Podcast appearances and mentions of joseph genesis

Jesus Delivered Us (4) (audio) David Eells – 7/13/25 Saints, I'm going to continue speaking about how Jesus has delivered us and begin by talking about the spirit of fear. The great shakings coming across the world in these days, including America, are being used by the devil to try to bring fear upon God's people. He likes to use things that we see and hear to bring fear upon us. It's as if the devil or demons of fear stand right there until something happens, then immediately pounce on us. Have you ever felt the spirit of fear come over you just like a blanket? Don't pacify it. You are meant to make war against that. Fear is another one of the devil's big guns. We previously studied skorpizo spirits, the “scorpion” spirits whose job it is to penetrate and to put to flight. Scorpion spirits cause a person to be fearful or anxious and to flee from the devil. And we know that when this happens, that person is no threat against his kingdom, but the Bible says, (2Ti.1:7) For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline. (The Greek word there is sophron, meaning “sober-minded, self-controlled.”) God did not give us a spirit of fearfulness, however, if a person is walking in willful disobedience, it is hard to fight off fear because (1Jn.3:21) … if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God. The only righteous fear is the fear of the Lord. But, if a spirit of fear comes upon you, you know that you are not to accept it. You should not give in to it, or pacify it, or even think about it. If you do, it's going to conquer you by penetrating your “armor” and putting you to flight. (Eph.6:16) Withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil [one]. God describes it in so many different ways. Let me share now a portion of “The Testimony of John G. Lake During the Bubonic Plague.” Now watch the action of the law of life. Faith belongs to the law of life. Faith is the very opposite of fear. Faith has the opposite effect in spirit, and soul, and body. Faith causes the spirit of man to become confident. It causes the mind of man to become restful, and positive. A positive mind repels disease. Consequently, the emanation of the Spirit destroys disease germs. And because we were in contact with the Spirit of life, I and a little Dutch fellow with me went out and buried many of the people who had died from the bubonic plague. We went into the homes and carried them out, dug the graves and put them in. Sometimes we would put three or four in one grave. We never took the disease. Why? Because of the knowledge that the law of life in Christ Jesus protects us. That law was working. Because of the fact that a man by that action of his will, puts himself purposely in contact with God, faith takes possession of his heart, and the condition of his nature is changed. Instead of being fearful, he is full of faith. Instead of being absorbent and drawing everything to himself, his spirit repels sickness and disease. The Spirit of Christ Jesus flows through the whole being, and emanates through the hands, the heart, and from every pore of the body.  During that great plague that I mentioned, they sent a government ship with supplies and corps of doctors. One of the doctors sent for me, and said, “What have you been using to protect yourself? Our corps has this preventative and that, which we use as protection, but we concluded that if a man could stay on the ground, as you have, and keep ministering to the sick and burying the dead, you must have a secret. What is it?” I answered, “Brother, that is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. I believe that just as long as I keep my soul in contact with the living God so that His Spirit is flowing into my soul and body, that no germ will ever attach itself to me, for the Spirit of God will kill it.” He asked, “Don't you think that you had better use our preventatives?” I replied, “No, but doctor, I think that you would like to experiment with me. If you will go over to one of these dead people and take the foam that comes out of their lungs after death, then put it under the microscope, you will see masses of living germs. You will find they are alive until a reasonable time after a man is dead. You can fill my hand with them and I will keep it under the microscope, and instead of these germs remaining alive, they will die instantly.” They tried it and found it was true. They questioned, “What is that?” I replied, “That is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. When a man's spirit and a man's body are filled with the blessed presence of God, it oozes out of the pores of your flesh and kills the germs.” Suppose, on the other hand, my soul had been under the law of death, and I were in fear and darkness? The very opposite would have been the result. The result would have been that my body would have absorbed the germs, these would have generated disease and I would have died. You who are sick, put yourself in contact with God's law of life. Read His Word with the view of enlightening your heart so that you will be able to look up with more confidence and believe Him. Pray that the Spirit of God will come into your soul, take possession of your body, and its power will make you well. That is the exercise of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Amen! Saints, the only fear we should have is the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), and if we fear the Lord, we will depart from unrighteousness. (2Ti.2:19) Howbeit the firm foundation of God standeth, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his: and, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness. Any other fear, including the fear of man, brings a snare. Our Lord Jesus said in (Mat.9:29) … According to your faith be it done unto you. Fear is negative faith. Fear is faith in the curse, faith in the devil, faith in failure. Look what Job said in (Job 3:25) For the thing which I fear cometh upon me, And that which I am afraid of cometh unto me. Our fears come to pass just like our faiths come to pass, but the Bible tells us in (Rev.21:7) He that overcometh shall inherit these things… The Lord is speaking of the new heaven and the new earth and all the great blessings that He has provided for His people, and He's implying here that if you don't overcome, you are not going to inherit these things. Some people don't think we have anything to overcome. They say, “Jesus overcame it all,” which is true, but Jesus overcame so that we could overcome as we learn to abide in Him by faith. And as we abide in Him, we'll see our works of faith manifested because, according to the Bible (Jas.2:26) … faith apart from works is dead. Overcomers are sons of God; they will inherit the Kingdom. (Rev.21:7) He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (8) But for the fearful, and unbelieving (The words “fearful” and “unbelieving” are related to each other, because if you are fearful, you are unbelieving. Notice also that you are not an overcomer unless you have overcome these very opposite things.) and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part [shall be] in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death. Fearfulness and unbelief are grouped right in there with really abhorrent sins. Many people consider fear to be just a weakness and so they pacify it, but as we've seen, (2Ti.1:7) … God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness… Fear is more than a weakness; it's a sin. It's called (Heb.3:12) … an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God. Fear is something all of God's people need to learn to make war against whenever we feel its presence or have those thoughts. Fear will cause us to give up the fight of faith and run from the devil. It causes us to lose ground. We just read that the fearful and the unbelieving are listed among the wicked. There's a part in every one of us that's wicked; it's that “old man” that we want to overcome (Romans 6:6; Colossians 3:9; Ephesians 4:22-24). The Bible says in (Gal.5:17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would. The flesh and spirit war against one another. This is a war that's going on in every one of us, and we can win the war through faith in the overcoming victory that Jesus had at the Cross. (1Co.15:22) For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. When Christ was resurrected, we received His resurrection life. And when He overcame, we also overcame. We were crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20), and even the old man was put to death with Christ (Romans 6:6), but we have to hold on to our faith to see it manifested in the physical realm. It has been given unto us and we can overcome to receive. In Job 15 we see this awesome revelation again; he says the man who is fearful is being wicked. We should know that we need to fight against this spirit. (Job 15:20) The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, Even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor. (21) A sound of terrors is in his ears; In prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him. What are the words we hear the most nowadays? They are “terror” and “terrorist.” It's interesting that in these last days, these are very common words. Terror is coming upon the prosperous. (Job 15:22) He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, And he is waited for of the sword. The wicked are in terror, not believing that they will return out of darkness. The Gospel, the Good News, is that we are delivered out of the power of darkness and into the Kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1:13). That's the Good News that we're supposed to believe, but the wicked don't believe this. They live in terror. (Job 15:23) He wandereth abroad for bread, [saying,] Where is it? He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand. (24) Distress and anguish make him afraid; They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle. The wicked are conquered by fear. The devil conquers and rules them. If you are ruled by fear, if you act according to your fear, then you're submitting to the devil's kingdom. You are not submitting to God because He has not given us a spirit of fearfulness (2 Timothy 1:7). If you are ruled by fear, you are not ruled by God and you are in idolatry because you are having faith in the devil. Why does fear come upon the wicked? (Job 15:25) Because he hath stretched out his hand against God, And behaveth himself proudly against the Almighty. Fear comes because they are acting against God, and so He has delivered them over to this fear. It's part of the judgment that comes upon them. God turns over to the devil those who walk in sin, even Kingdom people. We discovered earlier that Jesus said (Mat.18:35) … if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts, … His Father would deliver you over to the tormentors (Matthew 18:34). The wicked world is already delivered over to the devil and they live in fear and anxiety under the tormentors, but the righteous are supposed to be coming out of darkness. They are believing God to come out of the kingdom of darkness. The wicked do not believe this, so they live under the tormentors. We are told in (1Jn.3:21) Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God; (22) and whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. If we have a clear conscience with God, we are bold; we don't have fear. God is not going to permit fear to come upon a person who has a clear conscience. If it does come, it comes to be a trial unto you, and your boldness is the very thing that will vanquish it. (Pro.28:1) The wicked flee when no man pursueth; But the righteous are bold as a lion. Fear is natural and normal to the wicked. Who are the wicked? They are those people, Christians or not, who sin. If a person is walking in sin, they are wicked, and they will not have any boldness toward God and His benefits because their conscience condemns them. If you want a defense against fear in the days to come, you must have a clear conscience. When you see or hear things that are fearful, that's usually when the devil pounces. He wants to overcome you so that all you can do is keep running from him. Jesus told us that if we are not plundering the devil's kingdom, we are going to be running from him. Guilt is also a demon, and guilt can deliver you over to fear. That's what happened to Adam. (Gen.2:16) And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (17) but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Adam had only one commandment to keep but he broke it, and then what happened? (Gen.3:7) And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. “Naked” here represents the guilt of sin. They did not know they were naked until they partook of the knowledge of good and evil, but now they were made sinners because they knew they had broken God's law, so guilt was the first thing they received here. (Gen.3:7) And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons. They were attempting to cover their guilt with self-works, yet, as we know, without the shedding of blood, there is no covering for our sins (Hebrews 9:22). (Gen.3:21) And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skins, and clothed them. So God slew animals for their covering. He didn't accept their works to alleviate their guilt. (Gen.3:8) And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. Many people are hiding because of their guilt. They don't want to face God. They don't like to read the Word because it condemns them. They don't know the great sacrifice the Lord has made for them in order for them to be given grace to overcome. Without this knowledge, they feel bad when they face themselves. They feel bad when they face the Word. They're hiding from God because of their guilt, and even many Christians are doing the same thing. (Gen.3:9) And the Lord God called unto the man, and said unto him, Where art thou? (10) And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. Guilt brings fear. If you don't want to be overcome by fear, you need to confess your sins. (1Jn.1:9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We need to repent and confess our sins. We need to have faith that Jesus has given us authority over this old flesh. I'd like to point out here that if you don't know what the Gospel says, you can have what I call “false” guilt. For instance, if you don't know that your sins are covered, you may feel guilty about something from your past, from before you were saved. Of course, the devil will try to use that false guilt against you, but he will fail if you get in the Word and stand in faith on the promises. This is another one of his tactics to keep you from God and finding out the truth about your salvation and the authority you've been given over the devil. The real Good News is that the Lord wants to live the Christian life in us. Many people are living under the bondage of guilt, although there's no reason to do so because the real Good News is that He has already set us free. But if you have guilt, the devil can use that. He can bring fear upon you to conquer you because you don't have that boldness toward God. Sometimes the Lord just lets the devil take advantage of us until we're so far down that we're finally willing to look up, until we're finally willing to get our eyes on Him and to have faith in what He has accomplished at the Cross. Faith that brings obedience gives us victory over fear. Here's a good example: (Lev.26:13) I am the Lord your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt (Spiritually speaking, “Egypt” represents the world. As Christians, we've been delivered from bondage to the world and from bondage to the “old man,” who is the Egyptian.) that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bars of your yoke, and made you go upright. This is basically the Gospel, isn't it? We have been delivered from bondage; we have been made free from sin (Romans 8:2-3). We are no longer in bondage to the old man, but so many people are constantly plundered by the devil because they are rebellious against God's Word. (Lev.26:14) But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments (Now notice how many times He repeats the same thing.); (15) and if ye shall reject my statutes, and if your soul abhor mine ordinances, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant; (16) I also will do this unto you: I will appoint terror over you (God delivers people who are rebellious against His Word over to fear.), even consumption and fever, that shall consume the eyes, and make the soul to pine away; and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. (When people are delivered over to fear, they have no boldness to come against the devil. They don't understand why they are devoured by the devourer, as Malachi 3 talks about.) (17) And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be smitten before your enemies: they that hate you shall rule over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. Also, (Pro.28:1) The wicked flee when no man pursueth; But the righteous are bold as a lion. God appoints terror over the rebellious, both His rebellious people and those of the world. They are ripe for it. Terror happening in these days is something that God has loosed through the devil to motivate people to run to Him. He wants us to run to repentance and faith in boldness, so that we may be delivered of these things. Fear brings us back into bondage. Fear is bondage to the devil. Fear will bring us right back to bondage in Egypt. The Bible speaks of this. (Deu.28:64) And the Lord will scatter thee among all peoples, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth… Many people don't realize that everything that happened to Israel in the natural happens to the Church in a spiritual way. The Church was called to be one holy nation. (1Pe.2:9) But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God's] own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (10) who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. We were grafted into the olive tree called “all Israel” (Romans 11:17-26). We are one people, but we have been divided and scattered. The Lord speaks against the shepherds who scatter the flock (Jeremiah 23:1-4; Ezekiel 34:1-10). We've been brought into bondage to the nations of the world and now God is calling us out of those nations to our one holy nation of spiritual Israel. We have been called out from among them (Isaiah 52:11; Jeremiah 51:45; John 10:3; etc.), but when we rebel against God, He brings us under the spirit of fear and we go back into bondage. (Deu.28:64) And the Lord will scatter thee among all peoples, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou nor thy fathers, even wood and stone. The root word there for “gods” means “mighty” or “mighty ones.” Who are the Church's “mighty” ones? If you want to know what “gods” a church is serving, stop and think about it. Much of the Church, by their own actions, prove that they trust in their government, they trust in their military, in their doctors, and in their bank accounts. The churches trust in these “mighty ones” because they are in bondage to the nations of the world, instead of being the nation of spiritual Israel. God has called us out of that bondage. He delivered us out of Egypt that we might be His holy nation. (Deu.28:65) And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, and there shall be no rest for the sole of thy foot: but the Lord will give thee there a trembling heart (When you're living in the world, He's going to give you fear. God says this over and over. We need to fear “living in the world” and “living like the world” because there is no eternal life there. We are not of this world and we've been chosen out of the world (John 15:19). Nothing but the curse is there.), and failing of eyes, and pining of soul; (66) and thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear night and day (It's obvious this is coming to pass in these days.), and shalt have no assurance of thy life. (There is nothing but fear, just fear.) (67) In the morning thou shalt say, Would it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would it were morning! for the fear of thy heart which thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see. (Deu.28:68) And the Lord will bring thee into Egypt