Missions Update: Isabella and the team made it to Pemba, Mozambique, safely. They are on the ground, already making a difference. I will post pictures on social media throughout the day. Thank you for your prayers.
Today we continue our new series entitled, “It’s already done!”, under the banner of the overall series for the year, “Supernatural Manifestation.” I believe this series is going to be a blessing to many. Just yesterday I was asked why a God who loves us would allow a man to walk into a church and start killing people. This question is often asked after a mass-shooting or a tragedy of any sort. People want to know why a loving, caring and sharing heavenly Father would allow bad things to happen to good people.
I think part of the problem, and part of the cause of the confusion, is that people confuse God’s sovereignty with His dedication to allow us to be free moral agents. Our sovereign God is committed to the system He created. This system is founded upon our right to choose. God has given us the ability to make our own decisions. He made us to RE-present Him in the earth. He made us to show the earth what heaven is like. But if He did not give us the right to make our own decisions, then He would be doing everything and not us. There would really be no need for man. Worship would be fake, because it would not be genuine. Submission would be phony, because it would be forced. Sacrifice would be a farce, because it would be orchestrated. NO! God gave us both the charge to rule the earth and the choice not to do it, if we don’t want to. This then leaves this world, and many of the decisions that are made here, in our hands and NOT God’s!
Let’s look at some scriptures we can walk through over the next few days.
The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to mankind.
(Psalm 115:16)
David said, “I look at the heavens you made with your hands. I see the moon and the stars you created. And I wonder, “Why are people so important to you? Why do you even think about them? Why do you care so much about humans? Why do you even notice them? You made man almost like gods. You crowned them with glory and honor. You put them in charge of everything you made. You put everything under their control.”
(Psalm 8:3-6)
Then God said, “Now let’s make humans who will be like us. They will rule over all the fish in the sea and the birds in the air. They will rule over all the large animals and all the little things that crawl on the earth.” So God created humans in his own image. He created them to be like himself. He created them male and female. God blessed them and said to them, “Have many children. Fill the earth and take control of it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the air. Rule over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
(Genesis 1:26,27)
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- God made the earth and every living thing in it, outside of man, in five days. Then, on the sixth day, He made man and placed man in charge of everything He made. From that day forward, man was in charge. Man can’t blame God for what goes on in the earth, when He gave us the power and authority to rule, govern and dominate it.
- David fascinated with God’s fascination with us. He was amazed that a God would take the time to think about a man. David said, “You made man almost like gods. You crowned them with glory and honor. You put them in charge of everything you made. You put everything under their control.” Man is in charge of everything God made. Man is charged to rule over everything under our control. So we need to stop blaming God for things man is clearly doing.
- The entire earth functions off of system of cause and effect, sowing and reaping, and the free-will of humans. Many Christians don’t understand this. To make a bad situation worse, many Christian leaders confuse others with statements like, “God is in control!” If your child was killed by another human or overdosed on drugs, or he/she died at the hands of a disease, and someone says, “God is in control!”, what do you think that statement is going to do for the parent? God is not pulling the strings behind a serial killer or mass-shooter. God is not feeding drugs to an addict. God did not cause a disease, just so He can turn around and heal some from it. NO! We live in a fallen world. The autopilot of this world is set to “darkness”. We must discern God’s will and then CHOOSE to pursue it by faith. Faith is a choice. Overcoming darkness is a choice. Living Godly is a choice. This does not mean that bad things will not happen to good people, but it does mean that if you don’t pursue God, on purpose, the systems of this world can, and will, overtake you.
- In this series you will learn that God made plans for you before the world began. But you will also learn that you must pursue those plans by faith. If you don’t, you will miss out on God’s best. God will allow whatever you allow. God will permit whatever you permit.
That’s enough for today.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. You made plans for me before the world began. You gave me both the power and the authority to RE-present You in this world. I live in a fallen world, but I am not fallen. I have been redeemed. I am Born-Again. I am covered by the Blood of Your Son, filled with Your Spirit, and called according to Your purpose. The world will see Jesus IN me, because I choose to live out what You already planned. I will experience all You planned for me to experience. I will leave the mark in this world I was born to make! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
