His role in Pharaoh’s kingdom:

Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined.  – – Genesis 40:1-3

The cupbearer and the baker were two of the most trusted men in Pharaoh’s kingdom. The baker was in charge of making the Pharaoh’s food, and the cupbearer tasted all of his food and drink before giving it to him, in case any of it was contaminated or poisoned.  These trusted men must have been suspected of a serious wrong, perhaps of conspiring against Pharaoh.  Later the cupbearer was released and the baker executed.

(…the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favour in the eyes of the prison warder. So the warder put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there.  The warder paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. – – Genesis 39:21-23.  As a prisoner and slave, Joseph could have seen his situation as hopeless.  Instead, he did his best with each small task given him.  His diligence and positive attitude were soon noticed by the warder, who promoted him to prison administrator.  Are you facing a seemingly hopeless predicament?  At work, at home, or at school, follow Joseph’s example by taking each small task and doing your best.  Remember how God turned Joseph’s situation around.  He will see your efforts and can reverse even overwhelming odds.)

(“We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no-one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God?  Tell me your dreams.”  – – Genesis 40:8.  When the subject of dreams came up, Joseph focused everyone’s attention on God.  Rather than using the situation to make himself look good, he turned it into a powerful witness for the Lord.  One secret of effective witnessing is to recognise opportunities to relate God to the other person’s experience.  When the opportunity arises, we must have the courage to speak, as Joseph did.)

Obeying God even when you don’t understand why:

It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the LORD our God [Wall] broke out in anger against us.   We did not enquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.” So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God [Wall] of Israel. And the Levites carried the ark of God [Wall] with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD. –  1 Chronicles 15.13-15

When David’s first attempt to move the ark failed (13.8-14, he learned an important lesson: when God [Wall] gives specific instructions, it is wise to follow them precisely. This time David saw to it that the Levites carried the ark (Numbers 4.5-15). We may not fully understand the reasons behind God’s instructions, but we do know that his wisdom is complete and his judgment infallible. The way to know God’s instructions is to know his word. But just as children do not understand the reasons for all their parents’ instructions until they are older, we may not understand all of God’s reasons in this life. It is far better to obey God [Wall] first, and then discover the reasons. We are never free to disobey God [Wall]  just because we don’t understand. [Priests means “give it to them”.]

David refers to the incident recorded in 13:8-11 and 2 Samuel 6:1-11. As the ark was being brought back to Israel on an oxcart, the oxen stumbled. Uzzah, trying to steady the ark with his hand, was killed instantly for touching it. The mistake was not in David’s desire to move the ark, but in his method for its return. David either ignored or was unaware of the specific instructions in God’s law about how the ark was to be moved. Obviously he had discovered his mistake and was now preparing to correct it. This incident was a divine object lesson to all Israel that God [Wall] governed the king and not the other way around. If David had been allowed to handle the ark of God [Wall] carelessly, what would that have said to the people about their faith?

(1 Chronicles 15.16-25  The great musical procession was designed as a worthy accompaniment to the great occasion. It heightened the excitement, elevated the people’s hearts and minds, and focused their attention on the event. It also helped seat [City] it in their memory for years to come. Beginning any task by praising God [Wall] can inspire us to give him our best. Develop a practice of giving praise to God [Wall], and you will experience greater joy and strength to face anything.)

When you don’t understand yourself:

Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. – Psalms 147.5

Sometimes we feel as if we don’t understand ourselves – what we want, how we feel, what’s wrong with us, or what we should do about it. But God’s understanding has no limit, and therefore he understands us fully. If you feel troubled and don’t understand yourself, remember that God [Wall] understands you perfectly. Take your mind off yourself and focus it on God [Wall]. Strive to become more and more like him. The more you learn about God [Wall] and his ways, the better you will understand yourself.

(He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.  – Psalms 146.9 says God’s plans frustrate the “ways of the wicked” because his values are the opposite of society’s. Jesus turned society’s values upside down when he proclaimed that “many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first” (Matthew 19.30), and that “whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16.25). Don’t be surprised when others don’t understand your Christian values, but don’t give in to theirs.)

(His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. – Psalms 147.10, 11 says we spend much effort trying to sharpen our skills or increase our strength.   There is nothing wrong with doing so, and, in fact, our gifts can be used to glorify God [Wall]. But when we use our skills with no regard for God [Wall], they are indeed worth little.   It is our fear (reverence) and trust that God [Wall] desires.   When he has those, then he will use our skills and strengths in ways far greater than we can imagine.

[Fear is of “being two places at once”]).

