GENESIS & EXODUS

We had a great service with Dr. Jack Trieber last night.  What a blessing.  Our combined choirs sang:  "Lord, I believe in You!" and it was amazing.  People were weeping and shouting.  There were 135 in the choirs.  Dr. Triber asked for the video of it, and I would like to see it again as well.  Then the preaching was a blessing and challenged us all to live godly lives so that God can answer our prayers.  I finished up Genesis and got ten chapters into Exodus, and here are a few thoughts: 1) WHAT CAME TO MIND?  In Gen. 42, when everything was going badly for Joseph's brethren who came to buy grain, guess what came to mind?  Verse 22 says:  "And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child:  and ye would would not hear?  therefore, behold, also his blood is required."   They sold Joseph into Slavery when he was 17, and now.... 19 years have passed!  But their SIN came to mind.  Notice also in verse 28 it says:  "What is this that God hath done unto us?"  In Gen. 44:16, it says:  "God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants:"  Now, please dear friend, whatever sins you are dealing with... confess them and forsake them so that when something bad happens in your life, you sin is not thrown up into your face!  Don't let our SIN be what comes to mind.  Know that you are dealing with sin as it enters your life, you confess and forsake and ask forgiveness and you deal with the sin! 2) PUTTING THE FAMILY TOGETHER- This thought sure blessed my heart this morning.  In Gen. 45, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and they weep and rejoice together, and it is said in verse 16:  "And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come; and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants."  They were thrilled to hear that Joseph's family had come together!!  Oh how we too ought to be thrilled, each time we hear of a family coming back together!  What a blessing! 3) FAMILY BURIAL PLOT- In Gen. 49, Jacob who is about to die, is telling his sons where to bury him.  He says in verse 30,31- "In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace.  There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah." Notice:  Abraham and Sarah; Isaac and Rebekah; and Leah and Jacob.  Now, Jacob loved Rachel.... but the honored burial place went to Leah.  Leah is the mother of Judah from wince Christ would come.  Leah was despised, but chosen of God!  Not the beautiful, but the blessed! Have a blessed day dear friend.   Pastor Mike Mutchler