Month: November 2021

If you grew up in church, you probably heard about Joseph and his coat of many colors. The world is fascinated by the story of Joseph. Genesis chapters 37—50 chronicles the story of Joseph. In summary, as a favored son, his father gave him a special robe that indicated royalty and divine favor. However, his brothers were envious of Joseph, so they sold him into slavery. Joseph then continued to go through mishap after mishap until he became the second in command in the world’s most powerful nation.

What an example for all of us. God allows us to go through a process to prepare us to become His riches and our highest best. But, like Joseph, we must hold on to the dreams and visions that God has given even when times get tough. You may have heard the preacher’s story – God took Joseph from the pit to the palace. In Genesis, you will find this confirmed along with the pitfalls along the way. In Joseph’s story, we learn three crucial keys to Kingdom living. They are (1) trusting the dream, (2) not compromising, and (3) never giving up.

Although Joseph lost the coat, he held on to his dream. Joseph shared a dream that he had during the night with his siblings and parents. In his dream, his family bowed down to him. God gave Joseph the dream, so it was not his choosing. Often, we wrestle with being set apart as God’s chosen people. We do not want others to see us as different, so we suppress our true aspirations. Our dreams may not make sense to ourselves, let alone to other people. Therefore, it is essential not to look at our circumstances to determine the possibility of God manifesting our dreams into reality. 

Compromise is a deterrent to greatness. At any given point, Joseph could have said my dreams were mere fantasy. Eve was fooled in the garden not just by Satan but herself. Compromise comes when we question the dream and choose an alternative route. There is a way that seems right, but it is not righteous or God’s right way. The ultimate end of compromise is destruction. “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12 NASB) – death to the dream and death to eternity with God.

In the Bible, God seldom shows us where a person gave up on His call, but I think we see a glimpse of this in the story of Abraham. It seems that Abraham’s father, Terah, might have been called first but decided to stop along the way, so God called Abraham. You can read the account in scripture. Terah is mentioned four times in scripture. Genesis 11:26–27, Book of Joshua 24:2, I Chronicles 1:17–27, and Luke 3:34–36. As you research the word, you are free to make your own decision. However, the critical thing to note is that if you give up, you cannot finish. Joseph never gave up regardless of his circumstances. When God instructs us, we must not stop until we have accomplished our assignment. 2 Chronicles 15:7 tells us to “be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” Even when times are trying, we are not to become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9). 

We are God’s beloved sons, a chosen generation, and a royal priesthood. We are God’s Josephs with robes of many colors indicating the grace that rests upon our lives. As I reflected on breaking bloodline curses that referenced Joseph as an example, I realized that as Josephs, we stand as beacons of light, reflecting His multifaceted and multidimensional depth. Encoded in our natural and spiritual DNA are keys that unlock strategies and mysteries that answer the groanings of humanity. According to Psalm 48:2 KJV, we are beautiful for situations and the joy of the whole earth. However, we must choose to be His answer and reflect His beauty. Our multicolored robe is His answer to the world, but we must choose the way of Joseph, which requires that we trust the dream and the dream giver.

In Genesis chapters six through nine, God asked Noah to build an Ark of safety for all those who would respond to his warning, including the animals. The problem was that the ark was to protect humanity from rain. Rain, as we understand it, had never been seen or felt before. God calls us to do what has never been done before in our generations, but we must rely on Holy Spirit. Our design specificity is locked in our DNA. Often the humanity glimpses his eternal value and tries to know what only the power and person of the Holy Spirit can reveal. To impact our world, we must stand in our uniqueness and live according to His guidance.

II Timothy 2:1 admonishes us that in the last days, terrible times will come. “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without [the] love of good, traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power (II Timothy 2:1-3).” We need the power of the Holy Spirit to change lives beginning with our hearts. Through His voice, His gifts, His guidance, and His strength, we impact the world. Daily, we see the hurt and pain in the lives of those around us. Sometimes it is hidden behind a human persona of perfection, while it is gruesome in its manifestation at other times. However, as we read the list in II Timothy 2:1, it becomes apparent that the love of humanity waxes cold (Matthew 24:12) and speaks of a waning love. We see this on social media and in our own lives as we pursue purpose.

