Day 26 of Heart Dive 365. I'm your Bible study friend, Kanoi. Welcome to the Heart Dive podcast. Happy Aloha Friday, friends.
Today we are in Genesis chapters 41 and 42, where Joseph's life will take a turn for the better as he goes from prisoner into the palace. But before we get into that, if you could please help us out by giving this video a thumbs up, hitting that like button, that will partner with us to say, hey, you know what? I'm a part of this. I think it is worth giving back to, and I believe that this can help somebody else.
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Let's go ahead and pray and get into the word. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, Lord, your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. because your will, your purpose, your goodness is all we truly need.
And we know that it is the best thing. We know that even when we can't understand it, Lord, you are working out everything for good for those who love you and are called according to your purpose. And so we trust in that today.
And we thank you so much that you are the promise keeper. You are such a good father, and you love us so much. Help us to keep our eyes on that and stay focused on it for the days, Lord, when we think that everything's going wrong and that every turn we make, it just seems like the world is against us. Forgive us, Lord, where we have lost a little bit of faith along the way. I pray that you restore that today.
Restore our hope. Restore our peace, O God. I pray that you remove anything that might be standing in the way of our unhindered relationship with you. We want to be able to walk with you every moment of every day, Lord.
And so I just pray that all distractions will be moved out of the way. Forgive us for our sins, Lord. And I ask that you please help us to also forgive other people so that all of that bitterness, that anger, that rage, any...
plotting to try to get back at someone, Lord, remove all of that from us. It's not your heart. And so I just pray that you'll purify our heart, Lord, so that it will be good and kind and full of grace and mercy and full of love, Lord, for we know that love will conquer all. It will cover a multitude of sins. And so fill us up with that love today and that joy.
We love you so much. We pray these things in Jesus'name. Amen. So starting off here in chapter 41, after two whole years. I mean, can you imagine being Joseph?
He must have had so much hope whenever the cupbearer was released after he had interpreted his dreams, probably trusting in his word that he would remember him to Pharaoh. Yet he didn't, at least not yet. And Joseph is left there another two years in the holding cell. And sometimes life can feel this way.
I mean, you're holding out hope, and yet time just keeps on slipping away. But we see in the Bible time and time again, where the greatest blessings often followed periods of waiting. And it's the ones who are able to be faithful in these times of feeling forgotten who receive the greatest reward. So, heart check, are you in a holding cell? Are you able to trust in God's timing while you wait?
So, after two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile. Now, the Nile, of course, is the life source for Egypt. And behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. And the ugly thin cows ate up the seven attractive plump cows.
And Pharaoh awoke. I would awake too, I think, or at least try to get myself out of that dream. And he fell asleep and he dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk.
And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind. And thin ears swallowed up the seven plump ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. So in the morning his spirit was troubled. And he sent and he called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men, meaning scholars or this group of philosophers who may have interpreted the future events that may take place.
And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh. So here we see the limited power of the occult or the limited power or knowledge of men. Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, I remember my offenses today. Now, this word offenses could also be translated to, I remember my sin. So, what is he saying here?
Perhaps he is admitting that he did indeed forget Joseph, but was it intentional? And here it kind of seems like it may have been. I don't know if he perhaps was scared to be associated with Joseph at the time because he was still in prison, or was he actually jealous? Remember when I asked yesterday, why do you think he forgot Joseph? And so, these are still theories.
but you can deduce them a little bit further whenever you see that he says, I have sinned. When Faber was angry with his servants and put me in the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, we dreamed on the same night, he and I each having a dream with its own interpretation. A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. And when we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream.
And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged. Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him up out of the pit. So here we see a turn in his circumstances, just like that. And I don't know if you've ever experienced where you've been in an impossible situation, where you feel like there's no hope for you, and yet you turn to God, and you cried out to him, and he just seemed to pluck you up out of that situation.
as if it never existed. Has that ever happened to you? I know it has to me. Case in point, the thing that happened to me last year when I just thought all evil was coming against me, it was the worst thing I've ever experienced. And here we are a year later, and I was like, wow, I mean, that just came and went, you know, it was a moment of resisting the enemy, but God definitely rescued.
And when he had shaved himself, now, Egyptians would shave themselves to the point where they would even wear wigs. And so, Joseph knows that if he's going to be in the court of Pharaoh. He is going to have to shave himself, kind of meeting him where he's at, right? He doesn't want to show up all disheveled because Egyptians did despise the unshaven Canaanites. And he changed his clothes.
