Genesis 29:2 – “But God was with Joseph…”

Today, as I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God, I was reminded of God’s unique way of imparting truth and illustrating life. A prime example is the Book of Genesis and the story of Joseph. His history contains an unmatched life lesson applicable to our encounters.

Joseph had an extremely volatile family.    He exasperated the situation by being his father’s favorite, but that was not his fault.   When the teenager (Joseph) told on his brothers, he gave them further reasons to hate him.    What they were doing is unknown, but his tattling made him a pariah to them.

To make matters worse, he was the baby of the family and got Ruben’s rightful special coat, the coat of the firstborn.   That was another nail in the coffin of harmonious relationships and became a seething cauldron of hate.

Had it stopped there, there might have been hope of reconciliation in time, but he had dreams of ruling over them.   Imagine how they felt.  This brat has visions of ruling over us.  That stoked the flames of resentment.   It might have been youthful arrogance and ignorance that prompted him to share his dreams with them.

Their retaliation came when they sold him to the Ishmaelites, who sold him to Potiphar.   Here is where I see God’s humor on display—not the events but Moses’ declaration in relating this account in Genesis 39:2. He says, “But God was with Joseph…”    

Tap the brakes, Moses.    Are you kidding me?   Where is God?   We have all been there at some point in our lives when troubles were overwhelming us.   And we profess, “God is with me.”   Yet, He seems light years away!

Joesph received favorable treatment in Potiphar’s house, and things were looking up.  Then, he refused the advances and attempted seduction of Potiphar’s amorous wife.   She falsely accused him of sexual assault, and he was thrown into prison.

Then, once again, we read in Genesis 39:23, “God was with Joseph.”   In a time like that, I have thought, “Lord, if this is You being with me, I’m not sure I can survive You being against me. If this is help, it sure doesn’t look like it.”   I have been there, and I’m sure you have, too!

Then, we find him excelling in prison, only to be forgotten by the king’s baker.   After two long years, God’s help becomes visible.   Rooted in that reality, I say never lose sight of the vision and call.   The journey may have enormous potholes, but staying faithful to God and the call will bring fruition if we continue!

As Burton McCafferty famously said, “God can pull us through anything if we can stand the pull.”   The question is, can we stand the pull?   God is faithful, and His ways are beyond finding out.   We do not have to understand it.   We simply remain faithful.   God does not lie and has never failed, and you won’t be His first failure!   So, let me encourage you to Hang On!   Believe!   Victory is coming because it already is in Him!

Have a great day, and remember that God loves you!

Colossians 3:1 – “Christ’s resurrection is your resurrection, too.”

In Christ, we are God’s reservoirs of wisdom and spiritual understanding.  Paul’s prayer should be our goal and realized condition.

We are enabled to walk (live) in the ways of righteousness.  That lifestyle and condition transform us into fruit-bearing branches.   That enables us to yield to His life.   If we yield to His life, we do not yield to our fleshly desires.  

We are to grow into spiritual maturity through knowing God.   Too often, what we call knowing God is knowing about God.   The knowing off which we speak is knowing in Him in His fullness.   As we know, Him in His fullness, His power is unleashed in our lives.  Paul’s words – “energized with all His explosive power from the realm of His magnificent glory, filling with great hope.”

If we know Him and are filled with Him, that is evidenced (biblically) in a manifestation of His power, love, grace, and purity in us.   In Christ, we have no past.   The Cross made it extinct.   Colossians 3:1 – “Christ’s resurrection is your resurrection, too.”   In Him, we are transformed, and new longings fill us.   If we are still filled with fleshly longings, we need to go back to the Cross.

Our part is to fill our consciousness with heavenly realities, not earthly things.   A reminder and liberating truth is found in Colossians 3:3 – “Your crucifixion with Christ severed the tie to this life, and now your true life is hidden away in God in Christ.”   In verse 10, we realize that we are New Creations continually being renewed into the likeness of the One who created us.  

