Haiti

Where Is God In Natural Disaster?

The beginning of a faith conversation…won’t you join me?

-Pastor Chris Deknatel 2010

When devastation hits people clamor to churches and web sites seeking the answer to why these things happen. Who is responsible? Many make up stories that suit their own interests or desires. They interpret God’s actions from ignorance, opinion and utilizing pieces of scripture while ignoring others. Their conclusions turn to emotion and endearment. They do not want to believe God could hurt a child so they resolve to say, “I don’t care what the scriptures say, all I know is…” When in crisis is not the time to get to know God, but it sure seems to open the door for dialogue.

God is revealed to us by no other means than the word of God. Yes we have revelation and visible signs, but we would not know them unless God had told us they are Him by His word. It is the foundation by which all things exist. God “Spoke” and it came into being. God is bound up in 66 books and millions of lives. To expect to understand God by this study on why an earthquake hit Haiti is futile and lazy. What it does do is call all readers to seek study until they see Jesus face to face.

As the Theologian Martin Chemnitz said, “God is accountable to no one and therefore we should be careful in demanding an explanation from Him.” That said, I am likewise tired of being fed a few Bible verses in an effort to appease the ignorant as if we need to be satisfied with that alone. God is unsearchable, but not so obscure that man cannot learn of Him and from Him on a greater level than, “it’s a mystery.”

When we explore an issue like an earthquake and devastation, it is not just the question of why, but all the theologies and appending questions that must be answered as well. For example, many of you are aware of Pat Roberts’s remarks. His is a belief held by many, even Haitian Christians. Therefore, we must explore, false prophets, prophecy, God, nature of God, man, nature of man, sin causes of sin, foreknowledge, predestination, wrath, punishment, discipline, free will, faith, creation, omnipresence, omnipotence, local presence, nature of the word, interpretation and ultimately whether God is a loving God or not. There are many more questions that then spring up from these and the list goes on. It’s easy for someone like Pat Roberts to splash on the air a comment during a tragedy of mass proportion. But, if God is “cursing” Haiti, does it not beg the question, “is God cursing every person that receives an injury or pain?” Just because it is a mass incident, is it any less significant then when a child gets cancer? Under the theology of Roberts and those who share his view every sin is a direct result of God’s punishment and wrath. That leaves us asking as did the disciples, “who sinned, this man or his parents?” Neither, the Lord said. It was for God’s glory that this man was born blind. Just as the disciples did not understand, many false teachers come and distort the truth for their own gain. I hope to honestly handle the hard questions and provide answers. If this does not suffice feel free to ask me for more.

As I address this issue know that it is not just my ideas, nor my “Interpretation” but the blending of scholars such as, Martin Chemnitz and Francis Pieper, who through scripture have addressed these questions years ago. This is nothing new!

Therefore, in a way to bring understanding as best I can, I have written a synopsis of the answer in my own words, followed by the Biblical precedence from which this conclusion came.

Scripture reveals that God made and continues to sustain and work in all of creation. Nothing happens outside of God, yet God does not produce nor condones sin. Therefore, people sin against God; God works with the outcome of their behavior and fulfills his ultimate will regardless of people’s disobedience. In the area of creation and nature order of things, God does not abstain from work, but sustains all that is needed for the earth to function. In that it is the natural function of life that movement must occur. The earth is spinning and therefore clouds, wind etc. must move. We call this the “general action of God”. The earth must expand and therefore the plates which move to accommodate this action must also move, consequently causing earthquakes. The earth is in this condition because of sin. What that means is that nothing is perfect anymore. Everything is flawed. Everything is in decay and dying. It is not meant to be a fatalistic perspective, but the reality of all life is that it is expiring. Birth and death for all things in creation has a time and that time is set by God. Concluding that God cares for the earth and in doing so, the earth moves and produces causation which can be at times negative. People never want anything negative to happen; therefore if God listens to the whims of the people they would destroy themselves. If God does not do what is needed, the plates build up pressure and ultimately destroy the earth. IF climates didn’t change, cold and warm fronts didn’t collide then rain, snow and other necessary elements would not occur. In these changes that are necessary are also the negative outcomes of, hurricanes, tornados, sleet and hail storms, rain and other affects we call natural disasters. The reality is that these things MUST happen to sustain our world or we will all die. The condition of sin is a reality whether we believe in God or not. That is what frustrates the world! Likewise to change that would bring instantaneous death to everyone, because it would usher in the end time. We can’t have what we all want and that is a perfect world!

