The Chief Cupbearer Remembers A Source of Wisdom - Genesis 41:9-13

Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I would make mention today of my own offenses. Pharaoh was furious with his servants, and he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker. And we had a dream on the same night, he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. Now a Hebrew youth was with us there, a servant o the captain of the bodyguard, and we related them to him, and he interpreted our reams for us. To each one he interpreted according to his own dream. And it came about that just as he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my office, but he hanged him.”

Since no one could comfort the Pharaoh with any reasonable interpretation of his dreams, the cupbearer Pharaoh had restored to his job after throwing him in prison, decided to share his own ‘dream interpretation’ experience with the king. The cupbearer tells Pharaoh how he and the chief baker had had dreams on the same night and how a young Hebrew in jail with them had interpreted them correctly. Three days after the dreams, Pharaoh returned the cupbearer to his role and hung the baker, exactly as young Joseph had interpreted.

Here is the cupbearer taking a risk for several reasons. First, he has the audacity to imply that he knows what the Pharaoh was going through. The idea that a mere servant could possibly understand the mental anguish of a ruler such as the Pharaoh could have been enough to set the monarch off. Secondly, the reminder that Pharaoh had once been angry with his cupbearer could have made him angry again, especially given his current mood. Thirdly, there was the risk of sharing a possible solution that could potentially backfire. What if the king approached Joseph and Joseph’s interpretation was a negative one for the Pharaoh? Then were might the cupbearer end up?

We note that the cupbearer possibly did not even remember Joseph’s name, referring to him only as “a young Hebrew”.

And finally note that the cupbearer did not tell Pharaoh what to do. He did not say, “listen boss, you must get in touch with this young Hebrew lad; he may well be the answer to your needs right now.” No, he simply informed him of his experience.

What can we take from these three simple observations – the risk, the apparent non-remembrance of Joseph personally by name, and the lack of instruction as to what the Pharaoh should do?

Are we prepared to take a risk to share our story with those in need? Are we prepared to tell them what God has done for us? Are we prepared to share what to them may seem so ‘unlikely’? Imagine, a mere Hebrew youth being able to do what all the wise men and magicians of Egypt could not do. What was the chance of Pharaoh accepting that possibility? Yet in man’s deepest needs, the unlikely becomes most probable, as we will see in the text still before us.

Turning our thoughts inwardly, how often do we forget the actual person behind the help we received? Do we remember the ‘person’ that helped us with great advice, or helped us in an emergency, or sacrificed their rights for ours? Often we do well just to remember the deed, never mind the person who performed it. I think we need to stop and reflect more on and about the persons involved in our day-to-day lives. What are their needs, their hurts, their desires and hopes?

Finally, the cupbearer is an excellent example to us of knowing what to say and what not to say in a particular situation. He knew he was sharing something with the Pharaoh. He knew, even though he was the Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and thus close to him in some respects, he had no right to tell him what to do – only to share with him what he himself had experienced. We need to learn from that as we go about our own witnessing. We need to consider both our relationships with others and our positions and then realize that Christ asks us to simply give “testimony” and be a “witness to” what He has done for us. Nothing more, nothing less.

What can a simple cupbearer of an ancient ruler teach us today? I think much. God bless us as we reflect on the need to be courageous and take risks in sharing our experiences, remembering the people behind the deeds that have shaped our lives even in small ways, and knowing what our true Christian obligation to sharing Christ is really about.

Join others following Ken on Twitter
Check-out AccordConsulting, SCA International, and Human Resources for the Church.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Pharaoh’s Dreams - Genesis 41:1-8

Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing in the Nile. And lo, from the Nile there came up seven cows, sleek and fat; and they grazed in the marsh grass. Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and gaunt, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good. Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Now it came about in the morning that his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

So the chief baker is dead, the chief cupbearer gets his job back in Pharaoh’s household, and poor Joseph spends another two years in prison, totally forgotten by everyone. Everyone but God and it is time for Him to get involved more directly.

This time Pharaoh himself has two dreams. In the first one, he is standing on the banks of the Nile River and seven shiny, healthy-looking, fat cows come out of the water and start munching away on the adjacent grass. They are followed by seven scrawny, unsightly cows, which join the first lot, and proceed to eat them up. At that point Pharaoh wakes up.

He shakes any possible effects of the first dream off and he once again falls asleep only to have a second dream. This time seven ears of grain sprouted on a single vibrant and strong stalk appear. Then seven all but dead ears of grain, due to wind and scorching sun conditions sprung up after them and gobbled up the seven healthy ears. This was enough to wake Pharaoh up again.

We can assume he got very little sleep the rest of the night for the text says that in the morning his mind was disturbed and puzzled over the possible meanings of these dreams. He immediately summons his servants and orders them to call all the magicians of Egypt and all of her wise men. Two points to note here. First, he called for “all” of them. I could understand one or two, but ‘all’? These dreams must have been much more disturbing and vivid than the text describes. Either that, or Pharaoh must have been a very insecure person. Second, do not people do much the same today when they run to seers and crystal ball gazers to interpret events in their dreams or in their lives? The world wants to know what all these things mean for them or those they love.

Yet the scripture says, “no one could” tell the Pharaoh what his dreams meant. Not even with a little bit of certainty. You will remember earlier in Genesis 40:8 Joseph had clearly made the point that dream “interpretations belong to God”. And so it is. Only God knows the future. Only God can be counted on to see us through it.

Last night I attended a baptismal service at church for thirty-seven candidates. Each were asked how long they had been a believer in Christ and why it was that they had made the decision to be baptized at this particular time. It was interesting to hear a common theme running through the responses of a significant number. They had tried everything and they were tired of avoiding, or even running away from, God. They had come to the decision that all the answers to our questions, all our best interests, all our strength and wisdom comes from Him. Now it was time to fully obey Him, get baptized, and totally rely on Him. So it is when we experience things beyond our own understanding in our lives – be they in our dreams or during our waking moments. Only God can be the real source of the answers and the assurance we need. I pray it will be so with us today, especially if we’re disturbed or concerned about something specific.

In the verses that follow, we will see how God sometimes uses those He has chosen to provide us with those answers we see to our own life’s dilemmas.

Join others following Ken on Twitter
Check-out AccordConsulting, SCA International, and Human Resources for the Church.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

The Interpreted Dreams Come True - Genesis 40:20-23

Thus it came about on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. And he restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and he put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand; but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

Can you imagine the scene? It is the Pharaoh’s birthday and of course what better time to display his authority than that to all his servants. So he throws a big feast for them with several possible objectives. He wanted to thank them for their services or he needed substitute friends to celebrate with. We do not know how popular he was outside his own palace. He would use the occasion to demonstrate he had the power to forgive peoples’ wrong against him and also the power to take their lives. To that end, he had the chief cupbearer and the chief baker hauled up from the prisons below and “he lifted up” their heads and held them for all to see. A good “sport” at their expense, for sure. Can you imagine the stillness of the scene? What would the man in charge do with these two heads of former servants and now prisoners? And who would be next? If he could determine life or death for these two, what could he do for those that were serving in much lower positions in his household?

Well, he did exactly as Joseph had said he would when he interpreted the dreams the cupbearer and the baker had respectively. The cupbearer was spared, the baker was hung.

One would think that the cupbearer would have remembered the interpretations Joseph had given to him and his colleague just three days earlier. But we are told he did not. In fact, the text says, he “forgot him”.

