Genesis 39:20-21 - It's Not My Plan

Genesis 39:20-21

Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.

But while Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.

His life was not exactly going as he had envisioned it… Amid his dreams, Joseph saw himself at the center. Now, he was forgotten, in a cold dark place…

With turn after turn, everything seemed to constantly spiral downward -- seemingly getting worse with each turn. First his brothers had shunned and mocked him -- later, they sold him as a slave, after first toying with the idea of killing him. Then, after the indignity of being merchandise for slave traders, he was sold to the captain of Pharaoh's guard.

With concentration and discipline, Joseph finally felt himself begin to rise out of his plight. He had made a good impression on his master, and had begun to reap the rewards of keeping his nose clean!

But then -- the master’s randy wife got him into deep trouble -- and he was innocent!

Acts 11:26c - What Is a Name?

Acts 11:26c
" . . . The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch."

What do the words, “Galinha,” “Huhn,” “Kip,” “Poulet,” and “Pollo” have in common?

They are the Portuguese, German, Dutch, French and Spanish words for what the English-speaking world calls a chicken.

They are the simple descriptive words each language uses to describe the tasty staple of many dinner tables.

“Rhode Island Reds,” “Mahrans,” “Leghorns,” “Jersey Giants,” and “Silkies” -- are names used to describe particular types of chickens.

Knowing the right name for the right kind of chicken is important, because each type of chicken has certain qualities -- each has certain characteristics -- each is bred to be different!

Acts 9:26-28 - Are You A Barnabas?

Acts 9:26-28
When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.

Have you ever had a poisonous snake as a pet? How about an adult crocodile -- or an un-altered skunk?

No? Probably because you were afraid of them, or not sure you could completely trust them.

What would you do if a known murderer sat next to you in church? Would get up and move . . . to the next city?

We have a natural aversion to dangerous things, and once we know something is dangerous, it is hard for us to accept them as anything else but dangerous!

Imagine what it was like for those in the church in Jerusalem who gathered for prayer only to recognize the "new guy" as being none other than -- Saul of Tarsus, "Persecutor of Christians!"

Genesis 22:7-9 - Where Is the Lamb?

Genesis 22:7-9
Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?"
"Yes, my son?" Abraham replied.
"The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

As far as he knew, Abraham was following the command of God. He was to take his son, Isaac -- his only son -- and sacrifice him on the mountain. He hadn’t told his son all of the details -- but, Isaac was a bright boy…

Can you imagine what had gone through Isaac’s mind?  He knew he and his father were on a hike to build an altar for a burnt offering. And, he knew what was involved. They had the bundle of wood -- the lit torch for the fire -- and a knife -- but, where was the lamb? All his father said was, “God will provide the lamb.”

Acts 6:2 - Wear the Right Hats

Acts 6:2
So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.”

How many hats do you wear? Most of us have more than one task -- job -- responsibility. We refer to this as wearing many hats -- one for each type of function we perform.

Occasionally, we are asked to wear a “hat” that doesn’t fit us well. When that happens, the efficiency of the task we perform suffers. We may not have the right skills -- the right ability -- the right discipline -- to do the job properly.

And, sometimes we just wear too many hats!

Wearing too many hats can be devastating to the work you want to accomplish.

Acts 5:35 - Gamaliel's Challenge

Acts 5:35
Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men.”

Have you ever been jealous of someone else? Maybe you wanted something they had? Maybe you wanted to look or be like them? Or -- maybe you wanted to have their power or ability to influence others? Whatever its reason, jealousy can lead you to do some strange and mean things if you don't control it soon enough.

Being Sadducees themselves, the High Priest and his close friends were not so keen on the resurrection story Peter and the other apostles -- the followers of Jesus -- had been spreading. Their jealousy led to Peter and the others being thrown in jail overnight. The next morning, they had hoped to settle the matter once and for all.

During the night, though, even with a full compliment of guards and locked gates, the apostles had been freed by an angel. He told them to go back to “telling the people all about this new life."

Learning where they were, the High Priest had them re-arrested and brought before the full council, where he gave them a good tongue lashing . . .

Acts 2:36-38 - What Shall We Do?

Acts 2:36-38

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Have you ever followed a group of people into action, and later wonder what it was that possessed you? Being in a crowd can lead to your doing things that you would never do otherwise. It's called, "peer pressure" or "mob thinking" -- and it can be intoxicating!

During riots, for instance, looting is done by many people who would never dream of stealing in normal circumstances. But, "Everyone else is doing it," can be an empowering concept.

But, when the dust clears . . . when it is time to account for your actions? -- That is another story.