The Watchman, Ezekiel 33:1-20

 

Like a terrorist, he thought killing Christians was doing God service. He was guilty of the arrests and deaths of many Christians.

Yet, he stood there with a straight face and said, I am innocent of the blood of all men (Acts 20: 26).

Who could do such a thing?

How could he say such a thing... and be correct?

Paul is the man.

Jesus is the answer.

Can you say that? ... and be correct?

Being innocent of the blood of any man, reminds us of the words of the Lord through the prophet Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 33:1
 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, 3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life.

The people are responsible to, hear and heed.

The watchman is responsible to, see and sound.

The sword of the Lord in this context is not for the purpose of death, but discipline.

By our disobedience we step away from the Lord’s protection, and within reach of the enemy’s sword.

Nevertheless, the Lord is patient, He honors the will of the people of the land to take a man and make him their watchman.

When that watchman sees the sword and sounds the trump, the folks who ignore the trump will fall, but those who hear and heed, will be saved.

Even from a secular standpoint, the best thing we the people of our nation can do is hear and heed the sound of the many trumpets sounding, exposing the swords slicing our unborn, mutilating our children, slitting our throats and stabbing our backs.

Our nation is hemorrhaging money so fast we’re about to bleed out.

The interest on our debt is higher than our National Security budget. This is the point of no return for every nation that has ever reached this point. No nation has ever recovered from the place we are today.

That’s why it’s urgent to hear and heed the trump of waste, fraud and abuse.

If we don’t, our nation will surely die in our iniquity.

In just a matter of weeks, DOGE has already saved an estimated $55 billion.

Over $900,000 to a "Gaza terror charity"

Millions in “Gaza aid” went straight to Hamas.

$1.5 million to advance DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion; LGBTQ+).

$20 million to create Sesame Street in Iraq. (They gave US the big bird while cookie monster gobbled up the funds).

Worst of all: Many members of our Congress (both sides) are complicit in the largest money laundering scheme in history. (They’ve mysteriously become wealthy way above and beyond their salaries).

The Watchman is sounding.

Trumpets are blowing.

Will we hear and heed the watchman’s warning for the sake of our nation?

Or will we die, with our own blood on our hands?

The choice is ours.

6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’

The watchman must see and sound, or the blood of every person in the land will be on their hands.

We must pray for the watchmen to see and sound, even if the sound is hard to hear.

But let’s dig deeper. Now God brings it home. He no longer speaks of a watchman in a secular sense, but about the watchman He has called.

7 “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.

If we should listen to the watchman in a secular sense, how much more the watchman appointed by God?

A watchman appointed by God must also see and sound, but only after he has heard a word from the mouth of God.

Then, he must warn the people. He must speak. Silence is not an option.

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless.
Not to speak is to speak.
Not to act is to act.” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Their response is not your responsibility.

Either way, they might die in their iniquity, but if you warn them, you will have delivered your soul (life).

10 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?” ’

11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’

Today we might say it like this:

I know my lifestyle has sin, but it’s not my fault, God made me this way, therefore I can’t live the Christian life.

But God says, “As I live you can, I don’t want you to die, but live. Turn, turn from your evil ways to Life and Life more abundantly.   

12 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.’

13 When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die.

14 Again, when I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right, 15 if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 16 None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

17 “Yet the children of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ But it is their way which is not fair! 18 When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. 19 But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it.

The Lord says the same thing repeatedly, back to back, four times.

When God says something once, it’s important, pay attention.

When He says something twice, it’s really important, scoot to the edge of your seat and listen close.

When He says something three times, stand up, draw close, take notes, it’s vitally important.

Four times, God said this:

Your past, good or bad, righteous or wicked, is meaningless, what matters is where your heart is, right now.

God is the Great I AM.

The Ever Present One.

The Right Now, God.

Isaiah 1:18
Come now, and let us reason together,”

Says the Lord,

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

They shall be as white as snow;

Though they are red like crimson,

They shall be as wool.

That’s great news if you’re like me with not so great a past, full of sins and scars, flaws, weaknesses. Because, if right now, in this moment, with all you’ve got, with all your body, soul and spirit, all you want is to serve and love the Lord, forever.

Then, you shall live (Zoe Life, Eternal Life).

But if you think you’ve been a Christian so long that you’re immune to sin. If you trust in your own righteousness. I’m a nice person—nicer than you. I’m good. I go to church. I’m too old to sin.

