Category Archives: Righteousness / Serving God

Blessed, Faith / Trusting God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Grace / Patience, Humility, Money / Finances / Wealth, Righteousness / Serving God

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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Dreams, Faith / Trusting God, Obeying God, Prophecy

To Hear God, You Must Believe He Speaks And Listen Carefully

Many followers of Christ lack the confidence and faith that God  speaks to His people in personal ways. This despite the fact that there are examples throughout the Bible of God communicating specific messages to His people, sometimes through those who do not even follow Him. The Bible records God speaking in many different ways to people.  In one such example, Pharaoh, a mighty ruler of Egypt who did not even believe in God had the wisdom to respect and act on a dream he received from God. It saved his entire kingdom and God used it to lift up Joseph out of jail to a position of great authority, second only to Pharaoh in all Egypt.

Genesis 41:14-37

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dream

      14Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh. 15Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” 17So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile; 18and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass. 19“Lo, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such as I had never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt; 20and the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. 21“Yet when they had devoured them, it could not be detected that they had devoured them, for they were just as ugly as before. Then I awoke. 22“I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a single stalk; 23and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them; 24and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. Then I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

      25Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same; God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 26“The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one and the same. 27“The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine. 28“It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29“Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; 30and after them seven years of famine will come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will ravage the land. 31“So the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very severe. 32“Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about. 33“Now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34“Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers in charge of the land, and let him exact a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance. 35“Then let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh’s authority, and let them guard it. 36“Let the food become as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish during the famine.”

      37Now the proposal seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants.

Imagine what would have happened if Pharaoh dismissed the dream. What if the magicians of Pharaoh’s court made up some alternate interpretation to seem important before Pharaoh? What if the cupbearer was afraid to tell Pharaoh about Joseph? What if Joseph was afraid or lacking in faith in God and refused to speak up about the dream? Clearly God was involved to influence all these people, most of whom did not even know or follow God, such that His desired outcome was achieved.

However, Joseph had a key role. He recognized that God had spoken with him through dreams before and thus God would reveal the meaning of the dream to him this time as well. He was not bitter at God from his suffering in jail, but rather immediately gave glory to God for interpreting the dream rather than himself. He did not try to “grab glory for himself”. Joseph honored God consistently for a lifetime and continued to find favor with God and men… even those men who fundamentally rejected God.

We should listen closely for how God may communicate with us, directly, or through others. Look for patterns in how He has done so previously in our life as He often uses a similar pattern of communication with someone. We must also verify what we think we hear from God with the unchanging truth of the written word of God in the Bible. This is important to avoid being misled by our own selfish sin nature or by Satan. God’s word does not change. God does not change… even as people stray farther and farther from Him.

I find it difficult at times to know when God is working in my life in specific areas, but I have recognized patterns and I know He is with me. I find it helpful to stay in the word and in prayer daily to remain close to Him and be best positioned to hear Him and screen out my own selfish desires or traps that Satan may set for 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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Study the Word, Thankfulness

HFJ News: Please Share God’s Word With Others

We are continuing our weekly Friday extra post of “HFJ News” which is intended to introduce our Christian community to different parts of the website or related resources that many find useful.  Links are provided for your convenience or you can just visit the site directly at HearingFromJesus.org and look around on your own.

Today we just want to encourage each of you to share God’s word with others. Thank you for joining us to study God’s word daily and for trying to apply it to our lives. It is a commitment and a journey to die to our sinful nature and to become more like Jesus Christ. Please consider sharing our daily devotions with others you know and care for. We hope it will bless them as much as it blesses us as we study to write it.

May the grace and peace of Jesus Christ be with all of you!

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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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Faith / Trusting God, Grace / Forgiveness, Hearing from God, Hope, Peace / Rest, Suffering / Adversity

God’s Timing Is Perfect – Wait For It Faithfully

Have you found yourself suffering through hard times? Of course you have. We all have.  Sometimes our problems can seem insurmountable and overwhelming. Many lose faith in God during these difficult times.

Imagine if you had been sold into slavery by your own family. Then when you endure and succeed in that challenge, someone lies about you and accuses you of doing the very thing you refused to do! You get the blame and get thrown in jail. Years go by. You succeed even in jail and help someone inside jail that says they will petition for you when they get out. Then they forget you for years. It would be easy for us to declare God has abandoned us in this circumstance… but that is not necessarily true.