In contrast to the general action of God we have the “special action of God” in which God intentionally acts to bring about certain things. He has in the past made earthquakes to bring about a desired outcome. He at one time flooded the earth and yet promises not to flood the entire earth again! This “special action of God” is what Pat Roberts is attaching to God. But this action has principles as to when and how God uses it. If punishment of doing bad things was the reason for the earthquake then God missed the target. There are much worse societies and countries than Haiti. God’s special action is to restore and reveal his glory. God’s wrath has come on all creation because of man’s sin not God’s desire. All the world is held over to disobedience, not just Haiti. This was not an act of God’s special action, but rather his general action on all creation.

So we must begin by asking “is Pat Roberts a reliable source and or prophet?” The answer is no. Prophecy builds up the church. God’s condemnation has been placed on Jesus. God comes not to condemn the world but to save it. God’s wrath has poured out on all creation not just Haiti. There were many Christians who died in Haiti, Indonesia, New Orleans and everyday in every country. John Hagee a man of like mind with Roberts said the same thing about Hurricane Katrina, when in reality the decadent areas received the least damage. Some of the people of New Orleans say that God spared them because the levees held until after the worst part of the surge.

The next aspect is to ask if the pack made by Voodoo Priest, Dutty Boukman in 1791 is real and secondly would it contribute to an entire society’s condemnation? God does not punish the masses for one person. Actually the opposite is true in that he showed that he saves whole cultures because of one person. If Boukman actually made the pack it end with his capture and death so it wasn’t a very good pack. Besides what benefit would their liberation be to Satan. HE has no foreknowledge, so the torture that they were under would be desired by Satan. On top of that Voodoo existed without freedom so why would Satan free them?

Let us also be clear as to what happened in Haiti. The French Haitians were under cruel punishment as stated below. I’d rather a building fall on me than the French, so the earthquake is hardly a punishment considering what it was like. Dutty Boukam a Voodoo priest supposedly may a pack with the devil. The pagan ritual inspired the people and they felt invincible. The French captured and killed Boukman to show they were not. Satan did nothing, the people were led astray and are under the same condemnation as the world. Their curses come from sin and greed from many and mostly those outside their country. Haitians have responded as best they can to the persecution and avoidance of France and America. They have chosen a wrong solution in Voodoo, but we (US) share a bigger blame if Pat is looking to blame someone! Satan would not have freed the people nor would he have responded audibly to Boukman. Pat Roberts has no idea what happened and is using sensationalism to prosper his organization. He is filling peoples head with false prophecy and the ignorant listen. This is what God is saying will happen when we don’t know God. We will be blown back and forth by any doctrine.

History of Haiti http://en.wikipedia.org: In his desperation, he turned to increasingly wanton acts of brutality; the French burned alive, hanged, drowned, and tortured black prisoners, reviving such practices as burying blacks in piles of insects and boiling them in cauldrons of molasses. One night, at Port-Républican, he held a ball to which he invited the most prominent mulatto ladies and, at midnight, announced the death of their husbands. However, each act of brutality was repaid by the Haitian rebels.

Ceremony at the Bois Caïman: In August 1791, Boukman presided in the role of houngan (priest) together with an African-born priestess and conducted a freedom ceremony at the Bois Caïman and prophesied that the slaves Jean François, Biassou, and Jeannot would be leaders of a resistance movement and revolt that would free the slaves of Saint-Domingue. A pig, which symbolized the wild, free, and untameable spiritual power of the forest and the ancestors, was sacrificed, an oath was taken, and Boukman and the priestess exhorted the listeners to take revenge against their French oppressors and "[c]ast aside the image of the God of the whites." [4] According to the Encyclopedia of African Religion, "Blood from the animal, and some say from humans as well, was given in a drink to the attendees to seal their fates in loyalty to the cause of liberation of Sainte-Domingue."[5] A week later, 1800 plantations had been destroyed and 1000 slaveholders killed.[6][7] Boukman was not the first to attempt a slave uprising in Saint-Domingue, as he was preceded by others, such as Padrejean in 1676, and François Mackandal in 1757. However, his large size, warrior-like appearance, and fearsome temper made him an effective leader and helped spark the Haitian Revolution.[8]

