Tsunamis, Tornadoes & Earthquakes....

"And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good".(Genesis 1:31)
God says to Adam; "Cursed is the ground because of you".(Genesis 3:17)
Dear Colleagues:
One of the most common questions that people ask about God is; "If God really exists, why He allows natural disasters like tsunami, hurricane and the earthquake that recently hit many areas of the world we live?
Let us first remember that suffering and disasters are not part of God's original created order. The Bible says in Genesis 1:31 "and God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good". Secondly, we should acknowledge 'because sin entered the world,' the earth and everything around it has been affected.
One of the most comforting things for Christians to know when facing situations such as this quake in South Asia again is that God has a much bigger picture than what we see in the here and now. Without a doubt, many have been affected by the earthquake but God has promised in His word that he will comfort all those that are hurting and in need.
At times like this, we Christians have to put our resources together and be an extension of Christ to those who are hurting. Greg W., former Professor of HGU, and his family are serving for the victims of Tsunami in Srilanka. Unfortunately, his family is having a hard time suffering from some serious infections and diseaseas, and his mission work is facing a big financial difficulty. The Chaplain's office is planning to have 'Love Offering' at chapels. Let us join and help Greg and his work for the Lord!
[Faculty Devotion]Wed., 8:30 am at Hyoam, the Table
Sermon by Rev. Dae Ok Kim (On Fasting)
Prayer by Prof. Youn Sik Han
Peace be with you!
Pastor Henry W.
(from HGU Pastoral Letter, Oct.11,2005)

Bitter or Better?

I'm really enjoying my Pronunciation Clinic classes. My students are such a wonderful, lively bunch and both classes are a real joy to teach. Today's spiritual warm-up question (a handout related to Canadian Thanksgiving yesterday) was:
"Are you truly thankful for life?"
Students then made their own sentences about what they are thankful to God for. It was such a blessing to hear all that the students shared.
The truth is that we, as Christians, must be be careful about the attitude of our hearts and just how much we appreciate all that God has done (AND IS) for us.
The Bible clearly shows that there are 2 main attitudes to have towards God and being thankful for life.
THE WICKED (Those outside of Christ)
"...proud, ungrateful, unholy, without love..." (2 Timothy 3:2)
"Although they know God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him." (Romans 1:21)
THE RIGHTEOUS (Those of us in Christ)
"Make music in your heart to the LORD giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:19)
An earlier chapter from the pronunciation came to mind when we focused on the slight difference in pronunciation between "bitter" and "better" and how to distinguish between the two when listening. I believe this relates back to "a matter of thankfulness" in ones life. Those who are outside of Christ tend to "grow bitter" towards the end of their lives while those who are (TRULY) in Christ tend to "get better" and as the Bible says "shine brighter and brighter as the noon day sun". You can see this in the faces and attitudes of those who have served Christ all their lives and the peace they have when they die VS. the selfish-whiny-child-like attitudes of older bitter non-Christians who have everything but peace.
May God give us the grace to have a heart of gratitude, praise, and thanks for Him and ultimately for Him alone. How can we "assist" God in increasing our hearts and our ability to be thankful?
"I will run the way of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart." (Psalm 119:32, KJV)

Return to Righteousness, Canada!!!