Comments on: Facing Evil Among Us http://www.thephilfiles.com/2009/07/30/facing-evil-among-us/ Musings & messages on everyday worship, Jesus, and the stuff of life. Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:49:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: elaine http://www.thephilfiles.com/2009/07/30/facing-evil-among-us/comment-page-1/#comment-5423 elaine Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:28:28 +0000 http://www.thephilfiles.com/?p=1007#comment-5423 there is so much in this world that i do not understand... i thought with age, i'd understand more...not less. it is so heartbreaking to see wonderful people suffering excrutiating moments. people struck with cancer, their loved ones just praying for the suffering to end. i don't understand that. my father killed himself when i was 12 years old... my brother killed himself in 2006. i honestly cannot give a reason or explanation for the indescribable loss of my dad and brother. i don't understand it...i cannot conceive of a world where i could lose them both. but i know one thing: God isn't to blame...it's not His fault. in that overwhelming grief, i knew He was beside me, grieving with me and for me and my family. when the truly bad stuff happens, i cling to the absolute certainty that each and every time i suffer, my precious Brother and my undeniable Father, suffer with me. they're not detached, on a coffee break, on vacation or just coldly standing by. my pain is their pain too. when we go Home, i too believe, that all our questions will finally be answered. so, until, then, i pray that our Abba will give us the strength to endure, the everlasting comfort of His divine presence, and the hope of that most amazing moment when we realize we will never ever suffer again... there is so much in this world that i do not understand…
i thought with age, i’d understand more…not less.
it is so heartbreaking to see wonderful people suffering excrutiating moments.
people struck with cancer, their loved ones just praying for the suffering to end.
i don’t understand that.
my father killed himself when i was 12 years old…
my brother killed himself in 2006.

i honestly cannot give a reason or explanation for the indescribable loss of my dad and brother.
i don’t understand it…i cannot conceive of a world where i could lose them both.

but i know one thing:
God isn’t to blame…it’s not His fault.
in that overwhelming grief, i knew He was beside me,
grieving with me and for me and my family.

when the truly bad stuff happens, i cling to the absolute certainty that each and every time i suffer, my precious Brother and my undeniable Father, suffer with me.
they’re not detached, on a coffee break, on vacation or just coldly standing by.
my pain is their pain too.

when we go Home, i too believe, that all our questions will finally be answered.

so, until, then, i pray that our Abba will give us the strength to endure, the everlasting comfort of His divine presence, and the hope of that most amazing moment when we realize we will never ever suffer again…

]]> By: Ann Evans http://www.thephilfiles.com/2009/07/30/facing-evil-among-us/comment-page-1/#comment-5370 Ann Evans Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:17:29 +0000 http://www.thephilfiles.com/?p=1007#comment-5370 Dear Phil, In catching up on my emails, I read this devotion today and it was very timely. We buried my sister, age 56, this past Sunday after fighting a brain tumor for ten years. Years of surgeries, treatments, loss of hearing, loss of taste, loss of hair, loss of teeth, and loss of memory. It would be so easy to give up, on life and on God. But she never did and I never will. With your permission, I would like to use this article in our church bulletin. God is always God, in the good times and the bad, and he is always in control. We must never lose our trust in Him and all questions will be answered one day. Dear Phil,
In catching up on my emails, I read this devotion today and it was very timely. We buried my sister, age 56, this past Sunday after fighting a brain tumor for ten years. Years of surgeries, treatments, loss of hearing, loss of taste, loss of hair, loss of teeth, and loss of memory. It would be so easy to give up, on life and on God. But she never did and I never will. With your permission, I would like to use this article in our church bulletin. God is always God, in the good times and the bad, and he is always in control. We must never lose our trust in Him and all questions will be answered one day.

]]> By: Sarah http://www.thephilfiles.com/2009/07/30/facing-evil-among-us/comment-page-1/#comment-5355 Sarah Sat, 01 Aug 2009 18:24:50 +0000 http://www.thephilfiles.com/?p=1007#comment-5355 To Judy,,,,, My husband is also a non believer. Believe me, I know how you feel. In fact, I doubt you've had to struggle with your husbands unbelief and bad unchristian like behavior as I have or you probably would have left him. I know there's days I wish I could. But know this, God is teaching us to endure. It may seem like we're loosing this battle but we're winning. The bible says the husband will be sanctified through the wife. I'm beginning to think this is a misprint. Don't bother praying and thinking this is your fault, do the best you can, look for the good points, (if you can find any) I think when you and I enter heaven bells and whistles will go off and we'll be handed medals. Hang in there. God has a plan, he'll see it through. To Judy,,,,,
My husband is also a non believer. Believe me, I know how you feel. In fact, I doubt you’ve had to struggle with your husbands unbelief and bad unchristian like behavior as I have or you probably would have left him. I know there’s days I wish I could. But know this, God is teaching us to endure. It may seem like we’re loosing this battle but we’re winning. The bible says the husband will be sanctified through the wife. I’m beginning to think this is a misprint. Don’t bother praying and thinking this is your fault, do the best you can, look for the good points, (if you can find any) I think when you and I enter heaven bells and whistles will go off and we’ll be handed medals.
Hang in there. God has a plan, he’ll see it through.

