“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” ~ Jesus, Jn. 15:7
Are you doing your part to live with fullness of life? Faithfully abiding in the Vine leads to fruitfulness in God's will.. simple as that. Pray in faith. Obey. No striving or conniving or jivin' will do. Add to your faith virtue and keep on adding in the good stuff that edifies.
1.) Fill your heart with Jesus. Christ is faithful, so fall in love with Him and be falling in love with Him over and over again. Pray earnestly. Make Him Lord, not just in theory. Where do I start? Ask yourself: Do I really know Jesus in a personal way? Have you repented of sin and invited Him into my heart?2.) Fill your mind with the Word of God. Be busy filled your thoughts with the truth of Scriptures--in your heart and brain. Think of the Arameans displacement rule: If you go into a full tub of water, the water will always rise up, flow out and will make room for you. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom..” Col. 3:163.) Fill your routines with good rules for self. Never be left alone with the opposite sex other than your spouse. Remember Billy Graham’s rule. Not in a car, room, home, or in an elevator alone with a woman. His hotel room was checked first. There’s more temptation in our increasingly more immoral society than ever before. But people will think I’m radically old fashioned. Who cares?4.) Fill your life with accountability. Love your faith-family and small group Bible study. Be ready today to cut off all pet sins and those places where you might even.. feel tempted. "And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” Mat 5:29-30 nkjv5.) Fill your fellowship with sinners open to turning and trusting Jesus. Passionate new baby believers revitalize, re-motivate, reinvigorate, remind veteran believers. This gets you back to the basics of relationship and sowing. You're either in or out, for or against the Lord--no in between. You're either diligently seeking Him and busy gathering with Him for His Kingdom or scattering away. You're either a soul-winner or a backslider, either a missionary or a mission-field, either worshipping and evangelizing or distracted and fossilizing.
Joseph was faithful and fruitful planted by a spring -- his branches went over the wall! Not lacking some opposition. He talked all tough, but really cared about his family and others. He didn't rush ahead of God on his big reveal (Gen. 45).
Q: Why was Joseph so hard on his brothers at first? And why did he wait so long to reveal himself to these guys?
A: It was because Joseph really wanted to prove all things and know before proceeding. He wanted to be sure they had actually repented of their sins. Listen, to forgive a person who is not sincerely repentant is to make him or her worse a sinner than before (see Luke 17:3-4).
A: It was because Joseph really wanted to prove all things and know before proceeding. He wanted to be sure they had actually repented of their sins. Listen, to forgive a person who is not sincerely repentant is to make him or her worse a sinner than before (see Luke 17:3-4).
- We see the revelation of Joseph's person in verses 1-3
- We see the revelation of Joseph's purpose in verses 4-16
"Then Joseph said to his brothers, 'I am Joseph; does my father still live?' But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence." Genesis 45:3
What must Joseph's brothers have felt and thought? Fear, shock, and terror must have filled their hearts. Perhaps some confusion flooded their minds, thinking their heads would be lopped off.
Ask yourself this.. From the O.T. when will it be that Jesus reveals who He is to His brethren the Jews?
"I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence. and seek my face in their affliction they will seek me early." Hosea 5:15 kjv
Through Hosea, Jesus said prophetically, "I will return to My place until My people acknowledge their offense." What offense? Their rejection of Him. In their affliction, they will seek Him early. What affliction? The Tribulation, the time of Jacob's trouble, the seven-year period described in Revelation 6-19 in which the world undergoes judgment and the horrific outpouring of God's wrath on a Christ-rejecting world. In their affliction, the nation Israel will seek the Lord. They'll acknowledge their offense. They'll realize Jesus is Messiah. And then He will make Himself known to them.
"And Joseph said to his brothers, 'Please come near to me.' So they came near. Then he said: 'I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For these two years the famine has been in the land, and [there are] still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.'" Genesis 45:4-6 nkjv
After revealing his person, Joseph then reveals his purpose. The first purpose for Joseph's position relating to his bros was pardon. He really missed them and wanted them blessed. "Don't be upset with yourselves," he said to his brothers. "Your selling me into this foreign land as a slave was all part of God's plan."
Think about those words of Joseph. They express the heart of Jesus Christ. "Father, forgive them," is what Christ prayed from the Cross, "for they don't know what they're doing" (Luke 23:34). Those who crucified Jesus were in need of forgiveness and were indeed forgiven. The price was paid. And Peter would go on to declare that it was all part of a Divine design. It was a grand plan that Jesus would die for the sins of every man (Acts 2:22-24). Basically, "I know you are aware of your flaws and failings," Freely ask and receive. Jesus would say to us. "but don't be grieved. I've forgiven you."
We already discussed how Joseph kept serving the Lord in Egypt by doing what he consistently did -- wisely managing one crisis after another. He was diligent. First came the personal ones and then those of a whole nation. Addressing a crisis was his talent. He’d start and the bottom with his serving, but would then rise up like cream. Yes, it was cuz he’d think, believe and act faithfully without spiritual compromise. God promoted Joseph to Vizer, to PM, to Vice Pharaoh if ya will cuz he remained faithful in small and big things.
Be adding. "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make [you that ye shall] neither [be] barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins." 2 Pet. 1:5-9
Be faithful. “I gave the responsibility of governing Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, for he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.” Neh. 7:2 nlt
God can make you and me dependable people for His glory.
