3/9/13

From Gary V. Womack...


ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD

Rom. 8:18 "For I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

Rom. 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

"All things work together for good" - Both good and badThis promise is given "...to those who love God...who are called" The "good" that he speaks of is "...according to His purpose."

JOSEPH - a living example of how all things work together for good... according to God's purpose

Gen. 37:4 "But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him."

Gen. 37:11 (After Joseph's dreams) "And his brothers envied him...."

Gen. 37:18-20 Joseph's brothers wanted to kill him.

Gen. 37:28 Why to Egypt (and not elsewhere)?

To meet Potipher & help him.

Gen. 39:1-6 Why to Potipher (and not to some lesser slave owner)?
To meet Potipher's wife.

Gen. 39:7-20 Why Potipher's unscrupulous wife? Did Joseph love God?

To go to prison.

Gen. 39:21-23 Why prison?

To come in contact with Pharaoh's butler.

Gen. 40:1-4 Why Pharaohs butler?

To interpret his dream.

Gen. 40:5-8, 12-15 Why such a dream that resulted in the butler's release?

To provide a means of Joseph's release & coming before Pharaoh.

Gen. 41:1, 9-13 Why come before Pharaoh?

To interpret Pharaoh's dream.

Gen. 41:14-16, 28-36 Why should Joseph be the one to interpret that dream?
To provide food during the coming famine - & save many people.

Gen. 41:37-44, 56-57 Why should Joseph have been chosen for this work?

So all who needed grain would have to come to Joseph.

Gen. 42:1-3, 6-8 Why come to Joseph (and not some other official)?
So Joseph's family could be saved from the famine & be reunited.

Gen. 45:1-11 Why should the family of Jacob end up in Egypt?

To fulfill God's promises to Abraham.

Gen. 12:2 "I will make of you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name
great and you shall be blessed."

Gen. 15:13 "Then He said to Abram: 'Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land  that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will
afflict them four hundred years.'"

Stephen gave a synopsis of all of these events & onward to Moses:

Acts 7:17-20 "But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt (18) till another
king arose who did not know Joseph. (19) This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live. (20) At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father's house for three months."

Acts 7:37 "This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him
you shall hear.' "

This also was in fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham:

Gen. 22:18 "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."

Gal. 3:16 "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, 'And to your Seed,' who is Christ."

Every spiritual blessing is the result of God's good pleasure, all of which points back to God's purpose from the beginning.

Eph. 1:3-11 In Him we have obtained an inheritance...according to His will

Rom. 8:16-18,28 "The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (17) and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (18) For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (28) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

INVITATION