by Aaron Davis
As I reflect back on this emotionally charged moment in the movie, I find myself wondering if it’s possible that we have placed God, who has literally given us His everything—His unconditional love, His peace, even the sacrifice of His Son—in that same position when we look at Him and ask or imply that we believe that He may be complicit in our tragedy.
HAVE WE MISSED THE PROVISION?
In my personal experience, I can’t get past the fact that God told me three times to turn my vehicle around and go back to the sheriff’s office that day. He tried to help me avoid the tragedy that was about to change my life. I can say with clarity and assurance I knew something wasn’t right and I continued to do things my way. Even though I told God, “It’s okay—I’ve got this,” and although the end result was devastating, I’m convinced that God tried to help me avoid it.
Now I understand that not everyone has experienced that same kind of pre-event warning where God speaks to them and tries to help them avoid a circumstance that is going to rock their world. But I do question if perhaps, at least on some occasions, maybe even many occasions, they could have heard a warning if they were listening . . . and if they knew how to listen.
Perhaps a great many of the experiences that we attribute to God allowing or putting on us are simply cause and effect. The cause being the establishment of kingdoms other than the kingdom of God in this earth, and the result being the direct or indirect wages of the establishment of those ungodly kingdoms.
THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT
In physics there is a term called Chaos Theory. Chaos theory studies the behavior of dynamical systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions—an effect which is popularly referred to as the butterfly effect.91 Very simply put, the theory emphasizes the compounding residual effects of seemingly insignificant occurrences. The name of the effect, coined by Edward Lorenz, is derived from the theoretical example of a hurricane’s formation being contingent on whether or not a distant butterfly had flapped its wings several weeks earlier.92 Ultimately, much like dropping a rock into a pond, which subsequently produces waves and ripples at the other end, the butterfly effect describes the possible ripple effect of events in physics.
I’ll use a bit of a crass example here, but I think it will help make a point. If I choose to surrender my life’s control to the kingdom of sin, go to the red-light district, and sleep with a prostitute with HIV, if I too contract that disease, it isn’t God who allowed me to contract it; it was my choice to surrender to the rule of the kingdom of sin in my life.
Immediately, I can imagine the numbers of personal experiential examples that are coming to mind where you will say, “Yeah, that may be the case in events like the man and the prostitute, but I didn’t choose what happened to me.”
And I agree.
If I go home to my wife after visiting that prostitute with HIV, my wife becomes an innocent victim of the establishment of the kingdom of sin in this world when she too becomes infected. She didn’t ask for it. She didn’t deserve it. It was not her choice for the sin to take place that was ultimately the catalyst for the disease that infected her, but her proximity to someone else’s surrender to that kingdom created a butterfly effect that directly touched her life.
GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION?
As I process through the concept of God giving man authority in the earth and the free will to exercise dominion over the earth in whatever regard he chooses, then I wonder, recognizing that some will choose to use their will and authority on the earth to establish the kingdom of sin, will the wages of them establishing the rule of that kingdom still be death, as opposed to life God intended for those who seek first His kingdom, and in what variations might those wages be manifested?
Romans 6:23 (AMP)
For the wages which sin pays is death, but the [bountiful] free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord.
Could one of those manifestations be disease in many forms?
We know the ill effects on the brain, arteries, and heart of a man failing to subject his will to what he knows is right in the case of the overconsumption of food. We know what cholesterol will do. We know what excessive fat in our bodies will do. We know the cancerous effects of certain drugs and foods on our bodies. And we know that a significant number of heart attacks, strokes, and even cancers are directly related to the food that we place on our fork and the liquids we put to our lips. Yet we still choose to indulge . . . and then often blame God for allowing the wages of our actions to come upon us.
Taking it a step further, depending upon the level of depravity that exists in the life of one who has repeatedly entertained sin and built upon it, could it be (as in the example of a child abuser or molester, a murderer or rapist) that their willful submission to and progression in the kingdom of sin dominoed (in a butterfly-effect type of way) to touch everyone within their sphere of influence?
