About the Author

Thomas Ray Floyd was born in 1953 in Simpson County, Mississippi, the son of Roy Thomas Floyd and Lina Sue Shows Floyd. Thomas Ray's mother was a member of a Primitive Baptist church, and he cut his teeth on the doctrines of distinguishing grace.

When he was a small boy, his father was converted to Christ and became a member of a Missionary Baptist Church. Thomas Ray joined the church of his father when he was 13 years old, and thought of himself as a Christian. The doctrines of grace that he had heard as a child continued to be precious to him and when he became an adult, he joined a Primitive Baptist Church. When he was 27, Thomas Ray made his first effort to preach the gospel in public and was ordained to the full functions of the ministry in 1985. In 1986 he was convinced under the preaching of Rolfe Barnard (by tapes from Mt. Olive Tape Library), the written sermons of Spurgeon, and the ministry of Elder Zack Guess that he had been a false professor and cried out in agony of soul to the Lord Jesus Christ to have mercy and truly save him. And He did! Floyd then began to preach the gospel as he had been taught of the Lord.

Floyd has pastored churches in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee and until recently was pastor of a church plant known as "Particular Baptist Fellowship." He and his wife Brenda presently attend Zion Baptist Church at Polkville, Mississippi, pastored by Elder Glen Hopkins. The pulpit ministry of Zion Baptist Church can be heard at Sermonaudio.com.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

The Sovereignty of God

(Article for publication week of July 14, 2010 AD)

"Our God is in the heavens, He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased" (Psalm 115:3).

I begin this week by asking you, who do you believe is running the world? Some think that man is running the world. There are of course rich and powerful men in businees, finance and state who appear to have great power. Others don't believe anyone is running the world- they suppose that some blind "fate" controls the world. But our text tells us Who is actually running the world- God!

The God of the Bible does not consult with His creatures as to how He will run the world and the whole universe- He does as He pleases in all things. When God created the world, it was by His Own sovereign decree. Before creation there was none but God, so He did not have to consult with anyone as to whether or how He would create a universe. God rules the creation by His Own Sovereign power, and as one dear Brother often preaches, "There is not a misplaced atom in the universe." Every atomic particle in the universe is exactly where God ordained it to be and is kept in its place by the Sovereign hand of God.

So you see, when we speak of the sovereignty of God, we simply mean that God is in absolute control of everything and that he does as he pleases with His Own. And that includes you my dear reader- God owns you and He will do with you as seems good to Him. Your temporal existence is in the hands of Jehovah, the absolute sovereign of the universe. When he is so pleased, He will cut you down and take you out into eternity. God is not obligated to you to let you live a specified time on earth. Your days are numbered and are foreordained of the Lord. And your eternal destiny is in the hands of the Lord God, Who has power to save and power to damn.

The God of the Bible is much bigger than the God many of you believe in. I love this great God, because he is absolutely sovereign over all things and is working out all things for His glory and the good of His people. I love this omnipotent and absolutely Sovereign Lord, and I wish all of you loved Him. May the Lord help you to see how glorious God actually is and that he is the Sovereign of heaven and earth.
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