According to Scripture...God is 'not' in Control & God is 'not all' Sovereign & God does 'not' tempt us by Abraham Vos - HTML preview

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Chapter 9

Choose wisely.

Page 39

Chapter 10 Closing Commendations.

Page 43

Chapter 1 - God has given man a Will – Our Choices.

The below Scriptures define a primary aspect of the ‘Sovereign Will’ God has determined for Himself and mankind.

Genesis 1v26-28

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have

dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

The very first thing God ‘gave man’ was dominion/authority; IE

a will to determine his path. God ‘gave/delegated’ His authority over all the earth to mankind. God expressed His desired intent for the will He had for mankind – “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion…”

At the same time that God gave man this dominion/authority, a will, God did not attach any conditions to it; IE God did not say that if mankind did not use this will in a certain way, He would take it back. God gave mankind this dominion/authority, will, unconditionally.

Psalm 8v4-6

What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?

5 For You have made him a little lower than God, And You have crowned him with glory and honour.

6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of

Your hands;

You have put all things under his feet – (IE the feet of mankind).

Psalm 115v16

The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s;

But the earth He has given to the children of men.

The Scriptures above reinforce the very same; God gave mankind dominion and authority over ‘all’ the work of God’s hands and over all the earth.

There is a vital principle in interpreting all Scripture – This principle is called ‘The Law of First Reference.’ Whenever we are seeking to find an answer, or solution, to any matter we are to go to where Scripture first refers to it.

In ‘first reference’ we find that God ‘unconditionally’ gave man dominion and authority. Accordingly, God ‘could not/would not’

take back what He had given. We serve a God of integrity. If He gives something He does not take it back.

We have been given dominion and authority in and over our lives – “We, therefore, are in ‘control of the outcomes of our lives’, and not God.”

Of course, we can invite the ‘control’ that The Word brings in and through our lives by putting faith in The Word and doing life accordingly; but that is our choice to make and ‘not’ God’s.

[As a side note – In that, God had given mankind; a human being dominion and authority Jesus ‘had to’ come as a man; as a human being. A human being was given dominion and 8

authority and so only human beings could exercise it over the enemy!!]

Deuteronomy 30v19

19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you, life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.

God has ‘set’ before us the choice options of life and blessings, or death and cursing. We choose and get what we choose; life and blessings, or death and cursing.

To reinforce, and make this clear, God says that He calls heaven and earth as witnesses to this truth – It’s for you to make your choices mankind.

All of the Godhead, all of heaven, and all of earth, are witnesses to the option of choice God gave to mankind. ‘God Himself’ is aware of all the witnesses He put in place to honour mankind’s choice – If God dishonoured the choice, He gave to mankind all of heaven and earth would ‘call Him out!’

We get what we choose; God does not choose, or pre-determine what we get. We, as mankind, pre-determine by making our choices. Accordingly, we get the results of what we chose.

Joshua 1v8

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you

will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

In this progress towards a prosperous way, and good success, we see the words you and/or your used a total of six times; IE

the determining factor to a prosperous way and good success is ‘up to me’; up to my choice/s.

John 8v31-32

31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If

you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And

you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Want to be free? It’s up to you or me – Let me rewrite this Scripture in a personal way. Let me write it to myself:

31 Then Jesus said to Abraham who believed Him, “If you,

Abraham abide in My word, you, Abraham are My disciple indeed. 32 And you, Abraham shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you, Abraham free.”

How will Abraham be free?

1. Abraham is to choose to believe in Jesus.

2. Abraham is then to choose to abide in The Word.

3. By Abraham’s choice, he now becomes a disciple.

4. Abraham then gets to know the truth because of Abraham’s choice.

5. Abraham now starts to live his life by the truth.

6. Abraham’s result is that he becomes free for Abraham decided/chose to walk the road, or steps, to this/his freedom.

The above two Scriptures clearly show the integrity of God; the honouring of His law of first reference; IE that He gave man dominion and authority, a will, to determine his life’s results/outcomes.

In these Scriptures we too see, that a prosperous way, good success, and freedom are the results of the choices we make

- If you follow their course, you will make your way prosperous, you will have good success, and you will be free.

