“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For
there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”
Romans 13:1
I was told while I was an incredibly young preacher by one
of my mentors Pastor Charles Hammond of Huntsville, Alabama some words that
have stuck with me, “you cannot preach to much of God’s Sovereign Grace”. My
concern as a young preacher was becoming a “Hard-shell Baptist” and reaching
the point that I no longer cared about people, salvation, and things in this
life. As I have grown in God’s word and have now spent more than 30 years in
the ministry and 16 years as a Pastor, that you can be as Sovereign Grace as
God makes you as still care about people, salvation and things in my life. Over
the past few months, I have written much on God’s Sovereignty and I will
continue too because in our time we need it. We now live in a time of hate; we
live in a time where the true hearts of people are no longer disguised in fake
love and caring, but rather the hate that God said it would be. This world is
not our friend, they do not care about us, they truly would love to see us
dead. Luke 6:22 “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they
shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out
your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.” This very hateful world we
live in today is exactly the world that God warned us about. I do not know when
Jesus is going to return, but we must be living in the last days. And as times
get harder our Nation and our world continues to collapse right before our
eyes, let us not worry because all is done by God’s Ordained, Predetermined
hand of Power. As a Pastor I no longer worry that I preach to much of God’s Sovereign
Grace because in this time we need it. We need to be reminded daily that God is
in complete control and for us it will work out for the good. “And we know
that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are
the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 This is because
everything is working according to His power and glory. We as Christians can be
assured that in the end, our good will be the results, because God works all
things after the counsel of His own will. “In whom also we have obtained an
inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all
things after the counsel of his own will:” Ephesians 1:11 Therefore,
always keep in your heart and mind, I will fear no evil I will never fear Satan
and nor will I ever fear the happenings of this world, for it is all of Satan
but God is continually in control. Preachers and Christians since creation have
tried to figure out God’s workings, prediction after prediction we have all
failed because only God know what He has Ordained, Predetermined. “Known
unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.” Acts
15:18 We only know what God has graciously manifested to us. It is true
that some preachers have had true predictions over the years, but only because
the Holy Spirit reveled it to them and then to us. As Christians, we are best
served remembering that no matter what happens in this world or to us as
Christians “…For there is no power but of God…” therefore we have no reason
to worry or be of concern, God is over all. Job is the greatest of example to
us, although the Bible and your life as a Christian are full of examples, Job’s
account shows us how God works. Satan could only do what God allowed and no
more, Satan wanted to kill Job, but God would not allow it, but the misery and
pain Job suffered at the hand of Satan and power of God was unbearable for
anyone without grace. Job needed much grace to overcome the hurt in his heart
and all the sufferings Satan brought to him. Satan was controlled by God then
and he is still controlled today, only doing what God would allow him to do.
While Job suffered much he was rewarded much, as we also will be. Folks, in our
time we may suffer much but God has promised “…that all things work together
for good to them that love God…” either in this life or our life with Him
in glory, we will be rewarded for our faithfulness and sufferings. While Job
lived, millions have died at the hand of Satan and his workers, but God is
still in control. Our life and our bounds in life has been set by God, and we
cannot pass them.
Last, let us understand “…the powers that be are ordained
of God.” Just as Satan is, so are the evil powers of this world, all God’s
Ordained, Predetermined Will. Who will be President on January 20, 2021,
whomever God has ordained! We must understand that God has predesignated
everything in creation and therefore while we vote, God sets the winner in
office as He ordained. Everyone in creation is a servant of God, not all are righteous
servants as we are, but servants to do God’s will in setting the world up for
tribulation and destruction. Paul said “…for they are God's ministers…” Romans 13:6 because just as God
created Satan to do evil, God created these people like Presidents to
accomplish His will, even though they are evil, they are doing God’s will and
purpose. Folks, fight for good, fight for God’s word, fight for godliness, but
remember the Tribulation Period is in this world’s future. God never promised
our victory in this world, but promised that no matter what happens “Let your
conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as
ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Hebrews 13:5 Therefore, fear not the world, the happenings of the world, nor
who is elected President, “…the powers that be are ordained of God.”
Jeremiah 27:5 “I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon
the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it
unto whom it seemed meet unto me.”
