God is an active, absolute Sovereign who foreknew sin and planned for it, with no Plan B, and He engineers even the church's calamities for its good and His glory. The pattern runs from Adam and Eve, Job, and Pharaoh (whose heart God hardened, as Romans 9 teaches) to the church today. God brings His people into confrontation with enemies, and He allows false teachers, the tares of Matthew 13, to enter the fellowship so that the approved may be made manifest (I Corinthians 11:19; I John 2:19; Deuteronomy 13:1-4). Because He is not passive, He used Satan as He did with Job, so the church's trials and even its scattering are His doing. Lamentations 2 and I Kings 12:24 show Him claiming responsibility for judgment on a people who were not innocent victims. What He scatters, only He can regather, as Ecclesiastes 7:13 shows, so human efforts at reunification yield merely political unity. Believers are to fellowship faithfully, avoid competing with others, hold to the faith once delivered, and work out their salvation, confident that He will complete the good work He began (Philippians 1:6). He will eventually unify His people through the Two Witnesses. To murmur against Him is rebellion, since nothing happens apart from His will, and this is a solid foundation for faith.

God is not a reactive observer but the proactive Prime Mover who plans, initiates, and carries out His purposes, including those concerning the church. Genesis presents Him actively creating, and Acts 15, Ephesians 1:4-5, and I Peter 1:2 show that He chose and appointed His people before the foundation of the world, so events touching His purpose do not happen randomly. He does react to human choices, as Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 show, yet this never removes His control. Not even a sparrow falls without His will, and He watches over His children constantly. Isaiah 45 shows that He creates events, light and calamity alike, from behind the scenes, as when He raised up Cyrus. I Kings 12:24 shows that He Himself engineered the division of Israel and Judah, and He later scattered both. If He scattered Israel, the church is not exempt from His chastening, and no one could force such a scattering on Him. It could not occur without His awareness and at least His allowance, and He may well have initiated it for purposes of His own. Job's trial shows that God takes the initiative in setting limits on Satan and testing His people. Calamities that look like disasters are always for good according to Romans 8:28, producing righteousness and glorifying God. Believers should therefore endure them in patient hope, trusting His wisdom, love, and power, since the one trying them is able to overcome them (I Corinthians 10:13).

God is sovereign over His creation and, in particular, over His church, though the world and carnal thinking make it easy to live as if Satan, man, or chance were in charge. Scripture places responsibility on each person rather than on Satan, so those whom God has called must decide who is sovereign in their lives. Ephesians 1:11 says God works all things after the counsel of His will, and Israel's improbable history shows His hand. It is therefore no accident that the church succeeded Israel as His inheritance, or that each member is in it. If God notices a sparrow's fall, He surely scrutinizes His church, the apple of His eye. Either God rules or He is only God in name, with no middle ground. Believing this means listening to His Word, which Christ urged on the end-time church in Revelation 2 and 3. Judah's failure to listen came from having no real faith in God's sovereignty. This also bears on church government: God has always worked through men as messengers, so tearing down a messenger's reputation to undermine his authority, as in Jude, ignores His sovereignty. The real question is whether God has placed a shepherd over a flock. Knowing God intimately gives His Word authority and lets believers trust Him through confusing times, because He is too wise to err and too loving to let them be overwhelmed. Isaiah 46:9-10 shows that His counsel stands.

God is sovereign over His church in every detail, working all things according to the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11). Just as Israel's survival and history were no accident, the church's existence and the calling of its members are part of a grander purpose He will surely accomplish. Nothing in His church, the apple of His eye, escapes His notice or judgment, and there is no middle ground: either He rules or He is swayed by Satan or man. This sovereignty also bears on church government. Jude warns against infiltrators who reject authority and speak evil of dignitaries, and similar attacks today target Herbert W. Armstrong, through whom the faith was delivered. Claims like "I'll never follow another man" forget that God has always used human messengers and leaders, who themselves followed those before them. Comparisons of intelligence, experience, or character miss the point, because the issue is whether God placed that person to shepherd a flock. Paul's quick repentance for reviling the high priest (Acts 23:5) shows obedience to this principle. Church members, who have made the covenant and received the Holy Spirit, bear greater responsibility and cannot blame Satan. Living faith, grounded in hearing God's Word and intimately knowing Him, enables them to submit to His rule and endure uncertain times, trusting that He is too wise to err and too loving to let them be overwhelmed.

