He was not in trouble like other men, so he set his mouth against the heavens as he rejected the message of salvation. He started to laugh the preacher to scorn as he remembered all the a.s.sets he had.

Indeed he has increased in riches and has prospered in the world. He had five hundred million naira in five bank accounts with more than five houses in choice areas of the city. Behold, this unG.o.dly had prospered in the world. No wonder he thought there is no knowledge in the most High.

But suddenly, he was consumed with terrors. His health started to fail and his life turned to pieces by an unimaginable body pains. The best of doctors attended to him and did their best until they discovered he had a rear cancer disease that may need a better hospital like in overseas to treat.

In the days of computer age, he quickly accessed every information and communicated with them to know how he would prepare for the medical trip. He would be facing a major operation which cost more than his life in his bank account. He then has to put his four (4) houses on sales to allow him have sufficient money for maintenance of himself and that of his family members going with him.

He wondered how one ailment could be bringing him to desolation as the cost of running his life had become expensive.

Where will he turn, to obtain a sizable loan now that his life has turned upside down? People had been envious of him when they saw his prosperity but it was now his turn to be envious of the healthy but poor around him.

We hate troubles, we run from troubles, but it is troubles that make all of us.

He now started to remember his att.i.tude to G.o.d and those who had preached to him. He wondered if he would die like this for the cost of running his life is becoming expensive.

Where would he get the balance of his medical bills? A rich man like him is not used to begging but would he die in his pride or swallow up his pride to seek the G.o.d of the poor?

He decided to enter into the church of that preacher and met people clapping, wors.h.i.+ping G.o.d with joy all over them. They came in bicycles, cars and on their legs but one thing that united them is LOVE, for their G.o.d who they believed can do more than we they can imagine.

They were happy to see him in church and like every first visitor, they welcomed him warmly. A big fish has attended their service; so they thought, but it was not known to them that this was a big but dying fish.

His mammon has failed him. His money that promised him safety, security and peace had failed to deliver its promises. No one is like the Almighty; the more than sufficient G.o.d.

For the first time in his life he realized they were wealthier than him. He responded to the message as if the preacher saw into his heart. The preacher's text was from the book of prophet Isaiah;

Isaiah 53:3-5

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of G.o.d, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastis.e.m.e.nt of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

The preacher taught those scriptures; reminding all that those words were fulfilled in the suffering of JESUS for all humanity. Justice demanded that man pays the penalty for his

sin and since we could not pay, JESUS paid that price by his suffering on the cross.

Act.8:32-33

32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:

33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

The poor rich man – poor in the spirit and health but rich in money; believed with all his heart. He expressed his willingness to accept Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour and Lord of his life. He therefore believed and accepted him as his personal Lord and Saviour.

Suddenly, he felt a peace of G.o.d flooding his heart, it was a peace and joy beyond description. It was the peace that made no sense. No wonder the Bible says it pa.s.ses understanding; and it's beyond comprehension.

A week after he had been born-again, he felt changes in his body and therefore went for further text to ascertain what was happening to him. Now he was going to the hospital not with worries, fear, anxiety in antic.i.p.ation of death but with optimism and certainty of a life greater than physical death.

After all, he could now say like Paul;

Gal.2:20

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of G.o.d, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Various test were conducted, and to the surprise of the medical doctor who had his previous file, he was free of the cancer. He went to other places to repeat the test, and was also confirmed free of that cancer.

Jesus had healed him and the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made him free from the law of sin and death. (Rom.8:2)

He learnt a great lesson that he had played a fool all his life and was ignorant like a beast before G.o.d.

G.o.d created us to give him pleasure.

Rev.4:11

11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Before life is over, most of us like this rich man, will have our turn to play a fool. The rich man now came to realize that no one was as poor as a rich man who has no Jesus.

Serving G.o.d is not being foolish and not serving him is the poorest decision anybody can make. It is better to serve him than to serve stuffs.

Why should anybody serve idols that cannot deliver? Paul, the apostle preaching to the philosophers of the Epicureans in Athens said it in many words.

