Why Tragedy, September 2005

From the Pastor’s Desk

Special

Why Tragedy

Sept 2005

At the four year anniversary of "9/11", we still have that lingering question, "WHY?" Over the past few weeks, MANY are asking, "Why?", again. "Why would God allow such a tragedy as a hurricane to devastate so much and so many?"

You hear the question at church, on the street, on TV and just about any other place. Friends have lost loved ones. Parents have lost children. Good people have lost houses, jobs, etc.

The foundation of the question is more than simply wanting an answer. The question is a round about way of crying out, "If God is God, why doesn’t He do something?" Or a quiet way of others saying , "This proves there is no God, because a good God would not, nor could not allow such havoc!" ETC.

Psalms 2:1 Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed,

Even before "9/11" and the devastating of the Gulf Coast storm, the ever present question was on the minds of many. All of these questions and many more, have their "understanding" in the same basic elements. Some of those elements are:

(1) The nature and character of God
(2) The purpose and plan of God
(3) The nature and degeneration of mankind
(4) The spiritual condition of the one asking the question
(5) Etc.

These are questions that find their answers in our present study of "The Essence of God" and "The Soul of Mankind". These doctrinal truths are not dry theology, they are the "meat and potatoes" of living and having an understanding of events around us, AND the ability of cope with those events.

It is not a lack of spiritual quality to ask "why?", or even "Why me?" It does show a lack of spiritual quality when the questioners do not seek nor will they accept God’s answer. In many situations, the questioners do not understand the real meaning of an answer.

Answer = (Webster) Something spoken or written in reply

Answer = (Hebrew) To eye or to heed, i.e. give attention; (by implication) To respond; (by extension) To begin to speak

Answer = (Greek) A separation or distinction; To begin to speak, but always where something has preceded, either a statement or act to which the remarks refer; To answer by way of making a defense for oneself

In frustration, we ask for "answers". Yet, answers are not really what we want. As we see by the definitions, in almost any language, an answer simply means a reply.

I have a little quip I often use when someone wants an answer. I say..., "I have all the answers...., some of which are right."

There are very few "answers" in the Bible, OR maybe I should say, answers of the nature we want. It is strange how we treat and evaluate God’s answers.

We pray for two new cars, a boat, a "hog" and an RV, and God answers with "NO!!" In our twisted thinking of God and His person, we do not consider a "NO!!" as an answer.

Somehow when we make a request of God, the ONLY answer we accept, as honest, is "Yes, my child. I’ll give you whatever you ask, and I’ll do so right away. If there is anything else, please call!" When it comes to answers that we will accept from God, as answers, there are not many of those kinds of answers in the Bible. However, the Bible does give us understanding, reason, a plan of action and hope

Some will ask, "Why didn’t a loving powerful God stop this tragedy?" or "How could a loving God do this?" As though God was up in heaven just trying to figure out ways to make mankind miserable.

When a person wants to "look" spiritual, they might modify that to...: "How could a loving God ALLOW this to happen?" Still others will simply say, "See, this proves there is no God."

These questions are very similar to, "Why did God allow that other person to win the lottery, and I am left with this worthless piece of paper?" It was not God Who deprived the person of the winnings, it was the "odds". These are part of the natural laws that keep this ol’ world running.

The subject matter of the question about the lottery may be different, BUT the dynamics, of most "why" questions, are the same. In effect and in the back of our minds, we are saying that God is not fair, just, etc. Questions such as these are born out of frustration, because we cannot understand, or will not seek information needed to understand why there is evil and tragedy in the world.

For many, at least in the Christian realm, these questions have as their source the lack of Biblical understanding of God, man, time and eternity. These questions find their answers in the solid doctrines of the Word of God, not in surface emotional or devotional thoughts from the Bible. Those "surface things" have their place, BUT they are not the fiber of Christian living.

To attempt to fully and clearly answer these questions in a lesson or two, would be like going to the man on the street and explaining to him, in 15 minutes, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity and Nuclear Fusion.

It is not that people do not have the mental facilities to receive and understand these things, BUT most would not have the background information and experience to grasp and correlate that type of detailed information.

On the other hand, if that person had some understanding of the basic elements of the theory, they could move from total confusion about the theory and the instability that comes with such confusion, to an acceptance of the theory, and then on to stability that comes with having reference points that give guidance out of confusion. Likewise, we must have some Biblical reference points to help direct our thinking in the right manner, if we are to understand and except the "WHYS" of life.

It takes a great deal of background and understanding of the overall structure of the Bible, time and eternity to really have a "handle" on such complex questions, as these. The time to obtain that background and understanding is BEFORE we are involved in an event that gives rise to such questions.

In the emotional stress of the moment, we cannot sort-out and learn the needed information. At times of real stress, we can only draw on information we have already obtained, by faith. These truths are brought out in Psalm 23 and elsewhere.

Psalms 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Verses 1-3 speak of blessings and experiences by the sheep and shepherd during life and the tranquil times.

