Thursday, May 27, 2021

From Dungeon to Throne

  From Prisoner to the Protector of Egypt

 

Joseph was a handsome young lad when God gave him dreams. The essence of his dreams, which God gave him, foretold that his brothers, father, and mother would bow down before him. The brothers were envious of Joseph because of his dreams. Even his father, Israel, rebuked him because of such dreams. It would be unthinkable, especially in that culture, for a father to bow down to a son. What could Joseph do? These dreams were given by God, who knows the future. Who knows the beginning from the end. Although his father rebuked him yet, being a godly man, he "kept the matter in mind" (Gen. 37:11). 

 


Sometimes people want to fight against God and His plans. Joseph's brothers tried to kill him and said to one another, let's kill him. "We shall see what will become of his dreams!" People think they can thwart the plans of God. But it is hard to fight against God, His plans, and His people. In the New Testament, Saul was one such fellow who wanted to fight against God and His people. Jesus confronted him and said,"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads" (Acts 26:14).

 

Joseph's brothers thought they could get rid of his brother. So, they sold him to Ishmaelites, and they sold him to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard in Egypt. His brothers thought Joseph's story was over. But, the Bible records, "The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority" (Gen. 39:2-4).

 

When you are in the perfect will of God, you do not have to fear because God will be with you, as He was with Joseph. God will give you peace even in the midst of calamity. 

  

Joseph was a handsome young man. Potiphar’s wife started to tempt Joseph and asked him to sleep with her. "So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her" ( Gen. 39:10). Joseph responded to her by saying," "Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. 9 There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" (Gen. 39:8-9).

 

One day, his master's wife saw Joseph alone in the house, and she grabbed him and forced him to lie with her. Joseph left his garment in her hand and fled and ran outside. When his master came home, she accused Joseph of attempted rape and showed him Joseph's garment that he left with her when he fled.

 

I do not think, Potiphar believed her story. If he had believed in her version, he would have Joseph killed, for he is the chief executioner. Instead, he sent him to prison to save his face.  

 

After Joseph was thrown in prison, the Bible records again, "the Lord was with Joseph" (Gen. 39:21). Joseph stayed in prison for years. 

 

One day Pharaoh had a couple of dreams which perturbed him greatly. He called for help to interpret the dreams, and no one in all his kingdom could interpret his dreams. The chief butler informed Pharaoh about Joseph how he interpreted his dream when he was thrown in prison. 

 

Immediately, Pharaoh sent for Joseph in the dungeon. Probably a band of soldiers when to the prison and pulled Joseph out of prison. They probably might have taken him straight to "The Great Clips" and gave him a nice haircut, shaved his beard, put nice robes, brought him, and presented him before Pharaoh. All the while, Joseph did not understand what was going on. 

 

Joseph stood before Pharaoh. After Pharaoh revealed his dreams to Joseph, he answered to Pharaoh and said, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace" (Gen. 41:16). 

 

Joseph interpreted the dream and explained how there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of severe famine, and God has warned Pharaoh to save during the time of plenty so they can survive during the time of famine. 

 

And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?" Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning

 and wise as you.  You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you" (Gen. 41:38-40). 


God pulled Joseph out of the dungeon and set him up on a throne, second in command in all of Egypt. Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph's hand. He clothed him with royal garments, put a gold chain around his neck, and gave him a "Rolls-Royce" for travel. He proclaimed, without Joseph's permission, "no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt." Pharaoh gave him a beautiful wife, Asenath. 

 

I can only imagine; Potiphar went home and probably told his wife, "Guess what?, from now on, I am going to report to that guy whom you accused of rape". 

 

Later, when the famine was so harsh in every country, Joseph's father, brothers, and families were all moved to Egypt. They all came and bowed down before Joseph. Joseph's brothers thought they got rid of their brother and his dreams with him. But they did not realize those are God's dreams, and no one can nullify those God-given dreams. 

 

When the brothers were terrified to see Joseph in such an elevated position, they fell before him to the ground. Joseph said to his brothers, "you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good."

 

Dear reader, I do not know what situation you are going through. But, if you honor God and run away from sin, He will be with you even in the dungeon. He took Joseph out of the dungeon and set him up on a throne. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Rev. 3:20).

 

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below and share this article with your friends.