Perhaps therein lies the lesson for us today. Have we forgotten those that have asked us to remember them and at the time, we likely said, “yes, we will” or “don’t worry, I won’t forget you”? Have we forgotten those that we should not have forgotten, those that have really been instrumental in our lives? Finally, have we forgotten to deliver on the promises that we made? That is, can people really rely on our word?

In my own life, especially as a consultant, I have made several observations in this regard. People are not very good at keeping their promises – to their families, their friends, their colleagues, their clients, or to God. The people of God themselves, and pastors and church leaders in particular, are not always very good at it. We get failing marks in this category.

I believe we can all improve in this area. It’s all about integrity and credibility. Let our yes be yes and our no, no. We need to deliver on the goods we say we will deliver. That is part of maturing in Christ. It is my prayer that you and I are challenged to do just that.

Join others following Ken on Twitter
Check-out AccordConsulting, SCA International, and Human Resources for the Church.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Joseph Interprets The Chief Baker’s Dream In Prison - Genesis 40:16-19

When the chief baker saw that he had interpreted favorably, he said to Joseph, “I also saw in my dream, and behold, there were three baskets of white bread on my head; and in the top basket there were some of all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” Then Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and will hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh off you.”

You will remember that the chief baker also had a dream the same night the chief cupbearer did and so when his colleague got a great interpretation from Joseph, he wanted the same. In a very odd way this is a depiction of what most of us are like. We see something that others have received and say, “We want that too.” But it may not be good for us. It may not be in our best interest to get it. In this case, the baker could have spared himself three agonizing days knowing he has going to be hung imminently. He could have just taken his chances with his dream. I suppose, though, there is something to be said about wanting to know what the future holds, be it good or bad. If I were dying of cancer, I’d want to know sooner rather than later.

Clearly the baker’s dream was very different in its content. In it, the baker seemed helpless as to what was happening and took no action on his own. The birds in the dream were in charge. Joseph, as the dream interpreter, could not ignore these differences. Can you imagine being Joseph and having to communicate such an interpretation? I am thankful I do not interpret dreams.

As a career counselor, management consultant, and mentor, I have had the opportunity to work with people who really wanted something which clearly was not within their reach, sometimes because of reasons beyond their control, but more often because of their unwillingness to sacrifice what was required in order to achieve their goal. Sharing reality with them is always very difficult. In doing so, I try to provide some more realistic alternatives. Those not receptive to such guidance sometimes dismiss me out of hand. Others, have come back to thank me for my honesty. In our passage here, the baker unfortunately would not have that opportunity.

What we cannot ignore in these verses is the clear lesson that two things often accompany being used by God in a very special way as Joseph was. First, we are called to do things for which we can only rely on God to do well. In this case, Joseph knew that the interpretation of dreams belonged to God (Genesis 40:8). Secondly, often the things we are called to do are very difficult and involve telling it like it is (he had to tell the baker he was about to die). My prayer is that you and I can both realize exactly how God does use us when He chooses to, as well as be committed to being used in that way.

Join others following Ken on Twitter
Check-out AccordConsulting, SCA International, and Human Resources for the Church.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Joseph Interprets The Chief Cupbearer’s Dream In Prison -- Genesis 40:9-15

So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my dream, behold, there was a vine in front of me; and on the vine were three branches. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out, and its clusters produced ripe grapes. Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, an I put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.” Then Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand according to your former custom when you were his cupbearer. Only keep me in mind when it goes well with you, and please do me a kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. For I was in fact kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into the dungeon.”

In the chief cupbearer’s dream, he saw a blossoming grapevine with three branches reaching fruition. In his hand, he held Pharaoh’s wine cup, which he proceeded to fill by squeezing the grapes from the vine into it, and gave it to Pharaoh. A very simple dream in some respects but not necessarily easy to interpret.

Joseph, upon hearing it, interprets the dream. The three branches of the maturing vine represent a period of three days at which time the cupbearer would be taken from prison and reinstated in his former position as depicted in the dream by the cupbearer filling Pharaoh’s cup.

You can imagine the joy that the cupbearer must have felt as he heard those words from Joseph. But did he really immediately believe it? We do not know. Or was it only a feeling of “if only it were true” not dissimilar to what we often feel reading our ‘fortune cookie messages’ after a good Chinese meal?

And by the way, what was the real purpose of this dream of the cupbearer’s? Was it really all about him, his release and re-instatement? Or was it more about how God wanted to use it in the life of Joseph? Certainly Joseph was not going to let an opportunity like this go by. Being confident in his interpretation of the dream, Joseph asks the cupbearer simply to “keep me in mind” and mention “me to Pharaoh when you get out” of here. Not ‘if’, but ‘when’.

We note that Joseph then shares with the cupbearer his own situation, how he unwillingly got to Egypt and how he feels undeserving of his current imprisonment. No major complaining, just the reality of the circumstances he was in. We also note that no record of a response by the cupbearer to either the interpretation or to Joseph’s request is provided. Again, to me indicating, the author is more concerned with the Joseph plotline than that of the cupbearer.

What are we to take from this passage of scripture? I’m not sure, but here are a few suggestions. First, realize and be ready and willing to be used by God in any circumstance you find yourself in as Joseph was. Second, from the cupbearer’s perspective, allow individuals who have been clearly blessed by God to minister to you. And third, from Joseph’s perspective again, pursue solutions to your challenges by making your case and leaving the rest to God – a lesson that we all need to keep on learning. My prayer today is that we be willing and ready to be used, yes today; for those of us dealing with challenges, to allow other godly men and women to minister to us from God; and finally, to take the necessary steps to stand up for to the point of stating our case, but allowing God to bring about results.

Join others following Ken on Twitter
Check-out AccordConsulting, SCA International, and Human Resources for the Church.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Pharaoh’s Prisoned Servants Have Dreams - Genesis 40:5-8

Then the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in jail, they both had a dream the same night, each man with his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation. When Joseph came to them in the mourning and observed them, behold, they were dejected. And he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in confinement in his master’s house, “Why are your faces so sad today?” Then they said to him, “We have had a dream and there is no one to interpret it.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it to me, please.”

God has Joseph and the king’s cupbearer and baker all in the same prison at the same time. The text says that both the baker and the cupbearer had separate dreams on the same night. It clearly states these dreams had their own interpretation. This, in my mind, is a significant statement. Clearly some dreams do have interpretations. What we are not told from this passage is that all dreams have interpretations – they may not. Dreams can be explained but they do not necessarily predict the future. The fact that the author of Genesis indicates these two dreams did have an interpretation, further supports the idea that all dreams do not. I do not believe we are to go about seeking an interpretation of each and every dream that we have. It may have just been the overabundance of chili peppers we had for supper the night before.

In the morning Joseph, being in charge of the prisoners, personally goes to check their well-being and finds the baker and the cupbearer very depressed. The text actually says he “observed them”. Here is Joseph in jail himself and he continues to do his assigned work with great care and diligence. These men were fellow-prisoners, confined with him. Why would he bother to treat them so well? Yet he enquires of them as to the cause of their woes and finds out that it is due to having no one who could interpret their dreams. And he does not just say, “oh, I see” and then moves on. I am reminded of a dear lady at a church I attended lately. As I often saw her in the lobby, I would call out, “how are you?” and keep on going. One day she blocked my path just as I had uttered the usual question and put her hands on both my shoulders and said, “Please don’t ask me how I am unless you really care and can stop long enough to have me respond. Instead, just say ‘hello’ and keeping on going.” Wow. That stunned me and I have never since asked anyone “how are you?” on the fly. Joseph was not ‘on the fly’ with the people he was in charge of. The question remains for us, “Would we go that far when we ourselves are imprisoned in the affairs of life?”

