Suffering

1
Suffering

• November 3, 2007

02-09-08
2
More Suffering
Revelation15
Matthew 24
So suffering is going to increase
Things are going to get a whole lot worse
3
Old Age
Our body parts start to fail and our loved ones
die
Suffering increases as we get older
4
Sin
Suffering started because of Sin
So how BIG is the Sin problem?
5
Lucifer
Sin started because Lucifer felt He knew better
than God
6
Fallen Angels
Revelation 12
So Sin is a BIG problem for the universe
Lucifers rebellious arguments against God were
powerful enough to deceive one third of the
angelic host!
7
Science Experiment
The universe had never seen the effects of
sin, so God has caused our planet to become a
Science Project of what happens when a little
bit of evil is added to a perfect paradise
As the universe watches the sufferings on our
planet, They are learning that God is right and
satan is wrong
8
The Universe
Revelation 5
The universe is benefitting from watching all our
pain
9
Humans
But what about us humans who have to live in the
midst of hellish suffering?
10
Rewards
Our loving God has promised to give His loyal
human beings enormous rewards for all our
sufferings, troubles and pain
11
Rewards
Eternal Life
Heaven
Jesus as Human
New Body
Jesus Himself
Resurrection
Love of God
Riches
Perfection
Royal Future
Spiritual Gifts
Child of God
The Bible promises GREAT REWARDS to those
who remain faithful to God in their sufferings
and troubles
12
Solution
So how hard a solution is it to solve the SIN
problem?
13
Torture
That it required the torture of God Himself in
order to solve all the doubts and questions
caused by sin
The problem of sin is so difficult
14
Sim City
Sim City is a game that allows you to play the
role of God, building a society for sim people
to live in
You dont directly control the sim people, but
you do control the world that they live in
15
Sim City
As you play the game, you are looking down from
the sky, just as if you were God
16
Sim People
The little people will tell you what makes them
happy or unhappy, giving you a chance to improve
things
Some versions of the game allow you to zoom down
to the little people, to see what they are
thinking
17
Sim People
And yet that is EXACTLY what God did for us!
I would NEVER allow myself to be tortured by them
to make things better in their world
I dont care how unhappy the little sim people
might be
18
Jesus
I Peter 1
Is enormous evidence how extremely precious human
beings are to Him
The fact that Jesus WAS willing to be crucified
19
Doubts
When Mel Campbell reads the Old Testament,
He is troubled by all the people God was willing
to kill
20
Doubts
I am troubled by all the people God did NOT kill!
When I read the Old Testament,
21
The Wicked
Some people look at the prosperity of the
wicked and they doubt whether God is good or fair
In fact it is absolutely consistent with a good
God, because for the wicked, this planet is
their Heaven, because this is the best its
going to get for them!
Revelation 20
22
Judgment Day
Revelation 2015
Hebrews 1027
God may be allowing evil doers to get away with
their evil for a time, but there is
guaranteed coming a day of Judgment, Justice and
Punishment
23
No Future in Rebellion
Revelation 2115
The Bible is clear there is no future in
rebellion!
Then you have joined in satans rebellion against
Him
If the problem of suffering makes you hate God,
24
Lucifer
Lucifer rejected God in the very BEST of times!
25
Humans
This makes humans unique in all of Gods creation
Hurting humans cling to God in the very WORST of
times!
26
Angels
I believe that people clinging to God in the very
worst of times causes angels to be in awe of
human beings
27
Lexus
This is what I WANT the Bible to say
Take up your Lexus keys and follow me.
28
Cross
Matthew 1038
Whoever doesn't take up his cross and follow me
doesn't deserve to be my disciple.
29
Cross
Misery
Repugnant
Helplessness
Reproach
Unfairness
Brutal
Disgrace
Dying to Self
Humiliation
Shame
Suffering
Pain
The cross is a metaphor for.
30
Following Christ
If we are going to follow Christ, we will
probably find ourselves descending into some kind
of painful situation to help others in that
particular hell
Matthew 1038
Luke 418
Philippians 310
Revelation 141-4
Philippians 24-8
31
Compassion
One big reason God allows His saints to Suffer
Is because suffering is the only way to
truly learn COMPASSION
1 Peter 38
32
Carlos
