If God were in control of all that goes on in the world, that would mean that He has authorized every rape, murder, terrorist attack and every evil thing that takes place! It would mean that the people suffering these things could not learn whatever lesson God wanted them to learn, without going through these horrors. People who do not go through these things presumably were more teachable and learned the lessons the easy way!

Once you put it like that people start backing up! Well, maybe those things are not down to God. What they really mean is that God is in control of the good stuff and the minor bad stuff!

So then you ask, "Do you mean that God deliberately gives millions to the evil dictators in the world while keeping His own followers poor?"

No, no, that's not what they mean, they say! God isn't helping the evil people while ignoring the good ones. It's the devil who is helping the evil people and God is working with the good people.

So you ask, "Then it's Satan who's in control of the evil people (most) and God is in control of the good (least) and Satan bringing evil on all? Doesn't this mean the devil is in control of more here on earth?

"Oh! You just don't understand", they say!

But, doesn't this seem to have moved God away from the title of "Controller of the world?" It does indeed! But this is still not giving the correct picture of the true God and why the world is in it's current state.

It's not God who agrees to, authorizes or controls the evil in the world, nor is He the one making the world what it is today. Nor does God bring evil on people in order to teach them lessons, as we will see.

So what's the reason for all the evil in the world and what's going to fix it? Let's see a short overview.

0. God made the heavens and the earth, the seas and all that is in them, in six days. (Gen 1:1-31, Exo 20:11, Mark 10:6-9)
1. God gave Adam (mankind) dominion over the earth. (Gen 1:28, Psa :115:16)
2. Adam sins and puts himself under Satan's control. (Gen 3:1-6, Rom 6:16)
3. Because of this fall, Satan becomes the God of this world and instigator of evil. (Rom 6:16, 2 Cor 4:4)
4. The deterioration in the animal and plant kingdoms and the sin in the world stemmed from, and increased steadily, after the fall. (Gen 3:16-19, Rom 8:22)
5. Jesus came as a "Man" so that His perfect life, and death on the cross, would give Him the victory over Satan. Since this defeat, all dominion and authority over/in/under the earth is back in the hands of a "Man"; the second Adam. (Mat 28:18-20, Col 2:15)
6. We are to live by grace through faith in Jesus and continue to enforce Jesus' victory in overcoming the world and Satan. (Gal 3:1-12, Eph 2:8-9, Jam 4:7, Mar 16:17-18)
7. Satan has not been removed from the throne of the world while we grow into our rulership positions, so he is able to continue bringing evil to the earth. (1 Joh 5:19)
8. We are tasked by Jesus, nevertheless, through our faith in Him and the authority He has given us, to destroy the works of the devil, just as Jesus did! (1 Joh 3:8, Joh 20:21, Act 10:38)
9. In the end times there will be a gathering which no believer will miss! (2 Thes 2:3 WEB, 1 Thes 4:16-17, Mat 24:26-31)
10. Then when Jesus returns, Satan will be shackled and Jesus will reign with His saints in righteousness and bring peace and plenty to the earth. (Rev 20:1-3)
11. After one final period of testing God will set up a righteous universal kingdom with all His converted saints, which will last forever. (Rev 21:1-2)

That's by way of a simple, overview explanation of how the current situation in the world came about and how it will be fixed.

Now let's see what God inspired the apostle John to say directly about world control.

1 John 5:19 (NIV) We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

Wow! God tells us straight out that at the moment, until Jesus returns, Satan is the one in control of the world. In fact it's confirmed in 2 Corinthians 4:4.

2 Cor 4:4 (NLT) Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News.

So Paul confirms Satan is currently the God of this world; defeated but not yet removed.

So when someone tells you God is in control, ask them, "In what way?"

God certainly, for His followers, works things out for good, as it says in Romans 8:28, but it's not God who makes the bad things in the first place! The bible tells us that God uses His word, the bible, to teach us lessons.

2 Tim 3:16 Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

It's the 'goodness' of God that leads to repentance (Rom 2:4) and it's God's grace that enables us (gives us the power) to change our lives around and live as God wants (Tit 2:11-14).

Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men. It instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

It's Satan who's in control of the world in general, and who influences many of the people!

But Jesus has defeated him and Jesus has been given all power and authority, and has delegated that authority to us.

Mat 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus when he left put us in charge! We can do what He did; in the same way that He did; by faith.

Mar 11:22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Mat 21:21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you "say" to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.

It's up to us to defeat the works of the Devil in this age. So we have to keep learning HOW we do this.

1. How much faith do we utilize and how much unbelief do we have?
2. How much faith and/or unbelief has the person that we are praying for?
3. How much faith and/or unbelief do the bystanders and lookers-on have?
4. Are we commanding healing or asking God to do it.
5. Jesus said "Heal the sick!" The YOU is understood! God is waiting on us!
6. Are we walking in fear and unforgiveness so that our prayers are hindered?
7. Do we believe our prayers are already answered? Mark 11:24.

Remember, God is good! All the time! But for the things that you want to happen, to happen, YOU have to use the authority Jesus invested in you and "say", in faith, never doubting!

And, just as the Father sent Jesus into the world, so Jesus is sending us!

Joh 20:21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

Mar 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you "have" received it, and it will be yours.

Best wishes for grace and the peace of Jesus.

Attlee.

Another thought....

Don't Limit God. Click Here.
God Allows It! Click Here.
Is Holy Spirit God? (Pt 1) Click Here.
Is Jesus God? Click Here.