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Why does God Allow Evil? - John MacArthur Q&A
[Genesis 50:20 Romans 8:28]
“When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead,
they said, ‘What if Joseph carries a grudge against us and pays us back in full
for all the wrong which we did to him?’
“So they sent word to Joseph, saying, ‘Your father
commanded us before he died, saying, ‘You are to say to Joseph, ‘I beg you,
please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did
you wrong.’ Now, please forgive the
transgression of the servants of the God of your father.’
“And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers went and fell down before
him, in confession; then they said, ‘Behold, we are your servants/ slaves.’
“But Joseph said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for am I in
the place of God? Vengeance is His, not
mine. As for you, you meant evil against
me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present outcome,
that many people would be kept alive, as they are this day.’” Genesis 50:15-20
Fantasy writer J. R. R. Tolkien invented a new word for good
news and expressed it boldly in The Return of the King as ‘eucatastrophe. ‘Is everything sad going to come untrue? What’s happened to the world?’ [asked Sam],
as the Ring was destroyed.
‘A great Shadow has departed,’ said Gandalf, and then he
laughed, and the sound was like music, or like water in a parched land; and as
he listened the thought came to him that he had not heard laughter, the pure
sound of merriment, for days upon days without count.
‘It fell upon his ears like the echo of all the joys he had
ever known. But he himself burst into
tears. Then, as a sweet rain will pass
down a wind of spring and the sun will shine out the clearer, his tears ceased,
and his laughter welled up, and laughing he sprang from his bed.
‘How do I feel?’ he cried.
‘Well, I don’t know how to say it.
I feel, I feel’ – he waved his arms in the air – ‘I feel like spring
after winter, and sun on the leaves’ and like trumpets and harps and all the
songs I have ever heard!’
Although the book of Job does not end by giving us all the
answers, it does shift our paradigm to see the world a bit more clearly from
God’s perspective. And we will understand
‘eucatastrophy’ when Eternity begins with our Lord.
Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still
prays for you each day)
PS: Find my
statement of faith: https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com
(where you will also find a series of beginner Bible studies to
share). You can easily find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google
search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’. (Also,
there is an android ‘Goggle
Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone. Not sure about Apple.)
NEW PRAYER REQUESTS
· URGENT
- India – the
situation there is grim now with a second wave of COVID-19. Pray for those suffering, the tireless
healthcare workers and those who support them, including the many burying the
bodies.
·
Sophie – three-year old daughter of a
friend is now home from an extended stay in the hospital but still frail and
unwell. Please pray for her, her parents
and health carers that they will discover the problem and fix it.
·
Marci – a childhood friend has come
through her back surgery and is recovering.
Please pray for her patience and those who care for her.
·
Voddie
Baucham – is recovering from quadruple
by-pass surgery. Pray for him, his wife
and family, his health care providers and others attending him. Click on the link in his name to find out
more.
·
Tim –
my brother – for his strength and wisdom and that he rests safely and soundly
in the arms of the Lord while he works through a difficult challenge.
·
Ray Sr. – battling cancer that has been moved to respite
care. Pray the Lord opens His heart to
the Truth of salvation and through this time relationships with family are
strengthened and that Ray Jr and Kathy would be able to know of his decision.
·
Jenny S –
Bible teacher at a local Bible school for curiosity under change, as the vision
of her organisation changes with new leadership. Help her identify the balance of her unique
contribution with the new focus. Pray
the Lord maintains her health as she walks through this time of stress.
·
Peter R – who has just had an appendectomy and discovered
he has prostate cancer. Pray for Jill,
his wife that she has the extra strength she needs to travel this journey with
him.
·
David – as his health waxes and wanes during this
challenging time. Pray for Heidi who cares for him and his
little companion dog, Sparky. Pray God
watches over him and steadies his steps and his heart.
·
Dr. Brent and
Kelley – that the Lord will use the current situation and ‘the
letter’ for His glory and that some good will come from it.
·
Cathy – as
she faces stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Her
chemo has begun. She had her CAT scan. No results yet. She is Barb (my sister-in-law’s)
sister-in-law. They have a beautiful
family. Please pray for them and their
health carers as they travel through this journey.
·
Gloria –
had an infection in one of her legs that required a part to be amputated. The amputation was not enough. The doctors took more. Now she needs your prayers that the Lord
would provide the funds for a prosthetic.
·
Pat and Isobel –
as they serve tirelessly, pray the Lord refreshes and strengthens them.
·
Ian –
as he recovers from knee replacement surgery.
·
Hans –
a dear friend in Germany, continues his immunotherapy for lung cancer. Pray for his ongoing strength through the
pain, patience and God’s mercy. Continue
to pray for his healthcare providers and that he is surrounded by faithful and
compassionate Christian friends who will support him through this journey. Pray for his Mom (age 83) who is unwell
herself, that their time together will be filled with extraordinary good
memories and lots of love.
·
Isaias and Judith (Ambassadors
for Christ the Philippines) – the Philippines is a remarkably
difficult mission field and Isaias, Judith and their entire family have
maintained a teaching and discipling ministry there for dozens of years. They are both facing serious health issues
and need your fervent prayers, especially Judith right now, who is in much pain. Please visit their new website: https://afcph.org/
to learn more. Pray our Father keep
these servants strong and restores their health. They need funds
($12,000 for the surgery) badly now. Or take a moment to send encouragement
to Isaias Catorce, who teaches and leads the groups at icatorce@gmail.com
·
Callilah – a lost child. Pray the Lord will capture her heart.
Pray for those in full-time service
Pray to uphold our Christian leaders – that they never compromise God’s Word, are bold and courageous in the face of evil. Pray for their wisdom, safety, ingenuity, strength and for their families.
Pray for those with ongoing health concerns
Many of us have family, friends and loved ones with fragile health. Pray God takes special care with them and protects them in practical ways and that the Lord will have mercy on them during this challenging time.
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