If God, Why Evil

I recently read a book by Dr. Norman L. Geiser.  I found this little book containing only 170 pages to clearly and concisely explain why there is evil in this world.  If you are a Christian and have been faced with this question by people who don't understand how our loving God could allow evil, you need to read this book.  I wrote 7 articles in my paper quoting excepts from the book to share with others as to why there is evil in the world.  Visit my paper"s blog at http://www.talk-about-town.blogspot.com/ to read some excepts from this book.  I hope this writing encourages you.  If so, buy the book and share it with all your friends.

May the Lord bless you, and keep you and make is face to shine upon you.

Cindy

Introduction to a Series Why Evil?

I spend a lot of time listening to people’s views and opinions on a wide variety of topics.  As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, we each have a personal filter through which we form those views and opinions.  One topic that has been discussed and debated for centuries is God.  I hear people use the name God with little meaning such as “oh god”, “by god”, or “god I can’t believe it!”.  I have talked to people who don’t believe in God.  Some have had personal tragedy that makes them believe no god could allow such things, so one must not exist.  I have met people who said they had a relationship with God, and then stopped believing for some reason, usually because of a life experience.  I know many agnostics, by definition that is a person who holds that the existence of the ultimate cause, as god, and the essential nature of things are unknown and unknowable, or that human knowledge is limited to experience.  I know a few atheist, who by definition is a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings.  I am a Christian, I believe in God, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.  While I was raised in church and around Christians, I didn’t have a real honest relationship with God until my forties.  Prior to then, I kind of ignored God, because I was doing things that in my heart I knew He did not approve of.  I hear so many people who speak against God for various reasons, but one comes up often, if God is real then while is there so much evil and tragedy in this world?  So, over the next several weeks I want to share some information with you on that topic with the help of Dr. Norman L. Geisler, who wrote If God, Why Evil?  This book, about 170 pages, answers some very tough questions in a concise way that helps us understand what evil is and why it exists.  Dr. Norman Geisler is the author or co-author of some 70 books and hundreds of articles. He has taught theology, philosophy, and apologetics on the college or graduate level for 50 years.. For more information on Dr. Geisler visit www.normangeisler.net .  Now let me say that while I will be  using the assistance of Dr. Geisler and his work to discuss this topic, his writings and beliefs come from the one true authority, The Bible, God’s Holy Word.  If you want to know God, you must get into the Bible.  I personally believe in God without question.  He exists and has my heart, mind, and soul. I am not an ignorant, naive, or a stupid person.  I do not think myself so intelligent that I have all the answers, I do not.  I’ve always known that for every birth, there is death, life has joy and tragedy.  It never occurred to me to question just why things are as they are, I’ve always believed it’s just as God planned it.  But many don’t hold to my beliefs.  So whether you are a believer or not, I hope you continue to read Why Evil over the next few weeks… I will attempt to give you some new Food for Thought.

If you enjoyed this article visit http://www.talk-about-town.com/ to read our paper each week for articles like this one

Remove the Cross from Ground Zero?

That’s what an atheist group is demanding. They’ve sued to remove the cross from Ground Zero — a symbolic memorial that consists of two intersecting steel beams that survived the Twin Towers’ collapse on 9/11 and was a source of inspiration to rescue workers. The atheists' outrageous claim? The existence of the cross has brought on headaches, indigestion, even mental pain.  If they are true atheist, the symbol wouldn’t affect them since they don’t believe it represents anything. While the New York City mayor said the atheists had a "right to sue," he explained why the inclusion of religious symbols at the 9/11 museum should be allowed.  "A lot of people looked to religion for strength after the attack," said Bloomberg, who is named as one of the defendants in the suit filed by American Atheists.  "My personal opinion is always been you shouldn't tell people what religion to practice or whether to practice a religion but you shouldn't also prevent people from practicing a religion they want in any ways they want." He noted that other religious symbols, not just the WTC cross, would be on display at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. They include a Star of David cut from a piece of steel from the World Trade Center rubble, a Bible fused with a piece of steel found during the recovery effort and a Jewish prayer shawl.  "This influenced people. It gave them strength," said Mayor Bloomberg. "In a museum, you want to show things that impacted people's behavior back then even if you don't think it was right. It's history. Museums are for history and to teach people by example, well this is what people did back then and you are free to make your own decision."  He concluded, "This group of atheists, they're free in our country to not believe and not practice and we should defend their right to do that just as much as we should defend the right of every individual to practice and to believe."  The plaintiffs’ goal is to compel the government to remove the cross from the museum or, in the alternative, compel the government to allow equal space for non-Christian exhibits in the museum, they want equal time.  Well, if they wanted to honor non-Christians at 9/11, they could have gone to ground zero in 2001 and erected a symbol in honor of those non-Christians who lost their life and it would have been part of the historic event that is to be featured in the museum.  My brother David Ginn arrived 3 days after the towers fell and spent almost a year cleaning up daily seeing the tragedy brought upon our country.  He now suffers from a permanent life debilitating disease like many others and those who have died since 9/11 from the toxic waste.  He said “the metal cross gave him and many others comfort during their difficult job, it is a part of our history that should not be discarded”.  Don’t let this radical group wipe out a part of our history.  Let your voice be heard! Visit http://aclj.org/ or call 1-877-989-2255 and add your name to the petition to protect the ground zero cross.  Help us preserve a part of our history.