 Click here to read my previous article on “How can a loving God send someone to hell?”

 Subscribe to the author's YouTube Channel

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Life is short; Eternity is long

Life is short; Eternity is long

 

Two weeks ago, our doorbell rang as I attended to the door, there stood a man with a huge bouquet of flowers. My brother-in-law and his family ordered flowers and a box of chocolates for my special birthday from Australia. It was quite a surprise as I wasn't expecting anything, especially from across the great ocean. The flower arrangement was gorgeous with a variety of flowers.

 


Two weeks passed, and the flowers faded, and I must throw them away. I was not pleased to discard these flowers but did it anyway, of course, reluctantly. It reminded me of the brevity of our lives.

 

The prophet Isaiah writes, 

"All flesh is grass,

and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.

The grass withers, the flower fades

when the breath of the Lord blows on it;

surely the people are grass.

The grass withers, the flower fades,

but the word of our God will stand forever" 

(Isaiah 40:6-8).

 


In the Psalms, King David also expresses a similar thought, 

"As for man, his days are like grass;

he flourishes like a flower of the field;

for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

and its place knows it no more" (Psalms 103:15-16).

 

James, the half-brother of Jesus, warns not to boast about tomorrow. 

"Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit";  whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that." But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin" (James 4:13-17). 

 

For every unsaved person, of course, the first act of sanity is to accept Christ as Savior and make sure that the proper destination is reached when the exodus occurs. How do you get that sanity? Moses, in Psalm 90, prays, "Lord,... So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalms 90:12).


The Apostle Paul exhorts the Ephesians to "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:15-16).

 

The best use of time in ones' life is to seek the Lord. There is no more incredible task in life than to follow Jesus Christ. The author of the Hebrews promises that God is "a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Heb. 11:5).

 

Some people just run after money. They do not have a moment to think about God. In the parable of the rich fool, "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared — whose will they be?' "That's how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:20-21).

 

I love the quote from the English cricketer, and missionary to China, Charles Thomas Studd (C. T. Studd), 

"Only one life, 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last."

 

 

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below and share this article with your friends.

 Click here to read my previous article on “How can a loving God send someone to hell?”

 Subscribe to the author's YouTube Channel

 

 

 

 

Monday, May 24, 2021

The sign of the scarlet cord

The sign of the scarlet cord

Rahab was a prostitute in Jericho. Her house was on the city wall. People come and go to her home without being noticed. When Joshua sent two spies to scout out the land around Jericho, they went to the house of Rahab. But someone told the king of Jericho, "Some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land." So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab: "Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land." But Rahab hid the two spies and told the king's officers that the men who came to her had already left. 




Later, Rahab went up on the roof where she hid the two spies and talked with them. She acknowledged the God of Israel is the true God. She said our hearts melted when we heard about the miracles your God performed to deliver the Israelites from Egypt, how the Lord made a dry path through the Red Sea. And how He helped Israel defeat their enemies on the way. She believed God of Israel is going to give Jericho also into the hands of Israel. 

 

Once she realized she and her relatives were in danger, she helped the spies by hiding them and asked them to spare her life when they conquer the land. The men agreed and said, "Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household" (Joshua 2:18).

 



The scarlet cord represents safety for all those who would believe and come for protection. The scarlet rope is a sign of protection. The people who are outside the house that was marked with a scarlet cord were in grave danger.  

 

Later, Rahab married Salmon and gave birth to Boaz. "Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse. Jesse fathered ... David" (1 Chronicles 2:12-13). Because of her faith in the God of Israel, Rahab became the great-great-grandmother of David and whose line the Messiah was born. No matter how sinful your past may be, Jesus can turn around your life when you repent and surrender your life to Him. When Rahab put her faith in the one true living God, He turned a prostitute to be counted in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matt. 1:5).

 The sign of the blood on doorposts

When Israel came out of Egypt, the Lord told Moses that the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel should kill their lambs at twilight. "Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses ...The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt" ( Exodus 12:6-7, 13). Those whose houses were marked by the blood were saved.  



 

The sign of the blood on the cross

 

In the New Testament, Jesus was the Passover lamb.  "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29).

 

As the writer of the Hebrews notes, "For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself" (Hebrews 7:26-27).

