i need it so how do i get it?...

so how do you rate on the “am i wise test?” that we’ve been taking here in chapter 3 of the nt book of james.  let’s review…  do you compromise your integrity?   how do you get along with people?  do you manipulate them and use them for things you want?  do you tend to antagonize anger?  always saying things that tick people off.  you know if you say it, it will push their hot button but you do it any way.  that is dumb.  james says that is dumb.  it’s not being wise.  if i’m wise i won’t antagonize your anger.

if i’m wise i won’t minimize your feelings.  feelings are neither right nor wrong, they’re just feelings.  when margaret, my wife has a feeling it’s valid.  whether it makes sense to me or not the fact is she feels it.  the same is true of me.  if i’m wise i will not minimize it. 

can your kids make suggestions to you?  can your husband make suggestions to you?  or your wife?  if i’m wise i won’t emphasize your mistakes.  i don’t rub it in, i rub it out.  if i’m wise i don’t try to disguise my feelings.

i don’t know how you did but i’m pretty sure it brought you around to the question how do i get wisdom?  james in the first chapter of his book says in verse 5 (niv), if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of GOD.

now we sometimes get confused here.  we think wisdom is like knowledge and all i need to do is read a book to get it or get an education.  no wisdom comes from GOD.  to get knowledge you look around.  to get wisdom you look up.  knowledge is something you learn.  wisdom is a gift.

wisdom is a gift from GOD.  leading up to our move from long island, i have sometimes asked GOD fifty times in a day for wisdom, GOD give me wisdom.  the last part of verse 5 (niv) says, ask of GOD who gives generously.  HE wants to give it to you.

if i’m loving and wise, i’m going to make it in life.  if you’re loving and wise you’re going to make it in life.  so why don’t you stop right know and ask JESUS to come into your life and to give you wisdom.

just a thought from the front porch…

not a phony…

james 3.17 (msg), real wisdom, GOD’s wisdom, is…not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced.  (nirv), it is fair. it doesn’t pretend to be what it is not.

that brings us to the next question on the “am i wise?” test.  do you wear a mask?  if you do you are not wise.  a mark of a wise person is they don’t try to hide and disguise their own weaknesses.  you are not a phony.  you don’t wear masks, and try to be something you're not. 

real wise people are honest and open, they’re genuine.  they’re real and authentic.  “what you see is what you get” with a really wise person.  they don’t attain or pretend perfection.

in this day and age there are so many phony relationships.  people try to be something they’re not.  the number one place you see it is in a single’s bars.  phony relationships.  where else in our society do you offer to buy something for a total stranger?  phony!  trying to be something you’re not.

proverbs 28.13 (gnt), you will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins.  it’s dumb to pretend that you’re perfect, that you’ve got it all together because nobody does.

when you start telling people your weaknesses they are not going to be shocked because they already know.  everybody knows your weaknesses.  you’re the only one who won’t admit it.  we see each other’s weaknesses all the time.  why do we walk around pretending that we don’t know?  we do.  it’s obvious to everyone.  but we don’t want to admit it.

if i’m wise i won’t disguise my weaknesses.  people appreciate honesty, being gut level and sharing where they are.  it also helps them to be more open.  they might be struggling with it too.

just a thought from the front porch…

a gift to give every day…

we have eaten the turkey been to the parade and now it is the celebration of giving.  but wisdom says there is something that we are to give every day.  james 3.17 (msg), real wisdom, GOD’s wisdom….is overflowing with mercy and blessings.

we are testing ourselves here on the porch at whether we are wise or not and we are asking ourselves some questions.  here is today’s.  do you minimize other’s mistakes?  if you do then you are wise. 

do you ever let people go or do you keep hounding their past mistakes?  do you never set them free even if they have asked for forgiveness?  “remember the time you did…”  you’re always holding on and bringing up the past for leverage.  that’s dumb.  if i’m wise, i won’t emphasize your mistakes.  i’ll be full of mercy.  i’ll give you what you need, not what you deserve.

