When I hear that a famous person has died, a typical question I ask is, ‘How old was he/she?’ The answer, quickly gleaned from one of many techie sources, is the number of years he/she was alive. But I wonder, is that really how the full number of our days is calculated? In Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus, he writes this jaw-dropping piece of information: ‘And he (God) chose us to be his very own, joining us to himself even before he laid the foundation of the universe! . . . For it was always in his perfect plan to adopt us as his delightful children, through our union with Jesus, the Anointed One. . . And this unfolding plan brings him great pleasure!’ Eph. 1: 4-6, TPT. Hmm. Before the creation of the universe! And, even then, we were to be united in Jesus! Wow! So, it sounds as though we are eternally present thoughts in the mind and heart of God according to God’s perfect plan (Plan ‘A’?). I need a minute.
I just looked back at the call of Jeremiah to be a prophet in Jer. 1:5. It reads like this: ‘I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.’ So, let me get this straight. Before anyone knew who Jeremiah was, his calling was established? Does that mean my calling to be a pastor may have been set from before I was born?? And I only caught up with the ‘plan’ (more like it caught up with me) at the age of 39? This is dizzying stuff, y’all!
The Apostle Paul, too, was traumatically called to serve Jesus while on his way to wreck the lives of believers in Damascus, planning to bring them back to Jerusalem with him for ‘sentencing.’ Suddenly, the Resurrected Jesus spoke to him, scaring him and his followers half to death. He got a few immediate details revealed with more to come later. It’s like, while busy doing his own thing, unaware of any changes afoot, Paul quite literally walked into a predetermined, life-altering, set of plans. I kinda know what that’s like.
One more verse to ponder with me: ‘We live and move and have our being in Him.’ Acts 17:28. Looking forward to seeing all you chosen-in-Jesus ones tomorrow, 10 AM, 3 PM UK, 4 PM FR. PD
Don graduated from Regent University in 1988 and moved to France for seven years, coming back to the US briefly to marry Sue in 1990. The work in France included working in a Christian School and helping plant a church before returning in 1995. He’s been pastor of Peninsula Vineyard since 1999. He enjoys counseling, especially married couples, traveling back to France (with Sue), reading, doing Sudoku puzzles and sleuthing out good, dark chocolate. Don serves as the senior pastor of the Vineyard Church Peninsula, in Newport News, Virginia.