DO YOU HAVE A CONTINGENCY PLAN?

Benjamin Franklin wrote, “In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.”  With that in mind, it is always good to have a “Contingency Plan” just in case the unexpected happens to the best laid plans.   I have often had to resort to “Plan B” when “Plan A” just wouldn’t come together.  It is a good thing to keep “Plan B” close when planning a party, cooking a dinner or picking out the perfect outfit for the occasion, but what about when we commit to following the Will of God?  God has ONE PLAN.  It is perfect so there is no need for a Contingency Plan.  The Bible gives us some examples of individuals who thought “Plan A” could use a little refining but always, “Plan B” didn’t turn out so well for them.

One of the first examples occurred in the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land.  The people were hungry and God rained down manna.  “Plan A” was that the people would gather just enough for today (except the day before the Sabbath) and trust God that He would provide for tomorrow.  Perhaps fear and hunger replaced trust or maybe they thought they could save some energy, but some decided to institute “Plan B” and gathered enough for today and tomorrow.  Well “Plan B” resulted in wormy manna and the people discovered “Plan A” was just fine.  A few years later, Joshua led the Israelites against the city of Jericho.  “Plan A” was to abstain from all the spoil of war with certain items being consecrated to the Lord and put into the treasury.  A man named Achan decided on “Plan B” and took a Babylonian garment, gold and silver, hiding them under his tent.  Once again “Plan B” didn’t work out so well, the Israelite army was defeated in their next battle, at AI and it ultimately resulted in the death of Achan and his entire family.  There are other examples in the Bible of people setting aside the Plan of God and instituting a Contingency Plan of their own.  Every time “Plan B” ended in disaster.

Let’s take a look at the people who put unwavering faith in the plan of God with no thought of a contingency plan; “just in case.”  Noah obeyed by building the ark and getting into it when God said “it’s time.”  There was one door, which God shut and Noah and his family were saved according to “Plan A”.  The account of Elisha as he prepares to follow Elijah says, he took the yoke of oxen, he had been plowing with, slaughtered them, used the yoke for firewood to roast them, fed the people and left.  Talk about burning bridges….Elisha burned the whole team of oxen; there would be no “Plan B” to come back to if “Plan A” didn’t work. As a result of Elisha sticking to “Plan A” with no contingency plan, he was given a “double portion” of Elijah’s anointing.   Finally, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were ordered by Nebuchadnezzar to bow to the image with the threat of death for disobedience.  “Plan A” said, “Thou shall have no other gods before me.”  Daniel 3:16-18 proves that the 3 men never considered “Plan B;” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”  Their faith in the Plan of God with no consideration for contingencies brought them through the fire, through the flood, built a nation and performed great miracles; God still rewards that kind of faith…If one person will dare to embrace “Plan A” with no contingencies.

Three times in my adult life has God said “GO.”  Even with my crazy personality of planning and lists, I understood that Steve and I had to follow “Plan A.”  We left family, friends, jobs, sold houses, packed up the kids and went.  Things didn’t always turn out the way we envisioned but the Blessing of God has been abundant.  FAITH says, “I may not understand the details but I trust in the Plan Maker, so I will go.”  FAITH says, “I wouldn’t do it this way but I’m following HIS WAY, so I trust it is for my good.”  FAITH says, “I cannot see the path clearly but my hand is held firmly by my Loving Father and when the way gets rough, I will be carried in His strong arms, so I keep walking.” 

God has always had only ONE PLAN; “Plan A.”  When you commit to follow God there can be NO CONTINGENCIES. You may have to kill and roast the oxen, build a boat or go through a fiery furnace.  It requires FAITH, TRUST, and COMMITMENT but His plan is perfect and it makes packing for the journey a whole lot easier.

WHAT IS YOUR PASSION?

“The word passion originates in the Latin, meaning “to suffer.” The word was created by religious scholars in the 11th century to describe the willing suffering of Christ. Passions have become nearly synonymous with pleasures and what excites us in modern culture. But consider that Passion is originally defined as the moment of the deepest willing suffering of Christ for our good. It lifts the word from human desires to a monumental love willing to suffer. When we find ourselves willing to choose suffering for a cause, that cause may hold our life’s mission.

