Was it already predestined?

Lord'sWarrior

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Since my 20s, before my mental illness, I recognize now only that God started then to call me to Him through a certain singer-songwriter - no matter who it is -, that contained songs that mentioned the Gospel, and the Fear of the Lord, for example.

But I didn't pay attention to the lyrics. Then I had a car accident and went in a (so I thought) self-discovery journey that took me through Buddhism, Taoism, and many isms.

That artist has remanained in my life until now, coming soon to my 36 birthday.

So what I would like to know is, was it planned for me to look to Jesus only after 16 years astray and without a clue, or could I have stopped that path I went through, that I think made me mentally ill and realized Jesus then?

Was it planned to happen now only?
Is there scripture to back up predestination?
Thanks.
 

~Anastasia~

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God's grace is always extended.

Our free will allows us to accept it, reject it, or reject it for a time. God didn't purposely keep you away for 16 years against your will, if that's what you're asking. Though knowing the end from the beginning, He can already know what you will do/have done. That does not mean that He determined you must do it apart from your own wil though.
 
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Lord'sWarrior

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God's grace is always extended.

Our free will allows us to accept it, reject it, or reject it for a time. God didn't purposely keep you away for 16 years against your will, if that's what you're asking. Though knowing the end from the beginning, He can already know what you will do/have done. That does not mean that He determined you must do it apart from your own wil though.
I probably could be in a much more different situation if I hadn't gone astray. Probably I'd have a job, I wouldn't have this illness, probably I'd be married. But why didn't I listened? I never listened. Only when I was about to enter into a new mental health crisis did something happen. Now it's a hard path to walk ahead. I fear the world and I am weak.
 
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~Anastasia~

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I probably could be in a much more different situation if I hadn't gone astray. Probably I'd have a job, I wouldn't have this illness, probably I'd be married. But why didn't I listened? I never listened. Only when I was about to enter into a new mental health crisis did something happen. Now it's a hard path to walk ahead. I fear the world and I am weak.
Most of us are tempted to regrets and say, "if only we had done this or that, things would be better." But we really have no idea. Perhaps we are strengthened in our trials, though we feel weakened. Perhaps we were spared from a worse situation.

We can never know. The truth is, mostly, we could have responded so much better to God's grace. But even in our mistakes, He uses what happens for our good. If we trust in that, we know it will all work out to make us more like Christ, in the end. Better to be thankful for how God works, since regretting what we did wrong (once we repent) serves no good purpose and is just fertile ground for the enemy to discourage us. But focusing instead on how God redeems everything helps us see His hand and strengthens our faith.

God be with you.
 
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Bro. Daniel

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God can allow satan to 'touch' someone to get the point across to answer their call.
We were all ordained before the foundation of the world as far as predestination goes. (Ephesians 1:4)

If we don't reach it in time... well... we see warnings and judgment from God now.

A car accident meant God was warning you to answer. I went through this too. He put me in the right path and I'm still in the race. (Hebrews 12:1, 1 Corinthians 9:4, Philippians 3:14)

Each person has a destiny and testimony. The Bible explains it in Genesis with Joseph through God's vision to him early in life revealing part of his destiny to keep the devil from interfering in all of it. He used him to save everyone from the famine including his family.

If he did not fulfill this call, only God knows what would have happened, but I leave that up to the Lord to lead and guide you on that discussion. We are given time to prepare in our lives and it's supposed to happen in the beginning.

All of us are to fulfill our own vision/dream/destiny/calling God gives us but not enough people are answering it. Self-will from being in the world circumvents us and poor doctrine, lukewarm Christianity, self-imposed beliefs of scriptures without asking the Holy Spirit for interpretation etc. blocks us from it.

God gave us plans for us all in the very beginning as Ephesians 1:4 says, some may point to Jeremiah 1:5 but the devil intervenes upon birth from ancestral sins by putting us in the wrong families, wrong locations, and wrong time. He has legal rights because of our forefather's iniquities. (Exodus 34:7)

When we come to God, he separates us from our immediate families in His season for us to create new ones rooted in Him. (Luke 12:51-53) Then He repairs our lives walking daily in Him following His ways bringing us back into our destinies or giving us a new one because of the devil's trashed the original. (Genesis 50:20).

We have to be awakened because our eyes and ears are closed at the beginning. (Isaiah 6:8-11)

Christians are meant to evangelize, spread the gospel and bring those to Christ, but the majority of the new extreme grace doctrine is now speaking of love embracing sin and not saving souls, not telling others to repent, not adhering to scripture by using love as a guide, not having a relationship with God and not following His will and much more. It says love God with all your heart, soul and strength and then it says if we love God we will keep His commandments and there's over 613 of those. (Luke 10:27, John 14:15) Some people skip that part and evangelize improperly by not allowing God to lead them.

