Q: During one of the sermons, the pastor said that Jesus understands all the problems we have since He had gone through them Himself. Had He really been through all our issues? What about bad marks, crushes, etc? Had Jesus been through them too?

A:  I believe the sermon that you are referring to is the May 16th 2010 one on John 11.  It can be found here. 

In the Bible, it tells us that Jesus is the Son of God, but came down in the form of a human being to die for us and give us new life.  The Bible tells us also that Jesus was treated like a human being;  He was tempted for 40 days (Mark 1:12-13), He was scorn by the people and was also mistreated.

In Hebrews 4:14-16, it says this:

¹⁴Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. ¹⁶Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

 This passage gives us the reassurance that whatever we are going through, Jesus understands.  Your question about bad marks may not be applicable for Jesus, but has He gone through stress? Yes.  Has He experienced disappointments?  Yes!

Jesus lived in a time that is very different than the times we live in.  And although He may not have gone through exactly the same things that we are doing through, Hebrews tells us that He can sympathize with our emotions.  He knows what it feels like to be betrayed, He knows what it feels like to fail, He knows what it feels like to lose a loved one. 


[answered by Pastor KJT]

Why does God allow events such as abduction, child abuse, terrorists, etc. happen?

Why doesn't he do anything about it? Sometimes I'm afraid I get kidnapped and terrible things might happen. But I want to know if God will help me during that time. Sorry, this question is kind of oddly worded but I just want to know if God is really there during those crucial times in our lives.

Author Josh McDowell answers your question well. Read his entire answer here. Events such as abduction, child abuse and terrorism happen because of the sinfulness of man:

...The Scriptures make it plain that God did not create the world in the state in which it is now, but evil came as a result of the selfishness of man. The Bible says that God is a God of love and He desired to create a person and eventually a race that would love Him. But genuine love cannot exist unless freely given through free choice and will, and thus man was given the choice to accept God's love or to reject it. This choice made the possibility of evil become very real. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they did not choose something God created, but, by. their choice, they brought evil into the world. God is neither evil nor did He create evil. Man brought evil upon himself by selfishly choosing his own way apart from God's way. 


Because of the Fall, the world now is abnormal. Things are not in the state that they should be in. Man, as a result of the Fall, has been separated from God. Nature is not always kind to man and the animal world can also be his enemy. There is conflict between man and his fellowman. None of these conditions were true before the Fall. Any solution that might be given to the problems mankind faces must take into consideration that the world as it stands now is not normal.

Why doesn't he do anything about it? You are falsely assuming that God does not do anything about it. Let me explain. God did do something about it in the person & work of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to take away the sin of the world by suffering for our sin, in our place (consider the fact that the suffering Jesus endured was the result of the sin, cruelty and hatred of man). Because of what Jesus did, we have an answer to our suffering: One day Jesus will give us new resurrected bodies (Philippians 3:20-21) that will be immune to suffering and sin. 

Second, God is doing something about it through his followers. McDowell puts it this way:

Christians have a justification for fighting evil, immorality and corruption. The world was not designed with evil in mind and the believer has a real basis for fighting social ills. He is not following the belief that whatever is, is right. The Christian does not condone wrongdoing by claiming it is God's world, neither does he assume that everything that happens is agreed to by God. God does not desire evil nor does he ever condone it. He hates evil, and the Christian also is not only to despise evil, he is obligated to do something about it. Even though sin is real, it is not something that the believer accepts as the way things ought to be. By identifying with Jesus, the believer has a duty to call things wrong that are wrong and to speak out when evil is overtaking good. The Christian is not fighting against God by fighting social problems. Natural disasters, crime, and mental retardation should not be the accepted order of things, because they were never meant to be and they will not be in God's future kingdom.

Christians are God's hands and feet to a hurting world. God is doing something about suffering through us. 

Third, God is doing something "behind the scenes." His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8), so even if we do not understand why he allows suffering to happen or why he does not immediately cure suffering, we must trust in Him. GotQuestions states three reasons.

First, He uses pain and suffering to draw us to Himself so that we will cling to Him. Jesus said, “In the world you shall have tribulation” (John 16:33). Trials and distress are not something unusual in life; they are part of what it means to be human in a fallen world. In Christ we have an anchor that holds fast in all the storms of life, but if we never sail into those storms, how would we know that? It is in times of despair and sorrow that we reach out to Him, and, if we are His children, we always find Him there waiting to comfort and uphold us through it all. In this way, He proves His faithfulness to us and ensures that we will stay close to Him. An added benefit is that as we experience God’s comfort through trials, we are then able to comfort others in the same way (2 Corinthians 1:4).

Second, He proves to us that our faith is real through the suffering and pain that are inevitable in this life. How we respond to suffering is determined by the genuineness of our faith. Those with faith truly from God, “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2), will not be crushed by suffering, but will come through the trial with their faith intact, having been “proven through fire” so that it “might be found to praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7). Those are the ones who do not shake their fists at God or question His goodness, but instead “count it all joy” (James 1:2), knowing that trials prove that they are truly the children of God. “Blessed is the man who endures temptation, because having been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).