- Let’s look at the choice of government we make: Hosea 8v4-6

“They set up kings, but not by Me;

They made princes, but I did not acknowledge them.

From their silver and gold

They made idols for themselves—

That they might be cut off.

Again, the option of choice. They, the voters, made choices for the ‘curse’ and not for the ‘blessing’. God goes as far as to say – “But not by me, I did not acknowledge them”; IE we made the ungodly choice and got what we chose; what we voted for.

Proverbs 29v2 – Two translations below.

2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.

2 When the righteous are in authority, the people prosper; But when a wicked man rules, the people suffer.

Rejoice or prosper? – Groan or suffer? – We, the voters, make the either-or choice and get what we voted for – Not what God desired, pre-determined, or voted for. God did not go to the polls and cast a vote – We did.

Romans 13v1-4

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you ‘for’ good. But if you

do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger ‘to’ execute wrath on him who

practices evil.

A godly government is there ‘for your good/for the good’, and against the evil/those who do evil.

If I/we/you vote for a government that punishes what is good and lauds what is evil then I, we/you put him/them there and we will reap the corruption and destruction they will bring to bear on us.

This was not God’s choice – This was our choice.

1 Peter 2v13-15

13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him ‘for’ the

punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who

do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.

The concept of authority, dominion, and government is of God but who we put into office is up to us – This is the option of choice that Deuteronomy 30v19 teaches: 12

Deuteronomy 30v19

19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against

you, that I have set before you, life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life, that both you and your

descendants may live.

Again, we get what we choose – God ‘is not in control’ of our choices. Accordingly, it is more accurate to say ‘We are in control’; and not ‘God is in control of our lives.’

- Let’s now look at ‘our choice’ of who ‘we choose’ to yoke ourselves to:

2 Corinthians 6v14-16

14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.

For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God.

In the above Scripture, God gives us rather emphatic counsel for our good. He says we should not be yoked with an unbeliever for then we are endeavouring to join light with darkness; Christ with the devil – These cannot coexist!

Should ‘I choose’ to yoke myself in marriage, business partnership, government, financial partnerships, etc with an unbeliever then by my choice I get the results of struggle, pain, failure, even destruction – I did not heed the sound counsel of God. I chose contrary to God’s good counsel.

So many of us ‘blame God’ for the choices ‘we made’.

So many of us cry out – “God, what are ‘You’ doing in this situation? – Why is this not working out? - Why are ‘You’ doing this to me?

We then invent doctrines such as – God is in control – God is Sovereign – God allowed this - God is teaching me a lesson –

God must have a greater purpose in what and why ‘He is’

putting me through all of this heartache, failure, struggle, and destruction.

The right question to ask most all of the time is – “What choices did I make that are not the sound counsel of God’s Word? Did I choose life and blessings, or death and cursing?”

- Let’s now look at our choice for the longevity of the lives of our children.

Ephesians 6v1-4

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath,

but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Let’s look at the sequence that leads to long life on the earth for our children. This long life includes eternal life, abundant life, and length of days on the earth:

Children are to obey their parents who are ‘in the Lord.’ – Parents who are not in the Lord will raise children who will dishonour and disobey them.

2. Because a parent is in the Lord so it is right for children to obey them – It is ‘not right’ for children to obey parents who are ‘not in the Lord’ for this would be wrong – This is a/the primary reason why children get into rebellion – They are rebelling at something that is not in the Lord. They are resisting being ‘outside the Lord’; and ‘rightly’ so.

3. When children obey their parents who are in the Lord a God-commanded promise is released – Things will go well with the child, and they will live a long and abundant life on the earth that will have an eternal destination to it. This is because the life and protection of God are released through the parents who are in the Lord.

4. Fathers are the primary voice and example to a child.

Accordingly, verse 4 says that ‘Fathers’ are not to provoke their children unto wrath, IE consequences, hardships, struggles, hurts, failures, destruction, etc.

Fathers do this by not training their children ‘in’ the admonition of the Lord.

As Parents, primarily we as Fathers, determine the long and abundant outcome of our children’s lives, and/or not.

It’s our choice – It is not God doing, or bringing about a struggled life.

It is not God who gave us a ‘difficult, rebellious, or strong-willed’ child – Our not being in the Lord determines such a product.

