Directions From The Counselor of Wonder

Directions From The Counselor of Wonder Matthew 2.19-23 Joseph moved the Holy Family to Egypt. He also moved them back at the appropriate time to Israel. Joseph played a key role in the early years of the life of the Word becoming flesh. He was the protector and provider for the family. He led them according to his heart and the direction he received in the dreams he had. Joseph sets an example for all of us who are fathers on earth. He listened to the LORD and obeyed Him fully. He put the LORD and his family first. My Dad was like that. His example stays in my heart today. I have wonderful memories of him, sitting next to him in church, being in his Sunday School Class, serving as a Sunday School Teacher when he was Superintendent… and much more! Working with him, learning how to garden from him, laughing, singing, being together, going to Mets Games together, 1986. How we need the direction of God’s Spirit in our lives today. We have an Everlasting Father Who is the Wonderful Counselor! We have His Word for spiritual direction. We need His Spirit for what steps to take, our present and our future. Way too many people, God’s people, lean on their own understanding and end up settling for less than what God has for them. God’s people have been pragmatic when they should have been prophetic. Too often we have been about our comfort rather than God’s Kingdom. More concerned about monetary investments than the advancement of God’s Kingdom! With hearts that have not been refined or purified we follow our own desires, then wonder why we are in a mess! Pastor Mauricio and I yesterday afternoon. We have more than enough. Way better than most of the Pastors in the world. Yesterday early morning… Too many have floundered. As I look back on my life I am thankful for that guiding Hand of God, the direction of the Holy Spirit and the godly people who spoke into my life in times of major decisions. God has provided wise counselors to this very day, at 65 years old and on Medicare! As I interact with and observe those who lost all for the sake of knowing Christ my heart is filled with joy. I have learned from them. Blessed is the person who has nothing but Jesus! Fritz Chrysler, “The person who has everything and Christ is not a bit richer than the person who only has Christ.” * God Gives us the Direction We Need vs.19-20 When we need it. He does not lay the whole plan of our life out for us. One step at a time. A good man’s steps are ordered by the LORD. The life of following Jesus is a walk. We never see Jesus running, rushing or making haste, on the contrary! He does gives clues, visions and dreams. While we wait and work. Waiting does not mean inactivity. On the contrary it means watching and working. There is a great deal of work to be done. Sometimes, the vision or Dream is not for the immediate fulfillment. Habakkuk illustrates that. Habakkuk 2.1 I will stand at my watch
    and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me,
    and what answer I am to give to this complaint. The Lord’s Answer 2 Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation
    and make it plain on tablets
    so that a herald may run with it. 3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
    it speaks of the end
    and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
    it[c] will certainly come
    and will not delay. Sometimes we can not get going fast enough. Joseph showed us that last week. This dream to return was not a matter of immediacy due to an emergency. He did not leave in the middle of the night. The LORD shows us the way. Genesis 12.1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” Many times it is this way as we follow the LORD. We encounter difficulties when we try to usurp the authority of the Holy Spirit for our own purposes. God’s mark of approval, whenever you obey Him, is peace. He sends an immeasurable, deep peace; not a natural peace, “as the world gives,” but the peace of Jesus.” -Oswald Chambers * Obeying the LORD is the Key to Living an Abundant Life v.21 He got up and left. It doesn’t seem like this was the middle of the night. Three times so far Joseph obeyed the dreams given. Matthew 1.24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the LORD had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. Matthew 2.14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And this time v.21 * God Works In A Mysterious Way vs.22-23 He brought them back to Israel He brought me back to Long Island. He brings us back some times. He is desiring the church be brought back to the manger, back to the simplicity of His birth, Back to the meaning of it, Back to the Son of a man Who had no place to lay His Head even at His birth! Some of you listening by livestream, God is calling you back to the church, to be part of His Kingdom. He brought them back home to Nazareth. Their hometown but not the most desirable place in Israel. The Father, the Everlasting Father, the Waiting Father is desiring to bring all people to His Home. Jesus was called a Nazarene. Isaiah 9.1-7 Galilee of the Gentiles by the Sea Nathaniel would ask, “Nazareth, can anything good come from Nazareth?” Not a compliment “Come and see,” said Philip. John 1.46 That is what we need to be doing! Inviting people to come to Jesus. Psalm 34.8 O taste and see that the LORD is good. As God deals with our lives it so important to follow His direction fully. Obedience to the LORD does more than we can ever dream of or envision! ❤️ There is peace and joy and blessing in following Jesus. It is the only way to have abundant life.

