Speaker: Sis. Techie Rodriguez, Elder, The Lord's Flock Catholic Charismatic Community

" Why Bad Things Happen to God's People"

A Highly Favored People of Faith

In our Lord's Flock charismatic community, we are a people of faith. We believe we are highly favored by God. We are God's children. We are the flock of the Lord. We are God's people.

Why Do “Bad” Things Happen to God's People?

We are all renewed Christians. We have our different seminars and ministries in our community. We are all followers of Jesus. Yet we sometimes encounter “bad” things.

Why do “bad” things happen to God's people? Even when we have not done anything wrong, unpleasant things still fall on us. Why? Why does God allow bad things to happen to us especially after we have undergone renewal? We would rather have good life instead of sufferings, perfect health instead of sickness, and success, instead of failure.

1. They Are Included in God's Purpose for our Life?

God has a purpose for all of us. Why we are here on earth. What is our mission in life? When we know the answer, then we can lead a purpose ------ life. We can also understand and handle difficulties and “bad” things in our life.

God's Purpose (and “bad” Things) for Joseph the Dreamer

One of the most beautiful life stories in the Old Testament is that of Joseph, the Dreamer. (Genesis 37 to 50). He was almost killed by his brothers due to jealousy. He was sold into slavery for twenty pieces of silver, brought to Egypt , and was sold again to Potiphar, chief steward of the Pharaoh. He was put in prison due to false accusation. But the Lord remained with Joseph and brought success to all he did. Joseph's gift of interpretation of dreams reached the Pharaoh. He pleased the Pharaoh after interpreting two dreams about seven years of abundance and seven years of famous. He was placed in change of the whole land of Egypt and become the most powerful man, next to the Pharaoh.

During the famine, Joseph provided food to his brothers and sacred his family. He had saved the twelve tribes of Israel .

The purpose of God for Joseph who suffered slavery and imprisonment “was really for the sake of saving lives.” (Genesis 46”5) “Even though you (Joseph's brothers) meant ham to me, God meant it for good, to achieve and present end, the survival of many people.” (Genesis 50:230).

2. They Are Part of God's Tests for Us.

The story of Job is a perfect example of God's trials. Job was a blameless and upright man who feared God and avoided evil. He had a big family and thousands of sheep, camels oxen, and other work animals (Job 1:1-3).

Despite Job's being upright and God-fearing, he was subjected to a series of trials – We lost his oxen, sheep, camels, and even his sons and daughters. Yet Job did not sin nor did he says anything disrespectful of God (Job 1:13 -zz). He proclaimed “The Lord gave us the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (verse 21).

Job was a smitten by Satan with severe boils. He also said nothing sinful despite his great suffering. (Job 2:1-10).

Job's trials are God's tests of his faithfulness and trust in the Lord. His experience of sufferings strengthened his faith in God. His trials have formed his character. Despite his loss of properties and family, he continued to praise and honor God. He was a charismatic.

Job emerged victorious in his tests by God. The Lord gave him ----- as much as he had before (Job 42:10). His latter days were more blessed by the Lord than his earlier ones. (Job 42:12). Highly favored with restored prosperity and a new family he lived 140 years.

3. They Are God's ----- of Disciplining Us.

“Since we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.” (1 Corinthians 11:32).

Even if we belong to a charismatic group, we have been pen-------------- and we read the Bible, we are not exempt from being disciplined. Even if we are disciples and we feel we are close to Jesus, we are still being connected, punished and reproved. “Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise .” (Revelations 3:19).

When God disciplines us, his methods might seem to be “bad” things. Actually they are not; they are in reality means of discipline.

We are being discipline by being placed in a fiery furnace. When smelting and refining gold and silver, the dross (impurities) are burned and removed in the furnace. Similarly, when we are disciplined by God, our personal impurities (sins) are burned through tests and sufferings.

•  “I have refined you like silver, tested you in the furnace of affliction.” (Isaiah 48:10).

•  “I will smelt them and test them; how also should I deal with their wickedness? (Jeremiah 9:6).

•  “We tested us, O God, tried us as silver tried by fire.” (Psalms 66:10).

Instead of considering disciplining as a “bad” things, we should welcome it:

“In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Testing by fire (as a disciplinary method – strengthens our faith

•  “If he proved me, I should come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10 ).

•  “Do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you.” (1 Peter 4:12)

•  For whenever anyone bears the pain of unjust suffering because of consciousness of God, that is grace… if you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is grace before God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps. (1 peter 2:19-21).

•  But whoever is made to suffer as a Christian should not be ashamed but glorify God because of his name.” (1 Peter 4:16).

•  The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you after you have suffered a little. (1 Peter 5:10).