(1) Lying down in green pastures
(2) By the still waters
(3) By the paths of righteousness

The Holy Spirit is telling us that during the "normal" and peaceful times, we need to learn to trust the leading and provision of God. THEN when we come to the valley of the "shadow" of death, we can walk into that "shadow" -- that obscure, mysterious, puzzling, unknown and fearful "shadow of death". We can walk into the "shadow" without that "all-consuming-fear" of the evil.

Notice several things:

(1) He is talking about the shadow, not the event itself

The event, in this case death, does not hold as much panic stricken fear, as the unknown anticipation of the event. It is the time of the unknown before the event that grips the heart with fear and is far worse than the event itself.

(2) If the shadow is there, the real thing is not far away
(3) It does not say there is no evil connected with the event, BUT there is no panic stricken fear of that evil

The reason fear is lessened is not because the event or the evil goes away, but because there is comfort afforded by three things:

(1) God’s presence

Wherever or whatever the evil, God will be with us in the midst of the shadow and the event.

(2) God’s rod
(3) God’s staff

Both of these were tools used by the shepherd during life for discipline, protection, etc. When we face the unknown terrors of life or death, our only real comfort is the experience we’ve had with God during the routine happenings of life.

Understanding Einstein’s Theory of Relativity is a simple matter, compared to fully understanding "Why God allows..... whatever tragedy or injustice that come across your life".

I would not be so presumptuous as to assume that I could give, in this short time (or any time), the information needed to fully answer the "why" of each individual’s haunting questions, caused by the many different circumstances that touch their lives. BUT I will endeavor to give you some reference points or "bench marks", that will help give you direction in the face of all this confusion, AND will make it possible for you to bring comfort to others through the same hope you’ve found.

I realize that each one of us are at different levels of Biblical knowledge and understanding, and that is as it should be. Because of this, some of the information given may be "old hat" to a few of you. For those, I ask that you bear with me, and use this time for a much needed review.

There are some very basic elements that are needed, if we are to build a proper "structure" that can withstand the doubts brought on by such realities as we have witnessed from time to time, and especially during these past few weeks.

We must understand something about God. God in His Essence is: (1) Sovereign (2) Justice (3) Love (4) Omnipotent (5) Omniscient (6) Omnipresent (7) Righteous (8) Eternal Life (9) Veracity (10) Immutable (11) Holy AND a whole lot more!

We can’t take the time to look at each of these words and their meanings, right now. We are doing so in our study of the Essence of God. God can not act in a way that would bring disharmony to any aspect of His Essence.

God  
CANNOT  
be untrue to Himself !

In situations such as the death of child, the killings in Iraq, a tragic storm etc., our minds turn to God’s Sovereignty, His Omnipotence and His Love. We seem to say, "God, why don’t You use those qualities of Yours and stop these stupidities?!?!"

My friend, there is an answer to that question, but you will not find it written in the sky, or the newspapers, or even on TV. You will find it written on the pages of God’s Holy inspired Book (all of the Book), we call the Bible.

God exists in the realm known as eternity. Eternity never had a beginning and will never have an ending. Try to imagine a dotted line that goes on without end or beginning, and allow that to represent eternity, in your thinking.

On that infinitely long dotted line place a very small "dot", as small as possible and allow that to represent time that had a beginning with creation and will have an end with the creation of a "NEW" heaven and earth. God, by His Sovereignty, chose to have time, and in relationship to eternity, it is only a small little dot.

Within that span called time, God chose, by his Sovereignty, to place humans on this planet, called earth. God gave to those humans limited "free will" or volition within the confines of time, in similar manner as a fish has "free-will" within the confines of the fish bowl. God, in His omnipotence, spent time and effort "fixing up" this earth, so it would be just right for these humans He created.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. 8 The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.

In that Garden there was..:  
No sin... 
No sorrow... 
No sickness... 
No anger... 
No bombs… 
No hurricanes, 
etc.

God created Adam and put him in that Garden and gave Adam the earth as his "birthday present" or shall we say as his "creation-day present". God said to Adam, "This earth is yours, you can do what you like with it..."

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Psalms 115:16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's; But the earth He has given to the children of men.

God told Adam, " I have given you everything you need and want. It is all yours. You are responsible for it. I will not be a big bully and make you do what you don’t want to do. By your choice, you will establish your own destiny."

Yes, God made humans and gave them a volition, among many other things. Volition... This was one of many things that made humanity different from all other physical creation.

Mankind can choose... Adam and Eve could choose to do what they wanted to do and when they wanted to do it, within the prescribed limits. Mankind can choose to care for Adam’s "birthday present", the earth, or they can choose to abuse it.

Adam could have chosen to follow God’s will and would have known the benefits of that choice OR Adam could have chosen his own will with the resulting consequences. God Gave Adam and Eve the right to choose their own destiny and whether they would live like God or like Satan. This was their choice.

God would have been immoral to create humans in His likeness and not allowed them to choose. To choose between God and Satan -- between God’s will and their own will. God would have been untrue to Himself and would have been immoral, if He had forced Mankind to make the right choice.

God gave those first humans the information they needed to make the right choice, AND provided everything that was needed to carry out that right choice. God also provided wonderful fellowship with Himself, the God of all gods.

Genesis 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die (dying you shall die)."