Warnings From The Wonderful Counselor

Warnings From The Wonderful Counselor Isaiah 9.6-7 Matthew 2.1-12 Joseph Magi 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. 13 When they had gone, an angel of the LORD appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the LORD had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” We hear and see warnings every day. Hess Truck small parts, not for children under 3 years old Warnings= A Divine Command To teach from Heaven Admonished, instructed God warns us through His Word Proverbs, Hebrews He warns us through other’s lives, their examples God warns us through dreams * These warnings came from the LORD. We may take certain warnings of man very seriously. Covid Protocol So strict, unbending We should all the more with the LORD’s warnings. I have found in my ministry people argue, debate, get angry at times when I have warned them. Neither Joseph nor the wisemen did that. They did what God instructed them. Joseph was a wise man. Few have heeded the warnings. Don’t be like them. Submit to the LORD’s will Submit to His Word Submit to His Plan for you. We spend the first half of life wrestling with God, wanting to work for Him, our way, according to our dreams. In the second half we submit to His will, His dreams and visions… the dreams and visions of Christmas. We need to remember: Jesus was born in obscurity. Jesus discouraged news about Him spreading. No self advertising. Jesus humbled Himself continually. He had one purpose: to do the will of His Father in Heaven. He told His disciples. Luke 10.20 “do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in Heaven.” Luke 17.10 “when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” * Ignore the warnings of the LORD at your own peril, Listen to them and live, a full abundant life He is not trying to make life hard, on the contrary He is trying to spare you the consequences of grief and pain by making poor choices. Proverbs 3.1-17 The first nine chapters of Proverbs are full of warnings. Immerse yourself in the Proverbs Live and learn Warnings: Bees in backyard in Bellmore. Tried to drown them… didn’t work Waited for my father. He knew what he was doing. Our Father in Heaven always does. Listen to Him, listen to the warnings. Wait. Jesus, Everlasting Father, Counselor of Wonder… if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father! This is My Beloved Son, listen to Him. Bees with Tony a two summers ago. Night, warnings Taking down the tree in my Mom’s backyard… Tristan and I… all the others fled! Missed the warnings… first day of deer season… at Camp Taconic. Prayer Retreat. He keeps us in our ignorance but expects us to use our heads. You will understand what Jesus was talking about when He said in John 10.10 I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. I have come that they might have life and that more abundantly. I have come that they might have life to the full. The warnings of God are to enhance our lives, to make them full, abundant, more and better than we have ever dreamed of. * Be wise and listen to and heed every warning! Proverbs 3.7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. Joseph could’ve said, “I just got set up here in business in the local guild. I’m getting to finally make a living and now I have to move to another country?” There is no record of Joseph or his name’s sake ever complaining about “inconveniences” that took place in his life. We do well to suffer quietly, when we are going through it. Share with your closest spiritual friends. Don’t broadcast or out on the social media your deep pain. Quietly, submissively bear it as Jesus did. If we are following Jesus there will be unexpected places and situations His leadership brings us to. Psalm 23 tells us that. Death’s Valley A Table prepared in the presence of my enemies God warned the Magi, the wisemen not to go back to Herod but to return to their own country bypassing Jerusalem, another route. -v.12 Following Jesus in your travels, where you are going to live My parents… moving upstate in 1973. Praying, deep praying. Found a church first, then work, then property. So when I came here, back to Long Island in 1984, I has their example. Mine was all wrapped up in one! But I remember asking Dr. Mucci for another week for praying.I wanted to be sure. My kids all around me. Grandkids all around me. God warned Joseph in a dream to get out of Bethlehem. an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. Immediate Obedience Undaunted Faith Total Surrender No doubt the Hand of God was in the census. It is what brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. God spoke to Joseph in a dream in Nazareth, now in Bethlehem. My dream, “You’re going the wrong way!” Letter. “I was going the wrong way.” January 2000 Missionary Robert Collins in the DR. Told me he had a similar dream and wrote a letter too. Same response. Your old men will dream dreams. Listen to the warnings of the elderly. Listen to their advice. Imitate their lives. Heed the warnings! Listen to the LORD. They will keep you from disaster.

