Destiny and Fate

Do you believe you are destined for that one individual who is specifically meant for you…your soul mate? If so, how will you find them?
[Oops. Sorry…Silly question! If you are ‘destined’ to be together, it will all just work out: right time, right place, right person. You’ll just know. It’s all played out in the movies.]

Let’s go further...
Who or what is the source of destiny?

If you are destined for that one specific soul-mate are you also destined for just the right career? Just the right kids? Just the right city, house, friends?

Why stop there…? Are you destined to see the movies you will see? Read the books that you will read? Do that project around the house that you are destined to do? Get sick? Tell a lie?
Or does destiny only work with…LOVE?!

Destiny denies God, unless you believe that God destined all activities in life to play out a certain predetermined way. Either way, if destiny truly exists, choice is not a reality. And if we do not have the ability to choose, then we have been deceived. After all, God calls us to choose!

• “Choose life,” Joshua called to the Israelites.
• “Choose Jesus,” the apostles preached.
• “I am the way,” Jesus announced.

Destiny is the fool’s way of removing the guilt and responsibility of choosing to deny or reject God.

• Fate cries out, “It’s not my fault; I can’t help it.”
• Fate is arrogant, “That’s just the way I am.”
• Destiny is an excuse for pure selfishness.

What will happen if you awaken beside your destined soul-mate only to discover incompatibilities in your marriage? Did destiny make a mistake? Will destiny demand that you leave your first love behind and launch a search for a true soul-mate. [Oops again, no searching; fate just happens.]

And what if you discover some incompatible ugliness in your true soul-mate? Is there a truly true soul-mate?
What will you do when reality collides with destiny!?!

Belief in destiny will lead a person down a path of sin in a quest for a life that simply does not exist.

Young people! Wake up!
  Life is difficult.
  Life is not fair.
  Life does not always go YOUR way.

The wise Solomon tested life in order to find meaning. He tested wealth, work, wisdom, foolishness; and he even tested laziness and the party life, including getting drunk and having sex. He said it was all meaningless – empty.

The book of Ecclesiastes is Solomon’s final report of his research on ‘The Meaning of Life.’ His conclusion was that there was no meaning unless one looks beyond this life. It was only when he humbled himself before God that he found meaning. He wrote the book of Ecclesiastes so you would not have to do your own personal research.

An unknown remains: Are you are so infatuated with destiny that you cannot see reality? Does destiny make you so smart or clever or wise that you know more than your Creator knows?!

If your thinking collides with God’s Word, you are choosing self-centered arrogance over the God who made you and loves you, the God who pleads with you to choose Him.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” 

—Proverbs 14:12 (NIV)

Destiny is a lie. 

The Fates come from mythology.

In humility, CHOOSE Life!

Mark Stinnett

January 28, 2024

Destiny or Faith?

One of the best ingredients for a good love story is destiny:

“We were meant to be together.”

Boy meets girl. They fall in love. “You are my destiny,” one says to the other. Difficult circumstances throw uncertainty onto their relationship. They separate, yet ultimately, fate brings them together again...and they live happily ever after...The End.

With many variations this storyline has been the basis for novels, short stories, movies, and songs. We laugh, we cry, and sometimes…we actually believe...we actually believe in destiny.

Those who have spent a few years on this earth living the reality of life understand the stark difference between life and fairy tales. We know there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. There is no glass slipper or pair of ruby slippers. There are no enchanted forests, no magic potions, no spells, no charms, no magic wands and no Jedi force. There is, however, life, a seemingly endless succession of events stitched together by time; good, bad and ho-hum (or heigh-ho’ if you’re one of seven dwarves).

However, many young people still refuse to set aside the fantasy of fate and in doing so set out on a quest for Prince Charming (for girls), or the beautiful Princess (for boys). After marrying their destined mate, life soon unmasks a troll with irritating habits, inconsistencies, and imperfections. Some fall for the tempting plan of Peter Pan: never grow up (yet more sage wisdom from the world of fantasy).

Reality is difficult. It consists of choices, responsibilities, unexpected events, pain, needs, people, and the irreversible passage of time. Even the rich and famous are not exempted from reality; they just have enough money and glitter to hide it (at least for a while). It would appear that our society prefers the example of our hollow Hollywood heroes.

The Bible tells the truth. And from the beginning, man has been hiding from reality, that is, the reality of the presence of his Creator. The Bible is full of men and women whose lives are laid bare before us as people living reality before God. Even those of great faith are covered with ugliness because of sin.

The Bible does not teach destiny, fate, or fantasy, yet, amazingly, it does teach happily ever after.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

--John 3:16

God has revealed his true nature to mankind through Jesus Christ. Your eternal destiny is determined by your choice in this life. You can choose by faith in that which is revealed or guess-choose fickle, unknowable fate.

Choose Jesus!

He’s real.

Mark Stinnett

January 21, 2024

Why Is It So Hard To Choose?

One of the most brutal and paralyzing realities of life is that of choices.

