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Genesis

Do You Hear God Speak?

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Genesis 22:1-4

[1] And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
[2] And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
[3] And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
[4] Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

Never was any gold tried in so hot a fire. Who but Abraham would not have argued with God? Any that would have argued with God stand with a weak heart. Faith had taught him not to argue but to obey. He is sure that what God commands is good; that what he promises cannot be broken. Whoever consults with flesh and blood will never offer up his Isaac to God. As time passes what we see that causes us to stumble leaves us weak to have faithful follow-thru.

Genesis 22:6-9

[6] And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.
[7] And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
[8] And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
[9] And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

Abraham, even when he was weakened through the voice of Isaac still prophesied to the promise of God. In present difficulty God wants us to not get lost on our way to where he speaks. If God wants you to do something very important, he will not only use the place that you get to but the journey on the way to understand the answers that we could get lost trying to find.

Genesis 22:11-14

[11] And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
[12] And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
[13] And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
[14] And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

The answer begins to be revealed as we sell out completely!

Genesis 22:15-18

[15] And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
[16] And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
[17] That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
[18] And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

The blessing far exceeded the natural vision, for faith when exercised defies our nature and ideals to reveal exceeding beyond what we were even promised.

Hebrews 5:11-14

[11] Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
[12] For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
[13] For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
[14] But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Once we get to a place when we finally turn our ears to listen to God we then are taught to evolve and overcome. As we overcome through each part of the journey God speaks and keeps leading us into starting to exercise the ability to learn and discern.

It’s Way More Than Fabric

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How well that you embrace change demonstrates how great the spirit is in your life to help you adjust.

Your environments may change…

Your support may change…

Your enemies may change…

Your circumstances that hinder you may change…

Yet the one thing that can be a constant is your faith for change.

Joseph not only adapted to the situation but evolved by faith to make the best of it. Just because he lost his coat did not mean he lost what the coat represented to him. He still wore favor by faith! It is way more than fabric, favor is worn by faith!

Genesis 37:1-4

[1] And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
[2] These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
[3] Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
[4] And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

In the history of Joseph we begin to see something of Christ, who was first humbled and then exalted. It also shows us as Christians who through many forms of tribulation are saved. As you are saved, God gives you (through the Holy Ghost) favor (or grace and kindness). This same favor will in-turn begin to produce opportunities to receive the spiritual word that leads you to a closer walk and blessings that are to come. And as the brothers looked on with envy, so does the devil look on at you with every intention to destroy you. God gave Joseph dreams of advancement to not only show what is ahead but to let this support and comfort him under his long and grievous season of trouble.

Genesis 37:5-11

[5] And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
[6] And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
[7] For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
[8] And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
[9] And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
[10] And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
[11] And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

Notice he dreamed of his favor and not his trouble. Such as we are when we go out into the world: we think of nothing but prospering and never of trouble. And while the brothers (and our enemies) made an attempt to destroy it they in-turn become the instruments of accomplishing it. Thus the Jews understood what Jesus said of the Kingdom, that he should not reign over them, they consulted to put him to death and by his crucifixion made way for the exaltation they designed to prevent.

Genesis 37:12-22

[12] And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
[13] And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
[14] And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
[15] And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
[16] And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.
[17] And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
[18] And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
[19] And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
[20] Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
[21] And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
[22] And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

Joseph was a type of Christ: for though he was the beloved son of his father, and hated by a wicked world, yet the father sent out of his bosom to visit us in humility and love. He came from Heaven to earth to seek and save us; yet the malicious plots were laid against him. His own not only received him not, but crucified him. Thus he submitted to, as part of Gods design to redeem and save us!

God Is With You

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Genesis 37:5-11

[5] And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
[6] And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
[7] For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
[8] And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
[9] And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
[10] And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
[11] And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

Sometimes we often want to go straight from God’s love and favor to being in riches and reward…and at times in your obedience there will be direct and indirect types of persecution from those that would be envious or jealous of the anointing in your life! Be careful and be aware of the first steps that must be taken for the blessing.

Genesis 39:1-4

[1] And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.
[2] And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
[3] And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
[4] And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.

Even after being sold into slavery Joseph still had favor. He still had some proving and testing to do by enduring suffering and resisting the temptations of the enemy.

Genesis 39:19-23

[19] And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.
[20] And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
[21] But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
[22] And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.
[23] The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.

Joseph had no family for any comfort. Potiphar chose Joseph’s prison to be the best of the worst…the prison of the king. However this was just another step in the process.

Always remember: a person living for God will live for God no matter where they are in life, and will be blessed in bondage and banishment. Let us never forget that through Joseph to see Jesus, who suffered being tempted, yet without sin; who was slandered, and persecuted and imprisoned, but without cause. Who by the cross ascended to the throne! Let us be able to follow the path of suffering to glory!

A Reminder About Continual Access

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Genesis 28: 14-22

[10] And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran.
[11] And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
[12] And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
[13] And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
[14] And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
[15] And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
[16] And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.
[17] And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
[18] And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
[19] And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.
[20] And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
[21] So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:
[22] And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

We might feel like a pilgrim and a stranger, but as we read about the vision of the ladder in the vision that Jacob received it was a clear demonstration of the limitless borders and access that we have with God! The ladder that was in the vision demonstrated that we can always call out on God in our time of trouble; for when we need God, there is no place (north, south, east or west) that we could be that we could not call out (go up)!

I am also encouraged to know that Jacob recognized that He didn’t know that God was there, and then made a vow and dedicated that place to God. When we remind ourselves of whom God is and what He can do, we should dedicate our mind and resources to trusting Him with all of our might and power, for there is nothing that cannot conquer when we have God on our side!