again… Do you know what brought God's people into Egypt the first time? It was because most of Jacob's sons were not obedient to their father. They didn't like that Joseph was sent to watch over them (Gen.37:2) … and Joseph brought the evil report of them unto their father. They also persecuted the righteous Joseph (Genesis 37:4,14). So God sent them into Egypt where they spent four hundred years in bondage. (Deu.28:68) And the Lord will bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I said unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again (God's command is that we never go back to Egypt, never go back into bondage to the old man {Deuteronomy 17:16}.): and there ye shall sell yourselves unto your enemies for bondmen and for bondwomen, and no man shall buy you. He sends fear when men go back into bondage to the old man and then instead of trusting in God, they take control themselves. Who is “self”? It's the old man. When “self” is ruling, the old man is ruling and you are back into bondage once again. The Egyptian who once ruled over the Israelite is now ruling over him again. Fear is one of the devil's big guns in order to bring you into bondage. People will do many things when they fear. Even Christians can be brought to killing their fellow man because they have a fear of death, so they do what is totally contrary to the Word of God. We are to rest, to trust, in God. We are to believe that He has healed and delivered us. Fear causes people to go back into bondage where they have no strength to stand and so they run from their enemies, but God delivered us from this. We are not in bondage anymore. We believe the Gospel and we need to believe it in order to come out of darkness, as we just read here. Somebody who has fear doesn't believe that they can come out of darkness because they don't believe the Gospel. Somebody who has fear believes the devil's lies; they believe the curse. We believe that God has separated us unto Himself to protect, heal, deliver, and provide for us, contrary to the rest of the world. The devil is making war on the people of God by using the things that they see and hear in order to bring them into bondage, but the devil cannot get a foothold if we walk by faith in obedience. That's our greatest strength. The Lord asks, (Pro.1:22) How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? (He's talking negatively here about being simple in the knowledge of God, simple in the knowledge of the Word.) And scoffers delight them in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge? (This is the simplicity part; they hate knowledge.) (23) Turn you at my reproof: Behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you; I will make known my words unto you. The two things we desperately need are the Word of God sown in our heart, which brings forth the fruit of Christ, and the Power of God's Spirit. He's offering us tremendous gifts here, yet sometimes we're not interested and sometimes we wait too long. (Pro.1:24) Because I have called, and ye have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man hath regarded; (25) But ye have set at nought all my counsel, And would none of my reproof: (26) I also will laugh in [the day of] your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh (He didn't say “if your fear cometh,”; He said, “when your fear cometh.” If you continue to reject His Word and Spirit beyond the time of God's patience, this fear will come upon you.); (Pro.1:27) When your fear cometh as a storm (We are going to see this in days to come. Multitudes of people of the earth are going to be swayed this way and that way because of fear, and they will be moved to do terrible things because of fear.), And your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you. (28) Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me: (29) For that they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of the Lord. The Bible teaches us in (Pro.16:6) … And by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil. You cannot have fear of the Lord and fear of the devil at the same time. If you fear the Lord, that's a good fear because if we fear the Lord, we will serve Him. If we fear the devil, we cannot serve God because we're too busy serving the devil and that's why fear is part of the devil's plan. God says, (Pro.1:30) They would none of my counsel; They despised all my reproof. (31) Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled with their own devices. (32) For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them (Notice that no man slays him. His own backsliding slays him.), And the careless ease of fools shall destroy them. (Pro.1:33) But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely (If we are seeking to be obedient to the Lord with our faith in Him, trusting in His grace, He empowers us to obey. That's a place of security.), And shall be quiet without fear of evil. The Lord promises this to those who are obedient because of their faith, and obedience is the fruit of faith. (Jas.2:17) Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself. These are not our works; these are God's works in us and they are the fruit of faith. He says, (Pro.1:33) But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, And shall be quiet without fear of evil. Those who are obedient because of their faith will be without fear. This is because they have received grace through their faith to be so, but the rest will go under a spirit of bondage. Fear is a spirit of bondage. Let's look now at (Rom.8:12) So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: (13) for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (15) For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Jews railed at Jesus for calling God His Father. Jewish scholars say that no servant would dare call the head of a household “Abba,” or “Father.” This is the cry of somebody who has a father-child relationship, and so He says, (Rom.8:14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (15) For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption. The word “adoption” here is huiothesias, and it means “son-placing.” When we are adopted, we are “placed” as sons. God adopts children who are servants. Apostle Paul told us in (Gal.4:7) … thou art no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. A child is a servant, but God adopts them as sons. We are growing into sonship. We are bearing the fruit of the Son, Jesus Christ, and as the Son, Jesus Christ, comes to live in us, we progressively manifest our sonship. You are either submitted to the Spirit of God as a son, or you are under the spirit of bondage unto fear. Fear is bondage. Fear rules and reigns in people who have it. They cannot get control of themselves; terror causes them to run mindlessly before the devil, who is ruling over them. We are going to see very crazy things happen in this world because of fear, and that includes seeing Christians not behaving as Christians because of fear, yet all that God asks us to do is a minor thing. He wants us to walk by faith. It is something that has already been paid for by the Lord; in (Col.1:13) who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love. And if we walk by faith in Him, we will be able to cast down fear. Faith gives us the power to walk the walk. The Lord came to deliver us from the power of death. (Heb.2:14) Since then the children are sharers in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same; that through death he might bring to nought him that had the power of death, that is, the devil (There it is; we've been delivered.); (15) and might deliver all them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Worldly people do the things they do because of bondage to the fear of death, but Christians are not supposed to be in that bondage. Read that verse again. (Heb.2:14) Since then the children are sharers in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same; that through death he might bring to nought him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; (15) and might deliver all them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Jesus came to deliver us from the fear of death, so that we wouldn't be subject to bondage all of our life. He came to deliver us from the fear of death and He accomplished that deliverance when He bore our sins upon Himself. Years ago I was on my roof, working on the second story of my house when it started to rain and I started to get down and stepped on the ladder, which was now resting on the wet deck. I fell sideways so fast and hit the deck. I immediately reached for my right shoulder, which felt like a limp bag of broken bones. I had a terrible pain in my side. An angel told me later that I had injured three internal organs. Michael heard me and came out and prayed for me. I was due to preach a broadcast. I believe it was adrenalin that caused me to get up and go do it. I didn't know at that time how bad I was hurt. I had broken three ribs, which caused great pain when I moved my rib cage and muscles. The saints came and prayed for me. My heart began to do strange things and skipping beats. When I realized I was dying, the thought of meeting the Lord gave me great joy and expectation. By the grace of God I never had fear. I joked with the saints who were looking at me wide-eyed.  I cried, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” 2Ki. 2:12, as though I could see them coming to get me and take me to heaven. When I saw they were taking me seriously, I laughed.  Long story short, they prayed me through and I had to stay. I raised my arms in praise when I knew my crushed shoulder would not permit this and it began to come together with everything else. God's grace is wonderful. We've seen from Revelation 21 that fear is sin. He bore the sin of fear and now you don't have to put up with fear anymore because He delivered you from that darkness. He bore upon Himself that curse. We have authority over fear because of what Jesus did at the Cross. We can say, “No!” to fear. Many of you have experienced this. You have rebuked fear. You have denied, and have refused to listen to fear. We have total authority over fear. When fear comes upon us, it is to bring us into bondage and cause us to serve it. Many times the fear of death causes us to do things we would not normally do. When my oldest son was being born at home, and it came time for birth, we discovered that he was breech, one foot was coming out first. When I saw that little toe come out first, it was like the devil was just waiting for me to see it and to jump on me with the spirit of fear. You know, the devil tells you everything bad that's going to happen unless you go back to trusting in man or doing it the way of the world, but the Lord wanted me to have a lesson of trusting in Him. So when I saw that little toe and felt the spirit of fear come in that room, I said, “No! We are going to stop right here and we are going to pray. We bind you spirit of fear and cast you out.” We commanded that demon to “Go, in the Name of Jesus Christ!” and it did. Then we were no longer in bondage because of this fear of death. And so our son was born. The fear of death can be more than just the fear of physical death. Many people fear death to self. They fear giving up their old life, so the devil is able to keep them in bondage. Through the fear of death, he keeps us running to the world and its ways and methods. Jesus came to set us free from fear of death, and since we know that He did set us free from fear of death, now we have authority over fear. That's not the case if you're walking in sin, because then you have no boldness. You won't be able to deny fear; it will overcome you. If you're walking by faith in God, you have authority over fear and you can cast it down. It will have to submit to you because of what Jesus did. He gave you authority over all the power of the enemy. (Luk.10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. One thing we do to conquer fear is refuse to listen to it. Returning to when our first son was born, he was born a footling breech, the doctors do not believe God can deliver a baby that has one foot up and one down and wrong side up. Some people don't even know it's possible because they always do a Caesarean section in these cases. After we ran off the spirit of fear, I commanded that baby to “Come out in the Name of Jesus!” and that baby was born a footling breech. God can do anything! Glory be to God! His Power is awesome, but if you have fear, you don't have faith in God. Instead, your faith is in the devil. You have faith in the curse and God's power is not going to be manifested for you. We have to learn not to listen to the voice of the devil. (Psa.55:3) Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked; For they cast iniquity upon me, And in anger they persecute me. (4) My heart is sore pained within me: And the terrors of death are fallen upon me. (All these things are true.) (5) Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, And horror hath overwhelmed me. These awful things had happened because he listened to the voice of the enemy. Just don't listen! We should pray that God will always bring to our remembrance the things that He has said unto us (John 14:26). (Isa.26:3) Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee;] because he trusteth in thee. We hold fast to the Word so that when fear comes, we recognize that it's a spirit because it says in (2Ti.1:7) for God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness… We can say, “God has not given me a spirit of fear; this is the devil. I can stop this. I can take authority. I can have victory over this. I do not need to listen to this, as though it were me, because it is not me.” We cast down these thoughts. The Bible tells us that we can fill ourselves with thoughts that give us peace. (Php.4:8) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true (When the spirit of fear comes, we know it's the devil's telling us a lie, something contrary to Scriptures. We're not supposed to listen to it.), whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Remember what happened when 10 of the 12 men who were sent to spy out the Promised Land brought back a bad report (Numbers 13:1-24). Their report caused the people to fear the giants and made the people's hearts to melt (Numbers 13:25-33; 14:1-4). Well-meaning people can bring us a bad report, but if something is contrary to God's Word, we need to cast it out and cast it down. Be wary if you've made somebody your god. Be wary if you've made medicine or doctors your god. Be wary when they bring you the bad report. Remember, (1Pe.2:24) … by whose stripes ye were healed. How can you be sick? You can't be sick because you were healed, so cast that thought down. Cast that bad report down, because if fear causes you to accept that, then that's what you'll have. Jesus said, (Mat.9:29) … According to your faith be it done unto you. When they bring that bad report, what happens is that fear comes into your being. The devil is sitting there, just waiting for you to hear what this guy has to say, and when you accept it, fear jumps on you. The devil knows that you're going to have a testimony if you stand fast in your faith. He's attacking you to keep you from being delivered from this curse, from being delivered out of this darkness. He's attacking you to keep you from walking by faith in the Lord. What does the Word tell us to do instead? (Php.4:8) … If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (In other words, take account of these things.) (9) The things which ye both learned and received and heard and saw in me, these things do: and the God of peace shall be with you. He's the God of peace. Scripture talks about our warfare. It tells us to cast down (2Co.10:5) … imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Bring every thought into captivity to Christ, because if we will learn to do this and be consistent, fear will never have a foothold. We will conquer it. God is omnipotent. (Php.2:13) For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. We do not have to give in to the thoughts of the devil. We can cast them down. Remember what God said about the voice of the enemy. (Psa.55:3) Because of the voice of the enemy … (4) … the terrors of death are fallen upon me. That is the devil when he comes to you. We do not have to put up with this. Some of you have listened to things and read things that are bringing fear into your life. They're not building faith in you for the days to come. You should not read or listen to the voice of the devil. He'll use people to give you things that put fear into your heart, but don't listen to or look at the devil's lies. (Isa.8:9) Make an uproar, O ye peoples, and be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces. A great tumult is coming over the world in these days, saints. (10) Take counsel together, and it shall be brought to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us. Immanuel is with us. It's not our power; it's His Power in us! (Col.1:27) which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Let's go now to (Isa.8:11) For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, (12) Say ye not, A conspiracy, concerning all whereof this people shall say, A conspiracy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be in dread [thereof]. I know Christians who study conspiracies all the time and it's filling their hearts with fear. They don't have any faith or boldness toward God. Why? They are afraid of the things that are coming upon the world because they are being disobedient. It doesn't matter who's behind the things that are coming upon the world. Ultimately, the Lord is behind it all. The Bible says God is the One (Eph.1:11) … who worketh all things after the counsel of his will. God was behind what came to Job. Looking at Job's situation, we see that we should not fear because God Almighty is in control. If you study these conspiracies and conclude that men or the devil are out to do you in, you're wasting your time. It's God Almighty Who is behind everything, and His purpose for you is good. His purpose is to bring you to repentance and to faith in Him. So if you're studying men, worried about what they might be doing, and thinking that you have to do something, you can get into works of the flesh. And it's all because you studied the conspiracies. Well, here's God's Word on conspiracies: (Isa.8:12) Say ye not, A conspiracy, concerning all whereof this people shall say, A conspiracy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be in dread [thereof]. (13) The Lord of hosts, him shall ye sanctify; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. We should fear the Lord because, as we read, He is the One, ultimately, Who is in control and not the world, not the wicked, not the Illuminati, or anybody else. Don't study the conspiracies. God is in control and remember that (Pro.16:7) When a man's ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. The Lord has absolute control over our enemies. He has absolute control over our lives and He said we would be in safety and He said we would not fear. We need to put our trust in God. We need to cast down these things when our sight is on men. The Bible says, (Pro.29:25) The fear of man bringeth a snare, But whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. (26) Many seek the ruler's favor; But a man's judgment [cometh] from the Lord. If you are afraid of man, you are going to be back in bondage again and be trapped again. “The fear of man bringeth a snare, but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” Study what God has to say. Study what He will do to provide for you in the days to come, and don't fear the things that are coming upon the world. Fear is for the devil's children, but it's also for the wayward people of God to bring them to repentance and trust in God. Now let me share this testimony:   Cast Out Fear by J.R.T. Our son, Caleb, has always been a fearful child. He was scared of loud noises, deep water, the drive-through car wash, thunderstorms, etc. He would cry uncontrollably whenever we went through the car wash or when thunder would strike during a storm. Recently, when storms popped up and he would become afraid, my wife would sing this song with him: “I am your God. I am your God, who holds your right hand, who holds your right