Or, if you trust in your own righteousness, I’m good, I don’t need church, or the Bible, or prayer, me and the Big Guy upstairs got it all worked out.

That, is called, “doing what’s right in your own eyes.”

That is idolatry.

That is committing the chronic iniquity or arrogancy.

Doing that, you will not hear or heed the watchman or the Voice of the Shepherd. You will be deceived and die in your iniquity.

All the while, God is calling, “turn, turn, turn, to Me and live, why oh why do you choose death?”

20 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways.”

You are called to be a watchman. 

Say right out loud if you dare: I am a watchman. I have those God has given me, to watch out for, to speak into. I will not be silent. Their blood will not be on my hands.

Dear family, we must act, we must speak. Christianity must go beyond just internal belief.

Habakkuk 2:1
I will stand my watch
And set myself on the rampart, (wall)
And watch to see what He will say to me,
And what I will answer when I am corrected.

Hebrews 5:9

And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, not by power, not by might, but by Your Spirit, we will stand, we will watch, we will see, we will say, we will obey, so that of all those You’ve given us to be watchman over, none will be lost.

Thank You.

We love You, forever.

Amen.

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Grace, Gifts, Gathering, Genesis 45:16-28

 

Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. ¹⁷ And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan. ¹⁸ Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land. ¹⁹ Now you are commanded—do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; bring your father and come. ²⁰ Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”

²¹ Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them carts, according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey. ²² He gave to all of them, to each man, changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments. ²³ And he sent to his father these things: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey. ²⁴ So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, “See that you do not become troubled along the way.”

²⁵ Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. ²⁶ And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” And Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them. ²⁷ But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived. ²⁸ Then Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

 

GRACE

Joseph’s behavior brought favor with Pharaoh.

Joe’s bros have come.

“Oh no, not more of them!” ...is not what they said.

It pleased Pharaoh and his servants well.

That reflects on Joseph, not the brothers.

Had Joseph been arrogant or grumpy, or bossy, or bitter, they wouldn’t be pleased to hear there were eleven more just like him.

With that said, let’s ask ourselves:

Does my behavior promote favor?

Proverbs 3:3-4
Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart,
And so find favor and high esteem
In the sight of God and man.

We recently had a Bizarre in our little village. We had venders and raffles and entertainment and food and everything you can imagine for sale. Folks came from far and wide.

It’s fun and exciting and exhausting. It's a ton of work and can produce two tons of stress.

Be honest, ask yourself: During the bizarre, how was my behavior? (If you weren’t with us, ask yourself how you behalf during a bizarre event like ours).

Full of mercy and Truth? or... bizarre? Arrogant? Grumpy? Bossy? Bitter?

Does my behavior curry favor, or fury?

Proverbs 15:1
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Are my words soft, or sharp? Does my behavior stir up peace and harmony or wrath and anger?

The screen on my laptop looks like this:

This should be our daily, or perhaps hourly, prayer:

Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

Did you notice, Joseph acted according to the command of Pharaoh? Genesis 45:21.

Joseph was obedient.

Obedience brings understanding.

Obedience brings promotion.

Did you know that Jesus was obedient?

Luke 2:51-52
Then He (Jesus at 12 years old) went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject (obedient) to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Philippians 2:8
And being found in appearance as a man, He (Jesus) humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.

Jesus was obedient, therefore God highly exalted Him that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! Philippians 2:9-11.

Hebrews 5:7-9
During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. ⁸ Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered. ⁹ And having been made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.

This verse says, Jesus is the Source of Salvation to all who obey Him.

There’s more to the Bible than John 3:16. 

There’s more than just “believing.” The demons believe and tremble. James 2:19.

Now, let’s ask ourselves:

Does my obedience curry favor with God?

Who is Lord of my life? Who’s the boss? Who calls the shots?

It’s not obedience until you yield to what you want to disobey. 

In the Garden, Jesus said it like this: Not My will, but Thine. Luke 22:42.

John the Baptist said it like this: He must increase, I must decrease. John 3:30.

Grace: unmerited favor.

It was by grace that Joseph’s brothers were given favor.

It was all Joseph. What Joe did.

The brothers did nothing to deserve favor with Pharaoh, or Joseph.

They did a lot to earn fury. Rejected Joseph, abused him, were guilty of attempted murder and human trafficking.

But because of their relationship with Joseph, not their good deeds, but their relationship, grace was extended to them.  

Oh, how Joseph loved his brothers and wanted restoration with them, so much so that he was willing to forgive their sins against him and welcome them with open arms.