This pagan ceremony has long been referenced by various Christian sources as the "pact with the devil" that began the Haitian revolution. According to Gothenburg University researcher Markel Thylefors, "The event of the Bwa Kayiman ceremony forms an important part of Haitian national identity as it relates to the very genesis of Haiti."[9] Really Long Link

The final question I think is that we want to know why God “allows” this to happen. I have alluded to it already. God acts for the benefit of his creation in its totality. The evidence that no matter how sophisticated we get, no matter how much knowledge and money we have, people still choose to do the wrong instead of the right. Man still dies no matter how good the health care and sickness comes even when we eat all the right foods. Sin is in the world and we hate that. We want God to undo the affects without us even recognizing HE is God. We will sue people to hold accountable for every mistake, as if we sue enough and create enough rules that in some way we will prevent sin. IT JUST DOESN’T HAPPEN THAT WAY!

What therefore is Gods’ response? Instead of a proclamation of condemnation God wants us to send love. He has made the world aware of the suffering of Haiti. For years Haiti has fallen on deaf ears and now the world knows. This quake may have killed some, but saved lifetimes of people, “IF” we respond to what we now know. What will Pat do to help them? God can use this act of sin in a variety of ways. On one hand he makes the world aware. On another he brings aid and relief. On another he calls us as Christians, and possibly even is testing us to see what we will do now that we know. The burden falls on us and people like Pat.

In summary, God does place into motion needed changes in the world’s environment and sometimes that causes tragedy. It is not by God’s desire or curse. God did not use his special action to curse Haiti! God can act that way, but it would be for prosperity and salvation not condemnation. Condemnation is our own work upon us as sinful people. God calls to us to help and love our fellow man and in doing so have the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ. We live in a fallen, but redeemed world! People died not because of an earthquake but because of poor construction. The poor construction is a result of poverty which the U.S. French and they themselves created. God is a loving God who comes to save and once again we are a people reaping the benefits of our own behavior and trying to blame God for it.

The following is a systematic biblical response to what I have stated and more. It is not all the verse that support it, merely a few to prove my point. For that it would be easier if we all just read the bible!

God is the author, perfector and sustainer of all things:

Romans 11:36 For from him and through him and to him are all things…

Colossians 1:15-17 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Matthew 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.

Acts 17:23-31 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. 4 "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' "Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

God does not produce sin

Isaiah 65:12 …You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me."

Psalms 90:7 We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation.

Psalms 90:7-8 We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.

Jeremiah 2:19 Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the LORD your God and have no awe of me," declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.

Psalms 92:15 proclaiming, "The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."

Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

God does give us faith:

Romans 12:3 …Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought…measure of faith God has given you.

1 Corinthians 12:3 …no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

God desires all people to be saved and waits for us:

John 3:17-18 7 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

1 Peter 3:20 …when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Exodus 34:6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,

We can reject God’s will:

Matthew 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.

Hebrews 6:4-6 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

But we cannot alter God’s will:

Malachi 3:6 "I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.

1 Samuel 15:29 He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind."

We cannot always understand what God is doing:

1 Corinthians 2:12-16 …The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned… "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

Romans 3:22-24 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

God is a merciful God sent to save the lost:

Romans 9:15-17 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

Romans 11:32 For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

Romans 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Judgment and condemnation is God’s alone not Pat Roberts. We have brought it on ourselves not God. There will come a time when God judges us. Then Haiti and we will come under judgment:

1 Corinthians 4:5 (NIV)

5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

God is not always making a statement in the general action of things:

1 Kings 19:11-12 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

Yet God can appear in the Special action of things:

Isaiah 29:6 the LORD Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire.

Ezekiel 38:19 In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.

Matthew 27:54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"

For God to know something is not to preordain it. God does not produce sin.

Psalms 5:6-7 6 You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors.

Psalms 81:12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.

2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

Matthew 5:44 4 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Prophecy and end times:

Matthew 24:4-14 4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

2 Peter 1:16-21 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 7 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:3-4 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.

4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.

1 Corinthians 14:12 2 So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.

It is inside the church we are called to judge!

1 Corinthians 5:9-11 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-- not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

MISSION TRIP 2010

Therefore, Promise is seeking grants and will be sending a mission team to Haiti next fall to rebuild, work, serve and take the Gospel to Haiti. We will restore our Lutheran church and school there! Make ready your hearts to give and to go!

When we return we will pick another place in our country or world to serve as we live the mission of Promise for God to all people!