What is God's Plan? (Part three)

Does God have a plan for you? Does God have a plan for the world? Are we living in an aimless environment when things just happen by random selection and the cookie crumbles and que sera sera? Or is there a determinant plan and will of God? Well, the answer is yes. I believe God does have a plan. That's why I dislike the words "luck" or "coincidence." I don't think coincidences happen, and I don't believe in luck. I think that God Almighty makes things happen in our lives, and He has a plan for us.

The Time of the Jews

The Apostle Paul in the Book of Ephesians, chapter three, is talking about a revelation that came to the holy apostles and prophets. It was an extraordinary revelation, because, you see, at about 1400 B.C., Israel came up out of Egypt. Abraham lived around (I'm being rough with these numbers) 2000 B.C., David lived around 1000 B.C., and then, just for simplicity's sake, Jesus was at zero, neither A.D. nor B.C. (Some people say, "Oh, it was 3 or 4 B.C., or it was A.D. 3 or 4." I'm not going to fight on those.) For simplicity, from Abraham to David is 1,000 years, and from David to Jesus is another 1,000. If you went back in time, there are those who feel that possibly from Adam all the way to Abraham was about 2,000 years. So you've got about 6,000 years up to the time of Jesus.

The Time of the Gentiles

What is going to happen next? The Jews were taught that from the time of Abraham to the time of Jesus this was an exclusive deal, that the revelation of God was exclusive to them. And they use the term "goy" or "goyim" to describe the people that are made up of the rest of the world. Now that word can be translated as "nations," but it generally means "heathen." The Jews were the chosen people, and everybody else was heathen.

A Revelation to Paul

Now the Apostle Paul has a revelation from the Holy Spirit, which says, "Wait a minute, Paul. Something is now happening." With the arrival of Jesus, the revelation of God is no longer exclusive to Israel, but it is to extend to the gentile nations, and they're supposed to be fellow citizens with the household of God. Now Paul said this is a mystery because it was hidden from the days of Abraham, through Moses, through David, to Jesus. Now Jesus says, "Look, I am the Messiah."

Jesus' Death Creates a Plan for the Gentiles

But you remember there were some Greeks that came and said, "Sir, we would see Jesus." And Jesus said, basically, "Except a corn of wheat fall to the ground, it'll abide alone, and there'll be a revelation to you later on." After the corn of wheat dies (representing Jesus' death), it will bring forth much fruit. But in the meantime, Jesus said, "I'm sent to the household of Israel." In another instance, a woman wanted prayer and He said, "It isn't right to take the children's bread and give it to the dogs." The woman was a gentile, and these particular gentiles were known as dogs to the Jews. They were not regarded very highly.

So then the Holy Spirit says to Paul, Paul, open your eyes. All these other people in the world are precious to me, too. He says the same thing to Peter: "Don't call what God has cleansed unclean." When these revelations are made, suddenly it becomes apparent that God is getting ready to do something extraordinary. He is taking the Gospel, the good news that He has been storing up from Abraham to Jesus, that was rejected by the Jews, and is now taking that revelation out to the gentiles.

Who Are the Gentiles?

Who are the gentiles? We are! Most of you who are reading this column, myself included, are among the goyim of the gentiles. The Good News has come to us!

So what has God given to us, those who are now called to be part of his Church?