Oh, how much more does Christ love us!

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

It was all Jesus. What Jesus did.

GRACE.

Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me...           

 

GIFTS

Pharaoh told Joseph to have them load your beasts (Gen. 45:17, KJV). Is that akin to the Presidential limo?

The carts would be top of the line Pharaoh Force One.

Then, they were provided everything they needed for the journey. Even more than they needed; exceedingly abundantly above and beyond all they could ask or think.

Remember, they were in the midst of famine, yet just like that they were overtaken with abundance.

Why?

Because of grace overflowing from their relationship with Joseph.

Jesus puts our relationship with Him and His provision for us like this:

 “Therefore, do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:31-33.

Peter tells us:

2 Peter 1:3
His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

Life and Godliness, is far beyond, food, and drink and clothes and material things.

It’s Jesus saying, I’ve come that you have Life more abundantly. John 10:10.

The True Treasure, the True Gifts aren’t carnal gifts that rust and corrode and grow old.

They are the Gifts from Heaven, the Gifts Jesus loved to talk about most, the Gifts that last forever, are Gifts from His Holy Spirit.

According to Jesus His Holy Spirit is our, Helper, Teacher, Guide, and Spirit of Truth; He abides with us, reminds us, testifies through us, and tells us of things to come.  John 14:15-16, 15:26, 16:13.

Being filled with His Holy Spirit produces His fruit which is:

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23.

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit can be seen in countenance and behavior.

The Holy Spirit gives gifts of:

Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Healings, Miracles, Prophecy, Discernment, Tongues, Interpretation. 1 Corinthians 12:4, 8-11, 28.

All those are characteristics of folks filled with the Holy Spirit.

Do they describe you? 

Are you filled with the Holy Spirit?

You can be

Do you want to be?

 You should.

 

GATHERING

Notice when Joseph saw the carts, he believed. (Gen. 45:27)

The most important goal of Gifts, is so others will see and believe.  

Jacob believed and said it is enough, my son lives, I will go see him before I die.

Jacob wouldn’t give two plug nickels for all that stuff, what he cared about, what mattered to him, what he’d give everything he owned for, was relationship. His son was dead, and now he’s alive again, was lost and now he’s found. He’s resurrected from the dead, and I’m going to see him!

The source of the stuff was what mattered to Jacob. Not the stuff. The source, his boy, Joseph.

Some tourists from a remote undeveloped middle eastern desert visited a fancy hotel in New York. They were amazed at how with the turn of a knob they had all the fresh water they could imagine. Upon departure they were caught trying to steal the faucets, thinking with them they’d solve all their water problems back home.

They didn’t understand the source.  

Or the Source.

John 4:14
Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.

John 7:38
He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Revelation 22:17
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.

The invitation is extended by grace to all. Some of God’s gifts are showered on all; the sun shines, the rain falls, on the just and the unjust.

 However, the grace and the gifts, are poured out for a purpose; to prepare for the Great Gathering of God’s children.

This gathering has a very strict border policy. Only those who’ve obediently accepted by grace the free gift of Salvation, will be admitted to the place where there will be no more famine, no more dying, no more sorrow, or sickness, or crying or tears, or fear, or goodbyes.

Love eternal, joy everlasting, above and beyond all we could ever ask or think.

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, thank You for your grace. By faith in Your grace, we receive Your free gift of Salvation. But we don’t stop there. We’ve heard Your Word today, that calls us beyond belief to obedience.

We pray the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart are pleasing to You our Lord, our Strength, our Redeemer.

We receive You Holy Spirit, with open hearts and open arms so every gift You want to give us can flow through us. So, at that great gathering, of all those You’ve given us, none will be lost.

We love You, forever.

Amen.

Prayer Requests:

Call or text: 612-554-2522

Email: pray4measap@aol.com

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This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to sow.

Thank you for sharing.

Asleep in the Light, Acts 20:1-12

Acts 20:1, After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself, embraced them, and departed to go to Macedonia.

After the dust settled from the silversmith inspired uproar, Paul said his goodbyes to the disciples at Ephesus.

Not because of the uproar, he’d planned his departure before that happened. He’d already invested over 2 years there and it was time to go.

2 Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to Greece ³and stayed three months.

Paul revisited the Churches, because soul winning is just the beginning, disciple making is never ending.

³...And when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.

The Jews, refers to the religious folks. Paul was Jewish too.

