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MAN AND PREDESTINATION (INTERPLAY OF FATE)
by John Seun Please read these two stories carefully and the text that follow; Henry, 18, was preparing for his High school certificate examinations. He would light a Candle to supplement the precarious power supply, habitually he places the candle on a plastic tin that house his body cream. Although, he had been warned by his friends to get a candle-stand, he had never slept without putting off the candle's flame. Nobody knew what happened the night his mother woke neigbours with her cry for help as she saw smoke coming out of Henry's room. The horde of neigbours could do nothing to help as the engulfing inferno had dealt mercilessly with Henry. Many could help but wonder how the inferno started, but few of his friends that were at the scene strongly believed it must have been caused by the candle. On the wake of dawn, all gathered at Henry's residence to console his desolate and shattered mother. Suddenly, I heard the voice of an old woman saying: " mmh, life, please mama Henry take heart, a leaf will not drop off a tree without the consent of the tree, nothing happen in life without God's approval, it is the will of God". As a kid, I quickly painted in my mind that God must be a wicked Man to have allowed such a young boy die awfully. -------------------------------------- Mr. Wale was a very good customer of mine. He would come to the store twice a week, atimes he buys but he often come to chat with few customers that he could find around. He would boast about his contracts with government ministries and parastatals, the contract sum and his incomes on them, he swaggers about how much he spends on weekends and on clothing. A month had passed since I last saw him in the store; I had tried to get in touch with him via his mobile phones but all efforts proved futile. I assumed he's traveled out of the country until one afternoon. Mr. Wale showed up in the store again, this time on crouches. I was astounded to see him that way but without a speck of doubt I believed he must have been a victim of a terrible car accident. I rushed out to meet him at the door, ushering him in I summoned the valor to ask; " what happened, I had tried your two mobile lines but they were not in use.", then he said; "mmh my brother, just thank God for me- thieves came to my house- they shot me twice in the leg because they did not believe that I don't have a penny at home, they thought I was reluctant to give. Well I believe is the act of God, who are we but actors and actresses acting along with the ultimate script of our creator (the ultimate playwright)" That last sentence sent a goose-pimple down my spine; the surge to question God grew higher than Mount Kilimanjaro. ------------------------------------- John Calvin wrote; " we define predestination as the eternal design of God, whereby he determined what he wanted to do with each man, for he did not create them all in the same condition, but foreordains some to everlasting life and others to eternal damnations". Many believe that whatever happens to man in life is according to the wish and will of God (after all he is omniscient), he knows everything, even when and why everyone will die. Can God be that cruel to predestine some countries with Tsunamis, poverty, wars, injustice, e.t.c and some with peace, riches, justice e.t.c.? The answer of course is No! Study the two excerpts above very well. If Henry had listened to advice of his friends he would have averted the inferno and save himself the untimely end to his life. Better still, had it not been Mr. Wale's carelessness in exposing his economic base to people he barely even know that put him under the perilous foot of life and cost him his leg? "When you take precautions you suffer less consequence". If God had predestined your life, then eating, using car seat belt while driving, taking good care of your self or even smoking, drinking, etc. will not be a big deal. After all, there is nothing you can do to change God's plans for your life. It is the will of God that we all have everlasting life, one with no dearth of anything (Gen. 1:28-31), but man's insurgencies put an end to that nice and everlasting prospect. Just like the first couple threw their total freedom away. One thing caught my attention in Gen 1:27; "so God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him.". A man of God once said that a son of a Goat is a goat, that of a Dog a dog and a son of GOD is a god. Remember he said in Matt 7:8-11 that he knows how to give good gift to his own children, since a child can choose to remove himself from the father (just like the prodigal son), you have the right to choose to be fathered by the devil. Adam chose to disobey God. One thing that has not been taken away from man is the power of "choice". You choose what you will be in life. No wonder, the great philosophy says; our destiny is in our own hands". Although, he urges us to choose wisely (I John 4:8-17; Psalm 37:28; Amos 5:15; Deut 30:19-20), "he did not establish ahead of time the choice that individuals would make". 'I know the thought I have towards you, the thought of good and not evil- If you follow God, he has good thought for you. Joshua said in Joshua24:15; ".choose you this day whom ye will serve,.: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD". You are not alive today because you are more righteous than those dead but you simply choose to speak life (Luke 13:1-5). In Luke 10:19; he gave power to tread on ALL the power of the enemy, again, it is your choice to take the power or not, in the same way he's given you power to get wealth; if you lay hold of this power you can never be poor. Well the ball is in your court. When something happen in your life (good or bad), it is not as result of some invisible forces and not because they are inevitable but everyman suffer the consequences of his actions. "Unforeseen occurrences are simply the consequences of other people's decisions whether wise or unwise". (Ecl. 9:11; James 1: 13-14). An adage says; 'the insect that eats leaf live right on the leaf' God said He knows the thought He has towards you they are of good and not evil, why? Because you are the apple of His eyes (Zech2:8), but to start with, you need to choose God as your father (return to your creator). John 15:4; Zeph. 1:12-18; Zeph. 2:3. Do you remember the scripture that says: ". as a man thinketh, so he is." What you think you do and what you do determines who you will be. Your decisions today decide what your future holds. Remove the word "it is the will of God" from your literature, instead ask Him (God) to help you choose and act wisely. When you say 'let your will be done oh God' you are simply aware of the fact that His thoughts toward you are always of good and favour. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 1:2 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: John 1:12 We are all created to enjoy life in abundant through the acceptance of our sonship redeemable in Christ Jesus. It's the will of God for you to live in peace and affluence as a Christian not to surfer but to be a good example to unbelievable. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: Galatians 3:13 If, as Christians, we still surfer then the death of Christ is in vain. You still have the choice to do things right, exercise it and ask God for guidance. God bless. Seun John Elere [email protected] Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |