Ge 50:15 ¶ When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him."
We have already seen that Joseph's ten brothers lacked the beginning of wisdom and the beginning of knowledge. Now, after years of receiving kindness from Joseph, they could not believe that he had forgiven them. Why not?
God works in the lives of His saints to love one another, but Joseph's brothers had successfully fought off that work of God. They "judged" Joseph, fearing that he would commit the same sin that they would have committed:revenge.
Don't follow people who like to fight. They don't know what they're doing, and they don't understand what God is doing.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
The Beginning of Wisdom and Knowledge
We're discussing how Joseph's ten brothers didn't even suspect that they were confronting their brother. We saw that they didn't fear the Lord, as shown by their lack of love for their brother. But still, why couldn't they even recognize him?
Ps 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom
Pr 1:7 ¶ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge
God works in His children to love one another. When a Christian successfully fights off God's work, he can become bitter at another Christian. It is important to remember that, lacking both wisdom and knowledge, that Christian is not qualified to lead, teach, or influence other Christians.
One Christian forum deals with Christians who have been hurt by churches. Most of the victims joined churches that would not fellowship with other Christian churches. Trying to keep their people spiritual, the incompetent leaders of those churches would hurt them instead.
Be careful about being influenced by "Christians" who are hostile to God's people. You'll save yourself a lot of grief that way.
Ps 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom
Pr 1:7 ¶ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge
God works in His children to love one another. When a Christian successfully fights off God's work, he can become bitter at another Christian. It is important to remember that, lacking both wisdom and knowledge, that Christian is not qualified to lead, teach, or influence other Christians.
One Christian forum deals with Christians who have been hurt by churches. Most of the victims joined churches that would not fellowship with other Christian churches. Trying to keep their people spiritual, the incompetent leaders of those churches would hurt them instead.
Be careful about being influenced by "Christians" who are hostile to God's people. You'll save yourself a lot of grief that way.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
How Could They Not Know?
Despite abundant spiritual warnings, Jacob's ten oldest sons didn't even suspect that they were facing their brother. Why not?
The explanation begins in Genesis 37:4 "...they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him." When Joseph taught his brothers the Word of God, the Bible says that they hated him even more.
Ps 119:74 describes the spiritual condition of the ten brothers: "Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, Because I have hoped in Your word." They didn't fear the Lord.
Over the years, I have avoided some spiritual disasters by remembering that "Christians" who despise other Christians do not fear the Lord. On a few occasions, I actually worked for them, but I knew better than to trust them.
These men did not fear the Lord. But why couldn't they recognize their brother? Because...
The explanation begins in Genesis 37:4 "...they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him." When Joseph taught his brothers the Word of God, the Bible says that they hated him even more.
Ps 119:74 describes the spiritual condition of the ten brothers: "Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, Because I have hoped in Your word." They didn't fear the Lord.
Over the years, I have avoided some spiritual disasters by remembering that "Christians" who despise other Christians do not fear the Lord. On a few occasions, I actually worked for them, but I knew better than to trust them.
These men did not fear the Lord. But why couldn't they recognize their brother? Because...
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Not Even the Beginning of Wisdom...
Ge 42:8 So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.
Joseph had plainly told his brothers that they would someday bow down to him. His brothers knew that Joseph was in Egypt. They knew that they had sinned in selling Joseph as a slave. And they knew that God had promised great things to Joseph.
Yet when they went to Egypt, met a great leader, bowed down to him, and received punishment for their sins, it didn't even occur to them that this was their brother! They even spoke in Hebrew in his presence, assuming that he wouldn't understand them.
Joseph's ten older brothers had been taught properly. Yet, they lacked the wisdom and the knowledge to recognize their brother. Why?
Joseph had plainly told his brothers that they would someday bow down to him. His brothers knew that Joseph was in Egypt. They knew that they had sinned in selling Joseph as a slave. And they knew that God had promised great things to Joseph.
Yet when they went to Egypt, met a great leader, bowed down to him, and received punishment for their sins, it didn't even occur to them that this was their brother! They even spoke in Hebrew in his presence, assuming that he wouldn't understand them.
