EGYPT WAS JOSEPH'S PROMISED LAND

Joseph had a dream that the sun, moon, and eleven stars would bow down to him, these represented his father, Israel, his mother, and his eleven brothers. No one believed him, not even his father. The many obstacles meant to destroy Joseph and his dream only brought him to the fulfillment of it. His jealous brother's sold him to slave traders, who in turn sold him to Potiphar, the captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, his brothers told their father that he had been killed by wild animals. In Egypt he was promoted to Potiphar's personal attendant, but Potiphar's wife falsely accused him of trying to rape her and he was put in prison, there he was put in charge of the other prisoners. Pharaoh's chief cup-bearer and chief baker had also been put into prison and Joseph interpreted dreams each one had, the cup-bearer's dream revealed he would be restored to his former position, the baker's dream revealed he would be executed. The cup-bearer was released and restored to his former position as Joseph had said, but he forgot Joseph for two years until Pharaoh had two dreams no one could interpret. The cup-bearer then told Pharaoh how Joseph had interpreted his dream about being restored to his position. Pharaoh summoned him, and Joseph said with God's help he would tell him what the dreams meant, no one else had been able to do this. God revealed the interpretations to Joseph, which was that their would be seven good years and seven years of famine throughout Egypt and the entire region, he suggested Pharaoh put an intelligent and wise man in charge and Pharaoh decided Joseph was that man. Joseph became second in command in Egypt. His family was forced to come to him for food during the years of famine, and later, after testing them he revealed to them that he was Joseph, and eventually gave his family the choice land of Goshen. Joseph kept his position as second in command to Pharaoh for the remainder of his life, Egypt was his promised land, his dream had been fulfilled. He did, however, request when they left Egypt for their own promised land, that they take his bones with them.

Eventually, after his generation had died off, Joseph was forgotten, and the Israelites were feared, the new Pharaoh made slaves of them. The land that been their salvation became their prison. Egypt was not the land God promised the children of Israel, and God groomed Moses to lead them to their promised land.

THE PUZZLE MASTER

Recently I've had some dilemmas. I felt like I had a huge puzzle to work out, I thought I knew what the final picture should look like. I took a piece while the Puzzle Master looked on, it looked like it would fit perfectly, the right color, the right shape, but it didn't fit, surely it had to fit, I tried to turn it, force it, but it just wouldn't fit. Over and over again the different pieces I thought were perfect just didn't fit. Frustrated I turned to the Puzzle Master, you know I need to put this puzzle together, please help me. He smiled and took a piece I wouldn't have thought would fit at all and slipped it neatly into place, then another and another. He hasn't finished the puzzle yet but the picture's starting to look clearer, and I've learned just to leave it to the Puzzle Master.

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THE RESHAPING

Megan's grandpa had just heard a newscast that upset him quite a bit. "What in the world are they doing to our country?" he muttered to himself. Faith and Megan decided to take a little break from studying for a test for their political science class. Grandpa called them over and asked if he could tell them a story, Grandpa loved telling stories, and the girls loved hearing them. "A long time ago a group of people called Landers came to a large island and decided to make it their home. In this place everyone would be free to worship The Three, His Highest Majesty, His Son Logos, the King of the Realm of Peculiar People, and The Comforter, or not worship them as they pleased. The place would be called Freedom Land. They built and grew and after some struggles and even a war they became firmly settled in their new country. They began calling themselves Citizens. The Leading Citizens soon decided it was time to develop the laws of the land and met together and established "The Document" which contained the basis for all other laws, and all the Leaders signed it. Eventually it became necessary to add some "Rules" to "The Document". Besides being the basis for the laws of the land, The Document also provided for the organization of their government. Everything went well for a long while. The Keepers made sure the laws that were inforced were based on The Document. As time went by things began to change, the Reshapers began to question what The Document really meant in various areas, many Keepers, Informers, and Citizens joined with the Reshapers. The Loyals maintained a view of The Document that the Leaders had intended, but the Reshapers and the Keepers and Informers (who were also Reshapers), pressed hard their point of view. The Reshapers, who secretly knew the true content of The Document, decided it would be in the best interest of the Citizens to "reshape" the text to best suit "the needs of the Citizens". With the help of the Informers who anounced daily the views of the Reshapers, and of the Keepers who were willing to bend and twist the words of The Document to their own advantage, the Citizens began to believe these reshapings and twistings of The Document as facts. The Loyals, who also had among them some Keepers and Informers, pressed to keep the truths of The Document intact, but the damage was done. Many Citizens had been won over by the Reshapers. Some of the Loyals, wishing to please the Citizens, became Shifters and Drifters. The Shifters shifted over to the Reshapers side, the Drifters, drifted to whichever side was the most popular to the Citizens at any given time. Lax interpretations of The Document began to have a profound effect on Freedom Land. The Reshapers, Shifters, and Drifters, started finding all kinds of things to do with the Citizens money, and collected from them as much as they saw fit. The freedom to worship The Three became sadly restricted, especially in the learning places of children, in public places, and in work places. Where once people could say what was on their mind, now caution had to be taken with words spoken for fear of being penalized. Employing Citizens who had ingenious ideas and developed them, hiring many other talented Citizens, to help with their production, came under strict regulation and scrutiny of the Reshapers, who had been given charge of Freedom Land, and had to let many Citizens go because they could no longer afford to keep them. Freedom Land was losing the very thing she was established for: Freedom." Grandpa got up from his big easy chair and started to walk toward the kitchen. "Wait Grandpa; is that the end of the story?" Megan asked, seeming quite frustrated. "No," Grandpa answered, "your parents, you girls, I, and every good Loyal can change the ending of this chapter; it's still a work in progress". "Getting The Three involved wouldn't hurt a bit either". "How do we get them involved?" Megan asked. "I can answer that," chimed in Faith, "just ask." "Right you are girl, right you are," Grandpa said, smiling at Faith. "Oh, and by the way, the end of the whole book has already been written, and we win," Grandpa concluded and went on to the kitchen.

