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| Sunset Over Los Angeles, CA by Ken Hulsey |
I intended to post this message on Sunday morning before church, but something told me not to. All week I had been listening to sermons from different pastors from different parts of the country. I was amazed that there was a common theme in just about every single message, the story of Joseph from the Old Testament. I felt it was important to share those sermons simply on the amazing fact that, like I mentioned, there were pastors from all over the country preaching about Joseph. It was obvious that God was speaking this message directly to me and I knew that there had to be others that would be blessed by hearing it.
I would soon learn why God told me to put this post on hold.
Imagine my surprise when the message by our pastor, James Greer (Journey Church in Pineville, LA) was on the life of Joseph.
I don't know if Pastor Greer noticed my response to his message, but my eyes bugged out and my jaw dropped. Something truly amazing was going on!
Let's follow the trail shall we:
How to Survive Until You Thrive - Pastor James Greer at Journey Church in Pineville, LA - August 1, 2021
Now check this out.
Five days earlier Pastor Steve Smothermon of Legacy Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico delivered this sermon, though not on Joseph, which echoed the same theme as what Pastor James preached on. If you pay attention you will note that both pastors use much of the exact same verbiage in both sermons.
Grow Through Difficulties - Pastor Steve Smothermon at Legacy Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico - July 28, 2021
The day prior Pastor Leanne Matthesius of Awaken Church in San Diego preached a message on (you guessed it) Joseph.
The Choices of Champions - Pastor Leanne Matthesius at Awaken Church in San Diego, CA - July 27, 2021.
Earlier in the month Pastor John Martin of Victorville First Assembly of God (The church that Terri and I attended in Cali) preached this sermon that both mentioned Joseph and touched on themes that resonated in the three prior sermons.
You can't watch it here but I encourage you to go and watch it on YouTube!
Decisions, Decisions ... Part 2 - Pastor John Martin at Victorville First Assembly of God in Victorville, CA - July 18, 2021
I hope that you are able to make time to watch or listen to each of these sermons and understand just how God is spreading His message by inspiring pastors all over our great country to preach almost identical messages in unique and different styles intended to reach different people in different places.
Understand the process.
If you don’t understand the process, the disappointments will defeat you instead of develop you. The greater the dream, the greater the process and pain. The greater the dream, the greater the development. How we develop will greatly determine our destiny. God has a predetermined destiny that is greater than you can understand or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20, NKJV
; John 14:12-14, NKJV; Ephesians 2:10, NKJV, AMPC) As you learn to survive during the times of being processed or developed, that in turn, will allow you to endure until you thrive.Joseph learned to survive until he thrived.
(Genesis 37:18-19
, NKJV)If you have big dreams, be very careful who you share them with and when. The greater the dream, the greater the development.
The longer it takes you to develop, the longer you have to go through the process or test. God gives every one of us great dreams.
God created you in His image and gives each of us creative sides to dream. Time and pressure often squeeze the dream out of us. If you will learn the process, live out the process and not give up on the process, you will be promoted and used by God.
Joseph’s process to promotion.
At a young age, he had dreams. (Genesis 37:5-9, NKJV
) He had total devastation. (Genesis 37:18-20, 23-28, NKJV) Total devastation should lead to total dependence on God. Total dependence on God leads to the right process in developing us to be used by God. When we don’t know or learn the process, it leads to defeat instead of development. When we don’t allow disappointments to develop us, we will continue to go through the disappointments and live a defeated life.He began to prosper and dream again. (Genesis 39:2, NLT
2) He went through another great disappointment or devastation. (Genesis 39:6-21, NLT2) The Lord can be with you in prison or the palace. Even during the disappointment, Joseph knew God was with him. Joseph knew the difference between being disappointed in a person, but not with God. Learn that even when people disappoint you, God will still be with you.The process led to lasting promotion.
(Genesis 41:1
, 5, 24-27, 38-40, NLT2)Joseph was promoted to the second most powerful person in the land.
The process worked.
(Genesis 50:14-22
, NLT2)You know the development process is working when you can forgive those who have hurt you the most.
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