God is the arbiter of truth, the great Judge, and the great Sovereign over the church. Many in the church have become too proud and self-exalted, deciding for themselves what to do rather than submitting to His authority. They no longer trust the wisdom of leadership, viewing everything with skepticism, believing it comes from human minds rather than from God. We are not sovereign; we are under authority, and must evaluate and judge matters carefully, recognizing the responsibility to affect many lives with our decisions. God knows there are times of great turmoil when people scatter in their thinking, but we must remain faithful to Him and the truth He has established, not to any individual or organization. Spiritually, we are not free to think for ourselves about everything; we are slaves of righteousness, bound to live by a higher standard and bow to His sovereignty rather than rush into unapproved actions. Unity with God and with each other is essential, for without it, we cannot survive the coming times or present a united front against satan and the world. We must wait patiently for God to move, forbearing and considering our place, rather than acting hastily and causing disunity. It is a loving act to wait for God rather than to jump ahead with our own knowledge, ensuring we maintain the unity of faith under His true sovereignty.

The reality of God's sovereignty underscores that He places individuals in positions of responsibility within the Body of Christ, as He did with Israel, assigning roles and tasks according to His will. God appointed both faithful leaders like Moses and unfaithful ones, using even their unfaithfulness to accomplish His purposes for the ultimate benefit of His people. He allows tares to remain with the wheat and placed unrighteous kings over Israel and Judah, knowing their inclinations and using them to fulfill His plans. This governance often operates in ways beyond human understanding, only becoming clear in retrospect. Jesus Christ, as King of kings, bears witness to this truth, with all things delivered to Him by God, forming the foundation of all reality. Those who hear and obey His voice humbly submit to this control, while those who deny it attempt to seize control themselves, often through anger or hostility. Even the smallest events, such as the falling of sparrows, fall under God's sovereign oversight, especially concerning His chosen people, calling for responses of humility and patience rather than contention.

God is sovereign over His church, and that includes the scattering and division it has suffered. Satan has no power that God does not give him; he had to ask to sift Peter, and the opening of Job shows the same limit. The Head of the church, who overcame Satan as a man, was not overpowered by a lesser being. Scripture shows a consistent pattern: God Himself divided Israel from Judah ("this thing is from Me," I Kings 12:24) and later scattered both nations because of sin (Leviticus 26:33). Israel and Judah did not believe that God, not Satan, scatters for sin until it happened to them. The church is under the same principle, and under greater accountability, since from everyone to whom much is given, much is required. Blaming Satan for the church's division shifts blame, impugns God's sovereignty, and is inconsistent, since no one says Satan punished ancient Israel. Our iniquities separate us from God (Isaiah 59:2). God responded to the church's spiritual drifting, which threatened salvation, by creating division. His action was both reactive to the loss of focus on Him and proactive, to discipline His children and instill His character in them. In effect, He formalized divisions that already existed. Because it came from God, it is the best possible result, and the church's task is to seek God, learn how it has separated from Him, and turn back.

God's sovereignty over the church is evident in His authority to bring both peace and calamity upon His people for their ultimate good. He scatters the church, as seen in the current state of division among various organizations, to test and reveal those who truly have faith in Him. Though this scattering may be frightening and painful, it serves a redeeming purpose, even if it appears calamitous and disturbing. He will not accept His people as they are if they refuse to acknowledge what He has dealt them, potentially leading to more pain if they resist His will. God's actions are not empty threats but promises that will come to pass, as illustrated by the principle in Leviticus 26 where blessings follow obedience and curses follow disobedience. The church's scattering is a consequence of sin, motivated by a loss of faith and devotion to the relationship with Christ, resulting in worldliness. He has brought this about for the church's own good, though it indicates that His terms for unity with Him and among the brethren are not being met. In His prayer in John 17, Jesus expresses the possibility of unity with the Father, but it is not a certainty, hanging in the balance based on how the church reacts to the relationship with Him. This unity requires a desire to align with God's will and make necessary sacrifices, much like a marriage that depends on both parties' willingness to adapt. God's experience with Israel, as recorded in the Old Testament, further demonstrates His sovereignty, showing that even when His people initially desired a covenant with Him, they often failed to accept the consequences and hardships, leading to accusations against their leaders and ultimately against Him. As the Head of the church, He is not motivated to bring new people into a divided body, signaling a time to redirect efforts toward healing and addressing the immediate problem of scattering. His scattering of Israel and Judah in the past serves as a stern warning to the church today to shape up, emphasizing that the time is now for doing good to the brethren and prioritizing the feeding of the flock over external efforts. If He desired a great work through a unified group, the church would still be together; instead, this is a time of testing to see how His people respond even in the worst of times for the church.