Let’s explore what scriptures reveal for Joseph after those very same things have happened to him. He managed to maintain faith in God and found favor in the sight of both men and God in every circumstance. He never gave up. He never quit. He continued to work hard and maintain a good attitude and remained faithful to God through it all. What men (and women) intended for evil to him, God uses for good… and God’s timing is always perfect.

Joseph’s time for deliverance from suffering finally comes in Genesis 41:1-13. God spoke through dreams to an unbeliever, Pharaoh, and used that as a mechanism to bring about his plans for Joseph! Further, if Joseph had not been in jail, he would never have met the cupbearer, who God uses to identify Joseph to Pharaoh. God’s ways are certainly not our ways.

Pharaoh’s Dream

      1Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile. 2And lo, from the Nile there came up seven cows, sleek and fat; and they grazed in the marsh grass. 3Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and gaunt, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4The ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. 5He fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good. 6Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. 7The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8Now in the morning his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

      9Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I would make mention today of my own offenses. 10“Pharaoh was furious with his servants, and he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker. 11“We had a dream on the same night, he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. 12“Now a Hebrew youth was with us there, a servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we related them to him, and he interpreted our dreams for us. To each one he interpreted according to his own dream. 13“And just as he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my office, but he hanged him.”

What a fantastic role model Joseph is for the rest of us! I pray God would strengthen my faith to serve as faithfully as Joseph through tough times. Yet I find myself frustrated when I experience a string of minor annoyances… a flat tire, a computer that breaks, a home repair I did not expect. How minor these are! Yet I still get flustered at times. I am most certainly a work still in progress, submitted to our Lord Jesus and striving to become more like Him and less like my own selfish nature.

When facing difficulty, remember Joseph and how he endured. Also remember what Paul taught us about patient endurance in Romans 5:1-5.

     1Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to 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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Consequences of Sin, False Prophets / Teachers, Grace / Patience, Justice / Judgment, Prophecy, Righteousness / Serving God

The Day of the Lord Is Coming… Prepare Now!

Many today mock the return of the Lord Jesus, claiming that if He has not yet come, two thousand years after He died on the cross then He is not coming. They further rationalize, incorrectly, that He will not come at all and certainly not come in judgment of the ungodly. They confidently pursue after their own lusts and sinful desires without regard for the word of God or for God Himself.

Even some genuine believers begin to doubt the flawless nature of the Bible when confronted by mockers about the amount of time that has passed without Jesus’ return.

Would it surprise you that Jesus and His disciples knew this would happen?  In fact, Peter wrote about it in 2 Peter 3.

Purpose of This Letter

      1This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.

The Coming Day of the Lord

      3Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” 5For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

      8But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

A New Heaven and Earth

      10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

      11Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

      14Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Time from our perspective is different from that of God. We can not count time from our perspective and expect to fully anticipate God’s timing in fulfilling the prophecy. Further, God’s motives are higher than our motives. His delay is not because He forgot… it is not because He is just slow… it is because He is patient and loves us. I know personally that if God would have brought about the end of the age 15 years ago, I would be in Hell for all eternity. But now, through His grace, I have hope in the promise of Heaven with Him.

Many try to predict when the end of the age will come… to what purpose? God tells us we will not know when it comes… it will come like a thief in the night. We can not wait to predict it in order to prepare for it. As God’s righteous people, we must prepare now!

Through Jesus Christ we may be found in peace, spotless and blameless… prepared for His return. (Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.) Take heed of the warning from Peter that there will be many errors and wrong teaching about the word of God by unprincipled men. We are forewarned and should take action to prepare ourselves through prayer and consistent study of the scriptures. We must learn to discern truth from fiction in regards to God’s word. Laziness on our part to study the word is no excuse for living an unrighteous life.  Through prayer and study, we can grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As we grow in knowledge, we must also apply it continually to our lives, to transform ourselves away from our selfish nature and to become more like Jesus Christ.

Even if you do not believe the end of the age is coming during your lifetime, you will be judged based on your relationship with Jesus (or lack of a relationship) when you reach the end of your life… and none of our tomorrow’s are promised. Studies show that 5 out of 5 people die… and they do not all know ahead of time when that will take place. Prepare now!

