ALL FORMS OF ART, LITERATURE, RECORDED ON TH FRAILEST OF MATERIALS, HAS HAD THE STRONGEST LIEN ON IMMORTALITY. THE PYRAMID TEXTS WILL PROBABLY OUT LAST THE PYRAMIDS. TRUE EVEN OF THE CENTURIES OF PARCHMENT AND PAPYRUS, THE SUPERIOR LONGEVITY OF THE WRITTEN WORD,
WAS ESTABLISHED BEYOND THE POSSIBILITY: THE INVENTION OF MOVEABLE TYPE IT ATTAINED THE PERPETUITY OF PRINTING, FORCING "SHAKESPEARE TO UTTER NO FUTILE BOAST WHEN HE DECLARED"---- " NOT MARBLE, NOT THE GILDED MONUMENTS OF PRINCES, SHALL OUTLAST THIS POWERFUL RHYME;" THE DIVINE WORD GIVEN BY , THE DIVINE AUTHOR, THAT OVER THE CENTURIES THE BIBLE, HAS LOST ITS POWER OF INSPIRATION, FOR ALL BUT A FEW SCHOLARS. "THEIR IS A GREAT DECLINE IN KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE, EVEN FROM THE GUARDIANS THE THE MISSOURI SYNOD, OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH! SO SAD. HIS PATIENCE, IS STILL IN THE WORLD WHEN YOU NEED HIM; JESUS SAYS: WHEN IN SORROW., READ JOHN14.
WHEN MEN FAIL YOU,PSALM 27. WHEN YOU HAVE SINNED. PSALM 51.
WHEN YOU WORRY, MATTHEW 6"19-34.
BEFORE CHURCH SERVICE, PSALM 84.
WHEN YOU ARE IN DANGER.PSALM 91.
WHEN YOU HAVE BLUES, PSALM 34.
WHEN GOD SEEMS FAR AWAY, PSALM 139.
IF YOU DESIRE TO BE FRUITFUL, JOHN 15.
WHEN DOUBTS COME UPON YOU, JOHN 7:17.
WHEN YOU ARE LONELY OR FEARFUL, PSALM 33.
WHEN YOU FORGET YOUR BLESSINGS, PSALM 103.
FOR JESUS IDEA OF A CHRISTIAN, MATTHEW 5.
FOR JAMES IDEA OF RELIGION, JAMES 1 19-27.
FOR STIRRING OF FAITH, HEBREWS 1:1.
WHEN YOU FEEL DOWN AND OUT, ROMANS 8: 31-39.
WHEN YOU LACK COURAGE. FOR YOUR TASK JOSHUA 1
WHEN THE WORLD SEEMS BIGGER THAN GOD;
PSALM 90.
WHEN YOU WANT CHRISTIAN ASSURANCE, ROMANS 8:1-30.
WHEN YOU LEAVE HOME FOR LABOR OR TRAVEL. PSALM 121.
WHEN YOU GROW BITTER OR CRITICAL. COR. 13.
FOR PAUL'S IDEA OF CHRISTIANITY, II COR. 5: 15-19.
FOR PAUL'S RULES ON HOW TO GET ALONG WITH MEN, ROMANS12.
"LEAVES OF GOLD."
READING OF THESE VERSES,, TO WALK IN THE WAY OF GOD'S READINGS, THAT THE EXPERIENCES THAT MAY COME OUR WAY EVERY DAY. WE KNOW THAT EVIL EXISTS WITH THE GOOD. WE FIND FROM THESE BIBLE VERSES, THAT GOD'S VERSES OF MERCY FOR ALL PEOPLE MAY BE REVEALED, AND GOD'S POWER TO BRING GOOD OUT OF EVIL MAY BE KNOWN. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT EVEN WEEDS AND THORNS CAN BE TRANSFORMED INTO BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS AND LUSH VINES?
HERE IS EACH CHRISTIAN'S MISSION: TO SPEAK AND ACT WITH MERCY AND JUSTICE IN A WORLD WHICH IS DROWNING ALL TOGETHER IN THE PRESENCE OF EVIL.
