Category Archives: Blessed

Abortion, All Powerful / King of All, Blessed, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Free Will, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Obeying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Thankfulness

Be A Joyful Servant of the Lord

Mary is an intriguing figure. Some make statues of her and pray to her, and this is clearly wrong. She is not God. Only God answers prayers. However, we should take care that we don’t dismiss her too quickly just because of how people have put too much emphasis on her. She is, in fact, a wonderful example of a servant of the Lord who submitted her life and her plans to the Lord, even when it was disruptive to her life and could have resulted in breaking up her engagement to Joseph and possibly disgracing her in the community and with her parents. This was a big deal in the culture at that time for an unwed girl to become pregnant. Only those to whom God revealed the truth would believe that she was made pregnant by the Holy Spirit and not her own indiscretion.

We can see how she is filled with joy and counts herself blessed over the situation as she visits Elizabeth during her pregnancy. Isn’t it wonderful that the Lord provided Mary with Elizabeth, who was also made pregnant with God’s help… though in a different way in that God “opened her womb” and allowed her husband to make her pregnant. She had previously been barren.

Let us also not miss that God provides us with a very clear example of the baby in Elizabeth’s womb being very much alive and responsive to the outside world… before birth. Some just can’t seem to grasp that obvious biological concept that babies are humans from the moment of conception and should be treated as such. Abortion is abominable.

Luke 1:39-56

Mary Visits Elizabeth

     39Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43“And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44“For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 45“And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

The Magnificat

     46And Mary said:
“My soul exalts the Lord,

      47And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

      48“For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.

      49“For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.

      50“AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION
TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.

      51“He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.

      52“He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.

      53“HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS;
And sent away the rich empty-handed.

      54“He has given help to Israel His servant,
In remembrance of His mercy,

      55As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and his descendants forever.”

      56And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.

I encourage you to pray for the Spirit to fill you with joy as you serve the Lord, even as He asks you to do something you feel is very hard. Check yourself if you find yourself complaining about how hard something is that He wants you to do. Trust in Him. He is able. Joyfully and willingly embrace what He calls you to do. If you are submitted and obedient, He will work through you with His power to accomplish what He calls you to do.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Church / Body of Christ

Walk In A Manner Worthy of Your Calling

Ephesians 4 is a good reminder for all of us who call Jesus “Lord”. Paul reminds us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling.  He calls us to walk with humility, gentleness, patience, and showing tolerance for one another in love. We are to be diligent in preserving the unity of the Spirit of the body of Christ in peace.

Even amongst those who submit to Christ, we will have a diversity of personalities and make mistakes or impose on one another, even unintentionally. If we dwell together in life as a body of Christ… a family of believers… then we will inevitably have our differences. We are not to let them cause strife and division in the body.

We are not all the same. We have different gifts and abilities. We have different callings. Let us celebrate how we can all work together to glorify God even more than we could hope to do so alone. As a body we can unite around the word and Spirit of God as the truth that should guide us. We need never  be blown to and fro and tossed about by false doctrine and lies of men. We can unite around the truth and build up the body in love in such a way as to honor and glorify the Lord.

Ephesians 4:1-16

Unity of the Spirit

     1Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

      7But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

8Therefore it says,
“WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH,
HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES,
AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”

9(Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) 11And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Contentment, Discerning / Judging, Envy / Jealousy / Coveting, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Humility, Idols / False Gods, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Prayer, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

He Gives Us Over To The Stubbornness Of Our Hearts

Psalm 81 was written about God’s goodness and Israel’s waywardness… or behavior of going astray from God and pursuing ungodly things. God established Israel and provided for them through many mighty deeds and yet they continued to stray from Him to chase false gods and selfish pursuits. A Psalm like this one could very easily be written about the USA with a few minor changes to the historical references such as “coming out of Egypt”. Jehovah blessed our Christian nation at its birth and yet we as a nation continue to stray from God.

As a result of our rejection of Him as a nation, He gives us over to the stubbornness of our hearts and we now walk in our own devices… an immoral society overrun by sin which is normalized throughout the land. Many gods are worshipped… money, sex, power, sports, status, and perhaps most of all self. Coveting is the national pastime for many, always lusting after what others have rather than finding contentment with what God has provided.

