Exposing the traditional “Sovereign evil controller” movement.

by Val Scott

There is a great comfort being a Christian and knowing that God is in control. That, "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches over me." God's sovereignty gives us peace, and when we know His fellowship in the Spirit it is a peace that passes all understanding. The following study is not intended to undermine the Bible truth that God Almighty is the only sovereign God, and all powerful in control of all things in His universe. But rather to expose an unbalanced particular teaching of God's sovereignty.

We all know that God can do anything, but does that mean that He is doing everything we think and see? Some believe that if God is not controlling and directing every constant thought even of unbelievers, it means that He is not "fully sovereign". And also that if He is not controlling and directing even so much as the place a banana peel lands at the bottom of a garbage can, He is not in full control and thus not "fully sovereign". However, while it is true that God is in full control, it is also true that He delegates control to others.

Stemming from the errors of the hyper Calvinist predestination theology, came with it an emphasis on God’s sovereignty based upon the same views; that God controls the minds and wills of all men including all intimate things within heaven and earth.  However God's Word teaches us that God does not “control” the minds and wills of mankind; and also from the Bible, it is clear that God does not control everything that happens as a result of evil minds and disobedience. This error was disseminated from the unbalanced sovereignty theology of John Calvin:   

 “Not only the heaven and earth and all intimate things, but also the minds and wills of men are so controlled by God in such a way that they move precisely in the course He has destined... The devil and all the ungodly cannot conceive, plan or carry out any crime, unless God allows it, indeed commands it... He is at the helm overruling everything... He so overrules everything that nothing happens without His approval... He is the origin and cause of all activity.”[1]

The above statements of Calvin may best describe the heart of an evil Mafia type god, who uses evil, murder and mayhem to advance his evil empire, but it in no way reveals the Holy and pure God of the Bible. God’s character has no relation to sin or wickedness. He also is lawful, impartial, fair and accurate. His universe is not His cosmic game board of good and evil, with His creatures being the live action figures. This “sovereign evil controller” world view is out of balance with the Biblical world view of a “free-universe judged by a sovereign God”.

The consequences of sovereignty-only teaching are often overlooked. According to Calvin’s statements, God created Adam and Eve with an appointment to sin, arranged the temptation, controlled their wills to do the sin, approved of the sin, then was angry and cursed them with a curse. This is the only logic the sovereignty-only teaching can offer no matter how much it is watered down.  Scripture states however that God is not the author of confusion, not the author of sin, and not the arranger of wickedness (1 Cor 14:33; James 1:13).  God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).

To teach that God approves of evil is backwards and blasphemous. To say that He originated, or commanded evil is just plain heresy according to the Bible (Isa 5:20). The Bible is clear that God is in control. It is also clear that the Bible teaches it is man who is turning God’s world backward. The Bible in fact is the eternal record from first to last book, of the struggle of man resisting God's will and God revealing His Judgment, patience and mercy. God is all-powerful, omnipresent, all knowing and eternal, and “upholds all things by the Word of His power” (Heb 1:3), but He is not the father of lies, He is not a “controller” of sinful thoughts, demons and wicked men, nor is He responsible for their own wretched destiny because of their evil choices. So if you thought this is what it means when you say, “God is in control,” you've been miss-led. 

When bad things happen to good people, it is not always God allowing it for some mystical reason. Jesus said each day brings it's own troubles, "Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matt 6:34 NIV). Does God allow His people to hold back tithes and offerings or to commit any other sins for a "reason"? Disobedience to God is never God's will, nor the results that follow.   

Who’s To Blame?

    Some modern tradition blames God for everything; no matter what, everything gets blamed on the over all sovereignty of God. The thinking goes something like this: when something evil happens no matter what, God could have stopped it but did not, so He must have willed it; or as Calvin says, approved, originated, or commanded it. This particular idea of sovereignty is lifted from the book of Job and other places, but is not rightly divided with the rest of the Bible on the same subject.

Some denominations in Christianity take pride in naming God as the creator of evil itself, the worker of all evil things (yet with “good intentions”). I heard a preacher go as far as to say that a bullet from the gun of a gangster killing a child in a drive-by shooting is God’s mercy on the child, not letting him grow up in a sinful world. One can see the implications of this deception leading to God’s mercy to molest children, or rape women, or the prowl of serial killers or satanic cannibal murderers, etc. The horrendous nature of these acts in progress forbids the deception that God could in any way possible be involved.