Act.17:29-31

29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of G.o.d, we ought not to think that the G.o.dhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

30 And the times of this ignorance G.o.d winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent:

31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given a.s.surance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

The church that the rich man looked at like a.s.sembly of miserable people had suddenly became the most honorable and blessed people on earth.

The issue of life is our perception; how we see things. He now saw that wealth without JESUS is vanity.

It is like the story of the rich man who loves gold and treasures it above anything else, until he dreamt that he died and found himself carrying all his earthly, acc.u.mulated gold in a big hand bag, walking the street of heaven.

An angel welcomed him in the dream and told him to drop the bag of gold there. He was angry and told the angel how much he labored to acquire all the treasures, only to be told to drop them. He protested!

The angel asked him to look down so he could see that he was on the street made of the purest quality of gold. As you use asphalt to make roads on earth so they use gold to make streets in heaven.

Why carry the load of what you walk upon?

For the first time, he started to look foolish.

Rev.21:18, 21-23.

18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear gla.s.s.

21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent gla.s.s.

22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord G.o.d Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to s.h.i.+ne in it: for the glory of G.o.d did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

When Jesus warned men of the danger of wrong perception, the covetous, lovers of money laughed him to scorn. As far as they were concerned, money is everything. Hear Jesus;

Lk.16:13-14.

13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve G.o.d and mammon.

But the Pharisees turned truth to mockery.

14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

The amplified edition renders it better;

14 Now the Pharisees, who were covetous and lovers of money, heard all these things (taken together) and they began to snare and ridicule and scoff at him.

Can you imagine the G.o.d in human flesh whom all things are made by being sneered, scoffed and ridiculed at by short- sighted religious leaders of his days?

The message bible edition says this in modern-day English;

14 when the Pharisees, a money-obsessed bunch, heard him say these things, they rolled their eyes, dismissing him as hopelessly out of touch.

So, Jesus spoke to them; "You are masters at making yourself look good in front of others, but G.o.d knows what is behind the appearance.

Today, we are in the world or age where packaging is everything. People spend so much money trying to reshape their faces and bodies at the expense of the true inner man. But man is tripart.i.te; he is a spirit and he has a soul and live in a body.

1Thes.5:23

23 And the very G.o.d of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray G.o.d your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Man is a spirit being and the voice of his spirit is his conscience. The voice of his soul is his reasoning, while the voice of his body is his feeling.

We should take care of our bodies, for that is the house we live and we all need that tabernacle or tent to function on earth. If it is dead, the spirit and soul will be severed from the cord that link them into the body and therefore will exit from planet earth into the invincible world. (Either heaven or h.e.l.l).

That is why we should take advantage of various knowledge going on here on earth about what to eat, how to exercise and how to sleep or work so that we don't kill the "horse" before delivering the message.

But Peter by the Holy Spirit told us we should not over decorate the house we live in and malnourish the man living in the house; that is our human spirit.

1Pet.3:3-4

3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of G.o.d of great price.

But be careful of religious extremist taking those two verses out of context. You don't interpret the bible to say what you want him to say.

Some say Peter is condemning the use of ornament as it is worldly. But if you look at those verses, he also talked of apparel and apparel means clothes.

Is Peter asking us not to wear clothes? You know that cannot be so, but he is talking about moderation in decorating the outward man.

But what is moderation to me may not be moderation to you. Let me give you a good example.

A wealthy man buying a coat for two thousand dollars is moderate for him, but a man on salary of five hundred dollars per month using a year saving to buy that coat to prove a point is foolishness.

Have you ever mistaken people for who you think they are until they turn their faces to you?

You convince yourself that they are who you think they are until they turn their faces to you.

Viewing people from the back may mistake them for who you think they are.

In summary, your face or head is your real ident.i.ty and there lies the senses that control your body.

Every organ in the body receives their coordination from the brain. This is the law of recognition.

The recognition of a tree is by its fruit. Plants shows resemblances or similarities and mainly differentiated by the kind of fruits they produce. Jesus says;

Matt.12:33

33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

If therefore a tree is recognized by its fruit, then Jesus the head of the church is our ident.i.ty.