there were these two guys at a convention with their wives. they hadn't seen each other for a long time so they sat in the lobby all night talking.  now they knew they would be in trouble with their wives but they just kept on talking.  finally they went back to their rooms.

the next morning they happened to see each other and the one asked, “what did your wife think?”  the other guy said, “well when i walked in the room my wife got all historical.”  don’t you mean hysterical.”  no historical.  she told me everything that i had ever done wrong. 

do you do that?  proverbs 17.9 (tlb) says, love forgets mistakes.  nagging about them parts even the best of friends. 

rick warren say, “you dom’t rub it in, you rub it out.”  listen, if i stumble and make a mistake, i don’t need you to judge me, i need you to encourage me.

what about when you’re home and somebody forgets something – forgets to fill the car with gas and you run out on the freeway, somebody forgets to bring the mail in, how do you handle that?  do you rub it in or do you rub it out? 

wisdom….is overflowing with mercy and blessings. blessings is kind actions, it’s something you do.  you don’t just show sympathy, you don’t just say, “i feel for you… you brought it on yourself.”  you do something about it.  you take action, it’s a kindness.  it’s being a doer of the word.  james 2.13 (msg), kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time. don’t judge.

if i’m wise i won’t point out your mistakes.

just a thought from the front porch…

a wisdom test...

we are taking a biblical test here on the front porch of whether we are a wise person or not.  james here in the 3^rd chapter, 17^th verse (msg) of his nt book gives us a list of what a wise person looks like.  the last two days we’ve seen that real wisdom GOD’s wisdom begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others and today we see that it is gentle.

the niv uses the word considerate.  wisdom is considerate and it means that i am “mindful of the feelings of others.”  so the question is are you considerate of other people’s feelings?  if you are then you are wise.  how are you doing so far on this test?

now we all are different and we have different feelings, different ways to look at a situation whatever it is.  GOD made us that way and HE is telling us here that it is a wise thing to be gentle with each other in the different ways that we look at the situation.  i am to be considerate and not minimize your feelings.  i don’t have to agree with them but i can understand them.

proverbs 15.4 (gnt), kind words bring life, but cruel words crush your spirit.  that is really true isn't it?

many times in these type of situations we say things that hurt.  often we belittle how they feel.  we put them down or we play psychologist.  “i know why you feel that way?”  we can be so condescending toward them.

do you ever play the my day was harder than your day game?  my day can beat your day.  husband comes home worn out and starts complaining, “the traffic was bad, my boss got upset, the heat wouldn’t work and i froze.:  wife says, “oh, yeah?  junior dunked the cat down the toilet, the beans burned…”

the fact is they both had a rough day.  wisdom is considerate.  allow your spouse to be tired without having to say, “i’m more tired than you are.”  the fact is, you’re both tired.  Be gentle, be considerate, don’t minimize their feelings.  that is the wise thing to do

just a thought from the front porch…

3 things to avoid to get along with others…

let me ask you a question from james 3.13 (msg), do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? then, here’s what you do. that is what we are looking at here on the porch.

verse 17 says, (msg), real wisdom, GOD’s wisdom…is characterized by getting along with others.  i’m not real wise if i don’t get along with people. 

do you have a tendency to not get along with people, to antagonize them to the point of anger?  if you do then you are not wise.  there are some people who are always looking for a fight; they are constantly arguing with people.  is that you?

i heard of this guy who was so argumentative that he would only eat food that disagreed with him.  have you met someone like that? 

proverbs 20.3 (gnt), any fool can start arguments; the wise thing is to stay out of them. good idea.

so what do you think causes arguments?  if you are wise you’ll know so you can avoid them.

one is comparing.  you say things like, “you’re just like…” or “ why can’t you be like…”, “when i was your age…”  “my first husband-wife…”  2 corinthians 10.12 (cev) says, they are foolish to compare themselves.

also avoid condemning.  “it’s all your fault.”  “you should be ashamed.”   just lay on that guilt.  “you always.”  “you never,”  “you ought to,”  “you should…, “  “you shouldn’t,” 

someone said, “you can bury your marriage with a lot of little digs.”

