In this series on the implications of the Great Tribulation, we're dealing with the Problem of Evil. And this week we look at the issue of who is responsible for the sins we commit.  Some people have humorously said of their sins, "The Devil made me do it!" But you might be surprised to find out that there is controversy in Christian thought about who causes evil.  Calvinist theologian Edwin Palmer says, “…all things are ordained by God, including SIN and UNBELIEF…” And in a bizarre twist of logic, he goes on to say, "God ordains sin, and HUMANITY is to BLAME." In tonight's session, we'll show how untenable these concepts are...and deal directly with the issue of who is RESPONSIBLE for our evil. Be ready to be challenged!!!

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Last week we learned what forgiveness ISN'T.  And now we're ready to see how the Jacob and Esau story gives us the steps and actions to take to bring about true forgiveness and the defeat of evil.  While it's not easy...truly forgiving those who have hurt us brings miraculous freedom...and we'll see how this can bring about joy and release of bondage in our lives.

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One of the clear teachings of Jesus is that we must forgive those who have mistreated us. However, one problem among believers is that misunderstanding and misteaching sometimes places undue (and untrue) expectations on us of what forgiveness actually means. In this session, Dr. Dan teaches through the story of Jacob and Esau to show what foregiveness ISN'T. Many people who may have been struggling with forgiving someone will be helped by clearing up some of the confusion about what we have to do to truly forgive.

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Most of us have had things done wrong to us…by others.  Like the time someone lied about us…or when our boss treated us unfairly…or when we got punished for something we didn’t do…or when someone cheated us.  But during this session, we're going to "put the shoe on the other foot" and not let ourselves off the hook.  In other words, while we’ve all been hurt by others…we’ve also hurt others ourselves!!!  And to help us learn what we need to do to set things right with those whom we've hurt, we'll study the incredible interactions between two brothers: Jacob and Esau.

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In #69, we unpack "victimhood" by looking at 3 Key Concepts: #1: Whether you’re a true victim or not…if victimhood becomes your IDENTITY…it will DEFINE and CONTROL your life! #2: You must BREAK the bondage of victimhood…not by BEING a victim…but by REFUSING to be a victim! #3: The only PERFECT victim in all of history…didn’t CONSIDER Himself…a victim! Jesus showed us that the only way to have VICTORY over what has happened to us is to go to the Cross: We die to our past, die to our present, and die to our future...and then we live in the power of the RESURRECTION!!!

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In #68, we discover a really surprising biblical truth: The reason a good God allows calamity is because…sometimes…the best thing for people is pain!!!  And even more amazing is the fact that God can use intentional evil done against us…to make us better than if we had never experienced the suffering!!! In this session, we study the life of Joseph and see how...even though he was treacherously mistreated...he allowed God to transform his life through the evil done against him.  What we learn in this session isn't fun...but it has the potential to be powerfully transformative!!!

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When we experience trials or difficulty from any source…it can feel like God is against us. This is why difficult times tend to be when we ask the hard God questions: “Why did God do this to me…how can a loving God stand by and watch what I’m going through?” In #67, we'll find that most of the bad things that happen to us are not God testing us. So we'll look at the six other reasons why we experience hardship and suffering in this world...and then we’ll see how God can provide strength and hope in the midst of them all...and even how He will turn them back on the Enemy...to make us great!!!

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In this week’s episode of Thursology, Dr. Dan Spaite addresses the topic, “How can God use evil without causing evil?" He answers two related questions, “Can God use the evil of the demonic for His purposes?” And, “In Scripture, doesn't is look like God sometimes tempts people to do the wrong thing?" Listen to find the remarkable biblical answers to these questions through the lives of King Saul and Abraham.

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