STAND FIRM - Issue #30, November 2003
"Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong" (1 Cor. 16:13)
This is a FREE monthly e-newsletter from Gospel For Today Ministries for men who want to enjoy peace of mind by being
reminded that their righteousness before God is not based upon their
works or performance but upon the finished work of Jesus Christ (Rom. 4:5).
For more information, visit the Gospel For Today Web site at
http://www.gospelfortoday.org/men/men.htm
************ NEW - GFT DISCUSSION FORUM ******************
Looking for a place to go to be encouraged in the gospel of the grace of God? Head on over to Gospel For Today's new
Discussion Forum:
http://www.gospelfortoday.org/gftforum/
***************** TESTIMONY ********************************
"This is the best Christian site on the Web! You glorify Christ better than any of the hundreds I have seen. May the
blessed Lord bless your good work."
- Al Driscoll, New Mexico
**************** CONFERENCE UPDATE ************************
The "Jesus Plus Nothing" Conference scheduled for December 12-14, 2003 in Nevada City, CA has been cancelled.
**************** QUOTE OF THE MONTH ************************
The Lord of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?
-Isaiah 14:27
"It is a strange theory that obsesses men that the human will is greater in power than God, and that, no matter what the will
of God is for His creatures, man is able to finally wreck it"
- J. Preston Eby, from "The Savior of the World"
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God Is Sovereign
by John Moneypenny
john@gospelfortoday.org
"The Lord has established His throne in the heavens; and His sovereignty rules over all" (Psalms 103:19).
The phrase, "God is sovereign", is thrown around all over the religious world. Unfortunately, those who make this declaration
many times intend something far from its true meaning. The "sovereignty" they are referring to is partial, limited in scope,
and subject to certain other conditions that can nullify the sovereignty of this God.
For someone to be sovereign means that they have full and complete control over whatever it is they govern. It also means that they
have the inherent power to exercise that sovereignty subject to no one else, and that they have complete knowledge of all that pertains to that which they rule over to the point that they are not blind-sided by any of its actions.
So to say that God is sovereign is to actually declare that He has complete, total, 100% control, power, and knowledge over that which
He rules. By the very definition of the word, the One who is sovereign calls all the shots, makes sure everything happens the way He wants
them to happen, and is never stymied from anything He desires to accomplish.
So what?
My friend, "God our Savior desires ALL men be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4). The God who not only "desires"
this ultimate outcome for ALL mankind, but more accurately "wills" it, is the God whose "sovereignty rules over ALL" (Psalms 103:19). He is
the God who "works ALL things according to the counsel of His will" (Eph. 1:11). He is the God who "canst do ALL things, and no purpose of
His can be thwarted" (Job 42:2). He is the God who sent His Son into the
world "that the world should be saved through Him" (John 3:17). He is the God whose "purpose will be established, and who will accomplish ALL
His good pleasure" (Isaiah 46:10).
This is the God of the Scriptures, the Creator of heaven and earth, the God of ALL who is over ALL and through ALL and in ALL (Eph. 4:6). He has
purposed, He has decreed, He has ordained, and He has determined that ALL
men will be saved. Can His will be thwarted? Can His creation resist His
will (Romans 9:19)? Will the word of God go forth and return empty, failing to accomplish what He desires concerning the matter for which He
sent it (Isaiah 55:11)?
Can the One whom the Scriptures declare to be "sovereign", the One who rules over all, and the One who "sent the Son to be the Savior of the
world" (1 John 4:14), truly be sovereign and yet at the same time fail in
what He purposed to do in Christ?
Brother, God IS sovereign, and His purpose to save ALL men through, and only through, the cross of Jesus Christ, shall be done!
John Moneypenny is the president of Gospel For Today Ministries and the publisher of the "Stand Firm" E-Newsletter
for men. John is available to speak wherever there are people who need to be encouraged in the faith and assured of their
right standing with God (Romans 1:11-12). For more information, contact the Gospel For Today office today by e-mail at john@gospelfortoday.org or by phone at (812) 333-4672.
********************* BELIEFS? *****************************
Have you ever wondered what Gospel For Today Ministries believes about the gospel of Jesus Christ? Click on the following link to
find out: http://www.gospelfortoday.org/beliefs.htm
**************** NEW TEACHING TAPE! ************************
"5 Things Religion Teaches That The Apostle Paul Did Not!"
The Apostle Paul had many things to say about the ramifications of the cross of Jesus Christ. Oddly enough, many of the things
Paul taught do not line up with the party-line gospel that is shared by some of the most popular religious groups of today.
John's newest teaching tape, "5 Things Religion Teaches That The Apostle Paul Did Not!", takes a closer look at the false
gospel of religion in light of the gospel for today given to Paul.
For more information or to order your copy today, call us at 812-333-4672 or visit us on-line at
http://www.GospelForToday.org/5thingsaudiopage.htm
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Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong (1 Cor. 16:13)! |