hand. And I say to you, ‘Do not be afraid, for I will help you.'” One day I came home from work and my wife told me there had been a thunderstorm earlier and that she and Caleb had sung this song. I started to sing the song, thinking he would like it. But just the association of the song with the storms caused Caleb to cry and appear upset. Without even thinking, I picked him up and prayed, “Spirit of fear, I rebuke you in Jesus' Name and command you to leave Caleb. The Lord has not given us a spirit of fear. We do not want you here.” There was no immediate change. But the Lord impressed me not to dwell on the fact that I saw no change; rather, just believe His Word. The next weekend we were in Pensacola for Mother's Day. Once we got back to Georgia, we realized several things had changed. The whole family rode through the car wash over the holiday weekend. Caleb hadn't fussed a bit. He even later commented that the “wind” (noisiest part) was his favorite part of the car wash. Normally, as soon as he sees that we are at the car wash, he starts talking about wanting to get out of the vehicle. When lightning and thunder started during a storm over the weekend, Caleb didn't cry or run to mommy or daddy; rather, he walked right to the front glass door to look outside. We spent part of the weekend with my wife's family on the beach. Caleb went out farther than normal. He even fell in the water a few times, and breathed in a little water. But he did not get upset – he kept playing. I praise the Lord for putting in me what was needed to deliver Caleb from fear…Thank you, Lord. Amen! Awesome testimony. We have this authority, too, saints. Now, are there times when God's people cannot be released from demons? Paul, by the Spirit, turned a man over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, and he did that for a good reason. (1Cor.5:3) For I verily, being absent in body but present in spirit, have already as though I were present judged him that hath so wrought this thing, (4) in the name of our Lord Jesus, ye being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, (5) to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Our carnal minds think it's always good for people to get delivered of demons, but no, it's not always good. You see, God has a purpose for demons. If not, He would have wiped them out a long time ago, but He has a good purpose for them. The Bible says that God has vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor. (Rom.9:21) Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? The demons are His chief vessels of dishonor and He uses them to chasten and teach. Paul turned a man over for a chastening “that his spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus”, but there's another example where Paul delivered Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan that “they might be taught not to blaspheme” (1 Timothy 1:18-20). The devil is God's messenger to chasten and teach people. When you get out from under the Blood, the devil jumps on you like a mad dog. It doesn't matter whether or not you are a Christian. The people who are not Christian are already under bondage to the devil, and so sometimes, the devil does not want to “rock the boat” for them. There is no advantage for him in revealing himself to them because they're already caught, but for you, it's a different story. When you step out from under the Blood, he is waiting for you. He is waiting to “chew” on you a little bit until you'll say, “Hey, it's a lot safer back there under the Blood! I repent, Lord! I obey!” But until you get back under the Blood, the devil is there to motivate you to live in obedience as a disciple of Jesus Christ. We have examples all through the Bible where God turned over His people to the devil and there was no one who could cast the demons out of them. If you won't repent, don't ask for deliverance. If you are not willing to confess your sins and repent of them, do not ask for deliverance from the demon who preys upon the sin. He is there for a purpose; he is there to make your life miserable until you repent. I am speaking from experience. I've tried casting demons out of people, yet the demons would come back. Finally, I figured out what the problem was. I was out there doing my own thing and so I was getting out of God's Will. A good example of that from the Old Testament is where God ordained Saul (1 Samuel 10:1). He filled him with the Spirit and even had him prophesy (1 Samuel 10:6), but when Saul rebelled against God and did his own thing, then (1Sa.16:14) … the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. (15) And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. A lot of people think this is false doctrine, but it's truth. As the Lord pointed out to me one time, (Php.2:13) … it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. Salvation is so great! The way God saves you is that He puts in you a desire to do what is right. It's so simple and it's so easy. Through repentance and through faith, you receive the desire to do what is right. This is what salvation is all about. Did you know that God uses vessels of dishonor to work in you, just as He uses vessels of honor? God did this with the devil, who didn't have any interest in Job until God brought him to the devil's attention. (Job 2:3) And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and turneth away from evil… That was like dangling a carrot before a donkey. The devil was ready to jump on Job, but God put strict conditions on what he could do in (Job 1:12, 2:6). (Job 2:4) And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. (5) But put forth thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce thee to thy face. (6) And The Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thy hand; only spare his life. Many times the devil is being used as the “left hand” of God when he brings a curse or a chastening. (Job 2:9) Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still hold fast thine integrity? renounce God, and die. (10) But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. Job did speak the truth there because God cannot be Sovereign if He controls only good and doesn't control evil. The devil is here to be one of God's “hands” or else he would have been wiped out back there at the Garden of Eden. Since Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8), why did we need a Savior before Adam ever fell? God is not making any mistakes here; what we are going through is creation and the devil is a part of this. It was God Who turned Abimelech and the men of Shechem over to devils in (Judges 9:23). They got in there and divided the men because they killed the sons of Gideon in (Judges 9:5). God sent those evil spirits between the Israelites to divide them, just as God turned Saul over to a demon spirit because he was in rebellion. God did this quite often in the Old Testament, and another example is when Samuel was rebuking Saul for not obeying God. (1Sa.15:23) For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft… The Hebrew word translated as “witchcraft” there is qesem, and it means “divination.” A spirit of divination is a spirit of false prophecy. It prophesies for the devil, and so Saul had a demon spirit because he had a spirit of divination. (1Sa.18:10) And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as he did day by day. And Saul had his spear in his hand; (11) and Saul cast the spear; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall. And David avoided out of his presence twice. (12) And Saul was afraid of David, because The Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul. I don't know what spirit, divination or otherwise, God was talking about when He said (1Sa.16:14) … an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him, but I do know that Saul had a spirit of divination because he became a false prophet. Whether this “evil spirit from the Lord” was the spirit of divination, I don't know and Scripture does not say, but it was tormenting him. Here was a man who at one time had the Holy Spirit in (1 Samuel 10:6) and yet still became tormented by a demon spirit, and as we see here, possibly two demon spirits. The apostle Paul also had a demon tormentor. He said in (2Co.12:7) And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch. I am not stating that there was a demon inside of Paul, but an angel of Satan was tormenting him. The word “messenger” in the Scriptures, 181 of 183 times, is translated as “angel,” so an angel of Satan was sent to buffet him, and the word “buffet” means “to beat or strike repeatedly.” Paul was not talking here about an infirmity or sickness; only the KJV says that Paul's “thorn in the flesh” was an “infirmity.” No Bible derived from the ancient manuscripts has this translation because that's not the word “infirmity”; it is the word “weakness.” Scripture says that Christ was crucified through weakness. (2Co.13:3) Seeing that ye seek a proof of Christ that speaketh in me; who to youward is not weak, but is powerful in you: (4) for he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth through the power of God. This same Greek word asthenes translated as “weakness” in 2 Corinthians 13:3 by the King James, is what the King James in 2 Corinthians 12:9 claims is “infirmity.” Paul did not have an infirmity; this is a lie because the Bible says, (Psa.103:2) Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits: (3) Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases. God does not change His Word and say, “No, Paul, you keep this disease. It's good for you.” This is not our God. What you have there is a schizophrenic “god.” A messenger of Satan is the one who was bringing all of these troubles against Paul, and he made a list of all the places where he said he was “weak.” The word is the same word, asthenes, as used in Chapter 12. (2Co.11:23) Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I more; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft. (24) Of the Jews five times received I forty [stripes] save one. (25) Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep; (26) [in] journeyings often, [in] perils of rivers, [in] perils of robbers, [in] perils from [my] countrymen, [in] perils from the Gentiles, [in] perils in the city, [in] perils in the wilderness, [in] perils in the sea, [in] perils among false brethren; (27) [in] labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. (29) Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is caused to stumble, and I burn not? Who was “buffeting” Paul in all of these ways? A messenger of Satan was bringing Paul through all these tribulations. When Jesus was led of the Spirit into the wilderness in (Matthew 4:1; Luke 4:2), it was the devil who tempted Him, so don't think that you are not going to be faced with demons. If you are in the wilderness, you are going to be faced with demons, but you have every right and every power from God to overcome them. When Paul was faced with demons, God did not say that He was going to take away that angel from Satan. It says (2Co.12:9) And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for [my] power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. God said, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” He did not say, “My grace is this infirmity that I am putting on you, and you're going to have to keep it.” That's crazy; it's not what the Bible says. It says, (1Pe.2:24) … by whose stripes ye were healed. You were healed. There is no condition put on this except you repent and believe. As we just read, Paul professed that those things listed in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 were his “weaknesses.” A demon was bringing Paul into positions of weakness. And when he got into these positions of weakness, Paul put his trust in the Lord, and in every instance, the Lord saved him. (Psa.34:19) Many are the afflictions of the righteous (In most cases, these afflictions come from the devil.); But the Lord delivereth him out of them all. This is what you have to believe. This is the Gospel, and if you do not believe it, you do not get it. The devil has a purpose in all of this. He is used by God to chasten and to bring under curses those who are in rebellion against God. He is used by God to give you teaching and understanding (1Ti.1:20) … that they might be taught not to blaspheme God. The devil is used by God to humble you, and he is used to help you see the power of God. When the devil puts you into a situation where you are weak, this is where you get to see the miracle. You do not get to see the miracle when you have all you need, or when all your problems are solved, and you are walking in the anointing and power. The power of God comes when you are in a position where you cannot do anything. The power of God comes sometimes when you refuse to do anything about a weakness, and you just put your trust in God and His Word. The power of God comes when you believe what the Bible says. When the children of Israel rebelled, God sent demons to them. (Psa.78:49) He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, Wrath, and indignation, and trouble, A band of angels of evil. Wrath, indignation, and trouble are demon spirits. It was God's purpose to deliver the Israelites over to these demons for torment because they were in rebellion. God is the One Who delivers a person over to demons, and God is the One Who turns people over to a “reprobate mind,” too (Romans 1:28; 2 Timothy 3:8). The Bible talks about “doctrines of demons.” (1Ti.4:1) But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, (2) through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron. I was once delivered from a doctrine of demons and I was shocked, not knowing it was a demon at all. At the time, I had a real gift to speak the Oneness doctrine, but it was not the truth. It was a demon spirit and when it left, it went straight out of the top of my head. I'd had to humble myself to what the Lord said. What delivered me was when I decided, “I am going to put my doctrine down for just a minute, and humble myself to this Word, and see what It says.” When I did that, “Poof!” The demon went out from the top of my head and was gone because Oneness is a doctrine of demons. There are demons whose job it is to bring people into bondage to false doctrines, and they actually do enter your body. I am living proof of this, delivered from that doctrine quite some years ago. Sometimes you can't recognize when people are demon-possessed because they're being ruled by that spirit. You understand that something is wrong with them, but you may not recognize it in their flesh. Most often though, people are oppressed, rather than possessed. If a demon is in your flesh, just abiding in the flesh and not reaching into the soul, he can oppress you from the flesh, but when he reaches into your soul, which is your mind, will, and emotions, then this is what the Bible calls being “possessed.” We've been taught wrongly that when demons are on the outside, it is oppression, but when they are on the inside, that is possession. No, the demons can be in your flesh and never leave your flesh, so then they can oppress you from the flesh. Or they can reach into the soul and possess you, while at other times, they will back off into the flesh and be dormant. When they do that, you will not even know they're in there until they're faced with some stimulus from the outside that causes them to come up and manifest themselves. And when that stimulus or that temptation is gone, the demons draw back into the flesh, becoming dormant once again. For instance, people with a spirit of anger (a demon) are not angry all the time. They are only angry when they're tempted, but if you try to deal with it as though it were only a lust of the flesh, you're going to fail because it's more than that. Many people, possibly all people, have demons when they come to Christ, but God doesn't drive them all out all at once according to (Exodus 23:29-30; Judges 2:22-23). I've heard people say that it's okay to be angry as long as you don't sin, but this is a false doctrine, and they get it from a false interpretation of Scripture. The Bible says, (Ecc.7:9) Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. If you have anger in your heart, it is going to make you a fool. If you say, “Wait a minute...I thought I could be angry, but just not sin?” Anger is wrong because anger is unforgiveness and anger is bitterness. I admit the Holy Spirit can be angry; the Holy Spirit can even manifest anger through you. I have felt the anger of the Lord move through me, but He can do this legally. The Holy Spirit can speak through you and judge, but you cannot judge. If you judge, you are going to be judged, as it says in (Mat.7:1) Judge not, that ye be not judged. (2) For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you. You must know the difference between the Holy Spirit moving through you for the sake of God and when you are being tempted by the lusts of your flesh. (Eph.4:25) Wherefore, putting away falsehood, speak ye truth each one with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. (26) Be ye angry, and sin not… Originally, there was no punctuation in this verse, because in the ancient Greek they did not have punctuation or capital letters. The punctuation was added in later by theologians, but the Lord told me there is supposed to be a question mark after the word “not.” Can you be angry and not sin? No, and I can prove this to you, because the rest of the verse says, (Eph.4:26) Let not the sun go down upon your wrath (In other words, “Do not let that stuff stick around.”): (27) neither give place to the devil. If you are angry, you are “giving place to the devil.” When you are angry, it's because you're in unforgiveness, but we have to forgive everybody, all the time, forever. The very foundation of salvation is forgiveness, and so if you don't forgive, then God doesn't forgive you. Truly “anger resteth in the bosom of fools.” (Eph. 4:31) Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice (He's not saying, “It's okay to be angry, just do not sin.” He's saying, “Get rid of it!” And if you're having trouble doing this, sometimes it is a demon.): (32) and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you. Let's go now to (Pro.4:7) Wisdom [is] the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom; Yea, with all thy getting get understanding. The more understanding you get, the less anger you are going to have. (Rom.8:28) And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, [even] to them that are called according to [his] purpose. If you believe that all things work together for good to those who love God, then you're not going to be angry at situations, you're not going to be angry at your circumstances. If my dog came into this room right now and did something that dogs do, it would be foolish for me to become angry at that dog, because he's a dog and he's not going to do anything different. He is a dog; he can't be anything different. When your children are toddlers and they stumble and fall, you don't become angry with them, because that's what children do. Children stumble and fall. Life is this way, so would it make sense for you to get angry at the devil for doing what he normally does? That would be a waste of time. He is the devil; he does what he was created to do, and his demons do what they were created to do. Everything that happens around us has a purpose because God is Sovereign. Do not become angry about anything that happens around you, because if you're angry at the circumstances around you, you are angry at God. He is the One who ordained the circumstances around you. He is the Sovereign God (Eph.1:11) … who worketh all things after the counsel of His will. And we read that (Joh.3:27) … A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven. Do you believe this? If it comes from heaven and you become angry, then you are being angry at God. Don't claim that anger from your lusts of the flesh is righteous indignation; that's just bologna! Be at peace! God doesn't want you to have anger; He wants you to be at peace. So, what about the anger of the Lord? If the Lord moves through you in anger, it is not a personal thing because it is not your anger. The Bible says in (Mar. 3:5) And when He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of t

