Exodus 4 ~ the Lord met him

Matthew 22

41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,

44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet”’?

45 If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” 46 And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

I generally try to get out of the way of the Scripture, but when storms collide - then you have to put your priorities out there and sort like a hurricane is coming.

I tend to collect storms. If someone needs to unburden their marital abortion - well, I'm the one they are going to tell way before I did this volunteer portion. If your child is gay, I'm going to be the one you find at the Superbowl Party to ask huffily about "The Bible". If your child died and your (other Church) Pastor was there for you - why didn't he show up after you got out of Prison? If your sister died, the day you were day 42 in the ICU, did the doves that you saw fly at 1 a.m. have something to do with her soul? Yes. Hospice says death occurs when people don't want to inflict their death upon loved ones. And I'm the one who goes on a walk and the car in front of me suddenly halts and someone gets out to have a photo taken of me and the dog. And then we get into a story about channeling and rocks versus Jesus. Yes, that one left smiling.

I discovered in my twenties - people bored me, until I decided to write a novel. My novel, I loved by Susan Howatch, said the young boy asked his father if the piano was in the summer house. And the novelist said what he really meant to his grieving father, was his deceased mother's essence still there in his heart? And I began to have a knack for hearing what people are trying to say leading to some pretty far out conversations that you don't repeat for fear yours will get repeated.

So with storms always arriving, like doing youth ministry work and getting stuck in obscenely drunken parenting and discovering amateur to not so amateur prostitution in suburban parenting. Investigating the workings of CPS. Doing 12 years of family Guardian work working with the Courts and Adult Protective Services. Dementia wards that lock you in. Getting a call to go with a friend to sit in the downtown ER and following an ambulance in the middle of the night holding her child to take that child to be committed to a mental institution in the middle in the night and listening to the 45 minute very honest recital of problems.

Recovering from the traumatic death of my Beloved Daddy. Being told to get over it and discovering Group Therapy. Whoop!

Having given you some of the Tetons, I will say, I know something of the ecstasy of the communion of love and some of the storms life can grind you down like an old used, stained, nasty cigarette.

How to weather all this?
Get up each morning - run to the Word of God and hold that UP. His Mercies Renew Every Morning. Bask, Uplift, Smooth Out.
Imitate God? Let's say I do a very pitiful imitation of the God of the Universe Who's robe is so vast that only a corner of His seamless robe would be there. Knowing Solomon saw the Glory of God fill the millenniums of His Church. Having the awe and wonder of God knowing that the Hubble Telescope - TODAY - understands what Solomon saw.

How do I feel about being a less than perfect imitation of God? People relate. Not everyone. However if you read the Word...like Matthew 22 - God uses conflict. If we listen to His Word we realize - we have to answer the Call God has for you. I got an inspiring PDF this morning I read carefully twice talking about having a child with a grave disability. The best thing I ever heard was a baptism for Down's Syndrome Child saying - we all have limits - the Word of God says to understand not to think of ourselves too highly.

And if you have Storms - you can relate to Matthew 22 - God Chose to arrive in Conflict. Conflict.

The woman getting out of Prison wanted to know why her Pastor didn't save her. Because God is about fire honing us. He promises that He will hone us. Our relationship exists first to God.

Exodus 4

Trial by Fire

Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’” 2 The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” 3 And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it.

To Be or Not Be Leprous. Moses picked not.

4 But the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5 “that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6 Again, the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7 Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. 9 If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”

Not All That

10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” 14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. 16 He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. 17 And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

Taking Care of What God Gives You

18 Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19 And the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” 20 So Moses took his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

OH NO. Really

21 And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’”

Is That God? What Happened? Why? Oh, He alone is God.

24 At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. 25 Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” 26 So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision. 

Narrow Path

27 The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which he had sent him to speak, and all the signs that he had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. 30 Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.


What if you didn't have Aaron?

So, Great Spiritual Awakenings have swept the world over the centuries. They have changed lives and the very culture in which we live. An Awakening is a special time when God saturates a place and a people with His presence. There is a Great Awakening coming.

We have an affliction at my house. One of us has a prognosis of death at an early age. We deal daily with the events that involve that. Today more strongly writing this post. That is not News. Anymore than learning there is cuneiform for the Noah's Flood Story in Mesopotamia . The British Museum has known about this for about a century. But now we know what has caused some of the storms. And now we get to make choices.

My 26 year old son said he is too young to know what to do. I feel that way at 51.

Storms cause conflict. And in conflict we see many different opinions which could swamp and overwhelm us.

Prioritize *****

+ We place Authentic Love. First. That is God.

We have to honor what the Holy Spirit has brought in our lives. Framework. For the indwelling of Love.

+ Taking care of our loved ones as tenderly as a good Shepherd. Looking after their needs.

