The word for this week is "foreknowledge". We find it in these verses:
Acts 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. KJV
1 Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. KJV
This is the Greek word "prognosis". Strong's Concordance says: forethought. It comes from the Greek word "proginosko", which means to know beforehand, foresee. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: foreknowledge is used only of divine foreknowledge. It is one aspect of omniscience, it is God's warnings, promises and predictions. This can be kind of confusing to some because even though God has given us a free will to make the choices for our lives, He DOES already know what we will choose! Isaiah 46:9-10 tells us this:
Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: KJV
In Acts we see that it was God's plan and His purpose that JESUS should suffer, physically for our physical healing, and spiritually by becoming sin with OUR sin so that we could become righteous with HIS righteousness. In 1 Peter we see that it was God's plan and His purpose that we should become HIS by receiving JESUS as Lord and Saviour! WE don't know what God knows, so we are to always be ready to share the Gospel with everyone who asks us or who HE sends us to! We are not rewarded for people receiving JESUS as Lord and Saviour. We are rewarded for planting the seed of the Word, the Gospel, so that they CAN receive HIM. I am very glad to know that GOD knows, and I am equally as glad that I don't! That keeps me from getting into judgement and criticism, and also keeps me in faith for minstering to people. The care of it all stays on HIM, Who already KNOWS! Because it is our job to do the telling, Here is Hillsong with an older song called "Tell The World":
Verse 1:
Don’t want to stand here and shout Your praise
And walk away and forget Your Name
I’ll stand for You if it’s all I do
'Cause there is none that compare to You
Pre Chorus
And all I want in this lifetime is You
And all I want in this whole world is You
Chorus:
Tell the world that Jesus lives
Tell the world that, tell the world that
Tell the world that He died for them
Tell the world that He lives again
Verse 2:
No longer I but Christ in me
'Cause it’s the truth that set me free
How could this world be a better place?
But by Thy mercy and by Thy grace
Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!
