SLAVERY

When we think of the word “slavery” many thoughts and images come to mind. Most often today we in America think of the brutal treatment Africans endured during their journey coming from Africa to America on slave ships and once in America some of their lives were not much better. Yes this sordid and very sad period of American history was not one of America’s finest moments. Did you know the Bible has much to say about slavery, but please understand the slaves in Biblical times were treated much better (most often) than those of the Africans and please understand the Bible never has condoned any form of indentured servitude where one man owned another. Many today in America would push this lie wanting payback, but if they do they do it at their peril of distorting the truth of God’s word and will receive just compensation for the discord they sow among the Brethren. In Ephesians Paul encourages the servants (slaves) to be obedient to their masters, with fear and trembling, “Servants (Strong’s #1401, a slave, bondman, man of servile condition) be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; 6Not with eye service, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;” (Ephesians 6:5-6) and in Titus Paul encouraged the Church (who at that time was mainly made up of slaves and bond servants) to encourage the slaves to be obedient to their masters. “Exhort servants (Strong’s #1401) to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; 10Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.” (Titus 2:9-10) Slavery at all levels has been around for millions of years and make no mistake my friend, slavery is alive and well in the world today. I have seen all kinds of slavery in Africa, Asia, and even Eastern Europe. My friend within man’s heart (especially one not dealt with by God) runs a great selfish desire to enslave the lives of people for their own personal use and gain and I am convinced and I know this will be the case and outcome for mankind until Jesus comes back and runs the show on the earth. We see this slavery concept in everyday life; everything we watch on TV or read in the newspapers or magazines is directed at enslaving our body, mind, and spirit. Most of the people (Christians included) in the world today are slaves to fashion, social habits, and customs. We look at the movie stars in Hollywood and on TV and all the “beautiful people” who dictate what the norm is for society: tattooing, face piercing, music, movie, dress all against what God says is the norm, but still we continue (Christians included) in slavery to what the world says is important and not what God says is important. We continue (Christians included) in what our law- givers say is the law of the land (same sex marriage and abortion), in spite of it being openly rebellious to God’s word and not giving it a second thought and still call ourselves Christians. Yes my friend slavery is a very powerful device in our lives and unless we repent of our waywardness and return back to God’s word America will continue to be enslaved to ungodly thinking which will cause us to slip further and further into greater moral decay and even more spiritual darkness. Wake up America before it is too late God is waiting, but He will not wait forever.

I really like how Paul starts out most if not all of his Epistles; “Paul a servant (Strong’s #1401, slave) of God” or “Paul a bond servant (like a slave, but one who has earned their freedom) of God.” Now there is another form of slavery the Bible talks about that most Christians never learn about, maybe this is why most Christians today never live a victorious life in Christ. It is a place of victory in our lives God desires for us. And we must see that only being obedient to God’s word can we come into this place of victory for our lives. Only God and God alone can enable us (through our submission, allowing God to deal and judge in our lives) to come to this place of victory, we must see this in our lives if we are going to walk with the LORD the way He intends. Sadly many Christians live their lives wrapped up in the world’s form of religion and experience none of the life that God has for us; they are wrapped up in contemporary Christian music and a self seeking or self exalting form of working for God, but never ever BECOMING the work (Ephesians 2:10) of God. They are wrapped up in the ways and doctrines of the apostate church of today and wonder why they have no (not even a little) victory over the world, sin, and their self (in that order) and keep falling way, this is not God’s intention my friend. This other form of slavery I speak of is one of heart submission. We see Jesus working this concept into the disciples after He fed 5,000 men and probably more than 5,000 women and children. In Luke (I like Luke’s writing he was a doctor a man of details) we read, “But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people. 14For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company. 15And they did so, and made them all sit down. 16Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. 17And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.” (Luke 9:13-17) Now to really understand what is really going on here we must review a critical attribute of God’s word; God never does anything by accident. Words in the Bible are not just written down, but there is an order (a characteristic of God) to the words in the Bible. Always study the order of things and words in the Bible, if so the Bible will open up new revelations of truth. But, I have always wondered what happened to the 12 baskets of leftovers and why was there 12 baskets and not 10 or 13? I knew there was a meaning here to the 12 baskets so I held it before the LORD and recently God opened up my understanding to why 12 baskets. Notice Jesus gave the food to the disciples and the disciples gave the food to the people and they did eat sounds good, but when did the disciples eat? Well, they ate when the slaves ate. I do not know about you, but when I imagine this story and I see 12 big baskets, I see huge baskets that maybe two people would carry after all they just fed 5,000 men, women, and children, but in reality the baskets they used were about the size of a small lunch pail enough for one person. Hungry people do not leave a lot of scraps and fragments around. Jesus knew of the Jewish custom and tradition of after a feast to gather up the fragments and leftover food to give to the slaves. In Jewish society nothing was wasted especially food. Jesus was teaching the disciples, through these 12 baskets of leftover food, a fundamental concept of the Kingdom of God, “whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant (Strong’s #1401) of all,” but that is not what we (I include myself here at times) find today in the Church, oh no my friend most evangelists, pastors, teachers, preachers, or most Christians do not want to be a slave to all, most (if not all) want to be served and most want to be patted on the back and told just how wonderful they are, well not so in the Kingdom of God my friend.

