where has your Joseph Gone
Bible Study On Joseph,where has your Joseph Gone ?
Where has your Joseph Gone ?
Lord God in Jesus name we commit this time to you now and pray speak. Lord Father God..Abba Father..thankyou that you promises to us never fail..when you speak the oceans roar and the waves are calmed. Speak now Lord and renew our minds through your word to us in Jesus name amen.
THE GOD OF...ABRAHAM.................Promises to Abraham: ( Covenant )
That in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand
which is upon the sea shore; - Gen. 22:17
"Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, We Believe and we are made right with God through the Blood of The Lamb.
THE GOD OF ISAAC:...................................Promises to Isaac: ( Covenant )
And the LORD appeared to him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham your father: fear not, for I am with you, and will bless you, and multiply your seed for my servant Abraham's sake. - Gen. 26:24
Leviticus 26:42
KJV: Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.
IF YOU ARE CHRIST'S, YOU ARE HEIRS OF THE PROMISE (Galatians 3:23-29)
Has something been spoken into your life that has not yet become reality ?
Jacob believed a story that was false,
You may have had a prophetic word, God may have spoken into your life, you know it is God, you listen and take it in. But after time goes by you begin to wonder, ' was it really God speaking ? ' or was it just me ? the enemy begins to whisper things in your ears and you begin to doubt.
A person you know might give you a word and after lining it up with scripture or after seeking advise from a Godly friend you decide that word is for you.
But after time nothing happens or it does'nt seem like it has.
In this ( so called ) modern day and age we live in we are so used to having things happen instantly, if we do not have it now then we give up.
But when God speaks His word does not change ...
I've had messages/words for different people and years have passed by and nothing has happened......does that mean God was wrong ?
Does that mean I was not hearing correctly or that the person receiving did not have enough faith ?
Sometimes the word has already become reality except the person has'nt seen it, sometimes the word given will come to pass years later....even ten or twenty.
So why does God do this ? why does God speak a word into our lifes only to keep us waiting ?
Have you had dreams ? hopes ? ambitions ?
Who put them there ?
Have you had your hopes and dreams taken away ( as if they have been stolen ? )
Have you been in that pit of despair ? where everything is dark ?
Have you been in that place where you feel abandoned ? by the very people that should have supported you ?
Have you found yourself in that ' well '
Gods Promises still stand ..
HAS GOD SPOKEN TO YOU ? BUT THAT WORD HAS NOT YET BECOME REALITY ?
You see Joseph had a coat or a robe, this robe was given to him by his Father.
Having a robe meant high status, rings were a sign of authority, Joseph was stripped of his robe ?
But later on we see pharoah taking off his signet ring and giving it to Joseph, he also clothed him in garments of fine linen ( robe )
We also see a robe, sandals and ring mentioned in the story of the prodigal son, and we will be looking at Parallels in the next study.
The Old Testament is full of shadows..allegories..parables..types.. and Parallels.
But getting to the message of this study.....
Joseph was given a robe, we too are given robes, as children of God.
We too have a ring as the bride of Christ.
We too are heirs of a promise.
And IF YOU BELONG TO CHRIST, THEN YOU ARE ABRAHAM'S DESCENDANTS, HEIRS ACCORDING TO PROMISE. (Galatians 3:26-29)
Our Father does not lie, He keeps His promises...
.
If God has spoken into your life, He WILL NOT FAIL YOU.
Lets look at : Genesis 37 v 31:
31 Then they got Joseph's robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 They took the ornamented robe back to their father and said, "We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son's robe."
33 He recognized it and said, "It is my son's robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces."
34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted.
"No," he said, "in mourning will I go down to the grave to my son." So his father wept for him.
Jacob believed a lie, he was deceived, something that God had said, was taken away.
While thinking about this ...I had a picture of a ferocious wind, blowing over water and I wondered what this might mean ?
The wind was creating waves and the surface of the water was being blown up into the air and there was a tremendous storm.
