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God’s Answers to Matt’s Questions

GOD’S ANSWERS TO MATT’S QUESTIONS
Mike Cunningham
March 9th 2014, edited 6/23/14

Last week ended with the following:

Matt took a moment to ponder those scriptures. Then, he looked and saw that Jesus was gazing into the darkened sky that was sprinkled with sparkling stars. With tear filled eyes, He asked: “Now do you believe that I love all human beings? I wanted to be your friend. You could have been experiencing infinite happiness and joy…forever! However, each of you wanted to do your own thing instead of following me. Of your own free will, you chose not to have anything to do with Me. You wanted to be your own god. I assure you, the excruciating agony you doomed yourselves to will be infinitely greater than that which I suffered on Mount Calvary. Justice has been served!”

All of a sudden, in the blinking of an eye, Matt was standing beside Jen and holding her hand.

“Are you still perplexed, Matt?” She asked.

“Not at all, Jen…but boy am I hungry. Let’s go see what today’s special is at St. Patrick’s Place.”

“And don’t forget to get me a creamy, bow-wow. Oops, I meant to say, Ha, Ha,” added Buttsy. By the way, is it ok if I bring my friend Buckwheat with me the next time?”

Today’s story begins with Jen showing Matt around Heaven. To look at them you would get the impression that they were the happiest couple living there. Actually, they may very well have been.

It was a sight to behold. The miniature French Poodle, Buttsy, and Buckwheat the Cocker spaniel, and Walter the squirrel and the dog Honey, together with Chubbs the guinea pig and her family of three, and Kitty the cat led the way.

Astonished onlookers of various ages and sizes, hooted and hollered, and waved and cheered and whistled and gave thumbs-up’s as they passed. The two-mile trek continued until the group arrived at St. Patrick’s Place where they were regulars. St. Patrick himself and his entire crew knew them well and went out of their way to please them.

After the meal, the animals took off and gleefully went on their way to do their own thing.
Holding hands again, Matt and Jen happily chatted away, while they continued their stroll on another delightful heavenly day. After a while their pace slowed down, and so did the conversation. Jen saw it coming. Once again, Matt was obviously in deep thought. Eventually, he broke the silence and said:

“I have a lot on my mind, Jen.”

With a wink, Jen sarcastically responded, “I never would have guessed, Matt. What have you been thinking about?”

“All sorts of things, Jen, and I have a lot of questions. For example, I’ve been wondering why Jesus allows all the evil that takes place in the world’ horrendous evils such as genocide, incest, rape, torture, child abduction and molestation, abortion and euthanasia. I would like to know why our all powerful God who is infinite in wisdom and has a love for all human beings, the magnitude of which is impossible to calculate… II wonder why He allows such horrendous evil to exist?
I also have a burning desire to know the answer to those questions…and others too. For instance, why doesn’t God put an end to natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, blizzards and erupting volcanoes with all of the deaths and injuries, and suffering and misery. Not only have homes been destroyed,. but disease and starvation is rampant. I don’t know of anyone who has been able to answer those questions. It makes God look as though He’s a monster. I’m deeply troubled, Jen.”

After taking a breath, he continued: “As if that isn’t enough, I can’t help thinking about all the people who have doomed themselves to suffering a never ending existence of excruciating agony in Hell. Those lost souls are on my mind a lot, Jen. In fact, I don’t know anyone in Heaven or Earth who is as obsessed by these kinds of concerns as much as I am.”

“I never gave much thought to those kind of concerns while on Earth, Matt, but since I’ve been living here they’re on my mind a lot, too.”

“When I think of the countless prayers that have been made on behalf of the lost souls, as well as all the pastors who were constantly trying to persuade professed Christians to study the Bible and listen to or read their sermons, including offers to help them to understand God’s Word; and, then, whenever I think that it all fell on deaf ears; I feel like crying, Jen.”

Jen again spoke up: “Don’t forget all the offers that were made, not only by pastors, but by knowledgeable Christians of various ages; folks who were mature in the faith and well versed in the Bible, Matt. For instance, they offered to help those people to understand the need to clothe themselves with humility and to be holy, otherwise they wouldn’t even get a glimpse of seeing Jesus when they died and entered their eternal home.”

“I know exactly what you mean, Jen. Take the case of all the so-called Christian people who refuse to forgive the folks who have wronged them, just as they were forgiven in Christ. But they refused to forgive. That’s another reason why I’m constantly praying for our loved ones and other people we care about deeply who are still living in that sin-drenched world.”
“They’re deceiving themselves very much, Matt.”

“You got that right, Jen. Those folks believe that all they have to do to get into God’s Heaven is to try to be a good person; meaning being not as bad as lots of other people. Boy are they in for a shock! Also, can you imagine what it must be like to be craving things such as alcohol and/or drugs or food, or engaging in unlawful sexual relations and never even coming close to being satisfied? What about the need to throw temper tantrums and fits of rage or to brag and bad-mouth and slander other sinners while they are living alone in the outer darkness where no one can see or hear them or speak to them, Jen?”

“Yes I can, Matt. It breaks my heart!”

“Mine too, Jen. I wish we could do something about it.”

“Do you have any ideas, Matt?

“I intend to continue praying for those folks. Do you have any suggestions, Jen?”

“As a matter of fact, I do, Matt.”

“I’m all-ears, Jen. Please tell me.”

“We should ask Jesus, Matt. I’m sure that He has the answer.”

