God's Sovereignty

God gives rulership to whoever He wants, no one can stop Him or avert His good and righteous plan.
As A.W. Pink once wrote:
"The sovereignty of the God of Scripture is absolute, irresistible, infinite. When we say God is sovereign, we affirm His right to govern the universe, which He has made for His own glory, just as He pleases... He is under no obligation to give account of His matters to any." (A.W. Pink, The Sovereignty Of God, pg 21)

A Pagan ruler Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, was given revelation about God's sovereignty: 

Daniel 4:29 GNV

"And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass, as the oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou knowest, that the most High beareth rule over the kingdom of men, and giveth it unto whomsoever he will."

See this absolute sovereignty stated again in the New Testament in Romans 13:1-3

Romans 13:1-3 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)

"1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers: for there is no power but of God: and the powers that be, are ordained of God.

2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist, shall receive to themselves condemnation.

3 For Magistrates are not to be feared for good works, but for evil. Wilt thou then be without fear of the power? do well: so shalt thou have praise of the same."

Same passage in the ESV:

Romans 13:1-3 English Standard Version (ESV)

1Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,

God has sovereignty over all nations at all times and works His multi-faceted plan in ways we cannot fathom. Many of us have a list of things we think need to happen in Canada, (or in another country like the US) but God alone knows ALL that needs to happen in our nations. Remember that if you don't like who is leading, pray for them and remember that God set them there to accomplish HIS will (not theirs). These rulers may think that they are accomplishing their own will but just keep in mind that God is working His own will, and doing what needs to be done to wake up His church and His people. We should always pray that God puts the right people in power. And He will answer those prayers, even when we can't understand God's choices.

Habakkuk 1:6 GNV
"For lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and furious nation, which shall go upon the breadth of the land to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs."

We can rest assured that God does what is best and will sometimes place wicked rulers in power for a season. In the Bible, this is often how God dealt with His people when they refused to repent from continuous sin on a national level.
 Sometimes and in some seasons, He places righteous rulers in power (2 Chron. 34:1-3). It all depends on what God, who is always pure (Hab. 1:13), righteous (Psa. 25:8), and holy (Psa. 99:5) , wants to do. Study the Scriptures, and ask The Holy Spirit to teach you the will of the Lord. Rest in the peace of knowing that God, your Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ, is in charge and is taking care of you! 

Luke 12:7 GNV

"Yea, and all the hairs of your head are numbered: fear not therefore: ye are more of value than many sparrows."

No election result, or plot, or political corruption, or other device of humans can stop or change that fact.

Proverbs 19:21 GNV
"Many devices are in a man’s heart: but the counsel of the Lord shall stand."
 

God Bless

Pastor Curtis

Sat Oct. 8, 2016 10:15pm EST

God Sets Up Governments. Do you Trust Him?

Christians: The Question is not whether or not you trust the Prime Minister of Canada or (for Americans) the President, or the current Candidates. The ultimate question is, Do you trust The Lord Jesus in what He is currently doing?

Take a look at these verses to think about God's sovereign hand in all nations.

Romans 13:1 ESV

13 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

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Psalm 4:4-5 GENEVA

4 Tremble and sin not: examine your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and trust in the Lord.

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Note that David was under persecution from the governing authority, Saul, at the time he wrote Psalm 4. Saul was set up by God. And he was eventually removed by God for disobedience. But God did allow persecution to come to David, through Saul. 

The truth is, God sets up rulers and he takes them down again. He is sovereign over everything. 

Will you trust in the Lord more than in Canada? Will you trust in the Lord more than in The United States? Will you trust the Lord even though he instituted a Prime Minister you may, or may not like? Will you trust in the Lord even though He institutes presidential candidates you might not care for? 

The issue is, and always will be, that we must continually trust the Lord. He alone is in control of all nations at all times. Yes rulers do their plans. Jesus allows it for a time. But The Lord works a greater good that we cannot necessarily see. And He does it through all kinds of leaders. Just read through the Old Testament for many historical examples. 

Should we pray and then go out to vote in elections? Absolutely! But keep in mind the following verse:

Proverbs 19:21 GENEVA
21 Many devices are in a man’s heart: but the counsel of the Lord shall stand.

---

So many devices, like elections, and laws and plans are in mankind's power. But ultimately it will always be the Lord's plan and counsel that is established. Don't be fooled into thinking that human democracy somehow overrules God's kingly sovereign influence. God always gets His way. God is looking not just at countries but also at the spiritual health of his churches within those nations. Are they hot for Jesus, or lukewarm? Have we grown too complacent? 

Let us learn to trust the Lord and pursue Him with spiritual passion. See, if we didn't have difficult times in politics, when would we ever look to the Lord in trust? The goal is always that we should pray for leaders...  and put our faith and trust firmly in Jesus Christ who is God and Lord of all. 