Here are some other verses that are reminders of just how close God is to us and how easy it is for us to always stir this up within us:

Psalm 121:1-8

[1] I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
[2] My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
[3] He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
[4] Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
[5] The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
[6] The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
[7] The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
[8] The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

God is definitely as representative to a sleepless watchman, always ready and available regardless of the time or venue! Sometimes we easily forget this because we roam the earth often in our own trials, but be reminded today! Let’s get out of the way that we feel and begin to step into the presence of God. Let’s put off ourselves and put on more of God!

Deuteronomy 33:26-27

[26] There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.
[27] The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.

If you are looking for the ultimate support system, look no further than Jesus Christ! When people are looking for others to do it, it will more often than not be a failure for the lack of availability. Fear not friends, for God is there when you begin to speak the first words from your heart that believes!

2 Timothy 4:17-18

[17] Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
[18] And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

If you ever feel alone, do not be deceived! God is SO there and ready to help you with each and every care and heartache you are dealing with. There is nothing too big for God!

Some other verses for note and encouragement:

Psalm 57:1

[1] Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

We can take refuge in a time of trouble!

Isaiah 25:4

[4] For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

We can take refuge in the middle of life’s storms!

Isaiah 51:16

[16] And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.

We can take refuge in the shadow of his hand when we need to take cover and hide from the afflictions that try and destroy us!

Exodus 33:22

[22] And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:

We can take refuge in the Rock of Ages, for it is a foundation that has lasted and always will!

You Are Not Forgotten

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Genesis 37:2-11

[2] These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
[3] Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
[4] And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
[5] And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
[6] And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
[7] For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
[8] And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
[9] And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
[10] And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
[11] And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

When Joseph received the dream that he shared with his brothers, he was only 17 years old. There are many of you out there that have a dream that God has gave you to fulfill. Joseph could not help the dream he received, and was only trying to share his vision with others. He wasn’t aware though of how his brothers envied him, and they did not receive it; in fact they rebuked the dream, questioning him in the process.

There will be many people that we face in our lives that will reject your dreams that God has placed in your life. Maybe it is to be a worship leader, minister, or a teacher: Just remember that if God gave it to you that he will not forget the vision that he supplied. Through the next phases in Josephs life, he faced being sold into captivity, faced temptation from another woman, being placed in jail, and truly did not see the full success of his dream until he was 30. There might also be some hardships and time that will pass before you can ever see the fruition of what God has placed in your heart. He told people to remember him, and they forgot him.

There are many people that we can count on in our life, but at some point we will be left behind by them. It’s just a natural occurrence, and should not be let down by this. The beauty of this story is that Joseph, after all of the trials he faced, still had the heart to help those who wronged him. Being placed as the governor of the land to follow through on his calling, God knew from the first day where he would be. All he had to do was endure.

So I will end this post by saying this: You are not forgotten, and if you just endure with your faith that God will come through for you, the opportunity to make a difference for others will come. Not in our time, but in Gods. Take the hardships as they come with love, and just remember the ones before us that showed in the scriptures that we are not neglected without justification for benefits by God’s blessings. Have a great day!

Feeling Hurt

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First off, here is some coordinated reading to put the thought together:

Ezra 4:4,5

[4] Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,
[5] And hired counsellers against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Ezra 5:4

[4] Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?
[5] But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter.

Ezra 6:8-15

[8] Moreover I made a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expences be given unto these men, that they be not hindered.
[9] And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail:
[10] That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.
[11] Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.
[12] And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed.

[13] Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shethar-boznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily.
[14] And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
[15] And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

There are so many times when we try to take matters into our own hands, and try to make situations work according to the way we think that they should. In most cases, however, we end up making things quite worse then what they were when they began.

We don’t want to turn the other cheek, we don’t want to walk away, and we especially don’t want to keep our opinion silent. I’m here to tell you that sometimes it is the BEST thing to do. God will make sure that we are completely vindicated for the trouble that we face in our persecutions. In other words, we’ll get double for our trouble if we have faith, trust in him, and hang on long enough to not act out of our flesh!

Genesis 20:14-18

[14] And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.
[15] And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
[16] And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.
[17] So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.
[18] For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.

To Sarah he said, “I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver to cover the offense against you before all who are with you: you are reproved (vindicated).

Vindicated means: show somebody to be blameless; to clear somebody or something of blame, guilt, suspicion, or doubt.

I couldn’t tell you the amount of times that I have wrote my goodbye speech to the churches I have attended in my life because of the things that have happened that have hurt me. I couldn’t also count the number of times that I have been completely shocked by the behavior of people that I looked up to and trusted greatly. I’ve learned as I have grown in God that many people along the way will let you down, whether they be close to you or not, and that God will be those people for you in their absence. In other words, when they hurt you, let God fill the void so you can forgive them and your walk and witness not be hindered.

We don’t have time to be arguing and complaining about doctrine, principles of ideals and order, or “how things should be in the church”. God is the leader, and that’s who we should follow. With the Holy Ghost as our guide, and Jesus as our Savior, we can never be led astray.

We will be vindicated and never have to say the first word, nor lift the first finger. In fact, the love of God will rise in you to love those who have hurt you. Trust me, it’s happened with me. In fact, I love those who persecute me even more, because I know that they are in far greater of a need than us getting along. If people are more worried about popular opinions and clicks, it’s not business for the King. God wants us to be about his business, exclusively.

So in other words, let’s grow up and go on! Thanks to everyone for the contributions!