Why did God let the earthquake happen in Haiti?

In times of disaster, many questions are raised. Where was God when this happened? Are catastrophes divine judgement upon certain groups of people? Was God in it at all, or was this just a bizarre quirk of nature?

People often answer such questions based on their personal understanding of God. There is confusion and contradiction as we struggle to make sense of calamity, particularly when some influential figures weigh in with their own interpretations. The public viewpoints we often hear are frequently unscriptural, and yet people assume they are accurate. As Christians we have access to the one source of dependable truth: the Word of God, which provides the only reliable and genuinely helpful viewpoint.

So while it is reasonable to consider such questions, we need more than mere opinion. In times of tragedy, it is far more valuable to review what we know for sure. God does not give us all the answers we want, but He has provided enough information for us to live with a sense of confidence and assurance. So what do we know for certain?

1. God is in control. Psalm 103:19 says that God's sovereignty rules over all. That means everything...all people, all nature, and all events. Then why didn't He prevent the tsunami's devastation? None of us know. Deuteronomy 29:29 says, "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law." In other words, God wants us to understand some things, which He reveals so that we will ovey. But there is much that our finite minds cannot comprehend, and God withholds that information. Our inability to grasp His reasons in no way diminishes God's absolute control over all circumstances.

2. God cares for every person. Matthew 10:29 assures us that God's loving care extends even to the sparrow, the most commonplace of birds. He purposely singled out a creature worth only half a penny to show there is certainly no aspect of our lives that escapes our Father's providential concern. He loves every single person, sinner and saint alike; whether we respond to His love or not is a different issue. So in hardships we don't understand...when we feel helpless and bewildered...we can know God is still there, caring for us.

3. God's desired plan for all mankind is redemption through faith in Jesus Christ. Religions around the globe profess gods of judgement and harshness. But the God of the Bible is a God of love. The heavenly Father so loved the world...including areas recently hit with devastating tidal waves...that He gave His only begotten Son for mankind's salvation, not judgment. (John 3:16-17) The cross was an amazing expression of divine love; there, Jesus hung in humiliation and agony to pay our sin-debt in full. Our Creator wants us to enter into a personal relationship with Him. No matter what you and I go through, no matter how sinful we might be, we know with certainty that God's love never changes.

4. God always works with a sense of purpose. He does not just react to circumstances. The enslaved Israelites probably wondered why Pharaoh's oppression continued, and yet Romans 9:17 confirms God was in charge: "For this very purpose I raised you (Pharaoh) up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth." It is important to remember that, while God always has a reason for what He initiates, we will not always understand, nor does He owe us an explanation. But we can trust that His purpose is always right and He will turn the circumstance for good in some fashion. (Romans 8:28)

5. God sometimes uses His creation to accomplish His purpose. The brimstone and fire Genesis 19:24 were most likely a volcanic eruption. Earlier, in Genesis 7, God warned Noah that a worldwide flood would destroy wicked mankind. For that time, His purpose was to judge wickedness. However, we cannot say that judgement is the reason He allowed waves to engulf so many people in our day; we simply do not know His reason for the tsunami. Was God aware it was coming? Yes. Could He have stopped it? Yes, but He didn't. He was effecting some purpose that we may never grasp. What we know for certain, though, is that an act of nature is sometimes God's chosen tool for accomplishing His plan.

6. Because God's ways are not our ways, we often rebel. When people cannot see a reason for pain and sorrow, they tend to blame God or even question His existence. Isaiah 55:8-9 answers their complaint by explaining we do not regard things the same way as the sovereign God of the univers, who sees all, knows all, and controls all. Obviously, his ways are superior. Isaiah 45:9 confronts our unbelieving criticism by saying that the clay does not have the right to question the potter's design. In other words, think twice before you quarrel with God about His ways. That is not to say God will become angry and punish you; it is simply futile to argue with the One whose ways far surpass yours.