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THE TREES

CONSUMING DEATH

Genesis 2:8-3:24 God gave Adam one restriction, not to eat from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, when God gave Eve to him Adam instructed her as well, but they were tempted, the fruit looked so good, better than any of the other fruit in the garden, and they would know things they had never known before, they would know what God knew, they would be like God. Eve ate and then Adam, but there was death in the fruit, their spiritual and physical death, and ultimately the death of the Son of God. They had digested sin, now to save man sin would have to die.

CONSUMING LIFE

John 6:22-69 A crowd had followed Jesus because he had previously fed them by miraculously multiplying the fish and bread, He was their meal ticket. He tells them they should be more concerned about eating and drinking that which leads to eternal life. 53Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. This was offensive to many of them and they stopped following him.

THE CURSE

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5) Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: (Galatians 3) Jesus, the Son of God, God in human flesh, became our sin, He took our curse, our punishment, our death, He went through Hell for us. Sin was placed back on the tree and died. But that's not the end of the story. The Father brought Him out of the tomb, He broke the power of sin and death forever. (Acts 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. Acts 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Acts 2:30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.) He has the keys of death, hell, and the grave. He gives life to all who come to Him. He released the Holy Spirit upon the earth.

THE WORD

John 1:1-14 God created by Words, "and God said... and it was so", in the first chapter of John it is revealed that Jesus is the "Logos" or Word of God, He was always with God and was God and all things were made by Him. The Word became flesh. He lived among us, loved us, and taught us. The whole bible is His revelation, the old testament reveals our need for Him and preparation for His coming, in the new testament He came and fulfilled his purpose. When we acknowledge the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and accept Him as our Saviour and the Lord of our lives we partake of His Body and His Blood, He has become one with us, we are New Creations. We symbolically eat and drink of the body and blood of Christ when we partake of communion. When the Word of God becomes our meat and drink, when we read it, and consume it, are nourished and strengthened by it and live by it's Words, we are partaking of the life giving flesh and blood of the Logos of God. Just a thought, isn't it interesting that the pages of the bibles we have today come from trees!

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PLEASE LORD, WASH MY FEET

John 13:1-17

Jesus disciples couldn't really comprehend the fact that Jesus was going to die soon, they thought He was going to be a great military leader who would soon show His might against their Roman conquerors. They wondered who among them would be His highest officers. Jesus let them know His kingdom was different than that of this world, He taught them to be great in His kingdom they must be willing to be a servant of all, they must be willing to be as humble as a little child.

Jesus, because He loved His disciples, and knowing He would soon be put to death, now would teach them a lesson with practical as well as eternal implications. He took off His garments and put them aside and wrapped a towel around Himself. He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples feet. They were horrified. This was the Master, their teacher, their Lord, and He was doing only what the lowest of servants would be ordered to do. They had walked the unsanitary, vermin infested roads, covered with animal feces, and dead carcases. Their feet were filthy and the Master was going to wash them. NO, Peter objected, I will never allow You, my Lord and Master, to wash my feet.