and then 3. avoid contradicting.  “no, that’s not right” “it wasn’t black it was white.”  do you like to be interrupted in the middle of a sentence?   it’s irritating isn’t it?  

williams james says, “the secret of wisdom is knowing what to overlook.”  some things are just not worth the fight.  wisdom gets along.

just a thought from the front porch…

live well, live wisely…

james in chapter 3 verse 13 (gnt), asks a good question.  he asks, are there any of you who are wise and understanding?  now if you go to amazon.com and search for books on wisdom and understanding, you will find a lot of authors who think they have wisdom and understanding and maybe they do. 

now for me after i have had a disagreement with someone and i tell my side it is important that they have understanding  more than agreement and if i am searching for advice i want wisdom more that just experience so both are important to me. so i think it is a very good question.

as we’ll see, james here in his nt book not only asks the question but he answers it in the last part of this verse.  he says (gnt), you are to prove it by your good life, by your good deeds performed with humility and wisdom.

he doesn’t say, just go on the internet and find out how many books they have written or find out how much experience they have or how many degrees behind their name.  no, he says, you prove it by your good life, and by your good deeds that you have done and by how much humility and wisdom you showed when you did them.  the message paraphrase puts it this way, live well, live wisely, live humbly.  then it says, it’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts.

so let’s get practical here on the front porch.  do you want to live well, live wisely, live humbly?  then your next question will be what does that kind of life look like?  and that is what james in this section shows us. 

verse 17 says (msg), real wisdom, GOD’s wisdom, begins with a holy life.  in other words, a wise person will not compromise their integrity.  so the question is, do you compromise your integrity?  if you don’t then you’re wise. 

so you see, if i’m really genuine, if i’m wise, i’m not going to lie to you, i’m not going to cheat you, i’m not going to manipulate you, i’m not going to be deceitful.  i’ll be a person of integrity because all relationships are built on trust and respect.  i’m wise and understanding.

dr. leonard keeler, the man who invented the lie detector, tested 25,000 people and came to the conclusion that people are basically dishonest.

now i think it is pretty foolish to not tell the truth, to be dishonest.  do you realize how hard it is to remember all of the lies you have said?  it is hard work.  solomon the wisest person whoever lived said in his book of proverbs in 10.9 (niv), the man of integrity walks securely and the message says, honesty lives confident and carefree.  in other words you are wise to not compromise your integrity.

just a beginning thought from the front porch…

a determining factor for the quality of our life…

listen, the quality of your life is determined by the decisions and choices you make and the wisdom that is behind those decisions and choices.  james is saying that when we do not trust GOD it produces a lifestyle of instability in our lives.  the cause of all the frustration in my life is not my indecision over the job, the marriage, my kids, my health although those are important.  there is a deeper issue and that is my inability to trust GOD and lay it all in HIS hands and ask for wisdom.

where are you double minded?  where have you been wavering and trying to live two different ways, trying to live for the LORD when in church and then downplaying it the rest of the time.  that produces instability.

i want to talk with you about life’s greatest decision.  the greatest decision you’ll ever make in life is this:  who is number one in your life?  are you going to be number one?  is money going to be number one?  is your job number one?  listen, there is only one thing that will produce stability in your life.  that’s when GOD is number one in your life.  no man can serve two masters, JESUS said.  you will hate the one and love the other.  the most important decision you can ever make is to make JESUS CHRIST number one.  “LORD, you call the shots.  YOU’re the chairman of the board.  i’m going to check in with YOU on a regular basis.  YOU guide my life.  i want to find the niche for which i was created.”

when you do this it will not change you overnight.  not instantly but that is the starting point of a long journey.  it is the smartest decision that you will ever make to put JESUS CHRIST number one in your life and get in tune with GOD’s plan for your life.

just a thought from the front porch… 

the place most people make unwise decisions…

where do you need wisdom right now?  what’s the big decision in your life?  is it a career decision?  marriage?  kids?  church membership?  an investment?