He alone can define the true church. He is our Head, the captain of our salvation; our Lord and model. We behold him to be transformed to his likeness and the world see him in us as we live true to our commitment and values.

Rom.12:5

5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Eph.5:23

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

In ill.u.s.trating the divine connection, Jesus compared our relations.h.i.+p with that of a vine where believers as branches draw nourishment and life from the vine. The branch cannot live apart from the vine. Jesus say;

John.15:5-6

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

Our ultimate goal should be to please the maker for G.o.d has committed all things to him.

John.5:22-23

22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

In the third chapter of Revelation, the Lord sent a message to the church of Laodicea. This was one of the seven churches in the then Asia Minor. It was a church that had the appearance of luxury, riches and comfort. They were comfortable in their wealth but deluded in their spirit.

Rev.3:14-17

14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of G.o.d;

15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

The story of the rich man I told you earlier is just like the situation in the church. They found their satisfaction in material things and they a.s.sumed their prosperity must have amounted to divine approval. But Jesus rebuked them and told them to obtain true wealth from him. The wealth from him stands the test of trial.

Rev.3:18

18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Whose a.s.sessment is right, of poverty or prosperity? The gold and other treasures that are produced at the expense / risk of their lives is an inferior pavement stone that heaven cannot even make use of. The creator of heaven and earth is in the best position to determine what true prosperity is.

But contrast to the church of the Laodiceans was a church in Smyrna which was going through a serious persecution and the letter to them from the Lord is that of comfort.

Rev.2:8-9

8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;

9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

This church looked poor and wretched in the eyes of the world. They were under a spiritual attack and their standing in the midst of it received the complement from JESUS; No one will dear rob an empty house for people rob on purpose.

The devil wouldn't have put up a fight against the church if it did not pose a threat to his kingdom.

No one throws a stone at a mango tree that has no fruit. And if your life is fruitful, it will attract a demonic hatred.

G.o.d is interested in where you stand as he does not want lukewarm Christianity. You had better be either hot or cold. For if you are cold, G.o.d will know how to help you get out of your spiritual apathy. Either here nor there does not appeal to the master.

I have never seen anybody fallen in love with a warm tea; it is either cold or hot tea that people desire.

Men who stand for nothing fall for everything.

Elijah once cried to a backslidden nation of Israel at Mount Carmel.

1King.18:21

21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be G.o.d, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

But opinion can change and be divided, but the counsel of G.o.d shall stand. As spoken by prophet Isaiah, G.o.d's judgment is authentic and eternal.

Isaiah 46:10

10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

Phil.1:9-11

9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;

11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of G.o.d.

Jesus called the church of Smyrna a rich church, but the world called it poor and irritated.

Whose report will you believe? We should fear Jesus' judgment and not people, because even though people may criticize us, they are not our judge for we shall all stand before His judgment seat one day to give an account to Him of what we have done with our calling or ministry.

The time is too short to stay unfaithful to the mandate of Heaven.

We should not glorify lack, for the Lord our provider is more than sufficient to meet our needs. But if it is necessary to compromise or bring down G.o.d's standard to obtain what the world offer, then it is no longer a good success but a bad success.

A wealth that separates a man from G.o.d, the source of such wealth is a bad success. What the Lord promised us is a good success. And if there is a good success, there must of necessity be also a bad success.

Jos.1:8

8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Jesus defends the limit of their trials and if there is no purpose, the Lord would not have allowed it. Hear the comfort of the spirit in the tenth verse of the second chapter.

Rev.2:10

10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

Ten days? G.o.d set a limit to what we go through. The devil does not even have keys to his own house.

1Cor.10:13

13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but G.o.d is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Going by that scripture, G.o.d is not looking for how to get us out of test and trials. When we face test, before a need arises, provision is waiting for the righteous. This is beyond human understanding!

This is obvious in the beautiful story of Joseph who in his father's house was holy, gifted and loved. He was a son born at old age by Racheal- the apple of Jacob's eyes.

He brought the bad report of their brothers to Jacob which implies that he was not a party to their misdeeds.