Look at the pictures of the Ark - remember God teaches at many levels. God is going to be as Vast as the Way God put all the Disciples on different journeys.

Combining storms and these passages - We can't expect a miraculous team to arrive and sweep, clean, vacuum our houses - we are responsible. We can't expect one Man of God to fix trauma. We cannot expect like the Exodus, the slaves to cause change. All the friends in the world, all the grumblings of the Children of God in bondage - in their lives - did not bring about Exodus or Awakening. This is just like our lives. We are responsible to build with God. To stand in the faith. + When we see Heaven, to know, we will look at Jesus.

The Ark. God's Law. God's Son to fulfill what human beings cannot do. The New Covenant of Mercy to be Sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Awakenings - seeing God's miracles even in this 2015. What did God say to do with all of this Commotion? Prioritize. Love God. Let the rays of that Love bring us forward in His Plan. Light - mercy - kindness -

We have to allow the journey to be honest to sort it out.

Build what is for God.
Noah probably had his detractors who told him that his ark wouldn't hold water.
Noah was examined to be sound to even do what God had told him to do. And Noah swung the hammer. Doing what God had brought to his life. Today. Finding the diligence, the prayer, the Word.

Noah was surrounded by those who said it was dark. And in those stalls - - - The passengers had a way to feel safe. God's plan was nurturing them in their own type of surroundings. Psalm 139 says dark is Light to God.

We are told we need to update this old story. Ok. Let's. The Great Flood - is probably the Ice Age. Not a fable. Fossils are the evidence! Solutions involve seeing different perspectives.

Good News. God did a marvelous thing in this miracle. We bear a responsibility to learn from the details of the events and to become in deeper relationship to God.

We hear that God is nasty. He kills people and makes judgments so this is to be avoided to be comfortable. People die. One of the people in my family died of cancer. She blessed the cancer to bring her to understand God. To fight through the vanities of life to find the depth and the poignancy of traveling to eternity. Judgements of God. A different thing than human judgments.

Glamor. This is a big thing. God said to imitate Paul who said have a quiet life. Jesus spoke of the narrow path. Remember Noah got off the Ship from all of this - from holding all this up - and became drunk - making terrible family consequences. The Scriptures are real. When we really delve into lives - we find we are all - Flawed. To make a show - leads to falling down. We have to sort and be honest. Noah needed to tell God and explain his troubles to his family - not bottle them up and explode.

Thank God for providing events causing us to speak of truth, mercy, encouragement, diligence. Don't become a show for propriety. That did not work for Noah. Learn from what did not work in the Bible as well as forward advice.

Did they speak of the pain of being alone? Seeing others fall? Usually the people God chooses have a heart for a God of Love.

Dealing with Power. The authorities of social hierarchies of Noah - didn't want him to be different. I bet a few of his neighbors did not want to see the Ark near them. Did his family allow for him to be Noah? Or did they do their best to belittle him too leading to the downfall of Noah somewhat?

What did Noah do with the idea he could not feed his family or the animals? Noah probably had some worries there. Maybe in squabbles Noah's family was not even pleased to be on the Ark. Did Noah want a life raft? Maybe Noah wondered if God was putting the ship in the right direction? Maybe his family felt like Noah had not saved them for something better. Maybe Noah wished he had perished in the storm. You bet in trauma - people think these things.

Works of God cause people to press you to be an idiot. I had someone to wander up to me in a store and ask for telephones that they then tell you they can afford themselves after you smile instead of buy them the phone. Wisdom isn't saying jump in with both feet. Our most effective work is be a friend - win a friend to Christ.

Give us the Day. The Wonders of God surrounded Noah and his family. To see the cooperation of being in Fellowship - FELLOWS IN A SHIP!!!

Our Father. These were impossible things. If we switch back to the Exodus for a second, we see all of this is a process. Joshua and Caleb, Moses and Noah all involved years of slow to little activities. The Prodigal Son is a process. Abraham - a process. The very day to day daunting thing for all of us Fellows in a Ship - to take Today. With God - make choices that later you are able to look at Jesus with all your essence - your soul and say 'You see me.'

Challenge - the day seems so - regular. Each day to do what God would have us do.

Gratitude? Thank You, Jesus. God has adopted me. I'm His. My journey might not be yours, but I am God's. That is Good News. Jesus Christ died for me, a sinner. Paul said we are to imitate him. We find this as we approach God. Isaiah did. Peter did. Jeremiah did. Paul did.


1 Timothy 1:15
14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. 15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. 16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life

Give Justice

With mercy

Walk Humbly

With God.

Father God, be with us in the processes we have. Help us to know Today matters. Let us do Today in Your Grace and with all of You. In Jesus we pray. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Exodus 3 ~ And God said, “I will be with you. "

Exodus 3

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

12 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’

“This is my name forever,
the name you shall call me
from generation to generation.