This excerpt from Jennie Allen’s book, “Restless, Because You Were Made for More” spoke something to me.  I’m not sure what the word, “Passion” says to you, but I certainly never considered it synonymous with “Suffering.”  When I think of passion or being passionate about something, I think of something I love, something that gets the creative juices flowing, or something that excites.  I have to confess, I really didn’t get why we always talked about Jesus Christ and His passion.  I seriously thought it was all about His love for mankind; that we were His passion.  Well it was and it is, but, in light of this new revelation of the word passion that I have received, I realize that the Passion of Christ was that He loved mankind so much that He was willing to SUFFER for the cause.

Paul says in Philippians 3:9:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.  Oh we dance and rejoice that we know Him and are partakers in the power of His resurrection but pull back slightly when we consider partnering with His “Passion.” Is the “Cause of Christ” one of which I am passionate? Perhaps, I am wowed by the “Glory.” The dream always includes great exploits, accolades and of course the “stars in our crown” representing the many souls won, but am I willing to DIE; is there any PASSION?

The call to the “Fellowship of His Sufferings and being Conformed to His Death” may not result in your physical death but it will require that you DIE!  If you want to share in the fellowship of His PASSION, your will must die.  What He Desires FOR Your Heart must become the Desires OF Your Heart. Jesus said in Matthew 16:25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Are you ready to take the first step in really knowing Jesus Christ?  Before you answer the call, consider the cost; “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings.”  The COST is great; the cost is everything to share in His Passion for the Cause of Souls, but the REWARD is also great.  The reward is everything; Fellowship with Christ for Eternity.

DENTISTS, ROOT CANALS AND SPIRITUAL MATTERS

I have probably had more dental work than the average person.  I am convinced that my dentist’s children have all went through college on my “$1,000” visits.  I have first-hand knowledge of most dental procedures and immediately recognize the different levels of tooth pain.  So why did I ignore the small bubble on my gum and the accompanying sensitive tooth for 3 years, because the bubble would come and go and sensitivity is not pain.  Finally, the back of my tooth broke off and I had no choice but to make the dreaded call.  My dentist confirmed what I already knew; a root canal was in my future.

I could have been given an antibiotic to fight the infection.  The “bubble” and sensitivity would have left but the underlying problem was still lurking in the tooth, just waiting for another opportunity to manifest.  To make sure the infection was gone and to save the tooth, the dentist began to clean out the infected pulp from each of the 3 root canals of the tooth and rinsing the inside with a dental antibiotic cleanser.  Once the root canals were clean, they were filled with a permanent filler to strengthen and seal the tooth.  A thousand dollars later and my tooth is as good as they day it was born; well almost!

Now to Spiritual Matters!!!  You are skipping your way through life and you notice a bubble, but since there is just some minor sensitivity, the bubble is ignored until the problem takes hold and something breaks.  That is when you realize you have no other option but to submit to a “Spiritual Root Canal.”  God doesn’t just prescribe an “antibiotic” to relieve the symptoms; NOPE, He goes right to the “Root Canal” and restores us back to brand new.  God gently and lovingly cleans out all the “sin” infection from every channel of our heart and cleanses us with His blood.  Once the infection is washed away, He doesn’t leave us empty, helpless and vulnerable but fills us with His Holy Spirit to seal and make us strong. 

If you’ve noticed a little sensitivity or a “bubble,” don’t ignore the symptoms or put off the treatment.  Submit to God’s “root canal;” you are worth saving.  Allow Him to clean all the rottenness from the hidden parts that no one can see beneath your smiling façade.  There is nothing as powerful as being washed in the blood of Jesus to banish the infection of sin that threatens to invade our “bones.”  Then allow the Holy Spirit to fill the clean, empty places and restore what has been broken.  Yes, it will cost you something and the procedure may involve a little pain but your life is worth saving and Jesus will be right beside you to hold your hand.