AS WE LOOK WITH A WIDER LENS THE PROBLEMS OF THE WORLD AND THE DIFFICULTIES IN OUR OWN LIVES, JESUS IS ASKING US TO MAKE MORAL DECISIONS CONFRONTING EVIL IN OUR SMALL WORLD. TO DAY IS A GOOD DAY TO TELL A STORY OF JOSEPH, FROM THE BOOK OF GENESIS CHAPTER 37. HERE IS A STORY THAT OFFERS A COMPLES MIX OF WEEDS AND WHEAT. JOSEPH IS DECEIVED AND SOLD INTO SLAVERY BY HIS BROTHERS, LEADS A LIFE OF AN EXILE AND THEN A RULER IN A FOREIGN LAND, AND HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE THOSE WHO STAGED HIS DEATH. IT ALSO SHOWS THAT GOD'S PLAN FOR REDEEMING HIS CREATION WILL NOT BE SET BACK BY EVIL INTENTIONS OF THE WORLD. JACOB SETTLED IN THE LAND WHERE HIS FATHER HAS LIVED AS AN ALIEN, THE LAND OF CANAAN. THIIS IS THE STORY OF THE FAMILY OF JACOB.(GEN39) JOSEPH WAS BROUGHT DOWN TO EGYPT; AND PA-DI-PA-RE, CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD IN PHARAOH'S ARMY, AN EGYPTIAN BOUGHT HIM OFF THE HANDS OF THE ISHMAELITES , WHICH HAD BROUGHT HIM DOWN THITHER. THE TALE OF JOSEPH,WHO WAS SOLD BY HIS BROTHERS TO EGYPT AND LATER AS GRAND VIZIER BECAME RECONCILED TO THEM, IS UNDOUBTEDLY ONE OF THE FINAST STORIES IN THE WORLD OF LITERATURE.AND IT CAME TO PAST AFTER THESE THINGS, THAT HIS, MASTER'S (PA-DI-PA-RE) WIFE CAST HER EYES UPON JOSEPH.; FOR JOSEPH WAS HANDSOME WITH GOOD LOOKING FEATURES. AFTER A TIME SHE SAID" LIE WITH ME." BUT HE REFUSED AND SAID TO HIS MASTER'S WIFE, "LOOK, WITH ME HERE, MY MASTER HAS NO CONCERN ABOUT ANYTHING IN THE HOUSE, AND HE HAS PUT EVERYTHING HE HAS IN MY HAND. HE IS NOT GREATER IN THIS HOUSE THAN I AM, NOR HAS HE KEPT BACK ANYTHING FROM ME BUT HIS WIFE. HOW THEN COULD I DO THIS GREAT WICKEDNESS AND SIN AGAINST GOD.
GOD HAS PUT JOSEPH TO THE TEST FROM THE TIME HIS BROTHER'S SOLD HIM TO THE ISHMAELITES, AND NOW WHEN HE IS IN THE HANDS OF THE EGYPTAINS, EVIL POPS UP AGAIN. PA-D-PA-RE'S WIFE TRIES DAY AFTER DAY TO SEDUCE JOSEPH. ONE DAY JOSEPH WENT INTO THE HOUSE TO DO HIS WORK, WHILE NO ONE ELSE WAS IN THE HOUSE TO DO HIS WORK. SHE CAUGHT HOLD OF HIS GARMENT SAYING "LIE WITH ME!" BUT HE LEFT HIS GARMENT IN HER HAND AND HAD FLED AND RAN OUTSIDE. WHEN SHE HAD SAW THAT HE HAD LEFT HIS GARMENT IN HER HAND, SHE CALLED OUT TO THE MEMBERS OF HER HOUSEHOLD AND SAID TO THEM, SEE MY HUSBAND HAS BROUGHT AMONG US A HEBREW TO INSULT US! HE CAME INTO ME TO LIE WITH ME, AND I CRIED OUT WITH A LOUD VOICE., AND WHEN HE HEARD ME RAISE MY VOICE AND CRY OUT, HE LEFT HIS GARMENT BESIDE ME, AND FLED OUTSIDE. WHEN HIS MASTER HEARD THESE WORDS THAT HIS WIFE SPOKE TO HIM SAYING, " THIS IS THE WAY YOUR SERVANT TREATED ME," HE BECAME ENRAGED AND TOOK JOSEPH AND PUT HIM IN PRISON. THROUGH GOD'S INTERVENTION JOSEPH WAS PUT IN WITH THE KING'S PRISONER'S, AND GOD CONTINUED TO SHOWER HIM WITH LOVE, ANDJOSEPH FOUND FAVOR WITH THE CHIEF JAILER.. THE CHIEF JAILER PUT ALL THE CARE OF THE PRISONER'S INTO JOSEPH'S HAND. STRANGELY JOSEPH, A SLAVE WAS NOT EXECUTED