Why Does A Good God Allow Suffering?

Good Monday Morning To You!
Welcome to the blog. If this is your first visit, my prayer is that these writings will be a blessing to you. If you have come this far, you can also read blogs from the past. For those of you who stop by for a visit occasionally, or regularly, I thank you for your time. I enjoy our visits together!

Yesterday at Friendship Harmony, I began a series of sermons examining the oldest two questions known to man. The first is, Why would a good God allow suffering? The second is similar; Why would a good God allow an innocent person to be hurt by someone else?

On the surface these are not easy questions to answer, but actually they are. The problem is not the answer. The problem is our acceptance of the answer. Here is where faith enters the picture. I am talking about a mature faith that has been and is being nurtured by diligent study of the Scriptures, and much communication with the Holy Spirit. Does that sound like believers have a lot of work to do? Actually, we should be living like that every day. Do you have the time for Bible study and prayer? If you do not, I’m glad you don’t feel the same way about breathing! I am happy that your heart does not send a message to your brain saying, “I’m tired. I beat constantly day and night. I’m going to take a few days off.” Yet that is the same thinking many believers apply toward their Bible study and prayer. If you want to effectively deal with the reason why God allows suffering, you need to tighten up your Christian life. If it sounds like I’m preaching, you’re right. I am preaching to everyone reading this blog, beginning with the man writing it --- me!

Yesterday I began our series of messages titled, “Why Suffering?” I said that the quick and easy answer to the question is sin. In the message we examined what God had to say to Lucifer, also known as Satan; the devil. Rather than me attempting to re-preach the message in this blog, I’m happy to announce that the entire message was video recorded yesterday. You will see it as did the people at Friendship Harmony. It should be ready to view on Tuesday morning. You can find it at www.facebook.com/friendshipharmony. You do not need a Facebook account to see the videos. In the meanwhile, please enjoy the sermon notes used in our study. All message notes will be available to you on this blog.

Why Suffering? ©
Various verses
Suffering Series 1 of ? 8/12-16/14
By Victor Cooper

Intro: The other day I was asked, “Why does God allow suffering? Why does He allow someone to hurt an innocent person?” This is the age old question which was probably asked by Eve when she buried her son, Abel.

. We must start by examining “sin.” Definition> missing the mark

I. The origin of sin.
A. It originated with Lucifer
1. Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
2. Something happened.
3. Ezekiel 28:2 Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:
4. About whom is the Holy Spirit referring; the king of Tyre, Lucifer, or someone else?
5. Three individuals.
6. Point of Theology: In Scriptures there are several kinds of truth.
(a) Immediate truth. It is true at that moment
Example: Genesis 6:7 (KJV)
And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
(b) Eternal truth For evermore
Example: Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
{c} Prophetic truth for the future
Example: Rev. 20:10 (KJV)
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
(d) Our Scripture in Ezekiel 28 employs all three .
(1) Immediate --- king of Tyre
(2) Eternal --- Lucifer aka Satan
(3) Prophetic --- the antichrist
B. Now lets go back to our Isaiah and Ezekiel Scriptures, and apply it to Satan

II. God is not the originator of sin --- Lucifer is.
A. God created Lucifer perfect.
B. Then sin was found in him. How did it get there.
C. Simple answer; Lucifer chose it.
D. During every age, whenever man, or in this case angels are given a choice, they will eventually choose wrong.
E. Why didn’t God simply eradicate Lucifer along with sin?
Answer Professor Walter J. Vieth wrote, l “If God had chosen Lucifer at that point, some would have served God from fear rather than from love.” “Sin must run its full course for the enormity to be fully abhorred; but it eventually will be eradicated along with its instigator.”

Once again, thank you for reading the blog. I really appreciate you so much. This coming Sunday I will be delivering part two of our series. We will examine the nature of God. In order to answer our questions about suffering, some groundwork must be set. That is what the first two messages in our series will do. Have a good week wherever you are and I’ll see you tomorrow at www.facebook.com/friendshipharmony, and then again next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!

The Holy Spirit Is Real!

Good Monday Morning To You!