For the most part, it would be correct to say that ‘we determine’ the behaviour of our children – In the Lord = good behaviour – Outside of the Lord = Bad behaviour.

This is why we often exasperate our children when we discipline them for the behaviour ‘we caused’. We are often

‘disciplining’ the wrong person.

When we, as Parents and particularly as Fathers, are in the Lord, we are releasing the abundant and long-life God intends for our children. By being in the Lord, we ‘permit’ God to fulfil His desire for protection and an abundant and long life for our children.

(Of course, an exposed, challenged child, who had a Parent, Father, who is not in the Lord can turn to their eternal Father and walk a road of restoration! – That said, the ideal is to have Parents, particularly Fathers, who are in the Lord from the get-go!)

[As a side note – I am writing a book on Fatherhood – I believe and teach from Scripture that the primary pandemic in the world is Fatherlessness - 80-85%% of all children go home to absent, or abdicating, Fathers – This is the primary reason for struggling children and the deformed society we have].

Chapter 2 - Who’s Who?

John 10v10

10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

In my journey with the Lord, I have noticed that many Christians do not know ‘Who is who?’ Many have a very poor view of who God is and who the devil is.

John 10v10 makes it abundantly clear as to who is who!!

The thief, satan, comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. So many Christians think Jesus came to steal, kill, and destroy.

They believe Jesus gave them sickness, caused their accidents, caused them to lose their jobs to ‘teach them a lesson’. Some even believe that God took their loved one to punish them or teach them a lesson, etc, etc.

The thief, satan, comes with that agenda. It is he who comes

‘only’ to steal, kill, and destroy – Not Jesus!!

Jesus came that we might have life and that we may have it more abundantly!!

- Jesus is good - Satan is bad.

- Jesus only does good – Satan only does bad.

- Jesus gives – Satan steals.

- Jesus releases life and blessings – Satan releases death and cursing.

It is very important to know who is who, and who is doing what!!!

The best way to ‘sort out our thinking’ is to ‘check in on Jesus’; IE what, and how, Jesus did things on the earth?

- Jesus healed, delivered, set free. He blessed all He came into contact with.

- Jesus never once gave sickness, cursed, caused accidents, punished mankind, etc.

- Jesus never overrode man’s will – He persuaded, but honoured man’s choices.

Acts 10v38

38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

The above Scripture clearly defines who is who. Jesus went about doing ‘good’ and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.

Jesus heals and liberates - The devil oppresses and brings infirmities of all sorts and kinds.

1 John 1v5

5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at

all.

God is light and in Him, there is NO darkness at all!!

To convey this point may I share my version of this Scripture in the inverse; Abraham’s version:

1 John 1v5 (revised to emphasise)

5 This is the message we/I declare to you; Satan is DARK and

in him is no light at all.

- God is light.

- Satan is darkness.

- God is good.

- Satan is bad.

Chapter 3 - God’s Heart.

Romans 2v4

4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

When people learn of a good God, they are quick to repent; IE

change their minds and follow Him – Who wants to follow a God who steals, kills, and destroys their lives – Not me!!

Acts 10v38

38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

God’s heart is good, is for our good, and He only does good.

- Let’s look at God’s eternal Will, or Heart, for mankind:

2 Peter 3v9

9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that ‘any’

should perish but that ‘all’ should come to repentance.

In the above Scripture, we see that God’s Will is that none should perish and that ‘all’ should come to repentance; IE God desires that ‘all’ be saved and have heaven as their eternal destination and home.

Mankind now has a choice to make – Do they choose God and align to His Will, or do they choose an eternity in hell?

God loves mankind so much that He will respect their choice of either heaven or hell.

The choice is ours – The choice is yours and mine to make –

We will get what ‘we’ choose.

Many ask – “How can a loving God send someone to hell?”

– A loving God sends NO one to hell. A loving God, however, honours the choice a man may make for hell.

- Let’s now look at God’s Will, or Heart for mankind’s health:

Isaiah 53v5

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

1 Peter 2v24

24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

It is always God’s Will, and Heart, that all are healed.

Chapter 4 - God does not tempt/test us!!

