PROVIDENCE, or mere coincidence?

(I.M.O., there's no such thing as luck)

Consider these words of wisdom from Pastor Stephen Davey.

"The timing of a letter; a phone call; a conversation; something that happened; something that worked and something that did not; some interruption – these are God’s hands at work".

Okay, here's another testimony I just have to share.  I made a phone yesterday to an old friend from another State that I haven't seen nor heard from in over 21 years.  I received a call back from him a few hours later, it "just so happens" he's going to be staying in my State, and my City tonight, and we're going to (Lord willing) get together, have dinner and "fellowship" with each other tonight.  Big Deal?  Maybe not to you, but it is to me, and I'm praising God for His Divine Providence even in the little details of our lives.  I have tried unsuccessfully for years to find contact info. on him, and have prayed for the LORD to help me reach him at least once to tell him what an inspiration he was, and how much his friendship meant to me.  "As luck would have it", after years of periodically searching for it, I found a phone number for him yesterday (wait-there's no such thing as luck-must be Providence).  If interested in the details, you're invited to read on...
That's a summary of God's Providential working out the details in this instance , but here's a little background our friendship.

About 21 to 25 years ago, give or take a few,  before God "Providentially" led me (as He always does, we often just can't see it except in hindsight) in a different career path through my wife's encouragement to go to college while she taught school, I drove an 18-wheeler (i.e., I was a commercial truck-driver) for a living.  I traveled across many Southern States delivering groceries here in the U.S.A., and met many people during that time.  One man stood out among the rest.  His name was Gary K..

"Brother Gary", as we called him, was one of the first people we would see as we rolled up to the Piggly Wiggly grocery store out in "Small Town",  U.S.A..  Bro. Gary always had a smile on his face, and was always extra friendly.  At most of our stops, the store personnel would not help us unload the truck, saying it was "our responsibility", but Gary would.  He'd get up in the truck and help us unload that 45,000 pound load of freight, kidding with us, picking with us, and having fun all the while.  From day one, I knew he was different.  

Turns out, Gary was a bi-vocational Baptist Pastor/Preacher, married with children, working at the Piggly Wiggly during the week to provide for his family.  His small town Baptist Church where he pastored, obviously couldn't fully support him financially, thus he "worked with his hands", and fulfilled Paul's Words to the Thessalonians:

1Thessalonians 4:11-12  ...and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. 

In fact, I have used Bro. Gary's life as a modern day example modeling Paul's "tent-making", which is how Paul met Priscilla and Aquila in Corinth.

I remember more than once after unloading the truck, Bro Gary asking me "what ya gonna do for lunch?"  Sometimes I was on a tight schedule and had to roll on out, but one time I accepted, and he called his wife, told her to put on a "pone of cornbread, and warm up the soup", because I'm bringing a truck-driver home for lunch.  That meal at his house had such an impact on me as a young Christian, as they modeled the believers in the Book of Acts.  What hospitality and Christian love!

Acts 2:46 (ESV) ...and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts

Well, this post is getting to long, and I realize that "too long" may lose readers' interest, so just a few more sentences and I'm through.   One more thing that really stood out about Bro. Gary was his enthusiasm about preaching and teaching his congregation at his Church.  As we were unloading that load of freight one Wednesday afternoon, dripping with sweat, he was sharing with me some details about his current series on the Book of Revelation.  He was so excited that it was Wednesday, and he had the privilege of preaching and teaching God's Word to God's people that evening (after he went home to wash-up, eat, and get to the church).  Now I realize that full-time salaried preachers have a heavy load on them preparing and preaching 2 or 3 sermons a week (some more, some less), along with their other responsibilities involving administration, hospital visitations, funerals, etc.,   but Bro. Gary also had those duties at church, and never complained about being overloaded.  He had a joy and a passion for Jesus, his flock, and his ministry that I'll never forget.

2 Timothy 4:2  preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season

Today's post was primarily for me, writing it down while fresh in my memory, as another reminder of how God works "behind the scenes" in our daily lives.  I just had to share how the LORD showed me yet another undeniable, clear act of Providence and answered prayer yesterday.
THAT'S ALL FOR NOW.  I may add more details about our evening of fellowship later, will have to wait and see!