Evidently the plot against Paul had something to do with sailing, so he returned by land rather than by sea.

4 And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia—also Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.  

Of these seven men, notice Aristarchus and Secundus. We’re not told specifically, but their names imply their status.

Aristarchus, from which we get our word, aristocrat. Perhaps inferring he’s from nobility.

Secundus, on the other hand, means, second. In that time, many slaves were called by numbers, rather than their given names. Perhaps inferring he was on the opposite end of the social status from Aristarchus.

Their names placed side by side paints a beautiful picture of purest Christianity.

The slave and the nobleman sitting side by side studying Scripture; standing shoulder to shoulder worshipping the Lord.

Family. Good family. God’s family. Not necessarily blood, but Love. Perhaps noisy and messy and mistake making but loving and kind and joyfully serving God and each other side by side. No partiality, no hypocrisy.

I recently had a dear saint tell me, “I’m so stressed trying to make it on my own.”

That stress is a sign that it’s not supposed to be that way. We’re not supposed to make it on our own. We’re part of one body. One family. Helping one another, praying for one another and bearing one another’s burdens. James 5:16. Gal. 6:2.  

In His powerful prayer of John 17, Jesus prayed, five times, that we’d be one.

In Galatians 3:28 Paul says it like this: There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Do you feel alone? Disconnected? It's not supposed to be that way. In the beginning He created them, male and female, and the two became one, family.

Jesus created out of thin air a family, a Church family, right here, just for you, so you don’t have to go it alone. You don’t have to make it on your own.

5 These men, going ahead, waited for us at Troas. ⁶But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

Speaking of family. Notice the words “us” and “we”. Luke (the writer of Acts) joins them once again in Philippi.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread spans seven days immediately following Passover.

Not that they celebrated Passover in the manner of the Jews. About this time Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthians explaining that Christ is our Passover, and the Christian life is our unleavened, (sin removed) lifestyle. 1 Corinthians 5:7.

7 Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread...

As a memorial to the Lord being resurrected on the 1^st day of the week, Sunday, Christians chose that day to gather.

Not the Sabbath, not Saturday. 

They called it the Lord’s Day. So, perhaps instead of Sunday, we ought to call it, Sonday.

It wasn’t a demand; it was a desire.

Mark 2:27, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

Romans 14:6, One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.

In Christ, every day is Holy.

They broke bread, they remembered the Lord’s supper, as we do the first Sunday of each month.

⁷...Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.

Whoa. Marathon Message on a workday?

The first day, Sunday, was like our Monday, a workday.

Folks came to Church after work.

Paul was leaving the next day. So, since it was a workday, and Paul was leaving the next day, you’d think, they would have an early night, right?

Nope.

Paul preached until Midnight.

8 There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together.

It was dark, so they needed lamps. It was early spring, (March or April), so it may have been a beautiful cool evening.

⁹ And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep...

Perhaps he sat in the cool air of the window, away from the heat of the oil lamps to try and stay awake.

The original grammar implies he slowly nodded off until finally being overcome by a deep sleep.

I know some folks know exactly what that’s like. I’ve watched them nod off while I’m preaching.  

It’s okay. Regarding sleeping in Church, Charles Spurgeon said he’d rather you get half a meal, than no meal at all.

However, John Wesley took a totally different approach. He stopped preaching to stare at the man who’d fallen asleep. Then, with a loud voice he began to shout, “Fire! Fire! Fire!” The man woke with a start asking, “Where’s the fire?” Wesley said, “Fire in hell for those who sleep during the preaching of God’s Word.”  

Sleeping in Church isn’t such a great idea, however, there’s a much worse kind of sleep.

Asleep in the Light.

In Spurgeon’s sermon: Awake! Awake, he paints three pictures. Patients, passengers and a prisoner.

Patients stricken with the plague, folks everywhere sick and dying. All the while there’s a doctor with the antidote, the cure, but he’s asleep in his office.

You, are that doctor. Awake oh sleeper!

Passengers on a ship in a storm, ready to crash on the rocks. All the while the captain is asleep, in his quarters.

You are that captain.  Awake oh sleeper, rise from the dead!

Prisoner being led to execution. All the while the warden with a pardon in his pocket, is asleep in his chamber.

You are that warden. Awake oh sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ shall give you Life. Ephesians 5:14.

1 Thessalonians 5:6-7
Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.

Isaiah 60:1
Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.

Romans 13:11-14
And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

It’s not good to sleep in Church, but better in Church, than in life.