“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith (Hebrews 11:7 KJV).” The Bible teaches us that as it was in the days of Noah, so will be the last days. What was going on during the days of Noah? During the time of Noah, demonic influences filled the earth. Our world, including the United States, is becoming increasingly wicked and open to cultism and occultism. Removed are our values and moral compasses to accommodate lascivious lifestyles lacking Biblical boundaries. Yet, we are called to this generation to impact the kingdom of darkness with the Kingdom of Light.

How do we do it? By using our time, talent, and treasure, we can build the Kingdom based on the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was given to us as a governor or instructor as promised by Jesus in John 14 verses 16 through 18. The Holy Spirit came to provide us with the power to be witnesses in our sphere of influence.

What were you created to do? Colossians 3:23 tells us to do everything as if we are doing it for the Lord. We are his representatives. The world is looking to see Jesus, and born-again believers are his representatives. Through the divine enablement Holy Spirit, we demonstrate His power and build an ark of safety for our loved ones and those looking to spend now through eternity in the protection of His presence.

When you are used to fighting to exist, it is easy to be blind-sighted. When times are the most difficult, we try to find a place in ourselves that will give us the strength we need to overcome our circumstances. Our strength may well be our greatest weakness. It might be keeping us from making an exchange and resting in the one who has already gone before us and won the battle.

There are times that we hear sermons about God’s grace given to us through Christ Jesus. We listen to sermons defining grace as God freely granting to us His unmerited favor. Through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus man secured eternal salvation. However, grace is so much more. Strong’s Greek Lexicon defines grace as the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues.

God is always operating in our lives to bring us to His expected end (Jeremiah 29:11). How is this done? Grace grants us mercy (Hebrews 4:16). In addition, grace positionally allows us to sit with Christ above the chatter and the conditions of our old life (Colossians 3:1 – 3:25). It is a gateway to peace (Romans 5:1 – 5:21) and love (1 John 4:19), a door of freedom that can only know through salvation. It is by grace that we become sons of God (John 1:12). God has given us grace through the redemption granted through salvation that we might live His abundant life.

Remove the boxing gloves and enter His rest. It is time to accept all that grace has contributed to you. It is time to make an exchange. His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV). Today, make an exchange. Therefore, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might and be strengthened by the grace given in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:1 KJV).

Reference

G5485 – charis – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5485/kjv/tr/0-1/

Have you been bewitched? You were running so well. Who has hindered you from obeying the truth Galatians 3:12, Galatians 5:1). Remember Lot’s wife, with her heart entangled with her past; she looked back (Luke 17:23). If I were the author of Luke, I would have reminded the reader of Lot because, unfortunately, he stopped short of complete transformation and ended in sin.

There are things in our past that we consider significant but in the dealings of God are minuscule. We have a choice. We can either hold on to the past or press forward and apprehend what Christ has apprehended for us. God requires a new wineskin for new wine. It is not enough to escape destruction, but their story reminds us not to look back, reach back, nor settle for something short of the new place God has called us to occupy. According to Haggai 2:9, “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.”

The Apostle Paul is a great example, he had one of the highest pedigrees for his day and age, yet he counted it as dung for the excellency in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:8). What about you? Are you still holding on to your glory days, or will you allow Holy Spirit to move you into the new place that he has prepared for you? Driven by Holy Spirit into the wilderness, the devil tested Jesus in preparation for his new place as the Savior and our mighty deliverer.

We go through a process after we are born again. God often shows us our potential in him then allows us to go through tests of the heart. Remember Lot and his wife. She became a pillar of salt and he decided that he would stop short of completing his journey. We do not know what might have happened but we know the results. The past years have been trying for many of us, but we must have the determination to press forward and allow Holy Spirit to have His perfect work in us. As we seek the heart of God, not only do we find that the world has changed (meta), but we have changed. Therefore, do not look back nor stop at a place of comfort. God has hope and a future that we have yet to obtain.