7. In the end time, God will use nature to remind us of His imminent return. The earth will give warning near the time of Jesus' return. Matthew 24:6-8 Mankind will not know the precise time but at some point perhaps even in our lifetime the Lord will say "Now is the time I'm coming!" Since upheavals of nature are not uncommon, we should not rush to interpret them as "the end." But when we learn of sweeping cataclysmic events, we would be wise to let them remind us that Jesus will come back. Each of us has a responsibility to be ready for His coming, whether it is for us individually or for the whole world. To be ready means to have a right relationship with God and to live with a passionate desire to share the Good news of Christ.

8. Every great disaster is a merciful call to repentance for the rest of us. The first centruy Jewish mindset was that disaster and suffering always resulted from sin. In Luke 13:1-5, Jesus addressed this wrong attitude by pointing out two horrifying disasters of the day...a massacre of Galileans by Pilate and a tower collapse. He said that these deaths did not indicate the victims were worse sinners than anyone else. Then He added, "...Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (v5) The questions to ask about calamity is not "WHY?" but "What are you saying to me in this?" God's message in any disaster personal or regional is this: God reminds us that He loves us, even though we do not understand the circumstance. He is willing to forgive our sins, though none of us deserve it: and unless a person repents of sin, he or she will perish.

CHRISTIAN WOMAN IN PLAYBOY???

Yesterday I had the chance to talk with Heidi Montag who is a reality star from the Hills on MTV and also "I'm a celebrity get me out of here". Heidi is also a recording artist and now she can add Playboy to her resume. Heidi and her husband Spencer are known for being very open about being christians and have said many times in many different interviews that they are disciples of Jesus Christ. Let me say this? It is not my place to say they are not christians because only Jesus knows there hearts. But the word of God does say that we can tell if someone is a devoted follower of Jesus Christ. Their mannerisms and attitude should reflect that. They should be respectful, modest, not quick to anger, truthful and genuine.
If I see a brother or sister in Christ sinning then it is my job to call them out on it and that is what I did with Heidi Montag. I asked her why she is doing playboy if she is a Christian. Heidi said, "Because I feel like personally, and you can feel different about it being a christian that we all have our own variation, but I feel like God created the body. I feel like it is not something I am ashamed of. I feel like it is very beautiful and I think I did it very tastefully. You see more naked people on the beach in a bathing suit then you see in my parts of playboy.I then asked her if she read the bible and if she picked and choose what she wanted out of the bible to fit her life. Heidi responded, "yes I do read the bible and i don't pick and choose what I want in the bible. She also said, "I don't see anywhere in the bible that says we are to be ashamed of our bodies and don't show things".My response was for her to keep on reading because it is in there.
Matthew 18:6-7
6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7"Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!
Is heidi being a stubbling block for other Christians? I believe she is. As a celebrity there are millions of people that are watching her and look up to her as a role model including christians. If Heidi would read her bible she would find that it says in MATTHEW 5:28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.I know when I used to buy playboy magazine it wasn't for the articles. I was lusting after those woman. The only person that should be lusting over Heidi is her husband Spencer. Heidi is using the excuse that God gave her a beautiful body so she should be able to flont it off because there are woman at the beach that are just as naked as she is at the beach. If Heidi read her bible she would understand that she isn't supposed to be like those other woman at the beach.

As Christians, we always have to stay on top of this part of our walk with the Lord. Jesus Himself has made it as clear and as plain as day as to how we are to look at this life and interact with it. We are to stay "in" the world. We have a holy mission and a holy calling direct from the Lord on what it is He wants us to accomplish and get done in this life before we depart to be with Him for all of eternity.

The goal of each Christian's life should be to accomplish, to the best of our abilities, God the Father's perfect will for our lives. Our goal should be to serve God and do what He wants us to do in this life - not to chase after the world and all the wealth and possessions of this world, which will do nothing but rot and perish the minute we leave and depart from this life.

We have to keep our priorities straight, and our number one priority should be to want to serve God and accomplish His perfect will for our lives. If we make that our number one goal and aspiration in this life, then God will appropriately reward each one of us once we enter into heaven. And those heavenly rewards will far surpass and far exceed any of the material wealth and possessions that we could have gained down here on this earth.


Ephesians 5:8-10 (The Message)

8-10You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You're out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.