Psalm 81

For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph.

     1Sing for joy to God our strength;
Shout joyfully to the God of Jacob.

      2Raise a song, strike the timbrel,
The sweet sounding lyre with the harp.

      3Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
At the full moon, on our feast day.

      4For it is a statute for Israel,
An ordinance of the God of Jacob.

      5He established it for a testimony in Joseph
When he went throughout the land of Egypt.
I heard a language that I did not know:

      6“I relieved his shoulder of the burden,
His hands were freed from the basket.

      7“You called in trouble and I rescued you;
I answered you in the hiding place of thunder;
I proved you at the waters of Meribah.

Selah.

      8“Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you;
O Israel, if you would listen to Me!

      9“Let there be no strange god among you;
Nor shall you worship any foreign god.

      10“I, the LORD, am your God,
Who brought you up from the land of Egypt;
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

      11“But My people did not listen to My voice,
And Israel did not obey Me.

      12“So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart,
To walk in their own devices.

      13“Oh that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!

      14“I would quickly subdue their enemies
And turn My hand against their adversaries.

      15“Those who hate the LORD would pretend obedience to Him,
And their time of punishment would be forever.

      16“But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Pray for revival personally, in your family, in your local church, in your state, in the nation and across the world. Live out the revival in your daily life. Pray, study, spend time with our Lord. Ask for His guidance in your life and be prepared to give up your desires and your plans in favor of His. You may well find that what you desire was never really yours to begin with but only that which our culture indoctrinated you to pursue. What He wants for us is much better.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed

The Lord Bless You and Keep You

What a beautiful benediction!  I pray each of us would seek this from the Lord for ourselves and our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ with humility and gratitude. He is truly gracious to His people.

Numbers 6:22-27

Aaron’s Benediction

     22Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 23“Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:

      24The LORD bless you, and keep you;

      25The LORD make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;

      26The LORD lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.’

     27“So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them.”

Amen!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Righteous, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Blessings of Obedience or Curse of Disobedience

Many in the USA have become arrogant, giving full credit to man for the success of the nation… even as the moral fabric of our culture continues to rapidly deteriorate around us. They exclude the very obvious presence of God in establishing our nation and the historical facts that document how the founders put together the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the nation itself based on a strong Christian faith. Separation of church and state simply meant the government would not impose a particular sect of Christianity on its people (e.g. Protestantism, Catholicism, etc.). Christianity itself was integrated into their very discussions in government and leadership addresses from the government to the people and the public schools. Monuments of the 10 Commandments were deliberately highlighted. Though they were imperfect for sure, they glorified God and God blessed the founding of the nation.

Today we stand in stark contrast with this image. Much of the nation despises God and rejects Him. Even those who claim Him by name, somehow have bought the lie that He is to be separated from government. As such we leave government to men to lead instead of God and it degrades into larger and larger bureaucracy which takes money from folks and wastes it badly. It expands to have more and more control over the freedom of the individual and state as it was never intended to have. It removes God from more and more of our culture fostering an environment in which wickedness and depravity grow.

There is blessing in obedience to Jehovah and curse in disobedience. Make no mistake about it. Men are not in control, God is.

Leviticus 26

Blessings of Obedience

     1‘You shall not make for yourselves idols, nor shall you set up for yourselves an image or a sacred pillar, nor shall you place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it; for I am the LORD your God. 2‘You shall keep My sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary; I am the LORD. 3‘If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out, 4then I shall give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit. 5‘Indeed, your threshing will last for you until grape gathering, and grape gathering will last until sowing time. You will thus eat your food to the full and live securely in your land. 6‘I shall also grant peace in the land, so that you may lie down with no one making you tremble. I shall also eliminate harmful beasts from the land, and no sword will pass through your land. 7‘But you will chase your enemies and they will fall before you by the sword; 8five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword. 9‘So I will turn toward you and make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will confirm My covenant with you. 10‘You will eat the old supply and clear out the old because of the new. 11‘Moreover, I will make My dwelling among you, and My soul will not reject you. 12‘I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people. 13‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so that you would not be their slaves, and I broke the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.

