Where is the scepter? What about the guards? What about the servants? Sovereign folks show their power!

$2,300 bill from Nicor for November. Direct withdrawal from our account!

$2,300 bill from Nicor for November. Direct withdrawal from our account! “Catch-up bill” due to low estimates starting in Meter read in September of 2008 Meter read in September of Nicor flagged the account as needing action, but did nothing. Meter read September Low use estimates are confirmed dating to No contact from Nicor about this. Meter is read again in November, further confirming two years of under billing. December 15, $2,300 is removed from our account.

The December bill sat on my desk, unopened. This is a matter of routine, seeing that we have been on direct withdrawal. Nicor would remove the small amount of funds required to cover our gas use. This would be no big deal. Oops! $2300 of direct withdrawal is a big deal. Nicor did not try to call us, seeing that the mailed bill summary should have sufficed. Of course, if Nicor had tried to call the Church, the phone lines were down at that time anyway. This is not a gas meter...

When I considered the potential for bouncing checks and their cost, plus wondering how long we could last if the heating bills would continue to be in the thousands, I was pretty upset. I was very nice as I expressed my belief that Nicor’s billing system was pathetic in this case. I gave my assessment that the meter readers ought to actually read the meter more than once a year and that Nicor should have dealt with this over a year ago.

When I considered the potential for bouncing checks and their cost, plus wondering how long we could last if the heating bills would continue to be in the thousands, I was pretty upset. The power to financially ruin you!

When I considered the potential for bouncing checks and their cost, plus wondering how long we could last if the heating bills would continue to be So Nicor has more power than God? The power to financially ruin you! Is the sovereignty of God such a fragile thing as to be threatened by a gas bill?

When I considered the potential for bouncing checks and their cost, plus wondering how long we could last if the heating bills would continue to be So Nicor has more power than God? Is the sovereignty of God such a fragile thing as to be threatened by a gas bill? The death of a loved one? A house fire? A traffic accident? Unemployment? A war?

What affect did any of this have on God’s sovereignty? The collapse in Eden BabelChildlessness Evil brothers selling Joseph into slavery Being falsely accused Being forgotten in prison Being enslaved Egypt’s big nasty army (other armies, too.) National depravity and disobedience Evil people opposed to God’s work in folks lives Anarchy Spineless rulers Evil rulers National evil on the loose. Foreign kingdoms seeking other’s destruction Religious leaders opposing true faith Religious and Governmental officials killing folks Massive pogroms against the People of God It is as if there is this background structure that remains despite all efforts to thwart or ignore it, passed on through people and events; a thread woven through all of this that supersedes everything and is actually the very purpose of it all. This thread weaves people, events and circumstances together to reach a single objective; to bring everything together in voluntary submission to God through Christ. “And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.” (Eph 1)

Romans And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. God can use the Nicor bill for the good? Actually, it says that he is using the Nicor bill for the good. (Providing we are “in the camp.”)

Romans 8 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. God’s sovereignty tends to be in the background, superintending the events of life to work out right rather than the relatively rare flash and boom.

Romans And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 9For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. God’s plan for us is active! (The engine is running.)

Romans 8 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Romans 8 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died —more than that, who was raised to life —is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died —more than that, who was raised to life —is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

Romans 8 36 As it is written: 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, 41 neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, [nor Nicor bills] nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, 41 neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, [nor Nicor bills] nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. How silly I have been...

I Kings :1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” 2Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: 3“Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.” 5So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. Years go by and nothing changes. Just the brook and ravens.

I Kings Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. 7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. The widow is out of flour and oil. It does not run out. The widow is out of flour and oil. It does not run out. The widow’s son dies and Elijah heals him. The widow’s son dies and Elijah heals him. Three years have gone by. Three flashes of sovereignty. Three years have gone by. Three flashes of sovereignty.

I Kings Chapter 18: Confronting Ahab and the fire from heaven. Now that is some kind of serious sovereignty!

I Kings Chapter 19: Queen Jezabel is pretty upset and promises to kill Elisha in a nasty way. In fear, Elisha runs to the desert. Pretty poor place to hide. Wait. Didn’t God just do the fire thing? Does it make sense to worry about Jezabel? He ends up in a cave, wondering why God wasn’t doing more. (Are you in control?)

I Kings Chapter 19: Go outside of the cave. WIND EARTHQUAKE FIRE Now that is the kind of sovereignty we want to see! (Ever notice that Elijah is out in the open at this point?) FIRE

I Kings Chapter 19: Go outside of the cave. WINDEARTHQUAKEFIRE But when God communicates, he just talks quietly; no flash or boom at all. FIRE

What if God is constantly working in the background, directing and redirecting all that occurs to flow into exactly what he desires the ultimate outcome to be?

What if his usual expression is in the still and the small but incredibly powerful.

What if God is constantly working in the background, directing and redirecting all that occurs to flow into exactly what he desires the ultimate outcome to be? What if his usual expression is in the still and the small but incredibly powerful. What if he desire that folks should be drawn to him and not his might?

What if God is constantly working in the background, directing and redirecting all that occurs to flow into exactly what he desires the ultimate outcome to be? What if his usual expression is in the still and the small but incredibly powerful. What if he desire that folks should be drawn to him and not his might? What if he understands that love cannot be forced.

What if God is constantly working in the background, directing and redirecting all that occurs to flow into exactly what he desires the ultimate outcome to be? What if his usual expression is in the still and the small but incredibly powerful. What if he desire that folks should be drawn to him and not his might? What if he understands that love cannot be forced. What if he chose to comes to earth in complete humility rather than in “power”.

What if God is constantly working in the background, directing and redirecting all that occurs to flow into exactly what he desires the ultimate outcome to be? What if his usual expression is in the still and the small but incredibly powerful. What if he desire that folks should be drawn to him and not his might? What if he understands that love cannot be forced. What if he chose to comes to earth in complete humility rather than in “power”. What if he retooled all of history to pull it off?

What if God is constantly working in the background, directing and redirecting all that occurs to flow into exactly what he desires the ultimate outcome to be? What if his usual expression is in the still and the small but incredibly powerful. What if he desire that folks should be drawn to him and not his might? What if he understands that love cannot be forced. What if he chose to comes to earth in complete humility rather than in “power”. What if he retooled all of history to pull it off? What if he has been working in your life, usually in the background, all along to bring you here?

What if God is working his sovereignty fully in your life, to continue to bring you to himself? Shall we bow? Shall we bow?