He knows the Plans He has for you!

He knows the Plans He has for youIn Jeremiah 29:11 The Lord says............... For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. When I was 19 I found myself in a jail cell (not the first time I had been arrested) I was very drunk and trying to sleep with one very thin blanket. Then this person was brought in and thrown in the next cell to me. She screamed the whole way, what she was going to do to the cops and so on. Even after they had locked the door, she continued screaming obscenities and threatening violence. I knew it was going to be a long night. Ironically, this crazy girl( a well know lesbian and drug dealer) stayed in the same project as me so we shared a taxi back to our neighborhood the next morning. This drunkenness was a way of life for me. I grew up in a working class society where drunkenness was a right of passage. I very much admired men who could consume copious amounts of alcohol and still continue to drink. My highest ambition was to become just like them. For the most part I achieved my goals. In a couple of desperate moves, I moved my family to London and then to America and finally, at the age of 26, having being married almost ten years, I came to Jesus and He changed me completely. I had been saved for about 4 years, when the Lord, completely out of the blue, said "I want you to go home and share the Gospel." After many miracles, we sold everything and moved back to Scotland. I got involved with a small Pentecostal church and various outreaches. I was able to share my testimony in the local prison. My brother, who is in prison then, and still is as I write this, warned me not to mention his name. I think having a brother as a Christian would kinda ruin his " street cred." Of course I mentioned my brothers name every time I spoke to the men which opened many doors for me with these guys. There was one outreach I was looking forward to very much. We had hired a small building right in the heart of the project I had lived in for 7 years. It was known and still is known as "The Strone." This name would strike fear into most Scottish people as it was probably the most notorious government housing project in Scotland. For a long time it was also a "no-go ," area for the police. We would hold meetings in this little building every Saturday night for six weeks. In between we would go round the doors posting flyers and speaking to people. I would show up every Saturday night, and every Saturday night there would be a pretty good turnout of Christians. Now don't get me wrong, I love to fellowship but the whole point of this outreach was to, well, reach out to the unsaved. On the fifth Saturday afternoon my mother and grandmother were visiting, my grandmother being in a wheelchair. I told my mom that I would drive Grandma home as I was not going to the meeting that night. I told her it was pretty pointless as only Christians showed up. The meeting started at 7. At four that afternoon the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart "I want you at the meeting tonight." I told my mother and she said that she would take Grandma home. I walked into the meeting that night and looked around, all Christians. Not only that, it was a young noisy worship band that I really did not care for. I stood with my eyes closed, thinking how much noise these young people were making. All of a sudden the Holy Spirit fell. A heavy holiness from the Lord had quieted the young band and suddenly He was in charge and His presence was everywhere. I heard some noise in front of me. Someone had come in and sat right in front of me. This person had their head shaved all the way in and I could see the tattoos on their neck. I felt compelled to reach my hand out and pray for the person who was obviously not a Christian. I could now see that is was a female. Her shoulders started to convulse as she sobbed. I could see she was fighting to control her sobbing. Then a young Christian girl came over and put her arms around her. As soon as she touched the unsaved woman, she jumped to her feet and literally ran from the building. Before I knew what I was doing, I jumped to my feet and ran after her. There was three set of double doors and I caught up with her at the last set. It was only then that I realized who she was. It was the screaming girl that had shared the next cell to me all those years ago. Her name was Susan. I said to her very gently "Do you remember me Susan." Susan came from a notorious family who everyone knew. She said she remembered me. She also said that she knew she was to meet someone here this night. I explained to her how Jesus had completely changed my life and that there was a different way to live. She listened carefully and than asked "what do I do now?" I told her that we could go back in and that she could give her heart to the Lord. We walked through the first and then the second double doors. As we got to the third she began to tremble. Here was this woman, who could take on and beat most men I knew, terrified of walking down the aisle. I took her arm and told her that I would walk down with her. She walked forward and was gloriously saved. I believe with all my heart that the major reason that my wife and I went all the way to Scotland for a year was for the saving of Susan. Can you imagine a God that would go to enormous lengths to save someone that society did not care in the least for. I can see the Lord looking down, twelve years previous to a drunken screaming woman, and a hopeless drunk guy and thinking to Himself " I know the plans I have for you," "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity." The Lord has delivered Susan and I from captivity. Perhaps you have a family member or friend or loved one that seems to be in a hopeless situation, you may even have given up all hope for that person. Yet Our Lord is Hope itself. Hope is the wellspring that all of our joy flows from. We have two choices in this life, even as a Christian, we can live in hope or we can despair. Hope gives birth to joy and to life and to strength. It is because I am in Christ that my hope springs eternal. It is awesome to know that our Heavenly Father is willing to go to enormous lengths to fulfill His plans. Psalm 139You hem me in--behind and before;you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit?Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there;if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn,if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me,your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide meand the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you;the night will shine like the day,for darkness is as light to you.

