After having watched the Boxing Day 2004 Tsunami on TV for a few weeks its very hard not to feel that there is something wrong with the world. Some people have blamed God because surely He could have done something to prevent it. One Sri-Lankan Catholic priest who was interviewed on Australian TV said "Its very hard to explain God's love in the midst of a tragedy like this." With all this in mind, I decided to see what the Bible said about it and have come to a interesting conclusion.........there IS something very wrong with the world we live in.

The Bible says in Gen 1:31 that when God made the world it was "very good." There is no doubt that the world was a place of perfection and you will see this for yourself if you read the whole of the creation account in Gen chapters 1 and 2. However, it is the part in Gen 1:16 that is intruiging because God told Adam and Even, the first humans He created, that they could they could eat the fruit of any tree they wanted except for one particular tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If they disobeyed God and ate of the fruit of this tree, God warned them that "in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die." (more on this in a minute)

Later in Chapter 3 of Genesis it tells us that sadly Adam and Eve did not listen to God's warning and they did disobey and eat the fruit of this particular tree. The Bible shows us that as a result of their rebellion against God, that a curse came upon the world. This is recorded in Genesis 3:14-20. Here are some of the extracts of what the Bible had to say about the curse: God said "Because you....have eaten of the tree which I commanded you not to eat.....cursed is the ground....in sorrow you shall eat of it all the days of your life......In the sweat of your face shall you eat bread until you return to the ground, for from dust you were made and to dust you will return."

Its important to remember how perfect the world was before this curse. God made humanity to be immortal. Mankind did not have to work for a living, but lived a life of ease. Sweat, disease, violence, bloodshed and death did not exist. Adam and Eve did not know what it meant to be sad or sorrowful until the day they rebelled against God. So if you have thought that there is something wrong with the world, then you are right.........the world is under a curse.

So can we really blame God? No. God never made the world to be a place of tragedy and sorrow, but it is the rebellion of the first humans that cursed our existance. Before this curse no human ever had to die, but since its inception, death and sorrow and common to us all................including you. However we must take this a little further now.

Does the blame totally rest upon our Ancestors, Adam and Eve? No because Adam and Eve are not the only humans who have rebelled against God. We have all rebelled against God.......the bible calls this SIN. We are all guilty of sin. In fact in Romans 3:23 the Bible says that "all people have sinned and fall far short of God's high standards." and in another part of the Bible it says that "if you say that you have no sin you are fooling yourself." (1 John 1:8)

So do not be under an illusion about what has caused the sadness and tragedy in our world. It is not God's fault, but it is the fault of the human race who has turned their backs on God and is now suffering the consequences of this. The Bible says that sin will separate us from God.......and that is exactly what is happening. It is also worth noting that whilst we mourn the sudden and quick end to so many lives, death is inevitable for everyone. In other words, we too will face death in the days or years to come. After we face death, then we will face God to give an account of ourselves. The Bible says that "first comes death and then the judgement."

Imagine that you have come to that moment and you are now standing before God himself giving an account of your life. How will you explain why you have broken His rules and lived your own way with total disregard for Him? Picture yourself one minute relaxing in the sun on a beach in Thailand and 2 minutes later standing before a Holy God with all your faults in full view. This is precisely how it is for many people living today..........no regard for God and living selfish sinful and rebellious lives.

Let me share with you some good news now.

Whilst it is true that we are sinners and displease God........in spite of this God actually loves us. The Bible says in John 3:16 that "God so loved the world that He sent His only son, that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have eternal life." Perhaps you have heard about God's son...his name is Jesus. The Bible tells us that Jesus lived a sinless life and as a result He was pleasing to God. Then he died a death He didn't deserve by being nailed to a wooden cross. The Bible tells us that His death was a sacrifice for our sins. I'll admit that it can sound bizarre, but through this sacrifice there is power from God to forgive you of your sins, and to allow you to pass through God's judgments and be accepted by Him instead of condemned. The Bible says that "Christ died to save sinners" and I believe that this is truly good news.

Do you want to be forgiven of your sins and to be accepted by God? If so then there are two things you must do, you must firstly believe what the Bible says and secondly you must practice something called repentance. Let me describe these a little further:

You need to believe in God first and believe that HE loves you. Then you must beleive that Jesusu did come into this world because He cared for you and wanted to save you from the consequences of your sins. Then you must believe that as you trust Him He will make you acceptable to God. The Bible says in 1 John 1:9 that "if you confess your sins, He is faithful and just to forgive your sins and cleanse you." In other words, when you truly believe in Jesus as your Saviour and you place your trust in Him confessing your sins, you will no longer be guilty in God's eyes.

The second thing you must do is called repentance. This is a fancy word which simply means to stop living your way and start living God's way. It means to put aside the things you are doing wrong and start to do what is right. As you read the Bible and start to search for God through its words, you will begin to understand more and more what God wants from you.

So now you have come to a moment of decision.

Will you continue to live your own way or will you choose to give the rest of your life to God through faith and repentance. If you choose to turn your life over to Him, you will receive the gift of eternal life and the forgiveness of your sins. Unfortuntely there is no middle ground, you either have to say yes to God or no. It is one or the other. God does love you and provides salvation because of His love. I earnestly urge you to turn your life over to Him today and find the joy of a life lived God's way....it is truly the best way.

If you would like to receive God's gift of salvation, here is a prayer that may help you to draw near to Him today:

"Dear Father in Heaven, I ask that you would forgive me of my sins because of the death of Jesus in my place. I know that I have lived a sinful and selfish life and I ask that you would clean me of this and take the stain off my soul. I pray that you would make me a new person in your eyes. I ask for the free gift of salvation and that on the day of the judgment I will not be condemned but that you will approve of me. I ask for your blessing on my life. And finally God, I repent of my sins and I put them aside and I ask you to help me to live a good life, in Jesus name, Amen"

If you prayed the above prayer sincerely and would like to know more about Jesus, then please send me your details and I will pray for you and add you to my list of people to keep in touch with. It is a serious decision you have made, but it is a life changing one if you have made the correct choice. I pray that the Lord will be with you and guide you into His best plans.

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