Finally, God uses suffering to take our eyes off this world and put them on the next. The Bible continually exhorts us to not get caught up in the things of this world, but to look forward to the world to come. This world and all that is in it will pass away, but the kingdom of God is eternal. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36), and those who would follow Him must not see the things of this life, both good and bad, as the end of the story. Even the sufferings we endure and which seem so terrible “are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

Summarily, I would say this: Don't be afraid friend. God is always with you, even in your suffering. It is natural to cry out to God when you are suffering (and if he answers in a tangible way, praise Him!). However, if he does not answer immediately or in the way you want, praise Him anyway! God is using the suffering in a way to shape your character (remember your character is what you take with you in the next life; not your comfort) for your own goodness and for his glory. He may also be allowing suffering to happen to you so that you can understand the suffering of another person and bless them.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

I'd recommend you get a copy of C.S. Lewis' book, The Problem of Pain. It will help you answer some of you questions.

Q: God hates me?

How do you respond to a person who thinks that God hates him because so much has happened in his life where he has prayed, but nothing has happened. Also, he has experience so much pain and death around him that he believes God has been idle to?

This is timely question as I'm sure some of those in Haiti are wondering the same thing. First, I'd encourage you to do is pray for your friend. You have to rely on God because there is nothing we can do or say - in our own wisdom - to make your friend believe in Jesus. Pray that God would open his spiritual eyes because your friend may believe nothing is happening, but this does not mean God has ceased to work.

We are human beings with finite senses and intellectual capacities. So when we pray, we often think that God only answers our prayers IF He answers them our way or when we can visibly see the results. This is simply untrue. I believe God listens to our prayers; and answers them according to His time and in His way. So I'd respond to your friend by telling him to be patient and wait upon the Lord.

The second thing is to point your friend to Jesus. Jesus came to our world to suffer with us and for us. When people suffer, there are two usual responses:

(1) “You’re suffering because God is judging you. You’re doing something bad, and God is angry with you.”

(2) “You’re suffering and that means there is no God. Or at least, He doesn’t care about us.”

When we look to Jesus, however, we see neither of these gods. We don’t see a condemning God; we see a God of love that bears the punishment for our sin. We don’t see a missing God. We see a God who is willing to enter a world of suffering to suffer with us and for us. No other faith or philosophical system makes such a claim. So whatever your friend is going through, let him know that Jesus has been there too. Jesus knows what it's like to betrayed; to lose a loved one; to be hated; to be beaten and to die horribly. And that's why when your friend prays to Jesus, he can rest assured that God is listening! He is not idle nor incapable. He is a compassionate God who listens to and answers prayers in his sovereign, perfect timing.

I'd also recommend you listen to this sermon & read this article - so you're equipped to handle your friend's questions about suffering in general.

Friend, God has given you the great gift of ministering to your friend in his/her time of need. Pray hard. Study hard. And listen attentively. Sometimes the way a person gets to know Jesus isn't through what you say, but what you don't.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: Why does God allow poverty?

Q: God clearly has a heart for the poor, but why does poverty exist in the first place?

At its core, poverty is the result of sin (i.e. human selfishness & pride). Generous Giving Ministries gives a solid answer (they also answer a host of questions about poverty and suffering). They answer your question as follows:

"Sometimes we know, and sometimes we don’t. The Bible points to several reasons why God, in his sovereignty, allows poverty in the world. Some kinds of poverty are directly related to our own behavior. First, the Lord sent poverty upon the children of Israel as a punishment for their brazen covenant-breaking (Deuteronomy 28:48). Second, poverty is the natural consequence of laziness, which is the neglect of the responsibilities God gives us (Proverbs 6:10-11; 14:23). We bring this sort of poverty on ourselves. But on the other hand, some kinds of poverty have nothing to do with our behavior; they simply happen to us (e.g., the plight of millions of people in Third World nations). In fact, many instances of poverty are manifestly unjust. In these cases, God allows poverty in his mysterious providence, ultimately for his own glory (John 9:1-3). Here we must confess along with the Scriptures, “The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts” (1 Samuel 2:7), even if we cannot point to a satisfactory reason. And whatever the reasons, we know that part of God’s gospel is that he will one day redress all these injustices."

The site also answers the following question: Why does God entrust wealth only to a few when so much poverty exists? Though no one knows why some are rich and others are poor, one thing is for certain: God entrusts wealth to the few so that they will share it with many others (2 Cor. 9:11). If you are a follower of Jesus, your responsibility is to be generous with your blessings! Only those who are self-righteous, lazy and selfish complain about poverty without doing something about it. 

Here are some practical ways that I have personally found helpful:

1. Consider your purchases wisely. More-often-than-not you are buying for your own satisfaction rather than need. 

2. Participate in group activities like the 30 Hour Famine & Samaritan's Purse.

3. Go on a Short-Term Missions Trip (Every year, our youth group goes to Belize, Central America & Urban Promise Toronto. Our church also sends teams to China, Africa and Europe)

4. Instead of receiving gifts for your birthday or Christmas, ask friends/family to donate it to an organization of your choice. When my wife and I were engaged, we asked our friends to donate to the Canadian Bible Society. When our son was born, we asked money to given to our missionary friends in Belize. 

5. Instead of giving your friend a birthday gift or Christmas present, donate to an organization on their behalf. I know families that buy animals (goats, cows, chickens) for poor families (through World Vision) instead of gifts every Christmas. 

These are just some suggestions, but it's a start.

Josh McDowell also provides insight in this article (it addressed the bigger question of evil/suffering, not just poverty, but is helpful nonetheless).

[Answered by Pastor HM]