Genesis 47:20 (NKJV)
Then Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh’s.
With all the "learned" people in America, educated by premier universities, well-known doctorates of so-and-so, the American economy is in great trouble. When well-known universities said, “We don’t need God in our schools and universities!” God turned His face away and let the people be granted what they wished for.
On the contrary, Joseph trusted in God – he acknowledged that everything he knows came from God, and God added more to his wisdom, position, and power. God showed him how to go about the 7-year worldwide famine, such that only Egypt had enough food and supply to stand the test of economy and famine. He did not “steal” the glory that is due for the Lord, he gave it back every time he is in a situation.
When will the educated people of America really learn, that it is not because of human knowledge alone, but reliance in God that this country became so rich and powerful? If Joseph is with the Feds today, he can manage to buy the wealth of the world and bail out the American economy, probably even the world’s economy. All upon reliance in God's guidance and wisdom. Sadly, it is just a matter of time that America will fall to its face on the ground, until she acknowledges that God is the One who made America rich and powerful.
Living and Active
Monday, September 29, 2008
Real Christians Suffer
Today's Verse
Genesis 45:7-8 (NKJV)
And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
Read Genesis 45
Thoughts
We often do not understand when bad things happen to us. We freak out, we complain, we blame God, we backslide, and we never want to live a Christian life again. In our story, despite of what happened to Joseph, when everything seemed to be going down the drain, Joseph floated in the midst of adversity and kept trusting God. Joseph never complained, never murmured, and never blamed his brothers about his situation for he knew that the Lord was with him. And so, he can say at the end, “It was God who sent me here, and not you”.
This story can be paralleled in the story of Jesus. It wasn’t the Jews who killed Him, nor the Roman soldiers, nor Judas Iscariot – it was the Father God who sent Jesus to the cross (1 John 4:10), to save us from eternal damnation in the lake of fire, by paying the death penalty Himself – all because of His love for us. And now, Jesus sits on the throne in heaven as the ruler and judge of all.
Have you been walking in the Lord really faithfully, and still experiencing the hardships and trials in your life? Be joyful, it is according to God’s plan that He is preparing you for better things yet to come (1 Peter 5:10). God is preparing you to be a great blessing to other people – you may not know it, but it is in the hands of the Almighty God. Joseph was rewarded the position of Egypt’s prime minister, because of his faithfulness to God. You may not have that kind of reward on earth, but God prepared better rewards for you in heaven.
Prayer
Lord God Heavenly Father, help us when trials come along our way for Your sake, as we journey towards our destiny with You. Forgive us when we fall, restore to us the joy of salvation we have in you. Use us for Your glory and as blessing to others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Genesis 45:7-8 (NKJV)
And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
Read Genesis 45
Thoughts
We often do not understand when bad things happen to us. We freak out, we complain, we blame God, we backslide, and we never want to live a Christian life again. In our story, despite of what happened to Joseph, when everything seemed to be going down the drain, Joseph floated in the midst of adversity and kept trusting God. Joseph never complained, never murmured, and never blamed his brothers about his situation for he knew that the Lord was with him. And so, he can say at the end, “It was God who sent me here, and not you”.
This story can be paralleled in the story of Jesus. It wasn’t the Jews who killed Him, nor the Roman soldiers, nor Judas Iscariot – it was the Father God who sent Jesus to the cross (1 John 4:10), to save us from eternal damnation in the lake of fire, by paying the death penalty Himself – all because of His love for us. And now, Jesus sits on the throne in heaven as the ruler and judge of all.
Have you been walking in the Lord really faithfully, and still experiencing the hardships and trials in your life? Be joyful, it is according to God’s plan that He is preparing you for better things yet to come (1 Peter 5:10). God is preparing you to be a great blessing to other people – you may not know it, but it is in the hands of the Almighty God. Joseph was rewarded the position of Egypt’s prime minister, because of his faithfulness to God. You may not have that kind of reward on earth, but God prepared better rewards for you in heaven.
Prayer
Lord God Heavenly Father, help us when trials come along our way for Your sake, as we journey towards our destiny with You. Forgive us when we fall, restore to us the joy of salvation we have in you. Use us for Your glory and as blessing to others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
How To Be Happy
Psalm 1:1 (NKJV)
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful
Let us not fool our emotions, real happiness is clearly defined in our text today. If we bring this up to our modern understanding, happiness is simply getting away ourselves from the ways of the wicked - that’s it! Very simple yet very effective. No messing around, and you’ll be happy.