Gen.37:2,

2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

Being a good boy together with the circ.u.mstances surrounding his birth, he was preferred to his other brethren. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.

G.o.d gave him a dream which he told his haters in his immaturity. (He could have told only his father). His heart was right and in going through persecution and trials, he matured in hurry.

We may not like the training or the hateful middle of Joseph's life, but after the various downturn or contour, G.o.d brought him to a place of power.

Gen 37:16-20

17 And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.

18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

G.o.d can take you from a place of nothingness to a place of unimaginable position until the outcome of your life becomes like a dream. He is a specialist in turning captivity around.

Ps.126:1-2

1. When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.

2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.

But Joseph understood the purpose of his elevation. It was designed by G.o.d that he would be that person to dispense blessing to others.

There was no animosity, bitterness or vengeance in Joseph. The many years of waiting had made Joseph to abound in a greater knowledge and discernment. Hear him revealing his ident.i.ty to his brethren;

Gen.45:4-7

4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for G.o.d did send me before you to preserve life.

6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.

7 And G.o.d sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

Provision is a product of vision and that is why it is insane to pursue the stuff and leave the source. The stuff is always connected to the source.

The parable of the prodigal son reminds us about the vanity of leaving the father's covering and seeking independence outside of divine supervision.

He found himself losing everything he owned until he came to his senses through much suffering.

Why should anybody be out of his mind by thinking that G.o.d is no more relevant in the situations of his life?

Unlike many fathers, the father of the prodigal son welcomed his son back home with celebration. His restoration was more important to the father than the mistake he made.

People are always precious to G.o.d.

Let us see how Jacob the father of Joseph moved from a place of poverty to a place or position of exceeding great wealth.

Gen.35:1-5

5: 1 And G.o.d said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto G.o.d, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.

2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange G.o.ds that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

3 And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto G.o.d, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.

4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange G.o.ds which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

5 And they journeyed: and the terror of G.o.d was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

G.o.d was with Jacob in his trouble. He gave him an instruction. The instruction he obeyed would create the future he would create. He was to take his household along and was wise enough to know they could not obtain G.o.d's blessing carrying along their strange G.o.ds. G.o.d is too jealous a G.o.d to share you with so called G.o.ds- a product of deluded minds.

They changed their garments and cleaned up their lives. Righteousness is who we are as a result of our faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross but holiness is our life lived in his presence by his grace.

Jacob told his household that whatsoever he had become was due to the mercies of G.o.d on his life. Let people know that you can only make it because of the grace of G.o.d. See the effect of commanded obedience in G.o.d's protecting the large entourage. The terror of G.o.d was upon the cities around them with all their wickedness and envy. They were under a divine compulsion to stay off the procession. They moved to the place of safety. May you be willing to pay the price for greatness like Jacob and Joseph.

Looking at Joseph going from pit to Portiphar's house and then to the prison house after which he entered the palace, you cannot remove any of those stages in the journey of Joseph to greatness. They all are connected for if there is no prison house how could he possibly be in a position to be known in the palace of Pharaoh. It makes meaning to us today because we are reading the story but then it made no meaning to Joseph when he was going through the pressure. He could not trace G.o.d but he could trust him and trusting he did until his vision spoke. The Psalmist writing about this hero of faith states this net-work of wonders.

Psalm 105:16-22

16 Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.

17 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:

18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:

19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.

20 The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.

21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:

22 To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.

Joseph was not promoted because he interpreted the dream of the king. Releasing him from imprisonment would have been a sufficient reward for that. But he went beyond knowledge to suggesting the solution. It was his wisdom that provoked the king to nominate him as a prime minister. Pharaoh lost his throne to wisdom.

1. PAIN:

Every progress in life starts with a process. Nothing great is created suddenly even G.o.d the creator of the universe was systematic in creating things we see. But every progress involves pain. You don't see any bitterness towards G.o.d in the life of Joseph. He took things as they came without murmuring or grumbling.