FOR ALLEGED ADULTERY, FOR THE LORD WAS WITH HIM AND WOULD CONTINUE TO USE HIM. SOME TIME AFTER THIS, THE CUP BEARER OF THE KING OF EGYPT AND HIS BAKER, ( WE CAN SEE GOD'S PLAN CONTINUE TO WORK, WHICH DOWN THE ROAD WILL LEAD TO JOSEPH SAVING THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL.THE KING OF EGYPT, PHARAOH WAS ANGRY WITH HIS TWO OFFICERS, THE CHIEF CUP BEARER AND THE CHIEF BAKER, AND HE JUST HAPPEN TO PUT THEM CUSTODY IN THE HOUSE OF THE CAPTAIN OF THE GAURD, IN THE PRISON WHERE JOSEPH WAS CONFINED. THE CAPTAIN OF THE GAURD CHARGED JOSEPH WITH THEM AND HE WAITED ON THEM, AND THEY WERE IN CUSTODY A LONG TIME.THEN GOD AGAIN BREAKS IN TO MOVE HIS PLAN AHEAD. THE CUP BEARER AND THE BAKER. WERE DOWN CAST. JOSEPH ASKS WHY ARE YOU DOWN CAST. WE HAVE HAD DREAMS LAST NIGHT AND THERE IS NO ONE TO INTERPRET THEM. NOW WE KNOW WHAT'S COMING. THROUGH GOD JOSEPH BECOMES THE INTERPRETER OF DREAMS.. SINCE, ACCORDING TO ANCIENT BELIEF, DREAMS WERE A CHANEL OF DIVINE COMMUNICATION, FOR INTERPRETATION BELONGED TO GOD WHO NOWS AND CONTROLS THE EVENTS OF THE FUTURE. SO THE CUPBEARER TOLD HIS STORY TO JOSEPH, AND SAID TO HIM, IN MY DREAM THERE WAS A VINE BEFORE ME, AND ON THE VINE THEIR WAS THREE BRANCHES. AS SOON AS IT BUDDED, IT'S BLOSSOMES CAME OUT IN CLUSTERS AND THE CLUSTERS RIPENED INTO GRAPES.
PHARAOH'S CUP WAS IN MY HAND; AND I TOOK THE GRAPES AND PRESSED THEM INTO PHARAOH'S CUP, AND PLACED THE CUP IN PHARAOH'S HAND.. THEN JOSEPH SAID TO HIM," THIS IS THE INTERPRETATION: THE THREE BRANCHES ARE THREE DAYS; PHARAOH WILL LIFT UP YOUR HEAD AND RESTORE YOU TO YOUR OFFICE AND YOU SHALL PLACE PHARAOH'S CUP INTO HIS HAND. BUT REMEMBER ME WHEN IT IS WELL WITH YOU. PLEASE DO ME THE KINDNESS TO MAKE MENTION OF ME. TO PHARAOH, AND SO GET ME OUT OF THIS PLACE. THE CHIEF BAKER SAW THAT THE INTERPRETATION WAS FAVORABLE,, HE SAID TO JOSEPH, " I ALSO HAD A DREAM. THERE WERE THREE CAKE BASKETS ON MY HEAD AND JOSEPH ANSWERED, " THIS IS THE INTERPRETATION. THE THREE CAKE BASKETS ON MY HEAD. AND IN THE UPPERMOST BASKET THERE WERE ALL SORTS OF BAKE GOODS FOR PHARAOH. BUT THE BIRDS WERE EATING IT OUT OF MY BASKET ON MY HEAD. AND JOSEPH ANSWERED, THE THREE BASKETS ARE THREE DAYS; WITHIN THREE DAYS PHARAOH WILL LIFT UP YOUR HEAD FROM YOU AND HANG YOU ON A POLE.; AND THE BIRDS WILL EAT THE FLESH FROM YOU. PHARAOH ALSO HAD A DREAM. CAN YOU INTERPERT? THEN PHARAOH TOLD JOSEPH HIS DREAM. THE BIBLE DEPICTS JOSEPH AS A ABLE ADMINISTER, AND AS GRAND VIZIER HE GUIDED THE EGYPTIAN PE0PLE THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES. JOSEPH IS A "TYPE" OF JESUS CHRIST. HE WAS ALSO SOLD FOR A FEW PIECES OF SILVER AND SUBJECTED TO EVERY FORM OF INDIGNITY. BUT IN ALL THESE THINGS, GOD'S GRACIOUS COUNSEL WAS CARRIED OUT. SO TOO WILL JESUS OUR GOOD SHEPHERD, PICK US UP WHEN WE FALL. HE DID JOSEPH AND THE ISREALITES, UNTIL HIS WORDS ARE FULFILLED.
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