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God created everything by personal and
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direct action but few believe that he
00:00:05
has any immediate concern in regulating
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the works of his own hands everything is
00:00:10
supposed to be ordered according to
00:00:12
impersonal and abstract laws of nature
00:00:15
thus is the Creator banished from his
00:00:18
own creation therefore we need not be
00:00:21
surprised that men in their degraded
00:00:24
conceptions exclude him from the realm
00:00:26
of human affairs throughout Christendom
00:00:29
with an almost negligible exception the
00:00:32
theory is held that man determines his
00:00:34
four Tunes and decides his destiny by
00:00:36
his own free will
00:00:38
but Satan is to be blamed for much of
00:00:40
the evil which is in the world is freely
00:00:43
affirmed by those who though having much
00:00:45
to say about the responsibility of man
00:00:47
often deny their own responsibility by
00:00:51
attributing to the devil what in fact
00:00:52
proceeds from their own evil hearts mark
00:00:56
chapter 7 verses 21 to 23 but who is
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regulating Affairs on this earth today
00:01:02
God or the devil attempt to take a
00:01:06
serious and comprehensive view of the
00:01:08
world
00:01:09
what a scene of confusion and chaos
00:01:11
confronts us on every side sin is
00:01:14
rampant lawlessness abounds evil men and
00:01:17
seducers are waxing worse and worse 2
00:01:20
Timothy chapter 3 verse 13
00:01:23
today everything appears to be out of
00:01:26
joint Thrones are creaking and tottering
00:01:29
ancient dynasties are being overturned
00:01:31
nations are in revolt civilization is a
00:01:35
demonstrated failure half of Christendom
00:01:37
was but recently locked together in a
00:01:39
death grapple and now that the Titanic
00:01:42
conflict is over instead of the world
00:01:44
having been made safe for democracy we
00:01:47
have discovered that democracy is very
00:01:48
unsafe for the world unrest discontent
00:01:52
and lawlessness arrive everywhere and
00:01:54
none can say how soon another great war
00:01:57
will be set in motion statesmen are
00:01:59
perplexed and staggered men's hearts are
00:02:02
failing them for fear and for looking
00:02:04
after those things which are coming on
00:02:06
the earth Luke chapter 21 verse 26 do
00:02:10
these things look as though God had full
00:02:12
control
00:02:14
but let us confine our attention to the
00:02:16
religious realm after 19 centuries of
00:02:19
gospel preaching Christ is still
00:02:21
despised and rejected of men were still
00:02:25
he the Christ of scripture is proclaimed
00:02:28
and magnified by very few in the
00:02:31
majority of modern pulpits he is
00:02:33
dishonored and disowned
00:02:34
despite frantic efforts to attract the
00:02:37
crowds the majority of the churches are
00:02:39
being emptied rather than filled and one
00:02:42
of the great masses of non churchgoers
00:02:44
in the light of Scripture we are
00:02:46
compelled to believe that the many are
00:02:47
on the broad road that leadeth to
00:02:49
destruction and that few are on the
00:02:51
narrow way that leadeth unto life
00:02:54
many are declaring that Christianity is
00:02:56
a failure and despair is settling on
00:02:59
many faces not a few of the lord's own
00:03:01
people have been wilded and their faith
00:03:03
is being severely tried and what of God
00:03:06
does he see and hear is he impotent or
00:03:10
indifferent a number of those who are
00:03:12
regarded as leaders of Christian thought
00:03:14
told us that God could not prevent the
00:03:16
coming of the late awful war and that he
00:03:19
was unable to bring about its
00:03:20
termination it was said and said openly
00:03:24
that conditions were beyond God's
00:03:26
control do these things look as though
00:03:28
God were ruling the world
00:03:30
who is regulating Affairs on this earth
00:03:33
today God or the devil what impression
00:03:37
is made upon the minds of those men of
00:03:39
the world who occasionally attend the
00:03:41
gospel service what are the conceptions
00:03:44
formed by those who hear even those
00:03:46
preachers who are counted as Orthodox is
00:03:48
it not that a disappointed God is the
00:03:51
one whom Christians believe in from what
00:03:54
is heard from the average evangelist
00:03:56
today is not any serious here obliged to
00:03:59
conclude that he professes to represent
00:04:00
a God who is filled with benevolent
00:04:02
intentions yet unable to carry them out
00:04:05
that he is earnestly desirous of
00:04:07
blessing men but that they will not let
00:04:09
him then must not the average Hara draw
00:04:13
