Son of Man

Have you ever wondered about the reason Jesus wanted to be known as “the Son of man?” One reason is that it was a description from the prophets of the Father reaching out to His wayward children. When the people heard “Son of man,” they should have remembered the words the Holy Spirit gave to Ezekiel: And he said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.”  And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.  And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day." - Ezek. 2:1-3 (ESV)

Light and Life

In scripture, darkness is used as a symbol. It symbolizes the location of evil, crime, predators, deception, sin, and death. In reality, however, it is more than a symbol, it personifies a pervasive way of living and viewing the world. Darkness is the opposite of God. [Jesus said] "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." – Jn. 8:12 (NIV). When one follows Jesus, they allow His teaching to guide their lives.  They begin a unique individual spiritual journey guided by the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will not guide a person down a pathway filled with anything but Light. He will attempt to overpower any darkness that is inside us. This light, or righteous direction, will fill our hearts mold us closer into the servant Jesus wants us to become.

Correction

Few people really crave correction; in fact, many people view it as a form of personal rejection and are naturally defensive when corrective comments come their way. However, being corrected is an indication that our choices regarding something are not adequate or acceptable for another person. Further, that other person who may be correcting believers are convinced they have a greater understanding about the proper way to complete an action. Additionally, it is also true that correction requires personal investment from the one offering correction; they must consider us worthy of the time spent to correct us. Most of us like to look as presentable as possible when we meet other people. Since this has an important impact on the way other people accept us, when a friend kindly says, “you have a spot of dirt on the rear of your pants leg,” or “your hair is ruffled in the back,” we usually appreciate this. These elements of disorder are usually things we would instantly change if we knew about them. The friend accepts us and wants others to avoid negative thoughts about us; these are attempts to be helpful. There are also times in our spiritual lives when things become amiss. A friend may make us aware of these things and encourage us to correct them. For our spiritual lives, it is only when we can realize and understand that the indwelling Holy Spirit loves us more than any other friend possibly could. Without Him, we can never understand the things that are amiss in our lives and the correction God wants. From this approach, we should cherish correction when the Holy Spirit uses other Christians to help polish us. The writer of Hebrews issued a strong statement about people who were adopted. “If you are not disciplined — and everyone undergoes discipline — then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.” Hebrews 12:8 (NIV). We are wise to recognize that correction, whether large or small,  offers an opportunity to improve, instead of a challenge to be rejected. When someone, friend or not, offers a note of correction, or demands correction for words or actions, how do you first respond? A valuable suggested response might be, “thank you for making me aware of this.” In doing this, whether you agree at first, later, or never, you have acknowledged their input and it becomes your decision whether or not to change and how to change your words or actions. It also provides a way to stop their description of their objection.

Sheep

The biblical example used of sheep is crucial. Sheep have little ability to protect themselves from predators and are neither very hardy, nor very intelligent animals. In addition to this, they can become easily frightened and thus very attached to their keeper. These qualities can be very descriptive of people as well. Both sheep and people need a trustworthy guide for safety in life. Jesus used this example when describing Himself: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” – Jn. 10:14-15 (ESV). The sheep will accept the shepherd whom they know and trust, then unquestionably follow him wherever he leads. Those people who follow Jesus as shepherd also have the indwelling Holy Spirit to help protect them from predators and guide them along the winding, twisting, up and down pathways of their unique individual spiritual journeys throughout physical life. Shepherd is also a good description of those within the new kingdom who strive to lead Christians along paths which are safe and healthy for both their physical and spiritual pathways.