God's sovereignty over the church is absolute, as He is the Creator and the One who directs every aspect of His work. He determines the path and timing of His church, deciding when it rests or moves, and in which direction it should go, much like He guided the Israelites with the cloud and pillar of fire in the wilderness. His decisions may not always align with human expectations, as seen when He led the Israelites south instead of directly east to Palestine, demonstrating that He is running the show with His own purposes in mind. God is deeply involved in the church's condition, having allowed its scattering for reasons tied to the spiritual attitudes of its members. He blew the church apart as part of His will, not as a reaction to external forces or the actions of satan, but as a deliberate act of His creation and shaping process. His intimate awareness of every detail, even the fall of a sparrow, ensures that nothing in the church happens without His permission or knowledge. He does not merely respond to circumstances but applies what is necessary to His creation, maintaining control over every event. Even in trials, God's hand is evident, as He sets boundaries for testing, ensuring no challenge is too great and always providing a way of escape. His purpose in allowing such difficulties is to drive the church back to Him, to awaken its members from spiritual slumber, and to refine their faith. His warnings are never hollow, and His Word accomplishes what He intends, holding the church accountable to respond with faith and repentance to His leading.

God's sovereignty over the Church is evident in His active role in guiding and disciplining His people. He looks upon us both as individuals and as a collective body, leading and guiding the entire body of Christ. As a faithful Father, He expects those who have become part of this body through baptism and the receipt of His Holy Spirit to endure whatever challenges the body faces. He assigns duties such as preaching the gospel to the world and feeding the flock, demonstrating His involvement in these responsibilities, though they vary across time and circumstances for His people. In times of disobedience or spiritual decline, God's sovereignty manifests through His discipline and correction. He scattered the Church in reaction to our sins, not because of any independent action by satan, who is merely a tool in God's hands, unable to act beyond what God permits. Historical patterns reveal that when there is no soundness in the body, He scatters, as seen with Israel and Judah, and now with the Church. He hardened Rehoboam's heart to split Israel asunder, showing that He will divide even those who have made a covenant with Him if they fail to obey. His warning in Leviticus 26:33 stands firm—He will scatter His covenant people if they do not adhere to His terms, a promise fulfilled in the Church just as it was with Israel. God's intent in all His actions is the destruction of sin, preparing His people to live with Him in His Kingdom. His discipline, though sometimes painful, is always corrective, aimed at removing impediments to spiritual growth. He is not a sadist but a loving Father who desires to share His holiness with us. His chastening, whether through formal instruction, drill, or stern correction, is a sign of His love and acceptance of us as His children. He starts with gentle measures, but if we fail to respond, His discipline becomes more severe to turn us in the right direction. Unity is God's desire, but it must be on His terms, for He alone is wise and loving enough to set those conditions. He divorced Israel, split them, and cast out the Laodiceans when they strayed, demonstrating that unity at any price is not His way. Even amidst preaching the gospel to the world, the Church divided, showing that such efforts alone cannot hold the body together. God's sovereignty ensures that He will do whatever it takes to bring us into the condition He desires for His Kingdom, often through trials and pruning, so that we may produce more fruit and stand beside Jesus Christ.

Amidst the turmoil within the church, it is imperative to remember that God is still sovereign and not oblivious to the dysfunctions affecting His children. Jesus Christ declares that He will build His church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. The Father has put all things under Christ's feet, making Him head over the church. Jesus is the Savior of the body, loves the church, gave Himself for her, sanctifies and cleanses her, nourishes and cherishes her, and intends to have a glorious church, holy and without blemish. Because of this, we can have every confidence that Jesus Christ is aware of all that transpires within His church, regardless of how out-of-control things may seem, and due to His love, He will always act in the way and at the time that is best. Christ knows what calamities and catalysts are needed for the members to be brought into alignment with Him, so at times He allows the enemy, whom He can restrain at any point, to come in to test and temper the Body. The Owner has decreed that the tares remain with the wheat until the harvest for the sake of the wheat, highlighting how intertwined the true and the false can be at times. Rather than causing spiritual uprooting, He allows the false brethren to remain, using their proclivities and carnality to further the preparation, tempering, refining, and proving of the true brethren. This consistent pattern is the means God has chosen to purify and perfect His children. Even when He requires us to stay in a situation, He will not allow us to be tested beyond what we can bear and will always supply what is needed for His will to be done in us. If we have been called by God and love Him, we have Christ's assurance that the gates of the grave will not prevail against the church, and He will continue to build it and its members into the image that pleases Him.

