FOLLOWERS Joseph.
I know one scientist bibliology, which opened more than a hundred possible circumstances and details, in which Joseph is the prototype of Jesus Christ. Yes, I am sure that Joseph is a type of Christ, I just believe he is the prototype of the balance of recent days - the people whom God erects today to show his church how to be saved from spiritual hunger! Let me introduce you to the followers of Joseph - a small balance of believers last time, completely dedicated to the Lord. They communicate with God daily. They are led by the Spirit in all the circumstances of their lives. And at the same time, they go through great trials and testing, to enter the place of revelation, wisdom and fruitfulness. God works in them, opening them to their truth and knowledge. And there comes a time when He will call them, as he called Joseph!
Currently, the Church of Jesus Christ becomes more worldly, sensual, vicious and cold. Our mission receives literally thousands of letters from pastors and clergy, who are concerned about the state of their churches. People complain that they do not hear incriminating, life-changing sermons. Pastors complain that very few want to hear the truth.
Of course, in America there are several strong churches - the performance of light, glory and holiness of God. Pastors of their burn, preaching holiness, and produces a powerful movement of God among the people.
But the majority of churches are experiencing widespread spiritual hunger: the poor sermon, dead students, "lovely" service, which is not supported by the saints walking. Laodicean blindness, poison, like a cloud, the eyes of many people, who once burned to the Lord.
Many of the true servant of God to get the blues. One pastor wrote recently: "Many of the God-fearing pastors fired or forced to leave their churches. I resigned my church on 31 December last year. My colleague, a church which was located ten miles from our own, also left his church. The third pastor, who was sixty miles away, was forced to resign. The fourth was dismissed from the church in October ....
In our area churches are growing not because of the acquisition of new converts, but mainly because of the movement of believers from the consumer mentality, running from church to church. This is a revolving door .... Please see how many now men of God with a broken heart, frustrated, discouraged, but still crying out: "Anyway, come, Lord Jesus!"
What is God's plan for the withdrawal of believers from such a derogation and hunger?
God has always worked in advance on every spiritual hunger in His Church. In every generation He cared about how to prepare the way for His people!
Seventy-five members of the house of Jacob would have died from hunger, spread throughout the land (and the promise made by God to Israel would be destroyed), if God had not foreseen all the much in advance. In fact, twenty years before the onset of famine, God has set in motion his plan to save His people from destruction.
He sent Joseph into Egypt! In the course of twenty years, God worked on this man-isolating him, test him, preparing him for the post of governor - because Joseph has to save the life of God's elect. He kept Joseph from the widely known, to prepare him for the coming time of chaos and death!
Beloved, just as God isolated Joseph. It is Joseph and today, which are hidden from the eyes of all people. They are in the crucible of testing, in prisons, suffering in the struggle against temptation. They die for this world, not wanting to own anything of his glory, honor, money or pleasure. And they have a growing desire to be closer to Christ - to know His voice and His heart.
You may not understand all the mysterious checks, tests and difficulties in your life. But if your heart is fully directed to the fact that to follow Jesus, you can relax, confident that God has for this purpose! He wants you to become Joseph!
There are three things that ought to pass through Joseph, to be tried and tested servant of the Lord. And you will experience the same thing, if you are the last days of Joseph:
1. Joseph responded to the call of the Holy Spirit to the holy, blameless life.
Spirit of God is always calling mankind to Himself - to holiness, purity of heart and separated from the world of life. Unfortunately, few respond, but in every generation God has a small balance, which respond to His call. They separate themselves, purify their lives and devote themselves entirely to Him.
Joseph responded to the call of God in a very early age. He had ten older brothers, who received the same call to renounce the world, to walk righteously and separate themselves from the filth. But they chose to remain in this world - and walking with God was with a half heart.
It was, at least two cases where all the sons of Jacob received a very clear call of God. The first case occurred in Shechem, where Jacob built an altar God of Israel. Jacob called his sons to the altar, so that they together with their knees before the Lord and follow Him with all my heart.
But Joseph's brothers, instead, turned to revenge and bloodshed. When the son of the prince of Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, they attacked the town, burned it down, killed all the men and took captive women and children (Gen. 34). These ten brothers did not give fully to believe and serve God. No - their crime has made Jacob hated for Canaanites!