A wonderful testimony of grace, very sober indeed.I find that the ones who are brought up in the church are hardly used, and those who have come from a terrible life of sin God uses. Of course God will use anyone, however this is a pattern that I have seen through out my Christian life.Thank you for sharing that, I love hearing stories of courage and strength.

Frank,Thank you for sharing this. It is apposite for me right now.

Somehow I posted the same comment twice, so, rather than waste the opportunity, let me say I had never heard of the Strone but I recognise the phenomenum of Christians coming to 'outreach' meetings, and also, that 'knowledge' you have about having gone back to Scotland to meet Susan. That was wonderful! And also that she knew she would meet 'someone' there! I loved that! That glorious Someone Who has better plans for us. Amen!

Hi DorcasYou would have to come from my world to have heard of the Strone:) Its a housing project in Greenock. Let me know what "it is the opposite of me" means ..............Frank

Hi Frank,You know, I think I have heard of the Strone, but I didn't know where it was. Many (many) years ago, a cousin trained as a nurse in Greenock, so I've been there a few times, and also on the way to Kintyre where we used to holiday near the McCartney estate. (I was born in Edinburgh.)'Apposite' is a word which means something like.... that two 'things' or concepts can be placed beside each other and they are matching or equal in a kind of complementary way. (You can play a game matching the most appropriate or 'apposite' adjective for a noun...) Is that helpful? (That's a non-dictionary definition...)

"Thank you for sharing this. It is apposite for me right now."I was actually wondering what this sentence above meant in the context of where you are in relation to what I wrote :).........Frank

Loveslave writes"I find that the ones who are brought up in the church are hardly used, and those who have come from a terrible life of sin God uses. Of course God will use anyone, however this is a pattern that I have seen through out my Christian life."I too have found this. This would make an interesting subject in itself. What does that say about people who have grown up in the church? There is a saying that there is no grandchildren in the Kingdom of God, I am always worried when I hear people tell me that they got saved when they were four and grew up in the church, I am not sure what kind of "Christianity," that kind of "conversion,: leads to..........Frank

I was actually wondering what this sentence above meant in the context of where you are in relation to what I wrote :).........FrankHi Frank,About 15 months ago, I had a real check in my spirit, to not go ahead with some 'plans' I had in mind. They were only 'in mind', but, had been there for a long time. So, I didn't. Many weeks later I joined SI, and that led to a protracted period of deep inner healing, as some of the saints here prayed for me. So far so good, but there are many gaps in my knowledge about way my future will resolve.

Jeff, thank you for the testimony about how your grandmother and grandfather's prayers have been answered. May you all continue to believe, right through till the end.I recognise myself in your description of how you responded to the Lord's revelations to you, and I confess your exhortation was the word of God me, which I have taken on board afresh... because I have been there in the past. But I needed to hear other things too, and it seems 'today is the day of salvation' in that He has spoken to me yesterday and today as well - all in part-answer to the same question. Amen. There may be more. I'm listening.By the way be careful what you tell God you will not be willing to do. I know about this one, and I'd say He has been very gracious to me, in bringing me to a place where I could revoke what was not an ultimatum from me to God (FAR from it.) but, was indeed a very heartfelt plea to be preserved from certain situations, which He, in His immense kindness, did not over-rule.Also, I am very careful not to use the word 'never' about anything over which I have no control... such as the practical outworking of remaining in (or getting into) the centre of His will.

