Who is in Control of the Earth?

Some Jehovah's witnesses came by today and handed me a pamphlet with the question, "Who do you think controls the earth?" The answer the pamphlet gave was that Satan controls the earth, and they cited a few verses to justify their answer.

I think the question is interesting, as there are many related issues in the ballpark that perhaps are being wrapped into it. "Control" is a very different sort of a thing than, for example, "authority" or "sovereignty". I think if we separate all three of these concepts, as they are distinct, then we can more easily answer the question of who is in control of the earth.

2013: A Year of Change and Surprise!

Back in January, I was seeking the Lord about what words He would use to describe this coming year. I heard the word, "change". A couple days later, I asked Him the same question, and I heard the word, "surprise". Well, this year my husband and I are definitely looking at a major change coming up since we will be relocating to Azusa, California this summer! I am sure we cannot even anticipate the sorts of changes and surprises we will encounter along the way. But I discern one thing in particular about these coming changes and surprises: they are good! I believe we are entering into a season of blessings and favor from the Lord!

Do I Have Enough Faith?

Imagine that you are walking along a dirt path in the woods admiring nature and communing with God. As you are enjoying God's presence, you see in the distance that a large tree branch has fallen across the path ahead. You reach the branch and realize that there is no way to pass unless the branch is moved. Thus, having the faith that God has the power to move mountains (let alone a tree branch), you fall to your knees and plead that God would remove the branch so that you can continue on your walk and get back to enjoying God's presence without hindrance. After a few uneventful minutes, you recall the story of the widow and the unjust judge (see Luke 18:1-8), and you decide that it is God's will for you to persevere in prayer until He answers. So you pray for 10 minutes. 30 minutes. 1 hour. 10 hours. ...

More Thoughts on Healing

So... is it God's will to heal the sick, or not?

This question stirs up a lot of unnecessary controversy simply because people have different ideas of what the question actually means. [I'll leave that discussion for another post.] But for now, I think we can focus on another question in the neighborhood that has profound implications for our daily lives: Is it God's will for us (born-again followers of Jesus) to heal the sick?