In Mark Jesus took this slavery lesson a little deeper and right to the point we read, “Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: 34And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again. 35And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. 36And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? 37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.” (Mark 10:33-37) Here Jesus is telling the disciples what is going to happen to Him, how He would be killed, but the disciples were only thinking of themselves, “Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.” Does this sound familiar? Does this sound like the most popular message (the prosperity doctrines) of the Church today? How selfish and self-seeking of them and us. But Jesus said unto them, “Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? 39And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, "Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: 40But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared. 41And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John. 42But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. 43But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: 44And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant (Strong’s 1401) of all. 45For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:38-45) Jesus said you do not know what you are talking about. How gleeful and quickly the disciples answered “we can.” This just exposed their lack of the dealings and judgment of God in their lives. This just exposed their lack of knowledge and willingness of commitment to the cost of walking with the LORD at any degree. Quick replies means no thought. You see the disciples wanted to know who was going to be the greatest, but they failed to learn to have this great honor they first must be “prepared” they must qualify or be approved for this honor. They have not learned the lesson the way up in God is down. They have failed to learn what J - O - Y means: Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last. They have failed to understand to be the greatest among the Brethren we must be a slave to all, now not some it says all. For us to be able to do this we must be dead to our self and to our desires and alive to what God wants in every given situation and circumstance of our lives. For this to happen we must be dead. Did you know a dead man does not do a lot of talking or much work?

One of God’s goals in our lives is to be able to bring us into total slavery not like we see in the world, but in the Spirit and in our heart condition before God and man; an open willingness and desire to be a servant not at the works level, but at the heart level and in the Spirit. You know it is easy to be a servant working for God we see it every week as the choir marches in or as the offering plate is passed back and forth and as the grass is cut to make the church grounds beautiful, but it is very difficult to be a servant at the Spirit and heart level, because at the center of this level is obedience to God the greatest requirement to be a servant. How foolish we are to think we are greater than what we really are. We all are just one breath from eternity. We all are saved by God’s grace and His good pleasure. How foolish to think we can manipulate God for our own interest and exalt ourselves above our brothers and sisters. How foolish to think we are in-charge when Jesus said of Himself He has no power and can do nothing. We strut around on stage in a $500 suit, diamond rings on our fingers, and gold necklaces around our necks and think we are someone special, while Jesus (on earth) did not have a change of underwear. Who do we think we are? Is the servant (slave) greater than the Master? Oh LORD have mercy on us! Written by David Stahl