James 1v13-17

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt

anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by

his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good

gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Our fleshly desires cause us to fall into temptation. When this desire is conceived it gives birth to sin. This sin we were tempted by and fell into, brings forth death when it is full-grown; IE we are subjected to the choices we made.

God only has and gives us every good and perfect gift! – This is God’s will and desire for us.

Galatians 6v7-8

7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man

sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

The Scriptures above clearly define that ‘the problem’ is not/

never on God’s end but on ours. We get the results, outcomes, and fruits, we initiated. We reap what we sow.

It is impossible to plant a lemon seed and expect to reap oranges. Lemon seeds produce lemons and orange seeds produce oranges. All things always produce after their kind.

Our results are the product of what we have sowed/planted.

- It is our faith that is tested; it is put under trial.

1 Peter 1v6-7

6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it (our faith) is tested by fire, may be found (our faith) to praise, honour, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ..

Our faith is what is tested – The enemy, the natural, our flesh, circumstances, situations, opposition, persecution, etc test/

come against our faith. If the enemy can get us to falter in our faith, he can cause us to miss out on the promises of God; he can cause us to make wrong/bad choices.

Chapter 5 - God keeps, and stands by His Word – God cannot lie.

Hebrews 13v8

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

God is ‘consistent’; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God does not change like shifting shadows. God can be relied upon 100%; He never changes! Who God says He is, and how God says things will happen, are always consistent.

Some portray God as schizophrenic, erratic, confused, ever-changing, unpredictable, and unreliable. With these portrayals in mind, one could conclude that God ‘is a liar.’ -

This contradicts the Nature and Person of God!!

1 Corinthians 14v33a

33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace.

John 8v44

44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

Satan is the one who sows confusion. He challenges God’s nature with erroneous teachings and representations of God.

Satan is an imposter – He poses as an angel of light and endeavours to portray God as an ‘angel of darkness.’

Satan is the liar – Not God.

2 Corinthians 11v14

13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

Many see God as the GODFATHER and not as FATHER GOD

– This is Satan’s agenda.

God is a loving, caring, merciful, and gracious God. God is the ever-consistent constant.

John 14v6

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

Jesus, who is the express image of the Father, is The Way –

The Truth – The Life.

Jesus is not – The Wrong Way – The Lie – The Death.

· God keeps His Word consistently.

Colossians 1v16b-17

All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

All things consist; are held, bound, and kept together by God/

Jesus. God, through Jesus, spoke all of creation into existence.

Should God’s Words change; at that very moment all of creation would implode for all things are bound together by the integrity of His Words.

God ‘has to’ keep His Word for if He falters all of creation would implode. God always honours His Word 100%; always!

Jeremiah 1v12

“I am watching over My Word to perform it.”

God takes His Word personally. God is actively watching over His Word to perform it - To manifest it, to bring it to pass.

A person of integrity and honesty always ensures that the word they give comes to pass – They do not change their minds –

Their word is their bond.

We can trust a God who honours His Word – We can only be in faith if God keeps His Word – It is impossible to be in faith if we are serving a God who ‘changes’ His Word; who flip flops on His Word.

We can only have faith in Someone that is rock solid constant.

I once had a friend who ‘almost never’ kept his word – I regrettably, had no faith in him. Accordingly, my relationship with him was short-lived. I could not trust him for his word had no value; he was erratic and inconsistent. He said one thing but did another thing.

People who believe God ‘does not’ keep His Word either have a wonky, or a short-lived, relationship with God at best.

Hebrews 1v3

3 Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power.

Aaaah, God upholds ‘all’ things by the Word of His power. It is God’s Word that has, is, and releases, power. Everything is upheld by God’s Word. If God ever ceased to honour His Word there would be nothing to uphold ‘all’ things by – Everything would come crashing down – Stars, Suns, Planets, Galaxies, Persons etc, etc would all come crashing down – ‘God, Himself’ would come crashing down.

Matthew 5v37

37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

God’s Yes is His Yes. God’s No is His No – If there were anything more to it then as this Scripture says God would have been influenced by the evil one, Satan – God is ‘not’ influenced by Satan

– Not at all!! Satan breaks his word; God keeps His Word.

Psalm 15v4b

He who swears to his own hurt and does not change.

