Bonus Content from the Program
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"Take Homes" about Joseph's Character [Program Date: 9-5-11]
1) He never did anything that was a detriment to his character.
2) He ALWAYS told the truth, regardless of the outcome.
3) He NEVER responded to hate.
4) He stuck to his calling without a thought to his own comfort.
5) He didn't respond negatively to ridicule.
Q: [Program Date: 9-8-11] How is it possible to prosper at God's hand? Answer
Woodrow Kroll: 1) Deal with any known sin in your life. Confess it, be cleansed of it, resist it. Proverbs 28:13 says, "He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."
2) Make sure you're humble before God. Humble yourself and wait on God and don't worry about it. "Be clothed with humility for God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you." That's 1 Peter 3.
Listen, if you want to prosper, when everything around you is disintegrating, stay humble. Wait before God and don't worry about it. God will exalt you in due time. That's His time.
3) Load up on God's Word while you wait. Read it. Memorize it. Obey it.
Q: [Program Date: 9-9-11] The real question for you I suppose is this: How does this story impact you? What does it have to do with you? What does it mean to you that God recorded this story about Joseph in the Bible? Answer
Woodrow Kroll: Let me suggest these things to you:
1) Even though Joseph's imprisonment continued, his influence grew.
See, eventually the chief butler would remember him. This incident would lead to his release, and it would lead to the elevation of Joseph before Pharaoh, even if it didn't lead to his immediate release.
Now, what does that mean? It means that sometimes we have to invest a little at a time in order to see God accomplish big things in our lives. You know, you plant some seed and you say, "Lord, bring it back a hundredfold." And it doesn't come back a hundredfold.
We're the product of small steps; not giant leaps. Someone asked me how long it took for me to prepare one of my studies here each day for Back to the Bible. And I always say it takes me about 50 years. See what I do is the product of years of self-discipline and study and failure and success and preparation and insight.
There is no instant gratification in God's will for your life, my friend. So, learn this from Joseph: Even though he was imprisoned and his imprisonment continued, while he was in prison his influence grew and that's important.
2) Joseph's faith in God never wavered while he was in prison.
His only thought was to please God regardless of where he was or what people did to him. So like Paul he had learned that godliness with contentment is great gain. He could say as did the apostle to the Philippians, "I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content." Philippians 4:11.
3 Things about Going Through Bad Things with God [Program Date: 9-16-11]
Woodrow Kroll: Number one, when you live a life that's pleasing to God, even bad things become good things.
See, Joseph was sold into slavery. That's a bad thing. He was mistreated by his brothers. That's a bad thing. He was falsely accused by Potipher's wife. That's a bad thing. He was placed into prison and there he was forgotten. That's a bad thing.
But while all those bad things were happening to Joseph, you will not find one word of criticism toward God. You will not find him doing the wrong thing. You'll find him pleasing God in everything that he did. And when we please God in our lives, even bad things can become good things for us.
Joseph has now risen to the second in power in the Egyptian Empire. When you live a life pleasing to God, even bad things become good things.
Secondly, learn this: Although others may have evil in mind for you, God can even turn their evil to your benefit.
See, these brothers meant what they did to Joseph for his harm. But God used it for his good. Sometimes things that seem to be mistakes become our greatest points to success, when we see God in them.
And finally, number three. Learn this lesson today. What appears to be evil will be used by God to make you stronger, better, tougher, even more usable to Him.
When you live a life that pleases God, even when tough things come into your life, God can make a tougher person out of you and make a better person out of you if you don't question His will or His plan, but simply live a life that pleases Him. Romans 8:28, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."
What the Bible says about accepting Good News [Program Date 9-19-11]
Woodrow Kroll: 1) Anticipate it. You know, just because things haven't gone your way in the past is no reason to believe that they won't be more positive in the future. You and I need to expect good news, because God is a God of Good News.
2) Not only anticipate it, but we need to accept good news as from God. See, God is the giver of good news. I mean, after all, He gave us the Gospel. That's the ultimate good news.
Accept your good news as God's gift to you. Gifts that, while not deserved, you should certainly enjoy. So, every little piece of good news you get, take that as a gift from the hand of God. Because, friends, that's exactly where it came from.
Anticipate good news. God's the kind of God that gives us good news. Accept good news from God's hand.
3) Adjust yourself to whatever your good news brings.
I suppose the last thing Jacob ever thought in his life was he'd ever be living in Egypt. I mean, after spending 20 years in Haran out of the Promised Land, coming back to the Promised Land? He thought he'd never leave again. But you know, when you get good news from God, sometimes you have to adjust your plans based on that good news.
Sometimes for you it may be a change in family situations based on good news. Sometimes it's a change in your work situation. Sometimes it's even a change in your health.
But, my friend, whatever your good news is, quietly adjust your life to that good news. And you'll find that receiving good news is not such a bad thing after all.
3 Valuable Points from Genesis 46 [Program Date 9-20-11]
Woodrow Kroll: 1) Don't make a move, no matter how much you'd like to do it, until you get the green light from God. You and I need to take everything to God in prayer. All the major decisions of our lives should be made stopping first at Beersheba and talking with God.
Ah, friends, don't follow where the path may lead. Follow God instead. There may not be a path at all, but you'll know you'll be on the right one. So first of all, don't make a move without checking with God first.
2) Trust your Bible. It's accurate even in the details it gives, and you can certainly trust God's insight for how to make your life better and more pleasing.
3) Be wise in the way you approach your society, your family. Don't be assimilated into it, but don't be so antagonistic toward it that you can't impact and change it for God.
Valuable lessons all learned from the way that Joseph prepared his brothers to enter Egypt. Are you prepared to enter your world today? Have you checked with God about it? Do you trust what He says in His Word? Are you ready to approach your world in a way that will win them to Christ? If you are, you've learned well what God wanted to teach you from Genesis 46.
Quote: [Program Date: 9-22-11] "God never makes a promise that's too good to be true." D. L. Moody
Additional Content from Recording [Program Date 9-23-11]
Woodrow Kroll: In Gen. 49 verse 19 and following. "Joseph said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good,in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.'"
Joseph was deeply affected by his brothers. He gave them the strongest assurances he could of his forgiveness, and he displayed a very beautiful trait, his willingness to release a debt owed to him without requiring that the debt be paid.
Now, if there were nothing else in this whole story of Joseph that would make him the eminent type of Christ in the Old Testament, this would do it, friends. The willingness to release a debt that you and I cannot pay, He paid it for us.
That's why I've said all along that Joseph is a finger pointing toward the Lord Jesus. Joseph shows us what forgiveness is all about. Forgiveness is not making people grovel before us. Forgiveness is not beating out of them a confession of their sin. Forgiveness is releasing them of the debt of their guilt and going about our business.
Now, Jesus did that for you and me. If He did it for me, shouldn't I be able to do it for you? What these brothers meant as evil, God turned in to something very good.
Joseph's story is the story of making a life out of lemons. And you know what, friend?
You can do exactly the same thing because you have the same God. If you do what is right, God will make sure that in the end, everything in your life turns out exactly the way He wants. Take your life today and make a life out of the lemons that are handed to you because God will enable you to do it. And only God can.
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