My Bible sticks is chapter 9. I had rather large plans of getting a fancy Christmas series together for December, but God had other plans, so we're not going to do a Christmas series. At least not yet. So we're going to look at what God wanted me to look at, and that is the fact that God is in control. God is in control. Romans 8, 28, of course, we know says, and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are of the called according to his purpose. So God is in control of what? Let's look at a few things the Bible specifically mentions. The first one, number one, God is in control of governments. God is the one in control of governments. Genesis 20, if you would look there, you will see that Abraham is in the land of the Philistines with Abimelech and of course he tells the half-truth that his wife is his sister when It's partly true, but mostly not. And so Abimelech finds out later, but that's the case. And he asked Abraham why he would do that. But if you read that passage, you see that God was the one involved there keeping Abimelech the king from doing what he shouldn't do. It was God who was in control of that. In Exodus 9, then we come to the Egyptians, the Egyptian empire. Exodus 9 and verse 14, we're in the middle of Moses versus Pharaoh. Actually, God versus Pharaoh. Moses is just the middle man, so to speak. But God has something to say to Pharaoh in verse number 14 of Exodus 9. Remember, at this time, Egypt is the greatest power in the whole region, if not the whole world, economically, militarily, everything. They're the top. Verse 14, God says here, For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence, and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. Now notice verse 16, God tells Pharaoh, And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up. for to show in thee my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth." God is telling Pharaoh directly, you didn't get there on your own, I allowed you to get there. In fact, because you hardened your heart against me, I am now going to use you to show the rest of the world just who I am and how great I am and how insignificant you are. And that is exactly what God did. If you read the rest of this passage through the next few chapters, God did exactly what He said He would do. He showed not only Pharaoh, not only the Egyptians, but the whole world. We talked about that, I think it was last week. Forty years later, when the children of Israel come to Jericho, the first thing that Rahab, the harlot, tells them is, we know what your God did to the Egyptians. That was 40 years ago. God got His glory. And he used Pharaoh to do it. He used Pharaoh to do it. We're not going to look at all these verses for the sake of time. I put all these in here for those who maybe would like to look at them at a later time, but we're going to look at some of them. So if you go to Exodus 14 and look at verses 24 and 25, this is when, after the children of Israel had been thrust out of Egypt by Pharaoh and his people, and God says, they're going to change their mind. They're going to come after you. And he says, he told Moses in verse 15, he says, why, wherefore cryest thou unto me? He said, I've got a plan. They're coming out here for a reason. He said, I'm bringing them out and I'm going to get glory on them once and for all. And in verse 24, Let's look at verse 23. God parts the Red Sea. The Israelites go through. The Egyptians, why you would do this after... I still don't understand. How can you go through these ten amazing plagues knowing that it is the hand of God fighting against you, protecting His people? And then you go out and you see this supernatural parting of a sea. And you see these people whom God is fighting for, that He has proven that, walk through on dry ground. What possesses you to think you should go in there? You know that the reason that water is apart is because the God who has been against you parted it so they could go across. Why? What do you think? Oh, that's a good idea. Let's do what they did. What could possibly go wrong? Well, here's what possibly went wrong. Verse 23, the Egyptians pursued and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass that in the morning watch, the Lord looked under the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, and took off their chariot wheels, that they drove them heavily. So that the Egyptians said, let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians. It's a little late to get this now, but they finally did. Verse 26, the Lord said unto Moses, stretch out thine hand over the sea that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and upon their horsemen. And as you read the rest, you see that God took care of the Egyptians very quickly. It's interesting, the Bible says the Lord just looked on them and the chariot wheels come off and they're totally confused. That's all God had to do. God is in control of governments. In Isaiah 10, we'll look at this one, Isaiah 10, God is speaking about the Assyrian Empire. Not to bore you with historical facts or anything, but I think we know enough about Assyria to know that they were probably one of the most vicious empires that's ever existed. They were cruel is an understatement. They lived for coming up with different horrible ways to torture people and see them die. And that's how they gained their power, by fear and intimidation. They literally made triangle pyramid monuments out of the skins of their victims to make sure that everybody else knew, don't mess with us. That's the kind of people they were. But in Isaiah chapter 10, Beginning in verse 5, God shows us something about the Assyrian power. He says in verse 5, O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. And 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. Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so. But it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations, not a few. And he goes on to describe the attitude of the Assyrian Empire about, I'm so great, I'm so wonderful, haven't I defeated this city, haven't I defeated this country, and nobody's going to stop me. I mean, what's next? Israel? Ooh, Israel, big deal. Okay, I've conquered this city, I've conquered these nations, ten times bigger. Israel? It's a cakewalk. It's nothing. I'll just take them too. Verse number Verse 13, he says, For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am prudent, and have removed the bounds of the people. And it goes on about how great he is, etc., etc. Verse 15, God says here, Shall the axe boasteth itself against him that heweth therewith? Or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? As if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself as if it were no wood. In other words, he's saying, You're nothing but a tool in my hand, O Assyrian. That's all you are. You're nothing. You are nothing. If you go to Ezekiel 21, we won't go there now, but God shows how the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, is coming up against Judah, and he shows that Nebuchadnezzar is going to get all his, quote, wise men together, and they're going to do the only logical thing at the time if you're going to figure out what your military strategy is, and that's look in the liver of a dead animal so you can get direction on which way to go. Early Garmin, I guess. GPS. Strange. But anyway, he thinks they're going to divine which way they're going to go. And God, in that passage, he says, they think they're going to divine it, but they're going the way I want them to go. Because I'm the one in charge. I'm the one in control. Daniel 4, you have Nebuchadnezzar learning this lesson the hard way about pride. If you read through that chapter, he goes out and says, it's not this great Babylon that I have built, that I blah, blah, blah. And what happens? He becomes an animal for seven years, just like God said would happen. He eats grass like an animal. And seven years later, his own testimony, he says, now I know that God ruleth in the heavens. God is in control of governments. And then, of course, Luke chapter 2 and verse 1. Caesar wants money. So he orders everybody to be taxed. Caesar thinks, this is getting me more money. But God is letting Caesar make a tax because God needs Mary and Joseph to be in Bethlehem where he said the Savior would be born. God is in control of governments. Governments are subject to God. Governments are subject to God. They are tools that He uses for His honor and glory. Romans chapter 13, we'll just read a couple verses here. Romans 13, pretty classic passage of scripture on government. Romans 13, verse 1, Paul tells us here, let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. And they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he is the minister of God to thee for good." And he goes on to explain a little bit more. But we need to understand something. Governments are to be respected. They are to be obeyed. Yes, God set it up, but that's the key. God set it up. They are subject to Him. They are not the ones who have the ultimate authority. They are not the ones who establish what is truth. They are subject to God. And we need to remember that when governments become oppressive, when governments start becoming more than they should, when they start becoming tyrannical, when they start endorsing things that are against God's Word, and when they start telling us that we can't follow the Word of God, we need to remember God's bigger than government. God is much bigger than government. Which, by the way, that's the belief, that is the reason why this country became so great back when we used to believe that. But about the turn of from 1800s to 1900s, people started thinking that we needed something else. And by the 1930s and 40s, sadly, a large majority decided that we needed to trust government instead of God. Well, God's bigger than government. And we need to remember He's in control. God is in control of weather. God is in control of weather. Joshua chapter 10 is a good example of this. Joshua 10 and verse 11. I'm not an expert on weather. which from what I've seen here lately, the last few years of meteorology, that means I could probably get a pretty good job being a weatherman. But the Bible is very, it's filled really with lots of neat things that God does with the weather. In Joshua 10 verse 11, here we have Joshua and the Israelites fighting, here some of the Canaanites. And verse 8, the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not, for I have delivered them into thine hand. There shall not a man of them stand before thee. And verse 10 says, And the Lord discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with the great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Beth Horon, and smote them to Azekah and unto Makedah. And it came to pass, verse 11, as they fled from before Israel and were in the going down to Beth Horon, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Ezekiel, and they died. They were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. God is in control of weather and He uses it as He wills. He uses it for His honor and glory. If you go to Job 38, God Himself speaks on the subject. 