Yesterday at church, the sermon was entitled "Why?" Pastor talked about why bad things happen to good people, and why God allows suffering and natural disasters - obviously in response to the earthquake in Haiti. I'm sure that there are a lot of people asking those questions. The first answer that my pastor provided was "I don't know". Because we don't know. There is a scripture, 1 Corinthians 13:12, that says "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." God is too big for us to understand and His logic and ways are too mighty for us to comprehend. But we are promised that one day, we'll know.
Then our pastor spoke about how we live in a fallen world. God created Eden perfectly. There were no natural disasters. And then He placed man in it... Man with a free will. And man chose to disobey. So God, being a just God, punished him by removing him from the garden and placing him in a world with natural consequences for sin... ("He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice." Psalm 9:8) So, I'm not saying that Haiti is being punished for sin, that's not true at all. What I am saying is that because there is sin in the world, God has allowed natural consequences to follow. We were given free will and we chose to go our own ways instead of following His... And it wasn't just Adam and Eve as my pastor likes to say. If they didn't screw up, we certainly would have. No human is perfect... That's why Jesus came - to be human, and yet perfect.. The world is living in a 'fallen' state. We are promised that one day it will be perfect again, however!! :)
"1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:1-4
I'm sure I'm just massacring this message and confusing everyone.. The point is that God can make something beautiful out of this tragedy. That's what He does. He takes things that are broken and makes them even more beautiful than they began. As my pastor said, there has been chaos and disaster in Haiti for decades - child slavery, no industry of any kind despite massive natural resources, a terribly corrupt government, hundreds of thousands of orphans... And now, with this earthquake, the focus of the world is on Haiti. There has been need there for a long time but now we're all paying attention... Maybe this will be the beginning of a new Haiti that is safe, self-sufficient and thriving... God can do it. He can do anything. :)
It is my prayer that my intent was conveyed here... And that whatever confusion rises out of this post is attributed to me, not to the Word of God or to my pastor. I just really wanted to offer some explanation to anyone who may be questioning as a result recent events...
Then our pastor spoke about how we live in a fallen world. God created Eden perfectly. There were no natural disasters. And then He placed man in it... Man with a free will. And man chose to disobey. So God, being a just God, punished him by removing him from the garden and placing him in a world with natural consequences for sin... ("He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice." Psalm 9:8) So, I'm not saying that Haiti is being punished for sin, that's not true at all. What I am saying is that because there is sin in the world, God has allowed natural consequences to follow. We were given free will and we chose to go our own ways instead of following His... And it wasn't just Adam and Eve as my pastor likes to say. If they didn't screw up, we certainly would have. No human is perfect... That's why Jesus came - to be human, and yet perfect.. The world is living in a 'fallen' state. We are promised that one day it will be perfect again, however!! :)
"1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:1-4
I'm sure I'm just massacring this message and confusing everyone.. The point is that God can make something beautiful out of this tragedy. That's what He does. He takes things that are broken and makes them even more beautiful than they began. As my pastor said, there has been chaos and disaster in Haiti for decades - child slavery, no industry of any kind despite massive natural resources, a terribly corrupt government, hundreds of thousands of orphans... And now, with this earthquake, the focus of the world is on Haiti. There has been need there for a long time but now we're all paying attention... Maybe this will be the beginning of a new Haiti that is safe, self-sufficient and thriving... God can do it. He can do anything. :)
It is my prayer that my intent was conveyed here... And that whatever confusion rises out of this post is attributed to me, not to the Word of God or to my pastor. I just really wanted to offer some explanation to anyone who may be questioning as a result recent events...
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