1 Corinthians 10:10-12

10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

G.o.d mentored Joseph through what he went through. Your mentor is not your tormentor and your training under G.o.d's supervision is not a punishment. Punishment is a consequence of a wrong doing but discipline is a process to make you become what the manufacturer intends. Never abort the process of G.o.d for your training. Price is not greater than the prize and G.o.d uses the little things to train us for greater things. The way to access how you manage a million dollars is to see your att.i.tude towards a thousand dollars you have at the moment.

Some think they can't give until they have million but you can't afford not to give if you will see your millions. If you cannot manage a thousand, G.o.d cannot trust that you will give him a t.i.the if he should give you a million.

G.o.d always uses what you are doing now to process you for your lifting. The greatest poverty is the poverty of the mind. The reason why the Laodicean church was poor in the sight of G.o.d is that they were poor in their thinking.

Luke 16:11-13

11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve G.o.d and mammon.

Opinions of men can change and be divided but the counsel of G.o.d stand forever. The best way to guarantee your future is to pursue what brings pleasure to heaven.

Isaiah 46:10

10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

Do you know Joseph was hated because he was holy, gifted and wise? G.o.d could trust him with his plan of deliverance. For many years G.o.d kept like a joker card, the channel he would use to fulfill the prophetic message he gave to Abraham.

Genesis 15:13-14

13And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

14And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

What G.o.d is looking for is a pure heart and not necessarily a rich pocket. When your heart is right towards G.o.d, he will take you from a place of nonent.i.ty to a place of unimaginable success. You will become a celebrity in the hand of him who made and know all things. Joseph stayed with his visions even when the hateful middle of his life went downdip. He still trusted when he could not trace him. We do not have to understand G.o.d before we trust him for G.o.d is beyond our comprehension.

Isaiah 55:8-9

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

We all know the past and a little of the present moment but G.o.d sees the total picture. He sees the future more than we know the now and many at times because of what we didn't know, G.o.d's ways seem unreasonable to a natural or carnal mind.

I Corinthians 2:14-16

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of G.o.d: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

15But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

16For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

G.o.d was with Joseph in all his troubles. We hate troubles; we run from troubles; but troubles have made all of us. He matured in hurry by the troubles he went through. He developed a great faith. He took everything as they came, he trusted G.o.d when he could not trace him. Even though, the potential of great faith comes by hearing but great, mountain moving faith comes as a result of the roads that G.o.d allows us to go through in his plans to prove his words as true.

There is a difference between reading, studying about how to drive and driving a vehicle. We learn faith through his words and our experiences so that we can come to the realization of the fact that G.o.d often uses the devil's wickedness to advance his glory in our lives.

Psalms 105:16-22

16 Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.

17 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:

18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:

19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.

20 The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.

21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:

22 To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.

He never despised the day of small things. He started well and ended well. When given the opportunity to manage the house of Portiphar, he did it so well that he became the leader of them all. He pa.s.sed the test of faithfulness and commitment. He was wise enough to know his limit in the home of his master. He was misunderstood for his stand against s.e.xual sin and instead of a reward for doing what is right; he was sentenced to the worst imprisonment in his days. He did not obtain any fair treatment with men but G.o.d is just. He always surrounds the righteous with favour like a s.h.i.+eld (Psalms 5:12). Like every drug that has expiry date, the affliction of Joseph one day came to an end and what looked like demotion became a promotion for Him.

There is no trouble in G.o.d that is wasted. He had a reason for what he allowed in our destiny trip. Joseph understood the purpose of G.o.d in his trouble when his brethren came into Egypt to buy food. They did not know him but he knew them. Many times those who hurt you don't remember what they did, and that they did not recognize you does not make you not recognize them. Hear him.

Genesis 45:4-8

4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for G.o.d did send me before you to preserve life.

6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.

7 And G.o.d sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but G.o.d: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Joseph went from poverty to great wealth. He became a leader next to the king of a whole nation because G.o.d lifted him. May you experience divine lifting and may good come to you like it came to Joseph. Joseph received instruction from G.o.d's mouth and laid up his words in his heart. He lived in integrity and light shone on his ways.