9... and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.

That’ll wake up the rest of the congregation.

10 But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, “Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.”

Now, before you say, “that’s just too weird, why would he fall on the poor dead boy and embrace him?” Consider that he was simply following prior powerful examples.

Elijah, 1 Kings 17:8-24, the widow’s son.

Elisha, 2 Kings 4:18-37, the Shunammite Woman’s son.

11 Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed. 12 And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted.

Nobody else dared fall asleep the rest of the night.

Notice the focus. Paul didn’t allow the interruption to derail communicating the Word of God.   

The spotlight must remain on the Word of God.  

As we delivered this message we had an interruption, a Divine object lesson.

J.J, a young man from our village stopped by with his baby, Maverick.

No matter how good a preacher or how powerful the message, a newborn baby can steal the spotlight. He did. J.J. held his beautiful son, and thanked us for praying, and thanked God for saving his son from a near fatal infection.

We said a prayer and thanked the Lord for Maverick and family; and then followed the example of our text and continued with the Word.

However, we didn’t stay until midnight, or the break of day. We followed the old saying that the mind can only absorb what the backside can endure. 😊

So, we closed by listening to the song by Keith Green, Asleep in the Light.

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, thank You for the wakeup call, shouting from Your Word, “Fire! Fire! Fire!” Awake oh sleeper!

We see the devil’s counterfeit all around us “Woke! Woke! Woke!

We pray for Your discernment to know the difference and not be deceived. Lord, please help us to stay focused on You and Your Word and give us Your wisdom to apply it, every step, every breath, making a difference as salt and light, so, that of all those You’ve given us, none will be lost.

Thank You.

We love You, forever.

Amen.

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Joseph’s Big Reveal, Genesis 45:1-15

 

Joseph’s brothers were guilty of attempted murder and human trafficking when they threw him in a pit and then sold him into slavery.

But God raised Joseph from the dead in a sense and put him in charge of all the land of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh.

While famine struck everywhere, Egypt had food because God gave warning to Pharaoh and wisdom to Joseph.

About 300 miles north, Joseph’s family heard there was food in Egypt, so, the brothers came down to buy food. The very brothers who’d betrayed him.

They had no idea Joseph was alive. They didn’t recognize him the two times they’d come to buy food. They just wanted what they could get to survive, to make it through the famine.

Joseph wanted more, he wanted a relationship with them, he wanted them to not only survive but thrive.

However, he needed to see if they’d be worthy and willing or if they were still wild and wicked.

So, he put them through a series of tests.

They passed every single one.

At the end of the final exam Judah rose to the top of the class and interceded for his brothers, offering his own life to save the others.

That was all Joseph needed to hear for the big reveal.

Genesis 45:1, Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

This is the moment Joseph had been longing for.

They were ready to receive from his heart, not just his hand.

He cleared the room, so it was just him and them.

Oh, dear friends, do you know how the Lord longs for moments like this?

It may be the moment of Salvation or moments of illumination.

We move beyond our wants, our needs, beyond ourselves, and reach out for Him, and there He meets us.

James 4:8, draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you.

You hear a verse, a Word, you’ve heard a thousand times before, but in that glorious moment, suddenly, it’s just Him and you, no one else is in the room.

There in that place, in that Kairos moment, He meets you...

Tears speak what words can’t.

He illuminates your soul and speaks directly, specifically, personally, intimately, just to you.

Speaking of directly, specifically, personally, intimately. Some say the way Joseph made himself known, was by showing his brothers the one thing all Jewish males had in common. Circumcision.

 ² And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it.

Joseph was the boss, second in command of all the land, yet he wept, loud and unashamed for all to hear. This was unusual in the Egyptian court, where proper protocol was restraint and decorum.

But that didn’t matter.

The pent-up emotion from years of longing and praying for a dream fulfilling reconciliation, came gushing out as liquid love and forgiveness.

Love trumps protocol. Relationship outranks rules and regulations.

³ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph; does my father still live?”

The original text may have been more of an exclamation, rather than a question: I’m Joseph. Father still lives!

But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence.

The word for dismayed, is defined, trembled (inside), or, terrified.

The last time they saw Joseph, he trembled and was terrified, because of how they treated him.

Now, Joseph could have them killed with the nod of his head.

So now, they’re the ones trembling and terrified, because of how they treated him.

If the brothers could, they would, turn back the clock and undo what they’d done.

Lord, help us live with no regrets. To live today in such a way that tomorrow won’t bring sorrow.