Dealing with Suffering

Every one of us considers ourselves suffering from something from time to time. Different people have different levels of tolerance for suffering. We may experience suffering from some sort of rejection. Perhaps it is a relationship gone wrong for no reason we understand, or from a mistake we clearly understand. Perhaps it goes as far as a broken heart where all our expectations and dreams are shattered. Or a deep and lasting hurt from physical abuse or the death of a loved one. One of the most painful responses we can hear is, I am sorry, but there is someone else for you. Perhaps it is a job loss that has turned into financial disaster. Perhaps it is an accident or illness that debilitates us in some way; the things we used to do without thinking about them become major ordeals to be carefully planned. Perhaps it is a child who has walked away from God. When any of these events cross our paths, someone may flippantly quote, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” - Jas. 1:2-3 (ESV) or “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. - Rom. 5:3-5 (ESV). While all these are certainly true, the Holy Spirit cannot shield us from this pain or take it away. However, the Holy Spirit experiences these events or feelings along with us and He is beside us to remind us that we are a part of something greater that the present challenge, no matter how devastating it may seem. He will help guide the healing process. He might remind us about those who also lived in severe struggles long ago, [Paul and Barnabas were] strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, " strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” - Acts 14:22 (ESV). How do we allow the Holly Spirit to help us heal from these experiences? There are some guidelines that may help when suffering touches your own life? 
1. A most difficult reality is that we need to realize that as God’s servants, we should strive to live lives that focus on Him and not on us. It is difficult in this ‘serve me’ world, but the desires of our Savior and God need to be placed above our personal needs, preferences, and comforts. Jesus’ mother provides a good example for us regarding her controversial pregnancy, “And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” - Lk. 1:38 (RSV)
2.  We need to realize that suffering is part of the life experience in a broken world. Suffering does not always mean you have done something wrong and are being punished as a result. Paul suffered many trials for doing what Jesus asked him to do and his actions were not wrong. Jesus Christ suffered greatly on earth. Isaiah tells us that, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;  and as one from whom men hide their face, he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” – Isa. 53:3 (ESV). If Jesus did not escape suffering, why should we believe we can? 
3.  We need to realize that God can heal our suffering.  Suffering can cause us to depend upon Him more.  We all have a great tendency to forget God when times are good. but we cry out to Him when times are uncomfortable.  God allows the suffering to show us how much we really do need Him.  Jesus said, "Apart from Me you can do nothing" (Jn. 15:5).   
4.  Accept the suffering as an opportunity for Christ’s example to be displayed through you. In addition to all of Paul's external issues, he also had one physical issue. It was a thorn in the flesh that bothered him greatly. He asked the Lord three times to take it away. However, Jesus said to him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” - 2 Cor. 12:9 (ESV). 
If you are a Christian and suffering today, depend on the indwelling Holy Spirit to provide consolation. We must only ask Him to do this and open the scriptures for Him to speak. God’s grace will be sufficient in your suffering, but you must trust Him. How these events unfold may be different for each Christian as they walk along their unique individual spiritual journey. However, so long as you follow the pathway provided by the Holy Spirit, you will offer praise to God, which is the goal of each one for whom Christ died.

Help

 Life here on earth is challenging. Personal plans fail and replacement actions never seem adequate for what is missing. Acquaintances overlook us and good friends can let us down. Even those we trust most as brothers or sisters in Jesus can severely wound us. Sometimes our prayers can feel like they go unanswered and even ignored. Where is the Holy Spirit that lives inside me? Our physical health can deteriorate more rapidly than we expect. Advancing age can steal a loved one's mind before their body gives up. We can grow weary, worn out and discouraged by the circumstances that surround our lives and robs us of the joy that used to fill our days. When we become overburdened with these things, we may find ourselves beginning to doubt our place in life. Sometimes, we may doubt God's involvement in our lives. This was the question John the Baptist’s disciples went to ask Jesus (Matt. 11:1-6); Jesus’ actions was the answer provided to John. If the Holy Spirit is honing me and He is described as good, why do I not recognize some goodness in my life? Does the Holy Spirit really help me in some way or have I resisted His activities and stopped whatever He was trying to do through me? When this happens, we feel defeated and afraid to talk to anyone about our doubts; we may decide to create a façade and deny our real state of weakness. As a result, we wrestle with these challenges and fears alone. But why are we afraid to admit our doubts? We are not alone in having doubts. As we move forward on our unique individual spiritual journey, each person may experience various doubts about different things, maybe even life, itself. However, we are not alone. Even the men who had spent time living with Jesus were discouraged after Jesus’ death. As they hid, they received good news, but could they believe it? “and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.” – Lk. 24:9-11 (ESV). These men ran to the tomb immediately to find out if the news was true. Finding the tomb open and empty corroborated the news, but left them with many more questions.  Later, Jesus personally visited these disciples, but one Apostle did not personally witness this meeting. “Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Jn. 20:24-25 (ESV). Seeing Jesus alive after such a cruel death was unbelievable; from this encounter Thomas gained the description of “Doubting Thomas.”
During our times of struggles, we should depend on the Holy Spirit to guide us to calmness using the examples of John the Baptist, the Apostles, and the cloud of witnesses that surround us. (Heb. 12:1). The Holy Sprit has provided so many ways the ease our concerns, but we must trust Him and ask Him for help.