However, God called them once more, this time in Bethel. Jacob knew that his sons were tied to the idols, and rejected God's call to purity and righteousness. And he warned them:
".... throw strange gods that are among you, and clean, and change your garments will arise and go to Bethel, I will make there an altar unto God. " (Genesis 35:2-3).
Beloved, it was one of the most distinct appeal all of God's Word! The phrase "change your garments" in the Jewish language means to moral and spiritual purification of the mind and heart. Externally, the sons of Jacob asked: "And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hands, and earrings which were in their ears" (Art. 4). But their repentance was only superficial - they never had a true change of heart. They returned back to his rebellious lifestyle, filled with hatred, envy and hostility!
But with Joseph, there was something else: his confession was candid. He responded to the call of the Holy Spirit - and with seventeen years, he has completely betrayed yourself by following the Lord. And being in the middle of a vicious, evil environment, Joseph kept clean their hands and heart.
Jacob had other sons who were born from Bilhah and Zilpah, his servants and concubines. These sons were tending the family herd, and Joseph was sending to the fields to work with them. But soon he was grieved - because his brothers talked and lived like the Gentiles. His pure heart sighed from vice, which was in his own family.
"And Joseph brought evil report of them to their father" (Genesis 37:2). Joseph brought this burden in his heart to his father: "You would not believe the father, how they live. They speak against your and my God. They insulted him!"
Beloved, this is a sign of Joseph of our day: they are saddened by the sin! They left all the idols and love of Jesus - their hearts plameneyut in His holiness! They see the sin in the country, but most of all they are troubled about sin in the church. They looked in his soul: "Oh, Father, look what's happening among your children!"
If you are a Joseph of our days, you can not ignore sin. On the contrary, something prompts you to say: "Oh, my God, I can not stand what they are doing with your name!" You begin to pray - not against people but against the invasion of demonic forces in the Church of Jesus Christ!
Joseph's father loved him more than any other of his sons, and clothed him in a special garment that has provided him from among his brothers!
Does our heavenly Father a special arrangement of some of their children? Does not the Bible, that He has no respect of persons?
When it comes to eternal salvation, and His wonderful promises of the covenant, God applies to all equally. However, the Lord responds reciprocate those who wholeheartedly responded to his call. He shows his special affection for those who wholeheartedly gave him his life!
Job said: "The Life and mercy bestowed upon me ..." (Job 10:12). And David said: "For thou wilt bless the righteous, O Lord, a blessing, as a shield thou compass him." (Psalm 5:13). "According to Thy good pleasure, O Lord, thou hast confirmed my mountain." (Ps. 29:8). Scripture also tells us: "But Samuel more and more coming to age and in favor with God and people." (1Tsar. 2-26).
In fact, our heavenly Father puts special clothes of those who seek Him and give Him your heart in full: "The joy I will rejoice in the LORD, O my soul to my God for He clothed me in robes of salvation, the garment of truth clothed me. .. " (Is.61: 10).
Joseph responded to the call of the Spirit of God, renouncing all, and he received a special arrangement from his father. They gave him clothing that identified him. But this is a special favor in his father's cost him dearly! It was worth the loss of family relationship to Joseph and his brothers. It brought him to abdication, misunderstanding, ridicule: "... his brothers hated him ..." (Genesis 37:4).
Why did Joseph's brothers rebelled against him? The answer is in verse 11: "And his brethren envied him." When they saw the clothes worn by Joseph, they knew what she was talking about his father's favor, the righteousness of Joseph. And they hated him - because it reminded them of the appeal of the Spirit of God, which they rejected! Joseph was a reproach to a half-life!
You see, Joseph's brothers, coming together, engaged in petty gossip and selfish talk. Their hearts were filled dream of the estate, the land and their future. But the thought of Joseph were in another place. He spoke of the divine, the supernatural manifestations. God gave him dreams, which in those days were regarded as the voice of God.
So, Joseph wore different clothes - and that difference made him a hated his brothers. And beloved, the same will happen to you. If you tend to Jesus!
Indifferent Christians around you will want to talk about their cars, homes and jobs, but you'd better like to talk about eternal values, that God speaks to you. After a while you will reproach their half-They will be angry at you - because you embody the call of the Holy Spirit, which they rejected.