it’s interesting that james, in 1.5-8 and 9-11, gives us a practical application of where we need wisdom.  of all the areas that james could have chosen to give as an example, he chose money.  why?  because more people make unwise decisions and foolish choices regarding their finances than almost anything else in the world.  more people are double minded and unstable when it comes to dollars than any other area.

i see so many CHRISTians in financial bondage because they violated GOD’s principles and the point that james is making in these verses is that regardless of poverty or prosperity we all need to realize that wealth is temporary and won’t last forever.  JESUS said you can’t serve two masters.  you can’t love money and GOD at the same time.  we need to decide.  have we made up our mind what we’re going to save, to spend, tithing, giving, those kind of things?

what is james saying?  he is saying that you are either going to be living this life by choice or by chance.  either based on circumstances where you are a victim of your circumstances; where you let everything batter you back and forth or you will chose to make choices.

listen, the quality of your life is determined by the decisions and choices you make and the wisdom that is behind those decisions and choices.  james is saying that when we do not trust GOD it produces a lifestyle of instability in our lives.  the cause of all the frustration in my life is not my indecision over the job, the marriage, my kids, my health although those are important.  there is a deeper issue and that is my inability to trust GOD and lay it all in HIS hands and ask for wisdom.

just a thought from the front porch…

the promise: GOD will give it…

if you want to receive anything from GOD you’ve got to believe in advance you’re going to get it.  that’s faith.  and then the promise: GOD will give it.

james 1.5 (niv), if any of you lacks wisdom he should ask GOD, who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to him.  GOD wants to give you wisdom and HE is eager.  GOD is a giving GOD.

look how GOD says HE’ll give wisdom…

continually.  ask GOD who gives…  in the greek that is in the continuous tense.  HE keeps on giving.  HE doesn’t run out of energy.  HE never wears out.

next generously.  HIS resources are unlimited.  HE has enough resources for everybody.  HE’s got plenty.

then without finding fault.  GOD gives cheerfully.

have you ever received a gift from someone you knew was giving it grudgingly and it took the joy out of it?  they knew they had to and there wasn’t any joy in it.   the bible says that GOD doesn’t give wisdom that way.  HE loves to give.  you never need to feel embarrassed.  there should never be any hesitation.  GOD does not resent your asking for wisdom.  HE is pleased when you ask.

just a thought from the front porch…

GOD specializes in impossible…

some of you will have a major decision to make this week.  the reason you don’t have wisdom is because you are looking at the problem and not the LORD.  “this giant problem.  how will i solve it?  i’m backed into a corner.  it’s impossible!” 

GOD specializes in impossible.  get your eyes off of the problem, the circumstance and get your eyes on the LORD.  if you have your eyes on the problem, you’re going to sink!  you must believe and not doubt.

james 1.6 (tev), whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven and blown about by the wind. a lot of CHRISTians are like corks in the ocean, blown around, back and forth.  they are victims of their circumstance.  some of you are blown away right now because you haven’t been asking for wisdom.  eventually you pray but it’s as the last resort.   that ought to be your first option.

hebrews 11.6 (niv), and without faith it is impossible to GOD.  anyone who comes to HIM must believe that HE exists and HE rewards those who earnestly seek HIM.

if you want to receive anything from GOD you’ve got to believe in advance you’re going to get it.  that's faith. 

just a thought from the front porch…

how to get wisdom…

if you want wisdom from GOD, you admit your need and then ask, ask HIM for wisdom.  pray to GOD.  talk to HIM.  james 1.5 (tniv), if any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask GOD…

how do you get wisdom?  by listening to oprah?  by reading cosmopolitan magazine?  by listening to rush?  by taking smart pills?  by going to school 90 hours a week?  the bible says you get wisdom by asking GOD.  that’s where wisdom comes from – GOD.  so you talk to HIM about it and you ask for wisdom.  proverbs 2.6 (tev), it is the LORD who gives wisdom; from HIM come knowledge and understanding.

if GOD was to come to you and say, “I’m going to give you one wish.  you can ask for anything in the whole world.  you can have one wish.”  what would that wish be?