However, happiness is pretty much distorted in our world today. It is being defined of “what we have” – such as, we will be happy if we have a big house, nice car, beautiful partner, obedient kids, good job, good salary, nice toys, and anything we think we should have. External things impacting our internal emotions.
Yet, happiness as defined in our text should be rooted into holiness. It should come out from the joy that we have inside, and the joy comes from knowing that we are safe and secure in Jesus Christ as our Savior. Such that, even if we don’t have the external material things – we will still be joyful and happy. But the Devil wants us to believe that happiness is a result of the external material things that we “must have”. And so, materialism is being marketed very effectively is all sorts of media – which makes many people superficially happy. If you don’t have the material things you wanted, would you still be happy?
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful
Let us not fool our emotions, real happiness is clearly defined in our text today. If we bring this up to our modern understanding, happiness is simply getting away ourselves from the ways of the wicked - that’s it! Very simple yet very effective. No messing around, and you’ll be happy.
However, happiness is pretty much distorted in our world today. It is being defined of “what we have” – such as, we will be happy if we have a big house, nice car, beautiful partner, obedient kids, good job, good salary, nice toys, and anything we think we should have. External things impacting our internal emotions.
Yet, happiness as defined in our text should be rooted into holiness. It should come out from the joy that we have inside, and the joy comes from knowing that we are safe and secure in Jesus Christ as our Savior. Such that, even if we don’t have the external material things – we will still be joyful and happy. But the Devil wants us to believe that happiness is a result of the external material things that we “must have”. And so, materialism is being marketed very effectively is all sorts of media – which makes many people superficially happy. If you don’t have the material things you wanted, would you still be happy?
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Bitterness
Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT)
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Have you ever encountered a person who is always irritated, always angry, with uncontrollable tongue, and always burning with fury? It is easy when you are driving during rush hours. But even then, you can always meet a person with a negative attitude and they are very, very contagious. Smiling is contagious but negativity infects to a large degree. Quite frankly, I am a very vulnerable person for contamination, and I easily become angry too.
As I read our text today (vv. 17-32), the Lord showed me that bitterness is one of the enemy’s strongest arsenals of fire power against Christians in the emotional realm. If we don’t let go of the negative attitudes listed above, we are actually grieving the Holy Spirit who is living in us (v. 30), and we can blast off and destroy a whole lot of relationships – in the family, in the church, in circle of friends, in our workplace, wherever. Simply because, they are things of the Devil and they should not co-exist with the Holy Spirit in us! So, we are commanded to “get rid of all bitterness”, tied with it rage, anger, harsh words, slander, and “all” types of evil behavior. We need to wipe them out with kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness – only three things, but can clean out all sorts of dirt in our attitudes and emotions.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Have you ever encountered a person who is always irritated, always angry, with uncontrollable tongue, and always burning with fury? It is easy when you are driving during rush hours. But even then, you can always meet a person with a negative attitude and they are very, very contagious. Smiling is contagious but negativity infects to a large degree. Quite frankly, I am a very vulnerable person for contamination, and I easily become angry too.
As I read our text today (vv. 17-32), the Lord showed me that bitterness is one of the enemy’s strongest arsenals of fire power against Christians in the emotional realm. If we don’t let go of the negative attitudes listed above, we are actually grieving the Holy Spirit who is living in us (v. 30), and we can blast off and destroy a whole lot of relationships – in the family, in the church, in circle of friends, in our workplace, wherever. Simply because, they are things of the Devil and they should not co-exist with the Holy Spirit in us! So, we are commanded to “get rid of all bitterness”, tied with it rage, anger, harsh words, slander, and “all” types of evil behavior. We need to wipe them out with kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness – only three things, but can clean out all sorts of dirt in our attitudes and emotions.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Short Meditations: The Power of Prayer
James 5:17-18 (NLT)
“Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
Elijah is a dude with awesome power in prayer. He can pray for drought of three and a half years, and he can pray for rain after that. When he prays, he prays earnestly bending to the ground with his face between his knees (1 Kings 18:42). This is a picture of a woman in birthing position. Elijah was basically praying in labor! Even so, Jesus prayed before his arrest with sweat like drops of blood (Luke 22:44).