Philippians 1:10-11 (The Message)

9-11So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.

Is Heidi making Jesus Christ attractive to all by posing for playboy? Is Heidi being a stumbling block for men and woman? Does the bible give a clear view on how we are to live as Christians? After reading this blog I hope this helps you answer those questions.

I just got back from Juarez, Mexico on Sunday afternoon and allot of people have been asking me, "What is Juarez like right now?" A War Zone! The crazy thing is that it is right in the back door of the U.S. In fact if you are on the freeway, downtown, or the border highway on the Texas side, you can catch glimpses of Hummers, or trucks full of armed soldiers complete with mask, bullet proof vest and AK-47's, trucks with mounted machine guns, and men with guns, shields, and camouflage just about everywhere you look. Along with them you will spot many more Federal es than you would imagine. When you see the local police they are usually accompanied by a couple soldiers to help protect them and keep them honest! Yet the drug cartels continue their battle for power and the local criminals continue to ride their shirt tails. Everyone is afraid, even families that live on both sides of the border are split. It used to be that the lines at the border were very long on the weekends with family from El Paso crossing to spend the weekend with family in Juarez. Now they don't go and urge anyone that still crosses to reconsider, including us. The lines continue to be long, but now it is due to more thorough searching. The biggest concern is the Cholo's (local criminals) who know that people are so afraid they won't speak out and are using that to their benefit. They are robbing, stealing, killing and extorting money. Most do not know if they are connected to the cartel or not and are unwilling to report these crimes since it would mean sure death for them and possibly their family There are stray bullets like the one that killed an El Paso 14 yr old while she was at her cousins birthday party. The torture type killings have slowed down, but we still read about them daily in the local newspaper. More people were killed this year per month than last year and many fear as soon as the military leaves it will continue as it was before they came, until one cartel leader is king of this area.
Keep praying for the people of Juarez and for those that are apart of the drug cartels. Pray that there heart's would open up and realize the evil and damage they are causing and that they would receive Jesus Christ as there personal Lord and Savior. My trip this past weekend was amazing! We had no trouble and lots of great times. The church is almost done and Pastor Juan and his family are really getting excited to move in. I had the privilege of meeting a young man by the name of Peppee. He is married with two children. Peppee has been hooked on heavy drugs for years and had lost his wife and his children and his family because of the drugs. One year ago God sent Pastor Juan out into the city and he ran into Peppee. Peppee at the time was trying everything to get his wife and kids back but he just couldn't kick the drugs. Until one day he invited Jesus Christ into his life. His life has never been the same. Peppee went from losing everything to now having his wife and kids back. And Pastor Juan and his family moved into the church so they gave Peppee and his family there old house to live in. I remember after Peppee had shared his testimony with me he grabbed his backpack and he told me, "Whenever I used to grab my backpack I used to always pull out the drugs but now I pull out my bible!" And that is what he did. His face was glowing. I will never forget that moment. And when he tells you his story he gives all the credit to God. It's so amazing to see a guy that had lost everything, now have meaning and purpose in his life. I could sit here for hours and hours just sharing amazing testimonies with you but I will leave that for another time. God has truly blessed my wife and I with the opportunity to be apart of this amazing mission in Juarez. Please continue to pray for the students down there and for Nolan and Marie.
God is moving in Juarez! Praise Jesus!!

FEAR AND WORRY

My oldest son Kaleb who is going to be 8 years old in October has been dealing with allot of fear lately. Fear of losing his mom and me. A fear of us forgetting about him. We know that this fear can only come from one place and that's from our enemy the devil. I have been sitting down with him the past few weeks to really talk with him about what he is scared about. I've been giving him scripture to memorize so when that fear starts to sink in again he can quote the word of God and know that the fear he is feeling is not from God and that it's not real. One of the verses I gave to him to memorize was 2 Timothy 1:7 for God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline. Kaleb starts 2nd grade today and I am so proud of him. I know God is going to take him under his wing and I have nothing to fear or worry about. That is what I want to write to you today about. Today I leave for Juarez, Mexico. If you don't know what's been going on down there then just google Juarez Mexico News and you can read about it. It's an all out war between the military and the drug Lords. Thousands of people are being killed and many are tortured and being held for ransom. Now let me share with you some writing from the apostle Paul....
Rejoicing Together
12-13What I'm getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you've done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I'm separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.
14-16Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I'll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You'll be living proof that I didn't go to all this work for nothing.

