Evil in the World

Why Does God Allow Evil in the World?

In lieu of the upcoming date of the attack of 9/11 where nearly 3,000 lost their lives in a brutal attack of evil. A question we as Christians face and must be able to answer is why if God is such a loving God would allow evil in this world?

God allows evil in the world as a demonstration of His grace and love for us. What? D. C. are you out of your mind? Only we could be so bold and so ignorant to think that we deserve to live in a world without evil when in fact we are the evil.

No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies. Snake venom drips from their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. They rush to commit murder. Destruction and misery always follow them. They don’t know where to find peace. They have no fear of God at all.”
Romans 3:11-18 (NLT)

If God was to make this world without evil He would have to first start by eliminating us. Does the name Noah ring a bell? That was our second chance. What did we do with it? We blew it. Again we have taken God's own creation and turned it into a battle field. We have become very efficient in killing one-another. We have reached a point with enough nuclear weapons to kill every man, woman, child and every blade of grass around the world six times over. Six times over.

Each day that we are allowed to live is a blessing, a gift and a demonstration of God's grace and love. We do not deserve it.

Noah was our second chance. Jesus is our last chance. There again showing us God's grace and patience. Not very often do we see a fellow human being ever giving another a second chance let alone a third. It is our lack of forgiveness that demonstrates our sinful nature. I would be the first to admit that I am guilty.

...For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.
Matt 5:45 (NLT)

Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”
Heb 13:4-6 (NLT)

Team up, Set-up and get into the fight. <><

Slavery is Alive and Well

Living in the South the word “Slavery” is still a word scowled upon. It brings up a dark past in our history that we are not proud of. Similar to our very early church history which in one afternoon “The Church” martyred more Christian brothers and sisters than all the Caesars combined. Yes, it happened.

How about slavery today? An estimated 12 to 27 million are held in slavery today! How can this be? How as Christians over the centuries could we possibly have even allowed this to happen? Yes it is alive and well right now. Today!

Any where between 600,000 to 800,000 human-beings are trafficked around the world and over 17,000 are trafficked here in the United States. Half of these modern day slaves are children.

We are blind to it. It is not news-worthy. Sure an occasional celebrity has appeared surprised that the garments bearing their name come from slave camps and political correct announced sweat shops.

Prior to William Wilberforce's life's battle that led to the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 in England it was said that a drop of blood is in every lump of sugar. Referring to the slave trade and slave labor in the growing, harvesting, and the production of sugar for one's tea.

Not far off the truth for today. How many of the socks, shirts, shoes and other clothing we purchase come from the backs of modern day slaves? Try going into Wal-mart and find a label that says “made in the USA?” You will be hard pressed to find one on clothing, toys or even sporting goods. There before us is the 12 to 27 million brothers and sisters that wait for freedom. Who die each day hidden and invisible to us.

See for yourself: Visit http://www.freedomcenter.org/slavery-today

<>< D C McKay

What Produces Faith?

Be careful this might be considered a theological question. The focus is on Luke 16:19-31, the story of the rich man and Lazarus. This story raises many theological issues. Here Jesus names one of the individuals by name, Lazarus. Many then conclude that this is not a parable but perhaps a real story of a real experience.

We find the rich man enjoyed all the best that life had to offer at least materially speaking. The rich man could have eased the suffering of Lazarus without really interfering with his own lifestyle. In fact little effort would have been required if the rich man really wanted to help the poor man.

They both die. The rich man finds himself in torment. The KJV says Hades. The NLT says he went to the place of the dead. The poor man was not. It is verse 31 (vv. 31) that is the focus of this article. The rich man asks Abraham to send a messenger from the dead to his brothers so they will believe and repent to escape such punishment. Abraham tells him flat out no. Miracles will not change them.

Here is a story. I met a man and shared my faith in God with him. After talking a while he still told me that he just does not believe in God. So I asked him, “What would it take for him to believe.” He looked around the room for a moment then at his jacket hanging over the chair. He said, “When my green jacket turns red then I would believe.” Looking at me as if I could snap my fingers and poof it is done. We soon parted ways. Later that evening there was a heavy rainstorm. The hillside behind the man’s house which he had lived for years was saturated and broke loose mud spilling towards the back of the man’s house. The next morning the man came downstairs to survey the damage. The coat closet had some damage. Within the muck he pulled out his jacket. At first he did not recognized it. The green jacket was now red. Did he immediately believe in God? No, instead he tried to explain what had happened. By chance they had had a very heavy rainstorm. By chance the hillside behind his house, which had been stable for years some how, gave way. By chance the iron rich mud slid to the back of his house where the coat closet was located. By chance the red mud mixed with the pigment of the green jacket changing it from green to red. Did he deny that the jacket had turned from green to red? No. He simply denies that what had happen was by chance and not by God. So do miracles produce faith? No, that is what Jesus is telling us in Luke 16:31.

So what produces faith? In Romans 10:17 faith comes from hearing by the Word of God. We see in Genesis that Satan attacks Eve by manipulating God’s Word. We see atheist groups trying to manipulate God’s Word to further their cause. When we fail to regularly study God’s Word we find ourselves attacked more and more. Studying God’s Word regularly keeps us in communication with Him along with prayer. Knowing the scriptures and knowing the author are two different things. Many atheists know the scriptures better than us. The bible tells us that Satan himself knows them better than we. I find it interesting that in Romans 10:17 the word “hearing” is used. We need to hear God’s Word. That means out loud. Shared among us through group study, reading aloud, song and worship. Yet our streets are void of God’s Word.