Thank you for joining us! If you have any questions please don't hesitate to call the church office at 661-833-2800 or check out our website www.laurelglen.org.Scripture Reference: Genesis 37

The Life and Times of Joseph, Genesis 37:1-11; Rev. Bruce McDowall, Sunday 6th July 2025

Endurance - Faith of Our Fathers: Joseph (Genesis 39:1–23) - Dr. Abraham Kuruvilla

What can we learn from a story that is so familiar to so many?

Ken Barrett, Joseph -- Genesis 45 and 50 by Terrill Road Bible Chapel

Steve Hertzig, Joseph -- Genesis 42-44 by Terrill Road Bible Chapel

Awni Haddad, Joseph -- Genesis 40-41 by Terrill Road Bible Chapel

Episode Title:Good God – Everything Happens for A Reason, but the Reason Ain't Always GodShow Title:Faith's FoundationsEpisode Number:Lesson 6Release Date:May 21, 2025Episode Type:Full EpisodeDescription:In this foundational lesson, we challenge one of the most popular yet misapplied phrases in Christian culture: “Everything happens for a reason.” While often used to provide comfort, this statement can lead to damaging theology if it implies that God is the cause of every tragedy, loss, or hardship.This episode explores the biblical truth that although everything may happen for a reason, that reason is not always God. We unpack the difference between God's sovereignty and causality—showing that God permits human freedom and natural consequences but is not the author of evil. Instead, He is the Redeemer in the midst of it.You'll learn how to:Discern the true sources of suffering: human free will, spiritual warfare, and life in a broken world.Understand Romans 8:28 in its full context—not as a promise of protection from hardship, but as a promise of God's redemptive power.Shift from blaming God for hardship to trusting Him for healing and purpose.We look to the stories of Joseph (Genesis 50:20), the teachings of James and Paul, and the words of Jesus to anchor our understanding in Scripture. This lesson offers theological clarity and pastoral comfort for anyone who has ever asked, “Why did God let this happen?”Key Scriptures:Romans 8:28James 1:13–17John 10:10Genesis 50:20Discussion Prompts:Have I blamed God for something He never caused?How has God redeemed a painful chapter in my life?What does this change about how I counsel others going through hardship?Keywords:God's goodness, sovereignty, suffering, redemption, spiritual growth, hardship, biblical truth, free will, Faith's Foundations

Dan Miguel, Joseph -- Genesis 37,39 by Terrill Road Bible Chapel

Introduce Yourself with a Free 30-minute Discovery Phone Call  Purchase your 90-Minute Marketing Consultation Would you be interested in a Virtual Marketing Internship with McCoy Marketing Solutions? Email info@McCoyMarketingSolutions.com with the subject line Intern Application. Take the Assessment test here: Discover Your Spiritual Gifts Then email your results to Shameka@McCoyMarketingSolutions.com Scriptures Resurrection Power ~ 1 Corinthians 15:21 Philippians 3:10  Romans 6:4, 8:11 Transfer of Wealth ~ Proverbs 13:22 & Ecclesiastes 2:26 Dreams like Joseph ~ Genesis 37  Joel 2:28 The Lord will pour out His Spirit on all people and allow them to experience prophetic gifts. - Young men see visions, and old men dream dreams. Ephesians 5:23 Husband is the head of the wife... Testimonials  www.McCoyMarketingSolutions.com  Instagram  @McCoySolutions_ @McCoySolutionsUniversity @Shameka_therealMcCoy YouTube @ShamekaTheRealMcCoy Facebook  www.Facebook.com/McCoyMarketingSolutions 

"A Life of Faith"Genesis 12:1-9The Book of Genesis Series - In The Beginning, GodPastor Nate ClarkeApril 27, 2025FREE INDOOR PLAYGROUND:Follow Oasis Kids for news on FREE OPEN PLAY dates in our 2,000 sq ft indoor playground in Richmond, VA. https://www.instagram.com/oasischurchva/reel/C8FqHIipr3u/Learn about this year's Kingdom Builder's project: https://www.oasischurch.online/kingdom-buildersHow should Christians respond to POLITICAL ISSUES? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak82aD16r04WHY WE UPDATED OUR VISION STATEMENT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0WFhtL7h3ISERMON NOTES:- Genesis 12:1-9- A Life of Faith- Human Race  Individual (Abram)  Nation (Israel)  Revelation (God's Word & ways)  Redeemer (Jesus)- Abraham: Genesis 12-23  Isaac: Genesis 24-26  Jacob: Genesis 27-36  Joseph: Genesis 37-50- Romans 4:3- Genesis 12:1- Acts 7:2-4- Faith is agreeing with God- Genesis 11:4- Genesis 12:1-3- Faith is leaving things behind- Abram's faith required him to leave his land, his people, and his father's household (blessing)- Luke 9:23-25- Luke 9:57-62- Faith is expressed at every step- Genesis 12:7- Genesis 12:8- Faith is believing that greater things are ahead with God- Abram was promised by faith: land, a nation, and a blessing- Left: a land, a people, and his blessing  Received: land, a nation, and getting & being a blessing- Luke 18:29-30 Oasis Church exists to Worship God, Equip the believers, and Reach the lost.We are led by Pastor Nate Clarke and are located in Richmond, VA.Stay Connected:Website: https://oasischurch.online Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oasischurchva/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OasisChurchRVA/