Yes, we make all kinds of choices every day. Many are natural: I’m thirsty, so I choose to drink a cup of coffee, a soft drink, a glass of water. I’m getting a bit drowsy at my desk, so I take a brisk five-minute walk, or I take 20 minutes for a power nap. I choose to bring my lunch, or instead grab a quick indigestible fast food snack, or eat with a friend, or just have another glass of water.

Those are all easy choices. They each have consequences, but not especially harmful. So, we generally do not consider the consequences for these things. We choose. We go on with life.

Some choices are much more serious and require forethought or careful research. Examples might include making a major purchase such as a refrigerator or oven, a car or a house. With sufficient research we feel confident that our choice has minimized the risk of future disappointment and needless costs.

Still, other choices are quite daunting. It’s just not possible to be a doctor and a fireman and a baseball pitcher all at the same time. There has to be a career choice. While many people change careers, they choose one at a time. And each potential career comes with risks. At the very start there is the uncertainty of making it onto a chosen career path. The required intelligence or skill or creativity might be more than a person possesses or can reasonably develop.

Making a career choice also comes with the risk of failure. We all know that failure in one’s career is far more serious than ordering the wrong meal at the drive-thru. A failed career will most likely have long-lasting consequences, not to mention the emotional stress of failure.

A choice to go down one path means that other paths are not chosen. Our mind tells us that we will miss out on some things because of the paths we did not choose. “Would I have been a better dentist than a fireman?!”

The same fears enter into choosing a mate. A young adult thinks, “What if I choose the wrong person to marry?” Remember this: God rules, not destiny and He allows you to choose. Do you know why your choice for a mate will work? You choose faithfulness! Then, you apply genuine love with all the choices in marriage.

Every time we stand at a ‘Y’ in the road to make a choice, we decided to go down one path and not all the others. In doing so we accept one set of unknowns over others.

I find it completely mystifying that some people do not choose Jesus? Yet, for those who are in Christ Jesus there are promises from our Creator.

• Provisions in this life (Matthew 6:33)
• A new start (Romans 6:4; John 3:3)
• Adoption as sons of God (Romans 8:16)
• God’s Spirit to intercede for us and help us (Acts 2:38; Romans 8:26; John 14:16)
• A direct line to God (Jeremiah 33:3)
• Purification from sin (2 Peter 1:9)
• Partaking in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4)
• Protection from Satan (1 Corinthians 10:13)
• Forgiveness if there is sin (1 John 1:9)
• Resurrection from the dead (Romans 6:5; 1 Corinthians 15)
• Eternal life (John 3:36; 11:35)

Faith in self comes without promise, but only uncertainties. Self-love gives me comfort only in knowing that I am in the majority. Yet, for the few who choose Jesus, there is great confidence in God’s promises. And there is life...eternal!


Mark Stinnett

November 20, 2022

God IS in Control

“It shows that God is in control.” 

That was a comment made in a Bible class on the Book of Daniel. The comment was in reference to the prophesied fall of a great kingdom.

In my last blog I showed from scripture that God…

• Is not a controller of human puppets;
• Does not orchestrate all matters;
• Does not assign destiny to every person.

The point was that God allows people to make choices, even when those choices go against Him and His divine will. Yet, when we look at the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, there is no question but that God orchestrated some things. It is clear that God has used His authority and power to accomplish His will. So, it makes sense to say, “God is in control.”

Of course, some people don’t like the idea of God being in control. Yet, as in a family with small children, it is always better when the parents are in charge. Here are a few ways that we benefit from God being in control.

Job and the Accuser: In the opening chapter of the Book of Job Satan accuses that Job is of good character and that he reveres God because God blessed him so much. Satan suggested that if his wealth, family and health were removed, Job would curse God. Because of his confidence in Job, God allowed Satan to bring calamity and pain into the life of Job. Yet, Satan could not proceed without God’s permission. Satan cannot make a move against you without God’s permission. Satan submits to God.

Temptation: Consider the following verse.

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

—1 Corinthians 10:13 (NASB95)

God knows your weakness and he will not allow a temptation in your life that you cannot overcome. God protects you.

Judgment: Consider the following:

Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

—Romans 12:19 (NASB95)

Ultimately, God will bring justice to all people. He has the authority to do so. What a relief that we (humans) do not have to figure it all out!

Good for God’s People: 

(From Romans 8)

We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (v. 28)

If God is for us, who is against us? (v. 31)

Paul concluded by explaining emphatically that nothing in this world or the unseen world can separate us from the love of God. (vv. 38-39)

The End and the Beginning: The Apostle John recorded a lengthy vision from God. He saw a place of destruction at the end of time a place called the lake of fire. In it were cast death, Hades, the devil, and all evil. Yet, just as soon as John saw these things, he saw a new heaven and new earth and a new Jerusalem prepared for God’s holy people; a new beginning for God’s holy people. (Revelation 20-22)

God does these things because He has all authority and all power! God IS in control, and that’s good. As a result, we have hope!

Mark Stinnett

December 6, 2020

Is God in Control???

“God is in control.” Yet, corrupt governments rise; injustice rises proportionally. The underprivileged are marginalized or simply cast aside. A worldwide pandemic persists. Natural disasters bring death and destruction to thousands upon thousands. Is God controlling all that? 