Adam chose to go contrary to the will of God, and to set himself as supreme over and above God. With that act of disobedience, Adam died spiritually and became mortal. As a result, the process of physical death set in, AND this God-depraved mortal nature has been passed to all of Adam’s offspring.

Adam, by his own choice, deprived himself of the nature of God and chose only a temporal or human nature. Through that act of sin, Adam became bound to Satan, a slave of sin and Satan became his spiritual father, and Adam, also, passed those "qualities" on to all his offspring.

John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

God did not "DO" this to mankind! God provided everything possible so they could make the right decision and live a godly life. BUT because of what Adam and Eve did to themselves, humans can only live a godless life, apart from accepting and living by God’s saving grace.

When we act apart from God, His Word and His standard, our actions can only produce godlessness and corruption. Left to ourselves, our actions will continue to degenerate morally, and Adam’s "birthday" present, this earth, will continue to degenerate.

Some would cry,  
"Why didn’t God stop it right there in the Garden?"

Well.., for starters, if He had stopped it right there in the Garden, you wouldn’t be around to see it or ask any questions. God couldn’t just use His power to stop it, without first being true to his Justice and Righteousness !!!!... and all other aspects of His essence.

God cannot be 
untrue 
to Himself !!!

Hebrews 6:18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.

Titus 1:2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,

GOD provided a "way" that is right and just. A "way" that can and could have stopped these sinful acts. This "way" was provided by the death of His Son on the Cross, BUT MANKIND must choose to accept that "way". As long as a human chooses to live in his own way, the ultimate and ONLY result of that way will be death or destruction.

Proverbs 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the hearts.

Proverbs 12:28 In the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

God created an everlasting soul, placed that soul in a body called Adam, gave the earth to him, gave him dominion over that earth and all that was on/in it. This earth became Satan’s, by default. Through sin, Adam became the slave of Satan, and all that Adam had was then the possession of Satan, including this earth.

Before the sin of Adam, the earth was watered with a mist. There were none of the present conflicting weather patterns that cause such "clashes" as hurricanes, thunderstorms, tornados, etc., etc. That’s an important fact to note in establishing "why" the devastating Gulf Shore storm.

God did provide a way for man to be redeemed and set in motion a plan that would also redeem the earth from the clutches of Satan. Even though man is now a sinner, God provided a means for humans to have a godly life, BUT each human must CHOOSE to receive God’s provision for such a godly life.

BEFORE  
Adam’s "fall", he had to  
CHOOSE  
to have a sinful godless life, 
BUT  
after the fall, 
mankind must  
CHOOSE  
to have a godly life

If humans do not choose to have a godly life or at least a moral life, their actions and attitudes will only become more and more corrupt. Outside of a godly influence, humanity will, by nature, only degenerate morally.

Genesis 4:1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, "I have gotten a man from the LORD." 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. 4 Abel also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

We see this degenerate nature in the first two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain wanted to do it his way, not God’s way. Of course he had a good teacher in his father, and his mother was pretty good in that area, also.

Even though Cain did not seek godliness in the proper manner, God personally instructed him AGAIN in the proper manner.

Genesis 4:6 So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."

Even with God’s personal intervention, Cain STILL wanted-it-his-way. As a result, he didn’t want anyone doing it-any-other-way, including his brother. Sounds a little bit like "real" life, even church life.

Genesis 4:8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose against Abel his brother and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" 10 And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground.

God gave Cain the choice of living godly. God even personally presented the proper choice, AND gave clear instructions for making that choice. BUT Cain chose his own selfish way, and as a result he did that which sprang from his nature -- he destroyed life! Remember our passage from John???

John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

The very nature of mankind is murderous or destructive of others. Sinful humans, left to themselves without restraints, will live by their depraved human nature to its limits.

We see this fact in the looting, the rapes, the murders in the ravaged areas that were not protected by force. We will SOON see this fact in the thieving politicians. We will see this "stealing" in the way the politicians "divert" (steal) millions that are intended to help others, to their own causes.

They will do so by amending Appropriation Bills in such a manner as to "divert" (steal) monies intended for one purpose, to their own selfish purpose. I had better "ring off", or I’ll be impeached or "imappled" or whatever they do to preachers who tell the truth about politics.

Genesis 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Just a few generations from the hand of the creator, mankind had fallen to such a state that there was no earthly good in them, to say nothing of any moral or spiritual good. Paul, in Romans, gives us a profile of the human nature that resides in all of us. All mankind has this human nature, and if left unabated and without moral restraints, WILL manifest itself as described in....

Romans 3:10 As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all gone out of the way; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one." 13 "Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit"; "The poison of asps is under their lips"; 14 "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness." 15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 destruction and misery are in their ways; 17 and the way of peace they have not known." 18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

Paul, simply repeats what had been stated many times before, in the Old Testament. This is what man is, and this is what man will do when moral restraints are removed.