God swears to His Word. If He did not do so, He would expose Himself to His ‘own hurt’; IE the consequences would be on ‘His Head’ and not on yours or mine.

As this Scripture says – “God does not change!!”

Psalm 138v2

2 I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name

For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

In this Scripture God is giving us a clear understanding that He magnifies, and elevates, His Word above all His Name. In other words, God considers all He is to be as His Word is.

Any man’s name is only as good as ‘his word’. If a man’s word is flippant then so is he. A man’s reputation and integrity are directly correlated to the word he keeps and/or does not keep.

God has a marvellous reputation; His reputation is one of integrity for He ‘always’ keeps His Word. His Name is as good as His Word, and His Word is as good as His Name – They correlate 100% all the time.

Numbers 23v19

“God is not a man, that He should lie,

Nor a son of man, that He should repent.

Has He said, and will He not do?

Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Hebrews 6v18

18 That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for

God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.

It is impossible for God to lie – Lying is 100% the opposite of the nature of God. Lying is 100% the nature of Satan.

If satan can get us to question what God has said then he has an inroad into our lives. This is what occurred in the life of Eve and Adam – See below:

Genesis 3v1

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman,

“Has God indeed said?”

As soon as the enemy got Eve and Adam to doubt/question The Word he had an inroad into their lives.

In Matthew 4 we note that Jesus responded to every temptation the enemy brought to Him by saying – “It is written”; IE Jesus quoted the immutable, unchanging, ever-consistent Word to the enemy. Jesus overcame all temptations by, with, and from The Word.

If The Word was a changing thing Jesus would have been taking a ‘huge risk’ by quoting it! Jesus never faulted from The Word.

– The Word is the only steadfast constant we have.

Chapter 6 – God needs our ‘permission’.

Matthew 20v32

32 So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

Jesus needed the consent and cooperation of the two blind men before He could heal them. Jesus therefore ‘had to ask’

before He could heal. Without their given ‘permission’ Jesus could not heal the two blind men.

No one is ever healed against their will.

Because God has given us a will, and the ability to make our choices, Jesus needs ‘our permission’ to do as He desires for us.

Romans 8v16-17a

16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.

1 Corinthians 3v9

9 For we are God’s fellow workers (co-labourers); you are God’s field; you are God’s building.

God has made us co-heirs and co-labourers together with Him

– God can’t do it without us, and we definitely can’t do it without Him. God has designed for us to work together in a Team with Himself.

Luke 1v38

31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”

38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it

be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

God does not violate His Word – God gave man dominion and authority and He gave man a Will and so as a God of integrity He always honours His Word.

God, by His Word of authority and Will given to man, will

‘never’ violate man’s Will.

Mary had to give God ‘permission’ for Jesus to be birthed in her womb; for Jesus to be able to come to the earth. Without Mary’s consent and cooperation with God’s Word Jesus would not have been ‘allowed’ to come to the earth.

Without our consent and cooperation with God, His Will cannot occur in our lives and/or in the earth – We have to give God our “Yes”.

God is the perfect Gentleman; He does not force Himself on anyone.

None of Versus 31-33, as below, would have/could have occurred if Mary said “No”.

31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

In the split second that Mary said “Let it be to me according to Your Word” Jesus was conceived in her womb. At that point, the angel of the Lord left for God’s Will had been agreed to by Mary.

The revelation of this Truth debunks so many erroneous teachings and preachings such as:

- God is doing this and God is doing that – All that is being done is by man’s cooperation with his flesh, with the devil and the demonic; or with God.

- God is in control – Any control, or lack thereof, is because we as an individual, or we as mankind, are cooperating with our flesh, the devil and the demonic; or with God – God does not ‘release/do evil’ – Our flesh and the devil does that.

- God is Sovereign – He can chop and change His Word as He deems fit – We, as individuals, or we as mankind, are the ones who chop and change as we

‘deem fit’.

- God can break His Word if He deems fit and good to do so – God never breaks His Word – We as individuals, or we as mankind, break our words as we ‘deem fit’ to do so – We ‘break’ God’s Word by the choices we make that are not to aligned to His Word.

Jesus did no miracles, no works through mankind, without the consent, cooperation, and ‘permission’ of mankind for Him to do so.