Although I have never had this desire or curiosity, I am told most people crave to have their dreams interpreted. That’s why when you ‘google’ “dream interpreters” on the Internet these days you get thousands of hits. But Joseph, indicating his actual awareness of God and his desire to bow to His authority, tells the baker and the cupbearer that “interpretations belong to God”. Now, here is the interesting perspective that Joseph had. I believe he realized he had a special relationship with God and it is for that reason he felt comfortable acknowledging that interpretations do belong to Him and at the same time to ask the prisoners to tell him their dreams so through God’s guidance and direction, Joseph himself could interpret them.

Have you ever been in a situation like that? Have you ever felt close enough to God to honestly believe that you could speak or interpret for Him? Many of course think they are there all the time. I would, however, caution us to be careful in that regard. I would point out Joseph had done nothing special, as far as we know, to acquire that gift. He could not boast that he deserved it or earned it. It was clearly all God’s choosing. He was simply someone God wanted to use. And he himself may not have even known it. In fact, he certainly didn’t have to go around telling people “I have the gift”. I would caution against those that do just that.

Join others following Ken on Twitter
Check-out AccordConsulting, SCA International, and Human Resources for the Church.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Joseph’s Success In Jail - Genesis 39:21-23

But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. And the chief jailer committed to Joseph’s charge all the prisoners who were in the jail; so that whatever was done there, he was responsible for it. The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph’s charge because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made to prosper.

There is nothing better that could happen to a person either already in trouble or heading towards it than to have a “but God” inserted into his or her life as was the case with Joseph at the beginning of this portion of scripture. And often that “but” is accompanied with the very presence of God. The text says, “But the Lord was with Joseph”.

For some humanly unknown reason Joseph was treated kindly in prison by the jailers. Yet the text says it was God who did that. It was also God who actually “gave him favor” with the chief jailer. Here is a beautiful account of how God wants to be involved in the lives of His children. He wants to be with us. He wants to extend kindness to us through others. He wants to have us succeed in the long run.

As we read what the chief jailer does, putting all the prisoners in the jail under Joseph’s charge, we think, “here we go again; the kid still has his charm and skills and abilities!” Do you ever wonder why, besides the obvious fact that God was with him, Joseph rises to the top of his situation and environment again? I think it is because the gifts and strengths that God builds into us, or entrusts to us, in our character and personality and the way we operate are gifts that are lasting and transferable to wherever He places us. Also He may have trained us in one situation and now wants to use us in another.

We should also note that Joseph did not say to the chief jailer, “No thanks; been there, done that and I got burned in big way last time. Just give the responsibility to someone else, please.” No, he accepted what “God” was handing him again through the jailer. In that new position, he gained the trust of his authority and became responsible for all that was done by and through the prisoners. And the text says that the chief jailer stayed out of the way “because the Lord was with” Joseph. Trust had been lost in Potiphar’s house and had been regained in prison. When things go badly for the true child of God, some of the world may be finished with him or her, but God is not.

I recently had to deal with an issue of trust in ministry. Because of the situation, it was mutually agreed by the individual and the organization involved that there should be a parting of the ways. But I am convinced that God is not finished with that individual; He is not finished using their strengths and talents. It will be a matter of where and how and the individual’s willingness to let God interfere with a ‘but God’ and with His presence.

This section of scripture ends with “and whatever (Joseph) did, the Lord made to prosper.” It is God allowing the succeeding, not Joseph in this case, not the jailer’s wise supervision, not you or I in our own case, not because of those around us – but God. It is my prayer that each of us sees the mighty presence of God’s hand in all that we do each day and for the rest of our lives. When we notice that, we can then start asking Him to make evident His ultimate intent and purpose for our situation and life. God’s purpose for Joseph was about to be revealed. Stay tuned.

Join others following Ken on Twitter
Check-out AccordConsulting, SCA International, and Human Resources for the Church.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Potiphar’s Ire and Joseph’s Imprisonment - Genesis 39:19-20

Now it came about when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, “This is what your slave did to me”; that his anger burned. So Joseph’s master took him and put him into the jail, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the jail.

Do you ever get a story from a relative about another person that just makes your blood boil? That happened to Potiphar when he came home to find his wife holding on to Joseph’s garment and telling him he tried to rape her. Although it depends on who is doing the telling, we normally buy into the story right away. Potiphar did just that, but as we know, he was wrong.

When something which at first appears a little unbelievable is told to us, it would be wise for us to pause and consider what is being said; who is saying it; why are they saying it; and what we personally know concerning the person it is said about. We need to verify it against our own knowledge and understanding and to the best of our ability, against the facts. Perhaps we would be wise also to check it with the person who may be the subject of the news.

We often fail to do so. That gets us into problems with family, with friends, and if the truth be known, with those other brothers and sisters that we worship with. Making the practice of not doing this kind of verifying starts at an early age (I have seen it in my grandchildren) and unless parents take the time to help children work out and correct the reality, it will go unchecked right into adulthood.

Of course, there are always clues along the way that should cause us to think there might be another side to any bit of surprising news. In Potiphar’s case, he may have been more sensitive and tuned in to the kind of wife he had or the feelings she was experiencing at the time. Or, he may have paid more attention to the fact that her story may not have been as accurate, given that she used it as another opportunity to blame him for all her problems. But he missed both of these clues.

Behaving true to his normal pattern, he instead reacted with himself in mind. After all, to Potiphar life was all indeed about him. So he feels very betrayed by Joseph and thus the text says ‘anger burned’ inside him. He may also have realized that now he would be ridiculed by those who had opposed his decision to trust Joseph as he had. So he acts and he acts in a most definitive way. Our first lesson here is to not act hastily as Potiphar did. There is no enquiry, no cross-examination, no opportunity for Joseph to tell his story. He is once again treated, without notice, like a simple valueless slave.

But there is also a lesson for us if when we feel like Joseph, the one lied about, the one not listened to, the one discarded like a slave who no longer had any purpose. You see Potiphar throws Joseph in jail with no word as to how long his sentence would last. For all we know, he was there to die. But here’s the interesting thing – Joseph got thrown into the jail that also housed the prisoners of the king himself. We cannot fully appreciate the significance of this bit of information until we finish the story of Joseph in the Bible, but suffice it to say, God had His hand in the selection of the jail Potiphar used.

I love the last phrase of verse 20. It simply reads, “and he was there in jail” period. The story could have ended there – “starry-eyed Israelite dreamer boy ends up as a big shot in Egypt but left to die in the king’s prison. Next story please.” But no, because the very next word, the first word of the very next verse, verse 20, is, once again, my favorite word in Scripture – “But”!

Where are you today? Were you a person with big dreams that somehow just got the bad breaks of life or had other people take advantage of you? Have you somehow ended up in a spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, or social prison? You need not be alone. You need to know that God has indeed reserved one or more of my favorite words just for your life. You need to know that He is willing and able to change things starting right now if you let Him, if you recognize that your only hope is “But God!” I pray you will be able to do that today.