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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Faith / Trusting God, Hearing from God, Righteousness / Serving God, Suffering / Adversity

Learn How God Works In Your Life And Trust Him Always

Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers due to their jealousy of him. He remained true to God through adversity and troubles. He found favor in running the household of an Egyptian official, Potiphar. Then Potiphar’s wife lied about him and he was thrown in jail. Still, Joseph remained true to his faith in God. He found favor even in jail and gained a position of authority. It was from jail that we continue reading about Joseph in Genesis 40.

      1Then it came about after these things, the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. 2Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. 3So he put them in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, in the jail, the same place where Joseph was imprisoned. 4The captain of the bodyguard put Joseph in charge of them, and he took care of them; and they were in confinement for some time. 5Then the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, who were confined in jail, both had a dream the same night, each man with his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation. 6When Joseph came to them in the morning and observed them, behold, they were dejected. 7He asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in confinement in his master’s house, “Why are your faces so sad today?” 8Then they said to him, “We have had a dream and there is no one to interpret it.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it to me, please.”

      9So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my dream, behold, there was a vine in front of me; 10and on the vine were three branches. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out, and its clusters produced ripe grapes. 11“Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.” 12Then Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; 13within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand according to your former custom when you were his cupbearer. 14“Only keep me in mind when it goes well with you, and please do me a kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house. 15“For I was in fact kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into the dungeon.”

      16When the chief baker saw that he had interpreted favorably, he said to Joseph, “I also saw in my dream, and behold, there were three baskets of white bread on my head; 17and in the top basket there were some of all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” 18Then Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; 19within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and will hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh off you.”

      20Thus it came about on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21He restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and he put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand; 22but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

There are two aspects of this scripture which truly speak to me. The first is fairly obvious. Joseph remains faithful to God despite years of continuing struggles. One could easily complain and get bitter and give up… or get mad at God, blaming Him. Joseph did none of these things. He suffered through challenge after challenge, each time finding favor with God and man. God was able to then use Joseph in a powerful way because of this, as we will see as we continue to read later in Genesis. Joseph saves all of Egypt and his own family and is ultimately reconciled to his family. This was only possible because of his faith, patience, endurance, and good attitude through it all. His life stands as powerful testimony to living for God and trusting Him even thousands of years later.

The second aspect that is a bit more subtle is as follows. Though God can choose to speak to us or work through us any way He sees fit, He often demonstrates consistency in how He relates to each of us. For example, God gave Joseph a gift in receiving and interpreting dreams. He experienced it as a youth, to the envy of his brothers, but later it is still the same gift that God continues to use while Joseph is in jail with the baker and the cupbearer. God will use dreams again with Joseph later in Genesis when Joseph is released from jail by correctly interpreting dreams for Pharaoh. Ultimately this consistent gift of interpreting dreams had significant impact on Joseph’s life.

The lesson for us is to consider when we have seen God working in our lives we should look to recognize patterns and expect it is likely that God will continue to speak to us or work through us in a consistent pattern. If you feel God guiding you through dreams, or through your scripture study times, or through other Christians… look for patterns which may indicate how God chooses to communicate to you. It may help you to recognize future encounters and messages from God.  When you hear from Him, verify that what you think you are hearing lines up with what the Bible says to be sure it is from God rather from Satan or our own selfish desires. Then obey.

The same can be said for using the spiritual gifts that God gives each of us. Once we recognize how God has blessed us and how He works through us, we should try to honestly assess what gifts He has given us and consistently try to use them to glorify His kingdom!

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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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Grace / Patience, Heaven and Hell, Kindness / Gentleness, Love

Be Patient With Everyone… Yes, Really

The world teaches us that we have a right to be easily offended by everyone who disagrees with us or acts wrongly toward us. The world teaches us we have a right to confront them and condemn them. The world teaches us to be angry and hostile to those who do not agree with us.

Jesus Christ teaches us a different way… a better way… patience and perseverance… self-control, godliness, kindness and love.

James 1:2-4 2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 14We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.