FROM HERE DOWN IS JUST A RE-CAP OF A FEW PAST BLOGS ON PROVIDENCE.
I love to talk and write about the "Providence of God", which is a very awesome and yet comforting teaching of Scripture.  Here's a few links to some (not all) past blogs on the subject.

This one is about Providence in the lives of two "Josephs", in Genesis, and Matthew, as well as in the lives of my family today.
click >  Detoured? Discouraged? God is still Sovereign, and we can trust Him!!

This one quotes the "Prince of Preachers", Charles Spurgeon. 
click >  Just How Sovereign is God? Spurgeon comments.

Here's another one from a few months back.
click >  Luck? Coincidence? Chance?....or PROVIDENCE

And of course, quotes from John Flavel (1627–1691), an English Presbyterian clergyman
click > John Flavel quotes on Providence

As mentioned above, I may add more details later, maybe in the comments on this post, or possibly a new one.

If you'd like to comment, I'd love to hear stories of God's Providence in your life!  If not able to sign in, you can select "anonymous", and put your info. into the comment itself.  Blessings!

Coincidence? Chance? Luck?...or could it be PROVIDENCE!

Coincidence? What's that?
I think of the Book of Ruth, when Ruth met Boaz, who would later become her kinsman Redeemer

...so she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech.  Ruth 2:3 (ESV, emphasis added)

I also think of Jesus' divine appointment with the "woman at the well"...remember?  Jews never traveled through Samaria but would go around, they hated each other...Well, Jesus was with his disciples, and

...he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar--John 4:3-5   (KJV says "must needs go")

Chance?  It's nothing...chance doesn't exist if you're referring to some unseen force that can cause something to happen (unless you're simply referring to a "mathematical probability")
I think of Jonah in the ship, as the sailors cast lots to see who's fault the storm was, it fell on Jonah...

And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah--Jonah 1:7 (ESV)

The lot is cast into the lap,but its every decision is from the Lord--Proverbs 16:33 (ESV)

Luck?  Doesn't exist.  My dad taught us since we were children not to say we were "lucky", or "that was luck", or anything like that.  He taught us that God is to be thanked and acknowledged for anything good that comes our way.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights  James 1:17 (ESV)

What we sometimes think is a coincidence is really just an act of God's Providence where he has chosen to remain anonymous!

How many times do we miss recognizing God's hand in what we consider "coincidences" or "chance" or "luck"?

And how many times do we miss giving Him the Glory due His name?  My dad also taught us from a young age that God is Sovereign in All Things, and to give Him Glory due His name for everything!

Consider the following excerpt from one of Pastor Stephen Davey's sermons from "Wisdom for the Heart":

A Widow and a Would-be King
Elisha: Living the Impossible Life – Part VIII
II Kings 8

To those who wait upon the Lord, there is no such thing as a coincidence...
When God does move, there are no coincidences...
Pastor Davey continues...I have read it put this way, “A coincidence is really a small miracle where God prefers to remain anonymous.”

We should be praying for the perception and insight to see God in the small miracles. The timing of a letter; a phone call; a conversation; something that happened; something that worked and something that did not; some interruption – these are God’s hands at work.

AMEN!  Will you recognize God's hand at work in your life, and give Him Glory?

God Predestines. Man is Responsible. Can both be true?

My answer is, ABSOLUTELY!  The Bible consistently teaches both.   Do you have trouble reconciling how these two statements can both be true?  Well, Charles H. Spurgeon believed every Word he read in Scripture, even if it "appeared" to contradict what he read elsewhere in Scripture.  Consider the following from Spurgeon:

"That God predestines, and that man is responsible, are two things that few can see. They are believed to be inconsistent and contradictory; but they are not. It is just the fault of our weak judgment. Two truths cannot be contradictory to each other. If, then, I find taught in one place that everything is fore-ordained, that is true; and if I find in another place that man is responsible for all his actions, that is true; and it is my folly that leads me to imagine that two truths can ever contradict each other. These two truths, I do not believe, can ever be welded into one upon any human anvil, but one they shall be in eternity: they are two lines that are so nearly parallel, that the mind that shall pursue them farthest, will never discover that they converge; but they do converge, and they will meet somewhere in eternity, close to the throne of God, whence all truth doth spring." (Charles H. Spurgeon, New Park Street Pulpit, 4:337)

Well spoken, Pastor Spurgeon!

