Dreams can have significant consequences and none more so than in this young lad's life.
Of course, it did not only affect him. It influenced his family, surrounding nations, and virtually the entire Middle East at that time.
He was a seventeen year old shepherd boy who said some bad things to his father about his siblings. Father loved this son more than the older boys. His siblings knew it, and hated him.
Then there were the dreams. It was harvest time, and he had this dream of his brother's sheaves bowing down to his upright sheaf. In the second dream, the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to him. He had eleven brothers.
Father rebuked him. The brothers became increasingly jealous.
One day he was sent from home to see how his brothers were getting on grazing their sheep.
When they saw the dreamer approaching there was a move to kill him, but one brother dissuaded them from going that far.
They threw him into a pit before trafficking him to travelling traders for twenty shekels of silver.
The traders took him to Egypt, selling him to Potiphar, one of King Pharaoh's top officials.
God was with him. He worked hard, served faithfully, and prospered.
Because he was doing well, Potiphar trusted him, and promoted him, but one day Potiphar's wife planned to seduce him. He fled.
Being falsely accused of rape, he was imprisoned without trial.
In prison, God was with him. He was put in charge of other prisoners, and prospered.
Two top officials had offended Pharaoh, and when imprisoned, they met up with this trusted prisoner, who helped them. One man, a cupbearer, was restored to his post, but he forgot about the prisoner who had helped.
Two years later, Pharaoh began to have disturbing dreams. The cupbearer remembered the Hebrew lad, and mentioned it to Pharaoh.
He was brought to Pharaoh, interpreted the dreams, and suggested that a discerning man be appointed.
Joseph got the job.
These men did not so much have a dream as a call upon their lives and a vision which became such a reality, which continues to exert an amazing influence today.
Are you part of this global vision? You can be.
Over these past 60 years I have given myself to the study, at different times, of the lives of Peter and Andrew and James and John in the Gospels of the New Testament and also in the book of Acts, and of course the personal and powerful letters they wrote.
They had a very different perspective on many of life's major issues. There was an ability to look at circumstances from a very different angle and invariably it was highly positive.
Never once did these leaders girn or groan or complain.
Dreams are important but these men were much more than dreamers. They were visionaries and had the call of Almighty God upon their lives. That changes everything.
They became disciples of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and as disciples they were learners and followers and trained ones.
They had a depth of faith and a profound insight and men who had been quite ordinary fishermen to begin with, went fishing for men, preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and writing parts of what has become known to be the Word of God, in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.
God can approach and take what is very ordinary and transform it into what becomes extraordinary.
This makes life so exciting and thrilling and filled with adventure, as we serve in the Kingdom of God.
Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.
He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled "Word from Scotland" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.
His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.
By Sandy Shaw
Article Source: Are You a Dreamer or a Visionary Witnessing Extraordinary Results and Consequences?
Of course, it did not only affect him. It influenced his family, surrounding nations, and virtually the entire Middle East at that time.
He was a seventeen year old shepherd boy who said some bad things to his father about his siblings. Father loved this son more than the older boys. His siblings knew it, and hated him.
Then there were the dreams. It was harvest time, and he had this dream of his brother's sheaves bowing down to his upright sheaf. In the second dream, the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to him. He had eleven brothers.
Father rebuked him. The brothers became increasingly jealous.
One day he was sent from home to see how his brothers were getting on grazing their sheep.
When they saw the dreamer approaching there was a move to kill him, but one brother dissuaded them from going that far.
They threw him into a pit before trafficking him to travelling traders for twenty shekels of silver.
The traders took him to Egypt, selling him to Potiphar, one of King Pharaoh's top officials.
God was with him. He worked hard, served faithfully, and prospered.
Because he was doing well, Potiphar trusted him, and promoted him, but one day Potiphar's wife planned to seduce him. He fled.
Being falsely accused of rape, he was imprisoned without trial.
In prison, God was with him. He was put in charge of other prisoners, and prospered.
Two top officials had offended Pharaoh, and when imprisoned, they met up with this trusted prisoner, who helped them. One man, a cupbearer, was restored to his post, but he forgot about the prisoner who had helped.
Two years later, Pharaoh began to have disturbing dreams. The cupbearer remembered the Hebrew lad, and mentioned it to Pharaoh.
He was brought to Pharaoh, interpreted the dreams, and suggested that a discerning man be appointed.
Joseph got the job.
These men did not so much have a dream as a call upon their lives and a vision which became such a reality, which continues to exert an amazing influence today.
Are you part of this global vision? You can be.
Over these past 60 years I have given myself to the study, at different times, of the lives of Peter and Andrew and James and John in the Gospels of the New Testament and also in the book of Acts, and of course the personal and powerful letters they wrote.
They had a very different perspective on many of life's major issues. There was an ability to look at circumstances from a very different angle and invariably it was highly positive.
Never once did these leaders girn or groan or complain.
Dreams are important but these men were much more than dreamers. They were visionaries and had the call of Almighty God upon their lives. That changes everything.
They became disciples of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and as disciples they were learners and followers and trained ones.
They had a depth of faith and a profound insight and men who had been quite ordinary fishermen to begin with, went fishing for men, preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and writing parts of what has become known to be the Word of God, in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.
God can approach and take what is very ordinary and transform it into what becomes extraordinary.
This makes life so exciting and thrilling and filled with adventure, as we serve in the Kingdom of God.
Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.
He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled "Word from Scotland" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.
His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.
By Sandy Shaw
Article Source: Are You a Dreamer or a Visionary Witnessing Extraordinary Results and Consequences?
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