Why Does God Allow Pain?

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It's good to be back in the studio is so good to have you back. This is the third episode of our series called skeptics welcome and again we are so grateful to everyone who sent in their own questions or ones that they've had friends and family wrestling with their faith, our God has been doing an incredible job walking us through some of the toughest questions.

Most of us have had at one point or another. That's right.

In this we can discuss a specific question a listener sent 10.

Why doesn't God and wars really. This turns into the big question of why do bad things happen to good people.

Now I don't know about you but I have friends that love the Lord and friends that don't know him and I think that's a popular theme.

People want to know how could a loving God let bad things happen, but were in a fallen world and we are and I mean every single one of us has had situations and things. I mean you just walk through something that was bad right but it really strengthen your faith, brighten a Logitech to come closer to the Lord, because you allowed it to see you have a free will to choose.

At that point-I view it. What lens you're gonna view it through and as believers we hopefully choose to view it through our faith. That's right. Obviously there's a lot to unpack here but can has done a great job preparing.

We can't wait for you to hear exactly that will go Monday 00, well, good morning. Welcome back to our show skeptics welcome. Are you a skeptic. Well some of you are because you sent in a bunch of questions for us in one of the questions that I didn't get to choose the answer. Last week was this issue about why does why doesn't God just end all wars. I mean there are a lot of reasons that we have wars. There's this nationalism that we actually set up and we propagate you know that our nation is better than every other nation and creates these jealousies and sometimes hoarding of resources and ethnocentrism went to be really careful because I love the country from which I am part of a citizen of the United States, but how did I get so blessed just to be born here and do I get all those rights and privileges just because I was born here were someone and possibly 1/3 world country has no rights because I will work, religion is probably one of the other reasons why people fight right because God evidently ordains some borders and are some people lesser in God's eyes so that they can't have that promised land that other people have in the Bible even seems to set us up for this, which were I talk about down the road, but how we deal with that.

Well Civil War when these minority groups rise for controller majority group seem to seize control of other people and and oppress them. What about the resources and that the need for people to feel like they need to expand their territory in order to get some of those resources because the other country might be hogging them from the more you may be high tax so that they can never have it all. This is included because of God's initial command that I give you permission to rule the earth and we talked about this last week that this selfishness of man is what creates this and we can say all we want to about perhaps those persons empower or maybe those warmongers and we could maybe even say a few commanders or whatever. At this point, but the truth is, each one of us has that selfishness ingrained in us because once you've been blessed. You really don't want to give up what you already have the share with somebody else who might not be a need you feel like you earned so we need to be careful in passing judgment upon others. When we ourselves are not willing to do what were supposed to do to bring peace to the entire earth by sharing with those who don't have what they need. So if God cares what is he actually doing. If nothing is indeed changing. Well, for one, can I remind you about Jesus and the fact that God himself disrobed himself of all power and came to live among us actually giving up his power to be raised by us as human beings and then came and walked among us and taught us, and not only that submitted himself back to us as we crucified him on a cross while God gave up his power and selfishness so that we could be raised to life because it doesn't stop at the cross.

There's the empty tomb in which God then re-gives his power back to us and then the anointing of the Holy Spirit through Pentecost. God is using us to bring back order to the universe. He's speaking in the individuals who are not undergoing trial to fight against injustice know there's this idea of just war theory that there are some wars that are just because someone is so selfish some country might be so selfish and what they are trying to accomplish that. We have to go to war because there's no other alternative. Perhaps God is speaking to someone to rescue those who feel victimized to go into those places of the poor William Booth in darkest England when he went there to the east side and preach to those who had nothing, perhaps you were being called to stand against leaders who oppress others or seek national gain at the expense of others.

Maybe you are the whistleblower or the one who's going to stand up and say something that might be unpopular. But God is called you to do it for those who are enduring trial, God is also doing something else. First of all, he's teaching them to endure the trial and that is of great importance itself.

Sometimes we need to be taught that we can actually get through difficulties. There is a reason why it hurts to lift weights. It's there's a reason why we don't necessarily like to practice the piano over and over and over again. But the truth is those trials and that building up of muscle memory, and muscles themselves will actually make us better people. So sometimes those God is giving that strength to those who aren't in that trial so that they can show themselves approved. The other is to actually witness to others to faith when they are going under trial.

So in other words, God might be putting this trial in front of you and you are getting through it by God's grace and you are seeking his power and on the other side, you'll find victory only to find that there is someone who is in the very same place that you were in which you can be a witness to them of how to get through it. The other thing is how to grow stronger in our faith despite the trial the fact is that sometimes we tried to when were in the midst of the trial, do it all ourselves try to figure out how'd what's the best strategy. How do I get out of this but the Lord is actually teaching us this concept of prayer to come close to him to draw near and prayer isn't just praying the prayer. Prayer is the constant communion in which in every moment were asking Lord, how do you want me to get through this. How do you want me to deal with this issue that's in front of me and the Lord does have a solution for you. He wants to be in the miracle making business of you finding that miracle in him because the truth is, miracles do happen and we need to continue to tell those stories.

These testimonies are something that has almost gotten lost in our churches because we've put everything on maybe a worship or a message, but is the testimony of a group of people in which we hear wow they made it through. So can I you might remember the story that I brought up a couple weeks ago in regard to Elijah being on Mount caramel and the miracle that happened when the sacrifice was consumed. As soon as he called upon God.

But we forget. Maybe the rest of that story where now Elijah is so insecure and fearful that he runs from Ahab and Jezebel and he actually runs all the way into the desert to fall. Mount caramel's on the northern set side of Israel the desert on the southern side of Judah. It's a long way that he runs and he hides out in a cave and he starts whining to God Lord.

Oh how helpless I why have you left me all alone and it says eventually after the earthquake came in the whirlwind came in.

The fire came the God just spoke with the still small voice. I've not left you alone and there are thousands of prophets who have not bowed down to bail. Now get yourself up and go back to where I called you so today you might feel victimized today. You might feel like I can't get through this trial and I don't know where God is.

I guarantee you he's there. I guarantee you if you quiet your voice. You can hear him in the still small voice saying I have not abandoned you. I have not abandoned others and I still have purpose for your life.

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