16 “Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’

18 “The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.

21 “And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. 22 Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians.”

When we say Lord, the Hebrew sounds like "I Am". And God says, "I will be what I will be."

God is God. That, for us - today - is - Good News!

God uses Fire of the Holy Spirit in this passage. We lived through the largest fire in history in 2011 for my tri-county area. Fire is like Timothy 3:16

Great indeed, we confess,
is the mystery of godliness:
He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory!

The mystery of this Holy Spirit fire is the way God would act. God will act as the Father of all. God will do exactly what God will do. People in healing ministries say the way God heals is mysterious. The who God picks is mysterious. God is God.







The Gospel tells us when God says He uses Fire - be prepared...

1 Peter 1:7
So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

I was in a Bible Study this week where we spoke of the Fire of the Holy Spirit - GOING FORTH - MOVING. We numbered in the teens and no one felt like yelling, "Yay!" One dear and good, inspirational soul put on her sunglasses before we prayed the ending prayer. Another person looked like weeping. And asked - "Is there Hope?"

YES! A resounding Hope. A Hope and Glory in Faith and Love. God repeating His Work and His Victory in suffering, endurance and character. Love. This Battle has One Victor. One Victory. God and His People.

Deuteronomy 20:1
When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you.

Joshua 1:7
Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

2 Chronicles 32:8
With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.

The King of Glory. Jesus Christ the Lord. This is the One who is Good. The One to keep looking to.

1 Thessalonians
You are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 

8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 

9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Proclaiming God's Love to Spread the Fire of the Holy Spirit!

When we look at a Great Work of God in progress - recall with me  Moses often felt discouraged. We can feel discouraged in our own lives. God as Father will remind us again of the gifts, talents, and loving soul He assures us He loves.


1 Peter 5:10
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

Psalm 71:20
You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.

Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.

God is unique and unparalleled. His Mighty Works begin quietly like a fire on a mountain side. God asked us to aspire to have quiet lives. Work with what is at hand. The Narrow path. Fire is exactly like that. Where fire is hottest and most productive as a tool that mankind uses is - the center. And in that center - are the people God would have in our lives. These are the people God asks us to  -  Love.

This week a beloved, beloved person in my life said tragedy had struck God from his prayer life. God will still heal. This is the nature of God. And I wondered how to speak. I reminded this wonderful and beloved child of God about the times his soul shone auspiciously. The display God has provided showing us - we are the Light of Christ. God Loves first. We need to be reminded again and again. Thunder calls to thunder. Light to Light. Love is God. God is Love. Within us is the Holy Spirit and His Works are Vast. Salvation is God's and He will endure, prevail and have the Victory. Love never ends.

Thank You, Father God, Your Holy Spirit teaches us to Pray. Thank You for the opportunity to live in this amazing era of solutions and new situations. To see the upbuilding of the faithful. We live in an age where the faithful will tell you of something God has brought specifically to them - as a Child of God. God chose us to be his first fruits - His Beloved.

Today we are Saved by the righteousness and sanctification of Your Holy Spirit, Father God. You call us through something from the Ancient of Days - Your Gospel.We see the Glory of Your only Son - our Lord Jesus Christ. We will stand firm and hold to the Truth of Your Truth You teach us. We give You thanks for the message of the Gospel proclaimed by Your Bible believing and Christ honoring Churches.

Father God we pray for every good work and Word. May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who Loves us with faithful, steadfast, enduring and inspiring Love, give us all eternal comfort, good hope through His unending Grace. Let our hearts be comforted and establish a Mighty Work of the Holy Spirit to give You Glory. Have Your unrelenting Mercy fall on our works. Satisfy our hunger for Your Goodness. May we rejoice and be glas all of our days and for many more years. Let Your Work be be shown with Wonder to your faithful servants and Children. And Your glorious power be shown to our children's children.

We ask in the name of Jesus Christ for Your unending, limitless and eternal favor be upon us. Establish Your Wonders and Work with Awe. We look to the Work of Your Hands Father God. In Jesus let Your Will be done we pray. Amen. Alleluia.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Psalm 148 ~ Praise the Lord!

Psalm 148 

 

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;

praise Him in the heights!

2 Praise Him, all His angels;

praise Him, all His hosts!

3 Praise Him, sun and moon,

praise Him, all you shining stars!

4 Praise Him, you highest heavens,

and you waters above the heavens!

5 Let them praise the name of the Lord!

For He commanded and they were created.

6 And He established them forever and ever;

He gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. 

7 Praise the Lord from the earth,

you great sea creatures and all deeps,

8 fire and hail, snow and mist,

    stormy wind fulfilling His word!    

9 Mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars!

10 Beasts and all livestock,

creeping things and flying birds!

11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,

princes and all rulers of the earth!

12 Young men and maidens together,

old men and children!

