Recently, I decided to take a blogging break.  It’s been awhile.  So for a few weeks, I won’t be posting.  It’s been kind of busy lately, and I haven’t had as much time.  Plus, I’ve dusted off some old projects that I’d like to give more focus.  Hence the blogging break.

In the meantime, I’d encourage you to visit any of the blogs I follow.  The other pages on The Voice of One also have booklets on various subjects you may find interesting. Speaking of booklets…

…I’ve decided to post a new booklet called, “Four Wills of the Cross.”  “Four Wills” explores what it means for God to be in control.  I’ll admit that I’ve wrestled with the content of this booklet for awhile.  The perspective of God’s control in “Four Wills” is not what I’ve been accustomed to.  I’m still not confident about it.  Still, I believe the Lord shared it with me, and that is why I’ve decided to post it.

Should you decide to read “Four Wills of the Cross,” feel free to give feedback below. Even though I’ll not be posting, I’ll still be checking The Voice of One.  Thank you for reading!

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From the introduction to “Four Wills of the Cross”

“God is in control.” Christians repeat this phrase to each other often: to encourage, to bring perspective, to inspire faith, and simply to praise God’s greatness. But what do we mean when we say this? For some, it is just another way of saying, “Don’t worry,” or “God will take care of you.” Others believe God personally controls everything from the orbits of planets to the motions of water molecules to the circumstances in each person’s life.   Many feel confident that God controls things to protect them from troubles or evil. Then again, it’s not uncommon to hear that God orchestrates trying situations so that He can bring good out of them.

God being in control is another way of talking about God’s will or what God wants.   Does God get what He wants? If He does, how? If He doesn’t, why? This immediately reframes the whole discussion about God being in control.   Often, when Christians talk of God being in control, it is in reference to what we want or hope for. Anytime we are in the midst of change or crisis, there are certain outcomes we would prefer and others we would rather avoid.   At such times, we comfort ourselves and others by saying, “God is in control”; we assume God shares our desires and is working to conform circumstances to our expectations. It is hard for us to question whether what we hope for is actually what God wants. This is because it is ingrained in us that what God wants, God gets. We are afraid to think that He might want something different from us because, chances are, going down that road won’t lead to the place we expect.

The Bible, it turns out, is full of stories about things that didn’t go according to plan.   And, most of the time in scripture, people make God’s plans go awry, not the other way around. So what does it mean for God to be in control? How does God respond to a world that is often in chaos?   Is saying God is in control the same as saying God controls everything? This booklet will explore these questions and answer them from a perspective that is hopefully fresh and helpful.