He came in before Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have had a dream and there is none who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it.
And Joseph said to Pharaoh, it is not in me, God. will give Pharaoh a favorable answer. Don't you love that? How Joseph is like, this ain't my gift. This is strictly from God.
He gives God all of the glory. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, behold, in my dream, I was standing on the banks of the Nile. Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass.
Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin and such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. And the thin, ugly cows. ate up the first seven plump cows, but when they had eaten them, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning.
Now this point here kind of thought it was interesting that Pharaoh added this little detail here. Then I awoke. I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good.
Seven ears withered thin and blighted by the east wind, sprouted up after them, and thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me. Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, the dreams of Pharaoh are one.
God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years and the seven good ears are seven years. The dreams are one. The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years.
And the seven empty years blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. It is as I told Pharaoh. God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do.
So, this shows God's heart that he will even reveal and warn the ungodly. There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, but after them, there will arise seven years of famine and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. So, it's going to be that bad that they will forget the good years. The famine will consume the land and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe.
And some scholars say that this is symbolic of the tribulation or what is known as Jacob's trouble. There will be this period of this increased prosperity and peace and then followed by the worst destruction we could ever imagine. here on earth. And the doubling of Pharaoh's dream means that the thing is fixed by God.
And so he is in control here and God will shortly, so there's an urgency in his words, bring it about. Now, therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years and let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities and let them keep it. That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt so that the land may not perish through the famine. So, he's devising a plan for Pharaoh here to collect this 20% tax, and some scholars say this is probably doubled from 10% of what he had collected prior.
And this will allow for one, spoilage, but it will also allow for grain to continue to be traded, as well as extra grain to plant after the famine. So, it's almost like a little savings account. And here we see that Joseph had incredible foresight, which led him to advise Pharaoh to prepare for the famine. So, heart check, are you prepared for a famine? And I'm not just talking physical famine, I'm talking spiritual famine.
So, how can we prepare for both physical and spiritual famine? Now, this proposal pleased Pharaoh and all of his servants, and Pharaoh said to his servants, can we find a man like this in whom is the Spirit of God? And so, here we see for the first time, the Old Testament actually talking about the Spirit of God being upon a person or being in a person. And I love this because Joseph didn't have to preach a sermon.
He didn't have to spout off a bunch of religious jargon. He just simply acted upon what the Spirit of God was telling him to do. And Pharaoh was able to recognize that within him. And that's the same way with us. You know, we don't have to go around saying we're spiritual.
We just have to be spiritual as led by the spirit and people will recognize God in you. Our character is our greatest testimony. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are.
So here, the most powerful man of his time understands the value of having both knowledge and wisdom. You see, there's a difference. Knowledge is the food, but wisdom is going to be the digestion of that food.
It's knowing what to do with the knowledge that you store up. And it has actually been said that knowledge is only a diagnosis, but wisdom is the cure. And today, you know, we have access to so much knowledge. I mean, unlimited knowledge without even lifting a finger.
We can be like, hey, Siri. You'd think I would have learned from the last time. But anyway, we can ask her or Alexa anything, and we will likely get an answer. But I truly feel that we are becoming less and less wise, because the Bible says that wisdom will show itself through good works done in humility. Yet, we know that the closer we get to the end, people are becoming more and more prideful and selfish.
And if the Bible is God Himself and wisdom comes from His mouth, well, the farther we get from the Word... the less wise we become. But there's hope here for us, because the deeper you get into the Word, the wiser you become. So, Heart Check, do you feel you are becoming more knowledgeable and also wiser the more you get into the Word? I hope that answer is yes.
Verse 40, You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. And he made him ride in his second chariot.
And they called out before him, Bow the knee. Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. So I don't know if this gave you the picture of people bowing down before Jesus, but that's what I saw. Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without your consent, no one shall lift up a hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphonathpania, and he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphar, priest of On.
And so, Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. So, when we look at the meanings of these names, Zaphonathpania means the God speaks and lives or revealer of secrets. Asenath means belonging to Nath or Neith, which is a goddess at this time, a pagan goddess. And interestingly enough, this is the same goddess that is in the Greek culture known as Helena and in Roman culture known as Minerva, who is the goddess of provision and protection.
Now, some people say that this is what the U.S. Statue of Freedom on top of our Capitol building is modeled after. So, when you look at the two images of these goddesses, it would make sense, right? So, I did kind of take a look to see if that was true. I did see some references about it, but I don't know.