There is always a process to progress and many times it involves pain. If you don't want pain, don't look for success. Understanding that will deliver you from frustration on the journey of destiny. There is always a joy coming after the pain. It happens with child delivery and the nearest point to delivery is the period of the greatest discomfort. The joy of a new baby swallows up the memory of the pain. So, att.i.tude is everything. As for most of the three (3) million Jews who left Egypt- a land of not enough for Canaan- a land of more than enough; their att.i.tudes stopped them from reaching their goals. They became a liability to G.o.d instead of an a.s.set. They saddened the heart of G.o.d instead of giving him pleasure. Paul admonis.h.i.+ng us in reference to them states

1 Corinthians 10:8-11

8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Rather than murmuring or complaining about a misunderstood way of G.o.d why won't we cultivate the att.i.tude of Christ to the will of G.o.d.

Hebrews 12:1,2

1. Wherefore seeing we also are compa.s.sed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

2. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of G.o.d.

Joseph in his father's house was merely a teenager at seventeen. He was immature, pampered, and gifted. He needs to be mentored through life and no one qualified before G.o.d to bring the discipline he required in his father's house. His brothers were too lawless and hateful to provide the right example. His father also was too emotionally attached to him to allow him to develop. In G.o.d's wisdom, he allowed those who did not desire him to train him until he was made suitable for the a.s.signment that G.o.d planned for him. All those took time- a thirteen (13) years of hard training and lessons. He never aborted the process through bitterness even with many years of persistent injustice

Luke 16:10

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

The way to know you can manage a million is to see what you do with your thousand. That is why if you are not faithful to t.i.the on your thousands who will give you a million to handle. Never you despise your present moment for this moment in your life is the key to your future. Yesterday is past and it is in the grave so to say; but your tomorrow is in the womb for it is not yet birthed. Your opportunity is today and it is often wrapped up in the garment of opposition. When preparation meets opportunity, success is inevitable. Your tomorrow will become today when you get there, so today is what you have and as long as we call it today, do not harden your heart.

Joseph was faithful to G.o.d in good and bad times. It is easier to be faithful and committed when everything is going fine but what counts most is if you are faithful in difficult times. He was consistent. He lived a life of integrity and refused to be discouraged in difficult moments. He did not allow troubles of life to separate him from solving problems, no wonder he was trusted in Portiphar's house and within the prison yard. He would always point people he helped to G.o.d when they started to praise him. He would not take any honour due G.o.d who is the source of his spiritual gifts.

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Genesis 40:6-8

6 And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad.

7 And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly today?

8 And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to G.o.d? tell me them, I pray you.

Unlike many who will chicken out when they have opportunities to come before great leaders; Joseph still linked his gift to the G.o.d who is the source when he came before Pharaoh.

Genesis 41:15b, 16, 25

...and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.

And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: G.o.d shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: G.o.d hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.

Joseph with high integrity also developed his management skills. He was to oversee things in the house of Portiphar after pa.s.sing the test of commitment. He did not allow the seductive wife of his master to distract him. Many claim big things and never have them but the proof that you can do big things for G.o.d is pa.s.sing the test of small things that G.o.d gives you.

A man that could not manage a house of Portiphar would not be fit to manage the economy of a nation like Egypt. G.o.d created rooms at the top for Joseph because Pharaoh could see that he was wise. The reward of interpreting the king's dream could have been liberty to free Joseph from years of imprisonment but his ability to solve the problem that the seven years of famine would create was what attracted the king to hire him. The favour of G.o.d worked for him because G.o.d was always his priority. He became the master of those who hated him.

Wisdom is always the princ.i.p.al thing. He climbed to the very top in a strange land. We can also see that Joseph developed the strength to resist temptation. He was not covetous. He told the wife of his master that he would be sinning against G.o.d and her husband. If he agreed to sin with her, think of the pressure in a home when a slave was brought to serve the master's purpose. The enticement to sin is a path way to death. He refused to compromise his values.

Joseph did what was right and yet bad things happened to him. But having done all he could do to state his case, he left his vindication in the hand of G.o.d. I am sure his master did not believe the report of his wife for if he had believed it; he could have used every power and right to kill Joseph being an ordinary slave. He was a purchased property of Portiphar. We can see the hand of G.o.d in thing. But then why did he put him in prison if he did not believe his wife? He possibly did it to satisfy his wife who would want Joseph punished for not compromising. It is better to raise the standard high in G.o.d and have few people than to have it low so as to accommodate the lawless. G.o.d's standard is never and will never be low.

