Hold On To That Vision

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King James Bible Study[Mark 8:34  And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]

Date: Wednesday, January 26, 2020
Chapters: Genesis 40-42
Message: Hold On To That Vision

Hello My Friend,

I have been talking to God a lot about the dreams that I use to have, not particularly for my self, but for the people that He brings in and out of my life. My ministry, I have this vision that I would be such a good and fun teacher that I would turn peoples lives around for Jesus, and this includes my being a Sunday school teacher. Likewise, I have this vision that people who are in my life would see Jesus through me and it would lead them to the same desire that I have for serving Him. Even in visions of myself, I want to be that leader that will teach the world who Jesus is and they would want the same thing. It is honestly heartbreaking to see so many dreams just fade away, but I will tell you what though, we can never stop believing that God can do the impossible, we need to hold on the that vision or we will surely perish, [Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.- Proverbs 29:18]

I am still feeling a little sad today, maybe more disappointed than sad, I just have so many hopes and dreams for people and it hurts when they seem to be doing the complete opposite. I want to be the one to fix people who are broken, let them see how much God loves them if they would just trust Him completely. And when they do not respond sometimes my words get a little too aggressive because I see one vision and they see another. And as we continue in the reading of Genesis, Joseph is in prison, thanks to Potiphar’s wife accused of a crime he did not commit, but he did not let that discourage him, he made the best out of the situation. He was actually was put in charge of the prisoners while he still remained a prisoner. Some people get so distraught when faced with trials that they become despondent, wallowing in their own self pity, which was the case with two of the prisoners, who had some crazy dreams.

[And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers. And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound. And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward. And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison. And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad. And he asked Pharaoh’s officers that were with him in the ward of his lord’s house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day? And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you. – Genesis 40:1-8]

[Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?] Okay, sometimes life is not at all what we expect it to be, and let me tell you, it takes a lot of trial and error to learn what God is telling us through those dreams. I swear, every other day I am asking God if I made a right or wrong decision, but I cannot keep dwelling on what was, we cannot go back to yesterday, and we certainly have no guarantee of tomorrow, all we can do is life for today, with the eternal vision that we hold on to, [Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. – James 4:13-14]

[Do not interpretations belong to God?] All last week, I had been thinking about my ex-boyfriend, God told me to pray for him and his family, then later that week I found out why. God speaks to us all day long, we just need to have our ears open to hear what He is saying. God actually speaks to us in many ways, including in our dreams, which is not always our subconscious thinking them, rather the Holy Spirit. It is actually His Word that helps us interpret what it is that those dreams for us are. Well, the butler and baker learned this first hand when Joseph told the what their dreams meant, starting with the butler.

[And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes: And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days: Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler. But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon. And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand: Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him. – Genesis 40:10-15,21,23]

[The three branches are three days:] Is this not a great illustration of Jesus? Jesus being the vine, His believers are the branches, and the second we receive Him as our Saviour, we are restored, [I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. – John 15:5-7]

[Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph,] We surely cannot do anything without Christ, and this is why we are sent out to tell the world how they too can know Jesus as their Saviour. No one wants to hear that they are going to die and end up in hell for their sin, but we must tell them. How often do we rely on people only to be disappointed? It kind of makes you not want to trust or do anything for anyone. What we need to do is trust Jesus, and keep being that faithful servant because eventually our good will be remembered. It took two years before the butler remembered that Joseph, this was after the Pharaoh himself had dreams.

[And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh. Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day: Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker: And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. – Genesis 41:1,5,8-12]

[he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt,] The past few days, this verse keeps coming to mind, [A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. – James 1:8] We cannot live life thinking that the world has the answer to our problems and yet praising God for saving our soul. Yes, He saved our soul, if we have trusted Him with that, I am pretty sure that we can trust Him everything else as well. Stop worrying or getting angry at things that we have no control over and start trusting that Jesus will see us through, [Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. – James 1:21-24]

Now, once the Pharaoh discovered that Joseph could interpret dreams, he called for him quickly. Joseph made sure to clean himself up before he stood before the king. You know, the second we receive Christ as our Saviour we are washed clean, all of the dirt and grime of sin comes completely off. And as we walk faithfully with Him we no longer want to look rugged and shabby, but represent Him for who He is, our God.

[Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh. – Genesis 41:14-16,25-28]

[It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.] God always knows what we are headed for, even His faithful must face some famines in life, but He lets us know ahead of time so that we can be prepared. Jesus will return, and we must be prepared, if we are not, then we are not going to know what hit us, but those of us who do will be ready, and have that peace knowing that we will be saved, [Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. – John 14:27]

After Joseph interprets the dreams something amazing happens, Pharaoh is so impressed that he not only released him from prison, he made him governor, and he even got married, [And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 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; And 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. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. – Genesis 41:41-45]

[and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.] The name that Pharaoh gave Joseph, Zaph’nath-pa-ane’ah, means; the preserver of the age. God’s hand was in all of this to send Joseph to preserve life. Now, after twenty years as a slave and prisoner since Joseph’s told his brothers and father his dreams they were coming true. Joseph wasted no time preparing the land for the seven years of famine, and even had two sons.

[And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number. And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him. And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house. And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands. Genesis 41:49-53,57]

[hath made me forget all my toil,] This is a great reminder that we can do all things through Christ. People are going to disappoint us, people are going to turn on us, and people are even going to accuse us, but with Christ seeing us through them all we will always have something great to look forward to, []

[because that the famine was so sore in all lands.] Now, that famine was not just in Egypt, it crossed over into Canaan as well. When Jacob learned that there was food in Egypt, he sent his sons, except for Benjamin.

[Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him. And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan. And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. – Genesis 42:1-7]

[but made himself strange unto them,] From their view, Joseph was an Egyptian, not to mention he spoke the language so they really had no way of recognizing him. As soon as he saw them he remembered the dreams he had. Joseph saw this as an opportunity to find out about them after all these years, and he actually called them spies.

[And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. We are all one man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies. And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not. And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies: Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God: If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses: But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so. – Genesis 42:11,13-15,18-20]

[Ye are spies: Hereby ye shall be proved:] Remember, these are adults in their thirties and forties, so, Benjamin, was maybe twenty-eight. They knew that Joseph was not dead, or they had hoped he was not, which was why they said one was not with any of them, meaning Joseph. Those three days gave them something to talk about, [And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required. Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them. And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack’s mouth. And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us? – Genesis 42:21-22,24,27-28]

[We are verily guilty concerning our brother,] They were actually discussing this out loud, they knew that all of this was the result of what they had done to Joseph. And Joseph heard and understood everything that they were saying. [and to restore every man’s money into his sack,] Our money is no good to God, but our souls are, there is not one soul that Jesus did not die for. Accepting Him is another story, and should we accept Him as our Saviour, then we are restored, and able to stand before God as though we never sinned, [Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. – 1 John 3:2-5]

[What is this that God hath done unto us?] It was not the fact that they spent three days in prison that scared them to death, it was that they received food and still had their money. All sorts of things must have gone through their heads, but they finally came to the conclusion that God was judging them. This is a reminder that everything we do comes back to us whether it be for good or bad, no matter how long it takes. It is also a great reminder that God is faithful and just to forgive us through sincere repentance, [If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. – 1 John 1:8-10]

Today’s Prayer: God, Just as we have dreams, You do have dreams for all of us, if we seek You first, we will never need to worry about food, shelter, or where we will be when our souls leave this earth. We may not always see You working in our lives or that Your presence is even with us, but that is when You are preparing us to fulfill Your dreams for us. We cannot live life with double minded trust in You, so forgive us where we failed You and if we sought the world for help before coming to You. Lord, When I am discouraged, and have no clue what is going on, lift up my spirit, and remind me of the vision of Your kingdom that I know is awaiting me. You are my strength and guide, without You, I am absolutely nothing. I pray these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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