There are secrets to evangelizing Christians are unaware so the word preached is fallen on deaf ears and the devil takes away the word. (Luke 8:5, Luke 8:12). This is why we don't hear the first time as people try to preach from their own flesh to gain souls using watered down gospel and not asking God to pour out the Holy Spirit upon those they reach before evangelizing.
 
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Bro. Daniel

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I probably could be in a much more different situation if I hadn't gone astray. Probably I'd have a job, I wouldn't have this illness, probably I'd be married. But why didn't I listened? I never listened. Only when I was about to enter into a new mental health crisis did something happen. Now it's a hard path to walk ahead. I fear the world and I am weak.

Trust in God to get you there. Attaining a closer relationship via inquiry prayers, asking to hear His voice, reading His word, fasting, etc. is a process and a journey with God. He will get the glory for everything and will probably heal you in time. I'm in the same boat. He'll begin to show you what to do you in dreams and visions as well. (Joel 2:28, Acts 2:18). Pray for God to open your spiritual eyes Ephesians 1:17-18. God will put you in the right place, right position, and right time in His season in Yahushua's name.
 
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Halbhh

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Since my 20s, before my mental illness, I recognize now only that God started then to call me to Him through a certain singer-songwriter - no matter who it is -, that contained songs that mentioned the Gospel, and the Fear of the Lord, for example.

But I didn't pay attention to the lyrics. Then I had a car accident and went in a (so I thought) self-discovery journey that took me through Buddhism, Taoism, and many isms.

That artist has remanained in my life until now, coming soon to my 36 birthday.

So what I would like to know is, was it planned for me to look to Jesus only after 16 years astray and without a clue, or could I have stopped that path I went through, that I think made me mentally ill and realized Jesus then?

Was it planned to happen now only?
Is there scripture to back up predestination?
Thanks.

Other than poetic songs (psalms), we don't have a wording that suggests God has planned out all bits of our lives (as compared to some key parts, crucial parts) but instead that He has a plan for us, that plan being that we be saved, which isn't the same thing as planning all details of all things. So, people then fill in the blank with theories and some dare to make them into doctrines, but I think of those ideas as merely guesses, and that they also contradict scriptures showing we have real choices, and also that God views us as having real choices, thus not predetermined.

It fits scripture as best I understand that His plan isn't meaning that everything is predetermined, but instead that He has made a way for our salvation, Christ's work here, as He planned even from the beginning, scripture says.

18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
1 Peter 1
 
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Sketcher

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We have a responsibility to choose rightly, which must mean that we have an ability to choose rightly. Everyone who does choose Christ was already chosen by Christ, however. As to when and how - I don't believe that is sufficiently explained in Scripture.
 
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2tim_215

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God is a God of 2nd chances. And yes, you could have come to him earlier, but it was your choice not to. If you put things in perspective, you've suffered greatly for making the wrong choice and it sounds like you sure are. Do you think that when God tells us to behave in a certain way (which He tells us in His word how we should do this) that He's doing it to be mean?

No, He's doing it because He knows it's what's best for us. Unfortunately we don't know and tend to choose whatever we want at the time what doesn't usually turn out to good. Unfortunately when we choose not to go God's way, there will be consequences that we have to suffer and from what it sounds like, you have been going through them for not going the right way, which it seems you understand.

Now the good news (there's always good news when you do it God's way): it's not too late. There's really no "unpardonable sin" (at least I don't believe you've committed it if there is) and if you're willing to repent (change your way of thinking) which it sounds like you're beginning to do, then He is faithful to forgive. As Paul says, you need to put your past life behind you, and start your new life, a life in Him.

A favorite prayer of mine is in Latin, "Quod Vixe Tege, Quod Vivam Rege", which means "my past life hide, my future guide". No matter how bad things may seem, never give up on God, as He can do what may seem impossible to us. Hebrew 11:1 says,
"Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the Evidence of things not seen".

Be blessed.
 
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Tayla

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Was it planned?
Life happens. Everyone makes choices we wish we could do over, but we can't. Suffering is part of life, for some more so than others. We are born the way we are; we can change some things but not others. God loves us. All we can do is call out to him for relief.

As we try to relieve the suffering we should avoid sinning. God doesn't expect us to understand complex theology. Read the New Testament, let the words wash over you, embrace Jesus. Don't beat yourself up worrying about whether you got saved or not. Cling to Jesus, that's all that's needed.
 
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