The period of his isolation like a criminal was too long not to have broken down the morale of Joseph but not so with a man of strong will. He had a will to win. He left his case in the hand of G.o.d and resolved to do what was right even with negative outcomes.

Philippians 2:13

13 For it is G.o.d which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

One day of favour with G.o.d is more than hundred years of labour . This reminds me of men like Henry Ford who with minimal education became a great inventor of automobile. At one time in his life they asked him what would happen to his wealth if all he had was taken from him. His reply was that within five (5) years he would have as much wealth as he had. According to him, money is mere appearance of wealth and not wealth for real wealth is the idea a man has. The greatest work is thinking for thinkers rule the world. The greatest wealth is the mental wealth or wealth of the mind. That reminds us of Thomas Edison, a boy who dropped from school because his G.o.dly mother could not endure the insult of his cla.s.s mistress who daily referred to him as scrambled headed. He had one kind of fever that left him deaf in one of his ears which affected his ability to hear in the cla.s.s properly. His mother bought several books for him and began to teach him at home. She could see what the teachers could not see. She saw a brilliant Thomas and not a dull son. He became the greatest scientist that has lived in the last century because of a mother who would not give up on a son rejected by the society. Thomas set himself a goal to come up with one major new invention every six (6) months and a minor invention every ten (10) days. He invented electric bulb after many experiments and at death, Americans put off their electricity for five (5) minutes in honour of a man who lightened the world. He had a thousand and ninety two (1,092) United State patents and over two thousands (2,000) foreign ones to his name.

The story was told of an intellectual confronting Thomas Edison in an attempt to ridicule him. He was said to have told him "Thomas, you are an inventor but you don't know how to explain it, let's bring you a scientist (mathematician) to teach you the secret behind what you have invented. After a long time, he was said to have allowed a German professor in mathematics. He wanted to give explanation for what Thomas invented via inspiration. Thomas was said to have brought in a globe and asked the professor "what is the volume of this thing?" The professor left and later told him that knowing the volume will involve mathematical calculation that was difficult. Then he called the professor to his office and brought a cylinder. He was said to have poured water into the bulb to float free after which he poured it into the cylinder. He measured it and told the professor that the volume of that gourd is this volume in this cylinder. An educated man is not necessarily a man who has acc.u.mulation of knowledge. Knowledge itself that solves no problem is useless information. If you don't have money in your pocket but

You have wealth in your mind; sooner or later you will have money in your pocket.

Men of vision, men of purpose like Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and many others deprived themselves of temporary pleasures so that this world can be better to live for the rest of us. There are lessons to learn from the lives of men who turned their miseries to mission and adversaries to advancement.

I. When you stop going, you start dying. Whatever has life grows, and change is the order of life.

When you don't want to improve it indicates that you don't have a sense of destiny. There is a race to run in life

II. Obstacles are stepping stones to greatness. See every obstacle as a friend for opportunities are often wrapped up in a garment of opposition.

III. G.o.d is not your tormentor; he is your mentor so take the lesson of life serious. G.o.d can use the most difficult situation to get you to where He plans for you. G.o.d sees the total picture of our lives and he expects us to trust him for a glorious outcome.

IV. Don't see hards.h.i.+p or trouble as a proof that G.o.d does not want you to get to where He plans for you. You don't ascertain G.o.d's will by your trouble but by his will and nothing outside or in addition can be valid.

1 John 5:14-15

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the pet.i.tions that we desired of him.

V. Have a sense of destiny. Never believe like Lot who separated from Abraham-the most relevant man on earth as far as G.o.d is concerned. Lot went after his sight to Sodom: a land destined to destruction because of their sinful lifestyle. The righteous Lot pitched his camp among the wicked because of ephemeral wealth.

Genesis 13:10-13

10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered ever where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.

11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.

12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.

13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.