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Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do.
And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with
– even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department.
Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently. Romans 14.1: The Message
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#218011 - 02/16/09 07:19 PM Re: Try to Surprise God [Re: rudywoofs]
Tom Wetmore Offline
Latitudinarian


Registered: 06/21/00
Posts: 2331
Loc: Silver Spring, MD, USA
Yes, the sense of it goes to the choice idea. If we truly have choices (free will), I think that God may occasionally be pleasantly surprised when we beat the overwhelming odds working against us by our circumstances, heredity, habits, etc. That would seem to be the inverse of being disappointed that the chosen ones went against their privileged opportunities and turned their backs toward the light and headed into darkness.
_________________________
"Absurdity reigns and confusion makes it look good."
"Sinless perfection is such a shallow goal."
"I love God only as much as the person I love the least."
*Forgiveness is always good news. And that is the gospel truth.
(And finally, the ideas expressed above are solely my person views and not that of any organization with which I am associated.)

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#218153 - 02/17/09 05:38 AM Re: Try to Surprise God [Re: Tom Wetmore]
CoAspen Online   walklikeegyptian


Registered: 07/01/02
Posts: 2496
Loc: Colorado
God surprised, eh...hmmmm, maybe He doesn't know everything, just the beginning and the ending.
_________________________
Humans are not rational by definition, but they can think and behave rationally or not, depending on whether they apply, explicitly or implicitly, the strategy of theoretical and practical rationality to the thoughts they accept and to the actions they perform.

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#253729 - 07/05/09 02:09 AM Re: Try to Surprise God [Re: CoAspen]
rab Offline
Beginning to post a bit...

Registered: 12/04/08
Posts: 10
Loc: USA
God cant always communicate with us in absolute terms. For example, at the end of Abraham's big test of sacificing Isaac, God could have said, "I knew all along that you would obey my command, but I wanted everyone else to Know it too." Saying that would depressing for us to hear because it smacks of predestination, that we humans are mear puppets. When God said "Now I know that you fear God..." (Genesis 22:12) we assume He didnt know before. God knew beforehand, He knew then, and He knows now. There's a difference between knowing in theory what will happen and knowing in fact. God knew in theory what Abraham would do, but it became actual fact after it happened and God could then say "I now know FOR A FACT that you fear God..." God in a sense walks on tender ground when He communicates with us, otherwise we could easily view ourselves as having no freedom of will.
As pertains to God knowing in advance our every thought and action, I think He intentionally designed our minds, brains, to be infinitly complex and unpredictable so that even He wouldnt be able to foretell our every move. All of us have many time been able to accuratly predict what someone we know well is about to do, but we are not able to predict exactly their every move. I believe that is how God wants His relationship with intellegent beings to be. He wants real give and take with us. Can you imagine chewing the fat with a friend knowing in advance exactly what he was going to say? When I use the word "God" I'm prepared to assign that term to Christ. Perhaps God the Father does know all because that capacity is needed and that's one of the Father's roles. Remember, Christ was the God of the O.T.

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#254659 - 07/09/09 02:16 AM Re: Try to Surprise God [Re: rab]
carolaa Offline


Registered: 03/22/05
Posts: 3439
Loc: Texas
I believe God transcends time and space, so He doesn't need to predict the future - He knows it because He is there.

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#255733 - 07/13/09 04:24 AM Re: Try to Surprise God [Re: carolaa]
pkrause Online   content


Registered: 03/24/00
Posts: 11041
Loc: Lancaster,MA,USA
Your right carolaa, we can never surprise God.

pk
_________________________
"Ask not what your Country can do for you, ask what you can do for your Country" - President John F. Kennedy

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#315557 - 12/31/09 12:15 AM Re: Try to Surprise God [Re: Bravus]
Ellen Offline


Registered: 03/18/00
Posts: 646
Loc: Belleville,Ont,Canada
You said it first Bravus; I was going to point out that God is in the future as well as in the past. It isn't that He is guessing when He predicts something, like He could make a mistake if creation didn't cooperate etc.

He predicts because He KNOWS, it is a done deal. So there is no surprising God, He's the one that can continually surprise us and it's fun.

Our daughter was talking on the phone today and her kitten jumped into the wastebasket and came batting out of it at the older cat. Very funny.

We have had no end of fun enjoying the birds and squirrels at our feeder and get surprises often over the way they interact.

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#315672 - 12/31/09 03:42 AM Re: Try to Surprise God [Re: Ellen]
teresaq(sda) Offline


Registered: 04/01/09
Posts: 2503
is God "in" the future" or can He see the future?

i have only heard this concept just recently and have to wonder where it came from?

i mean on the one hand God is God and can do anything, but i dont understand why He would create our world based on such laws but live by a completely "different" set of rules.

if He can "live in the future" i have to wonder what it will be like on the new earth when He lives with us.
_________________________
2Ch 20:15... Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

yes, Lord and thank You.

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#315674 - 12/31/09 03:46 AM Re: Try to Surprise God [Re: teresaq(sda)]
teresaq(sda) Offline


Registered: 04/01/09
Posts: 2503
i read the last post before reading what the op is about. this has come up elsewhere, and i can see how it would make God really awesome, but i havent been able to "buy into" it so far.

doesnt mean i never will, cause ive found my understanding to be wrong so many times as i grew in the Lord, but for now....
_________________________
2Ch 20:15... Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

yes, Lord and thank You.

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