Comment on Unz, and a short vid., on engineering...

'God Engineers?'

HOW ABOUT?

Say what, and why?

Calvinists insist God is somehow greater, with ultimate and absolute control, due to the absence of individuals' genuine, free will. Trottin' out...; '...from Alpha to Omega', (from A to Z/ Start to Finish); God knows/makes, every molecule and meticulous detail happen. The idea God can know the world as a narrative... ALL, before and supposed ...time began(?). Where are the statements in the Bible, let alone an appropriate context, to evidence these claims? The popular non-Biblical word, and defining the term is Providence.

The other word is Predestination, interpreted to be about a people and person/s in an 'irresistible' providence.

Before Augustine and for the first 300 years, after the start of the Christian Church, the idea of predestined vs born to be destroyed -or- be one of the 'elect', wasn't recognised and written about.

Later, The Reformation codified these doctrines and became the measure of a Christian and acceptable, theology. Doctrines to fight with and stand apart from Catholicism on one side, and the Protestant battle and Calvinism faced with Arminianism.

Encapsulated in 18th Century in George Whitfield the Calvinist, and John Wesley an Arminian; through to contemporary debates between Open Theism vs. Calvinism.

Because God is Free the Future Must be Open, from OpenTheism.org for a look and ponder. It's worth establishing where a Christian is at on the underlying realities they believe.

The Reformed or Calvinist take on George Whitefield: Calvinist Evangelist, Andrew Morrow, The Master’s Seminary, June 26, 2016.

David Brandt Berg who wrote what I dubbed 'How About?', puts out a message that doesn't see the inherent problems with their 'Classical (Theological)' view. He takes a verse in Corinthians concerning disorder, when Christians meet together (Church), and wraps it around reality to back up God is the order-er? When the verses are about our checks on; is it getting confusing, and... are 'we' being, out of order? Not about, The God Of Order = God, Orders, All and Everything. All are engineered etc..., any responsibility is our illusion of freedoms, that we are in fact, without influence over.

Moving on...

How about 'E.' a long-term 'Crack' cocaine user who ran up to me last week with her... 'revelation'? Shouldn't reduce her, to drug use? A loud and lively character, she couched her God-Question, in the attempt to maintain Harm Minimisation with said, drug/s.

God engineers, in interrupting and engaging in the natural flow of occurrences to intervene...

Was a chance-meet on the streets with E., somehow... God's doing?

E. was asking, why her occasional crack use, if alone, involved communicating with God? She wondered if her series of yes/no answers to her questions, by way of a particular physical sign that appeared to change, indicated God's approval and agreement, or otherwise? The story in the Bible about 'Gideon and the Fleece' is taken as the way God goes... but it's an exceptional, and expected rare and if-at-all, for our lives. Can become a test and is self-deceptive and not the relationship we can have. E. went into "I believe.." and names a few Religious figures/Religions, asks, ...is that ok?

Motivational Interviewing: Rolled with Resistance, and I talked of the 'sincere-seeking and open a Bible' as the aim. I didn't suggest dropping her 'God is...'/ beliefs. Encouraged moving on from her séance-like approach and better to ask about Knowing (who) God is and like-what? Rather than looking for directive answers and personal choices, etc.

Skeptic, first, and begin with the probability and consideration around random coincidences before assigning the mysterious and is it a God/good intervention, or activities connected to the unseen and bad entities?

Post-plans are to document some of my experiences in a no-loss to share, and possibilities, or even the conviction and strong belief, God's involved and around?

Close friend, and not confessing or professing to be a Christian, spoke about openness and seeking as the baseline and maturity. I told him that was the Gospel. The one line, starts with open and sincere wondering and seeking; (is) God real? Open a New Testament and if I know you're on it? My role is to pray.

The Gospel Message... "oh how about... ???" will come the cries for correction and repentance?

The Cycle Of Change, is the attitude and framing of the call to preach: Christ (in detail). The three steps: One, Stop, Two, Look, Three, Listen (People/ Someone praying for you). Next TS is on Cocaine, etc. Let me know, anonymous will do, if you'd like to Stop/Look/Listen and misses Sax and m'self will try and get down / up, on it and intercede for you.