WORSHIPING GOD

As we walk with the LORD and read the Bible we seem to pick and choose which rabbit trail (message, tradition, custom, or story mentioned in the Bible) we want to follow and hop down. I am amazed to the number of different denominations and religions in the Christian world and to think they all came from the same Bible. One group says we will focus on speaking in tongues while another group says we will focus on water baptism, and sadly the list goes on and on. But what is really sad is how each group says the other groups are wrong and know not the truth. Paul ran up against this same thinking with the Church at Corinth. It seemed there were divisions and contentions among the body of Christians (like today) that weakened the witness of the church collectively. One of the main divisions was who they called their spiritual leader or who they followed. In 1 Corinthians we read, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians1:10-13) How can the Body of Christ be light and salt to the world if it is divided and fighting among itself? I hear and see the same thinking today, the idol worship of evangelists, pastors, and teachers sickens me and I am sure it sickens God to see His Body so divided and confused. One says, “I am of Copeland, Hinn, Hagee, Warren, Parsley, or even Stahl” and sadly the list goes on. This is not to be our focus in whom we will follow my friend, if we want to be called a Christian the die has been cast our focus is to be Jesus, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” (Hebrews 12:2-3) Not too many Christians want to follow Jesus it is much easier to follow a man, because if we follow Jesus we will have to identify with Him and we too will have to “endured such contradiction of sinners against himself” a price most Christians are not willing to bear. But this is the bitter cup we must drink if we are to come after (become like Jesus) Jesus and become what He wants us to become.

You know we see this wrong thinking also when worshiping God. One group will sing only the hymns while another group will sing only contemporary music (and say the other group is wrong), but in reality real worship has nothing to do with singing, dancing, our service to God, or even giving our money, oh no real worshiping of God has to do with bowing down our heads to God in reverence and honor. We find this act of worshiping God in the very first Book of the Bible, Genesis, “And it came to pass, that, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he worshiped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth.” Genesis (24:52) In Exodus we find Moses worshiping God, “And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped.”(Exodus 34:8) The list goes on and on, no singing or dancing just silence and stillness before a Holy God. Funny how we can get so far off track and not really know it, but even worse how we can get far off track and not even care. Did you know you can get so far off track you can get over into idol worship? I will be the first to say amen to that. I have seen it and I have done it and I am talking in the last two or three years. One thing for sure if we keep our head bowed down before the LORD and our mouth in the dust we probably will not have too much of a problem in this area.