What does it mean to say that “God is in control?”

• Is God a controlling God?
• Does God orchestrate all matters related to mankind?
• Is everything in life destined?

Let me share a few passages that will guide our thinking.

Early in Scripture we read about the first sin. God had forbidden Adam and Eve from eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Yet, the serpent deceived Eve and she ate the fruit, and so did Adam. There were severe consequences for their sin. However, it is noteworthy that God did not keep them from disobeying. In other words, God’s relationship with created mankind is more like that of a parent and child instead of a puppeteer and puppet. God gave Adam and Eve direction, but he allowed them to choose. (See Genesis 3.)

In a somewhat parallel passage in the New Testament we learn that God’s fierce anger will be “revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men….” (Romans 1:18) Just like in the Garden of Eden, there are consequences for disobeying God. The Apostle Paul continued in Romans 1 by describing people who simply would not stop opposing God. And three times he stated that God would give them over.

• God gave them over to their desires;
• God gave them over to degrading passions;
• God gave them over to a depraved mind.

So, God does not make anyone submit to Him; he did not create puppets. I think that is the ultimate statement of liberty. Yet, it is not good. Whenever man is left to pursue his own desires he becomes immoral and violent. 

(That’s why God destroyed the world with a great flood. Check it out in Genesis 6.)

The Apostle John wrote:

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 

— 1 John 5:3

Many people see God as controlling and restrictive, blind to the Father-child relationship between Creator and created mankind. Good parents place restrictions on their children because they love them. The restrictions are for the good of the child. They want their children to grow into respectable human beings, not wild animals. God’s word is for our good so that we can enjoy this life and also inherit eternal life.

Finally, think about these verses:

The Lord is...not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
— 2 Peter 3:9

God...desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth. 

— 1 Timothy 2:4

If we are all destined, then how is it that, against His desire, God destined some to be lost/perish? Jesus said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” God is not divided and we are not subject to destiny. God created us so that we can choose. 

• We are not puppets controlled by God as the divine puppet-master of life.
• God is not controlling; He has spoken to us through His word for our benefit.
• We are not locked in to destiny.

So...God is in control, yet...we can choose. 

Mark Stinnett

November 29, 2020

My Lucky Star is Shining!!!

Mike and I had lunch at a local Chinese restaurant and, as usual, cracked open our fortune cookies as we finished our meal. We have both whined over the way fortune cookies have changed over the years. Nowadays they offer advice or present a watered-down proverb. But that day was different! Something about the future! A real fortune!  Are you ready for this?

“Remember three months from this date! Your lucky star is shining.”

***WOW***

I have a friend who will not touch a fortune cookie. Another friend appends the same phrase to the end of every fortune cookie saying to make it funny. It is all fun and games; no one really takes fortune cookies seriously. Right?

That is not entirely true, is it? Some people are sure that the fortune cookie they receive is not a coincidence but a specific message destined for them. (And just who is it that is in charge of destiny???)

Can we take a look at my wonderful stroke of luck destiny?

I received my fortune cookie on August 12th. Upon reading it Mike laughed, “From what I know about stars, that star has been shining for a long time!” He’s right. The closest star to our solar system is ‘Proxima Centauri’ at 4.25 light years from the Sun. That simply means that the light from my ‘lucky star’ took over four years to reach the earth. So, in reality, my ‘lucky star’ was already shining…on August 12th.

So, when I look back at my fantastic fortune, I have no clue what it really means. What does the ‘three months’ have to do with anything. And just what is a lucky star? How do I locate mine? Do I have to see it for it to be lucky? Is it the star that is lucky or does it somehow bring me luck? If it brings me luck...how? Why now?

Many people wish they could stand on the edge of today and take a peek into tomorrow. They would make better decisions if they knew what would happen tomorrow. Right?

For example, if I know it will rain tomorrow, I can prepare better. Then again, I could always carry my umbrella and be prepared every day. But who wants to end up carrying an umbrella on a sunny day? (*tsk*) Do we really need to know about tomorrow???

He who watches the wind will not sow

and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.

                                             —Ecclesiastes 11:4

Fortune cookies, dream interpretations, crystal balls, horoscopes, the Chinese calendar (I’m a dog), lucky charms, lucky rabbit’s feet (foots?), and on and on it goes. None of these are from God; none give real insight into tomorrow.

God was furious with ancient Israel for ignoring Him when they needed insight. Looking for tomorrows answers in the cookies, crystals and calendars of their day led to idolatry. God was not throwing a fit because He was being left out; he had true insight, real answers. He offered stability in life and future hope (expectation). Israel looked to empty idols.

The question is not whether we can figure out what will happen tomorrow or what the statistical probabilities are. Rather…

Will we turn to God when problems arise?

Will we patiently wait for His answer?

Will we follow His revealed word faithfully?

Finally, brethren, whatever is true…

dwell on these things.

                                    —Philippians 4:8

Do not waste precious time and energy on life’s uncertainties and wishful thinking; think about things that you know to be TRUE.