There are certain people who, if you give them a task, they won’t get bugged because you didn’t put the at the top in delegated authority, but they’ll just take care of it. You can consider it done. You don’t have to wonder about it at all. You don’t have to ask how it went. You just know that person is reliable and fruitful.
After the walls of Jerusalem’s were rebuilt, remember how Nehemiah appointed some people to take care of the important business: It was Hanani and Hananiah. They’d been proven. Nehemiah just knew he could lean on these two. He knew they would get the job done.
Lots of people worked. Everyone had a part in that building project, and many of the people rebuilt the wall near their homes. They needed to keep Jerusalem’s wall strong, sturdy and secure.. because if there was a breach in any part of that wall, if it was penetrable then life became too dangerous. Everyone’s task was vital.
The same is true of the local church today. There are healthy, strong biblical churches and there are weak, ill fed, and sickly ones. The greatest ability is dependability. Are you full of the Spirit and of faith? Hananiah was a faithful man, the Bible points this out, and he also feared God. Are you respectful of Him and godly?
You can be a dependable person as you walk with Jesus Christ? God is looking for people who can take an unlovely task and just complete it. He is looking for people who are faithful in the little things.. in the least that they are given. We all have a role to play in God’s Church.
Sure, none of us are called to be a Hanani or a Hananiah, but we all have an important part to play as we find and use the gifts that God has given us in His Kingdom. He has called you to be you with Him leading as Lord.
If you have no desire to be used of God, then you need to get in the Word until you have this healthy desire.
Do you desire to be used of, and to glorify God? Would you like God to call you into some form of Christian service in the coming days? Would you like Him to use you in His rescuing plan. So many people are starving and lost.
Sure, that is a great thing to aspire to, but you can start serving now. Just do what is in front of you now to help and edify people.
Take care of the little things right now. If you’re faithful in the little things, then you will be faithful in the large things. God said that. But if you’re unfaithful in little things, then you won’t be faithful with greater responsibilities.
“God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Cor. 1:9
As you worship and thank God, ask believing and big. Ask for small things too. Be faithful in little things. Earnestly intercede and appropriate the Lord’s faithfulness. Be candid with Him. He will bless and make you a blessing -- yes, make you fruitful like Joseph!
Be quick to go tell on you ..to God.. when you blow it! He already knows it all anyways. Joseph’s brother Judah was unfaithful for some years, but God made Judah faithful after he turned and confessed. But Reuben covered his sin. See Gen. 38:20-26
“He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” Prov. 28:13
Yes, be completely humble, vertically dependent. Abide in the vine and you won’t have to strive to produce fruit. Be selfless, godly, a wise witness and example of good character. The Bible says...
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” Lk. 16:10
“A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness will utter lies.” Prov. 14:5
“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” 1 Thess. 3:3
“A faithful person will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.” Prov. 28:20
One leads to another so opt to live faithful today. Lord, we appropriate your grace and wisdom to reproduce.
“Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall. The archers have bitterly grieved him, Shot at him and hated him. But his bow remained in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob." Gen. 49:22-24 nkjv
Joseph was sold into Egypt at age 17 (Jacob would gain 17 years after he sees him again) and Joseph died at the age of 110 years. It was before his death he made his brothers promise him, to take his bones out of Egypt when they would move out. That was him talking in faith. Jacob did that too.
It happened. Moses took Joseph's bones up with him when he led the Israelites out of Egypt. God used a humble slave to bring the Hebrews into Egypt and a humble servant to bring them out... 400 years were they there. How is your calculations? Here's mine. Joseph started working for the Pharaoh as Prime Minister (ministering to people) when he was 30 years old (see Genesis 41:46).
This was also the beginning of the seven years of abundance. So the famine started when he was about 37 (he was 39 when he revealed himself to his brothers. That's the number of "mercy"), and ended when he was 44 years old. He died at age 110.
We know that Jacob came to Egypt, when he was 130 years old (Genesis 47:9) which would be year 2236. This was during the seven years of the famine, probably just about in the middle (Joseph's brothers had come down to Egypt twice and waited a while between that - Genesis 42/43). So we can confidently assume, that Joseph was ca. 41 years old, when Jacob came down to Egypt. This would mean, Joseph was born in 2195 and died in 2305. It's interesting that Jacob said he was ready to die after seeing his son Joseph again, but God gave him 17 years in Egypt (in the will of God).
It happened. Moses took Joseph's bones up with him when he led the Israelites out of Egypt. God used a humble slave to bring the Hebrews into Egypt and a humble servant to bring them out... 400 years were they there. How is your calculations? Here's mine. Joseph started working for the Pharaoh as Prime Minister (ministering to people) when he was 30 years old (see Genesis 41:46).
This was also the beginning of the seven years of abundance. So the famine started when he was about 37 (he was 39 when he revealed himself to his brothers. That's the number of "mercy"), and ended when he was 44 years old. He died at age 110.
We know that Jacob came to Egypt, when he was 130 years old (Genesis 47:9) which would be year 2236. This was during the seven years of the famine, probably just about in the middle (Joseph's brothers had come down to Egypt twice and waited a while between that - Genesis 42/43). So we can confidently assume, that Joseph was ca. 41 years old, when Jacob came down to Egypt. This would mean, Joseph was born in 2195 and died in 2305. It's interesting that Jacob said he was ready to die after seeing his son Joseph again, but God gave him 17 years in Egypt (in the will of God).