The implications of sovereignty-only teachings have been far reaching. As a result the unsaved world has received an off-putting message. Hollywood directors make their thriller movies portraying preachers as deranged perverts and killers doing God’s will; such as in “Cape Fear” where the serial rapist is a Bible toting, tongues speaking Christian who preaches about God while committing rape. 

The disaster movie “Twister” has a scene in which a tornado scientist is talking to another about a level 5 tornado which tears up cities killing hundreds. The scientist calls the tornado “the finger of God.”

Today if you buy an auto insurance policy, the fine print reads: “this policy does not cover acts of God: earthquakes, tornado’s, hurricanes, floods, tsunami's, heart attacks, etc.”

The homosexual community has used this view of sovereignty in their “coming out of the closet” movement, stating that some of them are "born gay,” and they are proud of the way God has made them; and as a symbol for their gay pride, they use the rainbow (God’s covenant symbol of mercy, Gen 9:11-15).

Atheists also feast on the sovereignty-only world-view. I have talked with atheists about God, and the question that reveals their choice to be atheist is this: “if God exists why is there evil in the world?” Atheists surely decide, “If faith means I have to believe in an evil God that kills children with cancer, earthquakes, wars, etc, I choose not to believe.”

Believers who embrace this brand of sovereignty-only doctrine become tolerant to it’s negative message and learn to accept a particular paradox of confusion about God and His Love. The world just altogether rejects the false concept of God. Seeing the case as it stands, or as the world has, we must verify the correctness of the sovereignty-only movement and begin to teach God’s sovereignty correctly.

Here is a rule to the church: if a doctrine of God is being preached with glee by the Devil’s children, to the end that souls are damned in unbelief, then check again if the theology lines up subjectively with the rest of the Bible before teaching it from the pulpit. Jesus said, “the Truth shall make you free,” not bring the world into bondage.

As easy as it is to document from the Bible that satan himself (not God) can cause earthquakes, tornado’s, hurricanes, floods, tsunami's, etc. and also that mankind is a servant (or slave) to satan through sin, it is sad to hear so many Christian teachers declare to the world that God is sending Judgment every time something bad happens. Jesus said, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10
 
 

Why God, Why?

     Why do sinful people [you and me] blame God for bad things? Calvin made it traditional, some of the modern Church has made it admissible, but Calvin is not the originator of blaming God. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God asked for an explanation, but notice that Adam did not take the responsibility to himself:

“And God said,...hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I have commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man [Adam] said, the woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I did eat.” Genesis 3:11-12

Many believe Adam blamed his wife for his sin, and he did, but if you take a closer look, it is God Adam really blamed, for giving her to him. Adam immediately blamed God’s sovereignty, “the woman whom thou gavest me.” Sin is the reason Adam could not blame himself for the fall. Sin is the reason he became so selfish. And sin is the reason we still blame God, only now we use bad theology.

When something terrible happens and Christians start asking, “Why God, Why?” Many times preachers dismiss proper reason in their answer even though they may know God had nothing to do with it. They dismiss blaming man because it can be too condemning or complex for explanation. Instead they lean to a “safety” answer and blame God’s sovereignty; “it must be God’s plan or it would not be happening.” It’s just much easier and “safer” an answer than to get into details that could offend.

The Bible does teach that God controls the destiny of His own. Scripture teaches God’s destiny for us can only come to pass as we yield our bodies a living sacrifice to Him (Rom 12:2). As we pray, study His Word, and obey His commandments. Our destiny in God’s presence is by our submission to Him. However the Bible is brimming with stories of men who fail God’s will, and He raises up others, and searches for those who’s hearts will co-operate with His plans [2 Chro 16:9.]

We must not think that every failure of man to do God’s will is really God secretly controlling mans will to fail. It’s a lie. There are many teachers today who would have us think God needs no co-operation with man to do anything with mankind. The Bible does not teach such non-sense. In fact, the Bible is the eternal record of God’s free creatures rebelling against Him, and He in love seeking to save them from their rebellion, without destroying them.

Blaming God as the permitter of our world’s calamities is mans way of relieving themselves as the perpetrators of the hardships that follow sin in a cursed world. “God is allowing this to teach me something.”  Truth in most cases is that God watches us fall into our own calamities and has nothing to do with the hardships that follow:

“The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.” Psalm 9:15-16.

It is a sin-cursed world we live in; the Bible teaches it is possible to be out of God’s protection in many ways.