Jesus loved the brash, outspoken Peter, but He let him know authoritatively that if Peter would not allow Him to wash his feet, Peter would have no part with Him. This was a startling revelation to Peter, then wash my hands and head also he pleaded. They had already bathed in preparation for the meal, they were clean except for their feet which had gotten dirty on their way there. Jesus told Peter there was no reason to wash what was already clean, only that which had gotten dirty. He then taught them a lesson about greatness and humility, if He as their Lord and Master would take on the responsibilities of a servant, if they wanted to be great it began by being willing to serve.

As Christians we're clean, but we live in a world that is not clean, some of the ideas and immoral attitudes of our secular world try to rub off on us. If we succumb we need only to come to the Father and confess our sins. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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THE GREAT COMMANDER

Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-9

Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-9What was it about this Centurion, what did he see in Jesus that no one else in Israel saw, not even His own disciples? How did he obtain such great faith that it amazed Jesus? We know he heard about Jesus, but what was it he heard? Perhaps he listened in the courtyard while his servants spoke of this Jesus, how he healed people and delivered them from demon possession. Perhaps he heard of Levi the tax collector who was completely changed after one encounter with Jesus Christ. Maybe he heard the rumors of how Jesus turned water into wine in Cana. Perhaps he even led his soldiers to make sure the large crowds who gathered to listen to Jesus didn't get out of control and was astonished at the words, wisdom and authority of Jesus. "How is it that this Jesus heals?" he may have asked, he may have even seen himself. He commands was the response. Jesus didn't beg, plead or grovel, he didn't say lengthy prayers, he commanded people to be healed and they were, he commanded demons to come out and they did, and what did the demons say? "You are the Son of God!" Being a commander was something the Centurion totally understood, he had men he commanded and they had no choice but to obey. This Jesus didn't command men, he commanded in a realm that men could not see or understand, but the Centurion did, because whatever Jesus was commanding had no choice but to obey Him. Jesus, was his hope for the healing of his valued servant, but he felt unworthy to have such a great commander come to his home so he asked that Jesus just command the forces He controlled to heal his servant and the Great Commander honored his request.

SOLUTIONS

I'm a Speaking Spirit, I believe God has given His children the ability to speak to circumstances, situations and things and see change. I've done it and I've seen the results. It's still all in God's hands, after all he's the power behind the words, but sometimes He requires natural solutions to the problems we face. We might pray asking for a miracle but instead God gives a solution. A while back I spoke to a blinker that wasn't working and it started working again. About three weeks ago the blinker stopped working again, I spoke to it and it still didn't work. I talked to God about it, but it still didn't work when I spoke to it, I couldn't turn the bolts and wasn't sure what I was doing anyway so I finally took my car to a shop. I was told that since the blinker worked sometimes (which it did) it wasn't the bulb, it might be the wiring or something else, I went home without a solution. Soon my husband discovered my headlamp was also out and I couldn't even get to it to see if I could replace it myself, I took the car back to shop and was told since they would have to move some things to get to it, it would cost me around $70.00, I called my husband and he said not to do it. I was kind of upset with him because I wanted a solution now. I was driving around with my brights on at night and one of my back blinkers out. I was believing God not to let me get a ticket because I had at least tried to get it fixed, but my requests to God for a solution were still in His hands. When I went shopping at Wal Mart I got an oil change and asked if they could replace the headlamp, they did. The first shop I went to loosened the bolts on the taillamp and I was able to get it off, I went to an autoparts store, bought the bulb and replaced the blinker bulb myself, and that's all it was. The whole thing cost less than $20.00. With checking wiring, etc. it may have been well over $100 if God had not been involved in it.

Also I had a new clothes dryer that wasn't working efficiently, I talked to God and told Him I wanted my dryer to work, I spoke to the dryer and it still didn't work, then God gave me the thought that I should move the dryer out a little more, I did, now it works perfectly.

I spoke to an ice storm and told it it couldn't come, it came anyway, it caused my sister and her daughter to be in an accident which wasn't their fault, they weren't hurt but the car was badly damaged. I told God I wanted to get even with Satan for what he did to my sister. God did it for me, the insurance of the young man who hit them paid to get her car fixed, now it looks better than it ever did, inside and out, it didn't cost her anything. All negative affects of that ice storm were nullified as far as my family is concerned.

This may not sound like much but in these days when people are scared senseless about the economy, it would behoove all of us to invite God to be involved in our financial situations, to help us with our financial decisions, and keep us from making financial mistakes, to give us solutions to problems and miracles when we need them.

If these little things sound like nothing to you but ordinary solutions to ordinary problems then don't tell me about it, tell someone who has to be bailed out, my mortgage is paid off, and God is changing my ordinary house into the house I wanted.

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