I would argue that, as a detective, I have seen with my own eyes in explicit detail how evil the kingdom of sin can become in the lives of those who surrender to it and are unrestrictedly bound by it. Over and over again I have seen how the wages of sin is death, as people live their lives submitted to and bound by the rule of a kingdom that is less than what God intended or provided for them. As exampled in the phrase, “Hurt people hurt people,” some of them were simply introduced to that kingdom through example. Some were taught wrong ways of thinking. Some were warped by events in which the kingdom of sin was forced upon them and in turn they continued to further establish that kingdom through and in their own legacy of evil.
And in contrast, I ask myself if those who know to establish the kingdom of God on the earth and yet fail to exercise their authority aren’t creating their own butterfly effect for that failure as well. I wonder if the kingdom of God is actually intended to be the checks and balances for the kingdom of sin. When the kingdom of sin is not kept in check by those establishing the kingdom of God and using their God-given, God-ordained, divine authority, bridging the gap between the spiritual and physical dimensions, if sin and its wages spread like an unchecked cancer over the earth and everyone is touched and affected by the ripples.
Bill Johnson worded it this way: “If the people of God will not reach for the Kingdom at hand, the realm of darkness is ready to display its ability to influence. The good news is that ‘His [the Lord’s] kingdom rules over all’” (Ps. 103:19).93
If this is the case, then my next question becomes, “If man’s establishment of the kingdom of sin in this world produced curses, disease, and death, and the establishment of the kingdom of God on the earth produces life and peace and gives us the ability to exercise authority over the kingdom of sin . . . if this is the case, who really is allowing or responsible for the residual effects of the kingdom of sin in the earth? Those who establish the kingdom of sin? Or those who have been given the authority to establish the kingdom of God and directly influence the subordinate kingdom of sin with divine authority?”
If a police officer is present and has the authority to stop a lawbreaker from infringing on your rights and he doesn’t . . . then doesn’t he become a part of the overall crime by doing nothing?
Nothing can separate us from God’s love! And I am convinced, in spite of the pain I have experienced in life, that God truly is good. The fruit of the kingdom of sin (which I believe is the catalyst for much of our pain) is completely contrary and diametrically opposed to what God intends for us (and I believe is available to us even if we’ve not yet fully learned to walk in it) in His kingdom. The Bible says that the fruit of walking with the Spirit of God begins with love, joy, and peace, the three things that most are seeking with their every silent wish or prayer.
I understand why so many have questioned if God loves them when comparing what they have experienced and what they have been taught by leaders who themselves have not come to understand the love of God. But when wanting to understand how God feels about you, one only need look at the example and words of J
esus for confirmation of how God really feels about you.
As we learn who we are to God, how He feels about us, and embrace His love, we can then confidently pursue the establishment of God’s kingdom in the earth, and we can begin to experience the fullness of the supernatural life that He always intended for us.
Ephesians 6:12–18 (MSG)
And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.
Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
As we read on to these following scriptures, we see that on multiple occasions Jesus expresses what He has done for us and what it looks like when we operate in the power that He provided for us to operate in.
Luke 10:19 (NKJV)
Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Matthew 28:18–20 (NKJV)
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ”All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 16:19 (NKJV)
And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
Mark 11:23 (NKJV)
For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
Look at what the verses are saying to us:
“I give you . . . ”
“I say to you . . . ”
“Whoever says to this mountain . . . ”
“Whatever you bind on earth . . . ”
It seems apparent that in His infinite love, God has given us the essential tools to rule over every other established kingdom in the earth. If so, then in His love, He provided the means for us to not only avoid the repercussions of the kingdom of sin, but to actually rule over that kingdom by taking our authority over it and all of the residual butterfly effects of its establishment in the lives and through the lives of others going forward.
John 3:16 (MSG)
This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it.
This is how much God loved the world! Without man having direct access to God and the establishment of His kingdom in the earth, the death wages of sin would be the prominent authority in the earth. Man would be bound by and tied to the kingdom of sin without hope or the power to ever overcome it.
But, is it possible that in His immense love for mankind, God sent His Son to restore man’s ability to establish the kingdom of God so not only could he experience eternal life in heaven but also fullness of life here in the earth, just as was originally intended? Is it possible that God sent His Son so that no one need be destroyed by sin and anyone can have a whole and lasting life here on earth as well as eternal life in heaven, as the scripture above says?