Penalties of Disobedience

     14‘But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments, 15if, instead, you reject My statutes, and if your soul abhors My ordinances so as not to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant, 16I, in turn, will do this to you: I will appoint over you a sudden terror, consumption and fever that will waste away the eyes and cause the soul to pine away; also, you will sow your seed uselessly, for your enemies will eat it up. 17‘I will set My face against you so that you will be struck down before your enemies; and those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one is pursuing you. 18‘If also after these things you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. 19‘I will also break down your pride of power; I will also make your sky like iron and your earth like bronze. 20‘Your strength will be spent uselessly, for your land will not yield its produce and the trees of the land will not yield their fruit.

      21‘If then, you act with hostility against Me and are unwilling to obey Me, I will increase the plague on you seven times according to your sins. 22‘I will let loose among you the beasts of the field, which will bereave you of your children and destroy your cattle and reduce your number so that your roads lie deserted.

      23‘And if by these things you are not turned to Me, but act with hostility against Me, 24then I will act with hostility against you; and I, even I, will strike you seven times for your sins. 25‘I will also bring upon you a sword which will execute vengeance for the covenant; and when you gather together into your cities, I will send pestilence among you, so that you shall be delivered into enemy hands. 26‘When I break your staff of bread, ten women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will bring back your bread in rationed amounts, so that you will eat and not be satisfied.

      27‘Yet if in spite of this you do not obey Me, but act with hostility against Me, 28then I will act with wrathful hostility against you, and I, even I, will punish you seven times for your sins. 29‘Further, you will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters you will eat. 30‘I then will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and heap your remains on the remains of your idols, for My soul shall abhor you. 31‘I will lay waste your cities as well and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your soothing aromas. 32‘I will make the land desolate so that your enemies who settle in it will be appalled over it. 33‘You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste.

      34‘Then the land will enjoy its sabbaths all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies’ land; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. 35‘All the days of its desolation it will observe the rest which it did not observe on your sabbaths, while you were living on it. 36‘As for those of you who may be left, I will also bring weakness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. And the sound of a driven leaf will chase them, and even when no one is pursuing they will flee as though from the sword, and they will fall. 37‘They will therefore stumble over each other as if running from the sword, although no one is pursuing; and you will have no strength to stand up before your enemies. 38‘But you will perish among the nations, and your enemies’ land will consume you. 39‘So those of you who may be left will rot away because of their iniquity in the lands of your enemies; and also because of the iniquities of their forefathers they will rot away with them.

      40‘If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me— 41I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies—or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, 42then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land. 43‘For the land will be abandoned by them, and will make up for its sabbaths while it is made desolate without them. They, meanwhile, will be making amends for their iniquity, because they rejected My ordinances and their soul abhorred My statutes. 44‘Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, nor will I so abhor them as to destroy them, breaking My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God. 45‘But I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am the LORD.’”

      46These are the statutes and ordinances and laws which the LORD established between Himself and the sons of Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai.

Pray for revival amongst believers to take back our nation and be a light to the world. Pray for God’s help for believers as individuals and communities to lead that revival by example. Pray for even those who have not before truly known Him to submit to the Lord and seek to honor and glorify Him. Remain active in demonstrating and sharing your faith and influence the communities and government to the best of your abilities to restore Jehovah to His rightful place as the focal point of all we do as individuals, communities and a nation.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Consequences of Sin, Prophecy, Righteousness / Serving God

Often Our Blessings Are A Reflection Of Our Choices

It is easy to ask God’s blessing to give us everything we want, how we want it, when we want it, and then wonder why we don’t receive it. When we study the blessings of Israel to his sons we see that our blessings are often a reflection of our choices in regards to how we live our lives… in obedience to God or in obedience to self.

Genesis 49:28  28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He blessed them, every one with the blessing appropriate to him.