Join others following Ken on Twitter
Check-out AccordConsulting, SCA International, and Human Resources for the Church.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

A Scorned Woman Takes Revenge - Genesis 39:13-18

When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had fled outside, she called to the men of her household, and said to them, “See, he has bought in a Hebrew to us to make sport of us; he came in to me to lie with me, and I screamed. And it came about when he heard that I raised my voice and screamed, that he left his garment beside me and fled, and went outside.” So she left his garment beside her until his master came home. Then she spoke to him with these words, “The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to make sport of me; and it happened as I raised my voice and screamed, that he left his garment beside me and fled outside.”

Joseph flees the seductive wife of Potiphar who forcibly pursued him, but in so doing he has left his garment in her hands. She immediately calls the menservants who had been outside and gives them an interesting account of what had just transpired. But she blames her husband for placing a Hebrew in such a high position. Then she blames the Hebrew for wanting to simply do whatever he wants with the entire household, including now her. She lies about who was the aggressor in this assault, saying she screamed when he wanted to make love to her, causing Joseph to flee and leave his garment.

The garment becomes the treasured piece of evidence that she holds on to and awaits Potiphar’s return. When her husband does come home, she repeats the lies, continuing to blame him for the situation – “the Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us” – and then falsely emphasizes her own innocence. Here was a woman spurned by someone she wanted as a lover, probably ignored by her husband, bored to death with her life, and now on top of all that, her dignity had been damaged severely.

What is the lesson here for you and me? If you live long enough and sometimes, but not always, uprightly enough, there will come a time when you are falsely accused. Life is like that; people are like that. You may have done all the right things in dealing with a situation. You, like Joseph, may have said, “no” to sin repeatedly. But the ‘enemy’ does not let go; he does not give up. He keeps working things just so that it seems you will pay even more for not giving in to the ‘sin’. That is what happened to Joseph in these verses.

First, at the sexual fancy and then on the mental whim of one person, in this case Potiphar’s dissatisfied wife, a man’s reputation and his career are wiped out in one brief and on his part, innocent, encounter with her. What a bummer. Has that ever happened to you? Perhaps not with respect to sex or adultery, but perhaps involving some action you took or did not take at work, something you said or did not say in a relationship, a misunderstanding of a position taken at church, or the like.

Here was Joseph, alone in a strange land. All the friends he had gained were likely Egyptians and now with this turn of events, none of them would stand with him. And I am sure matters would just get worse.

But here is the consolation. Back in the second verse of this chapter, we read the following words, “And the Lord was with Joseph”. Was this still not the case? I believe it was. Joseph had done nothing to cause the Lord to depart from him. He was still with him. Why then all this trouble for our hero? Why all this trouble for you if you have been in similar situations? Those of us, who know the outcome of this story, may know the reason. For the rest, here’s a clue. Potiphar, whom Joseph worked for, was a pretty important officer in Pharoah’s regiment, but he was not the “main man”. Somehow, God wanted to bring Joseph to the attention of the Pharoah in order to accomplish His purpose. And the Lord was still with Joseph. And He is still with you and me, because He has something He wants to accomplish through you and me.

Stay tuned as we continue with the story of Joseph in Egypt.

Join others following Ken on Twitter
Check-out AccordConsulting, SCA International, and Human Resources for the Church.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Potiphar’s Wife Makes One Last Effort - Genesis 39:11-12

Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside. And she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside.

These two verses are packed with images and lessons. To begin with Joseph is alone in the house with another man’s wife who we know has strong desires for him. And there are no other men around. This is problematic. While I personally am not of the belief that a man must never be alone with another woman who is not his wife, daughter, or other close relative, I am convinced that he should not be alone with another woman if there is or ever has been any evidence of his desiring her or her desiring him, or if one of them knows that the other makes a habit of pursuing adulterous affairs, or if one of them knows his or her own weakness in this regard. Certainly if any of these feelings arise even momentarily during their private, yet legitimate, encounter, one or both of them must immediately put a halt to it and take steps not to repeat the circumstance.

After the information we have in verse 10 of this chapter, Joseph should have known that going alone into Potiphar’s house when only his master’s wife and perhaps her private servants were there, would not be a good idea. Perhaps there is something in a man (and I am sure some women) that causes them to think, “I am above becoming a victim; I can protect myself”. How wrong can one be? And yes, even if you can ‘run away’ as Joseph did when Potiphar’s wife insisted he sleep with her, he still left himself open to becoming the victim he may have thought he would never be.

After being refused, Potiphar’s wife grabbed Joseph’s garment, leaving him no choice but to push her away and flee. In the process he left behind his garment in her hands. Men, I am sure that at some point in your life you have discovered the spurning ability of women, I am sure you will admit that some women cannot be stopped when they have been rejected. In fact, for those of you who are Hollywood movie fans, you will note that millions have been made from movies like Fatal Attraction and other similar ones that play on just that. What we have here in verse 12 is a perfect setup for revenge. Joseph has indeed become the victim and the consequence is about to be felt.

What is the lesson for us? Well perhaps more than one. First, know yourself. Second, know those you work with or for. Third, if you are indeed the innocent victim, know you are not alone. In today’s world, there are more and more charges of sexual assault all the time. Often they are legitimate, but there are also occasions when they are not. I remember once having a sexual harassment complaint made against me by a woman working for me. It turned out, once the company started investigating, that I was indeed her third victim. She had had a record of planning such charges (with her husband’s knowledge) and then settling for considerable sums of money and moving on to the next employer. Fortunately, we exposed her practices and let her go. I was not alone. God was with me through the ordeal. Had I been alone or tried to solve this on my own, I could have lost everything.

As you face temptation today, know yourself, know those you deal with, and know God is with you. And with that knowledge do the right thing.

Join others following Ken on Twitter
Check-out AccordConsulting, SCA International, and Human Resources for the Church.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Fighting The Persistence of Evil - Genesis 39:10

And it came about as she spoke to Joseph day after day, that he did not listen to her to lie beside her, or be with her.

There are some things in life that are “one-time” events. Birth is one; death is another. In between those two, one may be able to think of a small number of other “you only do it once” milestones in life. Certainly for the believer in Jesus, receiving the free gift of salvation is indeed one such event.

But for the most part, life is a journey of repeated opportunities and experiences – some that we welcome; others that we wish would just go away. Those events that most would say “I never want to go through that again” about them represent the latter. A real serious illness for a loved one or us is one such example. Another might be being unemployed for a long time. Still another may be the feeling of being violated when someone has broken into your home and literally trashed everything in sight to get to what they were looking for. And so on.

And then there are the pesky things in life. The power keeps going out. The kids keep losing their mittens. The car always needs repairs. My clothes no longer fit. I have the “nothing to wear again” blues. And so on.

Somewhere between these and the ‘never again’ events lies ‘temptation’. According to Wikipedia, “a temptation is an act that looks appealing to an individual. It is usually used to describe acts with negative connotations and as such, tends to lead a person to regret such actions, for various reasons: legal, social, psychological (including feeling guilt), health, economic, etc.”

Wikipedia continues with respect to the word’s derivation: “Though at present used in many non-religious connotations, the term has implications deeply rooted in Judaism and the Old Testament, starting with the story of Adam and Eve and the original sin.” Finally it goes on to give this observation: “‘Temptation’ is usually used in a loose sense to describe actions which indicate a lack of self control.”

I am sure there are entire sermons that can be written and given on the very concepts included in the above write-up. The Bible does deal extensively with ‘temptation’. Today’s verse is an early example.