there was a guy in the old testament that GOD came to and asked him that question.  GOD came to solomon and HE said, “you’re the king of israel and I’m going to grant you one wish.  what do you want more than anything else in life?”

solomon thought about it and said, “i’m so inadequate as a leader.  i don’t know what to do with these people.  more than any thing else i want wisdom.  i want to be able to think the way YOU think, to see things from YOUr point of view, be able to make decisions the way YOU would make them.  i don’t want to make mistakes.  i don’t want to have any regret when i look back on my life.  i want wisdom.”

and the bible said that pleased GOD and HE granted it to him, just like HE gives to us when we ask for it.  HE then said, “solomon, because you asked for wisdom, I’m going to give you the other three: wealth, fame, a long life.”  solomon not only became the wisest man but the wealthiest man, a famous person, and he lived a long life.

if GOD came to you with the same question, what would you ask for?  would you ask for wisdom?  proverbs says, if you don’t get anything else, get wisdom.  that is how important it is to GOD and the reason we don’t have it is because we don’t ask for it. 

just a thought from the front porch…

making decisions the way GOD makes decisions…

if the problem in making up your mind is indecision then what’s the solution?  the solution, the prescription is wisdom.  get wisdom.

it says in james 1.5 (tniv), if any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask GOD, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.   he gives some practical steps.

first of all you admit your need.  verse 5 (tniv), if any of you lacks wisdom…

now i detect a little sarcasm here in that statement.  “if any of you don’t have it all together.”  james is the book of wisdom in the new testament like proverbs is the book of wisdom in the old testament.  we all lack wisdom.  it is universal.  we all lack wisdom.  you see, wisdom is different than knowledge.  wisdom is knowledge put into practice.  wisdom is seeing life from GOD’s point of view.  wisdom is making decisions the way GOD makes decisions.

the word for wisdom in greek is the word “sophia.”  “phila – sophia” equals “philosophy” – which means the love of wisdom.  wisdom means practical application of knowledge. 

the bible talks a lot about wisdom but we are interested in knowledge.  the world is impressed with knowledge but GOD is impressed with wisdom.  what do you do with your knowledge?  do you put it into practice and make use of it?  wisdom is the ability to make decisions the way GOD would make decisions.

proverbs 11.2 (tniv), when pride comes then comes disgrace.  but with humility comes wisdom. 

you can’t learn anything if you think you know it all.  one of the reasons why we never learn wisdom is we think we have it all together. 

he’s saying, “admission of the lack of wisdom is the beginning of wisdom, ‘i don’t have it all together.’”

for some of you it may be hard for you to go home and say to your wife, “i was wrong.”  when was the last time you said, “i was wrong.”  that shows how wise you are.  the admission is the beginning of wisdom.

i’ll be honest i have problems with knowing what the questions are, let alone the answers.

just a thought from the front porch… 

ask “what”, not “why”…

another way that james tells us how to handle our problems is by request.  pray.  of all times to pray, pray when you've got problems. 

what do you pray about?  james 1.5 (tniv), if any of you lack wisdom, you should ask GOD who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to him.  you ought to pray for wisdom when you’re in the middle of problems.

why should i pray for wisdom?  so you won’t waste the opportunity to grow.   if you don’t learn it this time there will be one more lap around the desert!  GOD will give you another opportunity.  learn from the problem.  we become overwhelmed when we don’t understand what GOD’s doing.  pray for wisdom to understand the problem.  request.

there is no situation of life that you can’t learn from if you have the right attitude.  don’t ask “why?” ask “what?”  why is to purify your faith, fortify your patience, sanctify your character.  but ask, “what do you want to teach me in this problem, LORD?  what do you want me to learn?  what characteristics can i develop?”

just a thought from the front porch…

the wisdom to remember GOD...

joseph had gratitude.  he had the wisdom to remember GOD. 

read in genesis 41 joseph’s talk with pharaoh and see how many times the name of GOD comes up.  GOD’s going to do this. GOD gave the dream, here’s what GOD revealed.  you might also notice later in chapter 41 that later in joseph’ life when he names his first son he again honors GOD.  he recognizes GOD throughout every moment of his life.  GOD’s name keeps coming up.