As Israel prophecied and blessed each of his sons, he revealed a future that was appropriate to each one and how they chose to lead their life and what examples they set for their family. Their blessing was in fact affected by their godliness, or lack of godliness.

Genesis 49

Israel’s Prophecy concerning His Sons

      1Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, “Assemble yourselves that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come.

      2“Gather together and hear, O sons of Jacob;
And listen to Israel your father.

      3“Reuben, you are my firstborn;
My might and the beginning of my strength,
Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.

      4“Uncontrolled as water, you shall not have preeminence,
Because you went up to your father’s bed;
Then you defiled it—he went up to my couch.

      5“Simeon and Levi are brothers;
Their swords are implements of violence.

      6“Let my soul not enter into their council;
Let not my glory be united with their assembly;
Because in their anger they slew men,
And in their self-will they lamed oxen.

      7“Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;
And their wrath, for it is cruel.
I will disperse them in Jacob,
And scatter them in Israel.

      8“Judah, your brothers shall praise you;
Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.

      9“Judah is a lion’s whelp;
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He couches, he lies down as a lion,
And as a lion, who dares rouse him up?

      10“The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes,
And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

      11“He ties his foal to the vine,
And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine;
He washes his garments in wine,
And his robes in the blood of grapes.

      12“His eyes are dull from wine,
And his teeth white from milk.

      13“Zebulun will dwell at the seashore;
And he shall be a haven for ships,
And his flank shall be toward Sidon.

      14“Issachar is a strong donkey,
Lying down between the sheepfolds.

      15“When he saw that a resting place was good
And that the land was pleasant,
He bowed his shoulder to bear burdens,
And became a slave at forced labor.

      16“Dan shall judge his people,
As one of the tribes of Israel.

      17“Dan shall be a serpent in the way,
A horned snake in the path,
That bites the horse’s heels,
So that his rider falls backward.

      18“For Your salvation I wait, O LORD.

      19“As for Gad, raiders shall raid him,
But he will raid at their heels.

      20“As for Asher, his food shall be rich,
And he will yield royal dainties.

      21“Naphtali is a doe let loose,
He gives beautiful words.

      22“Joseph is a fruitful bough,
A fruitful bough by a spring;
Its branches run over a wall.

      23“The archers bitterly attacked him,
And shot at him and harassed him;

      24But his bow remained firm,
And his arms were agile,
From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob
(From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),

      25From the God of your father who helps you,
And by the Almighty who blesses you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

      26“The blessings of your father
Have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors
Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills;
May they be on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers.

      27“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
In the morning he devours the prey,
And in the evening he divides the spoil.”

      28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He blessed them, every one with the blessing appropriate to him. 29Then he charged them and said to them, “I am about to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a burial site. 31“There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there I buried Leah— 32the field and the cave that is in it, purchased from the sons of Heth.” 33When Jacob finished charging his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

As we seek to receive God’s blessing for our lives and the lives of our family, let us remember that God has given us many instructions on how to live such that we love God and love our neighbor. When we make these choices to honor God and obey Him in our lives, rather than just with our words, we will see Him provide to us the blessings appropriate to such a choice to be His faithful servant.

Reflect on the sons of Israel. What behaviors did they exhibit that lead some to good and some to hard blessings? What changes does God speak to your heart that you should make as you reflect on how you are living your life?

Personally, I feel that God continues to press upon me the suffering that many experience by allowing themselves to be ruled by their fierce anger. I have had several recent encounters personally and also keep finding that revealed in scripture, such as with Simeon and Levi in today’s scripture reading. Anger is not always released by the sword, but often by the tongue. I have experienced flurries of anger in the past and now see more clearly how ugly that can truly be and how much it can affect someone’s life. Even if you are “right”, anger is not typically the most helpful response. It can steal your joy and sour your blessings.

Make changes where you need to! Do not be so proud as to insist that you are doing everything right. You only fool yourself and steal from your own blessing and future.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Heaven and Hell, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Thankfulness

Reflections On Life, From One Who Nears The End

Many have rightly observed that as someone approaches the end of their life, they often have increasing insight into what was really most important… about what they did right and what they should have done differently. Sometimes even those who spent their whole lives pursuing some idol, such as money and power, begin to realize how empty that pursuit really was. How much more wisdom can we gain, then, from listening to a righteous man as he reflects on his life and walk with God.