God's sovereignty over the Church is evident in His purposeful direction of its path, often leading it through varied and changing functions to fulfill His ultimate plan. Just as the children of Israel zigzagged through the wilderness, not always moving in the same direction or performing the same tasks, so too does the Church experience shifts in its work under God's guidance. Each turn and detour, though seemingly erratic, contributes to the perfection of His purpose, ensuring that what may appear as a setback to some is a necessary move by God to accomplish His will. Scriptural examples illustrate how God directs the Church's work according to specific needs at given times. In Ezra, the work involved rebuilding a destroyed Temple, with contributions of resources reflecting the people's commitment to God's purpose. Later, in Nehemiah, the focus shifted to rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, symbolizing protection and defense, a task vital for safeguarding the Temple. These changes in focus demonstrate that the Church's role adapts under God's sovereign hand to address prevailing conditions, whether rebuilding or fortifying, as seen in the call to strengthen the defenses of the Church. God's active role in the Church's direction includes allowing divisions and challenges for the benefit of His people. The scattering and difficulties faced by the Church are not accidents but are orchestrated by God for a greater good. Even painful separations are part of His plan to prevent stagnation and to prepare His people for His Kingdom. This divine intervention ensures that the Church does not remain in a state that would hinder spiritual growth, showing that God does not permit circumstances to be forced upon Him but actively participates in shaping the Church's journey. Furthermore, God's warnings and calls to repentance underscore His authority over the Church. Through scriptures like Revelation, He admonishes congregations to return to their first love and to repent, with clear consequences for failure to do so, such as the removal of their lampstand. His consistent nature, unchanging from the Old Testament to the New, reveals that the same principles of obedience and consequence apply to the Church today. God's scattering of His people, as seen in historical and prophetic contexts, serves as a reminder of His sovereign will to correct and purify, urging individual and collective repentance to restore the Church to His intended path.

God's sovereignty over the Church remains unshaken, even amidst turmoil and confusion. He is in His holy temple; His throne is in heaven, and His eyes behold and test the sons of men. When the foundations of the Church are shaken, as they have been in recent times, we must remember that He is not standing aside, watching the Church fall apart. He is in control, engineering circumstances for His purpose. His power has not been wrested from Him, and His testing is never intended to destroy but to strengthen our attachment to Him and correct deficiencies that could hinder us from entering His Kingdom. God's work is far greater than merely preaching the gospel to the world; it is the work of salvation, creating His image in us. He is the Creator, working to produce faith and trust in His Son within us. This trust is essential, for without it, we cannot submit, and without submission, His image cannot be written in our hearts. Even when the Church seems to be falling apart, with sheep scattered and doctrines diverging, we must recognize that He is right in the middle of everything, orchestrating events to bring about the necessary change and healing. His sovereignty dictates the direction and operation of the Church. Just as He led the children of Israel with the cloud and pillar of fire, determining when they journeyed or camped, so too does He guide His Church today. He creates circumstances to test our resolution, faith, and conviction in His faithfulness. Despite the challenges and apparent destruction, we can have confident assurance that things could not be better, as this is the medicine His Church needs to overcome its spiritual sickness. We must wait on Him, remain faithful, and trust that He will pull us through, for He is in charge of every aspect of His creation and His Church.

God exercises sovereignty over the church by directing its circumstances according to patterns established from the beginning. God changes conditions so that His people face varied difficulties rather than the same things repeatedly. He does this to provide a well-rounded education in preparation for His Kingdom. When iniquity reaches a certain point God scatters the church to save it. The church will not be destroyed because God is on His throne and is merciful. He will get it turned around. Satan was used in the scattering but only because God willed it to occur. Satan can do only what God directly wills or permits. God controls satan completely and even other angels determine when satan is bound or loosed. God is much more deeply involved in the sufferings of His people than many admit. These events arise as exercises that must be overcome.