Sermon Summary: Temporary Residents, Eternal Home Chris's sermon this week delved into Genesis chapters 46 and 47, picking up the narrative of Jacob and his family's move to Egypt to escape the severe famine in Canaan. He structured his talk around six key "episodes" or scenes within these chapters, ultimately drawing out four significant takeaways for the congregation in Sheffield in 2025. Chris began by addressing the crucial question of relevance: how can a text written potentially 16-18 centuries before Jesus, set in a vastly different culture, speak to us today? His answer lies in the belief that the Bible is "God-breathed," inspired by God, who continues to speak through its pages to those who approach it with humility and an open heart. He emphasized the Bible's unique authority, stating that any teaching, including his own, should be disregarded if it contradicts scripture. Furthermore, Chris highlighted Romans 15:4, reminding listeners that the scriptures were written for our encouragement, hope, and perseverance in our Christian walk. Drawing a parallel to the London Marathon, he likened the Old Testament heroes of faith, including Jacob (mentioned in Hebrews 11), to a crowd of witnesses cheering us on in our own race of faith (Hebrews 12:1). Moving into the text, Chris outlined the six episodes: God appears to Jacob (Genesis 46): Despite being called to the Promised Land, God instructs Jacob to go to Egypt, a seemingly counterintuitive command. The journey to Egypt (Genesis 46): Jacob and his family undertake the journey. Reunion with Joseph (Genesis 46): Jacob is reunited with his son Joseph, whom he long believed to be dead. The brothers meet Pharaoh (Genesis 47:1-6): Joseph presents a delegation of his brothers to Pharaoh. They identify themselves as shepherds seeking temporary residence due to the famine. Chris noted their subservient tone ("We your servants") while also highlighting Joseph's prior coaching to secure their desired outcome. Pharaoh's response is directed to Joseph, granting them permission to settle in the land of Goshen and even offering positions managing his livestock if they possess special skills. Jacob meets Pharaoh (Genesis 47:7-10): Joseph then brings his father Jacob to meet Pharaoh. In contrast to his sons, Jacob seems to possess a greater sense of authority, even blessing Pharaoh twice. Pharaoh inquires about Jacob's age ("How many are the days of the years of your life?"), to which Jacob replies that he has lived 130 "hard years" and that the "days of the years of my temporary residence are few and hard." Chris emphasized Jacob's use of "temporary residence" (or "sojourner" in some translations), a significant theme throughout the chapter. Despite his hardships (fleeing his brother, losing his mother and wife, believing Joseph dead), Jacob's encounter with Pharaoh reveals a man carrying moral authority. Joseph's leadership during the famine (Genesis 47:11-26): This lengthy section details Joseph's strategic management of the famine. He provides the best land of Egypt, the region of Ramesses (another name for Goshen), for his family. As the famine intensifies, Joseph collects all the money in Egypt and Canaan in exchange for grain, eventually moving to exchange livestock and then land and the people themselves for food, making them Pharaoh's slaves. The priests are the only exception, receiving direct provisions from Pharaoh. Joseph then establishes a system where the people receive seed to plant and keep four-fifths of the harvest, with one-fifth going to Pharaoh. The people express immense gratitude for Joseph saving their lives. Chris acknowledged the potentially unsettling nature of this narrative, where Pharaoh's wealth increases significantly. However, he pointed out that the Egyptians willingly entered these arrangements and were grateful for survival. He also noted that their situation as "slaves" differed significantly from typical understandings of slavery, as they continued to live on their land and retain 80% of their produce, a potentially lower tax burden than experienced today in the UK. Chris cautioned against a literal "lift and drop" application of Old Testament narratives, using the example of the hand-under-thigh oath later in the chapter as a practice no longer relevant. He stressed the importance of respectfully engaging with the text while discerning its enduring message. Jacob prepares to die (Genesis 47:27-31): The Israelites settle in Goshen, acquire property, become fruitful, and their population grows rapidly, fulfilling God's promise in Genesis 46:3 that they would be prosperous in Egypt. Jacob lives for another 17 years, reaching the age of 147. As his death approaches, he calls Joseph and makes him swear an oath (placing his hand under Jacob's thigh) not to bury him in Egypt but to take him back to Canaan to be buried with his ancestors. Joseph agrees and takes the oath. Chris highlighted the significance of being buried with his ancestors, noting the memorial in Hebron revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims as the family grave of Abraham, Isaac, Sarah, Rebekah, and Jacob. He also pointed out that the hand-under-thigh oath was a family tradition, previously used by Abraham when sending a servant to find a wife for Isaac. Jacob's focus on being buried in the Promised Land underscores his deep connection to it. From this passage, Chris identified four key takeaways for the congregation: Depending on God: Chris found Jacob in his final chapters to be an "appealing and beautiful character," contrasting him with figures like Solomon who started well but finished poorly. Despite his past flaws and hardships, Jacob is "finishing well," which Chris attributed to his dependence on God. He affirmed that while we hold onto God, it is ultimately God who holds onto us. He referenced Lauren Daigle's song "Hold On To Me" in this context. Chris encouraged the congregation to have the "desire to finish well" in their own lives, noting that many around us do not. Do to others as you would like them to do to you: This "golden rule" of Jesus is reflected in the cycle of blessing within the narrative. Jacob blesses Pharaoh, and through Joseph, both the Egyptians and Jacob's family are blessed. Chris expressed his hope that the church's activities are a blessing to the local community and encouraged individuals to be a blessing in their families, workplaces, and among their neighbors. He then referenced Deuteronomy 23:7 (in some translations, this is Deuteronomy 23:7-8 or Deuteronomy 23:7), "You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt," noting its counter-cultural message in contemporary politics. Remember you are temporary residents: Chris drew attention to Peter's words in 1 Peter 2:11, "Dear friends, I warn you as temporary residents and foreigners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very soul." He connected this back to the potential reasons for Joseph choosing Goshen – to protect his family from the idolatrous Egyptian culture and the risk of assimilation. He emphasized the importance of identity: if we truly believe we belong to God, there are certain things we should avoid. Identity acts as a protection against temptation and evil, echoing Jesus' prayer, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matthew 6:13). Where is your true country?: Chris explored the legal concept of "domicile" – permanent home – contrasting it with "residence" and "citizenship." He posed the question: where is our true home as Christians? Like Jacob, we are temporary residents in this world; our true home is with God. He quoted Hebrews 13:14, "For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come." He concluded with a powerful quote from C.S. Lewis's The Last Battle, where a character entering heaven says, "I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now."1 Chris shared that Karen had read this passage at Anne's funeral and expressed his hope that it would be read at his own, emphasizing the Christian understanding of our ultimate belonging in God's presence. Chris concluded with a prayer, thanking God for his mercy and love, acknowledging human failings, and expressing the desire to understand and embrace the truth of our eternal home in God. He then invited those who wished for prayer to come forward. Bible References: Genesis 46 Genesis 47 Romans 15:4 Hebrews 11 Hebrews 12:1 1 Peter 2:11 Matthew 6:13 Hebrews 13:14 Deuteronomy 23:7 (or Deuteronomy 23:7-8 depending on translation) Transcript Let's wait for the PowerPoint to appear on the screen. Great, there it goes. So we're continuing with Genesis and continuing really where we were a fortnight ago with the move of Joseph and his family, or Joseph's already there, the move of Jacob and the family into Egypt. So a few things I want to do today. I'm going to kind of walk us through the chapter and bring a few things out, and then at the end I'm going to kind of identify, I think, four things that I think we can particularly take away from this chapter. And after I finish speaking, we're also going to have an opportunity for people who want to be prayed for to come forward and be prayed. I'm not going to make a big deal of that, but we do believe in the work of the Holy Spirit, and if you've come and you would like prayer, then we'd be more than delighted to pray for you and pray that you will encounter God. But before I get into the chapter, I just want to go on to the next slide, because that's quite important, isn't it? We've been spending all this time studying this chapter, and Genesis is set, and nobody's exactly sure when, but probably 16 to 18 centuries before Jesus was born. And it's set in a very different culture and part of the world. So how can that be relevant to us living in the UK in 2025? So that is a very important question. And I think that the start of the answer to that question comes from our understanding of what the Bible is, and that is that we believe that the Bible is inspired by God. Paul actually used the phrase, God breathes—that the Bible is God breathed. And that God speaks through his Bible to us, and he actually continues to speak today through his Bible to us. And that if we approach it with the right attitude, if we come to it humbly and respectfully, not looking to pick arguments with it, but open to any nourishment going, then God will meet us and speak to us through the Bible. And so that's why Genesis is relevant. We also say that the Bible has unique authority. If I as a preacher, or indeed any other preacher here or anywhere else, says something to you that is not in agreement with the Bible, then feel free. In fact, definitely ignore what is being said by me or any other preacher. The Bible has the final authority on difficult points. But there's also something, I think, when we're looking at these Old Testament stories, about recognizing that these were written to inspire us in our Christian walk. Romans 15, verse 4 says something like, the Scriptures were written so that for our encouragement and hope, and to encourage us to persevere in the Christian life. Today is the London Marathon Day, isn't it? And over the past 20 years or so, I spent quite a few times at the finishing line, not of marathons, I will admit, but the finishing line of Iron Man races, and waiting for family members and friends to run the race. And you always stop by, you know, runners, some of them looking completely done in, would kind of turn the corner and see the finishing line ahead of them, and also hear the crowd at that point all clapping and cheering and shouting. And they would kind of brighten and pick up pace and cross the line. And that's kind of the image that the writer to the Hebrews has. In Hebrews 11, there's a long list of Old Testament heroes of faith. And Jacob, who we're particularly thinking about today, is on that list. And at the end of it, the writer goes on, he says, Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great crowd of witnesses, let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. And it's almost like these Old Testament heroes, with all their difficulties in their lives, are part of the crowd that is cheering you and I on in our race. And so we do say that Genesis is very relevant. Let's just pray briefly. Father, we do just pray, Father, that the goodness that you've got for us in your Word, Lord, that we would receive that today, Lord. We don't want to miss out on any good thing that you've got for us in your Word for us today, and in fact, every day. Amen. Next slide. So, Genesis 46 and 47 are really part of one story. And you can remember about a fortnight ago, Andy took us through Genesis 46. I kind of divided it up into what I'm calling episodes, probably more like scenes, really. But episodes one, God appears to Jacob and says to him, I want you to go to Egypt. And that must have felt really odd, because he called to the Promised Land, and God is saying, No, I want you to go to Egypt. But nevertheless, God speaks to him. So that's episode one. Episode two is he journeys to Egypt. And episode three, he's reunited with a son he had long believed dead. He's reunited with Joseph. And then today we have episode four, a meeting with Pharaoh of the brothers, a delegation of brothers meet Pharaoh. Episode five, Jacob then himself meets Pharaoh. Episode six, quite a longer section, all about Joseph's leadership during the famine that is affecting Egypt at this time. And in the final episode there, Jacob prepares to die. So let me read the chapter. It's been, I think, necessary but still a shame as we've been going through Genesis. Time has just been a pressure to read the whole chapter, but we go off to a good start today, and I want to read it to us, because this is God's Word. This is God-breathed. Then Joseph went to see Pharaoh and told him, My father and my brothers have arrived from the land of Canaan. They have come with all their flocks and herds and possessions, and they are now in the region of Goshen. Joseph took five of his brothers with him and presented them to Pharaoh. And Pharaoh asked the brothers, What is your occupation? They replied, We your servants are shepherds, just like our ancestors. We have come to live here in Egypt for a while, for there is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan. The famine is very severe there, so please, we request permission to live in the land of Goshen. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, Now that your father and brothers have joined you here, choose any place in the entire land of Egypt for them to live. Give them the best land of Egypt. Let them live in the region of Goshen, and if any of them have special skills, put them in charge of my livestock too. Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him to Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. How old are you? Pharaoh asked him. Jacob replied, I have traveled this earth for 130 hard years, but my life has been short compared to the lives of my ancestors. Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh again before leaving his court. So Joseph assigned the best land of Egypt, the land of Ramesses, to his father and brothers, and he settled them there just as Pharaoh had commanded. And Joseph provided food for his father and his brother in amounts appropriate to the number of their dependents, including the smallest children. Meanwhile, the famine became so severe that all the food was used up and people were starving throughout the lands of Egypt and Canaan. By selling grain to the people, Joseph eventually collected all the money in Egypt and Canaan, and he put the money in Pharaoh's treasury. And when the people of Egypt and Canaan ran out of money, all the Egyptians came to Joseph. Our money is gone, they cried, but please give us food or we will die before your very eyes. Joseph replied, since your money is gone, bring me livestock. I will give you food in exchange for your livestock. So they brought their livestock to Joseph in exchange for food, in exchange for their horses, flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle and donkeys. Joseph provided them with food for another year. But that year ended and the next year they came again and they said, we cannot hide the truth from you, our Lord. Our money is gone and all our livestock and cattle are yours. We have nothing left to give you but our bodies and our land. Why should we die before your very eyes? Buy us and our land in exchange for food. We offer our land and ourselves as slaves to Pharaoh. Please give us grain so we may live and not die so the land does not become empty and desolate. So Joseph brought all the land, bought all the land of Pharaoh for Egypt and all the Egyptians sold in their fields because the famine was so severe and soon all the land belonged to Pharaoh. As for the people, he made them all slaves from one end of Egypt to the other. The only land he did not buy was the land belonging to the priests. They received an allotment of food directly from Pharaoh so they didn't need to sell their land. Then Joseph said to the people, look today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. I will provide you with seed so you can plant the fields. Then when you harvest it, one fifth of your crop will belong to Pharaoh. You may keep the remaining four-fifths of seed for your fields and it's food for you, your households and your little ones. You have saved our lives, they exclaimed. May it please you my Lord to let us be Pharaoh's servants. Joseph then issued a decree still in effect in the land of Egypt that Pharaoh should receive one-fifth of all the crops grown on this land. Only land belonging to the priests was not given to Pharaoh. Meanwhile the people of Israel settled in the land of Goshen in Egypt. There they acquired property, they were fruitful and their population grew rapidly. Jacob lived for 17 years after his arrival in Egypt so he lived 147 years in all. As the time of his death drew near, Jacob called for his son Joseph and said to him, please do me this favor. Put your hand under my thigh and swear that you will treat me with unfailing love by honoring this last request. Do not bury me in Egypt. When I die, please take my body out of Egypt and bury me with my ancestors. So Joseph promised, I will do as you ask. Swear that you will do it, Jacob insisted. So Joseph gave his oath and Jacob bowed humbly at the head of his bed. Amen. So yes, if we can have that slide. Oh, can we go back to, can we go back a few slides to nearly the beginning? I think it's going to be the first couple of hours. Let's keep it back. That's it. So here we are in what I was calling episode four, and Joseph's taken a delegation of the brothers to meet Pharaoh. And we can probably picture the scene about, I mean, Pharaoh is the leader of a superpower. And they're really quite a small tribe from Canaan. And they are looking to be economic migrants. That's definitely what we call them today. They've come because there's no food left in their land, so they're coming as economic migrants. So it's kind of a subservient tone to it, isn't it? We're your servants, Pharaoh. But also kind of stressing things that they want. You know, we're shepherds. By the way, we've got flocks, but if you would let us stay for a while. And actually, at the end of the previous chapter, we see that actually Joseph had coached them to say this. Joseph was good at managing his boss, and he's prepared