Hi JeffWhat "no grandchildren in the kingdom ," means is that each person must be born-again, you cannot go to heaven on your parents or granddparents faith. While your stroy is wonderful, it is not typical, an anecdote perhaps. Do I believe that six year olds come to Christ? No. They are to young to understand. I do believe there is an age of accountability and that all children go to heaven if they die. Where would you draw the line Jeff 3Year old? 2 Year old? Its only been a few hundred years since the reformation, but the Protestant church is going down the ame road as the Catholic church. If the Lord tarries another hundred years, the Protesting church will be baptizing babies. A young child is merely going along with his parents. When the age of accountability comes, then they will have to choose to to surrender their lives to Jesus or not. The tens of thousands of "recommitments," in this country is almost certainly people really coming to Christ for the first time. Even when parents see their young adults, (usually college, but not always) sleeping around , drinking and looking exactly like the world, the glean some false comfort by telling themselves that their chid is a Christian because they gave their hearts to the Lord when they were four. There is a reason that the Word says "Do not be fooled, those who do these things will not inherit the kingdom. The reason is there is a great propensity for being fooled, that is why we are warned. I speak from experience by the way. I "gave my heart to the Lord," when I was nine. I liked the things of God, and I followed my mothers lead. Yet when I became a teenager I went "into the world," and became a drunkard, a drug addict, and a womanizer, got a girl pregant and was married at 17 and then continued to all those things. I gave my heart to the Lord when I was 26 and was saved. One last point. Are there exceptions? Yes. There are some people who have had the call of God on their life from very young, glory to God. They are rare, and they are few and far between. ...............Frank

Well JeffAs I said, I believe that no child goes to hell, that all children are innocent so the question is moot. I believe there is an age of accountability and that all young adults should be encouraged to surrender their whole lives to Jesus. This age of accountability will vary from child to child but the Lord knows. Much of the confusion on campuses from young "Christian ," students is that they are sleeping around, drinking, doing everything that the world is doing but their parents are telling them that they made a "confession," when they were four, therefore they should be living the "christian life." Which of course they cannot because they have never met Jesus personally...........Frank

Hi Frank,You have a very strong testimony, and I am not calling any question upon it, but there is one thing you have not mentioned - and possibly, you have not thought of your own life this way. You said you gave your life to Jesus when you were 9. I don't have the post where you mentioned this, immediately open, so I may have misquoted you - not my intention - I just want to remind you you'd mentioned that age. You didn't say if this commitment to God was because of Confirmation under the Roman Catholic discipline, of if you'd been evangelised by a non-Catholic, at that age.I hear all that you said about the way your life progressed, and how you attribute it to not knowing the Lord for yourself. Where am I going with this? Well, here.... that God knew you and chose you from before the foundation of the world, in Himself. He always intended you to come to saving faith. All those years after you made that first move towards Him as a 9yo, the Father was drawing you. That's one of the reasons you were able to be aware of the gulf between you and Him, which needed to be closed by your active step of faith, eventually.I, too, gave my life to Jesus when I was VERY small. This was within the context of being in a Protestant Christian family - maternal grandfather a preacher/teacher/writer/evangelist, father a true believer and elder in his local congregation.... but, my mother was not a believer and lived actively as an idolatress. That did not prevent God from keeping His Hand on my life, and although I nearly lost my mind through resisting sin, He had a PLAN for my salvation, which He has been outworking faithfully since I finally asked His help again, to bring my life into line with His will, when I was 19.When you say 'I believe that no child goes to hell, that all children are innocent'... this is a very dangerous blanket to throw over them. I was able to compute guilt when I was 3. I can't tell you the quality of that guilt, because my mother had been abusing me, but, I know that the term 'age of accountability' can easily be reduced to a legal statement. Whereas God sees the heart. Heathens will be judged on whether they obeyed what their consciences tell/told them (Rom 2:15,16)Imho, it is an oversimplification of what is going on in a life, simply to reject the possibility of a child of 6 (who has reached the age of reason) being able meanifully to give his life to Jesus, just as it is to suggest that all children go to heaven. Of course parents want to think like this, but at what age do you say a child who kills another child, was absolved by the death of Jesus, or knows EDIT CORRECTION 'knows' to doesn't know EDIT end; that what they are doing IS WRONG? I don't think we can just take it upon ourselves to stand in God's shoes like that.