But there is more.   Here, we have the promise and revelation that the Holy Spirit is “Giving you the full revelation of God.” In this new creation life, Jesus lives “in” us.  If He lives in us and we are powerless, that is a contradiction.  He is not powerless!  He is not overcome by carnal thoughts or actions!  He is what He makes us Totally Victorious!

Therefore, our heart’s cry is to know Him and become One with Him so that His life and our lives are indistinguishable.   He cannot live “in” us and not be Who He Is.    Therefore, if He is “in” us, we become Who He is.

The questions are “Who are we?  Who is He?  Is He manifested in us?  It is either or not both.”    We are “in” Him or “in” the world.   We manifest Him or the world.   It is a process, but there must also be progress.   As we die to self, we live to and in Him.

It is either time to go to the Cross for cleansing or into the world in ministry.   Our hearts tell us which.  Jesus in us will all be Jesus through us.

Have a wonderful day manifesting Him and being Fruit Bearing Branches!

Philippians 2:9-11 – “As a result God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow —in heaven and on earth and under the earth—¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”

Today, the Holy Spirit reminded me of Christ’s Authority and what it means to us.  In Philippians 2:10, we read, “The Authority of the name of Jesus causes every knee to bow in reverence!  Everything and everyone will one day submit to this name—in the heavenly realm, the earthly realm, and the demonic realm.”

Philippians 3:20-21 – “But we are a colony of heaven on earth AS we cling tightly to our life-giver, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our humble bodies and transfigure us into the identical likeness of His glorified body.  And using His matchless power, He continually subdues everything to Himself.“

• Jesus has All Authority in heaven and on earth.  
• We are one with Him, and He has authorized us to use His Authority. 
• We are seated with Him in the heavenly places, making us a colony of heaven living on earth.
• We are here and there; in that state, we bring the there here!

I wonder how Jesus feels when we fail to trust Him by using our authority.  Why do we trust defeat more than victory?  He has All Authority and All Power.  We are One with Him and authorized representatives of heaven.   Heaven’s power backs our Authority.  What is our hold-up?

What is it?  It is Stinkin’ Thinkin’ and Deception!  We believe the lie of darkness.  We think out of our humanity rather than with the mind of Jesus.   My prayer is, “Lord, forgive us for trusting our inability more than Your ability.  We must stop trusting the power of sin and start trusting the Word and Power of God.”

If we are a colony of heaven on earth, then we need to bring heaven to earth and demonstrate the Authority of Jesus in us.

Today, the old ends and the new begins!  Victory! Have a great day living victoriously in Jesus’ Victory!

Malachi 3:7 – “…Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies…”

Several things tugged at my heart as I read, prayed, and considered the Word.   I sensed a harsh message to those of us who are ministers and a message of encouragement and challenge for everyone!  I realize that this message might seem more appropriate to have been issued near January 1^st, but this is when I heard it, so this is when I present it.

This Last Days move will include a major shake-up in the church.   The days of the feel-good, motivational apology gospel that tries to make everyone comfortable are about to be shaken.   The message of the Cross will deliver us, but the message focused on self will destroy.

Jesus died for our sins to give us a new life and enable us to live free of the corruption of the flesh.  Justifying the flesh destroys, whereas confessing and forsaking sin sets free.

I heard “last call in 2024, first call in 2025.”   As I prayed, this verse leaped out from the pages of God’s Word.   Malachai 3:7 –“Return to Me, and I will return to you.”   Herein, God gave us an amazing promise in verses 10-11.    He would open heavens that pour blessings like torrential rain and restraint on the adversary.    Also, there would be an abundant harvest and open doors for ministry and influence.

Ephesians 4:23-24 is God’s call today, “Now it’s time to be made new by every revelation that’s given to you.  24 And to be transformed as you embrace the glorious Christ-within as your new life and live in union with Him!  For God has created you all over again in His perfect righteousness, and you now belong to Him in the realm of true holiness.”

