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Catechism Buzz: a God Thing

05 May 2011 by David Regier

Q. 18. What are God's works of providence?
A. God's works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures; ordering them, and all their actions, to his own glory.

Q. 19. What is God's providence towards the angels?
A. God by his providence permitted some of the angels, willfully and irrecoverably, to fall into sin and damnation, limiting and ordering that, and all their sins, to his own glory; and established the rest in holiness and happiness; employing them all, at his pleasure, in the administrations of his power, mercy, and justice.

Q. 20. What was the providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created?
A. The providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created, was the placing him in paradise, appointing him to dress it, giving him liberty to eat of the fruit of the earth; putting the creatures under his dominion, and ordaining marriage for his help; affording him communion with himself; instituting the Sabbath; entering into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience, of which the tree of life was a pledge; and forbidding to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death.


And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. And Joshua said, "Why did you bring trouble on us? The LORD brings trouble on you today." And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. [Achan said, “Hey, God’s in control” and breathed his last.]
(Joshua 7:24-25 ESV, Amplified)


And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. But he himself turned back at the idols near Gilgal and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." And he commanded, "Silence." And all his attendants went out from his presence. And Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you." And he arose from his seat. And Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and [Eglon gurgled, “Wow. That was a God thing”].
(Judges 3:18-22 ESV, Amplified)


But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." When Ananias heard these words, he [said, “I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know who holds the future!” and] fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it.
(Acts 5:3-5 ESV, Amplified)

Aimee had to be at work in five minutes; her first day at Charlotte Russe. The mall was packed, and tempers in the parking lot were flaring. Just as she turned into the row by the door, two cars in, an Expedition began backing out. She put on her blinker, but as the SUV pulled out, a rusty minivan was behind it with its signal on too. Aimee lifted her hands to the harried mother and motioned her to go ahead, but for the look on the lady’s face, she might as well have been the pope giving a blessing.

Aimee thought for a moment about the fish on the back of her car, and then she said to herself, “I’ll leave a little earlier tomorrow.”

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