Do you trust the Lord in what He is doing in the current Canadian political landscape? Even if we don't understand it, we can STILL trust the Lord! This goes for Americans too! I don't profess to know even half of what God is currently doing. I do know that I can trust the Lord. 

I do not necessarily agree or disagree with the strong opinions I have been hearing here in Canada and also from my American friends. I mostly do a lot of listening and observing. And in the end, it is not my opinion that matters. God's counsel is what stands. 

Habakkuk did not understand why God established worldly and bitter leaders. 

He did not comprehend God's workings in politics... BUT he still trusted the Lord, because he knew the Lord. He knew that the Lord is righteous only, and pure. He knew that God's plans are good even when there are bad people in charge. Sometimes, God uses worldly leaders, and their persecution, to bring revival to churches, and reignite passion for Jesus. 

Habakkuk 1:5-7 GENEVA

5 Behold among the heathen, and regard, and wonder, and marvel: for I will work a work in your days: ye will not believe it, though it be told you.

6 For lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and furious nation, which shall go upon the breadth of the land to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs.

7 They are terrible and fearful: their judgment, and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.

----

Habakkuk shows that his trust in God is unwavering.

Habakkuk 3:16-19 GENEVA

16 When I heard, my belly trembled: my lips shook at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: for when he cometh up unto the people, he shall destroy them.

17 For the fig tree shall not flourish, neither shall fruit be in the vines: the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat: the sheep shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no bullock in the stalls.

18 But I will rejoice in the Lord: I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19 The Lord God is my strength: he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on Neginoth.

---

God bless you as you put all your trust in Jesus, and not in your own understanding.

-CJA

Thu. May 5/16 3:09pm EST

Waiting Does Not Mean Wasting Time

I came across this meme on social media tonight:

I think it is good. I would, however like to clarify what "waiting" is about in this context.
Keep in mind I have not remarried yet in almost 7 years. I have had no steady relationships in that time since I was abandoned, and my first marriage ended. Yet I am really involved with ministry more and more. My miracle ministry that survived divorce has been preserved by the Lord. I am to teach and to preach and to minister in my local church. That is my privilege and honour. Whether I get married or not, this is my calling. It is the cross I bear. What is the cross you bear for Jesus?

So to this meme I say:

Yes of course waiting on God is important.

But... It is also important to position oneself for receiving. One must keep praying in Jesus' Name, and keep asking and keep seeking. It's not enough to just sit back and do nothing. When some people think of waiting they imagine themselves sitting in a doctors office, waiting to be called. No.

In this context, "waiting on God" means working for Him in your calling. It means you do not act outside His will, but you DO act according to His will. Waiting on God does not mean standing around doing nothing, wasting the gift of singleness. The more years one can get in doing the work of God, the better. Because once marriage comes, your time will be divided and you will have to please both The Lord and also your spouse. Believe me, that is no easy task.

(1 Cor. 7:32-33)

 

Wait on God by praying for your future spouse to come. Then ....get back to work! Serve Jesus. Spread the Gospel. Love one another in the churches. Serve God in the ministry you have. All Christians have a ministry. Be faithful.

Go all out for Jesus as a single. NOW is your time to serve and bless Him and bless others. You will never again have this THIS level of freedom to please the Lord. You will never again get this many options where you are free to make choices in Christ without considering a spouse's plans or feelings.

 

You have a commission. Serve God in it, and really press into your love relationship with Jesus Christ our God and Saviour. Don't think that waiting means wasting. Not a chance. Waiting means you position yourself thankfully and prayerfully, and then get busy and do what God called you for in ministry.
Yes, you keep putting yourself in position for meeting a special person. But your focus must remain on your calling. The only way you will ever know who to marry is by cultivating your calling in Christ. Jesus does not call us to marriage or singleness per se. He calls us to love Him, to spread His Gospel, and to die to self and follow Him. THAT is the call. In a word, the call is DISCIPLESHIP. And, regardless of your marital status, marriage cannot ever be more important than discipleship. And the geographic details of your call will vary from mine. Nevertheless, now is the day to serve God and worship Him and love Him.
Love those He puts in your path. Feed the sheep with the truth of Jesus Christ, who is the Bread of Heaven and the Living Water. In 1 Corinthians 7:7, Paul calls marriage and singleness "gifts". They are not the call, but gifts. The Call is always discipleship. And discipleship is always an individual experience before the Lord. Discipleship cannot be blocked by marriage or family or past or current condition. As you read through 1 Corinthians 7 you realize the key is not found in marriage OR singleness. The key is this,

 

1 Corinthians 7:171599 Geneva Bible (GNV)

¹⁷ But as God hath distributeth to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk: and so ordain I in all Churches.