He continued urging us to cast off the works of darkness and demonstrate God in us.  Ephesians 5:1 urges us to be imitators of God, to live like Him, think like Him, and talk like Him by being filled with Him. 

How we talk reveals our hearts.   Christ in us transforms us so that what we think, say, and do are outflows of what is inside our hearts.    If we return to Him and give Him our lives, we will have His Promises and walk in His Power.   The world needs God’s people to become God’s people.   Truth liberates and releases the power of change.   Walking on eggshells, trying not to offend anyone, has no positive effect on them.  God’s truth, backed by God’s power, breaks the yoke of darkness and sets free.

Those heretofore considered spiritual nobodies are about to emerge, and the somebodies are about to fall if they don’t heed the call to return.

Empty hearts will not impact the world.   Full hearts will produce an uncontainable harvest.

God’s call is for transformation, not conformation.   Empty hearts produce empty lives, and empty lives produce empty hands.   Now is the time to be all that God has designed us to be.  We are More Than Conquerors through Jesus!

This is your day; seize it, live it, and enjoy it!  Rejoice and enjoy today!  Live victoriously in Jesus’ victory!

Galatians 5:14-16 – “For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, namely, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ However, if you continually bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. ¹⁶ But I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.”

I am certain that my title has raised eyebrows and questions in many hearts.   Therefore, I ask that you give me a brief opportunity to delve into that, and I believe you will understand and agree.

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I heard this in my spirit: “You have to become full to become empty.  In emptiness, you are filled; in being filled, you become empty.”    That raises the question, “What in the world does that mean?”  

I heard that as I read Galatians.   One translation of Galatians 5:16 reads, “Let me emphasize this: As you yield to the dynamic life and power of the Holy Spirit, you will abandon the cravings of the self-life.”  

In Galatians 5:17, we are informed that focusing on the self will hinder the Holy Spirit in our lives.    In the latter part of the verse, we read, “And the Holy Spirit’s intense cravings hinder your self-life from dominating you!”   That reveals that two incompatible and conflicting forces within you are your self-life of the flesh and the new creation of the Spirit.  

Therefore, from that reality comes my declaration: you have to get full to be empty, and as you are empty, you can become full.   If we are full of the Holy Spirit, we become empty of self.   As we empty ourselves, we make room for the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 3:14 – “Jesus Christ DISSOLVED the curse from our lives, SO THAT in Him ALL the blessings of Abraham can be poured out upon the Gentiles.”   [Emphasis mine]

The curse has been dissolved!   We are “in” Christ and are new creations.   No curse is welcome or able to touch Jesus, and we are “in” Him.   Therefore, no curse can touch us.   His blood has purchased us, so we are Free to be Free and Empty to be Filled.   We have a new identity.

Galatians 2:20 – “My old identity has been co-crucified with Christ and no longer lives.  AND NOW the essence of this new life is no longer mine (of by my efforts), FOR the Anointed One lives His life through me – we live in union as one!  My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that He gave Himself for me, dispensing Hid life into mine!”

The contrast of the self-life and the Spirit-life in Galatians 5:19-25 is revelatory.  We will have the life of our choice.  God will joyfully fill us if we choose to be filled with Him.   As we become full of Him, we are emptied of self; as we empty ourselves of flesh, we make room for the Spirit.

Galatians 4:7 – “NOW we’re no longer living like slaves under the law (religious legalism), but we enjoy being God’s very own sons and daughters!  And because we’re His, we can access EVERYTHING our Father has – FOR we are heirs because of what God has done!”  The Grace and Power of the Cross!

We can have ALL the blessings of Abraham “if” we will be filled to be empty to be filled.   There will be no more curses!   We have complete victory through the Cross!   We are Free and Full by Being Empty.

Here is my declaration from Scripture – “This is your day to break every curse, receive God’s liberating grace, and experience the fullness of His Joy, Peace, Power, and Provision!”   

Rejoice!  He Has Risen!