how often does GOD’s name come up in your conversations?  not often?  not very much?  HE’s the most important person in our lives.  HE’s more important than any business deal.  as important as some of our family relationships are, HE’s more important than any family relationship.  how often did GOD’s name come up in your conversation today or this week, this month?  part of gratitude is allowing GOD’s name to come up, letting people know that you give HIM the credit. 

the world hates this.  watch how reporters act when some football player who scored a touchdown or fighter who won a fight brings up GOD’s name.  it drives them bananas!  “let’s leave GOD out of this and talk about the fight/touchdown!”  they don’t want to hear about GOD’s name.  but if you’re a believer in CHRIST, don’t let the world press you into its mold.  GOD’s name should come up in our conversation.  it should make some people uncomfortable.  they know they need GOD in their conversation too.          

gratitude.  joseph had the wisdom to remember GOD.

just a thought from the front porch…

who get’s top billing?...

joseph didn’t miss GOD’s opportunity when it came because of the kind of faith he had, the kind of wisdom that he had.  and the kind of humility he had. 

genesis 41.16 (ncv),  joseph answered the king, “i am not able to explain the meaning of dreams, but GOD will do this for the king.”

he had the humility to recognize the source of his dreams.  he is able to say, “i can’t do it but GOD will.”  would you be able to do that?  the greatest opportunity you’ve ever had and guess who gets the credit?  GOD.  that’s what it means to be a person of faith, giving GOD top billing in our lives. 

samuel morris invented the morris code and changed the way we communicated in this country but he was also a believer.  he said about his invention of the telegraph.  “i’ve made a valuable application of electricity not because i was superior to other men but solely because GOD, who meant it for mankind, had to reveal it to someone and HE was pleased to reveal it to me.”  that’s somebody with a healthy self-image i think, somebody who realizes, “GOD wanted to use me.”  he doesn’t deny the fact that GOD used him but he also realized that GOD was revealing it to him.

that CHRISTmas song we sing, “o little town of bethlehem” was written by a preacher by the name of phillip brooks.  he had this to say about humility, “humility is not stooping so low trying to make ourselves smaller than ourselves.  true humility is standing at our full height up against the greatness of the almighty GOD comparing ourselves to HIM.  when you do that you experience true humility.” 

don’t buy into the world’s brand of humility that says you have to make yourselves smaller.  just make GOD greater.  that’s the road to humility in our lives and joseph had it.  because he made GOD greatest throughout his life. 

just a thought from the front porch…

continuing to believe…

we are continuing in genesis 40 (msg) at our look at joseph and his dream while in prison. we saw in verse 5, the king’s cupbearer and baker, while being held in the jail, both had a dream on the same night.  then to verse 8, they said to joseph, “we dreamed dreams and there’s no one to interpret them.”

if you’d been joseph what would you have said at that moment?  dreams and no one to interpret.  joseph had a dream and look where he ended up, in prison.  wouldn’t you have been tempted to say, “ha!  dreams!  let me tell you about dreams!  i had a dream that i was going to be a ruler and look where i ended up.  forget it!  dreams don’t work!”  thinking what we would think… but not joseph.

look at the next verse.  joseph said, “don't interpretations come from GOD? tell me the dreams.”

that’s the most amazing verse in the story of joseph.  here he is at the bottom.  he has every reason to disbelieve that any dream could ever come true and some guys had a dream and he says, “don't interpretations come from GOD? tell me the dreams.”  and they do. 

he’s got the wisdom to continue to believe when everything is saying you shouldn’t believe.

he also has the wisdom to see the right opportunity in a situation.  look at what happens.  one guy, the cupbearer, says, verses 9-13, “in my dream there was a vine in front of me with three branches on it: it budded, blossomed, and the clusters ripened into grapes. i was holding pharaoh’s cup; i took the grapes, squeezed them into pharaoh’s cup, and gave the cup to pharaoh.” joseph said, “here's the meaning. the three branches are three days. within three days, pharaoh will get you out of here and put you back to your old work—you’ll be giving pharaoh his cup just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer.