Joseph's ten older brothers had been taught properly. Yet, they lacked the wisdom and the knowledge to recognize their brother. Why?
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Mt 4:19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
We just saw that Christians who obey Jesus have a different perspective of Him than Christians who do not obey him. And here we see that if you are an obedient Christian, you will be a soul-winner.
Many Christians believe that greatness is achieved in the Christian life by becoming a ruler. They seek Christian office without ever making the sacrifices that soul-winners make. They won't spread God's Word, do menial tasks, or take sides against wrong.
Soul-winners, on the other hand, have a special manifestation from God, and they see greatness in terms of SERVICE. The Gospel being spread, souls being saved, the Word being taught, etc., are marks of success to them. Some time ago, we saw that conflicts betwen these two groups of Christians are inevitable; now we see that the Christians who seek to rule often are lacking in spiritual maturity.
We just saw that Christians who obey Jesus have a different perspective of Him than Christians who do not obey him. And here we see that if you are an obedient Christian, you will be a soul-winner.
Many Christians believe that greatness is achieved in the Christian life by becoming a ruler. They seek Christian office without ever making the sacrifices that soul-winners make. They won't spread God's Word, do menial tasks, or take sides against wrong.
Soul-winners, on the other hand, have a special manifestation from God, and they see greatness in terms of SERVICE. The Gospel being spread, souls being saved, the Word being taught, etc., are marks of success to them. Some time ago, we saw that conflicts betwen these two groups of Christians are inevitable; now we see that the Christians who seek to rule often are lacking in spiritual maturity.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Who Actually Loves Jesus?
John 14:21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me."
Unlike his brothers, Joseph obeyed his father. While Jacob favored him because he was the son of his old age, Joseph's conduct was a factor in continuing that love. The Christians who love Jesus the most aren't the ones who shout the most, arent't the ones who criticize the most, and aren't even the ones who read the Bible the most. The ones who OBEY are the ones who love Jesus the most.
Jesus continued in John 14:21 "And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." These Christians have a different viewpoint of Jesus than other Christians have. They place Him in a different position in their lives, and they re-act to Him differently, because they know more about Him.
This relationship with their father made Jacob's other ten sons jealous, and it sometimes makes Christians jealous as well.
Unlike his brothers, Joseph obeyed his father. While Jacob favored him because he was the son of his old age, Joseph's conduct was a factor in continuing that love. The Christians who love Jesus the most aren't the ones who shout the most, arent't the ones who criticize the most, and aren't even the ones who read the Bible the most. The ones who OBEY are the ones who love Jesus the most.
Jesus continued in John 14:21 "And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." These Christians have a different viewpoint of Jesus than other Christians have. They place Him in a different position in their lives, and they re-act to Him differently, because they know more about Him.
This relationship with their father made Jacob's other ten sons jealous, and it sometimes makes Christians jealous as well.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Joseph
"...and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father." Gen 37:2
If you remember the idea of this blog, I'm trying to help people who have been hurt by churches or other Christians. Joseph was definitely a man who had been hurt by God's people. Let's take a look at what happened and why.
First, Joseph, unlike Jacob, had lived a Godly life. He told the truth when God's people were doing wrong (bringing his father the truth about his brothers).
Second, Joseph's brothers could see that their Father loved Joseph more than them. In John 14:21, Jesus said "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."
It was a self-feeding system: Joseph loved his father more than they did, and their father loved Joseph more than he loved them. You, personally, can get into a system like that, but you might have God's people turn hostile to you if you do.
To be continued...
If you remember the idea of this blog, I'm trying to help people who have been hurt by churches or other Christians. Joseph was definitely a man who had been hurt by God's people. Let's take a look at what happened and why.
First, Joseph, unlike Jacob, had lived a Godly life. He told the truth when God's people were doing wrong (bringing his father the truth about his brothers).
Second, Joseph's brothers could see that their Father loved Joseph more than them. In John 14:21, Jesus said "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."
It was a self-feeding system: Joseph loved his father more than they did, and their father loved Joseph more than he loved them. You, personally, can get into a system like that, but you might have God's people turn hostile to you if you do.
To be continued...
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