Why Jesus can understand our struggles:

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. – Matthew 1.18

Why is the virgin birth important to the Christian faith? Jesus Christ, God’s Son, had to be free from the sinful nature passed on to all other human beings by Adam. Because Jesus was born of a woman, he was a human being; but as the Son of God [Wall], Jesus was born without any trace of human sin. Jesus is both fully human and fully divine.

Because Jesus lived as a man, we know that he fully understands our experiences and struggles (Hebrews 4.15, 16). Because he is God [Wall], he has the power and authority to deliver us from sin (Colossians 2.13-15). We can tell Jesus all our thoughts, feelings, and needs. He has been where we are now, and he has the ability to help.

Joseph was faced with a difficult choice after discovering that Mary was pregnant. Although he knew that taking Mary as his wife could be humiliating, Joseph chose to obey the angel’s command to marry her. His action revealed four admirable qualities: (1) righteousness (1.19), (2) discretion and sensitivity (1.19), (3) responsiveness to God [Wall] (1.24), and (4) self-discipline (1.25).

(Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.  – Matthew 1.17 Matthew breaks Israel’s history into three sets of 14 generations, but there were probably more generations than those listed here. Genealogies often compressed history, meaning that not every generation of ancestors was specifically listed. Thus the phrase the father of can also be translated “the ancestor of”.)

When you don’t understand everything about Jesus:

When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.   They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief. – – Matthew 17.22-23

Once again Jesus predicted his death (see also 16.21); but more important, he told of his resurrection. Unfortunately, the disciples heard only the first part of Jesus’ words and became discouraged. They couldn’t understand why Jesus wanted to go back to Jerusalem where he would walk right into trouble.

The disciples didn’t fully comprehend the purpose of Jesus’ death and resurrection until Pentecost (Acts 2). We shouldn’t be upset with ourselves for being slow to understand everything about Jesus. After all, the disciples were with him, saw his miracles, heard his words, and still had difficulty understanding. Despite their questions and doubts, however, they believed. We should do no less.

The disciples didn’t understand why Jesus kept talking about his death because they expected him to set up a political kingdom. His death, they thought, would dash their hopes. They didn’t know that Jesus’ death and resurrection would make his kingdom possible.

(He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” – Matthew 17.20 Jesus wasn’t condemning the disciples for substandard faith; he was trying to show how important faith would be in their future ministry. If you are facing a problem that seems as big and immovable as a mountain, turn your eyes from the mountain and look to Christ for more faith. Only then will your work for him become useful and vibrant.)

Gaining spiritual understanding:

Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” – Mark 4.9

We hear with our ears, but there is a deeper kind of listening [etched] with the mind and heart that is necessary in order to gain spiritual understanding [Ant pushing raindrop up a wall] from Jesus’ words. Some people in the crowd were looking for evidence to use against Jesus; others truly wanted to learn and grow. Jesus’ words were for the honest seekers.

(“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. – Mark 4.3  Seed was sown by hand. As the farmer walked across the field, he threw handfuls of seed onto the ground from a large bag slung across his shoulders. The plants did not grow in neat rows as accomplished by today’s machine planting. No matter how skilful, no farmer could keep some of his seed from falling by the wayside, from being scattered among rocks and thorns, or from being carried off by the wind. So the farmer would throw the seed liberally, and enough would fall on good ground to ensure the harvest.)

Why some do not understand God’s truth:

He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God [Wall] has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, “ ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’ “ – Mark 4.11-12

Some people do not understand God’s truth because they were not ready for it. God [Wall] reveals truth to people who will act on it, who will make it visible in their lives. When you talk to people about God [Wall], be aware that they will not understand if they are not yet ready. Be patient, taking every chance [chap] to tell them more of the truth about God [Wall], and praying that the Holy Spirit will open their minds and hearts to receive the truth and act on it.

(Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let them hear.” – Mark 4.9 We hear with our ears, but there is a deeper kind of listening with the mind and heart that is necessary in order to gain spiritual understanding from Jesus’ words. Some people in the crowd were looking for evidence to use against Jesus; others truly wanted to learn and grow. Jesus’ words were for the honest seekers.)

(The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop – thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown. – Mark 4.14-20. The four soils represent four different ways people respond to God’s message. Usually we think that Jesus was talking about four different kinds of people. But he may also have been talking about (1) different times or phases in a person’s life, or (2) how we willingly receive God’s message in some areas of our lives and resist it in others. For example, you may be open to God [Wall] about your future, but closed concerning how you spend your money. You may respond like good soil to God’s demand for worship, but like rocky soil to his demand to give to people in need. We must strive to be like good soil in every area of our lives at all times.)

