Is God in control of everything?

cross-roads
Which way should I go?

Last week some of my family attended the funeral of a friend who had died at the age of 51 years old from a heart attack. Was it in God’s plan? I don’t believe that God planned for his life to be cut short. I don’t believe that God wanted that. I don’t believe that his premature death was a punishment in any way.

  • Does God plan that every 3/4 seconds, a child dies of preventable diseases?
  • Did God plan for half a million people die in an earthquake in Haiti?
  • Did God condemn 400,000 Vietnamese boat people to drown at sea whilst seeking a new life in a better country?
  • Did God plan for me to have a stroke 10 years ago?

Continue reading “Is God in control of everything?”

Dreaming of a new kingdom

harvestAs we look around us at the world, we see so much suffering, poverty, disease and violence. Our leaders, politicians and governments have made such a mess of things. Selfishness, greed and corruption seem to rule everything. We threaten our very existence with nuclear weapons and contempt for our environment. Billions live in poverty and millions of children die every day of preventable diseases.

And yet we see so much beauty all around us. Our natural world is full of beauty and wonders. People have created fantastic music, art and literature. Our scientists are eliminating some diseases such as leprosy, polio and smallpox and there is hope for cures from the killer diseases: malaria, aids and cancer.

When God created us, in his image, he also gave us free wills. But mankind has gone its own way and refused to acknowledge the plan God had for us. But God’s plan has always been one of restoration and reconciliation. Jesus came to institute a new kingdom which would radically change the world we live in. In the Gospels, this is known as the kingdom of God, or the kingdom of heaven.

Continue reading “Dreaming of a new kingdom”

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