God says that He attempts to correct our errors not after we fall, but before. In this case, His rebukes come to keep us from tragedy; tragedy that He does not bring:

“Turn you at My correction: behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I will make known My words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at naught all my counsel, and would none of My correction: I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh... For that they hated knowledge...they would none of My counsel: they despised all My reproof. Therefore shall they eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.” Proverbs 1:23-31.

“Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye cloth you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bucket with holes. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways” Haggai 1:5-7.

Notice that in both passages there is no question who is talking, it is God. He does not say, “When disaster hits, sickness or poverty [or any trouble], consider My ways.” Christian’s are always thinking God is doing something when calamity strikes. They are always trying to consider God’s ways. No, God says, “Consider your ways.”

Many denominations lay all trials of life to sovereignty-only, set aside man as the problem, forget the Devil who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy, and instead at the end of the day just blame God. God is not the master of puppets. He's not the great manipulator in the universe beating around battered puppets to secure their love by force. The truth of the Bible is a voluntary relationship between God and men. God is not pulling the string of suffering until we shout ‘uncle’ or, ‘o.k. I love you, have mercy!’ What is precious to God about man is the ability to choose and love Him freely without manipulation. This is God’s desire and greatest commandment, that man love God above all (John 21:16-17; Mark 12:28-34).

God does not destine a person who does not hear and obey Him. Hell may be the only destiny for the ungodly, but God does not even destine people there just because they go. The Bible says Hell was created for satan and his angels (Matt 25:41). People go to hell because satan is their spiritual father (John 8:41-44; 1 John 3:10), and hell is satans destiny, clear in scripture (Rev 20:10). The understanding of responsibility for exercising faith, prayer, and action gets confused when we suppose God has no interest in our own decisions.

The “Sovereignty-only” Satan Dilemma

     As said before, the Christians who hold tightly to the Calvinistic sovereignty-only position learn to accept the paradox. They will be the first ones to admit they do not understand what they believe. If they would think it through, they must inevitably come to the conclusion that God created Satan to start a big display of evil and death that would exist for no other purpose than to pleasure God. Remember Calvin’s words:

 “Not only the heaven and earth and all intimate things, but also the minds and wills of men are so controlled in such a way that they move precisely in the course He has destined.”

Calvin’s doctrine puts the creation of Lucifer and the necessity of Jesus death to the question. If God knew that Lucifer would fall, but created him anyway. Why? Based on their doctrine, God controlled the mind and will of Lucifer, otherwise God is not sovereign and not in control. But if Satan asks God why He created him when He knew what would happen, God would probably reference Ezekiel 28:15-17:

“Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee” Ezekiel 28:15-17.

These are the very Words of God to satan on the subject at hand. Notice that God did not control the will of Lucifer. According to God, He said, "iniquity was found in thee."

The study of God’s character reveals that He abides by His Law. He is Lawmaker and He is Law abiding Judge. Therefore with proper understanding of His function as a legal operator, He creates man with a will to choose. As for satan, God who created freedom will estimate and judge satan as one who is free; for God did not create sin, but freedom, and did not allow evil, but freedom, and did not originate rebellion, but freedom. Therefore God will be angry at the free, and judge the free and punish all acts of disobedience.

The proper understanding concludes that God did not approve of, or allow, sanction or permit evil or sin, when He created freedom. He wonderfully created freedom and only freedom in His family. This is God’s opinion from the above passage, “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." He must have freedom in His creation to bring Him pleasure.

Knowing this and seeing the consequences of the fall, He had to make a choice. Is having His family worth the apparent consequences of having a family? Yes, God will have a family! Therefore God chose to create Lucifer [or, the angelic world]. Therefore Lucifer was created perfect as the rest of all angels, and so with Adam as well. Neither of them had any manipulation of will as Calvin would have it.

If you are a Christian there is just one question you need to answer for yourself that will reveal the truth of this whole matter. Just what is it about you that God loves? Spend some time talking to Him before you jump and answer. The answer to this will deliver you from the lies of the sovereignty-only camp.

The Thief Comes Not But For To Kill

    Jesus said, “The thief [speaking of satan] comes not but for to kill, to steal, and to destroy, I am come that you shall have life, and that more abundantly.”

    On September 11th, 2001, four fully loaded passenger airplanes were high jacked by Islamic Terrorist’s under the direction of Muslim terrorist leader Asahma Binladen. Two of the high jacked planes were slammed into the World Trade Center towers in New York bringing the towers to the ground in heaps of steel, cement, and ash. Another plane crashed into our nations Pentagon in Washington, and another in the forest of Pennsylvania.

