How to Answer the Problem of Evil in 5 Steps 😨

Here’s the five steps on how to answer the problem of evil.
Step one: Separate the emotional problem from the intellectual one.
Step two: separate moral evil from suffering
Step three: answer why God would allow moral evil
Step four: answer why God would allow physical suffering
Step five: get help for the emotional problem

I can't pretend this fully deals with the problems of pain and moral evils but I really hope that it helps people.
-pastor Mike Winger

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[pawesocha]

you are helping me a lot Mike. thank you

[cookiecrusher]

As an atheist of the past 15+ years, these questions are some that I've asked so many people from different churches and I can say without a doubt that this is the most eye-opening set of answers I've ever heard. I have subscribed to your channel and have started watching many videos with an open mind and an open heart. Thank you for taking the time to do these.

[thehighlandsmission]

When I was in my early twenties my 8 month old son was killed when a tree fell on our mobile home during a tornado that went through our town. I was so heart broken. The pain and loss were unbearable. I knew I loved God and that I believed in Him because He had changed my life. But why didn't he protect my baby. Some people said it was because I didn't have enough faith. I just couldn't understand why God would allow that to happen. I continued to live my life for Him although trusting Him was difficult. I went into full time ministry as a pastor a year later. I pastored for over 32 years. Today I am 64 years old and recently retired from pastoring. God used thatbpain in my life to make me more compassionate to the pain of others. I've had many opportunities to comfort people going through loss and pain. God can turn our greatest pain into something that brings good out of evil and helps other people going through similar trials. There are still many things I don't understand but through it all I have learned to trust God.

[jenniferdey]

My husband has a friend who is going through a horrible divorce. In the course of supporting him, my husband and I went to church with him. Neither of us were religious and both were angry at God for different reasons. Going to church changed me. If it weren’t for his divorce, I would still be lost and unsaved. This man wasn’t even my friend, but his suffering saved me.

[wisdomdesignedlife]

I was spiritually abused for decades in a toxic church, left it already, but until now I don't know why that happened. I only wanted to serve God, but He allowed me to join that abusive church. It's a struggle, emotionally, but I chose to trust God all the way. This video made me cry hard. 😭 😭

[inTruthbyGrace]

There is a BIG difference between gifts and promises. We are NOT promised children who will grow up healthy, we are not promised spouses who will live as long as we do.. we are not promised the live-long use of our legs, our arms, our eyes..etc...is it not the ultimate vanity to _expect these things as if they are broken promises when they are removed??_ rather than being grateful for the time we had with these gifts? We ARE *promised* forgiveness of our sins, redemption and eternal life in Jesus Christ simply for _believing_ .. There _is_ hope, but only if we recognize we aren't due _anything in the first place_ and all the good we get is a _gift_ .

[kevinwynn]

That was a great video Mike. I pray that everyone who needs to hear that message will find this video.

[infomercialguy]

Mike.... I appreciate you. Pain and suffering is a biggie. I had a surgery 16 months ago that has left me in permanent pain. What do you do when it's not temporary? My heart is hard thinking God is for others and not with me. I shouldnt be circumstantial with my faith. I'm guilty. But I can't deny this circumstance has thrown me. I admit I have the anger you spoke about. I'm embarrassed. I love how you explained it. I so want to look at this and trust God and no he has me on a path and it will eventually be okay even if it means waiting until heaven. I've just been burned so many times by trusting people it's nearly impossible for me to trust. Especially in this critical thing. My left leg is basically ruined and I trusted people to get here and I should never have done it in the first place and I prayed so deeply before the surgery it just is crushing that this happen. The surgery was supposed to make me better and it made me 10 times worse. That's the rub. I put a lot of chips on this bet. I guess I shouldn't have. I'm a very tentative person because of my wiring and history. I'm sort of shell shocked. I think you are right about pride and narcissism. I think the world revolves around me because this isn't turning out the way I want it to. Yet I can't seem to help myself. I wish I had the energy to help others but instead I have no energy and I'm the one that needs comfort. Just not the way I envisioned it. I know I'm not alone with this sort of situation. So sorry for the long comment. U r awesome and I have learned a lot by watching your videos. I probably would not have found them if it were not for my situation. I can already start to list some things that I have learned. Due to the situation

[victoriasullivan]

this teaching reached me in my heart, thank you Mike! the holy spirit is working through you. God blessings brother in Christ Jesus.