Potiphar’s wife was indeed Joseph’s temptation. She persisted “day after day”. Temptation is like that, once it gets the whiff of your presence that it craves, it hunts you down until either it captures you or you kill it. You can only fight it or even run away from it for so long. At some point, you will need to give in to it, utterly destroy it, or ‘get out of Dodge’. Those are your choices. Giving in usually wins hands down, but it does not need to. Removing yourself from the circumstances (changing jobs, or neighborhoods, changing churches, etc.) can help tremendously but inherently there are two problems with that. First, it is not always practical. Second, you may just be running into the next bad town, scene, church or workplace. Somehow, your best choice is to determine how you can utterly destroy it.

The good news is that like Joseph, you do not have to do it alone. God is willing to fight temptation with you. He’s an expert at that. When faced with temptation, we often fail to avail ourselves of the greatest resource given to us to contend against all evil and that is Jesus Christ. God has given us everything in Him (Ephesians 1:3). With Him, all things are indeed possible. The scripture says Joseph “did not listen” to his temptation. He did not sleep with Potiphar’s wife. In fact, he avoided her.

There is no better advice we can give each other. Stand firm and fight temptation. Do not give in. Count on God’s help. Then avoid the circumstances that allow temptation to think it still has a chance. That is my desire for each of us today as we battle the temptations we will all face, even this day.

Join others following Ken on Twitter
Check-out AccordConsulting, SCA International, and Human Resources for the Church.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Potiphar’s Wife Desires Joseph - Genesis 39:7-9

And it came about after these events that his master’s wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, with me around, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. There is no one greater in this house that I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God?”

Joseph is in charge of everything in Potiphar’s house except Potiphar’s wife. And she has a mind of her own. There was nothing shy about her. She was attracted to Joseph’s handsome form and appearance (Genesis 39:6), desired him physically, and boldly asked him to sleep with her.

Joseph not only refuses but also he rebukes her for what she is asking. He recognizes his position of authority and responsibility. But more importantly he recognizes both the sanctity of marriage (“because you are his [Potiphar’s] wife”) as well his moral obligation to God (“How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God?”).

Today we need to stop and think not only of others we know that may have fallen in adultery, but also whether or not we are able to prevent such a fall. These two verses seem to offer four excellent points in dealing with the situation:
1. Understand our position of authority and realize that there are inherent dangers that go along with it. The opportunities to fall into temptation and commit sin are great. We cannot conquer these snares alone; we need the protection and guidance of God at all times.
2. Understand the responsibilities we have to others in our role. These include responsibilities to our employer, our colleagues, our own family, and to those who trust us outside the position. In the case of pastors or leaders, this includes those that rely on us to be, among other things, a strong moral example.
3. Understand and be committed to the sanctity of marriage. For a Christian, the argument of “mutual consent” does not apply when sleeping with another person’s spouse. It did not matter that Joseph was single; his master’s wife was not. Neither Potiphar nor God would have granted such permission and for the Christian, every marriage is a tri-fold bond between husband, wife, and God. In fact, for the Christian, lest I be misunderstood, all adultery is wrong – even when both parties are single.
4. Understand committing adultery is not only “a great evil” but also a “sin against God”. Can He deal with it? Yes, of course He can and He has throughout the Old and New Testament and right through to today when His own children fall, but it does not make Him happy. It breaks His heart. There is a way back, but there are also most often some very real concrete and difficult consequences.

It is my prayer that each of us understands fully the implications of adultery in our lives and is able, with God’s help, to overcome the attractiveness of its fleeting pleasures that last only for a season. Let us do all we can to avoid the nightmares that often last for a lifetime. I pray God will make that a reality in your life and in mine.

Join others following Ken on Twitter
Check-out AccordConsulting, SCA International, and Human Resources for the Church.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

The Marketing of Evil -- Part VIII - The Truth About Abortion and Our Last Hope

Last in a series. I thought I knew a lot about abortion. I was mistaken. David Kupelian's chapter "Blood Confessions" on the topic in his book "The Marketing of Evil" made me mad. It also made me more committed than ever to play some role in addressing this modern day Holocaust. Here then are some of my notes/thoughts on reading that chapter as well as his concluding chapter entitled "Last, Best Hope". And by the way, I recommend you skip this synopsis -- just make sure you read the whole book!

Blood Confessions

* How did we ever get from "killing the unborn" to "choice"? Kupelian explains how the liberals and pro-abortionists get involved in "issue formulation".

* He quotes the original planners of the abortion movement of publicly lying about facts and publishing phony polls because they knew that would drive public opinion.

* He tells the story of one doctor who got fired when he started to question his involvement in abortions. That man went on to produce a film in 1985 entitled "The Silent Scream" which put the pro-life people on the offensive and the pro-abortion people on the defensive. In 1987, he produced another film called "The Eclipse of Reason" which was introduced by the late Charleston Heston. It showed exactly what happens in abortion at just 12 weeks from conception. It shows how piece by piece of the fetus is suctioned out and then re-assembled on a cold table to be sure they got it all. Contrary to popular opinion, the decision in the famous Roe vs. Wade case actually allows abortion anytime during the full nine-month term.

* As the title of the chapter suggests, person after person who no longer supports abortion but was intimately involved in thousands of them, confesses what was going on. He shares the lies they admitted telling to pregnant women. Lies like there is no pain involved for the mother or fetus; or that it is not a baby, but only a blood clot; or that there are no alternatives to an abortion.

* As I read this chapter I realized that being pro-choice is not being morally-neutral while being pro-life is just plain being moral.

* Kupelian shares what he learned and was told about concerning all the cash deals with no records so that there could be no lawsuits or any need for expensive insurance. And of course, that cuts down on any taxes to be paid. After all, the government doesn't really need "blood money". He shares how ultrasound was used to determine how far along the baby was because the further along it was, the more they could charge for the abortion.

* Mothers were not allowed to see/watch their ultrasound in case they heard the heartbeat and changed their mind.

* Finally, aborted baby after aborted baby was thrown down a garbage disposal shute. All of this evidence is documented.

* And then Kupelian makes this statement: "The question of how doctors could tear apart a virtually full-grown baby is painful, perplexing, mystifying." Amen. But he tries to explain as best he can (through the testimony of doctors) exactly how they come to do that starting when at medical school. It's frightening. Doctors actually talk about getting callous and some make statements like, "my God, that's a person!"

* He can only conclude that indeed while the Holocaust that Jews lived through was terrible and words cannot describe, today we are witnessing North America's Abortion Holocaust and we are being silent about it for the most part. Many who were for abortion and performed them in the past and have since become pro-life are madly trying to put the genie back in the bottle but it is very difficult. He has an excellent section on the relationship between hypnosis and abortion -- you'll want to check that out. He says many believe that being legal makes something moral. He shares the whole story of the "utter fraud of Planned Parenthood, the world's largest abortion provider, founded by the racist eugenicist Margaret Sanger, who preached the inferiority of nonwhite races and had close ties to Hitler's director of genetic sterilization, Ernst Rudin." And finally, he shares the full story of Norma McCurvey, the real person who was the "Jane Roe" in the Roe vs. Wade case. She shares how that whole case was a fraud and how she was used by abortion rights attorneys in their quest to legalize the procedure. You'll want to read that for yourself. She is doing all she can to reverse the decision but much is falling on deaf ears.

Last, Best Hope

In his final chapter of the book, David Kupelian talks about the silence of the institutional church and the failure of some churches to deal with the homosexual issues they are confronted with and the other issues he has identified and addressed in his book. But he also talks about the evangelical churches and how they have embraced "abandonment theology" -- that is, the thinking that says "with the end so near, why fight?" (I must admit up to about a year or two ago I was like that, but no longer.) He explains how evangelicals have become the "invisible Christians" and the consequences of us being that.

