Yes He does! ...But it's His plan ... not mine ... Not yours ... 1Cor.6[20] For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's ...i was watching a program on TBN where they asked some saints if they've ever been told, or said in their witnessing to the unsaved, "God has a wonderful plan for your life" ... Many said yes ... Then it was asked if they had an opportunity to witness to all the people who would die on 9/11, the day before knowing that all these people were about to die, would they still witness that God had a wonderful plan for your life, or would they have to change the message? ... Well i'm sure that you can identify, as did i, with the short circuiting that took place in their brains over such a thought, and many answered that they would have to change their message ...Some of the most sobering thoughts i've ever had to deal with as a Christian were of the events of 9/11 ... There were some Christians incinerated instantly on 9/11 ...There were some Christians who were forced to jump to their deaths on 9/11 ... Which still brings tears to my eyes, even more so for the unsaved, for at least the saved jumped into the everlasting arms of Jesus ...There were some Christians shredded in the collapse of those towers ...There were some Christians who went to glory in that 4th. plane impacting the earth in Pennsylvania ...There are Christians dying all sorts of horrible deaths, everyday, all over this world, with God knowing aforehand just how they will go, just how i will go, just how you will go ...So if we're in Christ solely for the solace that nothing horrific could ever happen to us ... That we'll never be sick ... never suffer financial lack ... never have to endure any dire hardship ... never suffer any actual physical and/or mental persecution for our faith ... never be required to martyrdom ... never die in a way that staggers the imaginition ... Or enjoy anything less in our Christian lives than a false prophet's diffinition of The Abundant Life ... Then i'm/you're/we're in Him for the wrong reason(s), and will more than likely be numbered amongst the tares ...Matt.13[25] But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.[26] But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.[27] So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?[29] But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.[30] Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.[36] Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.[38] The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;[40] As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.Those of us serious about our faith in Jesus had best adopt our beloved Apostle Paul's singularly motivated satisfaction in Christ alone as our contentment in whatever situation, or ending, God has as His own wonderful plan for my/your life, as Paul's life was wrought with physical pain and hardships for the kingdom, and his ending was to be beheaded, but to him to live was Christ, and to die is gain ... Do you think Paul would have changed his message to us, "God has a wonderful plan for your life", had he known that we would be dying some horrific death the very next day? ... Somehow i don't think so, not from a man so quick to spout, "To be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord" ... No saints, i think our beloved, exemplary Paul knew something that most of us are still struggling with ... That our reward for our faith, love and service to Jesus Christ is not at all about being rewarded here, but all about our rewards in the hereafter ... My human nature certainly prays God that He not allow me to have to endure some painful, horrifying death, but in my spirit man i know that His wonderful plan for my life is His wonderful plan for me, not mine ... So i can only hope, and pray, and know that He will never let me undergo what i cannot bear, and if i have to bear something that only He knows i can, then He'll give me the grace, determination, power, and vision of third heaven to ease me from this life to Himself ... Stephen didn't feel those stones ... i believe that, and i hope you do to ... Our truest treasure is Jesus, nothing else matters ... NOTHING! ... AmenMatt.6:[21] For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
