. Kevin's questions are those questions that are asked by those who have a deeper understanding of Christianity. These are topics tackled by some of the greatest thinkers in Christianity, and books and essays by the hundreds (or thousands) have been written.

Kevin is chewing on meat and has left the milk behind, as the apostle Paul says that Christians should do as they go from child to adult in their spiritual walk.