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[lovepeace]

last night i was up late watching a movie, and when my movie ended...there was a paid program on that had to deal with children who are starving in other countries.
it was so depressing that i actually started to cry. i feel so selfish and lucky when i see these programs, but then i think...why does God let this happen?
i hope nobody is offended by what i just said, but it is one of the reason i am having a hard time getting close to God because i cannot understand why He would let these children suffer.
i do believe that people should help out and do something about it, but there is only so much people can do. Why does He let this happen?
they are innocent children. in a way, it makes me mad at God.
I DO NOT WANT A REASON TO BE ANGRY WITH GOD! 
so if anybody has some clarity...it would be most helping.

[deftarchangel]

Here is a thread that was just posted recently that deals with the same subject.  Although it may or may not contain the answers you are looking for, at the very least, it shows that you are not alone in your frustrations and confusions.  Anyways, hope it provides some help and understanding.   

http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,8914.0.html

Kind regards,

Rob

[lilitalienboi16]

last night i was up late watching a movie, and when my movie ended...there was a paid program on that had to deal with children who are starving in other countries.
it was so depressing that i actually started to cry. i feel so selfish and lucky when i see these programs, but then i think...why does God let this happen?
i hope nobody is offended by what i just said, but it is one of the reason i am having a hard time getting close to God because i cannot understand why He would let these children suffer.
i do believe that people should help out and do something about it, but there is only so much people can do. Why does He let this happen?
they are innocent children. in a way, it makes me mad at God.
I DO NOT WANT A REASON TO BE ANGRY WITH GOD! 
so if anybody has some clarity...it would be most helping.

Ecc: "An experience of Evil has God given unto the sons of men, to humble them thereby it."

Evil is instrumental in this human experience to grow and learn and become like God. After all, God is wanting children and indeed shall have them.

To be like our heavenly Father, we must have characterstics and traits in comon with Him. However, God is not a man nor physical but spiritual.

So how can we have characterstics of God if He has not birthed us in these physical body?

The answer is that He is birthing us SPIRITUALLY. One day we will be born into the Kingdom of God. As Jesus said, we must be born again to enter His kingdom and we will be. We are in our spiritual womb right now.

Spiritual traits cannot be bought, cannot be given as a car or a new house. They must be learned through experience. Evil is as fundamental of an experience to our spiritual growth as good is. We know that Godlike characterstics are numerous. To name some we have; humility, love, patience, understanding, meakness, integrity etc...

Since God cannot give me these qualities as He could a house, or a ball, He does it through experience. We don't know what God went through to become God. We don't know what Jesus endured Himself before coming to earth to be given all power in heaven and earth. We do know though that God is good and in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God. If God is good and if we think He was the only one around, then where did this knowledge of evil come from because remember in God their is no darkness! Only GOOD! So where? Did God in some place, some time also experience evil and triumph over it? Like ray says; I don't think God is a big baby who was given a golden spoon in His mouth.

Well thats all speculation offcourse. We might find out one of these days, when we meet Him. As im sure ray believes, we all have alot to learnand that their is much still to come! So remember, God is making us into His Son's image, into HIS CHILDREN. HOW AMAZING?

God bless,

Alex

[daywalker]

last night i was up late watching a movie, and when my movie ended...there was a paid program on that had to deal with children who are starving in other countries.
it was so depressing that i actually started to cry. i feel so selfish and lucky when i see these programs, but then i think...why does God let this happen?
i hope nobody is offended by what i just said, but it is one of the reason i am having a hard time getting close to God because i cannot understand why He would let these children suffer.
i do believe that people should help out and do something about it, but there is only so much people can do. Why does He let this happen?
they are innocent children. in a way, it makes me mad at God.
I DO NOT WANT A REASON TO BE ANGRY WITH GOD! 
so if anybody has some clarity...it would be most helping.

It is very hard for us to understand why God does things as He does. "For the carnal mind is ENMITY against God..." Romans 8:7. Enmity means "hatred". Naturally, people hate God. I believe this is less of us just being naturally evil, and more because we don't understand how God works and how He thinks.

"My thoughts are not your thoughts..." Isaiah 55:8. As Ray says, "I say Amen to that, God!

