God is only good; Taste and see that the Lord is good

Slide 1: 

Taste and See that The Lord is Good Jesus is the Foundation ! http://www.thegoodnessofgod.com/GOODAUDIO.html

Slide 2: 

Taste and See that The Lord is Good Jesus is the Foundation ! http ://www.thegoodnessofgod.com/GOODAUDIO.html

Slide 3: 

Isaiah 5:20 Infection “Woe unto those that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20-21)

When do we call evil, “good”? : 

When do we call evil, “good”? God creates, uses, or allows evil. God’s wrath kills or destroys men. God puts or allows sickness on people. God judged or allowed America to suffer 9/11. God sends or allows hurricanes and other natural disasters. God allows children to die, murders, rapes, molestations, kidnappings, and tortures.

God only disallows evil and saves us from it! : 

God only disallows evil and saves us from it! Lets look at the scriptures that lay the ground work for showing that God has nothing to do with evil! Why does this matter? A pure view of God will allow God’s Spirit access to manifest on this earth.

The Cure : 

Romans 12:2- “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind , that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” KJV If we are conformed to the world, then we are not renewed to the perfect will of God. The Cure

The infection: 

The infection This infection limits and inhibits faith, hope, and love.

Our Mistrust : 

Our Mistrust Fear, shame, and blame entered with the initial mistrust of God’s character.

The problem with mistrust : 

The problem with mistrust We cannot worship God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind if we mistrust God.

Oswald Chambers: 

Oswald Chambers “The origin of all sin is found in the mistrust of God’s character.”

Hans Denk : 

“Oh my God how does it happen that thou are so great and yet no body finds thee; that thou callest so loudly and nobody hears thee; that thou art so near and nobody feels thee; that thou givest thyself to everybody and no body knows thy name. Men flee from thee and say they cannot find thee, they turn their backs and say they cannot see thee, they stop their ears and say they cannot hear thee.” Hans Denk

Slide 12: 

We are running from God! We have been believing lies in our own hearts!

Jesus came to cure our infection! : 

Jesus came to cure our infection! Jesus came to reveal the character of God God’s goodness is revealed in Jesus Christ! This is the gospel. The gospel means good news.

D.S. Cairns: 

“It is quite clear that the whole teaching of Jesus Christ about God, expressed alike in His words and in the whole fashion and mould of His character, implies that God is always nearer, mightier, more loving, and more free to help everyone of us than anyone of us realizes. This alone is what makes his incessant summons to faith, and to more faith, coherent and reasonable. This again seems to me to imply that mankind is generally under a hypnotic spell which is always contracting and chilling their thoughts of him and leading to all kinds of depressing and terrifying illusions about him.” D.S. Cairns

Slide 15: 

1 John 1:5 “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is NO darkness at all.”

Before Jesus, nobody understood God’s True nature.: 

Before Jesus, nobody understood God’s True nature. Foundational verses:

John 5:37 : 

“And the Father who has sent me himself has borne witness concerning me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor have seen his shape .” John 5:37

Slide 18: 

Jesus is the revealed character of God

John 1:18: 

“ No man hath seen God at any time : the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him .” John 1:18

John 17:25-26: 

“O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee : but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name , and will declare it : that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.” Name means nature Jesus declares God’s nature to us! John 17:25-26

Slide 21: 

God is… Life Light Love Truth Spirit

Slide 22: 

The Father’s perfection lies in this… God overcomes evil with good. Only JESUS came preaching this.

Matthew 5:38-48 : 

“ 38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour , and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others ? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:38-48

Hebrews 13:8: 

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

Romans 12:21 : 

“Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.” God’s goodness heaps conviction on our heads, like coals of fire. This is what leads us unto repentance (Rom 2:4). Romans 12:21

Luke 23:34 : 

Luke 23:34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." This is the seed that allows all of our evil to be overcome!

John 10:10. : 

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” If Jesus won’t steal, kill or destroy, then God doesn’t either. John 10:10.

Compare Luke 4 and Isaiah 61: 

When Jesus was reading from Isaiah, He purposely leaves out the line… “and to declare the vengeance of our God ”. Luke 4:20 emphasizes … “And He CLOSED THE BOOK, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him.” Compare Luke 4 and Isaiah 61

Luke 9: 

“ 54 When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, “ You do not know what kind of spirit you are of ; 56 for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” Luke 9

Slide 30: 

God’s goodness, as revealed in Jesus Christ, IS the gospel. The heart of the gospel is that Jesus came to reveal the heart of the Father to us... He is a good God that loves us without qualification.

Slide 31: 

God acts only according to His nature.

