Does God have a Plan B for us?

For as long as I can remember, I was taught to have one.
When selecting a certain field of study in school, have one.
When pursuing a particular path of employment, have one.
When researching a new savings or investment plan, have one.
Even when it comes to deciding on the woman I want to marry, I was taught to have one.
(Although am still “waiting” on God to show me if the person I have in mind is the one and she is “waiting” on God as well..)
Through the sincere and heartfelt counsel of parents, teachers, friends, co-workers, and at times, even our pastors, many of us have grown up our entire lives listening to the value and importance of having a Plan B. We are often taught that it is through an abundance of options, and not the lack of, that a sense of security and self-assurance in this life can be obtained.
In an effort to minimize our fear of doubt or lack, we surround ourselves with alternatives, just in case the path we have chosen for ourselves has turned out to be one with unfavourable outcome. And while for many, the ability to always have a Plan B to 'fall back on' may seem to be a wise decision, when it comes to matters of faith, it can be a very unhealthy habit to maintain.
As believers, many of us live out our lives like we have a remote glued to our hands.
As soon as we see something we don't like, we quickly reach to change the channel, simply because we believe we have an option to do so. When we encounter difficulty at our jobs, we begin looking for opportunity elsewhere. When we have a disagreement with a spouse, we begin looking for agreement elsewhere. And as soon as we think our churches can no longer 'give' us what we're looking for, we begin looking to 'receive' somewhere else.
As believers, we must be very careful when our individual pursuits of a Plan B are a direct result of not knowing or believing in God's Plan A. There perhaps is nothing that displeases God more than a believer with a closed fist - one who decides that holding onto his or her Plan B is much safer than letting go and trusting in God's Plan A.
I have always been amazed at the incredible faith Abraham displayed in Genesis 22.
Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."
So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar of.
And Abraham said to these young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you." - Genesis 22:1-5
Now here is a man who God basically told to take his son, his only son, a son that he loved and cherished, and sacrifice him as an offering on a mountain. Seems like if there were ever a time someone would have had the right to ask God for a Plan B, it was Abraham.
However, instead of complaining and making some alternative suggestions to God, Abraham followed God's Plan A and took his son Isaac to the mountain as he was instructed. But check out verse 5 again.
"And Abraham said to these young man, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and WE will come back to you."
Now I have to admit, when I first read that passage I thought Abraham was just saying that to perhaps provide some form of comfort to the men he had brought along with him. I can only imagine how confused they had to be as to why Abraham was walking up a mountain with his son, his only son, a son that he loved and cherished, with some split wood as though he was heading to an offering without a single lamb in sight.
And as we read later in verse 7, they perhaps weren't the only one confused. Isaac himself was looking for some answers from his father as well. The kind of answers many of you reading this devotional today may still be seeking God for now.
"God, where is my spouse? Where is my promotion? Where is that new business you promised me? I've followed your Plan A, but where is that lamb for a burnt offering? Where is my Plan B?"
But watch how Abraham, the father of our faith, answers his son in verse 8.
And Abraham said, "My Son, God will provide for HIMSELF the lamb for a burnt offering."
Not once in the first eight verses of this chapter did God tell Abraham that He was going to provide Abraham with a lamb to sacrifice. Not once did God let Abraham know that there was all along a Plan B that he could rely on. Not once.
So how in the world did Abraham know to tell those young men that both he AND his son would come back down from that mountain? How it is that Abraham could look his son in the eyes and with unwavering faith, tell him that God will provide the answer to this test?
Simply because Abraham was already all too familiar and perhaps sick and tired of coming to God with a Plan B. Flip back and read Genesis 16 and you'll see exactly what I mean. Abraham gave up being in control, and decided to lean hard into God's Plan A, regardless of how ridiculous it may have sounded.
Are you and I really prepared to demonstrate that kind of faith today?
Remember this: Having a 'ram in the bush' is not the result of having a successful Plan B, but rather following God's Plan A. When you have no other alternatives, God then provides better choices.

Photo by Alex Quest

Pastor Kiwewesi pulls Ugandan crowd in London.