Hi DorcasI wrote in a reply to Jeff "This age of accountability will vary from child to child but the Lord knows." To answer some specific questions. My father was a non-practising Catholic like most men in the Catholic working class, but he made sure his children went to mass. Obvioulsy I also had a Catholic education. My mother became a born-again Christian so it was this that prompted me at the age of nine to make a confession of faith. Yet, as we know from the sower and the seed that many recieve the word with gladness, but not all seed come to fruition. I do agree that the hand of the Lord was on me, even in the midst of my wicked life, I know that the Lord saved my physical life on more than one occasion. Yet here is the rub, if I had have died in that position, I have no doubt that I was hell bound. Making Jesus the Lord of my life at the age of 26 I was finally justified, saved, a new heart and a transformation.I also agree with what you said about blanket statements, they are never very wise, unless we have scripture to back us up. In this particular subject, we do not. The scripture is silent on the subject. One could possibly make an argument that when scripture talks about "household salvation," that this included children, but that would be assumptive, an argument from silence. The only examples we have in the new testement of people being saved are adults. The notion that children understand what it means to surrender your life, to give it up, to make Jesus the Lord of their lives, is not realistic. Every muslim child will believe what their parents will tell them. But when they are able to understand, then they can make their own descision on what is the truth and what is not. Childrn are innocent and accept blindly whatever their parents tell them. There is also a reason why Catholics who are born again reject their first baptism, the reason being that their parents made that descision for them and now, having made their own descision to make Jesus the lord of their lives and to surrender their lives to Jesus, they get baptized, this time by their own choice. So, if you are raised a Baptist, a Catholic, a Pentecostal, a muslim, whatever,. and you blindly follow your parents lead, there will come a time when you have to make your own descision, one cannot go to heaven on their parents faith. It is an individual choice made by minds that are able to understand what it is that is required of them. I have a mentally handicapped child who has no way of understanding the Gospel and what the Father wants from humanity, I have no problem making the blanket statement that all mentally handicapped people go to heaven. I base this on the attributes of a God of Justice. Finally, I know of people who were raised in churches, came forward and signed on the dotted line, or "prayed the prayer," or "knelt at the alter," and then went on and became murderers and rapists. Would anyone seriously argue that because these people made confessions of faith as children that they are just confused Christians?So, bottom line, its not what a person, child or otherwise says, its how they live their life, the evidence will be in the fruit. We will know them by their love for one another. I n the parrable of the two brothers, Jesus tells us that one agreed to work in the field, the other said no. The one who agreed did not follow through, the one who said no, repented and went and did what he was asked to do. Jesus asks the pharissees, which one of these did the will of their father, which one of these are saved. Bottom line, words are cheap, actions speak louder...........Frank

Hi JeffI am really not sure why you would use OT civil law in a debate on New Testment, New Covenant Christianity. First of, we can assume that since the son is a drunkard, that he is not a child but a young man. Secondly, I know that your not saying that we should be stoning prostitues, or exacting revenge, getting an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, so I really am not understanding your point, perhaps you could clarify.........Frank