this. So this speech is important. Because, you know, this is a difficult moment. Pharaoh could have sent them away. So that's the first of the episodes. And you see that they're coming to live in Egypt for a while. So they're not saying, we're coming here to settle permanently. We're coming for a while. I'll mention that briefly, because that kind of phrase, for a while, or other versions of it, are quite important to this whole chapter. So I'm just picking out the first time it appears. Next slide. And this is interesting, actually, because you remember the brothers were speaking to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh's reply is addressed to Joseph. Now, you know, there's a couple of possibilities. One, of course, it's simply that Joseph is kind of the head of the delegation, isn't it? He's still the important guy. And so Pharaoh speaks to somebody of, you know, Joseph's number two in the land. So Pharaoh naturally speaks to him, not to the brothers. But it's also possible it might just be a side meeting. You know, in my career, I saw things like that. You know, somebody very senior would listen to what people had to say, and then have a kind of separate meeting with their inner group of most senior people and make a decision. And that's what kind of is happening here. Pharaoh is sitting down with his number two, and he's making a decision. And he's choosing to let them stay. And there's quite a mention of the word Goshen. I don't know if you picked that up as I was reading it, but Goshen, I think if you take the end of 46 and 47, it gets mentioned something like eight times, something like a lot of times. And Goshen is the place that Joseph has definitely engineered for them to be. So he's told them to go in Joseph. He's mentioned it to Pharaoh himself that they're already there. And then they've asked if they can stay in Goshen. So they definitely are after Goshen. And why is that? Well, I think at least three possibilities, or some mixture of them. One is simply that Joseph just thinks it's going to be a really good place for them and their flocks. So it can be as simple as that. The second possibility, though, is that Joseph is doing this in some ways to protect them. Because at this time, the kind of main center, the kind of equivalent of London, Egypt at that time, a place called Memphis. So Memphis is a big urban center with all the, so that's where the main stuff is happening. So Joseph doesn't want them in Memphis. He wants them kind of on the edge of the territory, and up in the kind of northeast corner of the Nile Delta is Goshen. And is he wanting them to protect them from the Egyptians to some extent? There have been hints, more than hints, actually, of prejudice of Egyptians towards Canaanites through the last couple of chapters. Egyptians didn't eat with Canaanites. Even Joseph didn't eat with them. And apparently they regard shepherds as pretty abominable. So they don't want to kind of mix with shepherds, because they're kind of sophisticated urban people. So is Joseph protecting them in that sense? And if that was right, he probably had seen something that is definitely there, because the whole book of Exodus is based on the fact that these Israelites end up getting very badly treated in Egypt. So, you know, racial prejudice is alive in this situation. I guess a third possibility is one that actually he wants to protect them from the Egyptians, but in a different sense. Does Joseph see that there's a risk of assimilation, that if they're just mingling in with all the Egyptians, that they will pick up Egyptian ways of life and Egyptian habits and start to live like Egyptians? They assimilate, and then they start worshiping Egyptian gods, and suddenly they're distinctive as the people of God has gone altogether. So it may be some mix of those factors. I'm not going to be too definite about it, because the Bible doesn't tell us. So it's conjecture to an extent, so I don't want to lay too much weight on that. But nevertheless, it's something like that that is going on. Next slide. And then we have Joseph brought in his father to see Pharaoh. And it's only because the tone of this one is slightly different, whereas the brothers were deeply respectful, kind of, you know, bowing and like that before Pharaoh. Jacob seems to carry a lot more authority in that situation. And that may be because he's given the respect due to an older man. It may be that, actually, Jacob carries some moral authority that somehow he's just present in the room when this is going on. There's also—not so much in this translation, but in some of the original language—that Jacob by this time has got some mobility issues, because it talks about Joseph bringing him in to see Pharaoh and then making him stand before Pharaoh. Now, you know, it might simply be that he's presenting him, but kind of sometimes I've seen in that that maybe actually Jacob had to be helped into the room and then helped to stand before Pharaoh. And then he has this conversation with Pharaoh, and Pharaoh says, How old are you? Again, the literal question that Pharaoh asked him is quite—Pharaoh says, How many are the days of the years of your life? How many are the days of the years of your life? And Jacob replies, The days of the years of my life—no, the days of the years of my temporary residence are few and hard. The days of the years of my life are 130 years, but they've been few and hard. And it's interesting that having been just asked, in a sense, for a number, he's introduced this phrase, temporary residence. And in some translations, you'll get that translated as sojourner. That's a kind of less common word these days, but it means temporary residence. And, you know, again, we heard that earlier, and one of the features of this chapter is that this thought of temporary residence is quite important to what this whole chapter is about. But Jacob blesses Pharaoh—in fact, he blesses Pharaoh twice. So he's not, in a sense, in a cringing situation. He's actually taking authority in the situation, and Pharaoh almost seems respectful of Jacob. You might think it odd to hear somebody who's 130 and whose son has become the number two in Egypt describe his days as being few and hard, but that is the expression that Jacob uses. And there's a lot in that, because if you think about Jacob's life, he undoubtedly had had a hard life. You know, he's had to run away from home while still quite a young man, immediately after his father's death, because otherwise he's at risk of being killed by his own brother. He had been particularly close to his mother, Rebekah, and he never sees her again. He gets tricked into an arranged marriage that proves unhappy, and he becomes the head of quite a dysfunctional family. The wife he deeply loved dies early in childbirth, and then the son that he's particularly close to he believes has been died, and he's lived with that belief for many years. So Jacob has had a hard life, but nevertheless there is something very beautiful, which I'll come back to, I think, about the Jacob we now see before us. Next slide. So, with the authority of Pharaoh, Joseph gives them the land in the region of Ramesses. Apparently that's just another word for Goshen, so it's the same place. And Joseph provides food for his father and his brother. Again, we see that Joseph is continuing to behave graciously in all this that he's had. He's been through very difficult episodes in his life directly at the hands of his brothers, but he's been continuing to behave graciously in this situation and providing for them all. Next one. And then the next section, which is actually the longest in the chapter, and you had me read it, really running from 13 to 26, is about the famine and what happens with the Egyptians during the famine. And that can strike us as a bit hard, because it's quite clear in all this, Pharaoh is getting very much wealthier. And so we can think, well, it's kind of not sure how I feel about that section. However, people who have kind of studied this deeply said, you know, first of all, you can see that the Egyptians are asking for this, and they seem very grateful. So what they're asking for is what Joseph gives them. He undoubtedly is responsible for saving perhaps even millions of lives, certainly many, many lives who are starving to death, and Joseph is instrumental in their being saved. And the end result for people who are being described as slaves doesn't sound much like slavery as we would understand it, because they're still living on their own farms, and they get to keep 80 percent of all that they grow and produce. So there's a kind of 20 percent flat rate tax and everything else is yours. Well, that's kind of probably not would have been your mind idea of what slavery would ordinarily look like. I mean, in this country today, I think the burden of taxation on people of average income is about 30 to 35 percent. So, you know, they're facing a much lower rate. Comparisons, of course. I don't suppose the NHS was up to much in Egypt. I don't suppose there was a state pension, so all the rest. But anything, just it's a little bit of an aside, but I think this kind of passage is helpful. I meant every word of what I said about the Bible being God's word and God speaking to us through it and about the authority of that word absolutely mean every word of that. But it doesn't mean that we lift and drop everything in the Old Testament and just say we take that on board. It doesn't mean that, say, the way in which Joseph managed that famine is instructive for us in how we might manage a situation today. There's another odd detail about a vow later in this chapter that you might have picked up about putting your hand under somebody's thigh while making a promise. We don't do that. There's a good reason. You know, it's not, so it's not lift and drop, but it is kind of hearing the voice of God and dealing with the passage respectfully. So that was a bit of an aside. Next slide. And the people of Israel settled in the land of Goshen, and there they acquired property and were fruitful and their population grew rapidly. And you remember what I said at the beginning about the previous chapter and about what Andy preached about was it must have felt very, very strange, particularly to Jacob, when having been called to the Promised Land and believed that that's where they belonged to be told to go to Egypt. But in that, God had promised, and it's in chapter 46, I think it's verse 3, he said, I am calling you to Egypt and you will be prosperous there. And this is God keeping this promise, and that is a promise that we've seen at earlier points in Genesis. So this has all been part of God's plan. God's timing in the way that he works can frequently be deeply puzzling to us, because to an extent his ways are not our ways, but God is keeping his promises, and that's what this verse is about. Next. The time of his death do near, Jacob called for his son Joseph and said, please do me this favor, put your hand under my thigh and swear that you will treat me, and don't bury me in Egypt. Take me home and bury me with my ancestors. And it almost seems quite a formal little thing for a father and son discussion, but you sense behind it all that Jacob, this is very, very important to Jacob, so he's very insistent about it. He doesn't want there to be any misunderstanding. He doesn't want there to be any wriggle room that would mean that after his death something different would happen. He wants Joseph to understand very definitely that he intends to be buried with his ancestors in Egypt, in Canaan. Actually, if you know this, there's a memorial today in Hebron in the West Bank, which is honored by Jews, Christians, and Muslims, which is the family grave so people believe of Abraham and Isaac and Sarah and Rebekah and Jacob. So this is very important to him, and in this reference to putting your hand under his thigh, he's recalling a bit of family history because his grandfather Abraham had used that same particular formula when sending a servant out to find a wife for who's to be Jacob's father. So he is, and he's thinking about the promised land is what Jacob's thinking about. And as we think about the application of this to us today, we'll definitely come back to that thought. Let's have the next slide. So the first thing I think that we learn from Jacob is about depending on God. I do find Jacob in these last chapters to be a deeply appealing and beautiful character. You know, there are plenty of examples in the Bible, and indeed in church life, of people who have a good start or a good middle with God but finish badly. Solomon would be an example of that. You read the early years of Solomon and how he gets made king, and he says some glorious things, and you think it's absolutely wonderful. But by the time of his death, he was a shadow of the man of faith he'd been when he was younger. Jacob is finishing well. Yes, he's had some bad days. Yes, some of the problems of his dysfunctional family have been of his own making. Yes, he had often been deceitful. Yes, he did days when he felt completely hopeless and sometimes strikes us as being quite self-pitying. What does that tell you? It tells you he's like you and I. But he's finishing well. He's finishing well, and that's about depending on God. Of course, we depend on God. We hold on to God because God is holding on to us. But there is something beautiful. By the way, I love that. If you're familiar with the song Hold On To Me that Lauren Daigle thought, beautiful lyrics. Anyway, that's again an aside. Next slide. I don't think I've warned you this. There's going to be some C.S. Lewis. I think Jacob would have loved this. No amount of falls will really undo us if we keep picking ourselves up each time. We shall, of course, be very muddy and tattered children by the time we reach home. But the bathrooms are ready, the towels put out, and the clean clothes are in the earring cupboard. It's a magnificent quote. But you get the sense of that's the kind of thing that Jacob's thinking. And it's beautiful, and it's about holding on to God. And I do hope you put that in your heart, the desire to finish well. There's plenty around of us who are not finishing well. Make that your life's work to finish well. Next one. Do to others as you would like them to do to you. That's, of course, the golden rule. That's Jesus. But we see in this chapter a kind of cycle of blessing. Jacob is blessing Pharaoh. And through Joseph, the Egyptians and Jacob are being blessed through the famine, through the work of Joseph. And the people of God are also being blessed, you know, treating others as you would like them to do. And I think it's great that we as a church, I hope that the things that we are doing as a church are a blessing to the community around us. You know, whether it's the library, the drop-in, the hub, whatever it is, I hope that we're a blessing to the community around us. I hope you're a blessing in your family and in your workplace and amongst your neighbors, called to be a blessing. But in this particular context, we can see actually that the Israelites did get this message. Let's look at the next verse, which is not one of the best known. You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. I think quite a few political parties, that's never going to get on the manifesto, is it? But you know, it's important to treat others as you'd have them treat you. Next slide. Dear friends, I warn you as temporary residents and foreigners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very soul. Here we see Peter, and he's not the only one of these, Peter picking up on this temporary resident thing. And it becomes quite important in the New Testament, and both Peter and the book of Hebrews definitely on it big time. And you get something of what was possibly in Joseph's mind about the choice of Goshen. He's protecting them from this deeply idolatrous culture of the Egyptians. But you see, identity is important to that. You know, if you're living in a country, but you're not pretending to be there forever, there's some stuff you wouldn't get involved in, because actually that's not your long-term home. Some stuff you're not going to do. And there's something about who we are, who do we, if I really believe myself, I am, in Bob Dylan's words, the property of Jesus. If I belong to God, and if my future is with him, then there are some things that are dangerous to me that I ought to be avoiding. You know, Jesus prayed, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, because temptation and evil are very real things. But identity is one of the tools that we use that protect us from temptation and evil. Next one. Where is your true country? There's a concept in law, not only actually in English law, but it's in a number of other countries as well, including Nigeria, I believe, called domicile. And domicile means permanent home. And it's distinguished from, say, residence. Residence is the place you happen to be living. So if you're in the UK for more than six months, you're regarded as resident here. And citizenship is usually about, well, who gives you your passport? So it's about, you know, kind of legal status. But domicile meant something more like permanent home. It's actually probably the deeper of the concepts. And permanent home is something that also kind of sticks to you. So you could go and live abroad for 25 years and come back to the UK, and the UK would say, your domicile was always in this country because your strongest roots and who you felt yourself to be belong to this country. So domicile is about true home. And the very real sense in which, as Christians, we're saying, so where is my true home? Where do I truly belong? Do I understand and see myself to be in this world, as Jacob put it, as a temporary resident? But my true home is with God in hand. There's that difference from temporary residence today, true home and sense of belonging. And the writer of Hebrews says precisely that. Hebrews 13, verse 14-ish. Your permanent home is not in this life. Our permanent home is with God. And we'll have another C.S. Lewis quote. The last battle, I still think the last battle, although it's in a sense a children's book, it's still one of the best things written about the life everlasting. And I commend it to you. But this is a phrase when they've kind of got into heaven effectively, and someone says, I have come home at last. This is my real country. I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. And it's that sense of belonging to our true country. We are temporary residents here. We belong to Jesus. We belong to God's people. And our true country is yet to be. And actually, Karen read this at Anne's funeral, and I hope someone will read it at my funeral. So let's pray, and then I'll hand back to Steve, and we'll give an opportunity if you'd like to be prayed for. Father, we thank you for your great mercy and love, Lord, for all our feelings and shortcomings, for all our messed up-ness, for all the mistakes that we've made in our life. You are faithful, and we can depend on you because you are holding on to us. But Lord, we do want to understand the truth about things, Lord. We do want to receive your truth into our lives, Lord. We do want to know in our hearts where our true home is. Lord, we thank you for Jesus, and we thank you for all that lies ahead of us. The best is yet to be. We thank you for Jesus. Amen.