1 Samuel 12, if you recall, Samuel called down a storm and a hail in the time of harvest because they requested a king, which displeased the Lord. And he got it. God sent that and destroyed a lot of their crops. Job 38 and verse 22, I'm going the wrong way, Job 38 verse 22, I like these chapters in Job. When God starts to speak, Job 38-42, I love these chapters because it's just God speaking in all His power and His glory. And He's just asking these questions that are really rhetorical because there's no possible way any human being can even come close to answering them. God is just showing, putting man in His place and showing us this is who I am. But in Job 38, beginning in verse 22, He mentions some of this about weather. He says in verse 22, hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow, or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war? By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth? Who hath divided a water course for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder, to cause it to rain on the earth where no man is, on the wilderness wherein there is no man, to satisfy the desolate and waste ground, and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth? Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew? Out of whose womb came the ice? In the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it? The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen." God is in control of weather. And then in Mark 4, we'll look at this one, New Testament. Here's the example right here. Jesus, God in the flesh, shows God has control over the weather. Mark 4, verse 35, this is when Jesus tells His disciples, let us pass over unto the other side. And so they get in the boat. Verse 37 says of Mark 4, And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow. And by the way, remember Peter in the book of Acts, the night before he is to be executed, what's he doing? Sleeping like a baby. The angel has to kick him in the side to wake him up. That is trusting God. That's having peace when all looks hopeless. That's having peace with God. And here we see Jesus in the middle of a huge storm on a shallow lake, which any of you boaters know that a storm on a shallow lake is no picnic. Here he is asleep. And they awake him and say unto him, Master, cares thou not that we perish? And he arose and rebuked the wind and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. God created weather. He's the one who made it. He created weather. It belongs to Him and He uses it to accomplish His purpose. In Psalm 147 and 148, we won't go there for sake of time, but you see the psalmist shows weather is for the glory of God. He created it. It brings Him honor and glory. Please note the severity of our weather is not due to mankind using natural resources. I have a news flash for you. God put them there for us to use. They're resources. We need to use them. God put them there for us. The severity of our weather is not due to mankind using natural resources, but to mankind rebelling against God. That is why our weather is getting more severe. It is not because we're using too much oil. We need more oil. And that's the fact. If you don't get more oil, you're not going to be able to function much longer in this technological age we are in. And there are a lot of people who don't see a problem with that, but I guarantee you when the time comes when all the little screens go blank, or the cars don't go vroom vroom anymore, there's going to be a whole lot of upset people. And it will be their own dumb fault because they're saying we can't use our natural resources. We are not destroying the planet by using resources. We are causing problems because we're rebelling against the Creator. of the natural resources. If we would get that in our heads, we would be a whole lot better off. Amos chapter 4 verses 6 through 11, we won't go there, but that's where God tries to get Israel's attention and say, I sent rain here, I didn't send rain here to try to get you to wake up, but you didn't do it. He did this, he did this, they didn't wake up, and finally at the end of that chapter he says, fine, since you didn't, prepare to meet thy God. You don't want to come to me on terms of repentance? Then I will come to you in terms of judgment. That's about where we're at here. We better wake up. That's an entirely different message. Number three, God is in control of animals. Now, after having a few pets in my lifetime that were a little short in the brain department, I kind of wonder about that sometimes. But it is true, God is in control of animals. Genesis 22, verse 11. Genesis 22, verses 11 through 13. Abraham has been called by God to sacrifice his only son Isaac on the altar. He goes, he shows his faith, he gets ready to do so in verse 11. The angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him. For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son." Just a coincidence there. God is in control of animals. Joshua 24, again, verse 12, God did something neat. Joshua 24 and verse 12. We need to use cruise missiles and space missiles and machine guns. God just uses bees. Joshua 24 verse 12. Joshua reminds the people of what happened, of how God fought for them. And he says in verse 12, And I sent the hornet before you, which draved them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites, but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow. The Amorites were tough. They were strong people. And any military strategist of the day would say, look, you've got to have numbers, you're going to have to have weapons, and you've got to be willing to slog through this because these guys are tough. They're not going to go down without a big fight. So if you go up to this strategist and say, well, I think we can do it with hornets, he's either going to laugh or hit you one or the other. You're out of your mind. You're going to defeat the mighty Amorites with bees? OK. Well, you go ahead and do that. You use the bees. I'll use the guns. And then we'll see who wins. Well, with God, the bees will win. And it just works. God is in control of animals. 