Titus 1:2: 

“in hope of eternal life, which God, who can't lie , promised before time began.” God cannot lie because it goes against His nature to lie. God doesn’t have Truth. He IS Truth. Titus 1:2

James 1:12-13: 

“ 12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.” James 1:12-13

Slide 34: 

God doesn’t use evil. He saves us from evil!

Matthew 7:11: 

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:11

James 1:13 : 

“ 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.” The tempter, according to Matthew 4:3, is Satan. Tempt means to test, to entice, or to discipline. James 1:13

Romans 2:4 : 

“ Don't you realize that it is God's kindness that is trying to lead you to him, and to change the way you think and act?” Romans 2:4

James 1:14-18: 

“ 14 But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed by his own evil desire . 15 Then the evil desire when it is conceived gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death. 16 Do not be misled my beloved brethren . 17 Every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above. It comes down from the father of all that gives light. In the shining of whom there can be no variation, or shadow cast by his turning . 18 It was of his own free will that he gave us birth as sons by his word of truth so that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.” James 1:14-18

Where did evil come from?: 

Evil comes from our lust. The lust in our heart was to depart from the living God. This lust conceived with the spirit of the world, and this gave birth to sin and death. Satan operates through the realm of our unbelief (from our state of having departed from God). Where did evil come from?

William Law : 

“This is God’s unchangeable disposition towards the creation. He can be nothing else but all goodness towards it because He can be nothing towards the creation but that which He is, and was, and ever shall be; an eternal, unchangeable will to all goodness. And which can will nothing else to all eternity but to communicate good, and blessing, and happiness, and perfection to every life, according to it’s capacity to receive it. Had I one hundred lives, I could with more ease part with them all, by suffering one hundred deaths, than to give up this lovely idea of God.” William Law

G.H. Pember: 

“ No evil ever came from God’s hands. Let this truth be fixed in our hearts. Whenever we are troubled with the countless inconveniences and pains of our present condition; Whenever we feel ready to faint, by reason of fighting without, and fears within, let us remember that God made all things good. And avoiding hard thoughts of Him, let us say as Jesus did, “an enemy has done this”. G.H. Pember

Slide 42: 

God has nothing to do with evil or sin. He didn’t create it. He doesn’t use it. And He won’t allow it.

Slide 43: 

Those that stand by and watch evil happen [ that could have stopped it, but didn’t] are just as guilty as the evildoer.

Acts 10:38: 

“And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good , and healing all who were oppressed by the devil , for God was with him .” Acts 10:38

Slide 45: 

God has nothing to do with evil or sin. God only acts according to his nature. God only acts according to His nature.

Slide 46: 

God has nothing to do with death.

Hebrews 2:14-15: 

“For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part in the same, that through death, he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil ; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetimes subject to bondage.” Hebrews 2:14-15

Slide 48: 

Death is an enemy of God “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” - 1 Cor. 15:26

Slide 49: 

God only saves, heals, and delivers men. He never destroys them.

Psalm 103: 

“ 1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction ; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies ; 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things ; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.” Psalm 103

Slide 51: 

God is a blesser and a protector.

Luke 10:19: 

“ 19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy : and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19

Luke 11:11-13: 

11 “Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12 “Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” Luke 11:11-13

The Man born blind (in John 9): 

If read in the imperative, it looks like : “[who sinned, this man or his parents] Neither, nonetheless, Let the glory of God be revealed ”! The Man born blind (in John 9)

Slide 56: 

Jesus reveals the glory of God by healing us and setting us free! Jesus shows us God’s heart . God came to deliver us!

Satan operates through the unbelief of men: 

Satan operates through the unbelief of men

Hebrews 3:12 : 

“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief , in departing from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12

Psalm 115:16 : 

Psalm 115:16 “The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man.”

Slide 60: 

The Hitch movie metaphor

Slide 61: 

We need to perceive God and respond to Him. We don’t kiss God. We respond to His kiss.

Mark 6:1-6/ (Matt 13:54-58): 

And he could there do no mighty work….. “he marveled because of their unbelief .” Jesus was grieved and quenched by their unbelief. They didn’t want him there . Mark 6:1-6/ (Matt 13:54-58)

Slide 63: 

It’s not God that’s not willing. It’s mankind that’s not willing.

Luke 13:4-5 : 

4 “Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? 5 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:4-5

Slide 65: 

Repentance means changing the way we think [about God]

Slide 66: 

Repentance doesn’t change God. Repentance changes us.

Slide 67: 

When we repent (change the way we think about God), we become able to accept the Lord’s embrace.

Slide 68: 

Unbelief disfigures our image of God

Compare 1 Chronicles 21:1 and 2 Samuel 24:1: 

One says … “Now again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and it incited David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.” The other says … “Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel.” Compare 1 Chronicles 21:1 and 2 Samuel 24:1

Slide 70: 

With their disfigured image of God, the Israelites had the understanding that this ‘angel of god’, was the Lord.