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for His name alone is exalted;

His majesty is above earth and heaven.

14 He has raised up a horn for His people,

praise for all His saints,

for the people of Israel who are near to Him.

Praise the Lord!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Matthew 2:13-15 ~ he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt

Holy Family painted by Esteban Perez Murillo

Matthew 2:13-15

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 

14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Psalm 67

May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2 that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.

3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!

4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah

5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!

6 The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, shall bless us.

7 God shall bless us;
let all the ends of the earth fear him!


1 Thessalonians 4

9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. 

But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.


We have been thinking about Father God as a Father.

Joseph, the father of Jesus, was chosen with care. One of the children Joseph and Mary was named after his father - Joseph, The Gospel of Matthew tells us. This isn't necessarily something the Jewish community did - regularly - when you think of the list of Jesus' ancestry. We mention this a lot, but two mentions in the Gospels said their small community saw Jesus and his brothers and sister as completely blended. Joseph was quite a man like Abraham - to do - to act - upon what God would have him do. 

God was offering his small son to the Nations. Jesus was kept safe by God and Joseph. Relying upon God caused endurance, character, hope and God's Plan to go forth. These were men who were content to do the best they could do with what was given to them.

No frills for King Joseph of David's line. Don't we all have people we truly admire. Who have brought blessings by doing what was needed. We are so hooked on the news, we have forgotten to be grateful to the grandparents and the parent - the friends who have given a path of reliability. I can think of three women I know who have no idea of the path that their wake creates strength for all those who know them. Unsung. Well, sometimes. Their Light will shine on in generations unborn for the Light of Jesus.

Goodness is rarely applauded. Where is our Appreciate Joseph Day? God was appreciating Joseph. I bet Joseph had enough wisdom to appreciate that. They had a family tradition to know the Word of God. God offers up repeats to teach us.

Kind King Joseph was walking in the same path as Visor Joseph. Visor Joseph had more than an inkling of God's plans. Joseph had annoyed his brothers with dreams. Joseph was left to hope for the years he languished in prison. Glory was coming. Joseph went on to be patient for God's rescue to rise to become one of the most influential men living in the world.

Uncrowned King Joseph, the father of Jesus, was patient and knew God's rescue was happening for the Son of God. No Frills Joseph had no expectation of Glory like the Visor of Egypt. Joseph was making family. And in this small task, Joseph was working with the three most living influential people on earth. Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Who are we? We are the people of God. God dwells within us. We work daily with the Holy Spirit. We really do have expectations of Glory.

When you think of Joseph, Visor of Egypt, we realize not even Joseph named children after himself. Yet God does. God remembers and knows and lives with Joseph.

Jesus knew people who were so in love with God they did aspire to live quietly, and to mind their own affairs, and to work with their hands on what God would give them to do.

Ecclesiastes 2:24
A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God

God was making a Statement.

And Important Statement of God. God was, indeed, offering his small son to the Nations. Jesus was kept safe in another culture. Jesus could be claimed by being part of Egypt. God had influenced other nations before. Pharaoh Amenhotep IV had risked all to convert Egypt to the belief that God was One God. Other nations, even Rome, experienced assassinations. On a statue of Amenhotep III at Kom el Hetan - Amenhotep’s funeral statue has a base and on the base of the statue is "Joseph-el". Joseph of God. Referring to Joseph who predicted the huge famine, and became Visor to Pharaoh. Joseph Messenger of God.

Amenhopt III has a mortuary palace in Kom el Hetan where it was only discovered in 2009. The papyrus at the bases of the statues have provided interesting clues to Joseph. It was the next generation of Pharaoh's to become determined to have Egypt only worship One God. The site is on going and currently not open to the public.

The papyrus mentioning Joseph at the base of the Pharaoh statue is dates the Exodus about 1447-1446 B.C. which also connects when the words Joseph, Israel, Goshen, Yahweh appear in tax records and official Egyptian documents, census and tax records.

The point for today is - it was the next Pharaoh's generation who watched as the adults went about every day and then that generation fought for Egypt to be under One God. And this makes our lives not important just to our piers, but also to the next generations. The people of God create works of God that He will want to bring forth again.

My mother in-law is adored by her grandchildren and influenced by her love. My mother has recently found a new ministry -to call upon her friends in the hospitals. What we do with our lives - not only are people being touched and warmed by our lives - the next generation wants to see that we care more than we talk.

And our life is very observed by God. He remembered Joseph so much, Jesus has repeated what Joseph did for the Lord, even when he could have stopped sooner.

Ezekiel 37

Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. 22 And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms.

23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will Save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; 
and they shall be my people, 
and I will be their God.

24 “My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd.


Father God, You are our Shepherd. Guide us and lead us down the unique path you have for all of us using our talents and abilities. You alone are God and let us be centered on You. In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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