New Life

Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." – Jn. 3:5-6 (ESV). We are called, or invited, to be God’s spiritual people – honest, righteous, compassionate, and holy. But our own efforts fail miserably at achieving these spiritual characteristics. We need the power, presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives working to mold us into the person Jesus wants us to be. This is not a quick endeavor, but a lengthy unique individual spiritual journey. This journey will foster a desire to live to honor our Father with our acts of service for Him. These contributions are made possible by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our thoughts and actions. The Holy Spirit cleanses us and makes us holy regardless of our past sin (1 Cor. 6:9-11); He lives inside us and identifies us as children of God (Rom. 8:9). Conforming to Jesus is something we could not accomplish by our own abilities. We celebrate the Father's work in us through the Holy Spirit.

Death Grip

“But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” – Jn. 20:11-13 (ESV). When events happen in our lives that challenge the root of our trust in the one call Lord, how do we react? Do we think that possibly this commitment is not what we thought it was? If and when this happens, Mary provides a good example for us of one who illustrates determination to hang on to Jesus as her Lord in the middle of her confusion, sorrow, pain, and loss. Mary thinks Jesus is dead, yet His principles and teachings are still her Lord, or motivators. Frequently, Christians interpret the closeness of Jesus based on our outward circumstances. If we think our surroundings and activities are going badly, we question why He is ignoring us and our prayers, and why the Holy Spirit is not providing the comfort and solace we need. Let's follow Mary’s example and hang on tenaciously (the letter to the Hebrews would says to “hold fast” to our faith; some call this a “death grip,” one that is frozen in place - Heb. 10:23) to the conviction that Jesus is Lord even when (and maybe especially when) we don't understand what is happening or the reason for events unfolding around us.

King

Today, the free world has a very different opinion of the purpose for a “King.” In earlier times, a King was a person chosen by a group of people to protect them and guide them as they lived their lives, perhaps even to give purpose to their lives. The person chosen was usually one with some qualities that attracted others and produced trust. The group of people being led were literally pledging their lives to this person. For personal protection, the king would try to avoid confrontation, but if necessary, he would lead his warriors into battle against the forces attacking his people. This meant not only in the visible physical arenas, but also the spiritual arenas. The Old Testament is filled with stories of the change in leadership of God’s people. It is a group of stories about revolt and reconciliation, punishment, and Grace. These people were used to working hard for anything they received from earthly masters and never acknowledged any gifts (manna or water) given by their ultimate King, even on a long journey out of Egypt after they had been set free. God described this group of people, “And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.” – Ex. 32:9 (ESV). They were a people who were willful, beginning with Adam and Eve. But they were loved by God and a resilient people. Beyond this rejection of guidance, the people decided they wanted a visible leader, a King like the other groups of people around them. They said to Samuel, Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge [guide] us like all the nations.” - 1 Sam. 8:5 (ESV). After a stern warning about what it would mean to have a king, the people chose to keep their request for a visible leader. God answered this rejection by giving them a man tall and handsome among other humans, from the tribe of Benjamin. Saul however, failed to understand that God was and always would be King of these people. After Saul, came David, a man after God’s own heart. David had his own difficulties and faults, but he wanted what God wanted, and would forever be remembered in this way. Again, revolt and reconciliation, punishment and Grace described the life of these people, until a new king was born. This time the original King’s own son would properly carry out all the activities God the Father wanted done. With this action, the son, the Prince, fought for freedom and exchanged his physical life to defeat the enemy of a stiff-necked people’s spirituality and provide Peace with God. The victor did not leave this stiff-necked people with no continuing help in the treacherous world in which they lived. For those who would receive Him as King, He promised not only to dwell within them as a Holy Spirit, but by doing so, guarantee eternal life with Him. This indwelling Holy Spirit was charged with molding and shaping these people into the humans they should be, as much as each would allow. This meant that those who really viewed God as King, would travel a unique individual journey along a spiritual pathway toward perfection and into eternity with the King. This same opportunity is available today for anyone who will choose Jehovah God as King. On this journey, God’s followers will experience ups and downs, twists and turns, but all events and feelings come with the most powerful entity that exists living within us. When we follow him, He constantly protects us from the many unseen dangers as well as many of the visible ones. Christians have a King who leads us to a victory over all life’s spiritual and physical struggles.