I know one scientist bibliology, which opened more than a hundred possible circumstances and details, in which Joseph is the prototype of Jesus Christ. Yes, I am sure that Joseph is a type of Christ, I just believe he is the prototype of the balance of recent days - the people whom God erects today to show his church how to be saved from spiritual hunger! Let me introduce you to the followers of Joseph - a small balance of believers last time, completely dedicated to the Lord. They communicate with God daily. They are led by the Spirit in all the circumstances of their lives. And at the same time, they go through great trials and testing, to enter the place of revelation, wisdom and fruitfulness. God works in them, opening them to their truth and knowledge. And there comes a time when He will call them, as he called Joseph!
Currently, the Church of Jesus Christ becomes more worldly, sensual, vicious and cold. Our mission receives literally thousands of letters from pastors and clergy, who are concerned about the state of their churches. People complain that they do not hear incriminating, life-changing sermons. Pastors complain that very few want to hear the truth.
Of course, in America there are several strong churches - the performance of light, glory and holiness of God. Pastors of their burn, preaching holiness, and produces a powerful movement of God among the people.
But the majority of churches are experiencing widespread spiritual hunger: the poor sermon, dead students, "lovely" service, which is not supported by the saints walking. Laodicean blindness, poison, like a cloud, the eyes of many people, who once burned to the Lord.
Many of the true servant of God to get the blues. One pastor wrote recently: "Many of the God-fearing pastors fired or forced to leave their churches. I resigned my church on 31 December last year. My colleague, a church which was located ten miles from our own, also left his church. The third pastor, who was sixty miles away, was forced to resign. The fourth was dismissed from the church in October ....
In our area churches are growing not because of the acquisition of new converts, but mainly because of the movement of believers from the consumer mentality, running from church to church. This is a revolving door .... Please see how many now men of God with a broken heart, frustrated, discouraged, but still crying out: "Anyway, come, Lord Jesus!"
What is God's plan for the withdrawal of believers from such a derogation and hunger?
God has always worked in advance on every spiritual hunger in His Church. In every generation He cared about how to prepare the way for His people!
Seventy-five members of the house of Jacob would have died from hunger, spread throughout the land (and the promise made by God to Israel would be destroyed), if God had not foreseen all the much in advance. In fact, twenty years before the onset of famine, God has set in motion his plan to save His people from destruction.
He sent Joseph into Egypt! In the course of twenty years, God worked on this man-isolating him, test him, preparing him for the post of governor - because Joseph has to save the life of God's elect. He kept Joseph from the widely known, to prepare him for the coming time of chaos and death!
Beloved, just as God isolated Joseph. It is Joseph and today, which are hidden from the eyes of all people. They are in the crucible of testing, in prisons, suffering in the struggle against temptation. They die for this world, not wanting to own anything of his glory, honor, money or pleasure. And they have a growing desire to be closer to Christ - to know His voice and His heart.
You may not understand all the mysterious checks, tests and difficulties in your life. But if your heart is fully directed to the fact that to follow Jesus, you can relax, confident that God has for this purpose! He wants you to become Joseph!
There are three things that ought to pass through Joseph, to be tried and tested servant of the Lord. And you will experience the same thing, if you are the last days of Joseph:
1. Joseph responded to the call of the Holy Spirit to the holy, blameless life.
Spirit of God is always calling mankind to Himself - to holiness, purity of heart and separated from the world of life. Unfortunately, few respond, but in every generation God has a small balance, which respond to His call. They separate themselves, purify their lives and devote themselves entirely to Him.
Joseph responded to the call of God in a very early age. He had ten older brothers, who received the same call to renounce the world, to walk righteously and separate themselves from the filth. But they chose to remain in this world - and walking with God was with a half heart.
It was, at least two cases where all the sons of Jacob received a very clear call of God. The first case occurred in Shechem, where Jacob built an altar God of Israel. Jacob called his sons to the altar, so that they together with their knees before the Lord and follow Him with all my heart.
But Joseph's brothers, instead, turned to revenge and bloodshed. When the son of the prince of Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, they attacked the town, burned it down, killed all the men and took captive women and children (Gen. 34). These ten brothers did not give fully to believe and serve God. No - their crime has made Jacob hated for Canaanites!