the inference that the devil has gained
00:04:14
the upper hand and that God is to be
00:04:17
pitied rather than worshipped but does
00:04:20
not everything seem to show that the
00:04:21
devil has far more to do with the
00:04:23
affairs of earth and God has ah
00:04:27
all depends upon whether we are walking
00:04:28
by faith or walking by sight now your
00:04:32
thoughts my reader concerning this world
00:04:34
and gods relation to it based upon what
00:04:36
you see face this question seriously and
00:04:40
honestly and if you are a Christian you
00:04:43
will most probably have caused bow your
00:04:45
head with shame and sorrow and to
00:04:47
acknowledge that it is so alas in
00:04:51
reality we walk very little by faith but
00:04:54
what is walking by faith signify it
00:04:57
means that our thoughts are formed our
00:04:59
actions regulated our lives molded by
00:05:02
the Holy Scriptures for faith cometh by
00:05:05
hearing and hearing by the Word of God
00:05:08
Romans chapter 10 verse 17 it is from
00:05:13
the word of truth and that alone that we
00:05:15
can learn what is God's relation to this
00:05:17
world who is regulating affairs on this
00:05:21
earth today God or the devil what saith
00:05:25
the scriptures ere we consider the
00:05:28
direct reply to this query that it be
00:05:30
said that the scriptures predicted just
00:05:33
what we now see and hear the prophecy of
00:05:36
Jude is in course of fulfillment it
00:05:38
would lead us to far astray from our
00:05:40
present inquiry fully to amplify this
00:05:42
assertion but what we have particularly
00:05:45
in mind is a sentence in verse 8
00:05:47
likewise also these filthy dreamers
00:05:50
defile the flesh despise Dominion and
00:05:53
speak evil of dignities yes they speak
00:05:57
evil of the supreme dignity the only
00:06:00
potentate to the king of kings and Lord
00:06:02
of lords ours is peculiarly an age of
00:06:06
irreverence and as a consequence the
00:06:08
spirit of lawlessness which Brooks no
00:06:10
restraint and which is desirous of
00:06:12
casting off everything which interferes
00:06:14
with a free course of self will is
00:06:16
rapidly engulfing the earth like some
00:06:18
gigantic tidal wave the members of the
00:06:21
rising generation are the most flagrant
00:06:23
offenders and in the decay and
00:06:25
disappearance of parental authority we
00:06:28
have the certain precursor of the break
00:06:29
up of civic Authority therefore in view
00:06:33
of the growing disrespect for human law
00:06:35
and the refusal to render honor to whom
00:06:37
honor is due we need not be surprised
00:06:40
the recognition of the majesty the
00:06:42
authority the sovereignty of the
00:06:44
almighty lawgiver should recede more and
00:06:46
more into the background and that the
00:06:48
masses have less and less patience with
00:06:50
those who insist upon them who is
00:06:54
regulating affairs on this earth today
00:06:56
God or the devil what saith the
00:07:00
Scriptures if we believe their plain and
00:07:03
positive declarations no room is left
00:07:05
for uncertainty they are firm again and
00:07:08
again that God is on the throne of the
00:07:10
universe that the scepter is in his
00:07:12
hands that he is directing all things
00:07:14
after the counsel of his own will they
00:07:18
affirm not only that God created all
00:07:20
things but also that God is ruling and
00:07:23
reigning over all the works of his hands
00:07:25
they affirm that God is the Almighty
00:07:27
that his will is irreversible that he is
00:07:30
absolute sovereign in every realm of all
00:07:33
his vast dominions and surely it must be
00:07:36
so only two alternatives are possible
00:07:39
God must either rule or be ruled sway or
00:07:43
be swayed accomplish his own will or be
00:07:47
thwarted by his creatures accepting the
00:07:50
fact that he is the most high the only
00:07:52
potentate and king of kings vested with
00:07:55
perfect wisdom and illimitable power the
00:07:58
conclusion is irresistible that he must
00:07:59
be God in fact as well as in name it is
00:08:04
in view of what we have briefly referred
00:08:05
to above that we say present day
00:08:08
conditions call loudly for a new
00:08:10
examination and new presentation of
00:08:12
God's omnipotence see God's sufficiency
00:08:14
God's sovereignty from every pulpit in
00:08:18
the land it needs to be thundered forth
00:08:20
that God still lives that God still
00:08:22
observes that God still reigns faith is
00:08:26
now in the crucible it is being tested
00:08:28
by fire
00:08:29
and there is no fixed and sufficient
00:08:31
resting place for the heart and mind but
00:08:33
in the throne of God what is needed now
00:08:36
as never before is a full positive
00:08:39
constructive setting forth of the
00:08:41
godhood of God drastic diseases call for