Let’s review..:

1. God chose by His sovereignty to have a "dot" in eternity called time
2. God created an everlasting soul, placed it in a body called Adam
3. God put Adam in time, and gave him dominion over the earth and all that was on/in it
4. Adam was created in the shadow image of God with a volition, and God provided all that was needed to make a proper choice
5. Adam, by his volition, chose to obey Satan rather than God, thereby separating himself from the only source of godliness
6. By that choice, Adam established his nature as mortal or human, a nature that was totally deprived of any form of godliness
7. This human nature has been passed down, through procreation, to all of Adam’s descendants
8. God AGAIN provided a "way" for humans to have a godly life, BUT each person must choose that "way" for themselves, personally

Yes, a loving God has stepped into this godless scene to bring a proper end to godlessness, by offering to all, who will accept it, Godliness.

The only other solution to sin and violence is the righteous judgment of God upon all who have not chosen to accept God’s Gift of Eternal Life. This righteous solution will not be acceptable to many, BECAUSE all of us are sinners and the penalty of sin is eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire. To alter that penalty of sin, we must choose to lay aside our depraved "wants" and accept, from God, apart from any personal merit, God’s provision.

God will, at the close of time, execute proper judgment upon all who have not accepted Christ as Savior.

Isaiah 11:1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. 3 His delight is in the fear of the LORD, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; 4 but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist. 6 "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. 10 "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious."

Even after this perfect environment of 1,000 years, established by God through ruling with the "rod of iron", humanity in general will still reject God and turn against Him, seeking their own way.

At the close of that glorious millennium will come the great purging of sin and the earth. All unrighteousness will be judged and all who have not accepted God’s provision of Salvation through His Son will be cast into the Lake of Fire to receive their just reward.

All who have been cleansed through the blood of Christ and thereby have His righteousness will be ushered into eternity to experience unending joy and fellowship forever.

Revelation 21:27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. 22:1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 And there shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

Revelation 21:4 "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."

Such conditions, as described here and elsewhere, cannot be established UNTIL sin has be properly judged. Until that time of judgment, tragedies, storms and evil will continue. BUT for Christians, who have learned to walk with God, they can walk through the "valley of the shadow" without the overwhelming fear.

"Oh," you say, "Pastor, that’s just pie in the sky by and by. What about right now?"

No, that is not pie in the sky!  
That is the 
blessed hope 
of the Believer in Christ.

I John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

If you HAVE this hope, you will be in the process of purification. If you are not purifying yourself, then… you DON’T have this hope in you. That’s a simple formula that needs to be applied our living.

No, I can’t give much hope for this old world becoming a wonderful place to live, right now. No matter where you might try to run to escape the evil, you can’t hide from it, because the nature of man is corrupt and we Believers, who are to be the "salt of the earth", are no longer very "salty". As a matter of fact, we are very much like the rest of world... AS A RESULT OF OUR OWN CHOICE.

God has given instructions that, if followed, will provide a relatively peaceable life, even in this sin cursed and sin filled earth. BUT many Believers, by their own volition, have chosen not to follow and apply those instructions of God.

Instead, we want our rights, our freedom, our way. Very much in the pattern of our first relative, Adam. Time will not permit us to look at all the instructions of God we’ve rejected, but looking at a couple of them will prove very interesting in this situation.

Proverbs 17:14 The beginning of strife is like releasing water; therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.

The picture, in this passage, is of a body of water that is being held back by an earthen dam. It may be only a SMALL trickle that begins to ooze through or over that earthen barrier, BUT if it is not stopped.... SOON..., it will destroy the earthen barrier, and everything being held back by it will come rushing in.

The question should not be,   
"Where is God?"
BUT  
"Why haven’t we heeded God’s instructions?"

God told us that if sin is not "nipped-in-the-bud", it will destroy. Have you applied the Biblical truths to your life? Have you applied God’s truth to your home? Have we applied God’s truth to our church? Have we applied God’s truth to our community? Have we applied God’s truth to our nation?

If, and we have, let that little trickle of sin go unchecked..... IT WILL BRING DESTRUCTION ON ALL LEVELS ... personal, home, church, nation, world, nature, etc.

Proverbs 19:19 A man of great wrath will (must) suffer punishment; for if you deliver him, you will have to do it again.

When we as parents, as a church or as a nation allow sin to go unpunished and unchecked, we will have "repeat offenders" and the offence will grow worse and worse. Because of the human nature of mankind, if we simply deliver the offender from punishment, the evil will not only happen again and again, but each time it will degenerate in its degree of morality, and increase through others joining that corrupt behavior.

Genesis 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

My Christian friend. The ONLY tool we have against the onslaught of evil..: is not our congress, not our police, not our military.... the only tool we have, is obedience to God’s Word... personally.

Too many of us keep going back, in our minds, to the Garden of Eden and we look at that tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and we say again, as those first humans said, "My it looks pleasant enough! It certainly is desirable! Just a little nibble won’t hurt."

Sad to say, we Christians spend our time just nibbling at the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, AND the blessed Tree of Life, standing next to it, never gets a second look, BECAUSE we have spent all our time and energy on the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Last but not least, may God quicken our hearts to really believe His Word. He has given instructions concerning our having a quiet and peaceable life in this wicked generation, BUT very few of us follow those instructions, OR maybe we don’t even believe them.