Faith and Works

How we live our lives as Christians is VERY important. Christians are under as much scrutiny as media celebrities, although not always publicized as widely. Many people observe a Christian and assign a set of expectations to that title. Many times, an observer expects Christians to act in ways in which their integrity is unquestionable. A mature Christian realizes this interpretation will not always be levied. While the actions of a Christian may be valid according to Scripture and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, those looking on may realize only a portion of the picture being revealed. Some people see a conflict between Paul and James over the matter of justification by faith versus works when comparing Rom. 3:24, 28 and Jas. 2:18-26. When we examine this carefully, we should conclude the Holy Spirit was leading each Apostle in describing the same picture to different audiences, or different mindsets and opinions. Paul was confronting the Pharisaic idea that our good works will cause God to grant salvation to humans. He argues that no one can ever be good enough to earn salvation. It is by Grace that God justifies guilty sinners through faith in Christ alone. James however, was challenging the view that saving faith does not necessarily produce good works. He teaches that genuine faith always produces good works, “… faith was completed by his works;” – Jas. 2:22 (ESV). In this verse, “completed,” means to bring to the final phase, or conclusion. We do good works or actions because Jesus saved us, not in order to be saved. When we express faith in Jesus and allow it, the Holy Spirit will lead our lives to produce actions that are good and praiseworthy to God. This issue was so poorly understood, that Paul provided the Galatians a comparison between actions of the Flesh (Gal. 5:19-21) and results or Fruits of a life (Gal. 5:22-23) guided by the Holy Spirit. {Please follow this if you are interested}

Will the Real Predestination Please Stand Up

Manifold confusion has simmered in the Christian community for centuries concerning the topic of predestination for individuals. The concepts of God’s sovereignty and God’s omniscience are intertwined in the theory of Predestination.
The theory of predestination goes beyond God just knowing in advance all that will happen; it alleges God has decided in advance which individuals will be given salvation and which ones will be pushed aside. This confusion has resurfaced many times with the theory that Fate Controls Our Lives. This has spawned such phrases as "que sera, sera", what will be, will be. An extension of this belief is the "once saved, always saved" belief. At the core of this theory is the tension between human free will and God’s sovereign choices. However, the teaching that each individual’s destiny regarding salvation is predestined fails as a valid interpretation of scripture. This false teaching is an exceptionally powerful de-motivator for those who believe in the workings of Jehovah God. Predestination theory is based on seven scriptures taken out of their specific context. The word “foreknowledge,” appears first and is followed by five, forced into six, more descriptive pictures: Acts 2:23, Acts 4:28, Romans 8:29; 30, 1 Corinthians 2:7, Ephesians 1:5, and Ephesians 1:11. The Predestination theory concludes that regardless of the positive or negative actions executed by individual humans, the spiritual result of those lives has been decided in advance. With this conclusion, there is no reason to endure the hardships life brings (John 16:33), and any attempts to help others may be for naught.
 In the specific context, these seven statements arise in the midst of confusion about the Gentiles becoming a part of, even grafted into (Romans 11:17) God’s Israel, the εκκλσία, a called out into a kingdom people: church. Although Isaiah had indicated that Gentile inclusion was God’s will (Isaiah 42:6), the Jews wanted to remain God’s exclusive chosen people, with the history and genealogy to prove it. Once the Gentiles understood the gift and love extended toward them to replace the other false gods, many quickly accepted Jesus and entered the new kingdom. To promote unity, both Jews and Gentiles needed reassurance that this change was not a new or false teaching. Fundamentally, Paul made these specific statements to testify that this inclusion of Gentiles was not something new, but had been God’s plan since the world began. Whether human actions were foreknown or fore-dictated became a pivot point in this discussion because of understanding who were God’s accepted people.
Jews depended heavily on things spoken long ago by their prophets. This collection of perspectives and debate about predestination, group or individual, can be distilled into a single concern: responsibility - who is responsible for all activities that take place.

