Pastor Scott Phillips

First United Pentecostal Church of Hazlehurst, Mississippi

The other day someone ask me an interesting and intriguing question. "What happens when something that you felt was the will of God falls apart, and now you are faced with finding an alternative?"

My gut feeling was that God always works things out, one way or the other. Today sitting in my car, I began to think of situations in the Bible that strayed from the original plan.

Judas betrayed Jesus, but he was replaced with Matthius and Paul. Two took his place it seems, one was chosen by lot, the next was chosen by God. Judas fell, and when he did we find that Paul, the greatest of the Apostles came on the scene.

Eli and His sons failed God in their execution of the job of being Priest. Because of this we find a young boy named Samuel. Samuel, who was the most pivotal priest in the history of Israel, was simply a replacement of the original plan. Eli's sons died destitute of morals and honor. Samuel lived and executed the office of both Priest AND Prophet.

Israel rejected Samuel’s rule, and wanted a king. The result was Saul. Saul, whom God hand-picked, failed God. And in this tragic twist of rebellion and sin, we find that God still had a Replacement. His replacement for Saul was David. And it can be stated that David was the greatest of all the Kings of Israel until Christ.

Cain killed Abel. The man of the earth killed his brother who offered a pure sacrifice. But the purpose of God proceeded forward. Seth was born, and the alternative plan of God continued.

The world falls into the deep decay of depravity. And God decides to destroy the World. The very world that He had created, looked at and called it GOOD, now He drowns that very world in the flood of His judgment. But God's plan stayed afloat in an Ark made of wood, constructed by a man named Noah.

No matter how far man falls, God has an alternative plan in place. The devil cannot thwart the plan of God, no matter how hard he tries. We may find ourselves the victim of circumstance. Things get beyond our control, but where there is God there is a way, and he has a plan. We can look at the Beginning and see that God had a plan that will carry through to the very end.

Adam and Eve living in Eden. God looked at all of this and said, "It is very Good!" You could say, the will of God had been done, and God literally created all of it just as he wanted it. But something happened, Adam did a bad job keeping the garden. He let the serpent in. Eve did a bad job of obeying God. Adam again did a bad job by also eating the fruit. The paradise God had created became a place of great destruction. The fabric of the fellowship that God had with man was stained beyond recognition. A breach, a gulf had been created.

The solution and alternative? Jesus

We cannot hog tie our lives because things did not work out. We cannot mope in the region of regret, valley of vacillation, we must quit looking at the crossroads of yesterday wondering what would have happened if we would have taken a left instead of right.

If things have turned out sour, don't sit around and say you must drink it because it's in your cup.

Some things we cannot swallow. We must not stay captive to a change that was beyond our control.

Look at the children of Israel that were in Egypt. There came a Pharaoh that didn't know Joseph. And began to persecute and harass them. It was time to pack their trash and leave. "But God brought us to Egypt." Yes but he didn't bring you there to stay.

Even Joseph knew that Egypt was temporary. He told them, "Take my bones with you." When God said it was time to leave he did not even want to leave the memory of his carcass.

God's plan is a dynamic. It is not carved in Stone. It is dynamic. The Word of God does not change. The principles of God do not change, but sometimes God operates in special circumstance, because things have begun to operate outside of his plan.

That is where we get Seth, Samuel, Saul, Paul, David, and the list goes on and on. God always has a plan, an alternative plan.

In a football game, the rules never change. But the plays do. You don't run the ball to the right every time, and you don't blitz every time. It's dynamic. You gauge your opponent and make changes accordingly. If you get sacked, don't stay down, GET UP. Rejoice not against me Oh my enemy, for when I fall I shall arise.

He may be shutting down the running game. But it's not time for a ‘Hail Mary’, it's time for an OHHH JESUS. And when Jesus steps on the playing field, the chips may be down, but they are on the winning side. Because Heads or Tails, Jesus wins.

With God there is always 4 aces in his deck. And he is always holding all the aces. He does not, can not, and will not lose. And if you will just stay on his team, and let him help you, You can not lose.

Weeping may endure for a season. But we win.

Cain killed Abel, but Seth was born.

Judas hung himself, but Saul became Paul.

Eli and his sons died, but Samuel was ready.

The World Drowned in the Flood, but Noah floated on the Ark.

Adam fell, but Christ Arose! Adam died, but Christ is alive! Adam was defeated, Christ was victorious!

For every plan of mice and men, there is a plan of God. For every mistake of men and mice, there is a correction. For every problem, God has a solution. For every tragedy, There is a triumph.

It seems that his alternative is better than the original. It's New, It's Improved, It's Supernatural.

Don't worry about the problems of Yesterday, Jesus has a Solution for today. I may not know how, I may not know when, but HE WILL DO IT AGAIN.