I just thought it was an interesting point to look at. Somebody can go dig into that if they want to. Verse 46, Joseph was 30 years old, the same age that Jesus was when he started his ministry, when he entered the service of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly, and he gathered up all the food of those seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. He put in every city the food from the fields around it. And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured.
Before the year of famine came, the two sons were born to Joseph. As-Sanath, the daughter of Potipharah, priest of On, bore them to him. Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, which means to forget.
For he said, God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house. The name of the second he called Ephraim, for God has made me fruitful. So that's what his name means, in the land of my affliction.
Now the seven years of plenty that occurred in the land of Egypt came to an end. The seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt, there was bread. When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh.
This gives us a picture of people crying to the Antichrist in the time of the tribulation for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, go to Joseph, what he says to you, do. And this also gives us a picture of what Mary said whenever they ran out of wine at the wedding.
So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt, to Joseph, to buy grain, because the famine was so severe over all the earth. And to me, I saw a picture of every nation coming to Jesus to bow down, especially at the end of the tribulation when Jesus comes to reign during the millennium. Chapter 42, when Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, why do you look at one another?
Now, I don't know what they were looking at one another about. I don't know if when he mentioned Egypt, if that kind of struck up something in their minds and they're all kind of like, we sold Joseph to Egypt. I don't know. And he said, behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there that we may live and not die.
So 10 of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. Now, number 10 actually speaks of the law in the Bible, of course, the 10 commandments. And this kind of gives us this idea that they are trying to buy their freedom here or buy their salvation. You know, they're literally going to starve to death if they don't, which makes us remember that, you know, thank God for Jesus, right?
That we don't have to buy our way into heaven or we cannot buy our way into heaven. We can only earn that by the grace that he has freely given. Verse four, but Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with his brothers, for he feared that harm might happen to him.
So I asked, is he still favoring? You know, Benjamin, is that his favorite child? Or is he perhaps suspicious of what happened to Joseph? And he thinks that perhaps this will happen to Benjamin as well.
I don't know. Thus, the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came for the famine was in the land of Canaan. Now, Joseph was governor over the land.
He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. As Joseph dreamt about 13 years prior.
And Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. So, I'm sure he's got all kinds of emotions running wild, and that's what caused him to speak roughly to them. Where do you come from?
He said. And they said, from the land of Canaan to buy food. And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. Just the same way that the Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah, and the same way that God knows us before we ever know him. And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them.
And he said to them, you are spies. You have come to see the nakedness of the land. And they said to him, no, my Lord, your servants have come to buy food. So I don't know if this is all his pent up emotion that is now coming forth.
We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. And I'm like, really? Y'all ain't honest men, but maybe they are now. I don't know.
Your servants have never been spies. He said to them, no, it is the nakedness of the land that you have come to see. And they said, we, your servants are 12 brothers. Interesting that they're saying 12, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan to behold the youngest is this day with our father and one is no more. So they are declaring Joseph dead, even though they probably know that he's been sold off into slavery and he's very likely still alive.
But Joseph said to them, it is as I said to you, you are spies. So he's saying this for a second time, this accusation. By this, you shall be tested. By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here.
Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies. And so basically, he's telling them, y'all are dead men if you don't do this.
And he put them all together in custody for three days. Now, on the third day, Joseph said to them, do this and you will live for I fear God. And in Hebrew, this word that he is using for God is Elohim.
It's a Hebrew word for God. And at this point, this should have kind of served as a little bit of a hint to them. Like, There's something different about this guy. He's definitely not like all the other Egyptians. If you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households, and bring your youngest brother to me.
So your words will be verified, and you shall not die. And they did so. Then they said to one another, in truth, we are guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the distress of his soul whenever he begged us and we did not listen. That is why.
This distress has come upon us. So the fact that Joseph's brothers are bringing up their past sin shows that this is weighing heavily on their spirits, and it has been for a very long time. You see, a guilty conscience will do that. It will keep you imprisoned into thinking that every little thing is punishment from God.
But the Bible says that there is no condemnation for anyone who is in Christ Jesus. We're cleansed by the blood whenever we come in repentance and we are freed from our past mistakes. This is why some have called the conscience the sundial of the soul. Because if you think about a sundial, it can only give an accurate reading whenever the sun is shining on it, just as our conscience is only reliable whenever God's light is shining on it.