1 Kings 17 you see Elijah being put on the run because Ahab and Jezebel wanted dead. And God takes him into the middle of the wilderness and he uses what to feed him? Ravens. Scavengers. God uses ravens to feed him. You go through all the Bible and you see verse after verse, Job 39 and 40 again, God speaking about His creation, the animals He made, asking these questions that no one but He could answer. And then He gets into the dinosaurs in chapter 40. What do you mean get into the dinosaurs? Read the chapter, you'll see. I don't recall any hippopotamus that's ever lived that has a tail like a cedar tree. Unless there's a serious problem with the hippopotamus. There are no hippos that have cedar trees for tails. It is not talking about a hippopotamus. It's not talking about an alligator. It's not talking about an elephant. It's talking about a dinosaur. Read the description. God's the one describing it. He's not getting it confused. He knows what he's talking about, and he says that that huge dinosaur is the chief of the ways of God. It was created for his honor and glory, to show his power. Daniel 6, we see Daniel telling the king, O king, live forever. My God hath sent his angel and hath shut the lions' mouths so they could not harm me." And it wasn't because these lions weren't hungry. Remember, the Persians kept them this way. They kept them half-starved for this very reason. So when you throw a prisoner in, he doesn't last long. You don't keep them well-fed. You keep them hungry. So they are hungry. They want to eat. But God says, no. You don't eat yet. You don't eat the one guy. Just hang on a second. Wait till tomorrow. That's when you get the buffet. because they'll be coming in. God has control over animals. Jonah chapter 1 says God had prepared a great whale. God had prepared a great fish. Chapter 2 the Bible says the Lord spake to the whale and it vomited Jonah out on the dry land. It wasn't because Jonah was giving it indigestion. God told him and the whale did it. God has control over animals. More verses Many of you can look at the New Testament when Jesus says, catch your nets on the other side. And the experienced fishermen are saying, come on, man, we've been out here all night. We're not stupid. We've been fishing all night. We're not going to catch anything. OK, catch the fish on the other side. Catch it, let's see. Make him happy, throw the net over, and they almost sink because they have so many fish. Coincidence? No. God's in control of animals. God created animals to reveal his power and glory. and how you can look at animals, how they have been designed, how they have been made and say it came out of nothing, is beyond me. You look at me and say I'm an idiot because I believe God created it. Well, no offense, I say it in Christian love, but you are a complete idiot if you think otherwise. It didn't come from a rock. It didn't come from slime. It came from God pre-designed. He made it that way. And the evidence is there. The evidence is there. Just look at it. God is in control of animals. God created animals to reveal His power and glory and to illustrate His Word. Proverbs 6, what does it say? Go to the ant, thou sluggard. Consider her ways and be wise. Chapter 30, the writer of that proverb lists a whole lot of animals as examples. The spider weaving her web, the greyhound, how swift it is, and several other examples of animals. We just don't have time to get into them. God put them here for a reason, not only to give us enjoyment, but to bring honor and glory to Him and to illustrate the truths of His Word. I forget who it was, but I believe, Pastor, you had a copy of it several years ago. Someone did a message on eagles. I think it was out in Arizona or somewhere and there was an Indian tracker or something who took him out to this remote place where these eagles were. I cannot remember all of it and I don't have time to get into it, but boy that message was amazing at how the eagles illustrate the Word of God, and how even though you can be so down and so crushed by sin, so down by trials, if you just keep your eyes on Christ, you mount up with wings as eagles. It was really wonderful. I wish maybe we could find that sometime and bring that to the people. That was beautiful. But God is in control of animals. Number four, God is in control of the heavens. Joshua chapter 10. Again, in Joshua. You know, there are a lot of people who are worried about some asteroid striking the earth and wiping out the whole population and everything. Well, I guess if you believe that we're at the mercy of random chance, then that will be something you have to worry about. I don't. Because my universe wasn't created by random chance. It was created by Almighty God according to a set order. He knows what He's doing. He is in control of all these celestial bodies. Joshua 10, looking at verse 12. Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel. And he said in the sight of Israel, Son, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou moon in the valley of Adjuan. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it. that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel." Job 38 again, let's go to that one. God speaking once again about the stars. Job 38 and verse 31. God says, Here in Job 38, canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Maseroth in his season, or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? Knowest thou the ordinance of heaven? Canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth? In other words, God's saying, I move these stars. I move them around. I am in control of the constellations, the planets, everything, because I put them there. I created. Let's go to Isaiah 13, verse 13. Isaiah 13, verse 13. God is in control of the heavens. And here He says it, plain English. Isaiah 13, verse 13. God says here, Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place in the wrath of the Lord of hosts and in the day of His fierce anger. He has the power to do it. He is the one in 2 Peter 3 says that the heaven and the earth that are now are kept by the same power are kept reserved for judgment and they're going to go up in flames. Just like the old world that was destroyed by the flood, this one's going to be burned up with fire. And God is the one who's going to do it because He does have the power. The universe is held together by the power of God. Colossians 1 verse 16 and 17 makes that clear. He is before all things and by Him all things consist. The heavens are controlled by God. It clearly declares God's glory, Psalm 19.1. The heavens declare the glory of God, not the glory of man. The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth his handiwork. It does not show the random act of some change, boom. Number five, God is in control of sickness and health. God is in control of sickness and health. Exodus 15, he tells the children of Israel, if you will follow my commandments, if you'll do what I say, I will put none of these diseases upon you that the Egyptians suffered from. He says in Numbers chapter 12, if you go there, we have an example here. Numbers 12. Not only of God's power over sickness and health, but God's attitude towards murmuring and complaining. Numbers 12. Beginning in verse 1, Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married. For he had married an Ethiopian woman. And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it. Now the man Moses was very meek above all the men which were upon the face of the earth. And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses and unto Aaron and unto Miriam, Come out, ye three, unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forth. And he said, Hear now my words. If there be a prophet among you, I, the Lord, will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches. And the similitude of the Lord shall he behold. Wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed. And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle, and behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow. And Aaron looked upon Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not this sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb. And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, though should she not be ashamed seven days, let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again." Showing God has complete control over leprosy, one of the deadliest, most feared diseases of this time. She'll be leprous seven days and then it'll be done. God has control over sickness and disease, over sickness and health. 2 Kings chapter 20, That's supposed to be 2 Kings 20, verses 1-7. That's the error I caught. Who knows what else may be in the page, so if you find one, I'm sorry. 2 Kings 20, verse 1-7. I tried. 2 Kings 20, verse 1. In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. He is going to die. And the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amos, came to him and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live. And we go through and Hezekiah beseeches God that he would remember what he has done, remember how he's tried to live righteously, and he weeps. In verse number 5, God tells Isaiah, turn again and tell Hezekiah, the captain of my people, thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears. Behold, I will heal thee. I will heal thee. On the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. God is in control of sickness and health. John chapter 11, when Lazarus becomes sick, is going to die, Jesus said, this sickness is for the glory of God. In 2 Corinthians 12, if you go there, 2 Corinthians chapter 12, beginning in verse 7, we see Paul's testimony. 2 Corinthians chapter 12, beginning in verse 7. Paul says, And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong." God is in control of sickness and health. Now that doesn't mean He will always heal us. But He's still in control of it, is He not? He is still in control of it. All things work together for good. Maybe that sickness is there because God needs it to be there to bring honor and glory to His name. Maybe that sickness is there because that is something God will use later on to bring someone to Christ. Maybe the sickness is there for who knows what reason to save God. But we can rest assured He does know. He is in control of sickness and health. He has it covered. God is able to heal all diseases. Psalm 103 verse 3, who healeth all thy diseases. Right now medicine can't cure Wagners, but God can. He can. He said He could. We must put our ultimate trust in Him. 2 Chronicles 16 talks about... well, let's just go over there. 2 Chronicles 16. So we may be over a minute or two. 2 Chronicles 16, verses 11 and 12. Asa, king of Judah, started out well. Started out well, had a great victory. God worked a great victory because he just simply trusted in God. And God warned him then, you were victorious because you trusted me. Stay with me. Just stay with me. But he didn't. After a long period of peace, an enemy comes and instead of doing what he did last time, he goes to the Gentiles and asks for help. And because of that, verse 8, He says, You were victorious last time because thou didst rely on the Lord. He delivered them into thine hand. In verse 9, For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly. Therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. And instead of humbling himself, he got indignant. He got upset. And he had the prophet put in the prison house. And he started oppressing the people. And the Bible says in verse 12 there, that in the 39th year of his reign he was diseased on his feet until his disease was exceeding great. Yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord but to the physicians." And that was his mistake. I have nothing against physicians. I like physicians. They're great guys. Great women. I'm glad they're there. They are wonderful people, most of them, and they are very helpful. But there comes a time when you have to make the choice, am I going to put my faith in a physician or am I going to trust God? And that's where you need to trust God. You need to trust God because He is in control of sickness and health. He's in control of it. Number six, got to move on. God is in control of circumstances. Genesis chapter 50. Genesis 39, we start with Joseph and we're familiar with what happened with him. He was sold by his brethren into slavery. He ends up in Potiphar's house. The Bible says the Lord was with him. Everything he touched prospered. In fact, the Bible says that Potiphar left everything in Joseph's hands, so much so he didn't even know what he had except for the food that was in front of him and the clothes he wore. I mean, everything. He so trusted Joseph and God so blessed Joseph that Potiphar just left it all in his hands. We know Potiphar's wife had designs on Joseph. She lied about that, got him arrested and thrown into prison. But even there, God is with him, the Bible says. Sets him as head of the prisoners. He has the chief butler and chief baker who have dreams. He interprets them. They turn out correct. And two years pass. And finally, he comes before Pharaoh because Pharaoh had the dream, the butler remembers, Joseph interprets it, and literally in a matter of minutes, Joseph goes from a prison to being literally the de facto ruler of the greatest nation on the earth. In a matter of minutes, he becomes that. Which, by the way, Potiphar was the captain of the guard, right? So guess who was there when Joseph got promoted? Potiphar? What would you do if you were Potiphar? Oh, here comes that prison boss. Oh dear. What would you do? See, that's how God can work. God can work fast. Immediately, turn things around immediately. He's in control of circumstances. And look what Joseph comes to the conclusion, chapter 50, verse 20. He tells his brethren, but as for you, you thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good. to bring to pass as it is this day to save much people alive." God is in control of circumstances. Ruth 2 tells us that Ruth, the Moabitess, has absolutely nothing, literally nothing to her name. Goes and tries to glean the fields. And the Bible puts it this way, it says her hap was to light upon the field that belonged to Boaz. In other words, it just happened that she ended up in his field. And that was God in control of circumstances. The rest of these verses, Psalm 76, Proverbs 16, verse 33, talk about even the wicked are subject to what God's will is. God is in control of circumstances. God uses circumstances to draw us closer to Him and to conform us to the image of Christ. And if you go back to Romans 8, we'll read verse 29. There, Romans 8, verse 29, all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. Because in verse 29 of Romans 8, the Bible says, for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Paul said that we might know the fellowship of his sufferings. That's part of being conformed to Christ. All the things that happen to us, the circumstances, the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3.1, to everything there is a purpose. a time to every purpose under everything there is a season at a time to every purpose under heaven everything that happens God is using to Help conform us to the image of his son to work on us to help us to grow to grow in grace Number seven God is in control of Satan and his forces And to that I say amen Job chapter 1 verse 12 it's interesting that the oldest book in the Bible is where we find a this truth. From the very beginning, God makes it clear, I am in charge. I am the one who has power to limit the devil. Job chapter 1 and verse 12, Satan lobbies and tries to get God to remove the hedge of protection and God says fine. Verse 12, And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power. Only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. Chapter 2, you see the same thing. God says, go ahead, but this is as far as you go. No farther. God is in control of Satan and his forces. In Mark chapter 5, we'll look at this one. Mark chapter 5, beginning in verse 1. New Testament has several instances recorded where Jesus shows that he is God in the flesh when he faces these people who are possessed with demons. But in Mark 5, it says they came over into the country of the Gadarenes. In verse 2 it says, And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs. And no man could bind him, no, not with chains, because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains. And the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces. Neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus so far off, He ran and worshipped him, and cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion, for we are many. And he besought him much, that he would not send him away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out and entered into the swine. And the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea. And they were about two thousand and were choked in the sea." God is in control of Satan and his forces. Read Revelation. Revelation 12 says, the devil comes down in great wrath. Why? Because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. He's limited. And in chapter 20, we see where they lay hold on that old serpent, the devil, bind him and cast him into that bottomless pit for a thousand years. He comes out, deceives the world again, and then he's cast in the lake of fire. God is in control of Satan and his forces. Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Remember Romans 8.31, if God be for us, who can be against us? Yes, we have a formidable enemy, that's true. And yes, if you think you can face the devil on your own, you're dead meat. But if you have God, greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. God, if God be for us, who can be against us? And that brings us to number eight. We just switched the first two words. Is God in control of me? We've seen all these things that God has made it very clear that He controls. Ultimately, His will will be done. the counsel of the Lord, that will stand. The Bible also says there is no counsel against the Lord. It's impossible to do so. He is in ultimate control. Yet when it comes to us personally, we have to make a choice. Is God in control of me? Is He truly calling the shots in my life? Have I truly submitted to Him as Romans 12, 1 and 2 says, I beseech you therefore by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice unto God, holy and acceptable. On it goes. Is God in control of me? 1 Corinthians 6, What know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. Is God in control of me? Galatians 2 and verse 20. Let's read that, what Paul says. Galatians 2.20. Galatians 2.20. Paul says, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Is God in control of me? 2 Corinthians chapter 5, just back a couple pages. 2 Corinthians 5.15. Paul tells us in verse 14, the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead. And so then in verse 15, he says, and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again. Is God in control of me? First of all, have I accepted Christ as my Savior? Have I come to Him in sorrow for my sin, asking Him to forgive me of my sin and come into my heart and be my Savior? Is God in control of me? If I have, then, is God in control of me? Am I letting Him lead me? Am I letting Him guide me? Am I submitting myself? Am I yielding my members as instruments of righteousness instead of instruments of unrighteousness, like Paul talks about in Romans 6? Am I yielding to that? Or am I still allowing myself to be run through this life by the worldly philosophy that's being hammered into me 24-7 in the stores, on the radio, with the TV, through the phone, etc., etc., on the Internet? Which one is it? Oh yes, I'm saved. Jesus is my Lord. Really? Couldn't tell it. Really? Because what you're doing doesn't line up with what this book says. Well, I know, but the day and time we live, the day and time we live in was foretold by Christ a long time ago. God told us what these days would be like a long time ago before they got here. We ought to expect it. We can't use it as an excuse or as a crutch to go along following the world and say, well, I know, but. I know, but. Yeah. We know, therefore. Let's follow it. Is God in control of me? A lot of times we deceive ourselves into thinking He is, when in reality, He's not. When in reality, He's really not the one guiding us, directing us. It's not His book we're following. As Paul said, examine yourselves. We need to examine ourselves. Remember, we live in deceptive times, dangerous times, perilous times. In fact, the Bible says, if it were possible, the very elect would be deceived. This isn't a spiritual cakewalk. This requires a fight. This requires effort. Is God in control of me? He's in control of everything else. All He had to do to say to the storm was stop. All He has to do to say to the stars is move. All He has to do to say to the animals is go. But when He says it to us, The result many times isn't as good as when he tells the animals. You know, the donkey in Numbers didn't have a problem obeying God. We like to think the donkey's stubborn. But I often wonder sometimes we get to heaven and we meet the donkey that Balaam was riding. He's going to walk up to some of us and say, what were you thinking? You sit there and got the gall to call me stubborn. I listened to God. I did what He told me. And I'm a donkey. What's your excuse? Yeah. We don't have one. That's the point. The stars obey. The storm just obeys. The water just obeys. The animals just obey. The hornets do what He says. Why don't we? Is God in control of me? That's the question. Let's bow our heads and close our eyes. That's the question. Is God in control of me? Maybe you're here and you've never accepted Christ as your Savior. Look, the Bible makes it clear. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. You have got to come through Christ. There is no other way. You cannot rely on your works. Your works are as filthy rags in God's eyes. We have no righteousness. There is none righteous, no, not one. You must come to Christ. Admit you are a sinner. Ask God to forgive you of your sin. And accept Him as your Savior. The Bible says, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Christian, is God in control of you? Examine yourself. Look at your heart. Step back from your life, step back from yourself, and take an honest assessment of your life. Is God truly in control of me? Or are there some things where I'm taking the wheel? We need to yield ourselves as instruments of righteousness unto God. Let's make sure God is in control of us. Let's make sure he is the one who's calling the shots in our lives. Lord, I pray you bless our invitation time. I thank you so much for your word and the things that you have revealed to us. I pray you would work now in our hearts. Help us, Father, to be better servants for you in these days we live, and we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.