Four Spiritual Interventions (Intro)

Four Spiritual Interventions (Intro)

Throughout history God has personally and decisively intervened in the affairs of mankind in order to bring about His own Will and Purpose. It should come as no surprise that the Creator of Heaven and Earth, Almighty God, can, will, and does move upon us according to times and seasons of His own choosing. God has complete freedom and liberty to do as He wishes, whenever He wishes. This is what the theologians refer to as "omnipotence." Because God is omnipotent (that is, all-powerful), He is not limited or restricted (as some suppose) by man's "free will." Some have erroneously concluded that because God has given man the freedom of choice, man can therefore shut God out simply by refusing Him. If we follow this line of thinking then we are compelled to believe that God sits upon His throne in Heaven, looking down upon all the inhabitants of the Earth, waiting to see if anyone will freely choose Him, invite Him in, open the door of their heart, make a decision, or formally surrender to Him. Until then (we are told) God's almighty hands are tied, and He is powerless to save, or heal, or move, or do anything He wishes to do, because - alas! - He must have man's permission before He can do anything. This would mean that the Creator has essentially become imprisoned by His own creation. Not only does this call into question the omnipotence of God, it also challenges His omniscience: wouldn't an all-knowing God perceive that man would be able to usurp His throne via "free will"? Knowing this in advance, would He not then do something to prevent it from happening?

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Overcoming Guilt and Condemnation

Overcoming Guilt and Condemnation

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
Guilt usually arises out of unrealistic expectations, and these expectations are either created by you or given to you from other people.
Maybe those expectations come from your parents. Maybe those expectations come from your religion. Maybe those expectations come from the [...]

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Overcoming Bitterness and Unforgiveness

Overcoming Bitterness and Unforgiveness

“Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Seven times?” (Matthew 18:21).
Do you have trouble forgiving others? You’re not alone. Almost everyone agrees that we need to forgive. We know what we “ought” to do, but actually doing it is the hard part.
When Peter asked Jesus this question he sounded [...]

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Overcoming Fear and Worry

Overcoming Fear and Worry

“Fear not, for I am with you…” (Isaiah 43:5a).
Jesus said that there would come a time when men’s hearts would fail them for fear of what was happening on the earth. We are living in that time! Fear is a very powerful emotion and can have a negative effect on our spirit, soul, and body. [...]

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