Prayer is not just wishful thinking, it is a serious conversation with the Lord to ask about His will, not our will – which is mostly selfish in nature. Elijah apparently prayed seven times, and God answered his prayers (1 Kings 18:43-44). There is something in doing it seven times, for it is the number of completion or perfection. So when we pray, we do it earnestly and completely. It is not because we want to twist God’s arm, or that the Lord doesn’t hear, or because it is His requirement, but simply – it is a God thing to commune with Him and fellowship with Him in our prayers, and then God answers our prayers in His perfect time. Are you laboring in prayer yet? Be joyful, God will not tire you waiting.
“Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
Elijah is a dude with awesome power in prayer. He can pray for drought of three and a half years, and he can pray for rain after that. When he prays, he prays earnestly bending to the ground with his face between his knees (1 Kings 18:42). This is a picture of a woman in birthing position. Elijah was basically praying in labor! Even so, Jesus prayed before his arrest with sweat like drops of blood (Luke 22:44).
Prayer is not just wishful thinking, it is a serious conversation with the Lord to ask about His will, not our will – which is mostly selfish in nature. Elijah apparently prayed seven times, and God answered his prayers (1 Kings 18:43-44). There is something in doing it seven times, for it is the number of completion or perfection. So when we pray, we do it earnestly and completely. It is not because we want to twist God’s arm, or that the Lord doesn’t hear, or because it is His requirement, but simply – it is a God thing to commune with Him and fellowship with Him in our prayers, and then God answers our prayers in His perfect time. Are you laboring in prayer yet? Be joyful, God will not tire you waiting.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Short Meditations: You're a WIP!
Philippians 1:6 (NIV)
“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
I used to be a project manager myself and I understand the importance and joy of finishing and completing a project – setting a timeline, following through all the critical tasks that need to be accomplished according to schedule, striking the right balance between efficiency and effectiveness, setting the right amount of manpower, man-hours, logistics, and many other things. There is that sense of fulfillment deep inside that lifts up your spirit to achieve even furthermore, when everything is said and done. However, that experience is nothing compared to God’s working in Christians – those who trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
Christians are all “work in progress, or WIP”, as far as the Lord is concerned. When He called us to be His followers and we accepted God’s calling, the Lord started grinding and molding us into the persons He wanted us to be. Christian life is not a walk in the park, it is a constant battle against our enemy, the Devil. Yet, in the midst of all our struggles, God is there before us caring and guiding us. Apostle Paul, while penning the words in our text today was in a lower dungeon in prison chained to Roman soldiers guarding him. Despite of his situation, he had the joy and treasures of encouragement to tell about the church in Philippi which he had established.
We may not be persecuted like the early Christians, yet we fail at times in our Christian walk. But God’s work is based on His faithfulness and not on our failures. And so, we have that confidence that one day, when we are done and completed, we will reflect God’s glory and honor.
“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
I used to be a project manager myself and I understand the importance and joy of finishing and completing a project – setting a timeline, following through all the critical tasks that need to be accomplished according to schedule, striking the right balance between efficiency and effectiveness, setting the right amount of manpower, man-hours, logistics, and many other things. There is that sense of fulfillment deep inside that lifts up your spirit to achieve even furthermore, when everything is said and done. However, that experience is nothing compared to God’s working in Christians – those who trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
Christians are all “work in progress, or WIP”, as far as the Lord is concerned. When He called us to be His followers and we accepted God’s calling, the Lord started grinding and molding us into the persons He wanted us to be. Christian life is not a walk in the park, it is a constant battle against our enemy, the Devil. Yet, in the midst of all our struggles, God is there before us caring and guiding us. Apostle Paul, while penning the words in our text today was in a lower dungeon in prison chained to Roman soldiers guarding him. Despite of his situation, he had the joy and treasures of encouragement to tell about the church in Philippi which he had established.
We may not be persecuted like the early Christians, yet we fail at times in our Christian walk. But God’s work is based on His faithfulness and not on our failures. And so, we have that confidence that one day, when we are done and completed, we will reflect God’s glory and honor.
