IS THIS PREDESTINATED?
by Elder Lin Brown
Psa 17:13b&14a
deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword: From men which are thy hand,Prov 16:4
The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.Isa 10:5&6
O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.Isa 14:24-27
The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?Isa 45:7
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.Isa 46:9-11
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.Isa 54:16b
and I have created the waster to destroy.Dan 4:35
And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?Acts 4:27&28
For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.Eph 1:11b
being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:I am well aware that there are other Scriptures which speak of the Lord having created all things for His own purpose and that the word predestination in the New Testament is always linked with the salvation of the elect in Christ Jesus. However, it is not my purpose here to expound those glorious truths, but simply to demonstrate to your understanding the fact the events that are befalling our country today are not by chance, not by the independent wicked acts of men, and not independent of the foreordained purpose of God to punish this nation for its wickedness of apostasy from the Living and True God. It is easy to sink into the attitude and despair that all of the problems in our country and in the world are the result of the evil acts of men. Why we might even become angry at those who are causing all of this terror, forgetting that it is in all truth God who has caused this to come about. He is working His preordained purpose out right before our very eyes. We who are blessed to know and understand this, can stand still and see the salvation of the Lord for His people. In this midst of all these reports and tragedies and terrors we can stand secure knowing that we are not appointed unto wrath but to obtain salvation in Jesus Christ. You and I must not abandon the bastions of the revelation of the absolute sovereignty of God over all things when the things we are seeing are so terrifying. We are to hold the fort knowing that the only true hope is in the truth that the Lord has purposed all things, not just the good and pleasant things. The modern day Assyrian can do nothing less and nothing more than what the predestinating purpose of God has preordained to take place beforehand. The things the Lord has purposed may be revealed to be more terrifying in the coming days. It is the great truth that nothing takes place outside the purpose of God that will enable us to stand and not faint and succumb to heart failure. May the Lord be pleased to apply this to your hearts and minds is my prayer.
