I know the plans I have for you--10

The Biblical Vision of God is much broader than we human beings often conceive in our own minds. As we continue our study, according to the Bible, God works in personal relationship with all creation--not merely with individuals, God's chosen people, and nations. God also works in relationship to creation which we human beings can see, such as the sun, moon, and stars, all types of phenomena in creation on planet earth like storms, earthquakes, volcanos, and the like. Although this is disturbing to us, the Bible teaches that God blesses and curses humanity in creation when human beings are faithful to God or when they rebel against God. Here are three concrete examples: 1. God sent a flood on humanity because human beings had reached a hardened heart and refused to turn back to God. Genesis 6-9. 2. Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount that God makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:45. 3. Joshua 10:11-13 declares that God threw hailstones on the soldiers of the king of Jerusalem and their allies and killed more than the Israelites did, and God stopped the sun in mid-heaven for about a whole day. God also works in relationship to beings which are invisible to us human beings. The Bible entitles such beings as "spirits," "demons," "angels," and the like. Here are three examples of this: 1. According to Genesis 19, God sent two angels to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sins. 2. 1 Samuel 16:14 declares that God spent "an evil spirit from the Lord to torment Saul." An "evil" spirit is not a sinful spirit, but a punishing spirit. Saul had sinned against God often as recorded in 1 Samuel 13-15, and as a result of this, God sent an "evil" or "punishing" spirit to torment Saul. 3. In the parable of the lost coin which Jesus described in Luke 15:8-10, Jesus says the woman rejoiced when she finally found the lost coin, then declares: "Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." The Enlightenment and philosophy teaches us that it is a myth or a fiction that invisible beings exist. This is a FAITH issue. The Bible CLAIMS or TESTIFIES that God works in relationship with invisible beings. It is our choice to accept or reject this claim or testimony. Either choice is a FAITH decision. No one can prove or disprove this claim or testimony. Share YOUR thoughts or dreams or concerns or doubts with others. Let me hear from YOU. John Willis