Kupelian describes the results of our "Christian mimicry of a thoroughly unchristian popular culture" and he does that very well and in great detail. Finally he calls each of us to compare what we mean by a follower of Jesus Christ, by being born-again, by being a believer if you like, against what Jesus Himself or the Apostle Paul meant by those concepts. He concludes by suggesting that the last, best hope may well be for each of us to pursue a "love of truth". It's a fascinating and well-constructed conclusion.

I give the book five stars. Please give it your time -- for the sake of those that come after you. -- Ken Godevenos, Consultant to Corporations and Non-Profits.

Join others following Ken on Twitter
Check-out AccordConsulting, SCA International, and Human Resources for the Church.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

The Marketing of Evil - Part VII -- The Media

David Kupelian has written an excellent book on "The Marketing of Evil". I'm working my way through it slowly and sharing some of his thoughts. But you won't get the full impact of his writing until you read the whole book. Here's another installment of my synopsis of the book, this time on the matter of the media.

Kupelian gives us some examples as to how mainstream media goes totally against the public. For example, take Ronald Reagan. The people loved him, the media hated him (and he gives quote after quote to back this up). But when he died, the media couldn't stop gushing all over him calling him the "Great Communicator" and quoting his now famous line, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."

Kupleian than takes his readers to the movie, "The Matrix" and uses it as a parallel to the various "matrices" we all get caught in, with special emphasis on the "evolution matrix". The Matrix is all about contradictions. He also gives example after example of contradictions in the life vs. the platform of John Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate against George Bush. He exposes how the media hid things from the public.

Kupelian writes, "...the more God diminishes in our lives, the more government has to rise to take His place. As William Penn said, 'Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants.'"

Kupelian continues, ". . .when people have a real moment-to-moment relationship -- with 'fear and trembling,' as the Good Book says -- with the Living God, they do not look to government to solve all of their problems."

Then he moves to more of the political scene where he describes the role of playing Israel as the "aggressor Goliath" going to pick on the young and unarmed "Arab David". With great detail he exposes the irrationality and insanity of such a thought. Well worth the chapter alone.

But let's move on to the established church, the Catholic Church in this case and see how that ties in with the Boy Scouts of America. Kupelian shows how the media can distort reality. The clergy sex scandal was referred to as a story about "Pedophile Priests". That's convenient says Kupelian but not true. The actual scandal was about "sexual seductions of teenage boys by predatory homosexual men". He gives data from lawyers indicating that 85 per cent of the victims were teenage boys. The media was flaming irate at the fact the church was protecting these "pedophile priests" (but would not refer to them as homosexuals mind you). Yet, they also went ballistic over the so-called "discriminatory" policy of the Boys Scouts of America because they would not allow declared homosexuals to become leaders. So much so, that they managed to mobilize dozens of organizations and corporations, fifty United Way agencies, some local governments and school districts, to withdraw Scout funding or to declare the organization as prejudiced and bigoted. What a hypocrisy.

Kupelian asks the question, "What's behind all this and why does it happen?" You'll need to read the chapter, but let me give you some of his thoughts. Read the following carefully and see if this was not / is not true in your life: "With the promise of reward and/or the threat of punishment -- through intimidation, false love, cruelty, seduction, and endless other ways people appeal to the various hidden weaknesses in all of us -- our lives are shaped and molded by outside influences. In a sense, I'm describing the very machinery of life within the matrix that all of us -- even the most decent and noble -- get caught up in to one degree or another."

He appeals to us to become informed and become "free" of the matrix we have been caught in. Read this book for yourself and for your family.

I approach Kupelian's next chapter called "Blood Confessions: How Lying Marketers Sold America on Unrestricted Abortion" with great angst. See you soon. Your thoughts and comments are always appreciated, either right here on the blog or on FB.

-- Ken Godevenos, Management Consultant to Corporations including Not-for-Profits.

Join others following Ken on Twitter
Check-out AccordConsulting, SCA International, and Human Resources for the Church.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Potiphar Leaves Joseph In Charge Of Everything - Genesis 39:5-6

And it came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; thus the Lord’s blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. So he left everything he owned in Joseph’s charge; and with him around he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.

Imagine getting promoted at work to a very senior job and from that point on your employer’s company became a success story – sales doubled, share price soared, new products were developed, and the chairman of the Board knew that you were the reason! Well that in essence was exactly what happened in the case of Potiphar’s house and Joseph. And from earlier verses we know that Potiphar realized all this was because the Lord was with Joseph.

Potiphar was happy to leave “everything he owned” to the care of Joseph. So far, so good. But was there a downside that was missed? I believe so. Potiphar dropped the ball. The scripture says that as long as Joseph was around, Potiphar did not concern himself with anything except eating. Wow. Potiphar lived a carefree life, indulging only in the pleasures and desires of his stomach, his appetite for food. As long as ‘profits’ were being produced with Joseph’s overseeing his household, nothing else mattered to him. But he failed to see the implications of the situation or to put it in the words of Bill Hybels, “he took his eyes off the main event” and failed to realize the new dynamics at play in his life. And what were they?

Well, for starters as long as he was the one running the show, everyone looked to him for direction and leadership. And that most likely included his wife. She may well have been proud of her husband doing so well, getting to the position he had achieved in Pharoah’s kingdom, and providing so well for her. But now as he seemed to concern himself only with what he ate, he lost that attractiveness for her and perhaps for his staff. In fact, it was Joseph they all went to for direction, advice, and leadership. Potiphar was the ‘boss’ in name only. He no longer made things happen or granted favors or made decisions. Joseph was the man.

And then the scripture tells us that Joseph was “handsome in form and appearance”. Take your eye off the ball or the main events in your life and the devil is ready to jump into action. Leave your main responsibilities to others, especially those that are “handsome” or “beautiful” in the case of females turn your attention to mundane things liking eating or whatever else turns your crank, and your spouse is likely to get some ideas.

But what is the lesson for us today from these verses, as spouses, as business owners, as pastors or leaders, and as Christians? Simply this. You can delegate but you cannot abdicate. You can trust but you need to remain connected and aware. Someone else’s faith in God does not always cover you. And finally, make sure that what you focus on in life is what really matters. That is my prayer for us all. We’ll watch this story unfold in the verses ahead.

Join others following Ken on Twitter
Check-out AccordConsulting, SCA International, and Human Resources for the Church.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Potiphar Notices The Lord Was With Joseph - Genesis 39:3-4

Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house and all that he owned he put in his charge.

Who hasn’t read these two verses before and not wished what was true for Joseph would also be true in our own lives? Looking at this young man’s situation, we see nothing special. He was the second youngest of twelve sons in Jacob’s family. He had accomplished very little by the time he was sold by his older brothers to a traveling group of traders headed to Egypt and ultimately bought by Potiphar, the captain of the Pharaoh’s bodyguard, and employed as a slave/servant in his household.