The Counselor of Wonder Speaks To Joseph

The Counselor of Wonder Speaks To Joseph Isaiah 9.6-7 Matthew 1.18-25 Try to imagine, if you will, the dilemma of the Joseph was faced with. He was in love with Mary. They were in the betrothal stage. They had made plans for the rest of their lives together. They were looking forward to a happy future, a simple life in Nazareth. At this point would be considered legally husband and wife. Although the marriage had not yet been consummated, if Joseph had died during that period Merry would be referred to as a widow who is a virgin. To break this agreement would require a divorce. It seems that Mary had told Joseph that she was pregnant and about her vision, her visitation, the Annunciation that she would be the mother of the Christ, the Messiah. When asked how this would be the angel of the LORD said to her that the Holy Spirit will come upon her so that the child would be the Son of God. It could be she never got to tell him anything but, “Joseph, I am pregnant.” Or maybe he saw she was. Perhaps she told him the whole story. Whatever was said or not said we know this Joseph was not buying it. One thing he knew for sure. Mary was pregnant and he was not the baby’s father! Joseph we are told in the scripture this morning had in mind to divorce her quietly. He was thinking about this when he had a dream. All dreams that are from God are in perfect alignment with His Word. God never contradicts His Word either in prophecy, dreams, and or visions. There is perfect harmony between the Word of God and the way that He manifests Himself and direction and warning and encouragement in dreams visions and words of wisdom and knowledge. We are told that Jesus would be called the Counselor of Wonder. What God said through the angel in Joseph’s dream was wonderful counsel. * Do not be Afraid Afraid: to put to flight by terrorizing, to scare away To be struck with fear, seized with alarm, startled with strange sights or occurrences A man who finds out his wife or fiancé is expecting a child that is not his is devastated. Fear is part of this dilemma. Anger and betrayal are as well. She has broken the relationship. How could things be right again. How could he ever trust her? Hosea the prophet had that problem with his wife. Homer had children by someone else. It was a lesson in spiritual adultery for the nation of Israel and the message from God through Hosea. In fact the direction God gave Hosea is a very strange message: Hosea 1. 2 When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.” 3 So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. Talk about fear! One of the 365 times this phrase is in the Bible in one form or another Now Joseph…Calls him by name, full name Speaks of wonders He was doing with Mary and now Joseph. Mary’s response to her unplanned, unwed pregnancy was, “I am the LORD’s servant. May it be to me as you have said. Only the servants knew. Wine at a wedding and things God is doing in your life that no one else understands! Fear not, Joseph, son of David… David committed adultery with Bathsheba. He was forgiven. The greater sin was having her husband Uriah killed. Matthew 1.6 David became king. 6-11 David had Solomon (Uriah’s wife was the mother), Fear not, Joseph, Fear is perhaps one of the worst prisons emotionally and mentally that a person can live in. Jesus Christ has come to set us free from fear. That is why throughout the Bible all the New Testament you will find these words do not be afraid, fear not. Always is because the Lord is with us. As He was with Joseph so He will be with us. He will speak to us. He will come to us. The way may not be easy. But it’s possible because of Jesus. That’s what Immanuel means, “God with us.” Fear paralyzes us. Joseph was moving away from God’s Plan. God was patient with him. He is patient with us. Fear makes mountains out of molehills. It enlarges problems. Fear is an insult to God, His character and His Word. * You Are Part Of God’s Plan Every day! Even the Quiet Ones. Psalm 139.16 You are here not by chance. His hand formed you and made you the person you are. He compares you to no one else. You are one of a kind you like nothing it is Grace can’t give you he is allowed you to be here at this time in history to fulfill his special purpose for this generation you are God servant in God‘s plan and God‘s perfect time. Roy Lessin I believe so why should I worry or fret? I know Who holds the future. I know Who holds my hand. I know just as sure as I’m singing this song I’ma part of His Almighty Plan. In times where you are saying, “Where are you, LORD?” You are still part of His plan. In this time when Joseph thought the worse, God was bringing about the best. True this couple lived with people drawing wrong conclusions. The amazing thing is they did not care about anything but doing what God wanted. There will be times, if you walk closely to the LORD, when you will have to walk a lonely road. People often misunderstand what God is doing in some else’s life. It gets more painful when they assume and even gossip. Being falsely accused puts you in the company of Jesus. Obey the LORD no matter what. * Joseph Obeyed Matthew 1. 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. The way of worry free obedience is the way of peace of heart and mind. Do not worry. Psalm 37.8 Do not fret—it only causes harm. It will eat at your soul and body. It will rob you of joy. You will never be able to enjoy the present. It will rob you of sweet sleep. You will be full of guilt. I know I should not worry. Go over the things you know are true. Look back over your life. All of your worry has been vain. God is all powerful. God is on my side. Go is in control. * God Took Care of Him, Baby Jesus and Mary He always does for those who trust in Him. A virgin pledged... God saw that His Son would be cared for as He grew in a family. He is a God of incredible details. He takes care of His people. He is always preparing a place for us! Egypt, Church of the Holy Family Old Cairo God spoke again in a dream to Joseph Matthew 2.19 After Herod died, an angel of the LORD appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” 21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. The LORD used dreams, dreams that Jospeh had, to reveal His plan to him. Today, primarily, He speaks to us through His Word and when needed confirms it with a dream or vision. Sometimes He speaks to us through a dream for a specific purpose. Father and daughter… going the wrong way. Father and son in DR. God is at to work in your life greater ways than you could imagine or even dream of. The wisest thing you can do is trust Him. Let the Counselor of Wonder be your guide. Get into His Word like never before. Pray about everything. Rest in Him.