"The JOSEPHS will ARISE" - Mike Edds
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
-by Mike Edds.
There is a special remnant of believers whom I call the "Joseph
Generation." They are a divinely appointed people that God has
been preparing for a specific time of ministry. Like Joseph, God
has placed within them a "life plan" or specific destiny or calling
to fulfill in life. They have divine gifting within them to fulfill that life
plan. Paraphrasing Psalms 139:1, the Scripture states: "All the
days planned for me were written in Your book before any came
to be." Ephesians 4:8 records these words, "When He ascended
on high He gave gifts (His abilities) to men and women." The
heart of God is recorded in the words of Matthew 9:36, "When He
saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them
because they were weary, scattered like sheep having no
shepherd." GOD CARES ABOUT PEOPLE. That is His nature.
His compassion always leads to action.
"Joseph":
God looked down through the ages of time and saw a day and
time that would bring starvation on the world and upon His people.
In His compassion, God prepared a plan and a man in advance to
meet that critical situation. He placed that plan along with the
divine abilities to fulfill that plan in the soul and life of a man called
Joseph. Jeremiah 1:5 states, "Before you were born, I knew you
and set you apart. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. You
must go everywhere I send you and say whatsoever I command you."
Joseph, like the Joseph Generation today was born by the will of
God, not by the will of the flesh. Joseph was born with a life plan
and abilities from God. Did he know the fullness of that life plan?
No, he did not. He knew that he had administrative abilities, gifts
and special insights. His destiny and life plan called to him through
dreams, an inward sense of purpose and through circumstances.
Did Joseph immediately step into his life plan and destiny? NO, he
did not. He was enrolled in the "SCHOOL OF DUNG." Psalms
105: 16-22 describes that schooling. He was rejected and hated
by his own brothers, sold into slavery, he was laid in irons and
chains, his feet were hurt with fetters, he was falsely accused,
innocently sent to prison, and the word of the Lord tried him
severely. His destiny which called to him and life's situations
were horribly in conflict. Life had gone to "hell in a handbasket."
Thoughts raged through Joseph's mind and soul: "God, you
promised me wonderful things. What I am going through is the
total opposite of what You revealed to me long ago. Why am I
suffering rejection, false accusation, hatred and abuse? Where
are You in all of this, Lord? Have you forsaken me? Were all
those things just a mere dream, a fantasy of my mind? Why
does this inward sense of destiny still call me when it looks
impossible for any good to come to me?" THE WORD OF THE
LORD TRIED Joseph!
When creating a vessel for special purpose or honor, a wise potter
follows a certain procedure. There is a plan and destiny for the
lump of clay in the potter's hands. The clay is pounded, pressed
and pressure placed upon it to make it pliable. It is placed upon
the potter's wheel and pressure applied to start molding it into
shape. When the desired shape is achieved, the potter places his
creation into the kiln for intense heat to be applied to harden it.
After cooling, stain is applied to this hardened pot. It is fired again
to make sure the stain and colors are permanent. The pot is
beautiful and ready for use, right? NO! The wise potter wants his
creation to be completely ready for its intended purpose. He places
it on a shelf in a dark, lonely place to age. When the time is right,
he takes the pot out of the darkness and brings it into the light for
use. Otherwise, an unprepared vessel could break and spoil the
contents it carries.
The Word of the Lord tried Joseph. "Has God forgotten me? Has
He abandoned me? Have I missed it somewhere?" Like the potter,
God allowed Joseph to go through the "dung of life," the pressures,
the heat, the staining and the lonely darkness in order to prepare
him for the destiny which had called to him all of his life. God had
not forgotten nor abandoned him. God heard Joseph's many
prayers, laments, and cries of desperation. He felt the hurts and
anguish of this man of destiny. Many times He would have wanted
to and could have intervened to deliver Joseph. However, He tied
His own Hands and refused to deliver Joseph out of ultimate love
for him. He knew that if He took Joseph out of the "school of dung,"
that intervention would destroy the divine destiny God had prepared
for him. It would destroy the process of making Joseph into a
vessel of honor and use. The Word of the Lord tried Joseph until
the day that His word came to pass. That word was, "the king has
need of thee." Joseph's prison door was opened, his garments
changed, and he was ushered into the presence of Pharaoh. He
went from prison to position in ONE HOUR!
His destiny had arrived! All of the dung and hardships that Joseph
had gone through suddenly made sense. People had meant those
things for evil BUT GOD HAD MEANT IT FOR GOOD, FOR THE
SAVING OF MANY LIVES. Joseph was completely ready and
prepared for the destiny for which he was created. He never failed
nor dropped the ball. He successfully fulfilled the plan of God.
A special generation now exists that has felt throughout their lives
an inward sense of destiny and purpose. That destiny has called
to them every day of their lives. That divine destiny has called to
them through dreams, visions, an inward desire or passion, and
through circumstances. However, like Joseph, they have been
enrolled in the "school of dung." They have unjustly suffered
rejection, jealousy, hatred, been forgotten, falsely accused, and
have been misunderstood. Their pure motives have been suspect.
Their love has been not been reciprocated. They have felt
imprisoned on an island of loneliness and rejection. Life has not
been kind nor gentle to them. The Word of the Lord has severely
tried them. Their divine destiny or life plan has been in conflict
with the situations in which they find themselves. Their prayers
seem to bounce off a heaven made of brass. They feel that they
have been placed on a dark, lonely, dusty shelf. Purpose has
evaporated. They have even cried out to God to "just take me on
home." Where is God in all of this?
Out of infinite love, God has allowed this generation, this Joseph
Generation, to endure this school of dung. He has refused to
intervene until they had been prepared and perfected for the destiny
to which He has called them. He is creating a generation that will
be "selfless" rather than "selfish." Like Joseph, they will graduate
from the school of dung as vessels of honor. They will not fail nor
drop the ball. They will be totally prepared to fulfill the destiny to
which God has called them. They have been prepared for a day
and an hour of great ministry. They will be ushered from prison to
position suddenly. The time has come for the "Master Potter" to
walk into that dark lonely room. He will stretch forth His Hand
onto that dusty shelf and pick up the vessel that has endured the
long night of solitary isolation. Gently, His Hand will wipe away
the dust and bring forth that special vessel. The words will be
spoken, "The King has need of thee." The time of preparation will
have ended. Destiny will have come! The long endured hardships
will suddenly make sense. Joy will overtake them. The life plan
and gifting will be activated.
The Joseph Generation is a secret weapon that God has prepared
in the school of dung, in the darkness, in the isolation for such a
time as this. They are about to be suddenly unleashed upon the
kingdom of darkness. God has prepared them to meet the great
needs of this present generation. They will have the Master Potter's
image upon them. They will have the forgiving heart of Joseph who
said, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good to the saving
of many lives." They will be a selfless people who will give the glory
to God. They will not fail. So, Joseph Generation, take heart.
Your bitter night is about to end. It is sunrise not sunset. Joy
comes in the morning! Even now, the door is being unlocked and
opened. Listen for the words, "the King has need of thee." God
has not forgotten you! Yes, He has seen your tears and heard your
cries. He is opening a door which NO MAN can open or shut.
... Josephs take courage! THE KING HAS NEED OF THEE!
-Michael Edds will be a speaker at our PENNSYLVANIA "John the
Baptist" Conference in June.
Email- <MichaelEdds@aol.com>
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