Generally, we accept that God has made humans with the ability to make personal decisions concerning their lives. The Old Testament reveals the failings of people was due to their own poor decisions many times about not following God’s directives. This was the case whether the people under focus were considered gifted or not, e.g. King David. Even though Jesus was predicted to be the savior of the world, He struggled with His own final choice in the garden of Gethsemane before His crucifixion (Luke 2:39-46). Most aspects of physical life are the responsibility of the individual person, and there are severe physical and or spiritual consequences which accompany some decisions. Humans must accept that they personally control how much interaction God can have with them. It is critical to note that Jesus’ offer to help those around Him at Capernaum depended not on His own will, but their belief in Him (e.g. their permission). In order to honor God’s eternal characteristics, He was limited, “And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief,” Mark 6:5-6 (ESV). This is a key revelation, because motivated by the Holy Spirit, Mark writes that he “could do no”, or ‘did not have the power or ability to carry out’ what He wanted to do. Jesus was constrained by the responsibility to uphold God’s eternal character: people have personal free choice relative to God.
For some, this is a very sensitive topic which bolsters the whole structure of their worldview; for others, the idea of predestination is merely an intriguing mental exercise. Unfortunately, the broad range of philosophies and passions associated with the topic of predestination has caused many Christians to conclude that humans, even with the indwelling Holy Spirit, are incapable of fully comprehending this topic.
We use words to create mind pictures or concepts of any topic. The concept of predestination began to be described around 1350–1400 AD; it is from Middle English, Anglo-French, or Latin; Anglo-French predestiner, from Latin praedestinare, from prae- + destinare, to determine. The root of this word-picture is one of preknowledge or predecision; the mental picture is one of something whose occurrence is revealed prior to the time of the event. Since God knows everything before and after the time on which we focus, and has the power to act in many ways, one’s investigation can become very challenging.
For this investigation, the word “foreknowledge,” appears first and is followed by five more descriptive pictures: Acts 2:23, Acts 4:28, Romans 8:29/30, I Corinthians 2:7, Ephesians 1:5 and Ephesians 1:11. Those interested should explore what is stated to be known or determined by their occurrence in these verses. First, Luke finds in Acts 2:23, that God’s plan for redeeming His people, via Jesus’ sacrifice, was a predetermined plan. This is expressed by ὡρισμένῃ (plan, or determination) that is known beforehand, προγνώσει, (foreknowledge). This easily blends into the concepts of one definition for prophecy, or prediction. Based on God’s first judgement of Satan, (Genesis 3:15), Jesus fulfilled at least 44 predicted actions that are called prophecies. All these activities were known by God before they occurred, written by preachers or prophets, and willingly carried out by Jesus. Jesus spent much time in prayer, learned, and knew to complete those predictions of His own free will. When God finds a willing servant, albeit God himself, He can accomplish many amazing things.
But what about "predestinate”? The concept does not occur in the best translations of the Old Testament; the Hebrews had a slightly different word picture for this concept, prophecy. The proper word “predestine” is used in only four verses in the New Testament; derived words appear in two other verses, yielding a total of six occurrences in 5 proper verses.
This mental picture was described by the word "predestinate,” a derivation from the Greek word "προορίζω." From this word,
In Acts 4:28, Luke goes into great detail discussing the timelessness of Christ’s sacrifice, but for our investigation, it is sufficient to note that nearly every Christian agrees that the death of Christ for our sins was determined long before His birth. Even though He fully accepted it, Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins was predetermined by the counsel of God. This evidence is consistent with teachings found in other locations in the Scriptures. The crucifixion accounts contain statements like "All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying," (Matthew 21:4) and Revelation 13:8 states that Christ was, "slain from the foundation of the world." This means Jesus was delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God; He was crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
The next sequential references in the New Testament occur in Romans 8:28-29. Romans was a letter written to introduce Paul and his work to the Christians, before those who challenged him could taint his message. Paul begins this thought with, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”- Romans 8:28 (ESV). Please note that the subject of this verse are the people who are "the called according to God’s purpose." It is implied that the hearers, both Jew and Gentile, understand what is meant by ‘called’, [or perhaps better] ‘invited’ according to "God’s purpose," which is salvation in Jesus’ name. The Greek verbs in this section are, for the most part plural, meaning he is speaking to groups of people, Jews and Gentiles, [probably in in multiple locations as the contents of the letters were disseminated], not individuals. If we understand the subject as plural and groups, the Aramaic version reveals the decision to include Gentiles before the Christ event, “But we know that he helps those who love God in everything for good, those whom he preordained to be called” - Romans 8:28 (Aramaic in plain English). Jesus referenced this in His teachings, also. {Jesus says] ”And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” John 10:16 (ESV).
English translations struggle with translating Romans 8:28-30, because they depart from the Greek and split the phrase apart. In most English translations, verses 29 and 30 start completely new sentences. However, this is not the case in the Greek, and would not have been what the first listeners heard. Robert Young provided the most accurate translation of these verses, “And we have known that to those loving God all things do work together for good, to those who are called according to purpose; 29because whom He did foreknow, He also did fore-appoint, conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be first-born among many brethren; 30and whom He did fore-appoint, these also He did call; and whom He did call, these also He declared righteous; and whom He declared righteous, these also He did glorify.” – Romans 8:28-30 (Young’s Literal Translation, 1898).