1 Timothy 2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

Oh, how quick we are to question "Why?"... after the fact, of course, BUT we are so slow to use the preventive means that God so clearly reveals.

Print	From the Pastor’s Desk
Special	Why Tragedy
Activities Manchaca Bible Fellowship	Sept 2005	Bible Lessons Operation Outreach
At the four year anniversary of "9/11", we still have that lingering question, "WHY?" Over the past few weeks, MANY are asking, "Why?", again. "Why would God allow such a tragedy as a hurricane to devastate so much and so many?" You hear the question at church, on the street, on TV and just about any other place. Friends have lost loved ones. Parents have lost children. Good people have lost houses, jobs, etc. The foundation of the question is more than simply wanting an answer. The question is a round about way of crying out, "If God is God, why doesn’t He do something?" Or a quiet way of others saying , "This proves there is no God, because a good God would not, nor could not allow such havoc!" ETC. Psalms 2:1 Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, Even before "9/11" and the devastating of the Gulf Coast storm, the ever present question was on the minds of many. All of these questions and many more, have their "understanding" in the same basic elements. Some of those elements are: (1) The nature and character of God (2) The purpose and plan of God (3) The nature and degeneration of mankind (4) The spiritual condition of the one asking the question (5) Etc. These are questions that find their answers in our present study of "The Essence of God" and "The Soul of Mankind". These doctrinal truths are not dry theology, they are the "meat and potatoes" of living and having an understanding of events around us, AND the ability of cope with those events. It is not a lack of spiritual quality to ask "why?", or even "Why me?" It does show a lack of spiritual quality when the questioners do not seek nor will they accept God’s answer. In many situations, the questioners do not understand the real meaning of an answer. Answer = (Webster) Something spoken or written in reply Answer = (Hebrew) To eye or to heed, i.e. give attention; (by implication) To respond; (by extension) To begin to speak Answer = (Greek) A separation or distinction; To begin to speak, but always where something has preceded, either a statement or act to which the remarks refer; To answer by way of making a defense for oneself In frustration, we ask for "answers". Yet, answers are not really what we want. As we see by the definitions, in almost any language, an answer simply means a reply. I have a little quip I often use when someone wants an answer. I say..., "I have all the answers...., some of which are right." There are very few "answers" in the Bible, OR maybe I should say, answers of the nature we want. It is strange how we treat and evaluate God’s answers. We pray for two new cars, a boat, a "hog" and an RV, and God answers with "NO!!" In our twisted thinking of God and His person, we do not consider a "NO!!" as an answer. Somehow when we make a request of God, the ONLY answer we accept, as honest, is "Yes, my child. I’ll give you whatever you ask, and I’ll do so right away. If there is anything else, please call!" When it comes to answers that we will accept from God, as answers, there are not many of those kinds of answers in the Bible. However, the Bible does give us understanding, reason, a plan of action and hope Some will ask, "Why didn’t a loving powerful God stop this tragedy?" or "How could a loving God do this?" As though God was up in heaven just trying to figure out ways to make mankind miserable. When a person wants to "look" spiritual, they might modify that to...: "How could a loving God ALLOW this to happen?" Still others will simply say, "See, this proves there is no God." These questions are very similar to, "Why did God allow that other person to win the lottery, and I am left with this worthless piece of paper?" It was not God Who deprived the person of the winnings, it was the "odds". These are part of the natural laws that keep this ol’ world running. The subject matter of the question about the lottery may be different, BUT the dynamics, of most "why" questions, are the same. In effect and in the back of our minds, we are saying that God is not fair, just, etc. Questions such as these are born out of frustration, because we cannot understand, or will not seek information needed to understand why there is evil and tragedy in the world. For many, at least in the Christian realm, these questions have as their source the lack of Biblical understanding of God, man, time and eternity. These questions find their answers in the solid doctrines of the Word of God, not in surface emotional or devotional thoughts from the Bible. Those "surface things" have their place, BUT they are not the fiber of Christian living. To attempt to fully and clearly answer these questions in a lesson or two, would be like going to the man on the street and explaining to him, in 15 minutes, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity and Nuclear Fusion. It is not that people do not have the mental facilities to receive and understand these things, BUT most would not have the background information and experience to grasp and correlate that type of detailed information. On the other hand, if that person had some understanding of the basic elements of the theory, they could move from total confusion about the theory and the instability that comes with such confusion, to an acceptance of the theory, and then on to stability that comes with having reference points that give guidance out of confusion. Likewise, we must have some Biblical reference points to help direct our thinking in the right manner, if we are to understand and except the "WHYS" of life. It takes a great deal of background and understanding of the overall structure of the Bible, time and eternity to really have a "handle" on such complex questions, as these. The time to obtain that background and understanding is BEFORE we are involved in an event that gives rise to such questions. In the emotional stress of the moment, we cannot sort-out and learn the needed information. At times of real stress, we can only draw on information we have already obtained, by faith. These truths are brought out in Psalm 23 and elsewhere. Psalms 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Verses 1-3 speak of blessings and experiences by the sheep and shepherd during life and the tranquil times. (1) Lying down in green pastures (2) By the still waters (3) By the paths of righteousness The Holy Spirit is telling us that during the "normal" and peaceful times, we need to learn to trust the leading and provision of God. THEN when we come to the valley of the "shadow" of death, we can walk into that "shadow" -- that obscure, mysterious, puzzling, unknown and fearful "shadow of death". We can walk into the "shadow" without that "all-consuming-fear" of the evil. Notice several things: (1) He is talking about the shadow, not the event itself The event, in this case death, does not hold as much panic stricken fear, as the unknown anticipation of the event. It is the time of the unknown before the event that grips the heart with fear and is far worse than the event itself. (2) If the shadow is there, the real thing is not far away (3) It does not say there is no evil connected with the event, BUT there is no panic stricken fear of that evil The reason fear is lessened is not because the event or the evil goes away, but because there is comfort afforded by three things: (1) God’s presence Wherever or whatever the evil, God will be with us in the midst of the shadow and the event. (2) God’s rod (3) God’s staff Both of these were tools used by the shepherd during life for discipline, protection, etc. When we face the unknown terrors of life or death, our only real comfort is the experience we’ve had with God during the routine happenings of life. Understanding Einstein’s Theory of Relativity is a simple matter, compared to fully understanding "Why God allows..... whatever tragedy or injustice that come across your life". I would not be so presumptuous as to assume that I could give, in this short time (or any time), the information needed to fully answer the "why" of each individual’s haunting questions, caused by the many different circumstances that touch their lives. BUT I will endeavor to give you some reference points or "bench marks", that will help give you direction in the face of all this confusion, AND will make it possible for you to bring comfort to others through the same hope you’ve found. I realize that each one of us are at different levels of Biblical knowledge and understanding, and that is as it should be. Because of this, some of the information given may be "old hat" to a few of you. For those, I ask that you bear with me, and use this time for a much needed review. There are some very basic elements that are needed, if we are to build a proper "structure" that can withstand the doubts brought on by such realities as we have witnessed from time to time, and especially during these past few weeks. We must understand something about God. God in His Essence is: (1) Sovereign (2) Justice (3) Love (4) Omnipotent (5) Omniscient (6) Omnipresent (7) Righteous (8) Eternal Life (9) Veracity (10) Immutable (11) Holy AND a whole lot more! We can’t take the time to look at each of these words and their meanings, right now. We are doing so in our study of the Essence of God. God can not act in a way that would bring disharmony to any aspect of His Essence. God CANNOT be untrue to Himself ! In situations such as the death of child, the killings in Iraq, a tragic storm etc., our minds turn to God’s Sovereignty, His Omnipotence and His Love. We seem to say, "God, why don’t You use those qualities of Yours and stop these stupidities?!?!" My friend, there is an answer to that question, but you will not find it written in the sky, or the newspapers, or even on TV. You will find it written on the pages of God’s Holy inspired Book (all of the Book), we call the Bible. God exists in the realm known as eternity. Eternity never had a beginning and will never have an ending. Try to imagine a dotted line that goes on without end or beginning, and allow that to represent eternity, in your thinking. On that infinitely long dotted line place a very small "dot", as small as possible and allow that to represent time that had a beginning with creation and will have an end with the creation of a "NEW" heaven and earth. God, by His Sovereignty, chose to have time, and in relationship to eternity, it is only a small little dot. Within that span called time, God chose, by his Sovereignty, to place humans on this planet, called earth. God gave to those humans limited "free will" or volition within the confines of time, in similar manner as a fish has "free-will" within the confines of the fish bowl. God, in His omnipotence, spent time and effort "fixing up" this earth, so it would be just right for these humans He created. Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. 8 The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. In that Garden there was..: No sin... No sorrow... No sickness... No anger... No bombs… No hurricanes, etc. God created Adam and put him in that Garden and gave Adam the earth as his "birthday present" or shall we say as his "creation-day present". God said to Adam, "This earth is yours, you can do what you like with it..." Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Psalms 115:16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's; But the earth He has given to the children of men. God told Adam, " I have given you everything you need and want. It is all yours. You are responsible for it. I will not be a big bully and make you do what you don’t want to do. By your choice, you will establish your own destiny." Yes, God made humans and gave them a volition, among many other things. Volition... This was one of many things that made humanity different from all other physical creation. Mankind can choose... Adam and Eve could choose to do what they wanted to do and when they wanted to do it, within the prescribed limits. Mankind can choose to care for Adam’s "birthday present", the earth, or they can choose to abuse it. Adam could have chosen to follow God’s will and would have known the benefits of that choice OR Adam could have chosen his own will with the resulting consequences. God Gave Adam and Eve the right to choose their own destiny and whether they would live like God or like Satan. This was their choice. God would have been immoral to create humans in His likeness and not allowed them to choose. To choose between God and Satan -- between God’s will and their own will. God would have been untrue to Himself and would have been immoral, if He had forced Mankind to make the right choice. God gave those first humans the information they needed to make the right choice, AND provided everything that was needed to carry out that right choice. God also provided wonderful fellowship with Himself, the God of all gods. Genesis 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die (dying you shall die)." Adam chose to go contrary to the will of God, and to set himself as supreme over and above God. With that act of disobedience, Adam died spiritually and became mortal. As a result, the process of physical death set in, AND this God-depraved mortal nature has been passed to all of Adam’s offspring. Adam, by his own choice, deprived himself of the nature of God and chose only a