Yet we note the following: First the Lord was with him. The Bible gives no reason as to why that was the case. God chose him for reasons known only to Himself. God saw something in Joseph that He wanted to both bless as well as use. And there is no evidence at this point that Joseph resisted God in any way. Chapter 37 tells us how Joseph dreamed dreams of success over his brothers, enjoyed the many-colored coat he had been given, obeyed his father when asked to go and find his brothers, and generally was an easy-going young man enjoying life. I would imagine at seventeen years of age as we are told he was (Genesis 37:2), with his father Jacob being quite old, he spent much time listening to Jacob’s account of how he, and Joseph’s grandfather Isaac, and his great-grandfather Abraham, served and obeyed and loved God. I believe Joseph knew all about God and in his own youthful way wanted to serve Him and love and obey Him. And now he’s in Egypt as a servant. He did the only thing he knew how to do well – make the best of it. There is no record of his complaining. God saw that. I wonder if God sees anything like that in you and me. I wonder as Jill Briscoe put it so nicely when I heard her in Toronto on October 24, 2010, “Does He have your heart? Does He have your heart?”

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

The Marketing of Evil - Part VI -- Sabotaging Our Schools

We have been providing summaries of David Kupelian's book, "The Marketing of Evil" (2005). This post addresses his chapter on "How Radicals Have Hijacked America's Education System".
The author makes it clear he is not writing to argue for prayer or Bible reading in schools. Instead, he purposes to show how the "government's school system has been cultivated to indoctrinate, to mold, to socialize children, and even to prepare them for the work force, but not to bring forth from within them the noble character and understanding of truth that lie buried within each child."

He quotes clinical psychologist James Dobson as warning, "Do you understand that children are (like) the stem cells for the culture? The environment that you put them in is what they grow up to be. And if you can control what they hear, if you could control what they're told, if you have access to their minds . . . you can make them into just about whatever you want them to be."

Here are some other highlights of the chapter:

* Since the 1999 Columbine school massacre, school boards have gone insane with their 'no tolerance' policies to the point of being ridiculous. He cites many examples.

* He warns us of the "my kid's school is not like that" syndrome.

* Kupelian explains thoroughly the move away from the alphabetic phonic way teaching children how to read an have replaced it with the look-say or whole-word approach, resulting in millions of poor readers. A most interesting section of the book. Parents need to read this. I thank God for my wife and daughters who are taking time to teach my grand-children how to read phonetically. The nine and seven year olds are now avid readers and the younger ones love books and will soon be reading very well.

* The education system has taken a new worldview approach to some critical issues. For example, sex outside marriage is okay as long as you don't get pregnant or a sexually transmitted disease (and even getting pregnant is not too bad, since you can get an abortion); and being 'gay' is normal -- if you think otherwise you are simply a bigot and one full of hate. What nonsense. But that's the teaching of the overall educational system today.

* Many think that a "public" school is a good thing. But they do not realize that the word "public" is really a nice way of saying, "government". Now some things that the government provides are not bad, especially if they're 'free'. But Kupelian asks, "at what cost?" Love this one line, "Free food is great too, but not if it's been poisoned."

* He points out how the educators are not necessarily intentionally trying to hurt children. Rather, they approach education from a totally different worldview -- one where God is non-existent and humans are mere animals.

* Finally, he does discuss 'homeschooling' as one viable alternative.

Another excellent chapter in this book. I wish the readers of this blog could somehow get the whole picture that David is painting all at once. It is truly a book of great impact on one's life. Strongly recommended.

In our next installment in this series we turn our attention to the media 'matrix' and how the press creates a world of illusion we think is real.

Join others following Ken on Twitter
Check-out AccordConsulting, SCA International, and Human Resources for the Church.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Joseph is Bought by Potiphar - Genesis 39:1-2

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. And the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

Genesis chapter 38 was a unique though important sub-plot to the main story of the book. This chapter (39) takes us back to Joseph and his saga. He had been taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders and sold to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s bodyguard.

Now right from the start of his time in Egypt, we read “the Lord was with Joseph”. Many of us would be satisfied with just that assurance and the presence of God in our lives. But there is something interesting that happens when God comes to be with us and we welcome His participation in our day-to-day business. Scripture says Joseph became a successful man – from the start. That does not mean he became wealthy or powerful. It means he was successful at whatever he had to do in life. In fact, we read that he was simply a servant “in the house of his master the Egyptian”.

Here’s the lesson we can take from this. You or I might have to go into our ‘Egypt’ for a while. But as a Christian, you can know that the Lord will be with you there as well. And you will be successful at whatever you have to experience down there. Not as man would define success, but as God would define it. You’ll have peace and joy and purpose as you serve Him. I think more than ever, with life as it is today and with all the curves that are thrown our way through relationships, government decisions, employment experiences, illnesses, and so much more, the only way for each of us to travel to our own ‘Egypt’ when life takes us there, is to make sure “the Lord is with us” – we can’t leave ‘home’ without Him. It is my prayer that with God by your side, your journey will indeed become a life adventure.

Join others following Ken on Twitter
Check-out AccordConsulting, SCA International, and Human Resources for the Church.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Tamar Gives Birth to Twins - Genesis 38:27-30

And it came about at the times she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb. Moreover, it took place while she was giving birth, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” But it came about as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. Then she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself! So he was named Perez. And afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named Zerah.

So rather than being burned as was the custom for a woman who had sex outside of marriage, Tamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law, was spared as he admitted his part in her pregnancy. In a few short months, Tamar was about to give birth to twins. What happened on that day as the midwife facilitated those births was both interesting and significant. One of the twins managed to stick his hand out of Tamar’s birth canal. Seeing it, the midwife immediately tied a scarlet thread on it to indentify that child as being the firstborn. But it appears that God had other plans. The ‘newly marked’ child withdrew his hand back into the womb and his brother exited the canal first instead.

Surprised at this turn of events, the midwife declares the actual firstborn as having “created a breach” and thus names him Perez (or Pharez in the King James Version). This is indeed the child through which God had intended to fulfill the covenant He had first made with Abraham. This genealogy was to be through Tamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law and not through the sons that his wife Shuah had given him before she died. Why? Perhaps to simply demonstrate to us that God’s ways are indeed not always our ways. Perhaps to show He can use even those who play the role of a prostitute. There is no person that has stooped so low that God cannot make into a beautiful vessel for His purposes. The word ‘perez’ actually means breach or violation. This child broke the rules on who was to be first. God is no respecter of persons when it comes to being first or second or last.

Recently I had the chance of watching a short clip on Jim Cymbala, the Brooklyn Tabernacle Senior Pastor’s series on prayer. It depicted the life of a renowned makeup artist who at one time was commanding three thousand dollars per day but had ended up in the streets because of his drug addictions. Through of the witness and love and care of one model who introduced him to Christ, this man is now back on his feet, working, loving God, involved in the Church, and being a testimony to Christ around the world. There are millions of stories just like his. God is the ultimate Repairman.

The infant with the scarlet thread tied on his hand in our scripture portion is then named Zerah (which means rising) once he was born.

Tamar’s is a story that once again illustrates the “grace of God” in choosing who He wants to call upon and use for His purposes. Regardless of the role she chose to take on, God’s grace extended His Hand to Tamar and she became chosen for His purposes.

No matter how badly you and I have screwed up or have been misused by others today, we need to remember it is impossible for us to have fallen so far down that God cannot reach our up stretched arm and lift us to His loving heart. May you know really know that today.

