Hello again to all, as me, just trying to do the best we can. I always enjoy hearing from those on the fence and/or non-believers as long as they are open minded and polite in their discussions. I am never here to try and convert you, that is not the purpose God gave me. This blog is, as always, a platform to share what God has done in my life and what He gives me to share. When something is shared here by me it is valid or accepted fact; or I will state that it is of my opinion.

Two questions are often posed by people. One, why does God let bad things happen to people, especially children; and two, how could a loving God send anyone to Hell? Along with these, when an explanation is attempted the response is usually, how can you judge people like that and say you love them?

Let's take the last one first and all of these explanations will be much shorter than a face to face discussion would be.

First do you truly comprehend that most devout followers of Christ honestly and fervently believe in the Hell described in the Bible? Maybe or maybe not in it's exactitude but in the literal sense of the torturous separation from God for eternity? That being said then how could I not try to guide people away from this? The Word of God describes this type of omission to act as sin. One example is John 15:2 and John 15:6. So because I do love people I will take the chance of being insulted. I judge no one and only share the truth that is written in the Holy Word of God. I challenge you to show me any of the accepted Bibles, regardless of translation, and show me a passage that contradicts the same passage from another. When I warn people of the penalty of hell it is out of the loving desire that they should not send themselves there by the ignorance of Jesus Christ as their Savior. So I warn people of sin and hell out of love, not judgment or self-righteousness.

Now for as for God sending people to hell. Well in the first place being the Creator of all; us, the universe, all that we know, I believe God has the right to do as He will. Second, if you truly read and study the WHOLE word of God, and read the WHOLE message and all it entails, you will see that you commit yourself to hell by not accepting God's invitation to everlasting life by accepting His Son Jesus Christ as your Savior. When you truly read the message of the Bible you see the He says, "Come to me all who are tired and weary and I will give you rest". para. Matt. 11:27-29. So if I tell you something you decide to do will harm you, don't blame me when it does.



The last one about why God allows terrible things in your life, this is tough and comes to things we may never see. First and foremost, the majority of life's tragedies are from our choice not to obey the path God has for us. If we truly honest with ourselves, when we look back we can see where our disobedience has led to trouble. The guidance of the Bible gives us the measure of how we can have the best life possible. Now this life, according to the world, appears to be restrictive and somewhat dull. Well we could talk for hours and still not finish this one. The point is that God gives us a life style in which many of these tragedies would not happen, but we do not want to listen or be told how to live our lives.

So let us recap. We don't like it when God allows the consequences of actions, yet we do not want to be told what to do either. First, even those who walk with God have tragedy in their lives at times. Their solace is that THIS IS NOT OUR HOME OR THE END OF THINGS. I put that in caps because it is the biggest point about this world. If little children die, they go to God. Yes we suffer, even believers, but we know they are in a better place. It is funny that the people who rail against God act as if their loved ones who suffered here will suffer for eternity. Not if they have Christ as their Savior. When is the last time you cut yourself. If it has been very long do you still feel the pain? How would you feel if your loved ones suffering brought about a cure or ease of suffering for thousands, tens of thousands, millions? Would that make it easier?

I by no means have the answer and if you want a pat answer like 2+2=4 then I fear you are out of luck. All I know is that God loved the world so much He gave His only Son so the none would perish. Look it up yourself. John 3:16. God does not do things willy-nilly. There is a purpose for everything, and that purpose is always for the better good. I assure you that I have had major suffering in my life, at the point of suicide once, and yet looking back I would change nothing because of the lesson and strength God built in me. God loves us enough to not be our puppet master, but that swings both ways.

So is what you want a god who rights every wrong, forgives every disrespectful disobedience, never tells us what to do, and never lets anything bad happen to us? Wow, that would be a hard god for me to understand. We don't have to listen to him, we don't have to respect him, but when the times comes we want him to just give us the prize. So what should be a crime, and what should be punished, and should everyone go to heaven? Now those are some questions I have NO answer to. Thankfully I have a God who does know the answer; even if I don't understand it now. Some day I will.

Yours in Christ, Mike