No Change in Plans
By Scott Stake
Have you ever had to change your plans? Ha, of course! We all have. Whether it's an unexpected work project, the unwelcome flu taking 2 weeks to pass through the family, a surprise visit from a friend, or a last-minute invitation to a party, the events of life require us to adapt and change our plans all the time.
But what about God? Does He change His plans? In short, no! Since the very beginning, God's has only had a Plan A—to rescue and redeem a people for Himself from every tongue, tribe, and nation. And ever since that time, God has been revealing and carrying out this marvelous plan! Just look at a few passages that express His heart for the world.
"Now the LORD said to Abram, 'Go...I will make of you a great nation...in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'" -Genesis 12:1-3
"It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” -Isaiah 49:6
"And Jesus was teaching them and saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'?" -Mark 11:17
"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb...and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" -Revelation 7:9,10
From Genesis to Revelation, we see that God's plan has never changed. His heart has always been to set apart a special, chosen people for Himself from among all the nations to worship and enjoy Him. But this plan is not yet complete; there’s still work to be done!
So, you might ask…if this is God's plan, how can I align my heart and life with it? There are tons of ways, but let me give you a few right now with Four Oaks:
Learn. Through our Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course beginning in January, you will enjoy instruction from 15 different visiting missionaries and church leaders, outstanding readings from world-renowned authors, and a fun dynamic learning environment! You can even take the course for college credit and transfer it to FSU! Learn more at perspectives.org/tallahasseefl
Welcome. Would you like to plant gospel seeds among the nations? Open your home to a young Chinese student for a 2-week stay while they participate in an educational program in Tallahassee in late Summer 2018. You can go to http://hostfamily.ef.com/LearnMore.aspx for more info. There also is an opportunity to host a Christian high school exchange student from Norway for the 2018-19 school year, so contact Arielle Cleary if you’re interested.
Support. Mike & Bonnie Snider, our gospel partners serving with Cabaret Mission Haiti, will be in town to share their story with us at a luncheon after 2nd service on Sunday, November 5. We’d love to have you join us for this special occasion, as well as consider supporting them! Sign up here to come to the luncheon.
Care. Throughout the year, we seek to encourage and uplift the spirits of our gospel partners serving around the world through such things as prayer meetings and care packages. If you’d like to join in, please contact our deacons of missionary care, Mike & Kay Andrus.
God invites us to be part of His plan to reach the nations with the gospel. Whether we pray, give, welcome, mobilize, or go, may we all join Him for His global cause to make His name known to all peoples!