The section of this verse we now view as verse 29 starts with the Greek conjunction "hoti", which is translated as "for." Instead of starting a new sentence or thought, this conjunction "hoti" is really more pointed and means "because" or "so that." In plain language, when "hoti" is translated as "because" or as "so that", then it becomes apparent that verse 29 is in fact a continuation of the sentence that started in verse 28. "Hoti" is a conjunction which joins what follows to that which went before. Verse 29 should be considered an explanation of the thought started in Verse 28.
In essence, we could also describe this word picture as, before all these events occurred, God knew there would be a group of people who loved him and accepted Jesus and His work. Those who accepted Jesus voluntarily became His servants. Those who accepted Jesus were justified, declared pure, and started a journey of sanctification, which will end in glory. This unique individual journey of a group of people will be a struggle, but all things that happen, even suffering, will work out to offer praise to God. Whether Jew or Gentile, whether male or female, whether acceptance is early or late in Chronos time, all spiritual things will work out to glorify God.
This Greek verb "proorizo" is the sole foundation for all the theories about "predestination." This word (from horos, ‘boundary’) means ‘to limit’ and then figuratively ‘to fix’, ‘to appoint’. The mental picture should be God defined his sheep fold, His boundaries, long ago to include Gentiles as well as Jews, but it is not focused specifically on each individual person, because all who accept Jesus are equal in God’s sight.
Romans 8:29-30, have the same context and subject matter and can be examined together. The predestination referred to in these verses is the predestination of a group of people: the ekklesia, called out into a kingdom people, church. Christians are on a spiritual journey and will be sanctified [The Father sanctifies (1 Corinthians 1:30) by the Holy Spirit (2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2) and in the name of Christ (1 Corinthians. 6:11 )], or conformed into the image of Christ. Once again, this doctrine is taught throughout the Scriptures, for "we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is," (1 John 3:2). We also see in 1 Corinthians 15 that all Christians will one day be changed from corruptible to incorruptible. Nearly all Christians agree that we will one day be freed from our bodies of sin and death and be fully conformed to the image of Christ.
Next, 1 Corinthians 2:7 tells us that before God had even formed the world, He determined to make His wisdom available to His children. It is encouraging to know that every Christian who seeks wisdom can find it, (Proverbs 8) and that if we find ourselves lacking in wisdom, we need only to "ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally." – James 1:5 (ESV). Once again, this is a point of doctrine on which nearly every Christian agrees. We all agree that we can utilize our free will and decide to turn towards God for wisdom and direction in our lives.
Further, Ephesians 1:5 provides another biblical doctrine that is commonly accepted among Christians. There we read that God has predetermined that all Christians are to be not just His servants, but rather His beloved children, and they were expected to react by belief and faith to accept Him. This doctrine is repeated many places in the Scriptures, however, one of the clearest presentations was left by John.  This apostle states that "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" John 1:11-12 (ESV). This adoption into the family of God is not something that we have to ask for in addition to our salvation from death and hell, nor is it an additional request that we must make.  It is but one of the many gifts that God has predetermined to give to everyone that calls upon Him to be saved. " See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him." - 1 John 3:1 (ESV). Ephesians 1:11-12 simply tells us that God preordained that those who first trusted in Christ "should be to the praise of his glory."  Stated differently, God preordained that in the original Christians " But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life." - 1 Timothy 1:16 (ESV).  Christians are commanded to follow this pattern that God revealed for us in the lives of the first Christians in that we are to " And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him," (2 Peter 3:15). We are also told that the church of Thessalonica followed this pattern of suffering for the glory of God in that we read, " For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last! " - 1 Thessalonians. 2:14-20 (ESV). The first Christians understood that God's glory would be revealed in their suffering, weakness and infirmity, and we also teach the value of personal sacrifice in pointing others to Christ.
These five or six verses fully exhaust the occurrences of the word "predestination" in the Bible. There are many additional verses that are used to support one or the other of the dozens of claims that Christians make regarding this topic, but these passages are the only ones in the Bible that specifically mention predestination, and they are remarkably simple passages to understand.  All we have to do is ignore philosophies of men and let the passages speak for themselves. When we examine scripture, we must remember that most teachings are pointed toward a group of believers. It is quite a different statement to say that a group of people is foreordained, foreknown, or predestined to do a particular thing, than to say an individual will do this out of their own God given free will.
We must realize scripture instructs us that God does not make decisions for us. Those who accept Jesus have the Holy Spirit living within them, and He will cause us to remember various things, but the final decision is ours and we are responsible for our thoughts and actions. The real predestination depicts God’s planned actions with a group of people who decide they will be loyal to Him and accept Christ as Messiah.