Over six thousand unsuspecting people died in the trade towers alone. Over one thousand died in the Pentagon. The crashes took place during busy morning work hours. The terrorist’s used knives to highjack the planes, stabbing the stewardess’s and others to death before steering the planes into their targets. Newspaper headlines the next day read, “A Day Of Evil,” with vivid pictures of the Jets slamming into the Trade Towers.

On that dreadful morning after, I was driving to work hearing a news report about the growing stack of corpses outside the Trade Towers, as the rescue crews pleaded for six thousand body bags. I decided to turn the station to hear a Bible teacher.

“Why has God allowed this to happen?” was the question asked to the Bible teacher. The answer he gave made my stomach turn. “Everybody dies,” he said [as the nation, including New York listened on], “God chooses the death of us all, and we shouldn’t be shocked when thousands die, because we all die, it’s just a matter of God’s timing.” The Bible teacher avoided the question directly, but indirectly named God as the causative bringer of the catastrophe. 

“Why does God allow bad things that kill children, such as terrorist attacks, cancer, earthquakes, wars, etc.” I always answer Christians who ask this question- with another question: “If Adam and Eve had never sinned would any of these things be happening or ever happen?" The answer of course is, No. Adam and Eve’s world was perfect. By this it is obviously wrong to blame God for every bad thing since we know it is not His general will for bad things to happen at all.  But why does He allow bad things?

Did you know there was a time that God did not allow bad things? God used to intervene in mans affairs quickly when He saw evil. Adam and Eve? Cain and Abel? Read Genesis and you will see that God punished sin on the spot, destroying evildoers, their cities, and even at one time destroying the whole world because of it’s evil. This is the dilemma of man. God is in control, and man is evil in heart and mind. Therefore God must allow man, or destroy man.

The idea that God makes peoples wills evil, and then punishes them; or makes peoples wills godly apart from their choice, and rewards them... is a false doctrine. The influences of good and evil come from their obvious spiritual sources, and mankind chooses his way into destiny. The Bible says that mans choice will consume him. What you take, takes you. In this way, and only in this way, God makes people good, holy, and pure. Without Him we are nothing. The Bible says our God is a consuming Fire (Heb 12:29). The evil man is also consumed in his hell. What he takes, takes him. Satan tempts him with sin to win his victims choice. If man chooses sin, satan legally gains the foothold in mans mind, and the right to dominate and build a stronghold for destruction that will not end until as many people are dead as possible.

God Works All Things Together For 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 verse is often quoted to prove that God turns evil over to work out a good end, and of course it is true that He does... but notice He did not create the bad situations to start with. We get into those and He turns things to a good end [only for those who love Him and are called]. God works all things together for good, to those who love Him, but He does not produce sin or evil for purposes, even though He works them out to bring His will in our lives.

Rape or molestation victims are not God created, but victims of these sorts who become Christian can become great counselors for other victims. The false view of sovereignty will have God setting up rapes and molestations in order to create counselors. Again, the very nature of these crimes in progress makes it blasphemous to teach that God could in any way be involved. But this is exactly what is being taught in many churches all across America.

A parent may watch a two year old fall and skin his knee, then teach the child to be careful when walking; but please do not push the two year old down on purpose as an object lesson. This is not a way to work all things together for good. That is a no no.

God’s purposes are established before the foundation of the world, and sins destructive ways happen without any help from God, Mark 7:23. They simply cause man to see his own agony in the Light of God’s Presence. This is how God works things together for good. The very fact that He works all things to good ends is proof positive that without Him there are no good ends. It equally proves He is not the cause of the bad ends.

The Answers To The Big Questions

God allows evil because mankind is free; the other choice is that He destroys mankind. Yet to be just, God is not partial. If he destroys one for evil he must destroy all. This is why He destroyed the entire world with the flood; not merely because they committed acts of evil before Him, but because their hearts and minds were sinful:

“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart” Gen 6:5-6.

This point is indisputable. God destroyed every family on earth, save Noah’s, because their hearts and minds were evil. Hearts and minds! We tend to think that God Judges only bad deeds. This is not true. God judges the heart, the mind and deeds the same (Acts 8:21-23; Jer 17:9-10: Pro 6:18; 1 Chr 28:9; ). Yet this is also why He allows evil today, because God’s desire is to save man, to redeem man and bring him to wholeness.

“And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savor; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done” Gen 8:20-21.

