A neighbor, who worked with my step-father, was very close friends of our family. They lived a few doors from us and they visited often to play cards. His wife was able to foresee the future. She would tell my mother what was going to happen and it did. I could relate a number of examples. It was just plain spooky how accurate she was! I am completely convinced that there are psychics that can tell the future. I believe it may be of the devil. One thing I believe: the devil or anyone else, other than God, can tell our future unless we allow it. And neither can you be hypnotized unless you allow it. Scripture teaches we must not allow anyone to tell our future as it is not pleasing to God. There are people who can prophesize and I believe that comes from God. If some humans can see into the future, God knows from the very beginning who will be in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

I Peter 1:1 & 2a – “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,”

Many believe that you cannot be saved unless God chooses you. Yet, Scripture tells us that God wants everyone to accept Christ as their Savior. How do we explain the “elect” or God’s foreknowledge? If God knows prior to a person’s birth who will become a Christian, then is it He who chooses or the individual who He knows will not accept? We are also told that there will be no excuses not to accept God. Therefore, should we not conclude that everyone will be given the opportunity to accept but most will refuse? Is it difficult to understand God chooses only those who He foreknows will accept and they become the elect?

Deuteronomy 7:6 – 11 – “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh King of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. But those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction;
he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him. Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today.”

Christians, as God’s new chosen ones, were also given rules to live by and in most cases similar to the requirements that were given to the Jews who refused to be obedient and rejected God. I Thessalonians 4:8 – “Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.”

1. We are to live according to God’s Will and live to please Him.
2. We are to fulfill the purpose we were put on this earth to do.
3. We are to be responsible and accountable by living a life of service.
4. We are to share the gospel with everyone. Israel had been unwilling to spread God’s Word.
5. We are to actively witness for Christ.

These are just examples to show that what the Israelites were unwilling to do Christians have been given the mission. Christ came to confirm what God expected.

There is a term called “The doctrine of election”. God gives salvation to whomever He pleases. For example, God chose Abraham and his descendants as His special people. He then indicated that the earth will be blessed through Abraham’s people. They were given land, they received His Word and were to convey that Word to the entire world. God knew, before He chose them, they would be a disobedient nation and fail to present His Word to the world. John 4:9 – “The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?’” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jews would not associate with most gentiles. How could God spread His Word without human help? Therefore, He sent His Son to establish a New Covenant in which followers of Christ would spiritually change the world by spreading God’s message of grace.

This is why we have sent missionaries throughout the world to accomplish what others were unwilling to do. The supernatural experiences many of these missionaries have, has confirmed that this is what God has expected of Christians. But there were times when Christians stopped spreading the world. The vacuum allowed the spread of pagan religions. If Christians refuse to spread the Word, the devil will fill the gap.

Don’t ever think God doesn’t know who we are and what we are doing every minute. Is God seeing us focused on the world and ourselves or on Christ and eternity?