00:08:45
drastic remedies people are weary of
00:08:48
platitudes and mere generalizations the
00:08:50
call is for something definite answer
00:08:53
Figg soothing syrup may serve for
00:08:56
peevish children but an iron tonic is
00:08:58
better suited for adults and we know of
00:09:00
nothing which is more calculated to
00:09:02
infuse spiritual vigor into our frames
00:09:04
than a scriptural apprehension of the
00:09:07
full character of God it is written the
00:09:11
people that do know their God shall be
00:09:13
strong and do exploits Daniel chapter 11
00:09:17
verse 32 without a doubt a world crisis
00:09:21
is at hand and everywhere men are
00:09:23
alarmed but God is not he has never
00:09:27
taken by surprise it is no unexpected
00:09:30
emergency which now confronts him for he
00:09:32
is the one who worketh all things after
00:09:35
the counsel of his own will Ephesians
00:09:38
chapter 1 verse 11 hence though the
00:09:41
world is panic-stricken
00:09:42
the word to the believer is fear not all
00:09:46
things are subject to his immediate
00:09:48
control all things are moving in accord
00:09:52
with his eternal purpose and therefore
00:09:53
all things are working together for good
00:09:57
to them that love God to them who are
00:10:00
the called according to his purpose it
00:10:03
must be so for of him and through him
00:10:07
and to him are all things
00:10:10
Romans chapter 11 verse 36 yet how
00:10:14
little is this realized today even by
00:10:16
the people of God many suppose that he
00:10:19
is little more than a far distant
00:10:20
spectator taking no immediate hand in
00:10:22
the affairs of earth it is true that man
00:10:25
has a will but so also has God it is
00:10:29
true that man is endowed with power but
00:10:31
God is all-powerful it is true that
00:10:34
speaking generally the material world is
00:10:37
regulated by law but behind that law is
00:10:40
the law giver and law administrator man
00:10:43
is but the creature God is the creator
00:10:46
and endless ages before man first saw
00:10:49
the light the mighty God Isaiah chapter
00:10:52
9 verse 6 existed and ere the world was
00:10:56
founded made his plans and being
00:10:58
infinite in power and man only finite
00:11:01
his purpose and plan can't be withstood
00:11:03
or thwarted by the creatures of his own
00:11:06
[Music]
00:11:07
we readily acknowledge that life is a
00:11:10
profound problem and that we are
00:11:12
surrounded by mystery on every side but
00:11:14
we are not like the beasts of the field
00:11:16
ignorant of their origin and unconscious
00:11:19
of what is before them no we have also a
00:11:23
more sure word of prophecy of which it
00:11:26
is said where unto ye do well that ye
00:11:28
take heed as unto a light that shyness
00:11:31
in a dark place until the day dawn and
00:11:34
the day star arise in your hearts
00:11:36
2 Peter chapter 1 verse 19 and it is to
00:11:41
this word of prophecy we indeed do well
00:11:43
to take heed to that word which are not
00:11:46
its origin in the mind of man but in the
00:11:48
mind of God for the prophecy came not at
00:11:51
any time by the will of man but holy men
00:11:54
of God spake moved by the Holy Spirit we
00:11:58
say again it is - this word we do well
00:12:01
to take heed as we turn to this word and
00:12:04
are instructed by it we discover a
00:12:07
fundamental principle which must be
00:12:09
applied to every problem instead of
00:12:11
beginning with man and his world and
00:12:13
working back to God we must begin with
00:12:15
God and work down to man in the
00:12:18
beginning God apply this principle to
00:12:22
the present situation begin with the
00:12:24
world as it is today and try to work
00:12:26
back to God and everything will seem to
00:12:29
show that God has no connection with the
00:12:31
world at all but begin with God and work
00:12:33
down to the world and light much light
00:12:36
is cast on the problem because God is
00:12:38
holy his anger burns against sin because
00:12:42
God is righteous his judgments fall upon
00:12:44
those who rebel against him because God
00:12:46
is faithful the solemn threatenings of
00:12:49
his word are fulfilled because God is
00:12:52
omnipotent none can successfully resist
00:12:54
him still less overthrow his counsel and
00:12:57
because God is omniscient no problem can
00:13:00
master him and no difficulty baffle his
00:13:03
wisdom it is just because God is who he
00:13:06
is and what he is that we are now
00:13:08
beholding on earth what we do the
00:13:11
beginning of his outpoured judgments in
00:13:14
view of his inflexible justice and
00:13:16
immaculate holiness we could not expect
00:13:18
anything other than what is
00:13:19
spread before our eyes but let it be
00:13:23
said very emphatically that the heart
00:13:24