17-18Even if I am executed here and now, I'll rejoice in being an element in the offering of your faith that you make on Christ's altar, a part of your rejoicing. But turnabout's fair play—you must join me in my rejoicing. Whatever you do, don't feel sorry for me.

If you have received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior then I am here to tell you that you have this amazing Power that lives inside of you. The Holy Spirit. God ALMIGHTY lives inside of you. We should never fear or worry about anything. People all the time even Christian's tell me, "Don't Go!!" and then my heart hurts. Are we not called as disciples of Jesus Christ to go into the world? Are we not supposed to share the Gospel with the world? Are we not supposed to love, love, love and love some more. We are called to meet the needs of others that are suffering. If are brother's and sister's need something then we meet that need. We are called to be the light in this dark world. We are called to a life that is so rewarding and so fulfilling. My God holds me in the palm of His hand and nothing can happen to me unless He allows it. If something does happen to me then Praise God. I will hold strong to the end. I will die and I will suffer if it brings glory and honor to my God. I will die and I will suffer if it means that I will save one soul from going to hell. My friends, that is not me but the power of God almighty that lives inside of me. There is no way I can do what I do without Jesus. He gives me strength and He gives me power and He gives me self-control.
I will write about my trip when when I get back on monday but if this is the last time I write to you, know that I love you all and I pray that you would surrender your life to the only one and true God. The God or Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Jesus Christ.

It's all because of Jesus that I am alive

Joseph Aron Toth "Dex"

My Sweet Escape

What is your favorite thing to do? Think about the place where you love to go or that thing you love to do. I'm sure it's something that just makes you feel good. It's something that blows everything out of the water. Nothing can even come close to it. For me it's following God. It's talking about God with my wife and my kids or my friends and family. I could talk about Jesus every second. As you can tell I even love writing about God. I am not the best at it but that's when I feel so close to Him. I feel so close to Him when I am talking about Him or writing about Him or serving Him. When my wife and I get to go down and serve in Mexico there is nothing like it. Getting to be the hands and feet of Jesus. What an amazing privilege. I feel so close to Him. Not only do I want to think about Him and talk about Him but I want to know what He wants from me. If you look at Isaiah 58 I think we can get a clear view of what God wants and expects from us.

Isaiah 58 (The Message)
What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.'

A Full Life in the Emptiest of Places
9-12"If you get rid of unfair practices,
quit blaming victims,
quit gossiping about other people's sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
firm muscles, strong bones.
You'll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You'll be known as those who can fix anything,
restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
make the community livable again.
13-14"If you watch your step on the Sabbath
and don't use my holy day for personal advantage,
If you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy,
God's holy day as a celebration,
If you honor it by refusing 'business as usual,'
making money, running here and there—
Then you'll be free to enjoy God!
Oh, I'll make you ride high and soar above it all.
I'll make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob."
Yes! God says so!


So I encourage you today to pray that God would change your heart. Pray That He would open your eyes and your heart to the poor and to those who need. If somebody needs something don't turn away, help them. Give them clothes. If you know somebody that is struggling then help them. Spend time with your family and take care of them. If somebody asks for something don't expect it back. You should give, give and give some more. I promise you when you give there is nothing that feels better then to give. We are so blessed and so comfortable in America. We need to stand up and start giving back to others that are in desperate need right now. Pray about it and let God lead you to where He wants you.
God bless you today,

Dex

This is not Home

Psalm 63
O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.

3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.

