I feel like I really have something from the Lord on the life of Joseph. Of course, there are a lot of things you could say about the life of Joseph. One would be how God prepares a man in character so that he can be ready to serve in the place that God has called him. I have heard a lot of messages over the years on Joseph and how God raised him up and dealt with him and his character. Theres a lot we could say about how he learned to love and forgive his brothers. But even more than that, God has been speaking to me about the dream gift—and not just Joseph, but also Daniel. There really are a lot of similarities between Daniel and Joseph. First, Daniel was somebody that interpreted dreams. Not only could he interpret a dream, but he also could tell you what your dream was. Could you imagine? Nebuchadnezzar didnt even tell Daniel what the dream was, but Daniel said, This is the dream that you dreamed and this is what your dream meant. Whereas, Joseph would hear Pharaohs dream and interpret the dream. Joseph became a dreamer when he started as a dream interpreter, and Daniel did too. The greatest thing I love about both men is that they were filled with the Spirit, and it was Gods grace that enabled them to understand dreams and visions. We really need that anointing in the church. I believe that was the strength that Israel had when you talk about the anointing that was on the sons of Shikar. They were able to discern and understand the times and seasons, and not only do we need that as a body, but we need that as individuals. Daniel and Joseph were elevated and promoted to such a place that they were both able to help the highest government in the land. Thats a great honor. If our dreams, visions, and prophecies can take us to the place where we can touch kings, governments, and presidents, why not bring those dreams into every area of our life? The Goshen Grace The message that I have in my heart is about the Goshen grace. I started meditating on what is Goshen grace and favor? I believe its something that God is saying to America right now-that just like Joseph were going to have cities in America that will be true storehouses when things really begin to get dark and we really begin to get in the shaking. Deep darkness will cover the earth, but for those that carry the glory and fire of His presence, we will arise and shine. God is going to give us true arcs of refuge and Hes going to give whole cities, even nations, that will function in the last days that will be great nations of plenty and blessing. Then it goes on to say, His favor is like a cloud of the latter rain (see Proverbs 16:15 NKJV). The favor of God like a cloud is directly connected to standing in the light of the Kings face. His favor is like the cloud of the latter rain, and the favor comes-the automatic overflow of standing in the light of the Kings countenance. Think about the cloud of favor that comes like a latter rain. You know what the latter rain is? The latter rain is the rain that you need to harvest. The former rain is the rain that you need to plant, because theres a seedtime and theres a harvest time, and God has two rains. When God said His favor would come like the cloud of the latter rain, He said, My favor will cause you to harvest. Manna comes from heaven. God daily loads us with His benefits. God wants to bring water from the rock. He wants to manifest things supernaturally above and beyond our current ability to prosper. Gods provisions may come in the job that you have, but God wants to bring provision supernaturally, abundantly above and beyond. Our ministry went from about half a million a year to about $13 million a year at our peak. I said, God, how did I go from $500,000 to $13 million and on the outside some of the crowds were even the same? He said, Because something happened on the inside and you got the blessing of the Lord and stopped chasing after the rich. In the light of the Kings face is life, and His favor will come as a cloud. Joels Army I saw a great, white eagle. The wings of this eagle were gold. Then I noticed that the eyes of the eagle were rubies. I knew this was wisdom, and it was the wisdom of God. I got on top of that eagle and I started flying. The eagle took me all the way back to a nest and he said, Im bringing you to the eagles nest. I said, God, but the nest is empty. He said, But the eagles are coming. The eaglets, the new baby eagles, they are coming. Then He began to speak to me about all the eagles that left, and I saw how the eagles would gather again. God started calling back the eagles and the eagles were gathering. I said, Why did I see the wisdom of God? He said, Because the wisdom of God is this-we need to get the young eagles in. The next level of breakthrough is Joels army. We need to start making the youth of the next generation the main thing. Part of the eagles nest was going to be a fresh movement of fire and revival on young people. It was almost like the wisdom in the mind of God that if we begin to reach out, He was really going to begin to prosper us. Most teenagers hate church. Church bores them, and if we dont change something, were going to lose a generation. Thats what the wisdom of God showed me. Opening Up the Storehouses The famine was all over the face of the earth, and Joseph opened up all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt. So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands (Genesis 41:56-57 NKJV). Joseph opened up all of the storehouses. It was Pharaoh that brought Joseph out of the dungeon all the way up into the palace. He said, Ive had two disturbing dreams. Joseph interpreted both those dreams with wisdom. Theres a whole message about promotion and favor. Here is what I believe about the Goshen grace favor and increase. I said, Those drawing near to the Lord will find a new place of safety and provision. They will find a new place of safety and provision like Goshen. God is preparing you for increase like Joseph, and even the name Joseph means increase. I love Hebrew names because God never gives a name without purpose. Your name is your character, your purpose, your anointing, and your identity. Abram became Abraham. Jacob became Israel, prince with God. The very nature, the very character, the very identity of who you are is in your name. So Joseph means increase, and the word Goshen means this: those who are drawing near to the Lord. God will put marks of honor upon those that have proved their faithfulness and steadfastness even in the trial and testing. The Bible, the Word of the Lord, is going to be Josephs promotion. It wasnt just the dream gift that Joseph had, but it was the apostolic administrative gift that Joseph had. There was a need for what he had, so God raised him up to the highest place in the land in Egypt. We think the blessing is in church, but the blessing was in Egypt. God took this Hebrew man and placed him in the world, in Egypt. Egypt means sin, oppression, and bondage. God took this man and put him in the darkest place. Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have set you over all the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh took the signet ring off his hand, put it on Josephs hand, and he clothed him in his garment of fine linen. He even put a gold chain on his neck and had him ride in the second chariot. Next to Pharaoh, Joseph had the greatest place of power and authority. Its like Daniel too because God brought Daniel all the way to the courts of King Nebuchadnezzar. What did Pharaoh say about Josephs dreams? He says, So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants, and Pharaoh said to his servants, Can we find such a one as this? A man in whom is the spirit of God? (Genesis 41:37-38 NKJV) Pharaoh recognized that Joseph had the Spirit of God. I feel like the Lord is saying that He is going to release the gift so that we can have strategic wisdom to prosper in Egypt, in the world, and whatever your business or marketplace is, just because the most common language in which God speaks in the Bible is through dreams. One-third of the Bible is dreams and visions—the most common language. God said, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh (see Acts 2:17 NKJV). How many of you are part of the all flesh outpouring? God said, Every young man would have visions. It’s not the outpouring of the Holy Ghost if there are not visions and dreams. God even went beyond dreams and visions. Sons and daughters shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath (see Acts 2:19 NKJV). If were going to have full Pentecost, we need to have power to be a witness. We need to have harvest and repentance. We need to have signs and wonders, but we also need to have dreams and visions and wonders in the heavens and signs in the earth beneath. Josephs Dreams Not only will the pursuit of your vision bring fulfillment, it will keep you on track. When the seed of the vision is in your heart as great as it was for Joseph, regardless of what he went through-Egypt, the dungeon, the pain, the rejection, the opposition-it was those two key dreams at 17 years old that set the course of his ministry. People without a purpose and vision will perish and they will cast out their restraint. They will not stay on track because theres nothing to move them. Your God-given dream and purpose will motivate you, and if you dont have a dream, purpose, and a revelation of who you are, you will never stay the course when the battle comes. I believe it was the only thing that kept Joseph going while he was in the dungeon. A vision from God will motivate you. A vision for God will keep you on track. A vision from God will keep you moving and motivate you to press on to the mark of the high calling of God. This is why we need to have a vision. Gods provision is directly linked to your expectation. My God shall supply all my need. God took Joseph all the way to the top just so that he could interpret the dream. Do you remember what the dream was? Indeed there will be seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land (Genesis 41:29-30 NKJV). God gave Joseph wisdom because in the seven years of plenty, they recorded that there was so much blessing, so much plenty, so much abundance and overflow that the people in Egypt could not even keep books and records anymore, because it was the highest harvest that they had ever seen. Joseph said, Open all the storehouses, because we have plenty and we have abundance. Josephs increase is Goshen grace. You know what Joseph really speaks of? Joseph was one of Jacobs favorite sons. What did Jacob give him? A coat of many colors. You know what that coat was? Favor. And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian (Genesis 39:2 KJV). The Lord made Joseph prosper because the Lord was with Joseph. Joseph is a picture of favor and promotion. How many of you are ready to see God, in a day, promote you? Joseph was a man gifted in apostolic administration and wisdom. Your gift will make room for you even before kings. Some of you havent really started moving in your gift. You know what the Joseph anointing gives birth to? Two sons-Manasseh and Ephraim. Do you know what Manasseh means? God has delivered me from all my troubles. The second thing the Joseph anointing gives birth to is Ephraim, and Ephraim doesnt just mean fruitfulness. Ephraim means double fruitfulness. The Joseph anointing gives birth to double, two times the portion, two times the honor, two times the fruitfulness. God raised up Joseph. God sent me so that I would have great blessing and resources so that when there was famine, I would be able to help you. Thats a true Joseph grace. Then he goes on to say, But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance (Genesis 45:7 NIV). Thats really the only reason that God wants you to have money. Thats the only reason that God wants you to have success and abundance, so that you can save lives. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, Thus says your son Joseph: God has made me lord over all Egypt. Come down to me and do not tarry. You shall dwell within the land of Goshen (which means drawing near to the Lord) and you shall be near to me near to me, you and your children, your childrens children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine (Genesis 45:9-11 NKJV). The Land of Goshen Goshen is drawing near. But you know something about the land called Goshen? In Egypt it was the only part of the land that was never touched by the famine. Goshen was the richest, most fertile, and the most nourishing and prospering land next to the palace in all Egypt. How many of you remember when the plagues and judgments came to Israel? Its not coming to you. The judgment seat of Christ is not the place where you lose your salvation. Its Egypt the judgment comes to. When the judgments came, Goshen was the only place of divine safety and protection that was not touched by one judgment. You can live and be judged in Egypt, or you can live and be Gods man in Goshen. You can live and be judged in Egypt, or you can live in the palace in Egypt. Goshen was the place when the Israelites came out of Egypt in Goshen. The Bible says they plundered the silver and gold of the Egyptians. They took all their money, all their gold, all their silver, and they went into the exodus. Goshen was the place where all the treasures of Egypt were. Not only did God bless Israel in Goshen and preserve them in the famine in Goshen, but God also sent them out of Goshen into the promised land. The journey began and they took all the gold and silver of Egypt. The Bible says that more than three million came out of Goshen and not one was weak, or sick, or feeble among all their tribes. Goshen is a place of divine safety, blessing, and protection. Regardless of the Egypt that youre in and the judgments that are falling, God has a Goshen to nourish the most prosperous, fertile land where you plunder the silver and gold and the wealth that belongs to the wicked belongs to you. This is a place of Goshen. This is a place of increase. This is a place that God has delivered me from all of my troubles. This is a place of double fruitfulness. In Him, TODD BENTLEY
Posted on: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 15:10:08 +0000
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