But the devil will try to be an imposter. as he disguises himself as an angel of light. And that is where he and all of his lies will come in and try to convince you that you are still held under that condemnation. So heart check, how's your conscience doing? Is it declaring itself guilty or has it been set free?
Verse 22, and Reuben answered them. Remember, Reuben is the one who was like, let's put him in a pit instead. Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy?
but you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood. They did not know that Joseph understood them.
So here, I'm sure he's getting a little bit of vindication, for there was an interpreter between them. Then he turned away from them and he wept, just the same way that Jesus weeps over Jerusalem in their final rejection of him. And he returned to them and he spoke to them.
And he took Simeon, from them and bound him before their eyes. And I wondered why it wasn't Reuben. Like, why didn't he put Reuben in custody? Was it because that maybe he knew that Reuben was the only one who had nothing to do with selling him into slavery or maybe Simeon volunteered? I'm not sure.
And Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to replace every man's money in his sack and to give them provisions for the journey. This was done for them. So he is not willing to take their payment. Then they loaded their donkeys and their grain and departed.
And as one of them opened their sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. He said to his brothers, my money has been put back. Here it is in the mouth of my sack.
At this, their hearts failed them and they turned trembling to one another saying, what is this that God has done to us? Now, while they really shouldn't be blaming God, we do see God's hand in this testing of their hearts. Because God is always working not only on our hearts, but also on our character that springs out from it.
So, the Enduring Word commentary says that in times of testing, a deceptive heart would have hidden the money, a lying heart would have actually made up a story of some sort about that money, a proud heart would have felt like it deserved the money that was in that sack, and a superficial heart wouldn't think anything of it. But here we see the brothers feeling as though their hearts have failed them. So to me, that shows that their hearts and their character have grown and have grown honest over the years. You see, I have a vivid childhood memory.
I was in a store and I was told by my mama that I could not have the candy that I was asking for. And so what did I do as a little kid who tests their boundaries? I tried sneaking that candy into my pocket.
And the whole time my mama was watching around the corner and she knew that this might happen. And so she let me get as far. as attempting to steal before she took me up out of there and made sure that I would never make that mistake again.
She could have stopped me before it happened, but she knew that she needed to allow that character to be corrected instead of interrupted. And to this day, I am so fearful of unintentionally walking out of a store with something that I did not buy to the point that I will go back and I will bring an onion that has fallen between the cracks of my shopping cart just so that my conscience will be free. I mean, I can still hear my mama's voice and I accredit it to that character building day of a loving mother with her six-year-old little girl. She carried the heart of the father.
So heart check, what is the condition of your heart? What would you have done if the money was found in your sack? Verse 29, when they came to Jacob, their father in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them saying, the man, the Lord of the land spoke roughly to us and took us to be spies of the land.
But we said to him, we are honest men. We have never been spies. We're 12 brothers, sons of our father. One is no more in the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan. So at least they are telling their father the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Then the man, the Lord of the land said to us, By this I shall know that you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me and take grain for the famine of your households and go your way. Bring your youngest brother to me.
Then I shall know that you are not spies, but honest men, and I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land. Now as they emptied their sacks, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack. And when they and their fathers saw their bundles of money, they were afraid. And Jacob, their father said to them, you have bereaved me of my children.
Joseph is no more. Simeon is no more. And now you would take Benjamin.
All this has come against me. So here we can see the power that a lie can have over a person. I mean, he truly believes that Joseph is dead at this point, right? But he really is believing this lie that all of his children are somehow going to perish. Now, if anyone feels as though everything's against him, it really should have been Joseph, right?
Because Jacob has a promise on his life. I mean, if anything, his faith should tell him that all things will work out for good. But that's easy for us to say as we stand here on the outside looking in.
Now, where does your heart go whenever you come upon hard times? Do you feel as though everything is against you? Or do you trust that God will work it out for good? Verse 37, then Reuben said to his father, and I don't know if he's trying to just comfort Jacob or maybe... taking responsibility here.
He said, kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands and I will bring him back to you. But he said, my son shall not go down with you for his brother is dead and he is the only one left.
Now, how sad that he says that he's the only one left. I'm hoping that he is just implying that he's the only one of his sons from Rachel that is left because to say this to nine of his other sons is kind of an insult there. If harm should happen to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to shoal. So in other words, he's saying, y'all are going to cause me to go into depression and die prematurely. And that's the very thing, again, that a lie can do.
