Remember The Dreams – January 17, 2009

Remember The Dreams
Genesis 42:6, 8-9a

Jim Stephens

01-17-09

 

Scripture:

 

6 Since Joseph was governor of all Egypt and in charge of the sale of the grain, it was to him that his brothers came. They bowed low before him, with their faces to the ground. 8 Joseph’s brothers didn’t recognize him, but Joseph recognized them. 9 And he remembered the dreams he had had many years before..  (Genesis 42:6, 8-9a NLT)

 

Observation:

 

What an incredible moment for Joseph!  As a naive seventeen-year-old he had dreamed his brothers would bow before him.  Now at age thirty-nine, as a seasoned and powerful man – the Governor of all Egypt – he saw his brothers on their faces before him and he remembered the God-given dreams.

 

Joseph had excitedly believed the dreams when God gave them, but the power to plan and execute the fulfillment of those dreams was completely beyond his control for twenty-two years.

 

What had been in Joseph’s control was the ability to serve daily at the task before him, to maintain his integrity at any cost, to keep his spirit sweet, and to use his God-given gifts and abilities to bless others.  The rest is in the hands of God alone.

 

Application:

 

There is much I cannot control in the world about me.  This I can attempt:  To serve daily at the task before me, to maintain my integrity at any cost, to keep my spirit sweet, and to use my God-given gifts and abilities to bless others.  The rest is in the hands of God alone!

 

Prayer:

 

Father, thank you for Joseph, who lived so long ago, and for his story that reminds me that what counts with you is faithfulness in the matters at hand.  Help me to be faithful today and please remind me of the dreams in your own time and way.  Amen.

 

Small Matters – January 16, 2009

Small Matters

Luke 16:10

Jim Stephens

01-16-09

 

Scripture:

 

“Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.”  (Luke 16:10 NLT)

 

Observation:

 

Last night Jean and I saw part of a documentary about the history of comedy television in the US.  It seems that the sitcom “Seinfeld” was sort of a turning point in television comedy.  In the interview, Jerry Seinfeld said that his show was a show about nothing! 

 

In an era when everything was supposed to have a “message,” and even the sitcoms had a conflict and resolution, Seinfeld’s show was about the little things, the small matters of daily life and how people interacted with each other when nothing much was going on.

 

Jesus said that life is mostly about the little things, about how we act and react in the ordinariness of daily living.

 

Application:

 

Life does have its dramatic moments.  There are job promotions and exciting vacation trips.  There’s the purchase of a new home or a move to another city.  There are sudden illnesses or a traffic accident.  There are job losses and business failures.  Life has highs and lows.

 

But so much of life is made up of “small matters.”  We get up in the morning, we go to work, we have lunch, we face small challenges and experience little successes.  We interact with co-workers and family and friends and teachers and store-clerks and neighbors.

 

Jesus said that how we deal with the “small matters” of life indicates how we will act and react in the moments of crisis or of great blessing.  Small matters matter.

 

Prayer:

 

Father, I don’t know what today holds.  Before the day is over there may be something big – big happy or big scary.  It’s likely that there will be mostly “small matters” to deal with today.  Please help me to be faithful, honest, and responsible in today’s “small matters.”  Help me to be faithful, honest, and kind today.  Amen.

 

Simeon and Anna – January 2, 2–9

Simeon and Anna

Luke 2:25-26, 36-38

Jim Stephens

01-02-09

 

Scripture:

 

25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem. (Luke 2:25-26, 36-38 NLT)

 

Observation:

 

When Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the Temple for the purification ceremony when he was a month old, Simeon and Anna enter the gospel story.  Simeon and Anna were both old and devout and full of faith and the Holy Spirit.

 

Application:

 

Two things really stand out to me as I think about this today:

·        God always has faithful people around who are just there, faithful and devout, out of the center of attention, but ready to speak and act in faith.

·        Don’t discount people because of their age.  Three generations are present in this story, Jesus the baby, Joseph and Mary the young couple, and Simeon and Anna the older generation.  Each had their part to play.

 

Prayer:

 

Father, please help me to deal respectfully with people of every age – the kids the young adults, and the old.  And help me not to ever think I’m the only one.  I know you have many faithful and devout people who are ready to speak and act in faith.  Amen.

 

Remain Faithful – October 21, 2008

Remain Faithful

Acts 14:21-23

Jim Stephens

10-21-08

 

Scripture:

 

21 After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, 22 where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. 23 Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. (Acts 14:21-23 NLT)

 

Observation:

 

What a wild ride this first missionary journey was!  In Derbe they preached the Good News and made many disciples.  In Lystra they healed a man crippled from birth and the crowd went wild, attempting to offer sacrifices to them because they thought they were gods, then out of town Jews showed up and turned the crowd into a mob that stoned Paul and left him for dead (did Paul live with scars and pain for the rest of his life from this beating?).  In Iconium they preached to crowds of Jews and Gentiles, and the jealous Jews plotted to kill them so they fled for their lives.  In Pisidian Antioch, after a couple of weeks of effective ministry the Jews stirred up a mob and ran them out of town, leaving the believers filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.  Now they were on a reverse path through the same towns they had suffered in and been run out of.

 

They strengthened the believers, encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminded them that entering God’s Kingdom involves many hardships, appointed elders in each church, and entrusted the whole thing to the Lord.

 

Application:

 

God loves me and has a difficult plan for my life!  There’s so much I see in these verses that challenges me to look at my Good News and the expectations it produces in people.  In this story, the Good News brought faith, but it also brought bad reaction from the established religion.  The believers experienced supernatural power, but they also suffered violent persecution.  They were entering God’s Kingdom, but they were opposed, beaten, and run out of town.  They left behind believers who were persecuted but filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.  They led people to faith in Jesus, then appointed elders among them in weeks, not years.  They couldn’t stay with the new churches to pastor them, so the turned them over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had come to trust.

 

Prayer:

 

Father, I’m sorry to be such a bother.  It’s just that every year when I read the gospels and the book of Acts, I wonder again if it’s all as easy and as difficult, as simple and as complicated as we make it.  I purpose to keep pressing toward living the Kingdom of God life.  May I and those I love and serve and serve with “by God’s grace remain faithful.”  Amen.

 

Faithful – October 3, 2008

Faithful

Luke 16:9-12

Jim Stephens

10-03-08

 

Scripture:

 

9 Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home. 10 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. 11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? 12 And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own? (Luke 16:9-12 NLT)

 

Observation & Application:

 

Jesus’ story about the dishonest manager, told here to the wealthy Pharisees, seems to be an anomaly.  Jesus seems to be approving dishonesty.  I’m not going to theologize about that.  These are the things that I see for me:

 

·        Be generous with what you have – your own or that which you are responsible for.

·        Faithfulness is a character issue.  If you’re faithful in little things you’ll be faithful in the most important things.

·        If I use material resources in a generous, wise, and trustworthy way, God will reward that with true riches – things of eternal value.

·        If I’m a faithful and trustworthy manager – servant, then God may bless me with something of my own.

 

That’s just how I see it.

 

Prayer:

 

Father, I ask for a generous heart and a wise mind.  Help me to give generously and graciously.  Help me to manage well and wisely.  Bless me I pray and let your blessing flow through me to others.  Amen.