As I sit here and meditate on this Psalm of David many things are going on in my head. The first thing David says, "O God, you are my God" The question I need to ask, who is your God? Is it the tv? The computer? A person? Your kids or your family? Is it money? Your Job? What is it in your life that you put before the only one true and awesome God? The God that formed the heavens and the earth. The God that formed and created you. The God that came to earth and died for you. Does your soul just long for something more? Do you ask yourself everyday, "Man, there's got to be more than this?" I've said it before and I will say it again. I am not sure if living in America is a blessing or a curse. We are to comfortable. We lose sight of God to easy in America. Many times we don't need God until something bad happens in our life then we run to God. I don't ever want to do that. God is to amazing and to awesome to ever do that to. I want to seek Him everyday of my life. My body ackes for Him. My soul thirsts for Him. I want to know everything about my God. Do you ever just stop and look up into the sky and just praise Him for His amazing Glory? A few years ago I remember I couldn't imagine my life without radio. Oh man, my radio career has been so fun and so awesome. It has hardly ever felt like a job. I used to ask myself, "what if God asked me to leave radio?" That question scared me to death. What would I do? I remember I used to convince myself that I would walk away from radio if God asked me to but deep down inside I knew I couldn't do it. Today as I write this I know in my heart of hearts that I would walk away from radio in a second if God called me to something else. If I got fired today I would praise God with all of my heart for the amazing job that he gave me and my family. I have finally realized that this is not my home. THe house I own is not my home. Living on this earth should never feel like home. Home is when I am finally kneeling before my Father in heaven. Today, may we fall on our knees and ask God to forgive us for not making Him the greatest in our life. I pray that we would go out into our jobs today and work as hard as we can as if we were working for the Lord. I also pray that we would love our neighbors and we would seek God with everything we have. With all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. He is worthy and He is Good. Who knows this could be the day that I finally get to see my Father.

I love you Father with all of my heart!

TEARS IN A BOTTLE

At Church yesterday Todd brought up a verse that I have never heard before.

Psalm 56:8

You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.

Man, that verse just blew me away. Our minds are so small. To try and figure out God is impossible. God's love is so amazing and so awesome to try and understand God's love or just how big and powerful He is would be impossible. Our minds can't do it. To think that He keeps track of ALL my sorrows and collects ALL my tears in a bottle and then records each tear in His book. WOW!!! We should never ever feel alone. In (Deuteronomy 31:8), The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. In (Psalm 139:7-10), Where can i go from Your Spirit? Where can i flee from Your presence? If i go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.
(Proverbs 5:21), For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and He examines all his paths. Whatever you might be going threw in your life right now, just know that God is right there with you and He will never leave you. I found this awesome blog that somebody else wrote. I would love to share it with you. It's pretty amazing!

Tears In A Bottle
Aren’t tears a mysterious part of what it means to be human? It is strange that we have the capacity to cry—to expel water from our eyes when we are sad. It seems to serve no real purpose—although science can explain the physiological “why” and mental health experts can explain the psychological “why”.

That still leaves the question of “why” tears—why were we created with that capacity?

Perhaps this psalm provides a clue. Maybe they are to remind us that God cares about the things that make us sad enough to shed tears. So much does he bear our sorrow that he collects our tears in a bottle, as the New Living Translation says, or as other versions put it, “he records them in his ledger.” In other words, God takes note—implying that he is not only aware of our sadness, but he will not forget it.

What is it that is making you cry today? A heart broken by a fractured relationship? A dashed hope or the death of a dream? A failed family? A personal sin? The consequences of a past mistake that continues to haunt you? What is it that you feel such deep sadness over?

It is likely that no one truly knows the depth of what you are feeling right now. Maybe no one will ever see those tears that have rolled down your cheek—and the intense hurt that caused them. Even if they do see your tears, how sad it is that long before your pain is healed, people will forget and move on.

But there is One who sees…and One who cares…and One who never forgets…and One who will never move on! And He wants you to know that, my friend. And that One, your Heavenly Father, simply asks you to take comfort in His compassion for you
(Psalm 103:13, and to place your trust in him. In fact, so strongly does he desire your trust, that he extends the invitation twice just to make sure you really know his heart for you. (Psalm 56:4,10-11)
I hope you will do that. Entrust those tears to God. And let the very next tear that fills your eyes and spills down your cheek be a reminder that your tears never really just dry up and fade into a painful memory, they go right into the bottle of that One who truly cares!