]]> By: Sarah http://www.thephilfiles.com/2009/07/30/facing-evil-among-us/comment-page-1/#comment-5354 Sarah Sat, 01 Aug 2009 16:47:10 +0000 http://www.thephilfiles.com/?p=1007#comment-5354 Christians have been misled into believing that if they "Believe" everything will be OK. They've overlooked the fact that the "OK" doesn't pertain to the here and now, it pertains to the promise of salvation. Life is tough, those who endure untill the end will be saved. Christians have been misled into believing that if they “Believe” everything will be OK. They’ve overlooked the fact that the “OK” doesn’t pertain to the here and now, it pertains to the promise of salvation. Life is tough, those who endure untill the end will be saved.

]]> By: Sharon http://www.thephilfiles.com/2009/07/30/facing-evil-among-us/comment-page-1/#comment-5353 Sharon Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:53:57 +0000 http://www.thephilfiles.com/?p=1007#comment-5353 Dear Phil, I also appreciated your devotional. I sometimes wish others had your understanding. I have MS and my disability is starting to show. I've been to some churches where I feel like they think I'm not praying hard enough for my healing. Other churches can see my relationship with Christ. I have never doubted God's love for me or His ability to heal me completely. However, I think God is using my physical difficulties to slow me down and give me time to focus on Him. He has healed me emotionally, just not physically. I just pray that He would received glory in my life. Sharon Dear Phil,
I also appreciated your devotional. I sometimes wish others had your understanding.

I have MS and my disability is starting to show. I’ve been to some churches where I feel like they think I’m not praying hard enough for my healing. Other churches can see my relationship with Christ.

I have never doubted God’s love for me or His ability to heal me completely. However, I think God is using my physical difficulties to slow me down and give me time to focus on Him. He has healed me emotionally, just not physically. I just pray that He would received glory in my life.

Sharon

]]> By: Judi McQuaig http://www.thephilfiles.com/2009/07/30/facing-evil-among-us/comment-page-1/#comment-5349 Judi McQuaig Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:19:04 +0000 http://www.thephilfiles.com/?p=1007#comment-5349 Dear Phil, Your message really touched me today. My husband, who is 70, is not a christian. I plead with God to open his heart to Christ but I don't know if it will ever happen. Remembering the verse about the prayers of a righteous man, I struggle constantly with the belief that if I were more righteousness, more fervert and frequent with my prayers, a better and more pleasing wife, and on and on and on, he would turn from his unbelief. For some of us the issues you mentioned are daily, hourly struggles. Thank you for your thoughts on this matter. Dear Phil,
Your message really touched me today. My husband, who is 70, is not a christian. I plead with God to open his heart to Christ but I don’t know if it will ever happen. Remembering the verse about the prayers of a righteous man, I struggle constantly with the belief that if I were more righteousness, more fervert and frequent with my prayers, a better and more pleasing wife, and on and on and on, he would turn from his unbelief. For some of us the issues you mentioned are daily, hourly struggles. Thank you for your thoughts on this matter.

]]> By: Tammy Marcelain http://www.thephilfiles.com/2009/07/30/facing-evil-among-us/comment-page-1/#comment-5346 Tammy Marcelain Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:06:34 +0000 http://www.thephilfiles.com/?p=1007#comment-5346 Great blog post today. Like you said that it is harmful to give an easy answer to this topic. People have struggled with it for thousands of years. In my own walk I realized that what needed to change was not God and what he allowed but my trust and belief in Him. \"I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.\" Have become a common prayer. I am thankful that God has brought increase in faith for me so I can \"follow Him\" and not have those difficult unanswered prayers be deal breakers. The deal was all in my head anyway. God is good, even when it hurts. Great blog post today. Like you said that it is harmful to give an easy answer to this topic. People have struggled with it for thousands of years. In my own walk I realized that what needed to change was not God and what he allowed but my trust and belief in Him. \"I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.\" Have become a common prayer. I am thankful that God has brought increase in faith for me so I can \"follow Him\" and not have those difficult unanswered prayers be deal breakers. The deal was all in my head anyway. God is good, even when it hurts.

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