Solomon teaches us about Life

Do you know Anastasio Somoza Garcia, John Joseph Sirica, Johnny Rodgers, Franklin Pierce, John Cazale, or Ethel Waters?  In order they are:  a President of Nicaragua who acquired immense personal wealth; Chief Judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, where he became famous for his role in the Watergate scandal; a former American college football player voted the University of Nebraska's "Player of the Century" and the winner of the 1972 Heisman Trophy; the 14th President of the United States; an American actor who appeared in five films, each of which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture: The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather Part II, Dog Day Afternoon and The Deer Hunter; A singer/actress who recorded  over 50 hit records, was inducted into Christian Music Hall of Fame, Honored with a Commemorative Stamp by USPS, and was nominated for both an Emmy and Academy Awards.  Many people give their whole lives, trade their morals, family and friends to earn these accolades, status and position yet how many of them did you remember?  Life is truly very short.  Unless we learn to live with eternity in view, our lives are truly meaningless.  Solomon, the richest man who ever lived wrote Ecclesiates, as a warning to those who think they can be satisfied with what the world has to offer.  While it seems to be a rather depressing view of life, the message he is sharing is that if we have God in our life we can live and enjoy it, as we look forward to a life in eternity, and we need to understand that our earthly life is temporal.  Solomon lived a part of his life as a secular man, violating God’s commandments by having many wives, worshipping other Gods, and seeking after earthly treasures.  He amassed great wealth, possessed anything and everything any human would want and all envied him.  But in the end he realized for all he did and all he had, it was for nothing and brought him nothing here on earth without God to give his very existence meaning.  He discovered that after having it all, his life was empty and meaningless.  Solomon tells us as the wisest man that ever lived “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecc 12:13–14).  In the end, we must all turn to God to have hope and meaning in our life.  So listen to a wise man, have faith in God, live your life and enjoy every moment.  Just some food for thought.

Aren't Teenagers Fun!

It's after 11pm and I've been sitting here watching my 17 yr old (Happy Birthday on Monday) and her cousin Amber singing Karaoke for the last couple of hours.  It was so funny, at first Liz said "I can't sing" but she hasn't stopped for the last 2 hours.  They have giggled, laughed, did a little shake of their booty.... Kids just want to be kids, but it today's time they are expected to be too grown up and mature.  It's nice to watch them just be kids. 
It's nice to spend time with the "parents" and have fun at home, when is the last time your teenager did that?
I have made a couple of videos, but promised not to publish them on on facebook (at least tonight). 
If you haven't spent an evening with your kids lately, you should try it.  Play a game, talk, just spend some time together.  I remember as a kid, we didn't have a karaoke machine, but we would sing and laugh.  I remember having musical's in my grandparents living room.  A pianist, a few guitars, and my grand dad thumping that bass fiddle.  They would sing late into the night.  Back then it was old country, tonight we have heard songs like "Baby Got Back" and "Time Warp", but the same fun.  The music may change but the good times never do.
Thank God for kids

My Gifts from God

God has given me many gifts, none that I deserve,

Yet He loves me so much and blesses me this I have observed.

Two of those gifts he gave to me are very special ones.

They are my youngest daughter’s very precious sons.

Both struggled for their lives to come into this world fighting every day till they were born.

I prayed desperately to God for healing and strength to bring forth those unborn.

He answered my prayers and now I have two sets of eyes, one brown and one blue.

They can cut over the cutest glace with a sparkle in their eye when they look at you.

Two little hands, one bigger one smaller,

brothers, one blond one brunette, one shorter one taller.

Giving hugs and kisses, playing hide and seek,

They crawl into my bed to snuggle with me while I asleep.

I remember how afraid I was when my grandsons were not yet here,

Now there are no sweeter words than” Gigi” to my ears.

Before I even knew their names, I loved them none the less.

My heart leaps to hear them say “I love you more” whenever we caress.

God gave me one more special gift, another very special boy.

 He was brought into this world to bring and to give us His joy.

Suffering much for all our sins,

He lived, he died, and rose again.

Thank you God for all these gifts, unique each and every one,

You gave me two healthy grandsons and my Savior, Your only Son.

Children are truly a blessing, a gift our Lord created,

They reflect a part of us, our lives recreated.

We reflect our Father, in His image we were made.

And when He looks at us His pride is so displayed.

Jesus is God’s only son, His image He duplicated,

He gave us His most precious gift do not let it go wasted.

Jesus desires we die to Him, and then we can rise again,

To live with the Father and Son in eternity, free from worldly sin.

The 23rd Psalm

The Lord is my Shepherd ...

-- that's relationship!

I shall not want ...

-- that's provision!

He makes me to lie down in green pastures ...

-- that's rest!

He leads me beside the still waters ...

-- that's refreshment!

He restores my soul ...

-- that's healing!

He leads me in the paths of righteousness ...

-- that's guidance!

For His name's sake ...

-- that's purpose!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ...

-- that's testing!

I will fear no evil ...

-- that's protection!

For You are with me ...

-- that's companionship!

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me ...

-- that's security!

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies ...

-- that's hope!

You anoint my head with oil ...

-- that's consecration!

My cup runs over ...

-- that's abundance!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me ...

-- that's blessing!

All the days of my life ...

-- that's faithfulness!

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD

-- that's home!

Forever!

-- that's eternity!

A Special thank you to Lowell Mahler who shared this with me.  For more Christian encouragement, visit Lowell's website http://theshepherdsflock.ning.com/