The same is to be said about the devil and the demonic –

They can do no works of their own unless we give, consent, cooperation, and ‘permission’ for them to do so.

The same is the case with our flesh – We need to give our fleshly nature consent, cooperation, and ‘permission’ for our flesh to release its intent of destruction upon our lives.

When we say ‘Yes to God’ so God’s Will is executed through our lives.

When we say ‘Yes to our flesh’ so the death our flesh brings is executed through our lives.

When we say ‘Yes to the devil and the demonic’ so destruction, pain, consequences, etc, are executed throughout our lives.

[We have a Will; We make our choices].

Deuteronomy 30v19

- 19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against

you, that I have set before you, life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life, that both you and

your descendants may live.

Choosing life and blessings cuts out death and cursing.

Choosing life and blessing gives God ‘our permission’ for Him to release these over our lives.

(In essence, faith is agreeing with God and thereby giving Him

‘our permission’ to release His life and blessings over us).

Galatians 5v16

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil/gratify the lust of the flesh.

We overcome the flesh, and the devil, by choosing to walk in the Spirit. When we walk in the Spirit, we overcome any temptation the flesh and the devil may bring.

Walking in the Spirit cuts off the flesh, the devil, and the demonic.

- Calling out for Revival?

Many are ‘waiting for God’ to do something; to bring a Revival.

We cry out to God; and go into extended periods of Prayer and Fasting calling out to God for Revival.

Revival is up to us – We ‘choose’ whether Revival breaks out or not. We are not waiting on God; God is waiting on us.

When we as mankind make the choice of and for God, Revival will break out. When man aligns his life to The Word, Revival will break out.

Revival is the product of something and not the pleading for something.

Chapter 7 - Can God turn it around?

Genesis 50v20

“What the enemy intended for evil God can turn it for good.”

We are never at a point in our lives where God cannot intervene and bring about reconciliation, and restoration; never!!

God can even take what the enemy intended for evil and turn it around for our good. We can be the testimony of God’s grace, mercy, goodness, and powerful ability to transform our lives.

Matthew 4v17

17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The moment we repent (change our minds and walk with God) things begin to change for our good.

My wife and I are in our 41st year of marriage. Our first 8 years were disastrous. We both came from divorced homes and marriage was perhaps the weakest area of our lives. In desperation, we turned to God and now our marriage and family are perhaps the greatest strength of our lives today!

‘We finally chose’ to do our Marriage by the wise counsel of God’s Word – God watched over His Word to perform it, and our marriage and family were transformed.

Not only can God turn things around; but God wants to and specialises in just that!!

Romans 2v4

4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God

leads you to repentance?

When we realise that God is good, we are quick to repent; IE

turn to Him and trust Him to change any challenging situation we might find ourselves in by choosing His Word.

God is in the restoration business – God knew that we as mankind would sometimes mess things up. For this very reason, God sent heaven’s best, Jesus, to heal and restore our lives.

Psalm 107v20

20 He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from all their destructions.

When we go to The Word and choose its life, abundant life, and blessings, so healing will come to any broken-down area of our lives. Accordingly, we will be delivered from all of our destructions; IE the consequences of the bad choices we made.

The Three-Step process as taught in Psalm 107v20: 1.

‘We choose’ to go to The Word.

We then, and thereby, receive the healing it releases and gives.

We are then, and thereby, delivered from all of our destructions.

- Wise and sound counsel:

- Turn to the good road God desires for you – Go to The Word -

Make good Word-based decisions going forward, and reroute your life to the good success God so desires it to be.

- The joy of a future with Jesus will overcome and override the pain/s of our present and those of our past!

- The promised result that The Word guarantees will transform any and every situation or circumstance!

- Choose life and blessings.

Chapter 8 - The best way to ensure success is from the beginning.

Whilst God can, and will, restore any situation in our lives it is always best to walk the road of prevention and preparation from the start.

Prevention is better than cure.

We most often learn from the ‘school of hard knocks’ but there is a better way:

- Go to The Word at the beginning.

Gen 1v1-3

“In the beginning God…”

John 1v1

“In the beginning was The Word…”

When we go to God, His Word, in the very beginning of a thing, context, decision, or circumstance we will find that we can set ourselves up for success/blessings from the very start.