But you are not alone in the way you feel, nor should you feel guilty for feeling that way either. Remember, all the love and compassion that you have for the children and people that suffer in this world, is ALSO Of GOD. Just pray that God give you more faith, peace of mind, and wisdom to understand what His Plan is.

Everything that we are, naturally, wants to hate God, and be angry with Him. Remember that we ourselves are the Beast, who wants to dethrone God, and exalt ourselves. We are at war with ourselves constantly, to continue to walk in the light. It aint easy, "it's a dogfight".


You're in my prayers,

Christopher.

[judith collier]

lovepeace, it is discouraging, isn't it. I usually check out ministries and donate money or I will pray for them. I am the type that has to DO something. There will be many leaders of countries that will have to answer to God someday, this is also why we have to pray for the Kingdom to come. I really believe I am the head and hands and feet of the Lord and if I can do anything about something, I will do it. Maybe God doesn't need me but He let's me share in His creativity for good. God's spirit is so good and not everyone has it, simple, so you will see suffering, Even the best of us cause others to suffer. Didn't Jesus say, "my kingdom is not of this world" Those who possess the kingdom internally will also have to answer, "was I naked and you did not clothe me, was I hungry and you did not feed me, was I imprisoned and you did not visit me" " what you do to the least of these, you do for me"   Think about that for awhile. The biggest thing in the spiritual life is responsibility, as God conforms you more to His image you will be unable NOT to lend a hand in some way. Judith

[Kat]

Hi lovepeace,

The way I have come to look at this is that it is a great blessing to be brought into existence at all.  Now as Alex was saying we all must first have this 'evil experience' to come to an understanding of what bad is, as a contrast to good.  We need this contrast so that we will understand.  First there is the physical carnality - darkness - sin, then comes spiritual - light - righteousness. 

This is a wicked age - evil generation and all must partake in this.  And man has done some of the most unspeakable things to one another, I think we all bear witness to just how low man can go.  But God has let us know what is right, He has always expressed that wickedness is not good, even so.

Zec 7:8  And the word of the LORD came to Zechari'ah, saying,
v.9  "Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy each to his brother,
v. 10  do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart."
v. 11  But they refused to hearken, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears that they might not hear.

Now I do understand your sympathy for those that suffer, I feel that too, but this world has to be this way.  But you do realize that God has put a limit to the suffering any person will have to go through, because the body will take just so much and then it will die.  God has great mercy for us and has determined just how much that we would have to suffer in this life.  People are the ones that came up with hell and the notion of no end to suffering, now that is an evil idea indeed.

We have to hold on to the knowledge that this age and the suffering here is only for a limited duration and that all humanity will come to have truth and peace evenually.

1Co 2:6  However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.
v. 7  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,
v. 8  which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
v. 9  But as it is written:
       "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
       Nor have entered into the heart of man
       The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[Deborah-Leigh]

Hello lovepeace

There are more insights regarding this important topic that you may glean out of the following thread : http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,9060.0.html


It is good that you admit that you do not understand. No one should lean on their own understanding.  Truth can only be understood through the Spirit of Christ.

Arc

[gmik]

Excellent thread-very helpful.  Here is my puny 2c:

Stand back for a minute....think of the BILLIONS and BILLIONS of galaxies and probably universes....WHO is GOD?.....stand farther back.....who am I so puny and insignificant on this little bitty speck of a planet......HIS WAYS ARE WAY TOO FAR ABOVE us.  TO BE included in HIS plan (at all) is awesome...beyond awesome.To be born is the blessing.

 SOMEDAY, those that suffer will see it all and how it had to play out that way, those that suffer and those that are blessed and they will not be angry at God- they will bow down and worship HIM.

Keep your eyes fixed on that.  NO ONE will wonder why they had 2 years or 70 given to them; or poverty or wealth, or sickness or health, whatever....we all will be so happy to be w/ HIM.

There is a bigger picture-focus on that.