I hope you had a good week since we visited last. Thank you for allowing me these few minutes with you. My week was one of those normal weeks that believers have. God blesses you, then satan comes along and starts his nonsense, then you have to deal with the negativity and wild notions he plants in your mind, then as you compare what God has given you to what the devil tells you God has given you, the peace of God settles over you and joy reigns supreme once again. Did you also notice that the greater the blessing from God, the worse the assault from satan? Think about it: the food you eat is a blessing from God, but rarely does the devil aggravate you over it. Why? He doesn’t have to. Most people in America simply take it for granted. Even those Christian believers who do pause to pray before they eat, often do it mechanically, without much thought. They do not mean to, but the pre-meal prayer has become just a ritual. The person means what they are saying, but they give too little thought as to Whom they are saying it. Whenever these things come your way, Dr. Vic’s prescription is take a good healthy dose of the Psalms. Don’t worry about an overdose. With this prescriptive, the more the better. As you look into God’s word, the Holy Spirit begins to speak, and soon that joy returns. As a side note, you will notice that I used satan’s name above. You will also see that I did not capitalize the first letter of his name as is proper when using a proper noun. The reason: his name is too vile and wretched to be counted as proper. He is not worthy to have his name capitalized, so I do not.

Yesterday was another great day at Friendship Harmony. The services just keep getting better and better. I so enjoy preaching at this Church. For the past twelve years I took no pleasure in preaching; it had ceased to be fun. I had no freedom in my ministry and had to weigh every word I said. However, back on August 29 of 2010, the date Friendship Harmony began, preaching became pleasurable again. No longer was it just, “part of the job.” It has become my passion once again. When a Pastor has a congregation as fine as I have, he can experience the freedom, joy, and excitement of ministry. I cherish it and thank the LORD for it.

The sermon continued the “What if” theme. We started several weeks past with “What If There Is A God? Last week was, “What If Jesus Is Who He Says He Is?” Next week will be, “What If The Bible Really Is The Word Of God?” Yesterday I preached “What If The Holy Spirit Is Real? The notes are below.

What If … The Holy Spirit Is Real?
Various Scriptures
By Victor W. Cooper
What If Series 02/26,26/11

I. Who is He?
A. Spirit of Truth
John 15:26 (KJV)
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
Luke 1:35 (KJV)
B. The Holy Spirit
Luke 1:35 (KJV)
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Psalm 51:11 (KJV)
11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
C. Spirit of judgment
Isaiah 4:4 (KJV)
4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

II. What does He do?
A. Indwells
Ezekiel 36:27 (KJV)
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
1 Corinthians 3:16 (KJV)
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
B. Guides believers
John 16:13 (KJV)
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
C. Convicts sinners
Isaiah 63:10 a(KJV)
10 But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit….
Mark 3:29 (KJV)
29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
1 Thessalonians 5:19 (KJV)
19 Quench not the Spirit.

III. What happens when the Spirit is resisted?
A. He becomes your enemy ie your worst nightmare.
Isaiah 63:10 (KJV)
10 But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
B. He stops convicting.
Genesis 6:3 (KJV)
3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

[Delivered 2/27/11/a.m. @ Friendship Harmony Baptist Church]

As you can see, the Holy Spirit is very real. He is not a wisp of wind nor is He a symbol or a thought. He is called the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ, therefore, He is God. (Genesis 1:2; Acts 2:17; Romans 8:9; 1 Peter 1:1) Since the Spirit is God, his wise advise and counsel must be followed. Note of theology: Although He is called the third person of the Godhead, never relegate Him to third place. Do not think that He has a lesser role or place of importance than does the Father or the Son. There is no rank within the Divine Trinity; all are co-equal because all are the same except in function. The ministry of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is different but totally compatible.

Thanks again for our visit together. I hope you have a tremendous week wherever you are. As you go about normal everyday living, be sure you devote some private and quiet time to be with the LORD. Doing so does not guarantee that adversity might not come, but it will arm you with the tools to navigate these waters we call life. Be sure to pray for my family and me, and rest assured I pray for you as well.

I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!