FAITHFUL SERVICE UNDER ADVERSITY From the time that he put Joseph in charge of his household and all he owned, the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s household on account of him. —Genesis 39:5 While Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him and extended kindness to him. He granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden, who put all those held in the prison under Joseph’s authority, so that he was responsible for all that was done there. —Genesis 39:20-22  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8Sx_U0Ztr8             He was ripped away from family by his brothers, sold into slavery and then considered dead by them. His father was deceived by these brothers…

DEATH…IS NOT THE END! Now the days of Isaac were 180 years.  And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. —Genesis 35:28-29             Sobering words— “breathed his last… he died… buried him.” This is the fate of all who are born! From the time Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden to the present time— “you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground— because out of it were you taken.   For dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). Pretty humbling— dirt you…

  THE PRIORITIES OF LOVE Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. —Matthew 10:37-38            Do you love something or someone more than Jesus? Do you love your family more than Jesus? Do you love your spouse more than Jesus? The two great commandments are to “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest…

JESUS PROVES HIS WORDS BY HIS ACTIONS Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town.  Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?  Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?  But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive…

MOURNING WILL CEASE Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.  And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. —Genesis 23:1-2             The death of Sarah was about 4000 years ago. Think of all the mourning that has taken place from that time until now because of all the deaths that have occurred since then. That is a lot of heartache, a lot of tears, a lot of loss…             Death entered the human race when sin entered through the disobedience of Adam and Eve. But “The reason…

ETERNAL, NOT TEMPORAL FOCUS Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. —Matthew 6:19-21 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. —Matthew 6:24 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be…

BELIEVING GOD IS COUNTED AS RIGHTEOUSNESS And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. —Genesis 15:6 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation.  However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin…

FOLLOWING AND FISHING And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. —Matthew 4:19             Jesus told those early followers of His that He would make them “fishers of men.”   Followers of Jesus are to be fishers of men. But what does that mean? Well, Jesus took something they were familiar with— fishing for fish— to convey this truth that they would now fish for men. So, what does it mean to fish for men? To fish for fish there needs to be some knowledge of how to fish for fish.   You need to be equipped. You need to go to the…

GOOD FRUIT OR BAD FRUIT Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. —Matthew 3:8 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” —Matthew 3:11-12 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from…

DEATH WILL BE NO MORE! And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” —Genesis 2:16-17 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. —Genesis 3:4 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” —Genesis 3:19             Death… where did it come from? Death entered…