Filled with the Spirit

Luke notes the events that guided Jesus’ life just after His baptism. He says, “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness” – Lk. 4:1 (ESV). Jesus was about to begin the work He had agreed to carryout. In preparation for this, the Holy Spirit who had settled on Him guided Him to a place where He would experience some of His most close times with the Father and His most stressful temptations. There are two themes in this story that indicate the workings of the empowering Holy Spirit. Jesus was led into the wilderness and experienced physical weakness, but He was also full of the Holy Spirit to help guide His way. Jesus becomes our model to imitate, while having the strength of the Holy Spirit, the answers to Satan’s question were those that arose from Jesus’s own understanding and commitment to the Father. He was not a puppet for the Holy Spirit; He used the strength given by the Holy Spirit to carry out His own decisions. When we face challenges in our lives, we need to remember His example because we are not puppets of the Holy Spirit; although the Holy Spirit will provide some guiding thoughts and realizations from time to time, the final decisions for our words and actions are our own responsibilities. These final decisions can be closer to those God would have us make when we ask for His help. The Holy Spirit will guide us along our unique individual spiritual journey at the rate we each need in order to become the person Jesus wants us to be. As we focus our hearts on Jesus and immerse ourselves in His teachings, the Holy Spirit will transform our lives, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,[a] are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” – 2 Cor. 3:18 (ESV).

Separation

Divorce means separation, the death of a relationship. While we normally apply this passage to men and women who are married, it also describes a quality of God. Those who are Christians share a covenant relationship with God. The promise to everyone is that God will not walk away from a relationship, a covenant which He has developed. That also means that when we sin, God will not walk away from us; if separation occurs, humans are the ones who will separate themselves from God. "I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel, "and I hate a man's covering himself with violence as well as with his garment," says the LORD Almighty. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith. - Mal. 2:16 (NIV). The Holy Spirit knows all the intimate details of the relationships held by humans. He knows the commitments, the missteps, the deceit, the failings, and the attempts to reconcile. Knowing this, He can prompt humans to remember their promises. While the Holy Spirit will not make decisions for people, He can provide information for them to use when making those decisions. If the covenant breech is one-sided, He can offer a level of solitude to those who will seek Him.