Join us as Pastor Tyler Wilkins reminds us that God always accomplishes His purposes and does so in spite of man's sinfulness.

Return of the Man-Child (2)  (audio)  David Eells – 3/12/25  I'm going to talk to you today about spearheading the Man-child ministry.  The Lord showed me many years ago that history repeats (Ecclesiastes 1:9) and the events in the Gospels and Book of Acts will be repeated in our day, except the cast of characters will be multiplied many times over, with corporate bodies replacing the individuals of Jesus' day. As time goes on, there is a geometric effect from people passing on to people, and everybody walks in the steps of someone. These are the people about whom we read in the Gospels. The corporate bodies of people in our day have walked in the steps of those New Testament individuals, whether it be Jesus or Judas.   Nations have become empires in our day from the same geometric effect. We recently discussed the lineage of Jesus Christ, which, for some strange reason, was given as the lineage of Joseph, even though we know that Joseph had no physical or genetic connection to Jesus Christ. But he did have a spiritual connection, which was the most important one in the New Testament. Joseph had a gift from God to impart words, actions and examples for the child Jesus to imitate as He was growing up. (Luk.2:52) And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. And He was filled with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32).  I'd like to point out a few more things from Matthew 1. We read, And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ (Mat.1:16). The lineage given is the family tree of Joseph, but the interesting thing is that “Jacob begat Joseph.” That sounds very familiar. This is referring to Joseph the husband of Mary, but we know that in the Old Testament Jacob also begat Joseph (Genesis 30:22-24). And Jacob was Israel (Genesis 32:28), now he is a corporate body of people. And it's very interesting that Israel brought forth Joseph, who was a Man-child of the Old Testament.   Jesus' earthly father, Joseph, was two things to Jesus: He was a “head” to Jesus, the head of his family, the father Jesus was to submit to while He grew up in that earthly body as a young child. But Joseph also represents the spiritual fathers of these days who are being used to raise up the Man-child. Again, it has nothing to do with bloodline; it has everything to do with the Word spoken and taught and the emphasis on walking the holy life, etc. Joseph also received the revelation from God of the coming Man-child.   He received that revelation from God when it was sent to him through an angel. (Mat.1:18) Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. (19) And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. (20) But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. (21) And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins.   Joseph of the New Testament got this revelation of the coming Man-child and the Joseph of the Old Testament was a part of the Man-child. In fact, you might even say he was the head of the Man-child. Joseph in the New Testament is also the head of the Man-child. In a way, he is the head of Jesus, but he is also a spearhead of the Man-child. (Mat.1:22) Now all this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, (23) Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, And they shall call his name Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us. Jesus was “God with them” in the Gospels and the Book of Acts, and He is “God with us” today as well because He left an individual body in order to come back in a corporate body, that He might be “God with us” and in us. He was also the reformer of the Church in His day and today we desperately need the same thing.  The prophet Joel spoke about two times in history when there would be a great reformation. Those are in the “former rain” and the “latter rain” (Joel 2:23), in which God would restore all things that had been stolen from His people (Joel 2:25). Over the last 2000 years, by fake teachers, fake leaders and the devil himself, God's people have been robbed and plundered. So God is coming once again in a reformer ministry called the Man-child of Revelation 12.   (Mat.1:24) And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took unto him his wife; (25) and knew her not till she had brought forth a son: and he called his name JESUS. Jesus warned us what was going to happen when the events of Revelation 12 come to pass. He said that He would be again like a little baby born to a woman and that the “woman” was those disciples, His Church (John 16:21). Today the “woman” is His Church again. (Rev.12:1) And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.   The Church doesn't look much like this, but there is a body in the Church that we call the Bride. All through the Old Testament, the Bride was not the Church but was chosen from out of the Church. There were also the virgins, the friends of the Bridegroom and other attendees of the ceremony, and those who were invited to the ceremony, besides the Bride. She is not the whole Church, as you'll understand if you read the Book of Esther, Psalm 45 or the Song of Solomon.   The point is that this “woman” to whom He's referring is those who are manifesting the fruit of Christ, just like Mary represents in our Matthew text study. She was a virgin and a bride in the midst of a larger church. Joseph was the head of the Man-child, who was being raised up in the midst of the virgin bride, who was also in the midst of the larger church, and she will bring forth the Man-child. That's similar to King David's position in the midst of Jerusalem, which the Book of Revelation tells us is the Bride (Revelation 21:9-10), but Jerusalem was not all of Israel. It was just the part of Israel that was the leadership. So there's a hierarchy consisting of the Man-child, the Bride, and the people of God. Here we see the woman “arrayed with the sun,” having been clothed with the Lord Jesus Christ and the moon under her feet.   This shows her authority is over the moon, and the moon represents a reflection of the light of the Son. The 12 stars around her head, I believe, is the doctrine of the 12 Apostles in her mind, the renewed Mind of Christ. (Rev.12:2) And she was with child; and she crieth out, travailing in birth, and in pain to be delivered. (3) And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems. (4) And his tail draweth the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon standeth before the woman that is about to be delivered, that when she is delivered he may devour her child.   (5) And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. (6) And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they (the Man-child) may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days. This is the revelation that we're looking at as the type and sign. The letter always comes first; the Spirit comes afterwards. There is more than one fulfillment of prophecy. In Jesus was the letter-fulfillment of prophecy. The Bible tells us in Isaiah 7 that His birth to the virgin Mary was a sign, or an owth, which means “a sign of something to come,” which is what we read about in Revelation 12 and in our end-time, the corporate body fulfillment of what we are reading about in this text.  I'd like to point out something else to you, so that you understand how this is an end-time revelation. Jesus came in the body of the Son of David, as we have seen. That was because He was the offspring of David, naturally speaking. God used the DNA of Mary to bring forth the Son of David and the Son of God dwelt in the Son of Man, the Son of God being the spiritual man and the Son of Man being the human part of Jesus. But the Son of David is coming once again in our day. First, I'd like to prove that to you and then I want to share a revelation with you.   (Jer.30:4) And these are the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. (5) For thus saith the Lord: We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. (6) Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child: wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins (The Man-child Jesus is being birthed in a company of men today to do this.), as a woman in travail (This is the woman Church in travail with the Man-child.), and all faces are turned into paleness? (Jer.30:7) Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. Most of you recognize “the time of Jacob's trouble” as an end-time revelation of Jacob entering into trouble in our day – Jacob being Israel and also representing, spiritually, the Church.   We remember Jacob's trouble, when he was in travail coming into the Promised Land and was being threatened by his brother Esau, who had already said that he would kill him (Genesis 27:41), and who was leading a beast army out to meet him (Genesis 32:6). And we remember how God preserved Jacob through that time of trouble, showing him favor and deliverance.  That's what is about to happen with the whole Church. (Jer.30:7) … It is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. (8) And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck (meaning the Beast), and will burst thy bonds; and strangers shall no more make him their bondman (The words “no more” tell us that its fulfillment is very close to the end-time.); (Jer.30:9) but they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them. This was a long time after David, so He's not talking about David, physically. This was about 440 years after David had died, so it's not referring to a past but to a future “David.” Nor is it talking about Jesus, Who was also a fulfillment of this as the Son of David; this is talking about David in the end-time, the “time of Jacob's trouble.”   (Jer.30:10) Therefore fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity … (20) Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before me (As it was before, the Lord is once again raising up the Israel of God, as it is called in the New Testament. That is the Church; it's those who are circumcised in heart, not in flesh.); and I will punish all that oppress them. (Jer.30:21) And their prince shall be of themselves, and their ruler shall proceed from the midst of them (The Man-child is birthed out of the midst of the Bride.); and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is he that hath had boldness to approach unto me? saith the Lord. In other words, the Man-child is in the position of authority in the Church and over the enemies of the Church, like David was. David not only fought the battles of the Lord against the enemies of the Church, but he was the leadership of the Church. He was the leadership in the Bride, the Man-child in the midst of the Bride.  So we see that Mary had a Son. That Son was raised up to be her Head. He led her into the wilderness, where He multiplied the fishes and the loaves, and so it will be in the end times also, as we just read in Revelation 12. The Bride brought forth the Man-child, but the Man-child led her through the wilderness as a corporate body. (Jer.30:22) And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. (23) Behold, the tempest of the Lord, [even his] wrath, is gone forth, a sweeping tempest (Yes, and a great storm is about to be raised upon the earth. You will want to have true leadership and the true anointing of the Holy Spirit, even the Latter Rain of the Holy Spirit.): it shall burst upon the head of the wicked. (Jer.30:24) The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall understand it. This is an understanding that has been given to us for the latter days. (Jer.31:1) At that time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. That's all the families, from the Old Testament to the New Testament.  Who is Israel in the New Testament? In the New Testament, if you are not born again, you are not Israel. You have been broken off the olive tree. The Church was grafted into the olive tree which, as God said in Romans 11:26, was all Israel. God will be the God of all the families of Israel, which can only be fulfilled in the end times. (Jer.31:2) Thus saith the Lord, The people that were left of the sword found favor in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest. That's what God has planned for in the wilderness, to cause His people to enter into His rest, trusting in His promises.   In the New Testament, this rest is called sabbatismos. (Heb.4:9) There remaineth therefore a sabbath (Greek: sabbatismos) rest for the people of God. That word means “a continual rest,” not one day a week. The only thing that remains in the New Testament of the Sabbath rest is that continual rest. The apostles went into the synagogues on the Sabbath as evangelists to teach the Jews what Jesus had brought in the New Testament. The New Testament Sabbath rest is every day of the week, all the time, because you believe the promises of God. You cease from your works; you enter into His rest. The Man-child is going to bring the revelation of the true Gospel and the true Sabbath rest of God to God's people.  I said all that to say this: I want to share with you a revelation that was given to us. Now you don't base anything on modern-day revelations, dreams, visions or prophecies; you base everything on what the Scripture says. But these things do come to confirm what is written in the Word and sometimes to explain so that you are able to put verses together to explain what is happening. There's a revelation on our website called Spearheading the Manchild Ministry. I'm going to share part of it with you here because I feel that it's very important concerning what we've discovered about a type in the Bible. You might call it a snapshot in the midst of a panoramic view, a snapshot of Joseph being the head of the Man-child as someone who spearheaded the Man-child's ministry by raising-up Jesus and bringing Him into this position as an earthly guide to His humanity. Jesus also had the Father and the Holy Spirit, Who were guiding Him to receive wonderful revelations of Who He really was in this earth and Whom He manifested. He was growing both as the Son of God and the Son of Man.  The Man-child that we know is coming upon the scene now is also both son of man and son of God. The members of the Man-child have a body and therefore must be submissive to parents and authority, but they also each have a spiritual man who is taught of the Lord. We noticed that between the time of the conception of Jesus and His ministry in Matthew 1 and 2, many dreams came forth. I guarantee that's a sign for our day that the same thing is going to happen. The dream and the prophecy I am sharing with you now is a fulfillment of that. It's saying that the same thing is going to happen in our day between the time of the conception of the Man-child and when He starts His earthly ministry. There were five dreams in Matthew 1 and 2 that were to fulfill guidance and protection, and wisdom and provision to the Lord. We know that God is building the Man-child ministry to spread His truths to multitudes of babies about to come looking for answers when this nation is brought into severe chastening.   I share this revelation for your edification and preparation, not to give any credit to myself. The Lord did not choose the wise and the noble and the mighty (1 Corinthians 2:26) because He wanted His power to be made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). I have always told people that's the reason I'm qualified, not because I'm a great speaker (I'm not) or very intelligent (I'm not), or that I went to Bible school (I didn't) or anything, but only because God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong (1Co.2:27).  Some of these things appear to be glorifying me, but I tell you that God is only using me as a type and shadow of a larger body of people. He's using me because my name is David, because I believe in the Man-child ministry and because I have faith that I will, by the grace of God, have a part in this ministry. There's nothing to brag about; it's not us, it is Christ in us (Colossians 1:27).   The Jesus about Whom Matthew speaks is coming again. (Hos.6:2) After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. (3) And let us know, let us follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth. Jesus is coming on the morning of the third day, as the latter rain anointing that comes, first of all, upon the Man-child, so that Jesus would live in this Man-child and do His works to be a reformer to the Church. The Lord is coming to shepherd His flock. Most people don't know that. The following is a prophecy given to me by a prophet named Philip, who shared this vision with me. My comments are in parentheses.  The Phoenix Vision: I have prayed for three days now for the holy Father's will in this matter of sharing the vision that I received during a meeting with David as the speaker in Phoenix. (I've often thought about why Phoenix was chosen for this vision. Well, the Phoenix bird as a legend, which I think was a very spiritual thing, aside from its pagan background, is a type of resurrection life. The Phoenix, after its life cycle, flies to Heliopolis, which means “city of the sun,” or to me, “city of the Son,” and creates a nest. Sitting on the nest, it bursts into flames and burns up, leaving nothing but ashes and an egg, which hatches a new bird out of the ashes as a type of resurrection life. So, Phoenix is the place of resurrection life and it was no accident that the prophecy he sent forth occurred in Phoenix.)  I am permitted to share the following: As I prayed with David at the start of the meeting (I led everyone in a prayer before the teaching and Philip was among the people there), I saw the room change into a stadium filled with people and David was at the podium shouting through a microphone that was in the shape of a shofar. He wore a silver yarmulke that glowed as he spoke and from above came a white-golden light pouring down from the sky as a beam of glory, growing brighter with each outpouring. From David's clothing came the same glory, lights pouring through the tzit-tzit on his garment, flowing like fingers through the people. The lights touched the forehead and were grabbed by the right hand of people who became pregnant and began shouting as they were covered in glory. This is the vision that I had at the meeting. The holy Father says that David would know its meaning, if not now, very soon.   Months after that meeting, Philip contacted me again and after he received this: The Holy Father is forming this ministry into His image to spearhead the Man-child ministry birthing and delivery to the world. Amen! He has given this to me in a mighty vision that ran in succession for three nights, along with some other things that I can't say just yet.  Here is the interpretation of the dream. What he's describing here is the corporate body of the spearhead of the Man-child Ministry. It's not just referring to me. He just used me because my name is David. It's not to glorify me; it's to tell you what is about to happen here, that God is raising up a spearhead like He did Joseph in bringing the Man-child ministry to fruition. The full interpretation is given on our website. I had already received a previous prophecy that I would be teaching in stadiums. I thought this might be spiritual because of the rows of people and how a stadium is built. The Word is passed on from person-to-person as each tier speaks to greater and greater circles of people in a geometric progression, like a stadium is built.   In other words, you speak from the middle, and it goes out and reaches the first circle, then the next circle in ever-increasing numbers, and this is how our ministry has been. I speak to a certain circle of people, and they go and speak to a certain circle of people, and I hear back from their children, their relatives, etc. It's just radiating out. Praise God! I've been contacted by many who have told us that they are using our broadcasts, MP3 audios or videos for their home Bible study groups. Also, multitudes are copying our materials and passing them out, so it just enters a larger and larger circle. This has been happening for some time now, but not to the degree that it's about to happen. It will soon happen in a much greater way, as the Lord has shown us.  My microphone resembling a shofar is significant because a shofar turns inaudible breath, which is the same Hebrew word for “spirit,” into the audible voice of the Spirit or the Word, which warns God's people and destroys the enemy, as in Gideon's battle. We are all called to this ministry of being a vessel through whom the pure Word of the Spirit will flow. The people being touched on the forehead by the light from Heaven are those who humbly receive the Word and so receive the renewed mind of Christ. These are grabbing the light with the right hand, which represents those who act on the Word and so have the renewed works of Christ.   The left hand represents the works of the flesh, and the mark of the beast in the forehead represents having the mind of the Beast, which is the opposite of those. So these people became pregnant with the seed of Christ through the Word, which is what recreates in us the life of Christ. Jesus was the Sower who sowed the seed and the seed that He sowed was the Word of God. It went into hearts and brought forth fruit 30-, 60- and 100-fold. Jesus told us, For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother (Mat.12:50). When this seed bears fruit in the womb of the heart and mind, and is eventually birthed to the world, they will be seen as the image of Christ.  What about the tzitzit? We're told, But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings (The “wings” are the same as the tzitzit, the fringe on our garment.); and ye shall go forth, and gambol as calves of the stall (Mal.4:2). (3) And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I make, saith the Lord of hosts. The Man-child Ministry is coming to bring not only judgment upon the wicked but resurrection life to the saved people of God. (Mal.4:4) Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, even statutes and ordinances. (5) Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. Notice, this speaks of Moses and Elijah, which the Man-child brings into fruition. The Man-child raises up the corporate body of the Two Witnesses.   The disciples were Jesus' witnesses and they went forth two-by-two. They're a type of the corporate body of Two Witnesses, as Moses and Elijah symbolize. Before the Day of the Lord, the Man-child will raise up the Two Witnesses. (Mal.4:6) And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers; lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. The Jews believed that the “sun of righteousness” would be the Messiah, Who would have the power to heal whoever touched the tzitzit, or fringes, of His garment. They did not know that this would be repeated in the end-time through Christ in the Man-child company. A light from Heaven poured through the tzitzit of Jesus' tallit (prayer shawl) to heal the sick, just as it will spiritually through the end-time Man-child. Praise God!   The fulfillment of the Phoenix vision is the spearheading of the Man-child ministry. If we're talking about the physical Man-child Jesus, He was born in a physical body of the virgin Mary. But I believe that the Man-child is going to be born over a period of time because we're talking about a very large body of people being born out of the virgin Church. It could happen over a period of time, with the spearhead being born first. Just like Joseph was a type of the Man-child who was born to Israel, Jesus was a type of the end-time Man-child who was born to the virgin Mary of Israel.  Here's another confirmation. The following revelation I'm sharing with you concerning the Man-child's “head” coming forth first is to bring the Word to the world. I'm convinced that in these days, there's a Joseph, or a spearhead, of the Man-child that's coming forth first to bring the revelation of the Man-child to the Man-child Company, and this whole body, including the head, will have this end-time ministry. That's what I have been trying to explain to you through Matthew 1 and I hope we've been somewhat successful. This revelation was given through Leisa Miller in May of 2007. I will interpret (in parentheses) as we go along.   I dreamed that a lot of people and I were on top of a mountain. (I believe that the mountain represents the Kingdom of God, His people, His Church, worldwide.) I could see that some of us were looking at a small but active version of the mountain. Looking at this smaller version, I could see the whole shape of the mountain. (Why see a large mountain and then a smaller version of it? They were seeing a local microcosm, meaning in Greek, “small world.” In other words, we see the Church locally, but there is a Church that's worldwide. She was only seeing in her experience a small part, a small representation or scaled-down version of the Kingdom of God worldwide, the portion of the body of Christ that she was familiar with as part of the worldwide body. Leisa is part of UBM, which will have a part in this movement.)   There was an image in the mountain. The whole of the mountain had the shape of a woman who was pregnant. I could see that she was birthing her child. The mountain would shake and we could feel it. On the smaller version, we could see rocks give way to form the new development of the child being born. It was very detailed. (She saw the microcosm as the woman Church in her fellowship experience began to bring forth the first-fruits Man-child company at the same time as it happened worldwide.) The head and shoulders were out but the water had only begun to break. (This is the head of the Man-child body being born. Could this have been happening for some time? I believe so. It won't be finished until it is finished, but it could have been happening for some time. The head or spearhead of the Man-child ministry will be born first in the microcosm seen by Leisa, as well as in other microcosms.)   Suddenly there was a very hard shaking. (Who knows what this could be. But we have had this revelation given to us many times before, that when the Man-child begins His ministry, something catastrophic is going to happen in the world.) We could see on the little version, water began to flow out. (In the beginning of the coming time of judgment, the head will bring forth the water of the Word. We noticed that Joseph's words were the only seed that brought forth Jesus, the Son of God, the spiritual man, the true Man-child. It had nothing to do with any physical seed because he was not Jesus' physical father, but he did have something to do with that spiritual seed, which the Bible tells us is the Word of God. So Joseph raised Him up as a father would.) The detail of the child became more distinct, and we could hear the water rushing all around us, until it carried us away from the spot where we were standing. (Could this be akin to bringing the Church into the wilderness? It could be.) But each of us could still see one another and somehow we could also see that the whole world was flooding with this water. (Why? Because all she saw was the microcosm. The same thing was happening simultaneously all over the world. The head being born was breaking the water and the water was going forth.)  (What the Man-child lives on in the womb is the water, the Word of God. We have to be born of water and of Spirit, don't we? The Bible tells us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. (Mat.2:5) And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written through the prophet, (6) And thou, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Art in no wise least among the princes of Judah, For out of thee shall come forth a governor, Who shall be shepherd of my people Israel. And “Bethlehem” means “House of bread,” or “House of food.” Jesus is born in, and is a product of, the Word of God. He is, as John said, the Word made flesh (John 1:14), and “Moses” means “drawn from the waters.” Moses was the man-child in his day. He was a product of the waters of the washing of the Word of God. So the head comes first and it teaches the body. With the breaking-forth of the head of the first-fruits in the microcosm, a great flood of the Word will go forth over the whole earth. This Word is being prepared by books, radio, television, video, Internet, etc. The Lord will use every available method to get this Word out.)   (This move of the Spirit will also carry disciples with the message all over the world. Notice that when the water broke, it carried them all away, just as it was in Jesus' day when He was the Man-child. He sent disciples with the same Word, the same anointing, the same mantle that He had, and they went all over the world. They were called “Christians” because they walked in the power and the anointing of Jesus Christ. This is about to happen once again in our day. A great reformer movement will go forth, but not necessarily a popular one. It will be popular with the people who love God and know Him, but it won't be popular with the status quo or the Pharisees and Sadducees, as we will see shortly.)   We were under the water, but we could breathe. (Abiding in the Word is natural for those who live by the Spirit, which in Hebrew is also the word “breath.”) We saw others caught in this water who could not breathe and were dying. (The Word brings death to the carnal man and his spirit, or breath.) But the water was so abundant that I could not tell which way was up unless I was near an object on the ground that could identify direction. (Beholding the reward of the wicked, as in Psalm 91:8, and the corruption of the earth lets us know what is under our feet and what is the way to Heaven. The earthly will swallow the flood going forth from the dragon's mouth, as in Revelation 12:15, and the heavenly will swallow the flood that goes forth from the Man-child, as Revelation 12:14 says.)   Some of us found ourselves inside a large building under the water. It seemed to be a large farm building where tools, farm equipment, and seed were kept. (For we are God's fellow-workers: ye are God's husbandry (Greek: “tilled land”), God's building (1Co.3:9). It's interesting that this farm and building were under the water. It's a part of God's work, God's building. You are God's husbandry, His tilled land. (1Co.3:10) According to the grace of God which was given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder I laid a foundation; and another buildeth thereon. But let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon. (11) For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Jesus in the Man-child is about to lay the foundation of God's building and once again plant the seed of the Word over the world. It's a very spiritual revelation that Leisa had there.)   We knew that there were people who were now above the water and were angry at us and wanted to kill us. (The righteous lived beneath the waters. They were baptized in the Word of God which had put to death their flesh. They could no longer die because the spiritual man received life and sustenance from the water of the Word of God. It is a product of the Word of God. But to the carnal man the Word of God is death, so for those to whom the water is death, they will hate the righteous even more because of the increase of truth and fruit in them. Abiding in the water of the Word is a place of protection to them.)  Amen! I believe that both of these revelations have to do with what we're looking at here in the Book of Matthew.  Let's return to where we left off in (Mat.2:1) Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, Wise-men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, (2) Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east, and are come to worship him. (3) And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Remember those from Leisa's vision who were above the water, not dwelling in the water, not baptized in the water of the Word of God? They are troubled. We can see why Herod might be troubled, but “all Jerusalem with him”? Today, religious people are enjoying their life in the world, their leaders are enjoying their life in the world, and they really don't want the Messiah to come and upset their apple cart.   If you don't believe that, just read the Bible. What kind of a reception did Jesus get? The overwhelming majority of people were anti-Christ. Their leaders were anti-Christ. They had already set up their stage of playing church through their religion and didn't need Jesus to come along and upset them. They were already set in their ways and wanted no reformation whatsoever. Jesus was a reformer and that's what He came for, so we can understand why “all Jerusalem” was troubled. (Mat.2:4) And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ should be born. (5) And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written through the prophet … Why would they tell Herod, whom they knew was anti-Christ, where Jesus would be born? It seems as if they were on the side of the Beast here and throughout the New Testament we see that.   The leadership of the natural people of God, the status quo, was always on the side of the Beast, all the way through the Scriptures. Herod, representing the Beast kingdom, had ambitions to be the king and did not want any competition from this new upstart King coming on the scene. However, Jesus' Kingdom was not of this world (Joh.18:36). He came to be the King over the spiritual, born-again man and to lead God's people to the ways of righteousness and restoration. But Herod and the priests did not want anything to change and so it will be in our day. We have a wonderful reformation ministry coming that will spread over the whole world, bringing the true Word of God and the true Gospel to the whole world, yet it will be fiercely resisted by these people and they will attempt to quash it.   Throughout history, it has been that when God raised up a Man-child or a reformer or a prophet, they were fiercely resisted and hated by the religious leaders and people who wanted to live in the flesh. A person is comfortable living in the flesh and does not want the spirit man to be the ruler and the leader and the guide in their life. They will fight against it as they have throughout history. Nothing is going to change. (Ecc.1:9) That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. The Lord is continuing to repeat history.   What we're reading in the Book of Matthew will be fulfilled on a much larger scale, meaning the cast of characters has been multiplied. Herod represents a much bigger body of people in authority over God's people, a worldly body of people that is a Beast kingdom over God's people. Jesus also represents a much larger body of people, the Man-child ministry. The Pharisees and the Sadducees – the Sanhedrin, if you will – represent a larger corporate body called the False Prophet. The Sanhedrin was the False Prophet in Jesus' day; they were the ones who crucified the Christ, the ones who sided with the Beast against God's people, the ones who sided with the Beast against the disciples of Christ; and they were the ones who sided with the Beast against the Two Witnesses, etc. So history is about to repeat on a much larger scale, as it has throughout the Bible, and we're fortunate enough to read Matthew as not only history, but a very accurate prophecy.   All of the Gospels and the Book of Acts, even though they recount history, are speaking a prophecy because the Bible says, “That which hath been is that which shall be.” Anything that happens today has already happened earlier, but on a smaller scale. Praise be to God! He is opening our eyes here to understand this and to have much prophecy opened to us in these latter days. I've shared with you how the Gospels, which were Jesus' 3½- year ministry, represent the first 3½ years of the Tribulation and how the Book of Acts represents the second 3½ years and the 40 years between Jesus' ministry and the 70 A.D. destruction of the Harlot by the Beast. 40 is the number of tribulation, as can be seen in type when Moses took the children of Israel through 40 years in the wilderness. 

Joseph, Genesis 41 - Pastor James Robertson by Pastor David Goodson

Sunday Morning Service March 9th

What does it mean to stay faithful when every right choice drags you deeper into hardship? In this episode, we dive into the story of Joseph—Genesis' final act (Genesis 37-50)—a rollercoaster of betrayal, integrity, and redemption that ties together the book's earliest threads. From a pit of jealousy to Egypt's throne, Joseph's life doesn't just echo the struggles of Cain, Noah, and Eden—it casts a shadow of the Savior to come. Join Russell Aspinwall as we unpack how this favored son, sold for silver and raised to save his betrayers, reveals God's promise in the mess of human failure. How do we hold fast when integrity feels like a burden? This 27-minute journey through Joseph's story might just change how you see faith in your own life.Text: Genesis 37-50 (NET Bible)Follow: Subscribe for more biblical deep dives!Connect: Find Russell on Instagram (@russellaspinwall), X (@RussAspinwall), or Facebook (Russell Aspinwall).

