the cause of the pain

I'm apologize for not posting sooner. I've been a little caught up in fixing up the house I'm renting. Forgive my lateness.
Now, on to the matter at hand.
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The first and most important point of the matter is the cause. Why is it that these things have happened? Why have these children died? Why have these murders taken place? Why?

The answer is not easy, but I believe it with my full heart. The reason for these tragedies is so that God would be magnified. I do not say that lightly and I realize that this implicates God in every bad thing that occurs on this earth. I think, however, that He is quite capable of answering the question and that He has done so throughout the Scripture.

Below is a series of questions that may arise for you. Consider each carefully.

Do you think that God is surprised by these things? Do you think that when the young mother tried to back out of the rising water that He was unaware or ignoring the plight of those children? Far be it from God. He knows all things(Psalm 139). He is not caught unaware of any activity of this earth.

Do you think that God was unable to reach down and miraculously save those children? Do you think He was somehow incapacitated? Absolutely not. God is not bent by the will or the non-will of man. He has His own will and acts accordingly. (See Numbers 23 for the story of Balaam, who prophesied for God even though Balaam didn't want to do so.)

Do you think God is without pity? Do you think He was not grieved for the loss of life on this earth? He was grieved. He knows and shares our pain. He himself wept over the loss of Lazarus (John 11). He grieves in our grief and mourns with us, but still His unchangeable will goes on.

Do you think that God sins when He allows for men and women to murder? Or does he sin because He allows for some to perish without a known reason? This is not true. God is not evil and cannot do evil. He cannot sin.(2 Cor. 5:21, 1 Pet. 2:22) Jesus said that to sin is to be a slave to sin, and God is not mastered by any. (John 8:30ish)

Does God really hold life this delicately? Is He really actively involved in the life and death of individuals on this earth? To the fullest extent, God is willing that you and I at this moment are to be alive. And if He would like, in the next moment, He may strike us dead. (Deut. 32:39) He is intimately involved in the breath of us, His great creation.

I realize that these are short answers to deep questions. If you would like me to cover them in more detail, I will be more than happy to do so.

Tomorrow, I will unpack some of the purpose behind God's sovereignty over life. But, be warned, there are some things which are not for us to know. I cannot give an exact reason for the deaths in these past weeks. I cannot say it was this sin, or that sin, or so that this person would be saved, or that revival may break out. The cause of many things are a great mystery, but the result, the end, is not a mystery anymore.

Grace to you,

-joe

suffering and tragedies

This week I will be dedicating my posts to answer the question of suffering. "The Problem of Pain" as it has been called has come to a forefront in Rochester over the past few weeks (and year).

Within the last two weeks, three young children have died. Two in a flood, ages 2 and 5, I believe. The other was a three-month old infant, and I am unsure of the exact cause of death.

On Saturday there was a wreck in the county which caused one death and may lead to the death of another of the persons involved.

A young girl named Nicole died in accident on the 14th. She lived in Bourbon.

A helicopter crashed into Bass Lake, killing two people last April.

Two members of the Triplet family died on their way home to Lapaz from a Rochester golf tournament in July.

I believe it was last year that a young boy was killed in a go-carting accident on a rural road (I was unable to confirm the date).

A man named Rouse confessed to several murders last year after he was arrested on suspicion of murder of a woman in 2005.

Most of last year in Rochester was shadowed by the trials of Newgent and Baker for their murders in 2005 at a local motel.

And so, death has come into our town this past year in a way that I cannot remember. These last two weeks, in the wake of 4 young deaths, have been heart-wrenching for many.

I will do my best to leave room for grief and I will do my best to give glory to God for the things that have happened in this past year.

Take some time to pray for the families involved in these things. May God grant them peace and salvation for His namessake.

-joe