 ⁴ And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.

Ruh roh, Joseph remembered too.

Now, they’re really trembling and terrified.

A foreshadow of the day Israel will look upon Him whom they pierced and mourn as if for their only son. Zechariah 12:10.

Let’s ask ourselves. If today, I see Jesus, face to face, will I be trembling with joy, or terror, because of the way I treated Him?

Notice, Joseph doesn’t use their past as a stick to beat them with.

Joseph doesn’t nod his head to have them killed, he nods toward God, to honor Him.

⁵ But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.

God weaves His wonderful ways through the wicked ways of man.

But make no mistake He never tempts to do evil, nor does He ever do evil.

God did not tell the bros to throw Joe in the pit.

However, He might have prompted Judah to recommend they sell him; which would save Joseph’s life. And put him in place to be promoted to save many people alive and pull Israel into Egypt. Where they’d be fruitful and multiply for 400 years while God exercised His patience over the inhabitants of the Promise Land; for the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full. Genesis 15:16.

 ⁶ For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.

God is good. All the time.

Just as God warned them of the seven-year famine.

He warns us of the seven-year tribulation. Not to scare us, but prepare us to escape the wrath which is to come. 1 Thessalonians 1:10.

Amos 3:7
Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.

⁷ And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

Joseph was talking to the family that would become the nation of Israel.

Over 3,700 years ago God set the precedent; He will protect Israel.

If not for God, Israel would be no more. Because of God, Israel will never be destroyed.

God wove His protective plan through the acts of man to save Israel. Here in our text by the hand of Joseph and then, 400 years later by the hand of Moses and Joshua, and time and time again by prophets and judges and kings and ultimately in our future by the King of kings, Jesus Christ, at the Ezekiel 38-39 war, and then again at the battle of Armageddon. Rev. 16:12-16; 19:11-20.

The very existence of Israel today is enough proof in and of itself to believe the Bible is True and God is alive and well and involved in the nations.

 ⁸ So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

This does not mean what the brothers did was right, it does not condone their sin, but it shows once again that God weaves His wonderful ways through the wicked ways of man.

Paul puts it like this in Romans 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Okay, so that bad thing happened, whatever it was, you choose. The plate got shattered into a million pieces, but working together with the Lord, we piece it together and, in the end, it makes a masterpiece.

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 tarry. ¹⁰ You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. ¹¹ There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.” ’

Being able to say these words had to be the highlight of Joseph’s life thus far.

All the wealth and prestige of Egypt couldn’t hold a candle to gathering his entire family to him, not just for a visit, but to live.

Imagine having a ranch, or farm, or family business where the whole family lives and works as one big, noisy, messy, happy, family.

Imagine the Lord’s longing for the day He gathers His family, Home.

It’s why He wept over Jerusalem and said: How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Matthew 23:37.

¹² “And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you.

Can’t you see the family resemblance in my eyes and your eyes, my mouth and Benny’s mouth?

 ¹³ So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.”

Good advice.

Hurry and tell of all the glory and all the goodness our Good God provides to deliver us from famine.

God has given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. 2 Peter 1:3.

Yes, I know the world’s headed to hell in a handbasket, but I’m going to heaven in a blaze of glory. 1 Corinthians 15:52

Of course, my body’s getting older, and fading, but I’m not, I’m going from glory to glory. 2 Cor. 3:18.

Sure, the money gets tight, and we live on a budget, but God’s our Provider, and He’s more than enough. Phil. 4:19.    

¹⁴ Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. ¹⁵ Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.

Family. Finally. No more tests. No more hiding.

Consider the forgiving heart of Joseph.

Are we able to do that?

We must do that.

We remember the Lord’s prayer.

Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13.

But do we remember what Jesus said directly after the Lord’s prayer?

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Let’s pray.  

Lord Jesus, we purposely move beyond our wants and needs and simply, humbly reach out for You. We want to be so close that You clear the room.

Now, it’s just me and You. 

I long to hear from You, directly, specifically, personally, intimately. Let me know, is there any unforgiveness in me? I don’t want there to be. Help me to forgive, everyone, including myself. I invite You to weave Your wonderful ways, through me, for Your glory.

Lord, I love You, forever.

Amen.

Prayer Requests:

Call or text: 612-554-2522

Email: pray4measap@aol.com

Facebook: Church at WPV

Books: amazon.com/author/dougspurling

Watch online:

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This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to sow.

Thank you for sharing.