When the LORD really began to draw my older brother I remember him sayings (as with all of us when God really gets our attention) as long as he was in good relationship with his pastor he could get to God, but there came a time (as with all of us) when he no longer needed his pastor to get to God, he could make his approach to God on his own. I think this probably holds true for all new believers; the one who they see in their eyes (most times the one who has led them to the LORD) who they want to imitate in the LORD and why, because they see within themselves a lack the other person in the LORD possesses. Come let’s face it we all know some people whose light is a little brighter than our own. I can relate to this also. At the age of six I became a Christian my mother led me to Christ, but like most if not all kids as they grew the light of God in their lives was merely a flicker, but it did not go out. As I look back over my years I now can understand Isaiah was talking about me when he said, “A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.” (Isaiah 42:3) God was longsuffering and did not break me to the point I could not walk nor did He put out my flame, but kept fanning my fire with people He would bring into my life and situations or circumstances that would keep me moving forward in Him. I thank God for these dealings in my life God knew just how to work in my life (as in all of our lives) to where I would have the stomach to go further in Him. And all through my years as I drew nearer to the LORD my relationship with my mother became more important (more important than a mother son relationship) she became a mentor and spiritual advisor to me and my family. Any time we really needed to get something from God we would call her and tell her our concerns and ask her to pray. Then after some time we would call again and ask her if God told her anything about us. She was the spiritual glue that held the family together, but now she is up in age and sadly her mind is not what it was and we are on our own. Now I guess that is okay for baby Christians, but that is not the behavior God is looking for in His children. God is looking for mature men and women who can hear from God for themselves, who have allowed God to deal and judge in their lives, where He has developed a fine tuned ear for His words. God is not looking for children that partake in idol worship of others. Now many Christians I know would love for you to come to them so they can say “thus saith the LORD” over you or prophesy into your life. I even know some Christians who like to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to seniority in the LORD. I do not know about you, but I cannot find the verses in the Bible that talk about seniority among Christians. I have a (I still call him a friend and love him, but he has broken off relationship, even though I have tried many times to talk, with me and even stopped sending me his newsletter, we three know why) friend who I have known for over 30 years who told me his word from God was deeper than my mine and I should take a back seat to him. But wait, I thought the word of God is from God. It is not my word that I speak when I teach, but God speaking through me. Our job is not to make up words to speak, but become a clean and usable vessel (through God’s dealings and judgments) God can open and pour us out into a lost and dying world of people. A vessel where God’s word can flow unhindered from our lips. People who think they are better than someone else has missed the whole point of being a servant. Now they may be gifted as a speaker and can teach the Scriptures with convincing passion, but they have missed the truth of what Jesus was telling the disciples, “Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. 43But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: 44And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant (slave) of all.” (Mark 10:42-44) Not too many Bible teachers want to be a slave to everyone, oh no most want to be told how wonderful and deep they are in their understanding of the Scriptures, well that is not what Jesus said. Now please do not misunderstand me I am not blowing my own horn, I know I have not made it and I know there are much better Bible teachers (like my friend who I so would still enjoy to listening) out there, but again that is not the measure God is looking for, oh no my friend God is looking for the humble servant and broken teacher. My friend the way up is down and if we want to be (or even think we are) greater than someone in any area we are gravely mistaken. This idol worship can really get carried away. When my teacher Charles Haun would teach in Bible Schools many students would imitate his dress, try to talk like him, and even wear glasses (they were called Haunites) thinking this outward change in them would somehow change their inside, but God does not operate like that. Oh no my friend, our inward man is only changed by God’s inward dealings and judgments in our heart and attitudes, God is after our character and if He cannot get that in us all we will ever be is as tinkling brass and sounding cymbals. Oh we may be able to recite Scripture backwards and forwards and even speak with great swelling skill and ability, but our words will be shallow and never touch the areas of lives God desires to reach.

Did you know a part of man’s make-up (created by God) is a desire to follow. Now this God ordained following is hard-wired in us; not following man, but following Jesus. Again the command is, “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” It is Jesus who we are to follow not man, but from the age of a little child we are taught in schools and in the secular, worldly media; be all you can be and not what God wants you to be. Look at this guy, how would you like to be able to run, jump and score baskets or touch downs like him? Look at his influence around the world and the money he makes, not to speak of the power he has and the glory he receives how would you like to be this guy? Paul directly took this wrong thinking on in the Church of Corinth when he said, “Be ye followers (imitate NKJV) of me, even as I also am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians11:1) Now Paul was not saying become like me, like the Haunites tried to do of Charles Haun, oh no Paul was saying imitate or follow me in those areas you see of Christ in me and if I am not measuring up to our standard (Jesus Christ) then do not follow me. It is only those things of Christ we become will have any eternal weight of glory and value in our lives and if we see Godly characteristics in others we are not to follow them blindly as sheep (to my shame I have done that before) or try to become like them, but we are to see these qualities and characteristics God has been able to work in others, “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” We are looking at the Godly work and the fruit that God has developed in them. I do not know about you my friend, but I have not physically seen Jesus today. But I have seen His love and kindness in every act of giving of one’s self for another. I have seen His smile every time a baby’s eyes light up or when I see the clouds come floating by. I have felt His touch every time my wonderful wife rubs my tired legs and back. God is everywhere and is in everything in this world all we have to do is have the eyes and more important the heart condition to be able to see Him.

