“In this manner therefore, pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name. Your Kingdom Come,” (Matthew 6:9).

Dear Brethren,

For the Pastor’s Comments this time I am using a very timely article that has been written by Mr. Gregorie.

Truly, as God’s people, we do need to be praying, “Thy Kingdom Come,” (Matthew 6:10). Not only for these people alone, but for all of mankind who are suffering in many different ways.

Your friend and servant,

Don Billingsley

The Haitian Earthquake:

WHY GOD?

Garfield Gregoire

The world is shocked and stunned by the devastating and exceedingly destructive power of the magnitude 7.0 earthquakes that struck the Haitian capital of Port- au Prince Haiti in the afternoon of January 5, 2010.

Not only is this quake the worst to happen to Haiti in 200 years, but it is considered to be possibly the most devastating in human history - as hundreds of thousands is said to have lost their lives; some of the estimated figure range from 50,000 to 200,000 - still others are saying it could be much more than that, but whatever the figure, this is an event of epic proportion. The Haitian leader said it was "unimaginable."

The news continues to show images and sounds of the aftermath of this quake: we see buildings turned to rubbles, people mourning - wandering the streets by the thousands - seemingly dazed, shocked and confused by what is going on around them; dead bodies litter the streets while the living wander around in need of help and comfort - in need of food and water.

On the other side, there is the wounded needing medical help – and in most cases, there is no one to help. In addition, there is the cry of the helpless; the cry of those who were still alive and trapped or buried beneath the rubbles with no one to get them out. One news program documented the incident of a woman who had been separated from her daughter - she then heard the moans and groan of someone trapped beneath the rubbles and believed it was her daughter. Rescue workers came on the scene and tried their best to get to the person they believe to be buried alive. That individual or person had been making sounds by tapping - so as to let people know there was someone there, but for hours the rescuers tried as best as they could to get to the trapped person - while the anxious and weeping woman stood for hours hoping it was her daughter and that she could be rescued, but as time elapsed, the tapping stopped and the rescuers could do no more, they had to pack up and leave for another site to try and rescue others who were in need; as they left, the woman stood in horror and hopelessness thinking that her daughter was still there buried underground with no one to get to her; this is but one scene of the countless horror and suffering ongoing in Haiti.

Why Did God Allow This to Happen?

In times of great tragedy, people will turn their mind to God and wonder as to why God would allow these things to happen. When the world Trade center was attacked and destroyed, people found themselves wondering why would a just God allow something like this to happen; and after that incident, one man affirmed he could no longer believe in God - as he could not come to terms with how a just God could possibly allow this to happen.

Indeed, it is truly heartrending to see and hear of the suffering going on in Haiti; it saddens the heart to see the pain and anguish of a mother weeping hopelessly among the throngs of people - knowing all her children and other family members were gone; it saddens us to see the bodies of the dead littering the streets and to hear the wailing and mourning among the people - and to see little children suffer. In a news program documenting the incident of a beautiful little girl trapped in the rubble - she was freed after many agonizing hours of suffering - and it appeared that she was going to be alright, but the news program later reported that due to the lack of adequate medical care, the child died. The reporter - recounting what happened to the little girl - spoke with deep sadness as he mentioned that she even cried out to God to save her and deliver her; and yet she died and was buried in a cemetery.

Was God insensitive to the cry of this little girl? Did God care about her and the suffering of the Haitian people? Does God care about what is going on in Haiti?

GOD IS LOVE

We need to understand that God is not cruel or insensitive to the pain and suffering that is going on in this world. The holy Bible tells us very plainly in 1 John 4:8, that "GOD IS LOVE." In verse 7, John writes that we are to "love one another: for love is of God." Either that is true or the Bible is a lie. But we know that God embodies love and that there is no evil or wickedness within the heart of God. God proved His love to man when He paid the SUPREME penalty for our sins - by giving His only Son to die for the world. John 3:16 emphasizes that so clearly when it tells us that “God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son."

The Great God who took on human form - in the person of Jesus Christ, literally wept for the people of his day. In great love for his people, Christ said, "how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not" (Luke 13:34). This is God's love being demonstrated for man in its purest form. But notice Jesus said, "YOU WOULD NOT."

In verse 35, Jesus said, "YOUR HOUSE IS LEFT UNTO YOU DESOLATE." The Romans were to later come and wreak havoc upon Jerusalem - by laying waste the entire city. God had sent His prophets time and time again to warn His people - to turn from their rebelliousness but they would not give heed to God's warning. God came to them in the flesh and they rejected Him - as “THEY WOULD NOT" give heed to God

That is the heart of man's problem today! The whole world continues to transgress the laws of God and because of this God is very angry! The lessons of the past have shown that God allowed ancient Israel to suffer great evil and affliction - because of their rebelliousness. Today, the entire world is in rebellion against God, and it seems the world is quick to judge or ask why did God allow this or that to happen - not considering that God takes his laws very seriously - and that the entire earth has been consistently, unceasingly breaking and transgressing those laws.

Notice Isaiah 45: 6, 7: "THOSE MEN MAY KNOW FROM THE RISING TO THE SETTING OF THE SUN THAT THERE IS NO ONE BESIDE ME. I AM THE LORD, AND THERE IS NO OTHER, THE ONE FORMING THE LIGHT AND CREATING DARKNESS, CAUSING WELL BEING AND CREATING CALAMITY: I AM THE LORD WHO DOES ALL THESE THINGS“(American Standard Bible).

