EXPECT GREAT THINGS; ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS The Pharoah of Egypt had a troubling dream and his cupbearer remembered that a Hebrew slave named Joseph had rightly interpreted his dream two years earlier. So Pharoah summoned Joseph and asked whether he could interpret dreams. Joseph answered that he was “not able to,” but that God was
JOSEPH WAS A CHRISTOLOGICAL TYPE The life of Joseph was a foreshadowing of Christ. Like Christ, he was obedient to his father, rejected by his brethren and even betrayed for pieces of silver. Later, when God raised Joseph up from slavery and imprisonment to rule in Egypt, he even forgave his brethren and saved them
IF JESUS WITHDREW, WOULD YOU NOTICE? Jesus and His disciples were preaching town to town, when they entered a certain town on the Sabbath and entered the synagogue there. The Pharisees heard that Jesus was there and in order to accuse Him, they asked whether it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. He answered
DO YOU NEED REST? The greatest invitation in human history was offered by Jesus. Not an invitation to come to a party, but to a Person. Not an invitation to a religion, but to a relationship. Yet, this invitation is only to those who are “weary and burdened.” For only those that admit being sinners,
DON’T LET COVER-UPS AND CONSPIRACIES CAUSE YOU FEAR Jesus warned his disciples that as His followers, they would sometimes suffer persecution. Yet, He instructed them not to be afraid. For the hateful and ugly nature of their persecutors would be revealed to their shame and reproach. If not in this life, certainly in the next.
STOP WORRYING ABOUT HOW TO WITNESS When Jesus sent His disciples out as witnesses, He gave them detailed instructions. He even prepared them for times when they would be persecuted or questioned concerning their faith. He instructed them not to “worry” about defending their faith because God’s Spirit would give them the words to say
CHRIST’S EARTHLY MINISTRY AND OURS The apostle Matthew described the earthly ministry of Jesus as having three important aspects. They were teaching, preaching and healing the sick. These three aspects of Christ’s earthly should also be ours as members of Christ’s body, which is the Church. Teaching. Jesus had a teaching ministry. This ministry was
GO AND LEARN The Pharisees asked why Jesus ate with sinners and He answered with a rabbinic response: “Go and learn.” For rabbis were known for sending their students back to the Scriptures to discover the answers to their own questions. Jesus quoted from the prophet Hosea where God had said, “For I desire mercy
BIBLE HISTORY AND MODERN TIMES Isaac and Ishmael buried their father, Abraham, in the same tomb he had bought to bury Sarah. These two sons became two great peoples. The Jewish nation came from Isaac and the Arab nations from Ishmael. They stood united at their father’s funeral, but enmity has existed between them until
WHERE DO YOU PLACE YOUR TRUST? The proverb gives both a positive and a negative command: “Trust God, not yourself.” How many times have you regretted following your own advice? Your understanding was flawed and you suffered the consequences for relying on it. Have you not understood that your own understanding is negatively affected by