God’s Plan
Happy New Year Everyone. I pray everyone’s new year has got off to a wonderful start. If you are reading this then I know that it has.
Just a reminder of a few events happening at Union Grove United Methodist Church. We will have our Annual Usher’s Day Program on January 26 during worship service. Worship Service begins at 11:00 am. Also on February 1 we will host our first Annual Gospel Explosion. There will be a variety of soloist, choirs, and praise dancers to include Jamaal Roberts who appeared on BET’s Sunday Best. We pray that you come out and worship with us. The program will begin at 5 p.m.
January 20 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This is a day set aside to celebrate the achievements, accomplishments and values of Dr. King. This is known as a day of service. There will be several walks that you can attend including the Annual Walk held at Patrick Community Center. I encourage you to get out on that day and serve and encourage as Dr. King did.
A word from Pastor Marcus Mann:
We have all heard the saying: He who fails to plan, plans to fail. This is not always true. Even the best laid plans can go off course, they can fail, they can fall through and they can change. Planning is a good thing, we should plan, but just because we do there is no guarantee that our plan will succeed.
God has plans as well. His plans are unlike ours. His plans never fail, they always succeed. This all-knowing God looked through time and before He ever laid the foundation of the Earth or called anything into existence, He saw that the creation (man) He would eventually create turn in disobedience from His command and open the door to sin upon all mankind and broke relationship with Him.
Before the act of Adam’s disobedience ever occurred, God already had a plan to redeem mankind. When we make a plan, it has to make sense to us and those who hear it. God’s plans, on the other hand, often seem foolish and make no sense. God’s plan to redeem us included a young virgin girl, a manger, swaddling clothes, a baby (not just any baby, but the Son of God clothed in flesh), a cross and an empty tomb.
When God began to put His plan into action, He entrusted the care of His plan into the hands of humans but not the fulfillment of it. God planted His plan (Jesus) into the womb of Mary. She gave birth to it, nurtured it/Him and raised it/Him, but Jesus Himself went to the cross to fulfill it. This is why His plans never fail. He planned it and presented it, but fulfilled it Himself.
Every plan should have a reason behind it. God’s plan had a reason — it is so that no person would perish but that all may have eternal life. God succeeded in His plan. The way to eternal life has been provided through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus. But in order for us to receive the benefit and promise provided by His plan, we must plan something. We must plan to receive Jesus as Savior, turn from our sins in repentance and follow Him. When we do this, then God’s plan is fulfilled in our lives. When we don't accept His plan, we are planning to spend eternity separated from Him in torment.
