Living Grace Foursquare Church

The Providence of God:

The governance of God by which He, with wisdom and love, cares for and directs all things in the universe. The doctrine of divine providence asserts that God is in complete control of all things. He is sovereign over the universe and my life, to the 9thdegree.

One thing that separates the Bible from other religious books is that it is unchanging.

a. Religious systems change all the time.

b. Black people were cursed with the curse of Cain and therefore barred from the priesthood.
i. Social backlash caused someone to have a vision In June of 1978

c. WatchTower Bible and Tract Society publications made a series of predictions about Christ's Second Coming and the advent of God's Kingdom, each of which has gone unfulfilled.
i. Almost all the predictions for 1878, 1881, 1914, 1918 and 1925 were later reinterpreted as a confirmation of the eschatological framework of the Bible Student movement and Jehovah's Witnesses, with many of the predicted events viewed as having taken place invisibly.

ii. Expectations were high for the arrival of Armageddon in 1975, but resulted in an apology to members from the society's leadership.

d. Islam has what it known as the law of abrogation. It basically says that later doctrines may contradict earlier ones.

i. This is important since some sections of the Quran clearly contradict other sections.
ii. There are a number of beliefs that changed in Muhammad’s lifetime. This includes the direction of prayer, the extent of his message, and the command to put to death those who reject his message.

How can truth be established when change happens?

The doctrine of God’s immutability: He is Unchanging and Unchangeable.

a. James 1:17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow [a]. AMP

The immutability of God is related to His omniscience.

1. When someone changes his/her mind, it is often because of new information that was not previously known or because the circumstances have changed and require a different attitude or direction.

2. Because God is Omniscient, He cannot learn something new that He did not already know. God does not learn anything because he knows everything.

In contrast to the instability of the world around us, the Kingdom of Jesus cannot be shaken, and we are receiving this Kingdom.

Our stability and hope in an unstable world.


a. We don’t yet fully have this kingdom; it is yet to come.

b. Yet we are in it and we’re receiving it.

i. Griffith Thomas; “We are constantly and perpetually receiving a Kingdom that is incapable of being shaken.”

ii. Jesus told the Pharisees the Kingdom is “in your midst” or “among you.”

iii. God was ruling in the hearts of some people, and the King Himself was standing among them, but they were oblivious to that fact.

c. Hallelujah, our kingdom cannot be moved!

i. It cannot be overthrown or removed.
ii. No power on earth or in the heavenlies can shake the Kingdom of God
iii. God has established His kingdom on King Jesus, on the rock that cannot be shaken!!

a. One of the things that goes when a believer has distanced themself from God is meeting with other believers.

b. Covid causes some folk to stop gathering because they have got comfortable not gathering.


c. “Why? I can go online and listen to some great teaching.”

i. If you were offered free tix, would you rather go to a Raiders game or watch from home?

ii. How do you establish vital relationships if you don’t gather?

iii. How do you use your gift within the church if you don’t gather?

iv. How do you practice all the, ‘one anothers’, if you don’t have a group of believers you’re gathering with on a regular basis?

1. “and let us consider [thoughtfully] how we may encourage one another to love and to do good deeds,

2. encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching.

d. Well, I went to a church then someone said something hurtful and I haven’t been back. I’m sorry, however….

e. I’m an introvert and don’t really like being around people. I’m sorry, but….

f. I work on Sundays. Figure it out!

The Didache...

Let every apostle that comes to you be received as the Lord. But he shall not remain except one day; but if there be need, also the next; but if he remains three days, he is a false prophet. And when the apostle goes away, let him take nothing but bread… but if he asks for money, he is a false prophet. And every prophet that speaks in the Spirit you shall neither try nor judge; for every sin shall be forgiven, but this one sin shall not be forgiven. But not everyone that speaks in the Spirit is a prophet; but only if he holds the ways of the Lord. Therefore from their ways shall the false prophet and the true prophet be known. (From The Ante-Nicean Fathers, Volume 7, page 380)

1. When we are hospitable to others, we really welcome Jesus
2. When we are hospitable to prisoners, especially to those of the household of faith, we really minister to Jesus

God is shaking things up!

a. He’s shaking down the temporal, fake, to expose the true foundation.
b. The closer we get to the return of Christ, the more shaking will be going on.
c. But Christians can be confident since we belong to an unshakeable kingdom!