Episode 1269: God's hope in my sufferings and good times Part 1

Hello everyone. In today's Bible study we continue with the church at Pergamos however the focus is on the Sovereignty of the Most High God.

Let me share with you several scriptures first.Acts 4:24-28 (NKJV)
24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said:
‘Why did the nations rage,
And the people plot vain things?
26 The kings of the earth took their stand,
And the rulers were gathered together
Against the LORD and against His Christ.’
27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 TO DO WHATEVER YOUR HAND AND YOUR PURPOSE DETERMINED BEFORE TO BE DONE.

Do you understand what the apostles just said concerning these evil people? Of course all people are wicked and evil however these just so happened to reveal just how wicked and evil they are by opposing Christ.

Peter just declared that everything that these wicked and evil men did was DETERMINED BY GOD and used for the PURPOSES OF GOD. I don't know if you fully appreciate what was declared but it certainly brings everything into perspective, a biblical perspective for me.

Now let's look at this scripture from Paul. Acts 17:22-27 (NKJV)
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; 23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:
TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.
Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: 24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has DETERMINED THEIR PREAPPOINTED TIMES AND THE BOUNDARIES of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

This has to be one of the most glorious passages of scriptures in all the Bible. It literally states that God does not need anything nor anyone, everything and everyone needs the Lord.

Men are religious but that religious is against the Lord. That Christ is Lord of heaven and earth and cannot be worshipped by any of His creators without His assistance. THEN
He is the only Creator. He determined that we will live only upon the earth. He determined and preappointed where, when, why, and to whom we would be born. That He did all this for the sole purpose of us seeking Him but only those who are in hope (Christ) will find Him.

What is God talking about? It's simple, you would not be saved if the Lord would have allowed you to make choices for yourself.

Today's study is 1 hour and 17 minutes in duration. I have broken it into seven segments. This is segment 5 of 7 titled God's hope in my sufferings and good times Part 1.