[IsmaelLovecraft]

Mike is just plain wrong: suffering is a moral problem . . . for God. God created a world with it, and He allows it to happen.

[beowulf.reborn]

20:10 to 21:16 that small clip, just a hair over a minute long, opened up the book of Job to me, better than every single sermon, teaching, book, article, etc. I've ever heard or read combined.

So often Preachers/Teachers speak about Job in the same ways that his friends did and accuse him of evil, and yet the whole point of God allowing all those things to happen was to show Satan that Job was righteous and would not sin.

However, despite knowing that he had not sinned or done anything to incur God's judgment, and despite trusting God, and not charging God with wrongdoing, Job finally gets it when God appears and asks His questions. It is not Job's place to question God, and whilst he did not sin, nor charge God with wrong-doing, he realizes it is not for man to know everything that God does, and it is enough that we trust Him and abide.

[cheyhorse]

Nearly 4 years later & I needed this, I needed that prayer too. Thank you for that.

[jantinucci]

Hi Mike. Joe from Rhode Island here. I've been on a spitural hunt 'so to speak' and found your ministry and Tuesday's live chats since October (2018). Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday, and Happy New Year by the way... I saw last nights, New Years Day, Tuesday Live and enjoyed the message of "tatoos" and the division it creates and how to aprouch the bible in both the old and new testiments. After watching I found this lesson on the top of the "UP NEXT" area of YouTube and decided to take the time to watch it. I've seen over 50 vids at this point since October. I feel compelled to thank you and let you know that I am on a path to healing and a humble return to God after a long time of a 'no realtionship' with Him for over 10 years. I thank Him because I think you have been a part of his plan with me. I thought you should know that. Thank you for all the work you must be doing in the back ground to do all of this while still working in your own church and being married etc. It feels like it must be a 24 hour job that you do. Although, I don't think you would call it a job. Thanks again and I look forward to watching more of the older vids I haven't seen and the future ones to come. Peace!

[jesusiskingofmyheart]

Wow, this was powerful. I always learn so much for you Pastor Mike. God bless you many! 🕊🙏🏼❤️

[dominiclapinta]

God gave physical human beings free will and an earth to be Lord over. God had finished His work. Evil came into the earth, by mankind's decision, yielding to satan. God has to go through the laws that He set up, which require a physical vessel, a human being. This is why God sent Jesus, why God became a man. It was through a man that sin entered the world and the world was handed over to the devil to rule, and so, it is by a man, that it would be reversed. This is why the Bible calls Jesus, the second Adam.

[cynthiaharris]

There was a time of great tragedy and sorrow, and in those moments I turned my back on God and suffered alone. Many years later when I could go no further I cried out to God. I found joy in the morning, my life is full of blessings and everything that I had lost has been restored. Mike Winger, it all started when I began listening to your videos the way you explain things open my heart to the gospel again

[shinythings]

GOD allowed suffering in this current world. I try to remember WHO suffered the MOST, in this wicked and adulterous generation.
HE DID. HE took ALL the suffering there ever was, on HIMSELF, on the cross. Dear GOD in heaven, have mercy on me, a sinner.
The LORD giveth and the LORD taketh away. Blessed be the name of the LORD. (Job 1:21)

[redinsart]

It’s surprising how no one can see how we are on earth to experience what God is going through. He created his children and they decide to run after idols and do their own thing. God feels hurt for good reasons so he teaches them a few lessons but they die without repenting. So God experiences grief for loosing His children forever. Then He sends his son to die for us so that we understand how far He’s willing to go to draw us back to Him.

How can we understand even a fraction of what God is going through if we don’t have children, if we don’t get upset that they don’t listen, if we don’t discipline them or if we don’t grieve if we go through loss?

We are here to realise what we mean to God. We are not an accident in the middle of the universe. He loves us and wants us to come back to Him through our Lord Jesus Christ. Our experiences have meaning...

[iw]

Wow, thank you very much for this teaching. Yes, I was lashing out at others in my pain. God is amazing & long suffering. He is healing my heart. I don't have to have the answers, only God knows all.

[Dhwbwsoe]

Suffering always brings me closer to God. It just shows me how much I need God