If we are considering marriage, parenting, family, business, financial decisions, church planting, who to vote for, etc, etc it is always wise to go to The Word at the beginning; IE well in advance of engaging in the various contexts of life.

Imagine how much heartache we would have averted if we went to The Word in the beginning to get God’s heart, advice, and beneficial ways as to how to set these up for success from the start.

Chapter 9 - Choose wisely.

Unwise Choices:

Proverbs 14v12

12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death/destruction.

We tend to make choices that ‘seem right’ in our limited understanding. These choices ultimately result in our destruction. The reason these choices result in destruction is because these thoughts are not God’s good thoughts that result in life and blessings. We have not gone to The Word wherefrom we are guided to make good choices.

Mark 7v13

13 Making The Word of God of no effect through your traditions and doctrines which have been handed down to you..”

Traditions and doctrines are best described as our cultural persuasions, biases, and/or bents.

When we make choices according to ‘our cultural persuasions’

and not the ‘cultural persuasions’ of heaven we make The Word of God of ‘no/zero/nil effect’.

Choices made according to ‘our cultural persuasions’ always result in failure, hurt, heartache, corruption, and destruction.

Let’s be encouraged to seek success and so accordingly make our decisions by the ‘culture of heaven’; IE by The Word of God (Scripture – The Bible).

We are citizens and ambassadors of a ‘New Kingdom’; The Kingdom of Heaven.

We may reside in a certain geographical nation/country, but we are citizens of heaven. By living by the Kingdom of

Heaven’s ‘culture’ so we are releasing heaven on earth for ourselves. This heaven on earth will override the down

spiralling culture of the nation we are residing in.

We can, and should be, living in heaven on earth in every area of our lives – This is God’s desire for all of mankind.

Wise Choices:

Isaiah 55v11

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;

It shall not return to Me void,

But it shall accomplish what I please,

And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

12 “For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace..”

God’s Word ‘shall’ accomplish the following: a.

God’s Word shall ‘not’ return to Him void.

God’s Word shall accomplish what God pleases.

God’s Word shall prosper in the thing/context for which He sent it.

God’s Word will result in the following for those who choose it: a.

They shall go out with joy.

They shall be led forth with peace.

Isaiah 55v8-9

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.

9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways,

And My thoughts than your thoughts.

All of God’s ways are higher than all of man’s ways.

Heaven is higher than hell.

Success is higher than failure.

Peace is higher than anxiety.

Joy is higher than sorrow.

Faith is higher than fear.

Good is higher than evil.

Health is higher than sickness.

A good marriage is higher than a bad marriage.

A happy child is higher than a sad child.

Prosperity is higher than poverty.

Let’s choose wisely. Let’s choose the higher road – God’s ways.

Let’s note that:

•

God is not in control and God is not ‘all’ Sovereign in the sense that he does as He pleases and in that He releases the good, the bad, and the ugly upon our lives.

God is not Sovereign in that He overrides our Will and Choices.

•

God is Sovereign in that He is the highest of all, in that He determines how things function. God, in His goodness, has determined the route best for man to take. In this way God is Sovereign.

•

God, however, is not sovereign, in the sense that He chops and changes His mind at His whim and rhyme; that He overrides and contradicts His Word when He feels best to do so. God is not sovereign in that He dictates and determines all outcomes. God is not sovereign and in control in that he orders the devil as His messenger boy to do to people as ‘He wishes.’

•

God always honours His Word – God cannot lie. He elevates His Word above all His Name. All things consist and are held together by The Word of His power.

- In a sense our lives are in, out of control, by the decisions we make.

- In another sense we are ‘sovereign’ in that we bring about the good, the bad, or the ugly upon our lives by our will and choices.

- We make choices that override God’s good and perfect will for our lives.

Chapter 10 - Closing Commendations.

God is good all the time. God’s ways are higher than our ways

– Let’s choose His ways and live the high life.

I set before us life and death, curses and blessings - I implore us to all choose life and blessings so that we and our descendants; our children, and our children’s children into perpetuity, may live and enjoy the blessed and abundant life

‘we’ have chosen!!

Our fond and warm love to you, yours, all those dear to you, and all those your life influences and impacts, Abraham Vos and all of For Your Good Ministries International.

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