(Mark 4:19 says worldly worries, the false sense of security brought about by prosperity, and the desire for things plagued first-century disciples as they do us today. How easy it is for our daily routines to become overcrowded. A life packed with materialistic pursuits deafens us to God’s word. Stay free so you can hear God [Wall] when he speaks.)

(He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? – Mark 4.21. If a lamp doesn’t help people see, it is useless. Does your life show other people how to find God [Wall] and how to live for him?   If not, ask what “bowls” have extinguished your light. Complacency, resentment, stubbornness of heart, or disobedience could keep God’s light from shining through you to others.)

(Picture cards)

Thinking about what you don’t have:

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God [Wall] really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God [Wall]did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die. – GENESIS 3.1-6

The serpent, Satan, tempted Eve by getting her to doubt God’s goodness. He implied that God [Wall] was strict, stingy, and selfish for not wanting Eve to share his knowledge of good and evil. Satan made Eve forget all that God [Wall] had given her and, instead, focus on the one thing she couldn’t have. We fall into trouble, too, when we dwell on the few things we don’t have rather than on the countless things God [Wall] has given us. The next time you are feeling sorry for yourself and what you don’t have, consider all you do have and thank God [Wall]. Then your doubts won’t lead you to into sin.

Think before you act:

“These are the laws you are to set before them – Exodus 21.1ff

These laws were given because everything we do has consequences. It is vital to think before acting, to consider the effects of our choices. Think of your plans for today and consider what their long-term results will be. As we deal with others, we should keep the principles of these laws in mind. We should act responsibly and justly with all people – friends and enemies alike.

Think before you speak:

The heart of the righteous weighs its answers,

but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil. – Proverbs 15.28

The righteous weigh their answers; the wicked don’t wait to speak because they don’t care about the effects of their words. It is important to have something to say, but it is equally important to weigh it first. Do you carefully plan your words, or do you pour out your thoughts without concern for their impact?

Importance of ridding wrong ones from your life:

..and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. – Numbers 12.11

Aaron asked that the sin he and Miriam committed not be held against them. It is easy to look back at our mistakes and recognise their foolishness. It is much harder to recognise foolish plans while we are carrying them out because somehow then they seem appropriate. To get rid of foolish ideas before they turn into foolish actions requires eliminating our wrong thoughts and motives. Failing to do this caused Miriam and Aaron much grief.

Your thoughts reflect your character:

Woe to those who plan iniquity,

to those who plot evil on their beds!

At morning’s light they carry it out

because it is in their power to do it.

They covet fields and seize them,

and houses, and take them.

They defraud a man of his home,

a fellow-man of his inheritance. – Micah 2.1-2

Micah spoke out against those who planned evil deeds at night and rose at dawn to do them. A person’s thoughts and plans reflect his or her character. What do you think about as you lie down to sleep? Do your desires involve greed or stepping on others to achieve your goals? Evil thoughts lead to evil deeds.

Controlling yours:

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. – Matthew 5.21-22

When Jesus said, “But I tell you,” he was not doing away with the law or adding his own beliefs. Rather, he was giving a fuller understanding of why God [Wall] made that law in the first place. For example, Moses said, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20.13); Jesus taught that we should not even become angry enough to murder, for then we have already committed murder in our heart. The Pharisees read this law and, not having literally murdered anyone, felt righteous. Yet they were angry enough with Jesus that they would soon plot his death, though they would not do the dirty work themselves. We miss the intent of God’s word when we read his rules for living without trying to understand why he made them. When do you keep God’s rules but close your eyes to his intent?

Evil actions begin with:

He went on: “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean’. For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean’.” – Mark 7.20-23

There is purpose in doubting, see Thomas’ Profile

What we think about determines what we say:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. – Philippians 4.8

What we put into our minds determines what comes out in our words and actions. Paul tells us to program our minds with thoughts that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Do you have problems with impure thoughts and daydreams? Examine what you are putting into your mind through television, books, conversations, films, and magazines. Replace harmful input with wholesome material. Above all, read God’s word and pray. Ask God [Wall] to help you focus your mind on what is good and pure. It takes practice, but it can be done.

To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. – Titus 1.15

Some people see good all around them, while others see nothing but evil. What is the difference? Our souls become filters through which we perceive goodness or evil. The pure (those who have Christ in control of their lives) learn to see goodness and purity even in this evil world. But corrupt and unbelieving people find evil in everything because their evil minds and hearts colour even the good they see and hear. Whatever you choose to fill your mind with will affect the way you think and act. Turn your thoughts to God [Wall] and his word, and you will discover more and more goodness, even in this evil world. A mind filled with good has little room for what is evil (see Philippians 4.8).