temporal or human nature. Through that act of sin, Adam became bound to Satan, a slave of sin and Satan became his spiritual father, and Adam, also, passed those "qualities" on to all his offspring. John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. God did not "DO" this to mankind! God provided everything possible so they could make the right decision and live a godly life. BUT because of what Adam and Eve did to themselves, humans can only live a godless life, apart from accepting and living by God’s saving grace. When we act apart from God, His Word and His standard, our actions can only produce godlessness and corruption. Left to ourselves, our actions will continue to degenerate morally, and Adam’s "birthday" present, this earth, will continue to degenerate. Some would cry, "Why didn’t God stop it right there in the Garden?" Well.., for starters, if He had stopped it right there in the Garden, you wouldn’t be around to see it or ask any questions. God couldn’t just use His power to stop it, without first being true to his Justice and Righteousness !!!!... and all other aspects of His essence. God cannot be untrue to Himself !!! Hebrews 6:18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. Titus 1:2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, GOD provided a "way" that is right and just. A "way" that can and could have stopped these sinful acts. This "way" was provided by the death of His Son on the Cross, BUT MANKIND must choose to accept that "way". As long as a human chooses to live in his own way, the ultimate and ONLY result of that way will be death or destruction. Proverbs 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the hearts. Proverbs 12:28 In the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death. Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. God created an everlasting soul, placed that soul in a body called Adam, gave the earth to him, gave him dominion over that earth and all that was on/in it. This earth became Satan’s, by default. Through sin, Adam became the slave of Satan, and all that Adam had was then the possession of Satan, including this earth. Before the sin of Adam, the earth was watered with a mist. There were none of the present conflicting weather patterns that cause such "clashes" as hurricanes, thunderstorms, tornados, etc., etc. That’s an important fact to note in establishing "why" the devastating Gulf Shore storm. God did provide a way for man to be redeemed and set in motion a plan that would also redeem the earth from the clutches of Satan. Even though man is now a sinner, God provided a means for humans to have a godly life, BUT each human must CHOOSE to receive God’s provision for such a godly life. BEFORE Adam’s "fall", he had to CHOOSE to have a sinful godless life, BUT after the fall, mankind must CHOOSE to have a godly life If humans do not choose to have a godly life or at least a moral life, their actions and attitudes will only become more and more corrupt. Outside of a godly influence, humanity will, by nature, only degenerate morally. Genesis 4:1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, "I have gotten a man from the LORD." 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. 4 Abel also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. We see this degenerate nature in the first two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain wanted to do it his way, not God’s way. Of course he had a good teacher in his father, and his mother was pretty good in that area, also. Even though Cain did not seek godliness in the proper manner, God personally instructed him AGAIN in the proper manner. Genesis 4:6 So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." Even with God’s personal intervention, Cain STILL wanted-it-his-way. As a result, he didn’t want anyone doing it-any-other-way, including his brother. Sounds a little bit like "real" life, even church life. Genesis 4:8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose against Abel his brother and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" 10 And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground. God gave Cain the choice of living godly. God even personally presented the proper choice, AND gave clear instructions for making that choice. BUT Cain chose his own selfish way, and as a result he did that which sprang from his nature -- he destroyed life! Remember our passage from John??? John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. The very nature of mankind is murderous or destructive of others. Sinful humans, left to themselves without restraints, will live by their depraved human nature to its limits. We see this fact in the looting, the rapes, the murders in the ravaged areas that were not protected by force. We will SOON see this fact in the thieving politicians. We will see this "stealing" in the way the politicians "divert" (steal) millions that are intended to help others, to their own causes. They will do so by amending Appropriation Bills in such a manner as to "divert" (steal) monies intended for one purpose, to their own selfish purpose. I had better "ring off", or I’ll be impeached or "imappled" or whatever they do to preachers who tell the truth about politics. Genesis 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Just a few generations from the hand of the creator, mankind had fallen to such a state that there was no earthly good in them, to say nothing of any moral or spiritual good. Paul, in Romans, gives us a profile of the human nature that resides in all of us. All mankind has this human nature, and if left unabated and without moral restraints, WILL manifest itself as described in.... Romans 3:10 As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all gone out of the way; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one." 13 "Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit"; "The poison of asps is under their lips"; 14 "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness." 15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 destruction and misery are in their ways; 17 and the way of peace they have not known." 