“Now why didn’t I think of that? How long do you think it will take us to go and see Jesus?”

“We can go there immediately, Matt. It’s the same as praying. We can approach Him at any time.”

“That’s right! Let’s go!”

All of a sudden the two of them were standing in front of The Great White Throne. Jesus was obviously very pleased to see them.

“What brings you folks here today, as if I didn’t already know?”

“You already know?” Matt asked. “How can that be?”

“You forgot that I know everything, Matt. Fire away. However, I suggest that you start with your concern for your loved ones and the other folks who are still living on Earth. It isn’t too late for any of them to decide to follow Me.”

“Please tell Jen and I what you suggest.”
“You know that I can’t, Jesus. But, someone has got to get the message to these folks and wake them up. It’s a matter of them enjoying an eternal life of happiness in Heaven or suffering never ending agony in Hell.”

“Can you recommend anyone who is still living there, Matt, someone who has a tremendous burden for the lost; a person who constantly prays fervently for the their salvation?

“No I can’t. The only person I can think of who could do it is you, Jesus.”

“You’re mistaken, Matt. I know the ideal person, and so does Jen.”

“I believe that you do, Jesus, but the thought that Jen also knows never entered my mind.”

“Why didn’t you tell me, Jen?”

“I couldn’t, Matt. That’s up to Jesus.”

“Jen, you have my permission to tell Matt.”

“I’m honored, Jesus! I would be pleased to.” She smiled. “Matt, it’s you. You’re the perfect Christ-like person for this particular mission.”

“Oh no! I must be dreaming, Jen. Please wake me up and tell me that I was having an awful nightmare!”

“You aren’t dreaming, Matt.”

At this point, Matt was totally confused. Jesus said,
“I’ve been very pleased that when you lived on Earth, you made the time to study the Bible, Matt. In fact, you were so diligent that you memorized certain passages of the Sacred Scriptures. They’re embedded in your mind. Now they will answer all of your questions.”

“All of them?”

“Yes Matt. Your memory is about to be jogged and you will instantly be able to recall them. Taken together, each of the questions that you just posed will be answered. Here they are. Please consider them carefully.”

Psalm 139:17 (MSG)
17 Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful! God, I’ll never comprehend them.

Job 5:9 (NIV)
9 He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.
Job 11:7-12 (TLB)
7 “Do you know the mind and purposes of God? Will long searching make them known to you? Are you qualified to judge the Almighty?
8 He is as faultless as heaven is high—but who are you? His mind is fathomless—what can you know in comparison?
9 His Spirit is broader than the earth and wider than the sea.
10 If he rushes in and makes an arrest, and calls the court to order, who is going to stop him?
11 For he knows perfectly all the faults and sins of mankind; he sees all sin without searching.
12 “Mere man is as likely to be wise as a wild donkey’s colt is likely to be born a man!
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (MSG)
11 True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—but he’s left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he’s coming or going.
Ecclesiastes 8:17 (MSG)
17 you’ll still never figure out the meaning of what God is doing on this earth. Search as hard as you like, you’re not going to make sense of it. No matter how smart you are, you won’t get to the bottom of it.
Isaiah 40:28 (MSG)
28 Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening? GOD doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out.
Romans 11:33-36 (TLB)
33 Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods!
34 For who among us can know the mind of the Lord? Who knows enough to be his counselor and guide?
35 And who could ever offer to the Lord enough to induce him to act?
36 For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory. To him be glory evermore.
Psalm 145:3 (NIV)
3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.
Psalm 139:1-18 (MSG)
1 A David psalm GOD, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.
2 I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.
3 You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight.
4 You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence.
5 I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too— your reassuring presence, coming and going.
6 This is too much, too wonderful— I can’t take it all in!
7 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight?
8 If I climb to the sky, you’re there! If I go underground, you’re there!
9 If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western horizon,
10 You’d find me in a minute— you’re already there waiting!
11 Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I’m immersed in the light!”
12 It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you.
13 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb.
14 I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation!
15 You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
16 Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.
17 Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful! God, I’ll never comprehend them!
18 I couldn’t even begin to count them— any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!

“Well, Matt. Those scriptures have answered each of your questions.However, I know that you still aren’t satisfied. That’s the reason I’m going to ask you one question that will answer each one of yours. Are you ready?”

“Yes Jesus, I am.”

“That’s good, Matt. As you know, each of my followers are able to approach me in prayer whenever they wish to do so. You also know that you came into my presence in the blink-of-an-eye, so to speak. At the present time, I’m simultaneously having conversations with over three billion Christians. I’m also speaking with all of the angels and archangels as well as folks such as Charley from the Orientation Center and St. Patrick over at his place. Now, here’s my question. Do you understand how I’m able to accomplish all these things, Matt?”

“Of course, I can’t. It’s impossible. No one can.”

“And neither can anyone understand why an all powerful God, who is infinite in wisdom; a God who has a love for all human beings, the magnitude of which is impossible to calculate; why He ever allowed all the horrendous evil you mentioned to take place and continue to occur on Planet Earth.”

And then Jesus vanished.

“Are you satisfied with His answer, Matt? Did Jesus answer your questions?”

“Yes He did, Jen.”

However, from the tone of Matt’s voice, she knew that he was still very deeply disturbed. So much so, that Jen broke the silence and asked Matt….

Lord willing, next week….

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March 9, 2014 Posted by Categories: Uncategorized Tagged with:
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