Christian Living

Genesis 22 - God tested Abraham. - God calls our name - Faith will be tested "hear I am" - ability to hear and discern God - my sheep hear my voice. (John 10:27) - be a friend of God.  God told him to sacrify his son - call to lay down our prized possession  - surrender to God's will - love is not possessive or want our own way.  We are who we are - how God has wired us. 1 Cor 13:4 22:3-5 Abraham travel with his son. He told his servants that they will go to worship but they will come back. He has a faith that his son will live.  - quick to listen and fast to obey - Faith is personal but lived with the community  Issac carry the heavier item - the wood. Don't spoil over-protective our children. Don't just give them what we didn't have, but also give them the responsibility we had.  Isaac call him, he said "yes, my son". Do we answer "WHAT!"? We need to answer them gently no matter if their questions are stupid.  If we do not know, then tell...

Life In Prison (Life in the Palace - future)  Favorite son Betrayed brother Enslaved servant Trusted Steward Condemned prisoner ??? Leader God is doing a deep work in Joseph life through his suffering.  We may on not in a physical prison, but we may be in spiritual prison: eg-Painful prisoner, Mistreatment prisoner, Guilt prisoner, fear prisoner.  1. Prison is a place of  (a) Obscurity - you are alone (b) Obedience - trust the Lord and serve him.  (c) Opportunity - Joseph interpret the dreams of his prison partners.  From prison to platform - He helped others while hurting.  - he used his gifts where he was - he was faithful in small things 1. Waiting time is working time... Gen 41:1 a) the hand of God and hand of Joseph - build character without crowds - teaches dependance through disappointment.  - Align timing to task  2) Delay is not denial (gen 40:23). God's timing is the best.  3) Man forgets, God remembers . (Gen 41;14) the turn...

Life in Potiphar's house.  Faithfulness in private prepares us for promotion in public. Joseph didn't go to the palace but became a slave to Potiphar. The wrong question is "When will I get out of the season."  The right question is "Who am I becoming in this season." Potiphar's House Season : 1. Unchosen position 2. The unkind environment 3. Unfair treatment 4. Unjust situation 1. The power of perception - The lord was with Joseph, that's why he was prospered, though Joseph was only a slave. When the Lord is with us, we will prospered despite the situations and circumstances we are in.  God is now here, not nowhere. Eg 12 spies in Numbers saw the same thing but have different perspective. "God, we do not know what to do, but my eyes are on You." 2. Passion before promotion.   God bless Potiphar because of Joseph. Joseph did not allow slavery to impact him - he did it for the Lord with the best of his heart, without complaining. The Passion...

Four lessons from the life Joseph - Pastor Kevin (COP camp)  1. A place of development but not destruction. (Gen 37:18-20). Joseph was a dreamer, but he was not ready for the dream. He was thrown into the pit. But the pit is not a destruction but for development.  Like building a tunnel, you can it see it. All you see a mess and dust on the surface. God will Refined, Redirected Repositioned. God uses setback and emotional and physical pain to develop us into something we don't expect.  2. The gift of grace. Reuben told them not to kill Joseph. This is not luck, it is grace of God.  Grace is strategic - it's a purposeful.  Grace is sufficient - it is more than enough. (eg Paul and his thorn). We want God to remove bad things and bad people - remove my Mil.) But God is not the business of removal and the business of improvement. God wants us to grow in our challenges and suffering 3. Your identity is being investigated . (v23-24) the robe represent identity and ...

  I Just read Numbers 20. It is a very very sad chapter. Miriam and Aaron died, Moses was prohibited from going into the promise land. The people rebelled again, and didn’t learn the lessons of their fathers. But what was saddest for me is that God hold Aaron accountable for what Moses did. The short story was that Moses strike the rock twice, when God told him to speak to it so that water will come out (v8, v11). 1 Cor 10:4 said that the rock symbolizes Christ, and he only need to be “strike” once only, when he completed the redemption work at his crucifixion and resurrection. And this already happen in Exodus 17:6, where Moses strike the rock as God told him to do so. So now, all we need to do is speak to Jesus and ask for the Holy Spirit (symbolized by the water pouring out from the rock). However, Moses ruined God's purpose to demonstrate the redemption plan. But Moses makes things worse when he spoke harshly to the people: “Listen, you rebels: shall we bring water for you ...

1. We need to be a generation that sees: (Prov, Joel) We still need to listen. We still need to receive insights and revelations. a. See God - Hagar (Gen 16:13), Jacob (Gen 30:32), Moses n Aaron (exo 24:9-11), Isaiah (isa 6:1), job (job 46:6) b. See God's kingdom. His kingdom is already here when Jesus came the first time. He wants believers to extend his kingdom to the world.  c. See People. Jesus was the one who walked with people - all who loved him, all who hated him, all who are disabled, all who are rich and all who are pure.  2. A generation is still ploughing. We don't know which ploughing will be successful. We continue to plough in all generations and trust God will bring harvest or build up a person to be a great preacher.  A morning and evening ploughing will be different. We cannot do the same ploughing using the past ways for new generations.  3. A generation that still releases. Prov 11:26 "A generous person will prosper. Whoever refresh others will ...