18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes." Paul, simply repeats what had been stated many times before, in the Old Testament. This is what man is, and this is what man will do when moral restraints are removed. Let’s review..: 1. God chose by His sovereignty to have a "dot" in eternity called time 2. God created an everlasting soul, placed it in a body called Adam 3. God put Adam in time, and gave him dominion over the earth and all that was on/in it 4. Adam was created in the shadow image of God with a volition, and God provided all that was needed to make a proper choice 5. Adam, by his volition, chose to obey Satan rather than God, thereby separating himself from the only source of godliness 6. By that choice, Adam established his nature as mortal or human, a nature that was totally deprived of any form of godliness 7. This human nature has been passed down, through procreation, to all of Adam’s descendants 8. God AGAIN provided a "way" for humans to have a godly life, BUT each person must choose that "way" for themselves, personally Yes, a loving God has stepped into this godless scene to bring a proper end to godlessness, by offering to all, who will accept it, Godliness. The only other solution to sin and violence is the righteous judgment of God upon all who have not chosen to accept God’s Gift of Eternal Life. This righteous solution will not be acceptable to many, BECAUSE all of us are sinners and the penalty of sin is eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire. To alter that penalty of sin, we must choose to lay aside our depraved "wants" and accept, from God, apart from any personal merit, God’s provision. God will, at the close of time, execute proper judgment upon all who have not accepted Christ as Savior. Isaiah 11:1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. 3 His delight is in the fear of the LORD, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; 4 but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist. 6 "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. 10 "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious." Even after this perfect environment of 1,000 years, established by God through ruling with the "rod of iron", humanity in general will still reject God and turn against Him, seeking their own way. At the close of that glorious millennium will come the great purging of sin and the earth. All unrighteousness will be judged and all who have not accepted God’s provision of Salvation through His Son will be cast into the Lake of Fire to receive their just reward. All who have been cleansed through the blood of Christ and thereby have His righteousness will be ushered into eternity to experience unending joy and fellowship forever. Revelation 21:27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. 22:1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 And there shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. Revelation 21:4 "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful." Such conditions, as described here and elsewhere, cannot be established UNTIL sin has be properly judged. Until that time of judgment, tragedies, storms and evil will continue. BUT for Christians, who have learned to walk with God, they can walk through the "valley of the shadow" without the overwhelming fear. "Oh," you say, "Pastor, that’s just pie in the sky by and by. What about right now?" No, that is not pie in the sky! That is the blessed hope of the Believer in Christ. I John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. If you HAVE this hope, you will be in the process of purification. If you are not purifying yourself, then… you DON’T have this hope in you. That’s a simple formula that needs to be applied our living. No, I can’t give much hope for this old world becoming a wonderful place to live, right now. No matter where you might try to run to escape the evil, you can’t hide from it, because the nature of man is corrupt and we Believers, who are to be the "salt of the earth", are no longer very "salty". As a matter of fact, we are very much like the rest of world... AS A RESULT OF OUR OWN CHOICE. God has given instructions that, if followed, will provide a relatively peaceable life, even in this sin cursed and sin filled earth. BUT many Believers, by their own volition, have chosen not to follow and apply those instructions of God. Instead, we want our rights, our freedom, our way. Very much in the pattern of our first relative, Adam. Time will not permit us to look at all the instructions of God we’ve rejected, but looking at a couple of them will prove very interesting in this situation. Proverbs 17:14 The beginning of strife is like releasing water; therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts. The picture, in this passage, is of a body of water that is being held back by an earthen dam. It may be only a SMALL trickle that begins to ooze through or over that earthen barrier, BUT if it is not stopped.... SOON..., it will destroy the earthen barrier, and everything being held back by it will come rushing in. The question should not be, "Where is God?" BUT "Why haven’t we heeded God’s instructions?" God told us that if sin is not "nipped-in-the-bud", it will destroy. Have you applied the Biblical truths to your life? Have you applied God’s truth to your home? Have we applied God’s truth to our church? Have we applied God’s truth to our community? Have we applied God’s truth to our nation? If, and we have, let that little trickle of sin go unchecked..... IT WILL BRING DESTRUCTION ON ALL LEVELS ... personal, home, church, nation, world, nature, etc. Proverbs 19:19 A man of great wrath will (must) suffer punishment; for if you deliver him, you will have to do it again. When we as parents, as a church or as a nation allow sin to go unpunished and unchecked, we will have "repeat offenders" and the offence will grow worse and worse. Because of the human nature of mankind, if we simply deliver the offender from punishment, the evil will not only happen again and again, but each time it will degenerate in its degree of morality, and increase through others joining that corrupt behavior. Genesis 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. My Christian friend. The ONLY tool we have against the onslaught of evil..: is not our congress, not our police, not our military.... the only tool we have, is obedience to God’s Word... personally. Too many of us keep going back, in our minds, to the Garden of Eden and we look at that tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and we say again, as those first humans said, "My it looks pleasant enough! It certainly is desirable! Just a little nibble won’t hurt." Sad to say, we Christians spend our time just nibbling at the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, AND the blessed Tree of Life, standing next to it, never gets a second look, BECAUSE we have spent all our time and energy on the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Last but not least, may God quicken our hearts to really believe His Word. He has given instructions concerning our having a quiet and peaceable life in this wicked generation, BUT very few of us follow those instructions, OR maybe we don’t even believe them. 1 Timothy 2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. Oh, how quick we are to question "Why?"... after the fact, of course, BUT we are so slow to use the preventive means that God so clearly reveals.
© Clyde White, Austin TX, 2005