This statement would shock some in this religious world, but here God plainly tells us that He does bring calamity upon men. Throughout the Old Testament and even in the New Testament, God has repeatedly prophesied of oncoming judgment upon this world. No one is here to condemn the people of Haiti - for the whole world and all nations stand guilty before God, but what we need to understand is that God has allowed all that has happened in Haiti to happen; the life of men and nations are in the hands of God, and He judges all nations according to His wisdom and divine purpose. In Ezekiel 5, God pronounced judgment upon his own people - the Israelites - and is in fact a prophecy that is mainly for the modern Israelite nations of the United States and Britain:

"Therefore thus smith the Lord GOD; ‘Because ye multiplied more than the nations that are round about you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my judgments ... Therefore, thus smith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I am against thee, and I will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations. And I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do anymore the like, because of thine abominations. Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgment s in thee ...’" (verse 7, 8, 9, and 10).

If you consider this prophecy and what God says He is going to do to the American and British people, then what is happening in Haiti right now is tame in comparison to what is to come upon our people. God says our people are going to fall prey to famine and great hunger; that family members are going to turn to cannibalism in order to try and survive. In our present condition where we seemingly have plenty to eat, such a thing seem unreal and too far fetched but God says its going to happen!

Already our food supply is running low in this country - and while we must by all means help the people of Haiti, one has to wonder what kind of impact our food support to Haiti may have upon our own nation - as it appears that it is going to take Haiti many years to rebuild their nation. This is something we may also need to consider. But we can see that God brings destruction and evil upon nations primarily because of the breaking of God's laws; and as stated before, we are not here to judge the people of Haiti, but it cannot be overlooked that Haiti is a country that is steeped in Satanism - and the practice of voodoo is widespread throughout the country.

It is also an historical fact that as far back as 1791, a group of voodoo priests along with hundreds of people - came together and made a pact that the country would actually be given to Satan if Haiti was liberated from the French. We do know from the holy Bible that God is very opposed to witchcraft - and has often brought judgment and punishment upon His people for engaging in such practices; that is undeniable.

But in touching upon the purpose of God, and why God allow suffering here is what Mr. Armstrong said - after explaining that man's purpose on earth was to build and develop the holy and righteous character of God:

Why God Allow Wars, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong: “Character involves such characteristics as love and patience, humility, tolerance, mercy, wisdom, initiative and right doing through free choice. So, God of necessity made man the clay model. He made man a free moral agent, so that man must make his own decision. God has decreed that we must decide. He doesn't force us to obey him or come under his government. There could be no character any other way. And to do that God had to allow man to do wrong. Now, get that! To fulfill his purpose, God had to allow man to be able to do wrong. Character must be developed by experience. It can't be created automatically. Experience requires time; and so God set apart a total of 7,000 years to carry out His purpose.

“The first 6,000 years—as there were six days of material creation—are for man's way of going contrary to God. Then there is going to be a 1,000-year day of spiritual rest, when Jesus Christ is coming to rule this earth God's way and rule it with a rod of iron. The whole world will be full of the knowledge of the Eternal God. "...We have competition. Everything is competition in this world. Everything is carried along on the selfish, the getting, basis—greed and vanity. To prevent the evils of competition and wars today God would have to cram His religion down our throats. Our way, the violation of the law of God, the law of love, is causing war, human anguish and human suffering. God had to allow it (to let us have our own way) in order to fulfill His purpose of creating holy character. The only way that God could stop war would be to stop the cause. He would have, in effect, to cram his religion down our throats—down the throats of all humanity. There wouldn't be any free moral agency; there wouldn't be any character and God's purpose could never be fulfilled. That's why God allows wars, and that's why God allows suffering. To prevent it would be to prevent the very purpose that God is working out here below"

Yes, even if the skeptics are not willing to see, God is allowing suffering so that the ultimate supreme purpose of God may be accomplished on this earth, and mankind will come to see the futility of his own way and ultimately come to understand God's true purpose and plan.

Little would the world know in that awe inspiring supremely grand purpose of God, the little girl that cried out from that rubble for God to save her shall yet be saved in the future resurrection to come and that all those people that have lived and died are yet going to be given their opportunity to come to life again and experience the wonderful opportunity of being born forever into the family of God.

Notice what this great God of love says say in Revelation 21: 3,4,5: And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be anymore pain: for the former things are passed away.”

The Haitian are mourning now as their tears flow in seemingly endless stream, but in the final analysis, God has promised that He is going to wipe away their tears and relieve their suffering in a way no food or medicine ever will. The people of Haiti - including the world - may not understand why all this has happened, but the time is going to come when God will destroy "the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vial that is spread over all nations" (Isaiah 25:7).

Soon, the happy, peaceful world tomorrow will be here and the face of all people - including the people of Haiti - are going to radiate with joy and happiness- as the present suffering will be remembered no more - and what a thrill it is going to be to see that little girl who cried out for God to save her. Truly she shall be saved and her prayers answered - as she awakens to everlasting joy and peace. Who would not want to be there to greet that little girl as she begins her exciting journey into a joyful new way of life?

http://bodyofchristonline.us/     http://cog-ff.com     http://www.ezekielwatchman.org/

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