can only rest upon and enjoy the blessed
00:13:27
truth of the absolute sovereignty of God
00:13:29
as faith is in exercise faith is ever
00:13:33
occupied with God that is the character
00:13:36
of it that is what differentiates it
00:13:38
from intellectual theology faith endures
00:13:42
as seeing him who is invisible Hebrews
00:13:45
chapter 11 verse 27 endures the
00:13:49
disappointments the hardships and the
00:13:50
heartaches of life by recognizing that
00:13:53
all comes from the hand of him who is
00:13:55
too wise to err and too loving to be
00:13:57
unkind but so long as we are occupied
00:14:00
with any other object than God himself
00:14:02
there will be neither rest for the heart
00:14:05
nor peace for the mind but when we
00:14:07
receive all that enters our lives as
00:14:09
from his hand then no matter what may be
00:14:12
our circumstances or surroundings
00:14:14
whether in a hovel or prison dungeon or
00:14:17
at a martyr's stake we shall be enabled
00:14:19
to say the lines are fallen unto me in
00:14:22
Pleasant places Psalms chapter 16 verse
00:14:26
6 but that is the language of faith not
00:14:30
of sight nor of sense but if instead of
00:14:34
bowing to the testimony of Holy Writ if
00:14:36
instead of walking by faith we follow
00:14:38
the evidence of our eyes and reason
00:14:40
therefrom we shall fall into a quagmire
00:14:43
of virtual atheism or if we are
00:14:46
regulated by the opinions and views of
00:14:48
others peace will be at an end
00:14:50
granted that there is much in this world
00:14:52
of sin and suffering which appalls and
00:14:54
saddens us a granted that there is much
00:14:56
in the providential dealings of God
00:14:58
which startle and stagger us that is no
00:15:01
reason why we should unite with the
00:15:02
unbelieving world lling who says if I
00:15:05
were God I would not allow this or
00:15:07
tolerate that better far in the presence
00:15:10
of bewildering mystery to say with one
00:15:12
of old I was dumb I opened not my mouth
00:15:15
because thou didst it Psalms chapter 39
00:15:18
verse nine scripture tells us that God's
00:15:21
judgments are unsearchable and his ways
00:15:25
past finding out Romans chapter 11 verse
00:15:28
33 it must be so if faith is to be
00:15:32
tested confidence in his
00:15:33
wisdom and righteousness strengthened
00:15:35
and submission to his holy will fostered
00:15:39
here is the fundamental difference
00:15:41
between the man of faith and the man of
00:15:43
unbelief the unbeliever is of the world
00:15:47
judges everything by worldly standards
00:15:49
views life from the standpoint of time
00:15:52
and sense and weighs everything in the
00:15:54
balances of his own carnal understanding
00:15:57
but the man of faith brings in God
00:16:00
looked at everything from his standpoint
00:16:02
estimates values by spiritual standards
00:16:05
and views life in the light of eternity
00:16:08
doing this he receives whatever comes as
00:16:11
from the hand of God doing this his
00:16:13
heart is calm in the midst of the storm
00:16:15
and doing this he rejoices in hope of
00:16:17
the glory of God we are well aware that
00:16:21
what we have written is in open
00:16:22
opposition to much of the teaching that
00:16:24
is current both in religious literature
00:16:26
and in the representative pulpits of the
00:16:28
land we freely grant that the postulate
00:16:31
of God's sovereignty with all its
00:16:33
corollary x' is a direct variance with
00:16:36
the opinions and thoughts of the natural
00:16:38
man but the truth is the natural man is
00:16:40
quite unable to think upon these matters
00:16:42
he is not competent to form a proper
00:16:45
estimate of God's character and ways and
00:16:47
it is because of this that God has given
00:16:49
us a revelation of his mind and in that
00:16:52
revelation he plainly declares my
00:16:54
thoughts are not your thoughts neither
00:16:56
are your ways my ways saith the LORD for
00:17:00
as the heavens are higher than the earth
00:17:01
so are my ways higher than your ways and
00:17:04
my thoughts than your thoughts Isaiah
00:17:07
chapter 55 verses 8 and 9 in view of
00:17:11
this scripture it is only to be expected
00:17:13
that much of the contents of the Bible
00:17:15
conflicts with the sentiments of the
00:17:17
carnal mind which is enmity against God
00:17:20
our appeal then is not to the popular
00:17:23
beliefs of the day nor to the Creed's of
00:17:25
the churches but to the law and
00:17:27
testimony of Jehovah all that we ask for
00:17:30
is an impartial and attentive
00:17:32
examination of what we have written and
00:17:33
that made prayerfully in the light of
00:17:36
the lamp of truth may the reader heed
00:17:39
the divine admonition to prove all
00:17:42
things hold fast that which is good 1
00:17:46
Thessalonians
00:17:47
chapter 5 verse 21