2 Peter 1:5-9 5Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.

We certainly do not have to agree with or accept persecution from those who disagree with us. However, we can respond truthfully, confidently, boldly, and yet still be kind, patient, loving in our manner. We must look to the example of Jesus Christ in His earthly ministry and do as He did. That is part of why He came… to demonstrate the example of living a righteous and sinless life.

This is an area where many of us do well to pray and ask the Lord for help to overcome our natural defensive impulses and instead see people as God does… with patience and love.

However, similar to Jesus, we must never waiver about the truth. There is clear right and wrong… a clear message of the gospel… a clear warning that most of the world is on the path to Hell. We do not help them by remaining silent or accepting their wrong perception that there are many ways to Heaven or that everyone goes to Heaven or that Heaven and Hell do not exist. We help them by persevering in proclaiming the truth of the gospel through our actions and our words.

John 14:6 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

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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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Blessed, Character of God, Righteousness / Serving God, Suffering / Adversity

Experience Victory Regardless of Circumstances

Genesis 39 is truly an incredible tribute to Joseph and to the blessings of living according to God’s way rather than that of the world. Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers, yet resists harboring resentment and bitterness as the focal point of his life. He moves on, focuses on the good, serves his new master faithfully and competently. God is with Joseph and blesses him such that he succeeds and he is given much authority. Then it seems the pattern repeats. Joseph is betrayed by Potiphar’s lying wife and again he loses everything ending up in jail. Again, God is with Joseph and he succeeds and finds favor amongst those in charge.

Joseph’s Success in Egypt

      1Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. 2The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 3Now his master saw that the LORD was with him and how the LORD caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. 4So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge. 5It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; thus the LORD’S blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. 6So he left everything he owned in Joseph’s charge; and with him there he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. 7It came about after these events that his master’s wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” 8But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. 9“There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?” 10As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her. 11Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside. 12She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside. 13When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, 14she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought in a Hebrew to us to make sport of us; he came in to me to lie with me, and I screamed. 15“When he heard that I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled and went outside.” 16So she left his garment beside her until his master came home. 17Then she spoke to him with these words, “The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to make sport of me; 18and as I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.”

Joseph Imprisoned

      19Now when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, “This is what your slave did to me,” his anger burned. 20So Joseph’s master took him and put him into the jail, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the jail. 21But the LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. 22The chief jailer committed to Joseph’s charge all the prisoners who were in the jail; so that whatever was done there, he was responsible for it. 23The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph’s charge because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made to prosper.

Joseph could easily have shut down and harbored bitterness and hatred as the focal point of his life. He did not. Instead he kept working hard and living according to God’s instruction. He was a righteous man through much suffering. Because of this, God remained with Joseph and continued to turn for good what others meant for harm.

None of us pray for difficulties and problems. However, we should expect to experience them in our lives in this imperfect, fallen world.  As followers of Jesus, pray with me that God would help us to have the attitude and faithfulness that Joseph demonstrated through many difficult situations across many years. Pray that God will use us as he used Joseph.

If you are not yet a follower of Jesus, would you like to understand how someone who experienced such hardship as Joseph could maintain such a positive attitude and succeed even through terrible betrayal? The answer is a personal relationship with God.

Learn more about submitting your life to Jesus and trusting in Him through adversity. Find out how it can transform your life from defeat to victory regardless of circumstances. Free yourself from bondage to sin. Experience true freedom in Jesus Christ. Read more – 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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Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Repenting from Sin, Righteousness / Serving God, Share the Good News

Living Submitted To Jesus… Baptism Is Only The Beginning

God sends His Holy Spirit in dramatic fashion to His believers in Acts 2 to fulfill what Jesus promised them. Crowds gather to see what is happening and Peter takes the opportunity to preach to them about who Jesus really was… the Christ… the Messiah… God Himself in the flesh. As we continue in Acts 2:36-47 we see how most of the crowd reacts to Peter’s sermon, which he preached while filled with the Holy Spirit. Thousands come to Jesus and create a community of believers that are filled with joy and praise for God while helping one another.

     36“Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”

      37Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39“For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” 40And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” 41So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. 42They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

      43Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Many were moved deeply, “pierced to the heart”, by the good news Peter shared about Christ. They asked him what they should do next. Peter’s response is important to take note of… it is fundamentally the same message as that of Jesus and John the Baptist and many the prophets of God. Turn away from your wrongful ways and turn toward God, living according to God’s instruction.

38Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Note that Peter clearly identifies that we must be different from “…this perverse generation!” We must change our behaviors to do things God’s way instead of the way of the world. This is not just true at the Pentecost, but is still true today. Those who do not follow God are lost… perverse… motivated by selfishness and sin nature rather than the things of God.

Three thousand people made the choice to respond to Peter’s sermon.  We are always called to make public choice for God. Peter did not call the three thousand to just remain in the crowd amongst the others who did not accept Jesus that day. He called them forth. They took action… a conscious and public action to demonstrate their submission to Jesus. Baptism is a symbolic, public proclamation that we are submitting to Jesus.

But Baptism is just the beginning of our journey with Jesus, not the end. That is not all there is! After baptism, the followers of Jesus devoted themselves continually to receiving teaching, fellowship, breaking bread together, and to prayer. There is much to do to develop ourselves as disciples for Christ after we accept Him as Lord. Our personal relationship with Jesus takes us on a  journey to become more like Him that lasts our lifetime.

 42They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

God allowed many wonders and signs through the apostles. Notice the joy and praise-filled attitude that the early church had. They rejoiced in sharing God together and living according to His instruction. They voluntarily gave and shared to help one another. But take note, at no point is there a reference that the government took their wealth to give to others who did not share their beliefs or work to contribute to the community. There was no central “church” organization that collected everything from them. The sharing was done voluntarily, joyfully, by individuals to individuals in the name of Jesus. Neither a government nor large church bureaucracy was required. No one gave out of guilt or obligation. It was a genuine communion of fellow believers celebrating life in submission to Jesus and His teachings. It is no wonder in this environment and with this attitude that their numbers grew.

One last observation, however, scripture clearly shows it was the Lord who grew their numbers… not the disciples, not the people… but the Lord. This is how the Holy Spirit works. Coming together in prayer and fellowship, learning to live according to God’s word and the Lord will move amongst the people and the numbers of true believers will grow.  Prayer and the Holy Spirit are essential. We can not do it successfully without God.

Each of us should consider… what changes can I make to live my life more like that of the early followers of Jesus Christ? How can I help others with joy and praise for God? Am I coming together with other believers in prayer and fellowship?

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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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Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Prophecy, Share the Good News

What A Difference the Holy Spirit Makes!

In the beginning of Acts 2, we see God fulfilling His promise to send the Holy Spirit to help Jesus’ disciples. God makes it a very dramatic event such that it draws a crowd. Many were amazed and others just made excuses to try to ignore God’s miracle in action around them. Peter seizes the opportunity  to address the audience in Acts 2:14-36.

Peter’s Sermon

14But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. 15“For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; 16but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:

17‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says,
‘THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND;
AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY,
AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS,
AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS;

18EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN,
I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT
And they shall prophesy.

19‘AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE
AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW,
BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE.

20‘THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS
AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD,
BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME.

21‘AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’

22“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— 23this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. 24“But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

25“For David says of Him,
‘I SAW THE LORD ALWAYS IN MY PRESENCE;
FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN.

26‘THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED;
MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE;

27BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES,
NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.

28‘YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE;
YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE.’

29“Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30“And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, 31he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. 32“This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. 33“Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.

34“For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says:
‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD,
“SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,

35UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET.”’

36“Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Note the power with which Peter is addressing the crowd and the depth of application of scripture and prophecy. He preaches now filled with the Holy Spirit. What a dramatic difference from the man who denied Jesus three times leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion.

Peter reprimands the mockers and shares with them who Jesus is… the Christ, the Messiah, God Himself in the flesh… in fulfillment of the prophecies documented in the scriptures from Joel and from David. He shares the gospel boldly, confidently, accurately. He is not apologetic. He does not compromise the message or shrink away from those who mock them. Nor does he act in violence toward them or mock them back. He powerfully preaches the truth of the gospel! We will see in our next study that it was effective. More than three thousand people respond.

We should follow Peter’s example. Give our lives to Jesus, accept the gift of the Holy Spirit, allow the Spirit to work through us… all for the glory of God. Take advantage of the opportunities that God provides where we have an audience, whether it is one person or thousands. Pray God would empower you to share the gospel boldly.

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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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