Join others following Ken on Twitter
Check-out AccordConsulting, SCA International, and Human Resources for the Church.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

The Marketing of Evil -- Synopsis, Part V - Obsessed with Sex

David Kupelian's book "The Marketing of Evil" is a must read if one is to understand how the world has crept into our lives. This is part V in a series in which I have tried to give you some highlights of the book. I don't get any commission for pushing it. I just want people to be aware of what we face every day of our lives. Here's the next installment:

Kupelian pulls no punches. He describes clearly how the advertising world bombards us today with images and suggestions that were totally unacceptable and down-right rude and obscene just a few decades ago. After discussing the competitive techniques and early evening time-slot advertising of erectile dysfunction products, he ends the section with this line, (you can guess what the product is), "Click,TV off. And all across the nation, from sea to shining sea, children look up at their parents and ask, 'Daddy, what's 'an erection' that lasts longer than four hours'?"

Kupelian describes how the pornography industry has taken the world by storm and blazed the way for "hooking up" or casual, recreational sex among middle- and high-school kids, for homosexuality activity, for the striking down of anti-sodomy law in a American state, for the growing sex slave trade in North America, and for child/sexual abuse -- including the American Psychological Association's proclamation in 1999 that claimed child sexual abuse could be harmless and beneficial. Yes, you read it right. You need to read the details about this.

He points out the movie "Birth" with Nicole Kidman, that basically seductively gets us to accept an older woman's sex with a ten year old as oh, so natural.

He then goes to explain how we moved from the Ozzie and Harriet days to where we are. Enter, stage left, Alfred Kinsey and his 'research'. I put the word in quotations because there is great controversy on the validity of the research. (Even today as one young woman claims her father was paid to sexually abuse her for Kinsey's research.) He exposes who Kinsey really was as a person using the words of his own biographers who were pro-Kinsey. There is no shame. He explains the horrors involved and yet the great cover-up. Wonderfully done -- in fact, his explanation on page 140 and 141 is akin to some cover-ups that go on in the church or religious organizations. That part is scary.

Finally, in this chapter he describes how Judaism went against the obsession with sex in its early years and now the whole liberal movement is simply out to change that again -- and they are succeeding. He explains the Satanists approach to sex and ends the chapter on an excellent treatise on the difference between love and sex and how they can integrate beautifully as God had intended.

And remember this is only one of ten chapters in the book. Make a point of picking up a copy at your bookstore or online today. You owe it to yourself, your family, and your children's children.

Next, Part VI of the synopsis on the chapter: Sabotaging Our Schools. Please feel free to comment on this blog.

-- Ken Godevenos, Church and Management Consultant.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

The Marketing of Evil -- Synopsis, Part IV - Multicultural Madness and Family Meltdown

Interspersed with our studies in Genesis, I have been writing a synopsis on the book by David Kupelian, entitled The Marketing of Evil.

Today's review cover chapter 4, Multicultural Madness and chapter 5, Family Meltdown.

Kupelian tells us that multiculturalism has created a moral inversion which proclaims that all cultures are equal. And from there, this extends to all religions are equal. [To me, that's like saying all tires are equal, and therefore all automobiles that drive them or cause them to rotate are equal. Nonsense.) The spillover than moves to the premise that because all cultures are equal, then all sexuality is equal.

From there he shows us how we've gone from the sublime to the ridiculous, by simply believing that all life is equal -- that is, "a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy". Kupelian shows us why PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) do not fight for pro-life. Their reasoning is pathetic and well worth the price of the book.

Kupelian writes: "By equating man with a soulless animal, they (PETA and friends) have effectively negated -- in their minds -- the existence of any divine authority or juge over their lives. And thus they feel liberated from the 'ptriarchial' law-giving Ueo-Christian God they're rebelling against." Multiculturalism (in its fullest sense -- not just what we hear about with respect to immigration) is actually a hatred of and rebellion against Judeo-Christian values when we use it as a basis for equating all sexuality, all life, etc.

Kupelian asks, "What are we to conclude when the head of one of the world's premiere news organizations (Stephen Jukes of Reuters) is so paralyzed by multicultural orthodoxy that he is unable to call the worse terrorist attack in American history, 'a terrorist attack'?

He goes on to say, ""Americans," warned former Reagan staffer and columnist Paul Craig Roberts about the radical Islamic threat to this nation, "might be so politically correct and racially sensitive as to be unable to deal with the problem (of terrorism) at all."

Bottom line: (Kupelian writes) if the marketer can elicit in you a feeling -- the right feeling -- he has won. Game over.

Moving to his chapter on "Family Meltdown" Kupelian makes an interesting observation of how easy and inexpensive it is to get a divorce these days in America as compared to firing an employee.

Kupelian traces the start of the decline of the family back to Vladimir Lenin who, to facilitate the communist revolution, ended up facilitating the break up of the family by instituting de facto no-fault divorce. That's how he could maintain complete control of the people. Then to that was added the communist support for sexual immorality during marriage, approval of abortions, and forcing women out of the home into the workforce. All contributed to the demise of the Russian family.

Finally, the author shares that when a man and a woman have so much going against them (even Christians, and he lists many items), their likelihood of success in marriage is very small. He suggests that the only thing that can possibly keep them together is their mutual love and pursuit of "Truth".

I've recommended this book, even though I have not finished it to others. They have finished it and they tell me the best is yet to come. Get a copy and find out what we're up against and why and what you can do about it.

-- Ken Godevenos, Toronto.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Judah Learns Who The Harlot Was - Genesis 38:25-26

It was while she was being brought out that she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “I am with child by the man to whom these things belong.” And she said, “Please examine and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?” And Judah recognized them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not have relations with her again.

When Judah had learned that Tamar, his widowed daughter-in-law, was pregnant, he ordered that she be brought out and burned in accordance with the practice of the day for women caught in immorality. While such arrangements were being made, Tamar sent Judah the signet ring, the cords, and staff that Judah had left with her when he thought he had availed himself of the services of a prostitute. With them, she sent him a message that simply said, “Take a look at these. These belong to the man who got me pregnant.”

It is not clear whether anyone else recognized these items. Most likely his friend the Adullamite would have done so, had he seen them at this time. Certainly Judah recognized them with great horror as he realized the ‘harlot’ he had slept with was Tamar. And his remarks are most interesting. “She is more righteous than I.” What was he saying?

It is possible he saw what was at the bottom of this and that he indeed was to blame for what happened because he had failed to give Tamar his last son, Shelah, to have as a husband who could give her children. There are other things to note from this passage as well. Judah had acted in secrecy, visiting who he thought was a prostitute. No one would know except those he had chosen to tell. We often think just that as we do things we hope no one sees or knows about. Yet, almost always, a day of reckoning does arrive.

There are those who think this whole episode especially the part of Tamar sending Judah his things and saying, “see, these belong to the man who got me pregnant, check to see if you recognize them” is a dramatic irony that parallels he and his other brothers sending his brother Joseph’s blood stained coat and asking their father if he recognized it as his son’s (Genesis 37:32,33). With the words he now utters, Judah convicts himself and indirectly confesses his sin.

Perhaps the saddest thing is that after being instrumental in saving the life of Joseph (Genesis 37:26, 27), history now records his sin and unrighteousness, for which he is remembered. While the words “And he did not sleep with her again” tells us he never repeated his sin, it is not clear as to whether or not those that he wronged forgave him. Nevertheless, as we pursue God’s forgiveness of our own sins, this passage serves to remind us that the evidence of true repentance is that the sin be abandoned.

It should be so with us. Let us not sin in secret. Let us recognize the need for forgiveness when we do. Let us abandon the sin we have been forgiven for. Let us forgive others who sin against us. And as we shall soon see, let us always look for the “purpose of God” in all that happens in our lives.

Join others following Ken on Twitter
Check-out AccordConsulting, SCA International, and Human Resources for the Church.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.