Perspective

   By L. Jim Tuck

February 23, 2023

“Who Is in Control?”

Greetings from Phoenix,

              When I was a freshman at Northeastern State College, as I was buying course text books, I heard a song which stuck in my head all these years. It was a sixties genre of protest music by Buffalo Springfield titled, “For What It’s Worth,” released in 1966. The lyrics call upon the listener to stop and consider what is happening all around them. It says, “People are drawing lines, and no one is right if everyone is wrong.”  This song could be sung today. 

            How many see what is really happening? The lines are being drawn and the world appears to be hurdling toward another major war between nations. The world is awash with military weaponry as the lords of war hawk their wares in nearly every country and the great war buildup continues. War is a terribly wasteful thing besides the fact so many suffer. Wikipedia says, “World War II was the deadliest military conflict in history. An estimated total of 70–85 million people perished, or about 3% of the 2.3 billion (est.) people on Earth in 1940.”

            Why does war have to occur? Who is really in control of what is happening in the world? Who is pulling the strings? Is it the political leaders of nations? Is it the major colossal corporation conglomerates? Is it the World Economic Forum or other organizations like it? 

            Some say there are thirteen elite families which control the entire economic system. No doubt those who possess great wealth have more of an advantage to control and manipulate people and events. They are often the financiers of war, and they greatly profit by it. Reputedly Rothschild said, “Give me control of a nation’s money and I care not who makes its laws.”

            Satan’s malevolent goal always is to thwart God’s plan and destroy His creation. He perverts the technology God provides to man. He stirs the caldrons of war, pitting nations against one another. He is called the prince of the power of the air who works with those disobedient to the true God. Satan is called the god of this world (Ephesians 2:1-2; II Corinthians 4:3-4)

            God ultimately is in charge of the entire earth and the universe. There is another power which exercises control over the earth and God the Father allows him, in a limited way, to function upon the earth (Job 1:6-12). God allows Satan to do what he does to fulfill His purpose.

            We know it is our loving benevolent God Who sets up and deposes kings, presidents, and prime ministers.  “And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” (Daniel 2:21)

            God controls these things to fit within His plan of salvation for humankind, either to slow down events in the world or expedite them. Most often, God gives people what they think they want. He is working to fulfill His plan.  He desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (I Timothy 2:3-4).  Since Jesus Christ opened the way for the church to proclaim the gospel, God has provided a greater means for the good news of the coming kingdom to be promulgated.

             During the days of the Apostles, you could travel forty times faster on a sail boat than on a donkey, and from the beginning the message of hope was taken to the Roman Empire via the Mediterranean Sea. How astounded would Peter and Paul be today to know the ministers of Jesus Christ can travel via car or airplane hundreds of miles in a single day to visit God’s people and preach His word. How astounded would they be with development of radio, television, computers, and the internet where you can communicate with someone else on the other side of the globe! All of these things seem like miracles, and possibly they were God inspired. We leaped from the Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT) in 1922 to Transistors in 1947 to Microchips early in 1959. All of these led to the development of modern-day computers. We now stand on the threshold of Quantum communications which takes advantage of physics through the use of particles, typically photons of light for transmitting secure data.

            Imagine this also, the Wright brothers successfully inaugurated the first flight on December 17, 1903 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, making a paltry 12-second flight, traveling 120 ft, with Orville piloting. Consider this astounding fact, on July 20, 1969 about sixty-two years later, the Apollo 11 lunar module with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. Neil Armstrong became the first person to step onto the Moon's surface.

            The space program and man’s desire to explore has caused an explosion of new knowledge in aviation. Travel has exploded even more since then. Why? So that God’s purpose might be fulfilled and the gospel can be carried to the nations either via the airways by internet or in person. God told Daniel the prophet, “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” (Daniel 12:4)

            Winston Churchill once said, “I will say that he must indeed have a blind soul who cannot see that some great purpose and design is being worked out here below of which we have the honor to be the faithful servants.” 

            When people and nations are drawing lines and it all seems wrong, we have our Heavenly Father to comfort us. He is in charge and fulfilling His purpose. Men are doing this and that, but our Great God has opened the way for the promulgation of the gospel of the kingdom of God to the entire world. Jesus says to us, “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” (Revelation 3:8)

            The Devil should know in the end of the story he will lose, and we will win. Satan will try to stop what God and His people are doing, but always remember Who IS in control!   

            Have a peaceful and uplifting Sabbath and a nice weekend.