Slide 71: 

Unbelief causes us to misrepresent the character of God.

Numbers 20:6-12 : 

“and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying…. speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water…. Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, “ Listen now, you rebels ; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod ; and water came forth abundantly…… . 12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” Numbers 20:6-12

Slide 73: 

When we “strike the rock,” our own wrath keeps us out of the promised land or the REST of God. God wants us to “speak to the rock”. He wants to bless us with what is good, not hit us over the head with it.

1 John 3:8: 

“ The Son of God appeared for this purpose ; to destroy the works of the devil .” Jesus corrected the Jews , who had been believing that Satan was a servant of God. Jesus claimed that Satan was actually in opposition to God . 1 John 3:8

2 Timothy 2:24-26 : 

“ 24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men , apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves ; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth ; 26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil , who are taken captive by him at his will .” 2 Timothy 2:24-26

Slide 76: 

Satan is the enemy of the gospel

Slide 77: 

God is omni -loving, but not omni - causative.

Slide 78: 

When we blame God, we are in essence avoiding our responsibility.

Slide 79: 

Remember 2 Tim 2:25-26 Just taught us that we need to…. repent/ acknowledge the truth and recover ourselves from the snare of the devil .

Slide 80: 

God speaks to our hearts with his Spirit. Romans 8:7- “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

2 Corinthians 3:5-6: 

“ 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God , 6 who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit . For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life .” 2 Corinthians 3:5-6

Slide 82: 

The Scriptures are the launching pad, not the landing pad.

We have to let God’s character define the scriptures, rather than the scriptures to define His character. : 

John 5:39-40- “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” We have to let God’s character define the scriptures, rather than the scriptures to define His character.

3 Tips : 

Want this to be true. Have a willing heart/ Let God show you. Be energetic . Listen to all the sessions before you decide. Press through. 3 Tips

Slide 85: 

The Samurai Armor

Slide 86: 

The wrong things we think about God, or project onto God, keep us from embracing God .

Slide 87: 

Jekyll and Hyde Good cop, bad cop Master puppeteer Superman (our unbelief is the kryptonite) Four views of God

Topics to come : 

How do we read God’s goodness into all the scriptures? Where is Satan’s kingdom in the old testament? Did Moses partially misrepresent the nature of God? Did God really sanction the violence in the old testament? Topics to come

Topics to come… : 

Does God allow evil? What is the difference between God’s omni -presence and His manifest presence? What is evil? Topics to come…

Topics to come… : 

Tough old testament questions. Serpents in the wilderness, Sodom and Gomorah , the flood, Abraham and Isaac, David numbering Israel, Pharoah and the plagues, Saul and the evil spirit, Job. Topics to come…

Topics to come…: 

Topics to come… Tough New Testament questions. What about the inspiration of scriptures? What about the man born blind? What about Ananias and Saphira ? What about Herod? What about Paul’s blindness? What about Jesus’ cleansing of the temple and the cursing of the fig tree? What is the chastening of the Lord?

Topics to come… : 

Topics to come… Ananias and Saphira , part 2 What about the fear of the Lord? What about the wrath of God?

Topics to come… : 

Topics to come… What is righteous suffering? What is Paul’s thorn in the flesh? What is the truth about divine healing?

Topics to come… : 

Why and how does evil happen? Does God hate Esau’s guts? Did Pharoah have free will, and do we? Topics to come…

Topics to come… : 

Topics to come… Summary of free will, free being, and predestination. What about hell, judgment, and the doctrine of eternal torments. What about the violence in the parables? What about wrath in book of Revelation?

Slide 96: 

Jesus is the reality of the goodness of God

John 14:7 : 

" If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him ." John 14:7

John 5:39-40 : 

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” John 5:39-40

John 8 : 

“They [religious people of the time] said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “ If God were your Father, you would love Me , for I proceeded forth and have come from God , for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. 43 “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. 44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 “But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.” John 8

Matthew 9:17 : 

“ Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9:17

1 John 2:22 : 

1 John 2:22 “ Who is the liar, except he who is denying that Jesus is the Christ? this one is the antichrist who is denying the Father and the Son.”

John 16:13 : 

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak , and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13

1 John 5:20 : 

“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding , so that we may know him who is true ; and we are in him who is true, even his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” 1 John 5:20

Slide 104: 

Jesus never put sickness on anyone. If you can’t see Jesus doing it, then you know the Father isn’t doing it either.

Hebrews 1:3a : 

“And He [Jesus] is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His [God’s] nature , and upholds all things by the word of His power.” Hebrews 1:3a

1 John 4:18 : 

“There is no fear in love . But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18

2 Corinthians 3:18 : 

“But we all, with unveiled face [because of Jesus who tore down the veil], beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

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