Although the disciples were shocked at the difficulties a rich person would encounter  when trying to enter Christ’s kingdom, they were reassured that nothing was impossible for God. Jesus then went on to validate their extreme sacrifice of leaving all to follow Him. In the end, nothing was lost. In fact, not only would they inherit eternal life now (knowing God and Jesus Christ whom he sent- see John 17:3) but after the ressurection they would receive one hundred fold of all they gave up. -Teresa

Matthew 19: 23-30 (ESV)
23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world,[a] when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold[b] and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

 When Israel (Jacob) died, Joseph had his body embalmed and travelled to the cave near Mamre to bury him there. The Canaanites who witnessed the Egyptian entourage named the place where they mourned Abel-Mizraim meaning “mourning of Egypt”. In Genesis 50:11 it says, “this is a grievious mourning by the Egyptians”. Afterward, Joseph’s brothers had a hard time believing Joseph’s grace and mercy would last. They were most likely reminded of the grief and mourning Jacob displayed when he concluded falsely that Joseph was destroyed by a wild animal. Joseph represented a new way, not life under the sun but life because of the SON!! He showed grace and mercy even in the midst of his loss. He recognized the importance of being part of God’s will be done (and looking toward Messiah -God’s kingdom come)- Teresa

 Genesis 50: 15-21 (ESV)

“15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” 16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: 17 ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people[b] should be kept alive, as they are today. 21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.”

 

  
Benjamin was Joseph’s brother, the other nine were step brothers. Yet…Joseph was a type of Christ to all of them- sticking closer than a brother. He brought salvation in a time of severe famine. He extended forgiveness when it was his right to punish them for mistreating him. What we do with God’s Son will determine our eternal destiny. Do we recognize him as Lord of all? He alone has the power to pay our sin debt that keeps us from a right relationship with the Father.- Teresa

Genesis 45:4-15

4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’ 12 And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” 14 Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.

 The clear glass window reveals nature’s serenity. If you would like a revelation into someone’s heart, listen to their words. (See Mat 12, “for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” and also, “for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” ). When the Pharisees told the people that the only way Jesus was able to cast out demons was by Beelzebub (prince of demons), Jesus had insight into their hearts. Instead of accusing the Pharisees of speaking falsehoods to gain power , he pointed out why their logic was not sound and why their heart was on the road to perdition. #gatherwithHim- Teresa

Matthew 12: 22-32 (ESV)

22 “Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”

 Although a thick blanket of fog may envelope our circumstances, God is dealing bountifully with us. We don’t always understand  why or how long but His desire is to draw us near to Him. In the midst of dire circumstances, Jacob built an altar (see Gen 31:52). God had a plan for Jacob to be changed, to become a man after his own heart- to have a total character change. His new name representing this change was…Israel!! God’s kindness leads us to repentance. -Teresa

Genesis 32: 9-12 (ESV)

9 ‘And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. 12 But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”

Psalm 13:5,6 (ESV) …of David

5 “But I have trusted in your steadfast love;

    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

6 I will sing to the Lord,

    because he has dealt bountifully with me.”

 When even the safe place becomes a place of wickedness, the needy one can be assured of this: God’s heart never changes. Righteous people may be tested but the wicked and violent are already known and will have an end. #greatisthyfaithfulness   – Teresa 

Psalm 11: 1-5 (ESV)

11 “In the Lord I take refuge;
how can you say to my soul,

    “Flee like a bird to your mountain,

2 for behold, the wicked bend the bow;

    they have fitted their arrow to the string

    to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;

3 if the foundations are destroyed,

    what can the righteous do?”[a]

4 The Lord is in his holy temple;

    the Lord’s throne is in heaven;

    his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.

5 The Lord tests the righteous,

    but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.”

 A father’s blessing is as sacred to sons as the bounty of the land that it evokes. Our heavenly father has blessed us as his children with abundant provisions for life and well being! How thankful we are for this sacred gift. -Teresa

Genesis 27: 26-29 ESV

‘Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.” 27 So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said,“See, the smell of my son    is as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed! 28 May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earthand plenty of grain and wine.29 Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!”

Although the people from the east migrated, they still had the same language as those they met along the way. Together, they were convinced to join forces in order make a name for themselves. Maybe they felt a need to protect themselves from God’s influence or to be noticed by him. Their need for self-government or significance drove them to complete this difficult building project, the tower of Babel. God saved them from the propensity to live life without Him by giving the gift of various languages. United we stand but first we must remember who unites us. The Lord Jesus Christ gives us a great purpose …His kingdom come and His will be done. – Teresa

 Genesis 11:1-9 (ESV)

11 “Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused[a] the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.”

  

  
Proactive leadership knows when to let the flame of a divisive spirit burn out and stay the course. Have you ever said, “don’t take the bait” to a friend who is about to be consumed by an argument? By trusting the Lord, we have a tool to control anger by seemingly doing nothing. In actuality, we are proactively choosing what is worth our time and attention and letting God deal with those things that are out of our hands! – Teresa

Psalm 4:2-5 (NLT)

2 “How long will you people ruin my reputation?

    How long will you make groundless accusations?

    How long will you continue your lies? Interlude

3 You can be sure of this:

    The Lord set apart the godly for himself.

    The Lord will answer when I call to him.

4 Don’t sin by letting anger control you.

    Think about it overnight and remain silent. Interlude

5 Offer sacrifices in the right spirit,

    and trust the Lord.”