[judith collier]

Falconn003, that was a great post as well as the others.  I liked your word OBLIGATIONS rather than my word RESPONSIBILITY. I think I have learned here that God is the ultimate ALPHA and OMEGA in circumstances. My childhood was so dysfunctional that I took upon myself ALL responsibility for years as if there were no God and just now learning to trust Him and His outcomes. Thanks, Judith

[lovepeace]

thanks to all of you for helping me with this complication.
everyday i wish there was something i could to help these people, especially the children because they are so innocent and i do not believe they deserve to be put through this kind of suffering.
maybe God has these people suffer for some divine purpose and i trust that He knows what he is doing and He has a good reason for it. Maybe it is to show us that we are lucky to have what we have and not to take it for granted.
sometimes i feel like i take things for granted, but i know i am human and if God did not want us 2 do so He would not allow it to happen.
one day i hope i can do something to help these people, but for now, i guess the only thing i can do is pray for them.
thank you all for everything. it really did help me.

[winner08]

I was one of those old emails to Ray that was asking why does God allowe these terrible things to happen to innocent children. Well I still don't understand why. But I have come to an understanding between God and myself. That is to say there all just some things I am not meant to understand. Instead of putting my focus on things that I am not going to understand, I will put my focus on the things that I might be able to understand. Things that will help me grow in faith. Things that will help improve my understanding with the spiritual matters instead of the physical things of this world. For me this is helped a great deal. I am no longer angry with God. When I say I was angry. I stayed away from any discussions about God. I didn't want to hear about God. If someone brough God up and how loving and mercifully He is I would jump down their @#$$% and say if so why then does He allowe this and that to happen. Anyway that's past and I much rather look to the future.

[Stevernator]

starts the same:: asking why children suffer and starve in other nations or even our own countries.

But the fact remains, those with the wealth or the abundance to do something about it, seem to fail or ignore for the sake of profit or politics or religion or ideals or ((insert the many lame excuses given through out our history))

In the news showed how food/supplies meant for these hapless families is halted at the docks or import stores on technicalities or greed. These supplies are intercepted by the warlords or drug lords and used for their own satisfactions or ambitions.

And recently there have been fraudulent ministries, scamming money/supplies from well to do people.

Food aid can be misused or create unhealthy dependencies. But it can also save lives. There are many charities that  improve and save the lives of people such as Save the Children, Food for the Poor etc. that can be researched (based on transparency, results etc) on  charitynavigator.org or even youtube.

[Dave in Tenn]

Good practical points, Roger and Stevernator.  I would hope that giving in situations like this would have more to do with actually helping and less to do with making us feel better.  Air-time is expensive.  Some research will lead you to ways in which your giving (and those of others) to feed children is not used instead for further expensive fund-raising and high-flying administration.

[lovepeace]

I was one of those old emails to Ray that was asking why does God allowe these terrible things to happen to innocent children. Well I still don't understand why. But I have come to an understanding between God and myself. That is to say there all just some things I am not meant to understand. Instead of putting my focus on things that I am not going to understand, I will put my focus on the things that I might be able to understand. Things that will help me grow in faith. Things that will help improve my understanding with the spiritual matters instead of the physical things of this world. For me this is helped a great deal. I am no longer angry with God. When I say I was angry. I stayed away from any discussions about God. I didn't want to hear about God. If someone brough God up and how loving and mercifully He is I would jump down their @#$$% and say if so why then does He allowe this and that to happen. Anyway that's past and I much rather look to the future.

wow! i read your response and it really hit me. i am still a little at the point where i do not want to discuss God because He can make me so angry with the things He lets happen in this world. i cry just seeing these commercials or shows on TV. Nobody should have to suffer that way. my boyfriend talks about God at least once a day and i do not like that it bothers me or it gets to me. i do not want that to happen. i want to be able to discuss are opinions with one another without me getting so defensive. my boyfriend told me, that when God is ready for me to understand i will and i believe that. he tells me that it is okay not to understand right now, but at least i am taking that step towards God and trying. i love my boyfriend for letting me know that. But it still gets to me. how did you change that?

[rk12201960]

Hello LP,

How sure were you about God before you came here?
How many here was sure? All of us,.

God has powers beyond our understanding,,,, ok make a world ....

How sure are we that we see what we see?
Faith is a hard lesson to learn, is it not?

I'll leave it there and you ask God again,,, keep knocking....He will answer....

Peace and understanding a prayer for you...