This passage is beautiful in it’s unveiling of God’s heart. Pleased with Noah after the flood, He reveals His Judgment that mans sin is a crippling condition from his youth. Here are two Laws of God to remember: God is no respecter of persons in Judgment, if He judges one for sin He must Judge all (Deut 1:17, Pro 24:23, Eph 6:9); and God does not Judge after the flesh, He Judges the mind and heart (1 Sam 16:7; John 7:24, 8:15; 1 Cor 4:5).

Now to answer the big questions: Why does God allow adultery or rape if the Bible says He hates it? Answer: according to His Word He would have to kill all people who have lustful thoughts (Matt 13:24-30), because God thinks that, “whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matt 5:28). Why does God allow murderers, gangsters or terrorists to kill if He hates it? Answer: according to His justice He must kill all people who have any hate for others, because God thinks, “Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15, Matt 5:21-22). God is a Spirit and is not partial in these ways as man is. His word says that He must Judge the sin itself, not merely the action which is only an outward expression (James 1:14-15). Therefore God allows individual acts of evil not because He wills it, but because He wills and has promised not to destroy all mankind in His Justice (Matt 13:24-30).    

    God has made a covenant not to Judge with death all the earth and man for sin (Gen 8:21)

“And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations” Gen 9:12.

And after the prophecy of Christ in Isaiah 53, the promise is added to promise...

"In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee."

 Isaiah 54:8-10

The question then arises, “Why then are there cases in the Bible, even in the New Testament and in prophesies of the future, where God does Judge heathens with death without killing all heathens, and where God does intervene and stop tragedies from occurring?” Glad you asked. This is where the Bible gets clearer than ever, and it is a wonder that Christian theologians miss it. It is the subject of covenant intercession.

When God sets rules and delegates power and free will, these are not and do not create limitations on His power or ability. These are simply the methods He uses to Judge in His Universe. He places guidelines on Himself:

"For when God made promise to Abraham, because He could sware by no greater, He sware by Himself." Hebrews 6:13

God Himself and Himself alone is the standard of right and wrong concerning His ways of doing things in His Universe.

1. God says He is no respecter of persons in Judgment.

2. He does not Judge after the flesh, but only after the spirit [or heart].

3. Because all have sinned in heart, He must destroy all, or have mercy on all.

4. He chooses to have mercy on all to allow people time to repent.

5. Evil is permitted against His will in order to allow free people time to live and to repent.

If God's ways seem to us to interfere with any of His other desires where man is concerned, it is not an abatement of His power at all. On the contrary, it is Majesty of the highest order.   

The Way of Covenant Intercession

Because of the sinful disposition of man, God is obligated to destroy all mankind. Having done this once, saving Noah's family; God chose to operate a different way. The new way past the flood, was to establish a Covenant relationship with an INTERCESSOR. From the flood on, there must be an intercessor. What is an intercessor? An intercessor must be a man who is faithful to God and stands in the gap for mankind. A man who has an un-tarnished covenant with God to speak on behalf of the race. Much the same way a lawyer can plead a case with a judge and win a victory judgment for him. An intercessor is this on earth between God and the affairs of men. Accounts of intercessory prayers changing the world fill every book of the Bible. Jesus is the perfect example of this. He is the Savior King who came to be the Advocate and Intercessor for the whole human race. If we will be like Him, we too will become intercessors for those around us, and stand in the gap asking God to show mercy and save those who are lost in this world.

How can this change God who has no respect of persons in Judgment just because there is an intercessor? Because an intercessor is among men, and in covenant with God, and “intimately involved” in situations being prayed about. Recall Jesus words when He said:

“if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt 18:19.

Notice He said, “...as touching...” Read the passage again. Touching is an intimate act. It is the very fact that an intercessor is intimately involved, or "touching" the thing prayed for. And this, while at the same time in covenant with God, is why God intervenes in world affairs on behalf of His intercessor. A covenant with God is a powerful thing, and prayer is very powerful to a man in covenant. He becomes an intercessor because he touches the earth and touches God.

The Bible also says Jesus is "...easily touched with the feelings of our infirmities, and was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin."

God does not act because there is need in the world. If He did there would be no starving nations in the world today. He acts because there is a people that call on His name in faith. He acts because there is a people who pray and believe Him for miracles and act on His Words. He acts because there is a people who obey His Commandments and do His will in the earth.

Now keeping this in mind, as you read your Bible you will notice that whenever God brought judgments past the time of the great Flood, He states that He heard the cries of His people, or the prayers of His prophet, or the pleading of His appointed Kings and leaders or some faithful intercessor somewhere.