The Gospel Story: Joseph Genesis 50:15-21 by Beersheba Church

Luke 3:2 (ESV) during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.The Word Of The Lord - Divine communication and guidance delivered to man.The Word Of The Lord Is Common. Hearing The Word Of The Lord Is Not.Few are aware of the realityFew are listening to hear Him speakFew listen when He speaksYou Are Listening. You Will Hear. You Will Respond.The Word Of The Lord In Action:Abraham: Genesis 15 - a son in his old age who will inherit a land of promiseSamuel: 1 Samuel 15 - God had rejected Saul as King for his disobedience.Elijah: 1 Kings 17 - God was bringing a drought over Israel but would supply for Elijah in the wilderness.John The Baptist: Luke 3:2 (ESV) during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.There are a bunch of different ways to hear from GodBiblical principleCircumstantial affirmationA sense of confirmation in your spiritProphetic wordThe Word of the Lord is higher.7 Nuances Of The Word Of The LordIt Comes Unexpectedly At Times, But Can Be Sought.Abraham was not seeking - Gen 15Daniel was seeking - Daniel 10 - more frequentFrequency in life for the general person is lowIt Is Guidance For The Macro.A true Word for you is not just for you. It is a word, through you, beyond you. You are simply a catalyst to activate the Word. There are life Words and seasonal Words.It is change oriented, but doesn't always require change.Samuel: Saul is not kingDon't make major life changes without thisIt Is The Revelation Of God's Truth1 Kings 17:24 (ESV) And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.”Psalm 119:160 (ESV) The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.John 17:17 (ESV) Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.Delivered so that you will know for sureKey details that you need to knowSometimes it confirms, often cuts against the grainIt Requires Your Yes To Receive ItLuke 1:38 (ESV) And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.Your amen is required.You must embrace it as God's Word to you.You must put it on like a coatOtherwise it will become a testimony against you.Ongoing Action Is Required For Its Fulfillment. It Will Be Tested Psalm 105:19 (ESV) until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him.Temptation for substitutes or to quitEverything in this world will oppose God's Best in your life.Authority and Power Are Embedded Within.The word comes with authority and power woven into the fabric.Luke 4:32 (ESV) and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.Joseph - Genesis 41:38–40 (ESV) And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.”It Transforms As It Rests Upon You.Jacob the Deceiver became Israel, he who struggles with God and overcomes.1 Samuel 10:6 (ESV) Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV) And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Luke 3:2 (ESV) during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.The Word Of The Lord - Divine communication and guidance delivered to man.The Word Of The Lord Is Common. Hearing The Word Of The Lord Is Not.Few are aware of the realityFew are listening to hear Him speakFew listen when He speaksYou Are Listening. You Will Hear. You Will Respond.The Word Of The Lord In Action:Abraham: Genesis 15 - a son in his old age who will inherit a land of promiseSamuel: 1 Samuel 15 - God had rejected Saul as King for his disobedience.Elijah: 1 Kings 17 - God was bringing a drought over Israel but would supply for Elijah in the wilderness.John The Baptist: Luke 3:2 (ESV) during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.There are a bunch of different ways to hear from GodBiblical principleCircumstantial affirmationA sense of confirmation in your spiritProphetic wordThe Word of the Lord is higher.7 Nuances Of The Word Of The LordIt Comes Unexpectedly At Times, But Can Be Sought.Abraham was not seeking - Gen 15Daniel was seeking - Daniel 10 - more frequentFrequency in life for the general person is lowIt Is Guidance For The Macro.A true Word for you is not just for you. It is a word, through you, beyond you. You are simply a catalyst to activate the Word. There are life Words and seasonal Words.It is change oriented, but doesn't always require change.Samuel: Saul is not kingDon't make major life changes without thisIt Is The Revelation Of God's Truth1 Kings 17:24 (ESV) And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.”Psalm 119:160 (ESV) The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.John 17:17 (ESV) Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.Delivered so that you will know for sureKey details that you need to knowSometimes it confirms, often cuts against the grainIt Requires Your Yes To Receive ItLuke 1:38 (ESV) And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.Your amen is required.You must embrace it as God's Word to you.You must put it on like a coatOtherwise it will become a testimony against you.Ongoing Action Is Required For Its Fulfillment. It Will Be Tested Psalm 105:19 (ESV) until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him.Temptation for substitutes or to quitEverything in this world will oppose God's Best in your life.Authority and Power Are Embedded Within.The word comes with authority and power woven into the fabric.Luke 4:32 (ESV) and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.Joseph - Genesis 41:38–40 (ESV) And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.”It Transforms As It Rests Upon You.Jacob the Deceiver became Israel, he who struggles with God and overcomes.1 Samuel 10:6 (ESV) Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV) And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

How to win life in 2025 (& beyond) - Takeaways from the life of Joseph - Genesis 37-50 - Brian Bell

    Answer for last week['s quesiton of the week: John 3.    This week the question of the week is: What is the relationship between Paul's teaching and James' teaching about faith and works?   This week, I want to help the helpers. You that have a testimony.  You that have worked in ministry and you that has a desire to do so.  Take it from me, sometimes we fail as disciples of Christ because even though our hearts are in the right place, our mouth is not connected.  We say the wrong thing.  I am just trying to help someone on your faith journey.  Have you ever taken a martial art?  Karate, kung fu, BJJ?  Depending on your ability and school it may take you a little while to get your first belt, sash or stripe.  You with me so far?  One of the things that happens to you really quick is you learn how much you don't know.  How foolish would it for a white belt to spar with a black belt in karate?  For those that don't know, you only are taught basic blocks, stances and punches and kicks at that level.  The black belt on the other hand is more experienced and has more tools in his arsenal that you do. But we go off to help people fast without realizing we don't know all that is going on. You ever heard someone quote to you Philippians 4:6-7 with a big old smile, and you wanted to hit them with a one of those three stooges cream pies?  King James Version 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.    Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down.   Sounds good. But It comes down to trust.   Maybe you never felt like that.  But personally, Christians can get on your nerves when you are going through tough times.  Although the word of God is legit and true, how you receive it to apply is different.    Why is it that we are so eager to fight a demon with no training? We have a little bit of Scripture and we want to apply that to every situation.  I know you mean well, but so do those folks that come knock on your door to give you Watchtower tracks. Here's a few tips for making your witness better.  Take that scripture and put in your own words that is applicable to the situation.  That will take some thought.  That will take some maturity.  That will slow your roll and allow you to listen which is usually needed more than a memorized Masoretic Hebrew text from the canon, referring to the holy bible. If you really want to help your buddy remind them that they have to trust God. Now would be a good time to testify to a situation you had.  Side bar. Testimonies   Testimonies are important for several reasons, especially within a faith journey context:   1. **Personal Connection**: Sharing personal experiences helps others relate to your journey and see how faith has impacted your life. It makes abstract beliefs more tangible and relatable¹.   2. **Encouragement and Hope**: Hearing how others have overcome challenges through their faith can provide encouragement and hope to those facing similar struggles. It reassures them that they are not alone².   3. **Strengthening Faith**: Testimonies can strengthen the faith of both the speaker and the listeners. Sharing your story can remind you of God's faithfulness and inspire others to trust in Him more deeply².   4. **Evangelism**: Testimonies are powerful tools for evangelism. They can open doors for conversations about faith and provide a non-confrontational way to share the gospel³.   5. **Building Community**: Sharing testimonies fosters a sense of community and support within a congregation or group. It helps build deeper connections as people share their personal journeys and support one another¹.   6. **Authenticity**: A genuine testimony reflects the authenticity of one's faith. It shows how faith influences daily life, decisions, and actions, making it more credible and impactful.   A lot of time what we hear in church is not any of what I just said.  What you want to do my friend is inspire on this faith journey is to trust GOD.   Trusting God in Difficult Times: Use the story of Job or Psalm 23 to illustrate how faith can sustain us through life's challenges. Highlight how trusting God can bring peace and strength even in the darkest moments. Faith Over Fear: Focus on the story of Jesus calming the storm (Mark 4:35-41). Discuss how faith in God's power and presence can help us overcome fear and anxiety. Trusting God's Plan: Use the story of Joseph (Genesis 37-50) to show how God's plan can unfold in unexpected ways. Emphasize the importance of patience and trust in God's timing. Trusting God in the Lion's Den: Reflect on Daniel's unwavering faith in God when faced with the lions' den (Daniel 6). Discuss how trust in God can give us courage to stand firm in our beliefs. Trusting God with Our Future: Use Proverbs 3:5-6 to encourage the congregation to trust in God's guidance and wisdom for their future decisions and plans. Trusting God in a Crisis: Share the story of Peter walking on water (Matthew 14:22-33). Highlight how keeping our focus on Jesus can help us navigate through crises. Trusting God in Everyday Life: Discuss how we can trust God in our daily routines and decisions. Use examples from the New Testament, such as the faith of the centurion (Matthew 8:5-13). Trusting God When We Don't Understand: Use the story of Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22) to illustrate the importance of trusting God even when His plans don't make     OK, what happened on my trip to Missouri. It was awesome.  I got to do what the Lord called me to do. I was hosted by a beautiful couple of old friends. They blessed me ten fold.  I got a chance to meet some of Gods people that have a real testimony as they are overcoming addictions and life choices. They were on fire for the Lord.  And I got a chance to rest, eat well, be loved on my some children, that I introduced lil spoon. And be a guest preacher at another church. Where I shared some personal stuff you know already. Awesome sauce.   

Despite being sold into slavery and facing false accusations from Potiphar's wife, Joseph remains faithful to God, leading to his eventual success in difficult circumstances. True prosperity comes from the Lord's presence, which provides strength and resilience during trials.

When trials come and linger, the temptation to question God and throw in the towel increases. However, James tells us that trials produce perseverance which ultimately brings about a perfect faith. The life of Joseph reveals what faithful waiting and perseverance looks like under trials.  Find the Handout here.

The Lord Was With Joseph, Genesis 39:1-6, 20-23

Pain & Purpose: The Story of Joseph | Genesis 37:1-8 | Pastor Josh Johnson

Joseph (Genesis 37:1-11): Joseph is one of the most famous dreamers, and one of the most famous dream-interpreters, in the Bible. His first recorded dreams are found in Genesis 37. They showed through easily deciphered symbols that Joseph's family would one day bow to him in respect. His brothers didn't appreciate the dream and in […]

Sunday Worship July 21st, 2024   “Responding to Problems” Nehemiah 1:5-11 Rev. Tyler Dirks   Sermon Audio   Sermon Outline: Who's In Charge? Accountability What Does God Want? Reflection Questions: What's your typical response to problems? Find someone to blame? Complain? …or Fixate on Jesus? Imaginatively inhabit the story of Joseph (Genesis 37-50). What problems […] The post Responding to Problems appeared first on East Charlotte Pres.

THE FAITH OF JOSEPH (Genesis 39:1 to 40:23)  In today's message we will discover that Joseph is a very different person than his brothers were.  The single biggest difference in Joseph's life is that he is a man of faith.  Joseph distinguishes himself as something in the world, but different from the world.  When people see him, they notice something different about him, and they are drawn to him.  People are not drawn to failure, or to those who are walking around with despair hanging like a cloud above them.  To be an effective witness for God you have to have something that people want; they see your ability to handle trials in your life, your calmness in a storm, and your faith in the promises of God.  They see something that they do not have, they see something different in you. Joseph had every reason to just give up in despair; to simply hide in a corner and weep.  Joseph was sold into slavery because of the hatred and animosity of his brothers.  And to be a slave in a foreign country is a life that is described as a slow death.  It was certainly a bleak prospect for a seventeen–year–old boy.  Joseph would have had to look hard to find anything to bring encouragement to his heart.   There is no person in the Old Testament in whose life the purpose of God is more clearly seen than Joseph. The providence of God is manifest in every detail of his life.  The hand of God is upon him and the leading of the Lord is evident. The question of why God allows trials in our lives, is one of the hardest lessons we face as believers, but it is also the thing that strengthens our faith in the power, and protection, of an almighty God that loves us and is gracious to us.   Click on the play button below to hear a message on how each step of Joseph's life prepared him for the role that God had for him.  If we are the children of God, in the will of God, then we can have the assurance of God, that nothing comes to us without His permission.  This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

Do you struggle to save money? This episode of Eternal Wealth is your roadmap to financial peace of mind! Shani Tené, your favorite money coach, shares 3 powerful tips to help you build an emergency fund fast, even on a teacher's salary! Learn from the story of Joseph and Pharaoh in the Bible and discover how sinking funds and high-yield savings accounts can revolutionize your savings strategy.

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | The end of the book of Genesis recounts the end of Joseph's life, documenting his many years as second-in-command in Egypt, and giving us a window into how he's processed the pain, path, and purpose God had for him. As he looks back, God has crystallized three main things in his heart: an ability to forgive fully, an ability to perceive rightly, and an ability to hope expectantly. 

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | God's path, plan, and preparation for Joseph has been a series of long-winding roads, twists and turns, diversions and demotions - yet, from glory to glory in God's providential purposes. Joseph is around 27 years old, and God has ordained his path and his preparation - now, we see God's patience and providential actions beyond what Joseph can see, as Joseph waits trustingly. 

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | Joseph arrives at the doorstep of Potiphar, the captain of the guard for Pharaoh, and spends approximately 10 years there. During this particular decade, God prepares his character and competency - orchestrating every detail on his way to second-in-command.

Today's sermon focused on the story of Joseph from Genesis chapter 40, highlighting Joseph's humility and compassion despite his own challenges. The pastor drew parallels between Joseph's outward-focused response and Jesus' selfless nature. He emphasized the importance of sharing the message of Jesus and not being ashamed to proclaim it, urging listeners to reflect on their own responses to difficult situations. The sermon ended with a prayer of gratitude and a call to remember Jesus publicly.

Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX | God's path for Joseph was one of silent sovereignty. God orchestrated each interaction, each diversion, and each detail - all leading him to be exactly where God wanted him to be. And so He does with our own lives, too.

In this episode we eat on these moments in this race we run where "sin is crouching at the door". It builds...it's there...it's right around the corner. What do we choose to do in these moments? God says it is right here in these moments where we should...RUN!!!!David - 2 Samuel 11 - Did he run (flee, escape, retreat) or did he run (towards and to the sin)? Joseph - Genesis 39 - Did he run (flee, escape, retreat) or did he run (towards and to the sin)? Listen and subscribe here:Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-44/id1633292693Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3xwa7L1pmRvTBf7wZXEIQt?si=FuDe6d38QFayNWmy_5naMwYouTube: https://youtu.be/l9XvoiZ6Y1s

The first sermon in a series on the life of Joseph. Message by Drew Stevenson.

Located in the heart of downtown Maryville, Pleasant Grove at College Street was founded as a church plant of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in 2017. Our sending church has been serving the greater Maryville area for over 175 years. We continue to partne

Series:  FIELD GUIDE TO THE BIBLE Passage: Genesis 15:5-6, 9-1,17; Genesis 22:7-8 February 11, 2024 www.clearcreekcoc.org

Brentwood Baptist Church Buzzsprout-14356149 Mon, 22 Jan 202