Carlos has a positive attitude and is a pleasure
to be with
Kevin is angry and bitter
Kevin
33
Carlos
Both Carlos and Kevin have had very bad things
happen to themselves and their families these
past 40 years
Carlos has chosen to forgive, to keep trusting in
God, and to always have a positive outlook on life
Carlos has chosen to cling To Faith, Hope and Love
1 Corinthians 13
34
Kevin has chosen to hold on to all his angers and
hatreds
He has chosen NOT to forgive those who have hurt
him over the years, so he is filled with
bitterness
As a result of Kevins constant negative
attitude, people dont like being around him for
very long
Kevin
Hebrews 1215
35
Naomi
Naomis life became very hard, so she said to
Ruth Call me Bitter. Ruth 120
Ruth said to Naomi, I will never leave you.
Ruth 116,17
And Jesus promised to never leave us, either
Matthew 2820
36
Polarizing
Intense suffering is absolutely polarizing it
either makes you bitter, or better
37
God Understands
Romans 510
God does not reject us in our anger
And He understands that we get angry
God understands that suffering hurts
38
My Anger
Luke 628
Bless those who curse you, and pray for those
who mistreat you.
So as a Christian, I strike back with love and
with prayer
But revenge and retaliation only spreads more evil
I hate being a victim, so when people hurt me, I
feel angry and want to strike back
39
Comforting Thoughts
40
Rewards
I consider that what we suffer at this present
time cannot be compared at all with the glory
that is going to be revealed to us.
Romans 818 GNB
41
Time Limit
Romans 818
One good thing to remember is that our
sufferings have a time limit they are only
temporary
42
No Surprises
Isaiah 6524
One good thing about being a Christian is nothing
takes God by surprise!
43
Unequal Suffering
We dont all suffer the same
2 Corinthians 11
Apostle Paul had a long list of sufferings
Daniel only had four big trials in his life
44
My Family
My family has endured plenty of sufferings over
the years
My daughters sufferings have caused her to have
hard feelings to God
My response Life is MUCH better with God than
without Him!
45
Suffering Church
Revelation 28-10
Jesus told the Suffering Church Smyrna all that
was required of them was to stay faithful to
the end.
46
Only Two Things
Nothing else is required!
Dont curse God Job 122
Patiently Endure Rev. 2
When you are suffering, God only requires two
things
47
Patience
Romans 1212 GNB
One of Gods highest priorities is that we
learn PATIENCE!
Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in
your troubles, and pray at all times.
48
Good Things
If God is cruel, then where did all the
good things come from?
49
Watching Others
God gives grace to endure for those who are
suffering, but God does NOT give grace for
those who are watching
50
Mystery
When Job was suffering, there were things
going on in Heaven that he knew nothing about
When dealing with the problem of suffering, it
is okay to say
I DONT KNOW
51
Never Again
Revelation 20 21
Sin and suffering is so horrible, that God is
only going to let this happen ONE time!
52
Practical Things
53
God Uses People
Gods preference is to use humans to minister to
one another in our sufferings
54
Gods Flower
You are Gods flower, so bloom where you are
planted
55
Prurigo Message Board
Because I have been struck with a rare skin
disease called Prurigo Nodularis, I participate
in a web site of PN suffers from all over the
world
56
My Web Site
57
My Web Site
God has used my sufferings and my web site to
bring wonderful relief from this terrible disease
to PN sufferers all over the world
58
Prayer
1 Timothy 55
Suffering people can NEVER have enough prayer
59
Prayer
Luke 2232
Is pray that their faith not fail
If someone is suffering, a good thing to do
60
Conclusion
61
Heaven
2 Timothy 212
If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him. If
we deny Him, He also will deny us.
By sticking with Jesus we have everything to gain!
62
Cocoon
When I was doing my lesson on the resurrection
at Terry Reibsteins house,
a cocoon in his daughters bedroom hatched
right at the moment I just finished my lesson
on the reality of the resurrection
63
Resurrection
John 1125
Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and
the life. Those who believe in me will live,
even though they die
When we are resurrected and reunited with our
loved ones and with Jesus, all our sufferings
will seem insignificant
64
Is God Good?