This led me to look at Matthew 14
(New International Version)...........................Jesus Walks on the Water
Mathew 14 v 22:........22, Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.
23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.
When evening came, he was there alone, 24but the boat was already a considerable distance[a] from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.
27But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
28"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
29"Come," he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and,beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
32And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
Now you might say , " what has this to do with Jacob " ?
Well we are heirs of the promise.
Well what has this to do with us ?
Okay now lets use our imagination and try to picture what might well have happened ?
The disciples are in the boat, there is a tremendous storm, the wind is howling across the ears of the disciples, the waves are battering the boat, the water spray is lashing against the faces of the disciples.
The boat is going up onto the crest of a wave and back down into the trough of a wave, at the same time the boat is leaning from side to side, looking to your right.
One moment it is leaning downwards towards the the trough of the wave , the next it is leaning up towards
the sky.
Now if you have this scenario in your mind.....picture this.
Jesus comes walking on the water ?
Now it says , ' Jesus walked ON the water '
People often have this picture of Jesus walking across a flat surface, But this was a STORM ?
Jesus was walking up a wave and down into the trough of a wave, He was NOT walking through the waves.
It does not say , ' Jesus walked through the water, BUT ON.
Now you are in the boat, the waves are lashing against your face, the wind is howling accross your ears, the boat is tossing and turning from side to side , going down into the trough of a wave and back up onto the crest of a wave.
Jesus at this time was doing the same thing, He was going down into a trough and back up.
So when you are down in that trough He may be up and when you are on top...He may be down in a trough, now at the same time the side of the boat to your right may be facing upwards or downwards depending on whether you are going up onto a wave or down on a wave.
( You feeling unwell yet ) ?
Now you look through the water sprayed eyes at the right time and you see a figure coming towards the boat.
Then it seems to disappear as you go down into a wave, then as you look again you see a person, but then the person seems to disappear again.
As the figure gets closer you get frightened ( of course you would ) bad enough getting clobbered in a boat.
Then as the figure keeps on coming closer and keeps on appearing and disappearing into the trough of a wave, you realise it is Jesus.
And you cry out, " IT IS JESUS "
Jesus says " Come to me "
.
Now I imagine Jesus would have shouted these words, as you can imagine the noise with the wind and waves.
So you get out of the boat ?
And you start to walk towards Jesus ?
Now imagine , the boat behind you is now going down into the trough of a wave and leaning away from you.
You are going up onto a wave while Jesus is going down into a wave.
Now remember it says the word " STORM "
NOT gentle breeze or mild wind.
All the time you keep your eyes on Jesus....you never take your eyes off Him....He goes down into the trough of a wave and you go down into the trough of a wave....
...you go up onto the top...He down.... you down......He up... you up...HE down...He up....you up.... He down....you down ... . ( Imagine )
NOW you are getting closer and closer....going up and down on the waves, .....Jesus is getting closer and closer...YOU are walking on the waves. ........the wind is howling..the water is lashing against your face.
As you get right up to Jesus, who is to say that the enemy did not seize this oportunity ?
At the moment when Jesus is almost there at your side, a wave comes between you and Jesus !!!!!!!!!!
You go down into the trough of a wave and Jesus goes down into the trough of a wave, who is to say that the enemy did not make a wave to come between Peter and Jesus ?
YOU AND JESUS, ?
All Peter could see was the wave ? coming towards him !!!
HE NEVER TOOK HIS EYES OFF JESUS.....BUT ALL HE COULD SEE WAS A WAVE COMING TOWARDS HIM.......and he began to sink.
I say again....Peter NEVER took his eyes off Jesus, it was the wave that got between them.
At this moment Peter doubted..at this moment we can doubt..why ?
Because we simply cannot see Joseph !!!!!!
Yes I did not mistype...I said , " Joseph "
And as Peter rose up on the wave and so too Jesus ....Jesus reached out His hand.