great dream!  they’re feeling pretty good.  so the baker says, verses 16-22, “my dream went like this: i saw three wicker baskets on my head; the top basket had assorted pastries from the bakery and birds were picking at them from the basket on my head.” he’s thinking three days i’m going to be put back in this great position.  but there is a different interpretation.  joseph said, “this is the interpretation: the three baskets are three days; within three days pharaoh will take off your head, impale you on a post, and the birds will pick your bones clean.” and sure enough, on the third day it was pharaoh’s birthday and he threw a feast for all his servants. he set the head cupbearer and the head baker in places of honor in the presence of all the guests. then he restored the head cupbearer to his cupbearing post; he handed pharaoh his cup just as before. and then he impaled the head baker on a post, following joseph’s interpretations exactly.

notice back a few verses.  verse 14 joseph said not to the baker whose head is going to be cut off.  he’s not the right person.  that’s not the right opportunity there.  but to the one whose position is going to be lifted up, “only remember me when things are going well with you again—tell pharaoh about me and get me out of this place.”

have you ever felt three days away from your dream and you were disappointed?  you know what that’s like when you are on the edge.  you can see it, taste it, and touch it.  if you’ve ever been like that and felt, “i was so close that i could touch it but i lost it.  that must mean that GOD doesn’t want me to have it.  that must mean it could never happen.”  notice what happened to joseph. verse 23, but the head cupbearer never gave joseph another thought; he forgot all about him.

but the story doesn’t end there.  chapter 41.1, two years passed and pharaoh had a dream...

just a thought from the front porch…

the faith steps for dream to reality…

we do not know how to make the step from dream to reality.  we don’t know what to do when we get right to the edge of our dream.  even if we’ve had the dream for years and years, sometimes, when we get right to that moment when GOD wants to do something, when GOD wants to do the miracle that brings the dream about, often it’s at that very moment that we stumble.  

if you take a close look at joseph's life in genesis 40-41-42, you discover how his faith played a part in his dream becoming a reality.  how do you get dreams to come true?  that’s what we’re asking.  how do dreams come true?  how do dreams happen? 

it’s more than just sitting back and letting GOD’s dreams happen to you. HE’s going to let your faith – HE’s going to demand that your faith – play a part in those dreams happening.  there are some practical faith steps that you and i can see in joseph's life that let us know what to do when we get right to the edge of a dream.  how do you receive a dream? 

first of all.  joseph had wisdom.  he knew the right time to act.  wisdom enabled him to act at the right time.  remember joseph’s in prison and GOD does something. 

genesis 40.1-4 (msg), as time went on, it happened that the cupbearer and the baker of the king of egypt crossed their master, the king of egypt. pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the head cupbearer and the head baker…

these were very high, exalted positions.  it doesn’t sound like much to us but if you had anything to do with food for the pharaoh you were a very trusted person because one of the main ways you could kill a pharaoh in that day was to poison the food.  these were very trusted people.

…and put them in custody under the captain of the guard; it was the same jail where joseph was held. the captain of the guard assigned joseph to see to their needs.

what joseph does in relationship to them is very important.  verses 4-7.  after they had been in custody for a while, the king’s cupbearer and baker, while being held in the jail, both had a dream on the same night, each dream having its own meaning. when joseph arrived in the morning, he noticed that they were feeling low. so he asked them, the two officials of pharaoh who had been thrown into jail with him, “what’s wrong? why the long faces?”

doesn’t that amaze you?  if i were joseph and i saw somebody else unhappy, with all i’d been through, i’d think, “great!  somebody else can be miserable with me!”  but here’s somebody who recognizes somebody else’s need and continues to care for people in prison.  he continues to serve people in prison. 

i think he may have had some wisdom here.  he knew who these people were.  it may be more than just his niceness.  he knew that GOD may be able to use his relationship with them in some way and GOD is going to do that. 

just a thought from the front porch…