You know the longer I go with God and the more I do for Him the more I can see my great need to just stay within the lines. When we moved to Germany in 1996, I got a better understanding of the German culture when I drove on their side roads now not heir autobahns, but their secondary roads. You see these roads had concrete bricks that line the outer limits of the road and if you get too far to the right or left you get into trouble. To navigate successfully on these roads (and in the German culture) you have to stay in the center, so too in our Christians life. In Ecclesiastes we find the Preacher giving great advice to his son and to us. And in verse 13 we find all we have to do to please God, “The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. 11The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. 12And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. 13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:10-14) All of our hard work (running around the world) and book learning (running from this conference or that conference to hear the same thing you have heard before) is “weariness of the flesh,” but here is the whole matter (nothing else to do) “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” And why, “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” My friend if we keep this truth at heart and before us all the days of our lives we will have no problem with worshiping God. Written by David Stahl

THE HAND OF GOD

The hand of God often times takes on many forms and pressures in our lives and in reality we do not recognize the real moving of the hand of God in our lives because of our biases, prejudices, and religious teachings. Most things we would swear was of the devil are in reality the hand of God directing us and guiding us in His plan and purpose for our lives. We always associate only the good things that come our way as being from the hand of God and discount the things we call bad, but in reality all things come from God; the good and the bad. Isaiah heard this revelation from God almighty, “I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: 6That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. 7I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:5-7) Now many Christians refuse to believe these verses and secretly wish they were not in the Bible, but in doing so they miss out on the total picture of God’s eternal sovereignty and creator of all things in our lives, an on-going revelation of God the creator of EVERYTHING in our lives. If God does not create or allow all things in our lives then this leaves room in our mind and heart for other gods to be able to create, affect, and even have influences in areas in our lives. My friend either God is God of all (good and bad) or He is God of nothing at all in our lives. His intent is clear He desires to be God of all in our thinking and heart condition. Now in reality He is and we have nothing to say about it. He was God before us and will be God after us. He is God and we are not, but I find it somewhat funny to know we are the ones who give God the power to be God in our lives. Not by way of control of His power and ability, but by way of control of His power and ability in our lives. Never forget in the Scriptures; all that God has promised us is only His intention in seeing them come to pass, whether they come to pass in our lives is not up to God (they are His intention), but up to us do we meet the condition contained in the promise to bring it to reality. Every promise has a condition to meet. Funny we look at the promise, but God is not looking at the promise (they are His intention) God is looking at whether or not we have met the condition to receive the promise. Let us look at what God is looking at, therein is contains the promises of God.

In I Peter we read a command from God. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7) Notice the promise, “that he may be exalt you in due time.” Now many Christians whoop and holler dancing around the church waving flags while speaking in tongues saying God is going to exalt us, but they missed the condition of “humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God.” Singing, dancing, flag waving, feeding the poor, paying your tithes, working countless hours at the church, doing all of the latest denominational traditions and religious customs will not do it to be exalted by God you MUST, “humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God” to be exalted by God. Therein and therein alone is the promise received from God. And it says “care” not cares. Cares are things like cars, money houses, clothing, etc., but “care” is an attitude. We are to cast our attitude of caring for things on Him, because He cares for us. We think the “mighty hand of God” is a huge hand that comes out of heaven and causes us to submit, but this is a command from God for us to take the lead in the submission, not God. God will not make you say “uncle” or submit; I wish He would it would make things so much easier for us, but He is not after forcing us, oh no He is after a heart and will submission on our part. God already has angels to boss around, now God wants creatures created in His likeness to love Him to the point they will give the very life (the most precious earthly gift) God gave them for Him.