Now I am not saying, " This did happen "....but rather, " This could or may well have happened "
The old picture of the calm surface..with the sun shining and Peter ( Or you ) walking towards Jesus and then taking your gaze away from His ? Which makes more sense ?
So often in the storms of life we do NOT TAKE OUR EYES OFF JESUS.... BUT in our troubles we simply lose sight of Jesus..we see that wave coming towards us and all we can see is THAT WAVE.
We begin to question..." is Jesus there ? "
And we begin to sink down into the troubles and circumstances, the enemy lies and deceives and takes this oportunity to put doubt in our minds. He brings the wave of doubt..and we begin to sink down into that wave of problems.
All we can see at this point is the problem...Jesus is still there.. but we have lost sight of Him.
The enemy puts up a wall and steals away that which God has put in.
How many times have we doubted ?
How many times has a wave got between us and Gods plan for our lifes ?
You have been given a word but it has'nt happened yet ?
Jacob saw the wave and was deceived.
We see the wave and believe that Jesus is no longer there !!!!
We see the wave and think Gods promise to us was never really meant !!
The Dream ( Promise )is Dead !!!!
The enemy says , " JOSEPH IS DEAD !!!!!"
Now Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt...? where have you heard that story before ?
Now Jacob believed he had lost his Son...He believed and was deceived.
Gods plans and purposes for your life will come into being ....
Have you given up hope of ever seeing what God has said to you..come into being ?
Have you lost sight of Gods plans and purposes for your life ?
Have you started something and yet wonder if it was the right thing ?
You doubt...? because nothing has happened yet ?
Very often attacks will come from the people closest to you !!!!!
They are the ones that really hurt and satan knows this !!!
Jacob was deceived ..not by people he did not know ..but by those who were very near.
If God has spoken into your life ..DO NOT BE DECEIVED.
DO NOT GIVE UP.....
Many times I could thrown in the towel and given up when the enemy has put a wave in front of me.
But lets look further .
Genesis 45 (New International Version)
Genesis 45 v 25.
25 So they went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. 26 They told him, "Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt." Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them.
27 But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.
28 And Israel said, "I'm convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die."
Leviticus 26:42
KJV: Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.
Where have your hopes gone ?
Where have your dreams gone ?
WHERE HAS YOUR JOSEPH GONE ?
Take hold of that word which you were given .... take hold of the Promises of God..take hold of Gods word and declare that word..
Take Hold of that which God has given YOU as a Child of God and anounce to the powers that be that ...YOU BELIEVE ...
Renounce the lies of the enemy.....and declare to yourself the truth.
Take hold of your Joseph that you thought you had lost and BELIEVE.
Abba Father in Jesus name ..you speak and the oceans roar..the waves are calmed and the winds cease...you command then to calm and they obey.
Lord we do not fight against people but against spiritual powers that would seek to destroy and halt or delay your plans.
We fight against wickedness in high places that would bring a wave of deceit and lies into our way and try to make us sink into the problems, that come our way.
But Father you are not slow in keeping your promises and you have spoken into hearts and lifes..and you are waiting for the right time, when our hearts and when the right time has come...
You reach out your hand and draw us closer to yourself..you say " Do not fear "
Lord when that wave seems to come up against us and we lose sight ofyou.( Joseph ).when we begin to sink down and when those sometimes closest to us seem to be against us.
Thankyou Lord that you are there.....and we of little faith..reach out to you.
Thankyou Lord that those words you have spoken into our lifes ... whether prophetic...words of knowledge....promises....words of comfort. ...words of wisdom ....words of direction...whatever you have spoken.
These will come to pass....your plans will unfold and we can know that the wave will be stilled and the wind will die down and you will be there with us.
We take hold of those dreams and the promise ( Joseph) and we renounce the lies of the enemy .
Thankyou Father God in Jesus name amen.
WHAT THE NEXT PAGE WILL BE IS UP TO YOU
thanks tes