Isaiah 53:5–6 (AMP)
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.
I Peter 2:24 (AMP)
He personally bore our sins in His [own] body on the tree as on an altar and offered Himself on it], that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.
That we might “cease to exist to sin.” This statement from the above scripture jumps off the page at me. Jesus bore our sins so that sin and the corresponding wages of it may no longer have unrestricted rule in our lives.
Although heaven would have been more than enough and more than adequate, did Jesus purchase more for us than just an ability to live eternally there? Is it possible that He also intentionally broke the power of sin that separated us from fully experiencing the kingdom of God and His desires for our life? Is it possible that the sin veil that fragmented us and separated us from experiencing wholeness in God has been torn—and now all that He is and everything He originally intended for us in our relationship with Him is now accessible through the “it is finished” work of Christ?
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE
Just for a moment, allow yourself to believe that God actually loves you more than you can possibly comprehend. Imagine that He wept with you through your tragic experiences.
If the church were functioning at the capacity it was created to function and establishing His kingdom in the earth, a significant many circumstances that people experience as a butterfly effect from established kingdoms of sin could be completely averted, avoided, or dominated over through the established kingdom of God in our lives. I wonder if it’s possible that one of the most significant factors surrounding our tragic experiences is not knowing or understanding that more may be available to us.
Hosea 4:6 (AMP)
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you [the priestly nation] have rejected knowledge . . .
Like a child with a multimillion-dollar trust fund ignorantly living on the street because he doesn’t know what has been provided for him, I wonder if God is looking at us, knowing everything for our success has been established and is accessible for us, solely through the actions of His love. When we question His love, He brokenly says, “How can you not see all that I have given you to provide for your success? How can you question that I love you?”
If there is a single word that describes God and His heart for man throughout the historical account of the Bible, that word would be love. His every intent from the time of creation has been to love and have a relationship with mankind! The Bible states that He is intimately aware of us, loving us, doting over us, singing over us; He even knows the number of hairs on our head. God’s not mad at you. God loves you!
If this is truly the nature of the God of the universe, His love for us is, in fact, greater than anything that we can humanly imagine. And if He restored our complete authority in the earth through Christ—with the intention of us ruling and reigning here through the establishment of His kingdom—then my paradigms (and perhaps yours) surrounding who is responsible for what happens in this realm change drastically. My view shifts from the traditionally accepted idea of God’s allowance of evil in this world to my allowance of it.
I recently heard one of my favorite authors (and pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC), Mark Batterson, say, “Living a Spirit-led life means you don’t just sit back and let things happen; you step up and MAKE th
em happen.”
And I have to consider if by not fulfilling my God-ordained position of authority in His kingdom, I have, by default, resolved to be defined by the statement, “What you tolerate you authorize to exist.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Symphonic Application
“So all the subatomic particles that make up our body are nothing but different notes on many, many, many tiny little violin strings, little rubber bands, and that physics is nothing but the laws of harmony of these vibrating strings. Chemistry is nothing but the melodies you can play on these vibrating strings. The universe is a symphony of strings, and the mind of God that Einstein wrote eloquently about the last 30 years of his life, is cosmic music resonating through 11-dimensional hyperspace.”94
—Dr. Michio Kaku, Theoretical Physicist
Our English word symphony comes from the Greek word sumphōnia (συμφωνία), meaning “a sounding together or agreement of sound.” Another word to describe this would be harmonious.95
There is a sound that the Spirit of God is resonating within a generation of His children who are desiring to see His Spirit poured out in a way that no other generation to date has experienced. As I speak with people who have been raised in Christian homes but turned from the teachings of their youth, I don’t hear a bitterness in their voice as much as a sincere desire and a searching for more than has made sense to them through the rationale of their traditionalist teachings.
It’s not that they don’t want to believe; it’s that they are not content to believe a teaching that appears to contradict itself when it’s quantified, or perhaps better said, not quantified correctly. All they want is an ability to validate that which has resonated within their inner being that says, “What I have been told cannot be all that there is.”