When Sin Catches Up With You
Today's Verse
Genesis 42:21 (NLT)
Speaking among themselves, they said, “Clearly we are being punished because of what we did to Joseph long ago. We saw his anguish when he pleaded for his life, but we wouldn’t listen. That’s why we’re in this trouble.”
Read Genesis 42
Thoughts
It is just a fact of life. Our sin always requires pay back time. Anything we do, from simple disobedience from our parents, telling lies, hurting someone, infidelity, to homicide or murder – it always comes back to charge for the penalty. It is not a question of if, but when. In our text today, we see that it was pay back time for the brothers of Joseph to face the consequence of their sin against Joseph. However, we see here a very important principle of the Scriptures – the mercy of God reflected in the Old Testament.
The ten brothers of Joseph could have been summarily executed when they came from Canaan to Egypt to buy food during the worldwide famine, for Joseph have all the power in his hands to do as he wishes. Yet, Joseph was overwhelmed with compassion and love for his brothers, that he had to cry out secretly. While his brothers were trembling in fear, Joseph was weeping down in compassion.
Joseph reflects the compassion and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus feels the same way for us sinners – we deserve punishment and death because we offended the Creator of the heavens and the earth. We all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23), and we deserve nothing but death (Rom. 6:23). But like Joseph, Jesus broke down and wept because of our foolishness, He had compassion and love for us, that He was willing to die on the cross just to rescue us from the penalty of our sin, which is eternal damnation in the lake of fire. It was reserved for the Devil and his demons, but many people choose to go there too.
Sooner or later, your sin will catch up with you. But right now, Jesus is offering you His forgiveness and salvation. There is one of two things you can do: acknowledge that you are a helpless offender and sinner, just like Joseph’s brothers who are at the mercy of Joseph’s hand, and receive forgiveness and salvation from the Lord Jesus Christ – OR – remain proud and seemingly can work things out by yourself, but then the end is death and damnation (Prov. 14:12).
Prayer
Lord God Heavenly Father, we humbly bow down and acknowledge that we are all sinners, and nothing we can do to save ourselves. Have mercy on us and forgive us, that we may find mercy and salvation in the blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
Genesis 42:21 (NLT)
Speaking among themselves, they said, “Clearly we are being punished because of what we did to Joseph long ago. We saw his anguish when he pleaded for his life, but we wouldn’t listen. That’s why we’re in this trouble.”
Read Genesis 42
Thoughts
It is just a fact of life. Our sin always requires pay back time. Anything we do, from simple disobedience from our parents, telling lies, hurting someone, infidelity, to homicide or murder – it always comes back to charge for the penalty. It is not a question of if, but when. In our text today, we see that it was pay back time for the brothers of Joseph to face the consequence of their sin against Joseph. However, we see here a very important principle of the Scriptures – the mercy of God reflected in the Old Testament.
The ten brothers of Joseph could have been summarily executed when they came from Canaan to Egypt to buy food during the worldwide famine, for Joseph have all the power in his hands to do as he wishes. Yet, Joseph was overwhelmed with compassion and love for his brothers, that he had to cry out secretly. While his brothers were trembling in fear, Joseph was weeping down in compassion.
Joseph reflects the compassion and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus feels the same way for us sinners – we deserve punishment and death because we offended the Creator of the heavens and the earth. We all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23), and we deserve nothing but death (Rom. 6:23). But like Joseph, Jesus broke down and wept because of our foolishness, He had compassion and love for us, that He was willing to die on the cross just to rescue us from the penalty of our sin, which is eternal damnation in the lake of fire. It was reserved for the Devil and his demons, but many people choose to go there too.
Sooner or later, your sin will catch up with you. But right now, Jesus is offering you His forgiveness and salvation. There is one of two things you can do: acknowledge that you are a helpless offender and sinner, just like Joseph’s brothers who are at the mercy of Joseph’s hand, and receive forgiveness and salvation from the Lord Jesus Christ – OR – remain proud and seemingly can work things out by yourself, but then the end is death and damnation (Prov. 14:12).
Prayer
Lord God Heavenly Father, we humbly bow down and acknowledge that we are all sinners, and nothing we can do to save ourselves. Have mercy on us and forgive us, that we may find mercy and salvation in the blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
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