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branchsunsetThe events that take place in the world and in our lives can be divided into two categories:

1) Those things that happen within our sphere of influence 
2) Those that happen outside of our sphere of influence.

Our decisions affect our sphere of influence. This is the first important truth that we must understand.

All men continue to have a free will. That includes sinners. Men are free to choose, to obey or disobey, and to live according to the flesh if they like. Those choices, while not the will of God, can and do affect those around them. Men can choose to lie, to steal, to kill, to drink and drive, to abuse their spouses, etc. None of these things are what God would want, nor does God need them to accomplish His purposes. They weren't needed in the beginning before sin, and they aren't needed now. Nevertheless, evil people exist and those around them suffer. All men and women have a sphere of influence that is impacted by their free will.

Secondly, we live in a world that is still under the influence of the devil. Paul declares him the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4), and Jesus said that he comes to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) John proclaimed that the entire world lies under his influence (1 John 5:19). This kingdom of darkness is not God's will either, and yet it exists. Those who receive His redemption by faith are translated out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of God. (Col. 1:13) They are enabled to live by faith and walk in abundant life if they so choose.

Thirdly, we must understand that the planet itself has been subjected to corruption. (Rom. 8:20) At the flood of Noah, the planet was shaken to its core as the depths were broken up and the continents were divided. Tremendous change took place that left the planet unstable and dramatically different from its original state. Now there exist earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, droughts, floods and fires that bring death and destruction to millions. These do not represent the will of God. He does not send them and He does not need them for His purposes. They bring death and destruction—not life and peace.

The free will of evil men and the rule of satan and the instability of the planet are all things that are outside of our normal sphere of influence. These things will happen though God is not involved in causing them. Suffering and death are not God's will. He has commissioned us to go into the world and preach the gospel of His love. It makes no sense for God to be killing the very people we are to reach.

Within our sphere of influence, we do have authority, and we can have dominion. First, we have authority over our own minds. We can tear down every stronghold and thought that goes against the Word of God. (2 Cor. 10:5) We are responsible for renewing our minds (Rom. 12:2) that we might know the will of God which is good, acceptable, and perfect.

We have authority over sickness and disease. We are endued with power from on high and commanded to heal the sick. We can speak to the elements of nature and rebuke them as Jesus rebuked the storm. He didn't rebuke all storms that night, just the one that was affecting Him at the time. We can do the same. We have authority to pray that God raise up laborers to send into the harvest to reach our loved ones with the Word of God.

We have the capacity to marry wisely and raise our children in the admonition of the Lord. We have Biblical principles concerning how to handle our finances and how to release the power of giving and receiving in our lives.

We even have been given authority over the enemy if he appears. We can submit ourselves to God, resist the devil, and he will flee.

We cannot determine what will come our way, but we can determine how we are going to react to it. The storms of life will be different for each of us, but we are all enabled by God to overcome and walk in victory. We should not claim that our failures are really just God dealing with us. That would be unfair to God. He has equipped us with His Name, His Spirit, His Word, His armor, His Covenant, His promises, the keys of the kingdom, and the authority to bind and loose. If we fail, it is not His fault.

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6)

So, does God control or allow bad things in our lives? The answer is that God has equipped us to live victoriously in this life, no matter what may come our way. He is not the author of tragedy and destruction. We live in a fallen world, and it is our responsibility to determine our level of victory in this world.

We see this in the parable of the two men, the two houses, and the two foundations. (Matt. 7:24-27) The storm wasn't God's will, and the destruction of one man's house (his life) wasn't God's will. God's will is that we be doers of the Word so that we might respond in faith when trials and temptations come our way. He wants to deliver us and prosper us. But that deliverance and prosperity depends on us, not God. God will intervene in our lives by means of our faith in Him.



Copyright © Barry Bennett
All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Author Biography

Barry Bennett
Web site: Barry Bennett
 
Barry came to Andrew Wommack Ministries in 2007 and worked in the Phone Center as a prayer minister before accepting a position answering the scriptural and doctrinal questions that would come to AWMI via mail and email. He later became the Dean of Students and is now the Dean of Instructors. Barry is also an instructor at Charis Bible College in Colorado and teaches at domestic and international CBC satellite campuses.
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