‘Not my Size but my Source,’ was a two week empowerment conference held in London, mostly attended by hundreds of Ugandans in the Diaspora. It was hosted by Bishop Mary Lwanga of Tower of Prayer Church in West ham London, one of the towns chosen to be a village for the 2012 London Olympics. The conference was held from 4th to 18th October, 6pm- 10pm daily. Services usually began with praise and worship led by Ugandan Gospel artists including Fiona Mukasa, William Kyobe, Martha, Myco Chris, Florence Rukundo, Esther Nalule, Barbra Musoke, Tower of Prayer Choir and Agape Mass Choir among many others.
Although he was not the host, Pastor Isaac Kyobe Kiwewesi of Kansanga Miracle Centre from Uganda was the main celebrant. He attracts a big fellowship in London each time he visits. As in his Church in Kansanga, Pastor Kiwewesi preached in Lugganda, interpreted by his spiritual son Pastor Gladson Kayanja, a senior pastor of Muyenga Miracle Centre.
It is amazing that God would empower a regular man like Kiwewesi with the ability to impact people around him in meaningful ways, and use him to speak a relevant word so his people might be changed .The Pastor asked people to repent and encouraged them not to give up fighting as long as they are still alive. This man of God had a way of putting courage in souls that had given up. Full of testimonies from both his church and his own life, he told people that God had not forgotten about them, and as a church they had a job to do in order to fight the enemy who oppresses every area of their lives. He challenged people to not only attend church, but to be involved in the body of Christ in one way or the other.
It’s clear the experiences he had come through, though wearisome, had made him stronger and enabled him to then translate that knowledge into a pathway for others to find their way. The servant of God was fired up and didn’t seem to have been shaken by the negative publicity which he received in the Ugandan media exactly a year ago. When I asked him why he didn’t respond to the reports that almost tarnished his image, with a smile on his face he looked me in the eyes and said “Ivan, I never answer to criticism because it’s not my calling.” Kiwewesi added “People will always talk about you bad or good, but that doesn’t stop you from doing the work our Lord Jesus has asked us to do”

Kiwewesi also led people in agreement when he received disturbing news that one of his spiritual sons, a Ugandan Gospel Musician, was facing deportation and had already been put on the plane. The man of God contended with the news and if I had ever thought prayers could not be answered instantly, I can honestly say now that I saw the hand of God as He answered the prayer of the faithful. With only minutes until the plane was supposed to take off, the musician miraculously was asked to step off the plane with his family. In a few days, we heard them testifying in the conference how they had already given up hope but thanks to the Pastors and the conference that called on the heavens and prayed, a miracle had been seen in the eyes of the British Immigration laws. There were other testimonies of people who received deliverance and miracles one Patricia who seeded and saw her harvest in 3 days through a cheque in a mail. Another Lady who was due for a liver transplant claimed she had felt the power of God during the conference and got healed.

In the second week of the conference, Rev. Jerome A. Barber of the Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Temple arrived on the invitation of Pastor Kiwewesi. Barber, a humble African American who has a T.D. Jakes style of preaching, pastors a 5,000 member church in Hampton, Virginia. He taught and preached on various subjects, but notable was “The Pit is not forever” and “Your Condition is not your Conclusion.” In these texts he was able to relate to the conditions most attendees were going through, and found a word of encouragement for the people. He often spoke a few words in Swahili and Luganda that he had learnt on his numerous trips to Africa, and used demonstrations to deliver the word of God, showing us that our source was bigger that the size of our troubles. The Reverend’s powerful preaching uplifted and encouraged us through the word of God and he asked people to have faith in God as did David in his battle with Goliath. He highlighted David’s faith in face of great adversity. Despite the disparity in size, David was able to overcome Goliath due to his faith in God.

Rev Barber compared the timing of gifts from Heaven to “African time.” He said that they take time and are not instant like most people wish they would be. He beseeched brethren to have patience when seeking from God and stop waiting on “microwave miracles.” After every service he updated his fellowship back in Hampton with status updates on facebook. This also encouraged Pastors Kiwewesi and G. Kayanja to join facebook.

God’s work indeed operated in these men. The few nights I spent at their rented flat in South East London over looking River Thames interviewing them for a future article, I was able to understand why these men of God are different from the usual church saints. They woke everyday at 4am for prayers and never left me to sleep. Although I could not hold a prayer for 10 minutes without falling asleep and kept repeating the same words, I greatly admired and was comforted by these three generals of God. Pastor Gladson made sure he shook me whenever he didn’t hear a word out of my mouth.
The last day of the conference was particularly one to remember, with all the performances by various gospel artists such as Grace Morgan, Myco Chris and his wife Gwendolyn who shared an emotional testimony coupled with a song “mercy said no”, to mention a few. Reverend Jerome once again delivered a powerful message titled “Keep on fighting”. Pastor Kiwewesi led the congregation into yet another powerful time of prayer and topped it off with 2 upbeat songs of praise which got the crowd sweating from all the dancing. Overall it was an emotional moment for me, knowing that next October seems so far away, it will very much be anticipated all throughout the year.
At the end of the conference I caught up with Fiona Mukasa, a gospel artist and wife to Pastor Godfrey Mukasa, who I had the privilege of driving home. She said she had felt the presence of God in the conference and that she had begun to pray more often.
Other people who were able to comment included Ronnie & Noel Gibbs, who praised the pastor for inviting Rev Barber to London. Bishop Mary thanked the Londoners for attending in such large numbers.
Olga Katumba of Tower of Prayer had praises for the youth who attended the ‘Not my Size but my Source’ youth day that was held on the seventh day of the conference.