We can see this need to be humbled and to humble ourselves before a Holy God all throughout the Bible. In the life of Jeremiah we read his confession, “I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. 2He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light. 3Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day. 4My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones. 5He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail. 6He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old. 7He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. 8Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer. 9He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked. 10He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places. 11He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate. 12He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow. 13He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins. 14I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day. 15He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood. 16He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes. 17And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity. 18And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD: 19Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. 20My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.” (Lamentations 3:1-20) All of these things God did to Jeremiah (out of his own words) was done so God could humble (verse 20) him. All of these things that happened to him was done by the “mighty hand of God.” You would say God would never do this, well if this is your confession then you do not know the God of the Bible. If God would use these ways and ends to break Jeremiah why do we think God would not use them on us? These my friend are the dealings and judgments of God in our lives that He uses to conform (Romans 8:29) us into the character and image of His dear precious Son Jesus Christ, God’s goal in our lives. God’s goal is not to make us rich, famous, or even good looking, but will do all He can to create in us the image (icon) of His Son. And why? So we look and act like Jesus? Yes to a certain degree, but the main reason God desires we be conformed into the icon of His Son is so we can serve as a dwelling place for God, an eternal habitation. As strange as it may seem God does not desire to dwell in Heaven, oh no (as strange as it may sound and hard to explain), God desires to dwell in the heart of man. Paul in Ephesians shares this timeless truth, “In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:21-22) Did you know God has a building program for each and every one of us? We are the workmanship (Ephesians 2:10) of God, He is building, chipping away at our character, molding our personality, fortifying our integrity, constructing us an eternal abode.

We can also see the “mighty hand of God” all throughout Joseph’s life. From the start God had his hand on Joseph’s life, but often this favor can lead to offence by people as it was with his father and brothers, “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. 4And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.” (Genesis 37:3-4) I have seen God’s blessings turn the heart of men into green, envy and jealousy that can lead someone to do things beyond their understanding. So too was the case in Joseph’s life, “Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.” (Genesis 37:28), but this my friend was the “mighty hand of God” working in Joseph’s life to land him in Egypt the place God needed him to go. Oh you say God would never do that, well in the words of Pastor Yanko, “think again.” God even moved Joseph closer to the place (the palace) He wanted him by being sold into slavery, “And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the guard.” (Genesis 37:36) This does not sound like the “mighty hand of God” blessing Joseph, ah the story has not come to the end. We always see God’s intentions at the end of the story. And to make matters even worse Joseph was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and sent to prison (even closer to God’s purpose for his life), “And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.” (Genesis 39:20) All the while Joseph was biding his time waiting on the LORD and doing what he could do in his present situation, God was working on his rise to power. And when God’s timing and plan was right in Joseph’s life God’s mighty hand moved, “And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 43And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.” (Genesis 41:42-43) Who would have believed Joseph was raised from the pit to palace all according to God’s plan for his life and by the “mighty hand of God?” My friend this is the way God operates. There is always a time of qualifying and approving before He exalts us to a place of importance. Often we do not want to wait God out, but this is a must in our lives if we ever hope to come into the plan and purpose we have been created for. Please do not believe the “name it and claim” doctrines, they will lead you to ruin, confusion, and great distress in God.

Even Jesus had his waiting time of preparation as the Father’s mighty hand was working in His life. Paul writes of Jesus, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:6-11) What, Jesus humbled Himself under the mighty hand of God? Yes, Jesus took on the form of a man (empty Himself of all of His divinity) and humbled Himself and became a servant all according and under the mighty hand of His Father. And is the servant greater than the Master? The Writer to the Hebrews shares, “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” (Hebrews 2:10) What Jesus (the Son of God) suffered while on earth? Yes. Now I know the cross was heinous to bear, but I believe the loss of His heavenly identity with the Father was a greater cross to bear. And yes all while submitting to the mighty hand of His Father for His life. And is the servant greater than the Master? So too the “mighty hand of God” will be evident in our lives if we have a heart to be obedient and follow unto death. This is the way to be exalted (humbled by God to be exalted) by God there is no other way: Job, Jeremiah, Joseph, and even Jesus learned this way and we must too.