That's why the enemy is known as the father of lies. He knows that if he can get you to believe the lie, it will potentially prematurely kill what God is trying to do through you. Now, we will continue the rest of this on Sunday as I take my Sabbath on Saturdays.
I do not film, and therefore, we will catch up on our lessons then. But until then, let's take a look at some deep dive questions. Where do you go to find meaning in warning signs or confusion?
How do we reconcile God will provide with working to actually prepare? What emotions do you believe were running through Joseph when he was initially reunited with his brothers? Why do you think Jacob did not want to send Benjamin? Why didn't Joseph immediately reveal his identity to his brothers? And do you see Joseph's plan as a sick joke or a well-intentioned plan?
So Heavenly Father, we thank you for never forgetting us. Whether we are off doing our own thing or unjustly thrown into a pit, your eye is always on us, just as it is with the sparrow. We put our trust in your perfect timing, Lord, knowing that you will work out everything for good for those who love you and are called according to your purpose.
We will keep declaring that, Lord. I pray that we will not grow impatient in the holding cell, for we know that it is in the waiting room where we are being prepared for something greater. We know and trust that if you ever need to get us up out of an impossible situation, you most certainly have the ability to do so, and also the compassion, and we know that you will.
So we thank you for the supernatural gifts today that you give to us. I pray that we will use them wisely and always be discerning in every circumstance. And when these gifts are manifested in a way that brings awe to the world, I pray, Lord, that you will always be at the center of that. May we always give you all the glory for whatever we accomplish.
We know that it is never by might nor by power, but by your spirit that we are able to succeed anyway. So we acknowledge that today. But we also recognize that you have given us these gifts so that we can actually do something with them.
May we never become complacent or apathetic. That is not trust or faith, but instead faith moves and it moves in step with you. And I pray that you will continue to reveal Yourself to us, both through Your Word and also supernaturally. May we never close ourselves off to the ways that You desire to speak to us. Help us, Lord, to hear Your warnings and to prepare for the days of famine.
Give us the foresight and the knowledge, just as You did to Joseph, in order to store up properly all the things that we will need should it ever happen. And at some point, most of us will face a spiritual famine, so I pray that our storehouses will be full. Thank you for supplying our every need.
Help us, Lord, to trust in your sovereignty and your appointments of authority. We know that all authority is subjected to you, and we will not fear those who are in power here on this earth. Our knee will only bow to you, and we look forward to the day when all nations will finally surrender.
We pray for every tribe and tongue to recognize you before it's too late. Lead them to repentance, God, through your kindness. We pray for missionaries and those who are going throughout the world to declare your gospel.
Keep them safe, O God, in the mission field and give them favor. Thank you for knowing us better than we know ourselves and for hearing our voice, even when our consciences are full of guilt. Will you set us free today from that, Jesus?
May we forget what is behind and strive toward what is ahead. Help us to press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call. And should we face testing along the way, I pray that our hearts will be full of honesty and integrity so that we will not fear the lie that the enemy may be trying to whisper into our ears.
Give us increase in discernment and wisdom today, for we stand in awe and in healthy fear of you. We love you so much. We give this all back to you as we sit here in worship and in reverence.
We pray this in Jesus'name. Amen. Heaven and salvation is a divine gift that is given to us by grace.
None of us deserve it. In fact, the Bible says that the wages of sin is death, and every single one of us have fallen short, and then we desperately need someone to pay that price. And Jesus did it. He didn't do it because we are righteous on our own merit. He did it because he loves us, and he wants to spend eternity with us.
But it won't happen if we don't receive him before we leave this earth as Lord and Savior. Hell is a very real thing. And there is no second chance after we take our last breath here. So I want to be able to give someone the opportunity today who is saying, I'm ready. I've never given my life to Christ.
I don't know where I'm going to end up after I die, but I don't want to live another day without knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt where I am going to end up. I see now that this is real and I want to believe. So if that is you, we're going to say a prayer and I'm going to put the words on the screen so that you can say them.
audibly with your mouth, because the Bible says that when you believe and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and that he died and rose again, then you will be saved. So we're going to say this prayer together. Believe it in your heart, speak it with your mouth, and know that this is indeed the day of your salvation.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus. Jesus, thank you for dying for me. I believe that you came, you died, and you rose again. I confess my sins to you today, and I turn from them, and I now live my life for you. I know that I am forgiven of all my sins, so I receive you now as Lord and Savior, and I belong to you, Jesus.
I pray these things in Jesus'name, amen. Thank