Randy
 

[lovepeace]

  thank you for your words...

honestly, when i first came to this sight i was nervous to write anything because i was afraid i would be looked down upon or shooed away because of my doubts, but now i know that the people on this site are here to help and to help me understand and let me know it is okay not to always understand.

thanks again,
Chanelle

[judith collier]

Falconn 003, question. What do you mean by a vain love of the world. Doesn't the bible say, "for God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son?" I got the impression we shouldn't get too overbearing with our feelings for the misfortunes of others or it will "bring others down" I try not to do this but that doesn't mean I believe everyone should practice this, some are still babes in the Lord. Judith

[judith collier]

Falcon 003, I think I got it. Can't put it into words yet but something. Thanks!        Whoops, yes, I did get it (maybe) When someone is moaning and groaning about the sad affairs of the world God is not moved by this one iota in His will but it is us who has to line up with His will.  Right? Judy

[aqrinc]

Hi Judy,

Yes you got it, we all get it sooner or later when we believe, the question is will we Obey.
That is a difference between hearing the word; and doing What He, Jesus Christ Say's.

Excerpt from Myth of Free will Exposed Part: A http://bible-truths.com/lake15.html

THE MAN OF SIN IS A BEAST WHO THINKS HE IS A GOD

Last Installment we learned that "the man of sin," spoken of by Paul in I Thes. 2, resides not in a physical temple of stone and mortar in Jerusalem, but inside of each and every one of us. This man of sin sits in "the temple of God whose temple ye are." And we learned that God calls this man of sin, "a beast".

What possible power does man believe that he possesses which causes him to

"…oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God [‘as a god’] sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God [‘is a god’]" (II Thes. 2:4)?

As long as this phantom god rules one’s heart, Jesus may only be "with us," but not really "IN us." For Jesus our King to sit in the heart of our temple, the man of sin must be put out, seeing that, "no man can serve two masters," and "what fellowship has light with darkness?"

EVEN THE DISCIPLES DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE BEAST WITHIN

Before the true spiritual conversion of Christ’s disciples, we read this:

"And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him: but ye know Him; for He dwells WITH you, and shall [at a future date when they are converted] be IN you" (John 14:16-17).

After years of following Jesus daily the apostles were not as yet converted. In the evening of the last Passover Jesus tells Peter:

"And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; But I have prayed for you, that your faith fall not: and when you are converted, strengthen your brethren" (Luke 22:31-32).

Yes indeed, "…when you are converted…." And just when might that be?

Up until the very last day with their Lord, the apostles all believed that they possessed the power of free will, which could enable them to choose their own destiny, and that they could and would have the strength of self determinism and free will to maintain that course. But Jesus told His disciples that they would all forsake Him. In other words, Jesus was foretelling of events that would cause (even ‘force,’ if you will) them to change their wills, against their previously stated wills. They of course, all denied that Jesus knew what He was talking about.

"And Jesus said unto them, all ye shall be offended because of Me this night; for it is written, I shall smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered" (Mark 14:27 & Zech. 13:7).

The disciples all said that they would remain loyal. But Jesus said that they would all be offended because of Him. Was there a reason for God causing the disciples to will loyalty to Jesus and then in the same night to will to deny Jesus? Does God do anything in vain without a reason? This was all part of their conversion process. God totally humiliated them by proving to them that their own will was not free to do what they wanted, but that

"…it is God [not man] which works in you BOTH TO WILL [God causes us ‘to will’] and TO DO [God causes us ‘to do’] of His good pleasure" to bring about His intentions (Phil. 2:13).

In just one night God smashed the presumed free will of all the disciples. They lost confidence in their flesh after that night. James later shows us just how well he learned this lesson of so-called free self determinism:



There you go again Rodger, Thanks.

george.

[WhoAmI]

thank you for your words...

honestly, when i first came to this sight i was nervous to write anything because i was afraid i would be looked down upon or shooed away because of my doubts, but now i know that the people on this site are here to help and to help me understand and let me know it is okay not to always understand.

thanks again,
Chanelle

Everyone on this site has doubts. And none have full understanding. Your being honest and that is fine. Having nicely defined answers with scriptures doesn't do much to dampen the harsh reality of what your talking about. Thanks for being real.