Genesis 48

Israel’s Last Days

      1Now it came about after these things that Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. 2When it was told to Jacob, “Behold, your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel collected his strength and sat up in the bed. 3Then Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4and He said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you for an everlasting possession.’ 5“Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. 6“But your offspring that have been born after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the names of their brothers in their inheritance. 7“Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died, to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

      8When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” 10Now the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. 11Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your children as well.” 12Then Joseph took them from his knees, and bowed with his face to the ground. 13Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him. 14But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn.

15He blessed Joseph, and said,
“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,

      16The angel who has redeemed me from all evil,
Bless the lads;
And may my name live on in them,
And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

      17When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.” 19But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”

20He blessed them that day, saying,
“By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying,
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’”
Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

21Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22“I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”

Israel found his relationship with God to be of highest importance. He reflected back on the promises God made and spoke of them in complete confidence that they would come to pass even though he did not yet see it with his own eyes. There is no hint of regret or lack of faith that God’s promises were not yet fulfilled as of the end of Israel’s life. Rather there is a confident faith that they are in the process of being fulfilled.

Israel valued family… in particular the family he had once lost and then had restored. He did not complain to God that Joseph had been lost, but rather gives glory to God that he was able to see not only Joseph again but also his children.

It was of high importance to Jacob to pass along his blessing to Joseph and Joseph’s sons. Once again, this demonstrates strong faith in the multi-generational promise of God.

There is no bitterness or fear in Israel. He reflects on the loss of Rachel and the sorrow he experienced in that, but gives every confidence from this record in scripture that he is prepared for death, prepared to continue his journey with God beyond the confines of this earthly life.

Reflect on your life for a few moments. Do not rush it. Does your life reflect the values that Israel reflected on at the end of his life? Are you satisfied you are living for God and obeying His commands? Does your life reflect God’s will or your own? Do you have a relationship with God in which you hear His specific directions for your life? Do you seek Him in prayer, study His word, and give honor, praise and thanks to Him consistently?

Are you satisfied with your family relationships?

Do you hold any bitterness or resentment toward others or God?

What changes do you think God wants you to make?

Whether you find yourself nearing the end of this life or anticipating decades yet to come, take time to evaluate your life. Humble yourself to be willing to admit, to yourself and to God, that you should make some changes and then go about making those changes while you still have time. None of our tomorrows are promised to us, no matter what are age and health may be.

Are you ready for what comes next after you die in this world?

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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A Time For Rejoicing and Praising God!

For all of us there is “a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance. [Ecclesiastes 3:4]

Joseph and his family experienced much hardship due to their own mistakes and failures. It could easily have been enough to permanently tear apart their family. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, who lied to their father that he was dead… all because they were jealous that their father showed obvious (and very unhelpful) favoritism to Joseph because he loved Joseph more than the others. It took strong faith in walking with God by Joseph to avoid bitterness and be open to forgiveness and reconciliation with his family. It took true repentance from his brothers to change their ways, which they demonstrated in defending Benjamin at the risk of their own peril.

Now, in Genesis 45, we see God’s plan come to fruition and the family reunited in a time for rejoicing and dancing.

Joseph Deals Kindly with His Brothers

      1Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, “Have everyone go out from me.” So there was no man with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it. 3Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

      4Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they came closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5“Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6“For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7“God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. 8“Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9“Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. 10“You shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. 11“There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished.”’ 12“Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. 13“Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here.” 14Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.

      16Now when the news was heard in Pharaoh’s house that Joseph’s brothers had come, it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go to the land of Canaan, 18and take your father and your households and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you will eat the fat of the land.’ 19“Now you are ordered, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come. 20‘Do not concern yourselves with your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

      21Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22To each of them he gave changes of garments, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments. 23To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and sustenance for his father on the journey.