On behalf of someone in covenant relation with Him, God answers prayers of deliverance and even judgments on evil doers with whom His covenant intercessor may be grieved or troubled with (2 Thess 5:6). We may pray for our enemies, but if we are doing the will of God, He will show partiality on our behalf, and our enemies will fall into sudden judgment, God delivering us into safety. We are the Salt, Light and intercessors of the earth.

God’s People Asleep With Sword in Hand

    In the year 1996 the American people voted William Jefferson Clinton into the office of Presidency for a second term. Clinton at the time was a known adulterer who supported abortion, perverted lifestyles, and Christian bigotry[2]. Americans, many Christian, ignored his immoral influence, and voted for him because of his approach on the nations economy. 

Then came four years of political hell as Clinton marred the conscience of the world with adultery, lies, and abuse of power. It was reported that many people who were close to Mr. Clinton were committing suicide. Impeachment trial and FBI investigations were the top stories in the news for over a year. Our nation was a disgrace to the world as our President was televised world wide lying under oath.

Then in 2000, George W. Bush won the presidential election over Al Gore by less than 600 votes in the State of Florida. The closeness of the race caused a controversial series of recounts of votes in the state of Florida.

A Christian ministry later conducted a pole stating only 50 percent of born-again Americans voted in that controversial election. These were clear cases of believers having the authority and power to “make a difference,” yet not all of them taking it seriously.

Why such a sad turnout of Christians to the election poles in those elections? Apart from sheer laziness, we can assume that a lot of Christians truly believed God just picks whomever He wants to be in a political office and then shoves him in there. The thinking is: God is God. He calls all the shots. Who am I to think I have any influence in the process?

Where would Christians get such an idea? Well probably from the sermons many of us have heard preached from the portion of Daniel 4:25 that says, “...the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomever He will.”

This is the passage where Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar dreamed he lost his vast kingdom for a time due to his pride. In the end, because he did not heed Daniel’s warning and he refused to acknowledge that “...the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomever He will,” his nightmare became reality.

At first glance we can interpret that one scripture to be the status quo on all presidential elections, and relieve us of responsibility to vote. After all, there are no verses in the Bible telling us to vote. But to understand this passage, we must interpret another passage in the Bible. A story of another king.

In 1 Samuel 8, we find that the people of Israel wanted to be like the other nations of the world. They wanted a king. Prior to that time God had used His prophets- His spokesman- to lead them. Men such as Moses, Joshua and Samuel heard the voice of God concerning the affairs of Israel and they relayed the Word of God to the people. God was their King. Eventually, however, that way of running things got old in their eyes and the Israelites wanted something new, something different. Their attitude became: Let the government do it!

Here God had given His people the opportunity to seek Him personally for themselves and for the good of their nation, but they wanted to pass the responsibility off to someone else. The Israelites didn’t want to go face to face with God.

When Samuel approached the Lord with Israel’s request, God gave them what they wanted, but with this warning:

“This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen...to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war.... And he will take your daughters to be confectioneries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive yards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants...And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.” 1 Samuel 8:11-18.

In spite of this warning, the people of Israel still demanded, “We will have a king over us; that we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles” (verses 19-20). So God told Samuel, “Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king” (1 Samuel 8:22). In other words, Go ahead and give them what they want.

Compare that to what we just saw in Daniel 4: “He giveth [positions of leadership] to whomsoever He will....” Or, I’m God and I make the decisions around here!  No, this is not the proper interpretation of Daniel 4. According to the previous passage in 1 Samuel and many other places in scripture, God rules "among" His people.

 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” 2 Chronicles 7:14. (emphasis on “My people” mine)

 Real change only happens when the Church begins to pray and believe God. By this rule holy writ, God cannot be charged with raising up Hitler, Nero, Hussein, or Bin laden.

Despite what some believers think, when it comes down to deciding who is placed in authority over God’s people [such as an American President], the only time the heathen have any say in the matter is when the people of God do not exercise their authority and obey God’s Word in their decisions.

God gave Israel what they wanted, but remember His warning to them? “And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen” (1 Samuel 8:18). Many Christians sad to say, have in times past voted for leaders who support abortion, perverted lifestyles, and Christian bigotry. We cannot blame our God for the sinful influence of our nation on account of corrupt leaders we vote into office. Our nation is corrupt because God’s people are asleep with sword; asleep because of certain unbalanced sovereignty teachings about our lovely God.

*document incomplete*  

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