 

 

God bless,

Pastor Curtis

Meme Commentary: I Was Reborn This Way

Inventions require instructions from the inventor

I saw a post that describes to me, a more and more prevalent attitude today. It starts off as "motivational" and "inspirational", but then becomes quite defiant. Allow me to show you an example I found posted on a social media website.

There were two unsavoury words that have been censored to spare our sensibilities. As a side note, swearing is not only vulgar, but it shows a lack of knowledge of the language being spoken. A lack of thought and display of rebellion is what the above photo is showing.

I got thinking about the assertion in this social media viral image that the pipe "can be a towel rack" if it believes. Who invented the pipe? Is it a water pipe? Gas pipe? If it is a pipe, then the inventor and builder of that pipe would be the one to tell us how it is used. Correct? If it was a case of a person selecting a career or developing a hobby, I can agree: pursue your passion and don't let the world stop you! But the poster is not addressing a career choice or a hobby, it is addressing a way of life, and more essentially, an identity.  See, if the pipe is free to live like a paper towel dispenser, then why doesn't it? One reason is that it doesn't open on one side to allow the roll to be inserted. Why doesn't it open? It was not designed that way. Besides, if it could, then whatever was in the pipe will come out and leak! That is potentially harmful, or at least messy. So if the inventor and architect of the house wants a paper towel dispenser, he would build one. That is a matter of identity. The issue here, is that the poster is not just encouraging us to chase our dreams in jobs and hobbies and causes (which I agree with), it is telling us something much more serious. It is asserting erroneously that you can change your identity all by yourself. But identity is not for the pipe or the cat to decide. Identity comes from the source. What, you may ask is the source? A better question is "Who" is the source! The answer? The Inventor is the source!

Identity Comes from the Inventor. Identity Determines Function. Changing function does not change identity.

It was an inventor, a person, that gave the pipe in that picture its identity AND function. And it is the same with that cat. It was the Inventor, The Lord, who gave that cat its identity as a cat. The cat may act like a towel but it will never be a towel. That is because function and identity are two separate yet related issues. You, like the pipe and the cat, cannot set your own identity or change it by yourself. Your natural identity was determined by your parents and natural family line. Your spiritual identity can only be found in your Heavenly Father, through Jesus.

Joh 14:6  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Joh 14:7  If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."  

Jesus is showing us His identity by relating to His Father. The natural principal reflects the spiritual.

 It is the One who brings us forth that gives us our identity. And out of that identity flows the actions accordingly.
You cannot change your identity by changing your features, or by acting differently. You cannot really change your identity at all. You can only come to Jesus and let Him RESTORE your identity. That identity that Adam and Eve lost ( "children of God" ) is now restored to you and to me! There are rights and privileges that come with such a powerful identity. And ANYONE who is hungry can come to Jesus!

The Bible teaches that our identity comes from the one who invented Heaven and earth. He invented Humans. He invented the marriage union between one man and one woman. He invented and designed human relationships. He is the One in Whom all things consist. He is perfect. Thus, He made no mistakes in His original design. Because of mankind's choice to sin, we ruined what He made. But Jesus has restored us to the Father, (the Inventor/Creator). He has restored us to not only our original function, but our original identity! This identity can only be found in the one who made you and died for your sins, and rose again on the third day!

Joh 5:24 (ESV) Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

So, according to Jesus, above, it is not about believing what YOU think, it is about believing what the FATHER says through JESUS!
Jesus promises you today, that if you believe Him, you are protected from judgement for your sin. He forgives all who turn from sin and believe on HIM! That is GREAT news! It is not religion or mankind that saves you, but pure grace (unearned favour) from JESUS to you! It is a relationship to your inventor, a reunion.

So when the poster above deals with "believing" it is getting the source wrong. You are not the source, you cannot invent or give identy to yourself truly. You weren't there when you were being made. Thus, the TRUE source is Jesus! HE is the one to Believe! He is the one who made you and can identify you and GIVE you identity. It is time to receive Jesus:


John 1:12-13 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. Ah! And here is where your true identity kicks in. Once you are reunited with the One who made you, He identifies you as His child! Only those who believe Jesus have the power or right to be children of God. That is what the Word of God says. And once you do believe in Jesus, your identity is restored. You are now a child of God, a son or a daughter of the most high. You have rights in the King! He tells you what you are made for. He shows you with His own earthly example how to live life by faith. Don't try to invent or reinvent your self. You were born into sin, but God wants you to be "Reborn this way"!

Joh 3:3  Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Joh 3:4  Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
Joh 3:5  Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Joh 3:7  Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'



I was reborn this way, Jesus tells me who I am!