 

"Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22). Jesus Christ came into this world, lived a perfect life, and shed his precious blood on the cruel cross for the sins of humanity

 

Those who came inside the house where the lamb's blood is applied on the doorposts were saved. Those who went inside the house where the scarlet cord was tied were saved. Similarly, those who come under the blood of Christ will be saved. 

 

To come under the protection of the blood of Christ is to repent of one's sins and accept Him as Lord and Savior. "For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost (Matthew 18:11).

 

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,  that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:14-15).

 

"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. ... If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:7,9).

Dear friend, if you are reading this, it is not too late to go to Jesus Christ and confess your sins and receive the gift of salvation by faith. 


Please share your thoughts in the comments section below and share this article with your friends.

 Click here to read my previous article on “How can a loving God send someone to hell?”

 Subscribe to the author's YouTube Channel

 

 


Saturday, May 15, 2021

Every person should know, what is the Church?

Every person should know, what is the Church?

 

What is the Church? Many people think of Church as a building where Christians gather for worship on a Sunday. The Church (κκλησία ekklēsia) is a unique entity revealed and ordained by God and came into existence at the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the believers. The true meaning of "ekklēsia" is the "called out ones." Jesus started building His Church by calling out people to repentance and turn to Him. Jesus said, "... I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). Jesus is the One who is building the Church. 

 


The Church, a group of people who are called out and set apart for the glory of God. God's view of the Church is seen as described by apostle Paul, "but you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter 2:9-10). The job of the Church is to keep herself holy and "proclaim the praises of Him who called them out of darkness into His marvelous light." Apostle Paul writes, "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:13-14). The Church submits to Christ's authority as He is the Head of the Church. The relationship between Christ and the Church is likened to a bridegroom and a bride. "For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ" (2 Cor. 11:2). The Holy Spirit is sanctifying the Church as a bride for the marriage. Paul also writes, "that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish" (Eph. 5:27). The Church was born on the day of Pentecost will be taken up to heaven at the Rapture. The Church will be presented as a bride for the Bridegroom Jesus Christ. "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready" (Rev. 19:7).

 

The Beginning of the Church

 

There is no concept of the Church in the Old Testament. It was a mystery until it was revealed later in the New Testament. Sometimes people wrongly equate the Old Testament Israel with the Church in the New Testament. John the Baptist rightly understood this and acknowledged he was not part of the Church. He calls himself the friend of the bridegroom (Jesus) but not the bride. "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled (John 3:29). Jesus also said, "The law and the prophets were until John" (Luke 16:16).

 

Later, Jesus told His disciples that He must go to the Father in order to send the Holy Spirit to them. "Nevertheless I (Jesus) tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:7-8).

 


Later, after His death, burial, and resurrection, "He (Jesus) was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:2-3). Just before his ascension, Jesus said to His disciples, "tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49). Just like He promised, after seven days after His ascension, "when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:1-4). Thus, the Church was formally born with the anointing and the visible presence of the Holy Spirit.

 


 The Church will be raptured before the whole world will be plunged into the great tribulation that will come upon the whole earth. The Holy Spirit also the Restrainer who dwells in a believer will be taken out of the way at the Rapture. The apostle Paul writes, "For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming" (2 Thess. 2:7-8). Paul describes, after the Church is raptured, then the Antichrist will be revealed. After the Church is taken out of the way, the focus will go back to the Jewish people to fulfill Daniel's seventieth week for seven years.

 

 

Message to the Church while awaiting the Rapture

 

 

The message to the Church is as follows:

 

·       Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life (Rev. 2:10).

·       To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God (Rev. 2:7).

·       And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels’—as I also have received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star (Rev. 2:26-28).

·       He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels (Rev. 3:5).

·       He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name (Rev. 3:12).

·       To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne (Rev. 3:21).

 

Dear reader, we are now in the church age. Have you repented of your sins and asked Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior? It is a terrible thing to be left behind when Christ comes for His bride the Church at the Rapture. The world will experience unimaginable hardship on this earth under the Antichrist. Don't trust your good works. Bible says "...we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousness are like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). The only righteousness that is valid before God is Christ's righteousness by removing our unrighteousness. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

 

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below and share this article with your friends.

 Click here to read my previous article on “How can a loving God send someone to hell?”

 Subscribe to the author's YouTube Channel