And as Randy Alcorn (who currently holds to 4 points of Calvinism) stated:

"...our theology should be a reflection of Scripture itself, and wherever Scripture teaches apparently contradictory ideas, our theology should embrace those same ideas, rather than resort to a consistency which rejects part of God’s revealed Word."

Alcorn goes on to state:

"My Greek professor liked to say, “I would rather be comfortable with my Bible and uncomfortable with my theology, than comfortable with my theology and uncomfortable with the Bible.”

Agreed!
For Alcorn's excellent webpage where these quotes were taken from, click below.
http://www.epm.org/resources/2010/Mar/22/spurgeons-theology-embracing-biblical-paradox/

The Lamb's Book of Life---Written when?

Can you remember being in church services that closed something like this?

Every head bowed, every eye closed, no one looking around, instruments playing softly, now raise your hand and look up at me if you would like to have your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life tonight.  Is your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life?  Would like you like it to be?  Then as soon as we start singing, if you will walk down this aisle and take me by the hand, pray this prayer, do this and that, jump through this hoop and that hoop, etc.,  your name can be written down in the Lamb's Book of Life tonight in Heaven..........Now, how does it feel to know your name has just been written down in the Book?

Is this correct?  I believe Scripture teaches the Lamb's Book of Life was written before the foundation of the world, not at a moment in time when you make your "decision for Christ".  Agree?  Disagree?  I invite you to read on if interested...

I can remember end-of-church-service invitations very similar to this growing up in a Southern Baptist Church in Louisiana. The Pastors, Preachers, Evangelists, etc. speaking like this were great men of God who loved Jesus, and they were instrumental in bringing many people into the Kingdom of God (both wheat and tares, no doubt, but didn't Jesus say they must both grow together?  see Matthew 13)

Now, is there anything wrong with that type of "invitation" or "invitations" in general?  Glad you asked, but I'm not going there on this blog.  There's much debate over invitations, and people feel strongly on both sides of the debate, but I know God is not hindered and His arm is not shortened that He cannot save, regardless of our "methodology". Countless multitudes of souls have been saved with and without invitations because it is God who does the saving by the power of the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the Gospel, not us or our invitational methods.

 The reason I was thinking about the Lamb's Book of Life today has to do with a facebook post by R.C. Sproul earlier today, as follows:

 Ligonier Ministries FACEBOOK post:
When God writes our names in the 'Lamb's Book of Life' He doesn't do it with an eraser handy. He does it for eternity. - R.C. Sproul

The comment thread was getting longer and longer, and I noticed no one seemed to mention what Scripture says about this, but only made comments about Revelation 3:5 and whether or not we can be blotted out of the Book.  So I put my two cents worth in (a metaphor for "my opinion", for those International readers  that may not be familiar with American English "figures of speech").  The following is my response on Ligonier's thread:

Actually, our names aren't written in the Lamb's Book of Life when we're saved, they're already there from before the foundation of the world... Rev.13:3 (NASB) speaks of "those whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb", and Rev.17:8 (ESV if you prefer) speaks of those "whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world"...so the names of the elect are already there, which coincides with Ephesians Chapter 1, Romans Chapter 8, etc., and the promise is that they will never be blotted out in Rev. 3:5, because cities in that day would blot out or purge the names of undesirables from their city register...the promise is that this will not happen to us who are secure in Christ...

Arthur W. Pink's last words before he died in 1952 were:  
"THE SCRIPTURES EXPLAIN THEMSELVES!"

So in summary, according to Scripture (and Scripture is our only Authority), the Elect's names are already written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world and will never be blotted out.  

But you might say "then what's the use for me, if I'm not elect, I don't have a chance. "
Well, I'm glad you asked!

John 1:12-13 (ESV) says

But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

and Revelation 22:17 says  The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

So if you're not sure of your salvation, or if you know you're not saved, and if you are being convicted and drawn by His Spirit, if you will humble yourself, cry out to Him and sincerely surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in repentance and faith, you will find that your name has already been written in the Lamb's Book of Life.  
But if you continue to reject the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, you will one day (perhaps judgement day) see that your sins remain on yourself, and that your name is not in the Book.  How tragic that would be...