However, God called them once more, this time in Bethel. Jacob knew that his sons were tied to the idols, and rejected God's call to purity and righteousness. And he warned them:
".... throw strange gods that are among you, and clean, and change your garments will arise and go to Bethel, I will make there an altar unto God. " (Genesis 35:2-3).
Beloved, it was one of the most distinct appeal all of God's Word! The phrase "change your garments" in the Jewish language means to moral and spiritual purification of the mind and heart. Externally, the sons of Jacob asked: "And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hands, and earrings which were in their ears" (Art. 4). But their repentance was only superficial - they never had a true change of heart. They returned back to his rebellious lifestyle, filled with hatred, envy and hostility!
But with Joseph, there was something else: his confession was candid. He responded to the call of the Holy Spirit - and with seventeen years, he has completely betrayed yourself by following the Lord. And being in the middle of a vicious, evil environment, Joseph kept clean their hands and heart.
Jacob had other sons who were born from Bilhah and Zilpah, his servants and concubines. These sons were tending the family herd, and Joseph was sending to the fields to work with them. But soon he was grieved - because his brothers talked and lived like the Gentiles. His pure heart sighed from vice, which was in his own family.
"And Joseph brought evil report of them to their father" (Genesis 37:2). Joseph brought this burden in his heart to his father: "You would not believe the father, how they live. They speak against your and my God. They insulted him!"
Beloved, this is a sign of Joseph of our day: they are saddened by the sin! They left all the idols and love of Jesus - their hearts plameneyut in His holiness! They see the sin in the country, but most of all they are troubled about sin in the church. They looked in his soul: "Oh, Father, look what's happening among your children!"
If you are a Joseph of our days, you can not ignore sin. On the contrary, something prompts you to say: "Oh, my God, I can not stand what they are doing with your name!" You begin to pray - not against people but against the invasion of demonic forces in the Church of Jesus Christ!
Joseph's father loved him more than any other of his sons, and clothed him in a special garment that has provided him from among his brothers!
Does our heavenly Father a special arrangement of some of their children? Does not the Bible, that He has no respect of persons?
When it comes to eternal salvation, and His wonderful promises of the covenant, God applies to all equally. However, the Lord responds reciprocate those who wholeheartedly responded to his call. He shows his special affection for those who wholeheartedly gave him his life!
Job said: "The Life and mercy bestowed upon me ..." (Job 10:12). And David said: "For thou wilt bless the righteous, O Lord, a blessing, as a shield thou compass him." (Psalm 5:13). "According to Thy good pleasure, O Lord, thou hast confirmed my mountain." (Ps. 29:8). Scripture also tells us: "But Samuel more and more coming to age and in favor with God and people." (1Tsar. 2-26).
In fact, our heavenly Father puts special clothes of those who seek Him and give Him your heart in full: "The joy I will rejoice in the LORD, O my soul to my God for He clothed me in robes of salvation, the garment of truth clothed me. .. " (Is.61: 10).
Joseph responded to the call of the Spirit of God, renouncing all, and he received a special arrangement from his father. They gave him clothing that identified him. But this is a special favor in his father's cost him dearly! It was worth the loss of family relationship to Joseph and his brothers. It brought him to abdication, misunderstanding, ridicule: "... his brothers hated him ..." (Genesis 37:4).
Why did Joseph's brothers rebelled against him? The answer is in verse 11: "And his brethren envied him." When they saw the clothes worn by Joseph, they knew what she was talking about his father's favor, the righteousness of Joseph. And they hated him - because it reminded them of the appeal of the Spirit of God, which they rejected! Joseph was a reproach to a half-life!
You see, Joseph's brothers, coming together, engaged in petty gossip and selfish talk. Their hearts were filled dream of the estate, the land and their future. But the thought of Joseph were in another place. He spoke of the divine, the supernatural manifestations. God gave him dreams, which in those days were regarded as the voice of God.
So, Joseph wore different clothes - and that difference made him a hated his brothers. And beloved, the same will happen to you. If you tend to Jesus!
Indifferent Christians around you will want to talk about their cars, homes and jobs, but you'd better like to talk about eternal values, that God speaks to you. After a while you will reproach their half-They will be angry at you - because you embody the call of the Holy Spirit, which they rejected.