      24So he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the journey.” 25Then they went up from Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26They told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” But he was stunned, for he did not believe them. 27When they told him all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28Then Israel said, “It is enough; my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

All of us either have gone through, are going through, or will go through very difficult times and likely very difficult times within our family relationships. We can learn great lessons from Joseph and his family. Trust in God through difficult times, even when we do not see where the path leads or when the difficulties will go away. Avoid bitterness at all costs, no matter how big or small the real or perceived wrong that was done to you.  Do your best in every situation as if you are working for the Lord, because you represent Him to others whether you are “governor of Egypt” or “in an Egyptian jail”… in good times and in bad. Seek to be forgiven and to forgive. When you do wrong, no matter how great or small, admit it to yourself, to God, and to the one you wronged. Repent, genuinely change your behavior and attitude, and don’t repeat the same mistakes over and over again… making excuses for why it is acceptable.

Then rejoice and praise God in thanksgiving when you get to experience the time to dance and celebrate!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Find Peace Through Faith, No Matter Where God Places You

All of us have experienced hardship in our lives, but few of us experience the level of hardship that Joseph experienced as recorded in Genesis. After being sold into slavery by his family, slandered by his master’s wife and thrown into jail, and remaining in jail several years, Joseph maintained a righteous attitude and relationship toward God. In fact as God raised him out of his affliction after many years, Joseph was not bitter about the time of suffering but was thankful to God for what He provided.  Joseph found peace through relationship with God and faithfully executed the responsibility God had placed in his hands.

Genesis 41:50-57

      50Now before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him. 51Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” 52He named the second Ephraim, “For,” he said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

      53When the seven years of plenty which had been in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said, then there was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, you shall do.” 56When the famine was spread over all the face of the earth, then Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57The people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the earth.

In large part because of Joseph’s attitude toward God and men, his patience and lack of bitterness… his faith, God blessed Joseph with great responsibility and prosperity in a way that Joseph could certainly never have even imagined. God used Joseph to save many throughout Egypt and surrounding territory… including, as we will read further in Genesis, his own family.

With faith in God, Joseph was able to move beyond his past troubles and find peace in where God had placed him. I pray God would similarly help each of us as His followers to move beyond whatever trials and struggles we experience and find peace in faithfully serving God where He places us.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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When You Gain Favor From God and Man, Don’t Change The Recipe

It is easy to become full of ourselves, filled with pride, when we succeed in the eyes of men. We must be careful to remain humble and serve God even in success. Many wise men, including David and Solomon, started with a close relationship with God and then drifted further from God when they had much success and power… and it was to their own downfall. When we find favor in the sight of God and man by living humbly and righteously according to God’s instruction, do not change the recipe. Keep doing the things that got you there… pray, study scripture, listen to God and obey, work hard, be patient, give glory to God for what He does through us, etc.

Joseph set a fantastic example in  Genesis 41:38-49. Joseph did not change when he was given great power and authority. He worked diligently and responsibly, maintaining his right relationship with God and he continued to experience favor from God and men as a result.

Joseph Is Made a Ruler of Egypt

      38Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is a divine spirit?” 39So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are. 40“You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.” 41Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put the gold necklace around his neck. 43He had him ride in his second chariot; and they proclaimed before him, “Bow the knee!” And he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Though I am Pharaoh, yet without your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45Then Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as his wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt.

      46Now Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. 47During the seven years of plenty the land brought forth abundantly. 48So he gathered all the food of these seven years which occurred in the land of Egypt and placed the food in the cities; he placed in every city the food from its own surrounding fields. 49Thus Joseph stored up grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring it, for it was beyond measure.

Joseph had experienced much suffering and difficulty in his early life… sold into slavery by his brothers, thrown into jail based on lies, forgotten in jail for years by one he helped. Joseph handled it with great patience and a righteous attitude toward God. Surely we would be tempted to think God forgot about us in his circumstances. But now at 30 years old, Joseph stood tall as second in command of all Egypt… right where God wanted him. When he assumed the position, Joseph did not change and take credit, or fill with pride. He continued to honor God and faithfully carry out his work.

I pray God would help each of us as His followers to take on the patience, diligence, humility, forgiveness, and faith which Joseph demonstrated throughout his life.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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