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November 18, 2007 "God Preserved
a Remnant" |
You are invited to the St. Martin's Prime Timers Adult Bible Fellowship!
Come on down to the Payne Education Center, rooms 207-209, after the 9am Sunday Service, from 10:10 to 10:50am. We are studying the Book of Genesis for the next couple months, and you are invited to explore with us!
The St. Martin's Adult Bible Fellowships (ABF's) are following a course of study based on the work of the Committee on the Uniform Series, also known as the International Lessons. Bible students around the world are using this same framework, and so can you!
November Dinner Meeting
Our monthly dinner event is this Friday, November 16th, 6:30pm at Palazzo’s Tratorria, 2300 Westheimer. Everyone is invited and encouraged to bring a guest, the restaurant is on Westheimer in between Shepherd and Kirby. Please call or email Anne Berry to let us get a head count. Anne's info is at the bottom of this page!
Prime Timers Good News
At the beginning of our class we spend time hearing our members Good News. Presenting this news requires a $1 donation to our Good News chicken, Henny Penny. Currently we are donating this money to the Amistad Mission in Bolivia, a Christian partnership between North Americans and Bolivians for the benefit of children in need.
Lynne brought back news of her daughter's trip to Egypt. Lynne always asks her daughter to check with the State Department before she goes off on these missions, just in case there is danger. Egypt has its share of terrorist activity, and a large group of Americans or a Christian gathering could be a tasty target. Luckily nothing bad happened, and you can read more about the Luis Palau Association gathering. by clicking on this link.
In Egypt your religion is inscribed on a card, and if you try to change it you can get in trouble. The Luis Palau gathering, hosted by Luis' son Andrew, drew 12,500 Egyptians to a festival of sports demos, activities for children and young families, and stage presentations with a powerful Christian message. They don't ask anyone to change their official religion, but clearly they bring a very positive picture of Christianity.
Joseph's Dream Began to Come True
Ben Welmaker is our teacher for November and Joseph the dreamer is our subject. Joseph's dreams are going to make him a very important fellow in Egypt, and as a warm up, Ben recounted the story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife, in Genesis 39:1-23. Joseph is bought by Potiphar, an Egyptian who is one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard. Seeing that Joseph is blessed by the Lord, Potiphar puts Joseph in charge of the household. Joseph is described as handsome and well-built, and Potiphar's wife wants to sleep with him! Joseph refuses, even after repeated advances, the last time having to run away after she grabs his cloak. She cries rape and uses the cloak as evidence. A woman scorned, etc. Joseph is back in jail, but even the jailer realizes that Joseph is blessed, and puts him in charge of the inmates.
In Genesis 40 Joseph is in charge of two of Pharaoh's officials, the chief cupbearer and the the chief baker. Both of these men have dreams that Joseph interprets, correctly: the cupbearer is returned to his position, while the baker is hanged! This is the lead up to today's reading, and its the Pharaoh's dreams Joseph will interpret.
This lead up gives us a good idea of Joseph's talents and abilities, as we see him exhibit the highest virtue by honoring his trust to Potiphar, taking his duties seriously, even in the face of the wife's duplicity. Ben reminded us that we are trustees of many things: our Christian faith, our children, our marriages, our wealth, our health, our world, our friendships, our jobs. Even our entire lives. Can you pick one of these things and examine it to understand what God wants you to do with that part of your life?
Pharaoh dreams disturb him and he can't find anyone to interpret them for him. The cupbearer remembers Joseph's ability in prison and he is soon before Pharaoh explaining that the dreams mean seven years of famine is on the way and that the way to prepare for this is to put aside a fifth of the harvest in the good years. This turns out to be excellent advice, and Joseph is put in charge of Pharaoh's palace and people!
You might be wondering, what happened to the other sons of Jacob, the one's who threw Joseph into a cistern and then sold him into slavery? Read ahead in next weeks passage in the column to the right!
Ben is fond of the catholic publication First Things. He read an article there talking about decision points. In life there are many paths we can take, but there comes a time when we decide to take just one, cutting off the others. How do we know if we took the right path? For guidance here is a passage from Paul's 1st letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 4:1-5) "So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. 2Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God."
Peace be with you!
Prime Timers Contact names and numbers
Mentor
Rev. B. Massey Gentry
mgentry@stmartinsepiscopal.org
Leaders
Anne Berry
832/251-8868 H
anne.berry@comcast.net
Max Kech
713/802-0690 H
maxkech2003@yahoo.com
Marty Smith
713/464-6737 H
martys47@comcast.net
Teachers
Richard Cruse
Pete Seale
Ben Welmaker
bhwjr@flash.net
Outreach (inviting and welcoming new members)
Anne Berry
832/251-8868 H
anne.berry@comcast.net
Elizabeth Sleeper
jsleeperjr@comcast.net
Ben Welmaker is our teacher for the month of November.
Joseph and Potiphar's Wife, by Carlo Cignani, 1678-80, Oil on canvas, at the Gemäldegalerie, Dresden, Germany.
Max Kech, former Prime Timer, now Absolutely Fabulous, brought us some news about the Amistad Mission in Bolivia, and a new Faith Alive Mission at the Yellowstone School.
Joseph Receives His Father and Brothers in Egypt, by Salomon de Bray, 1655, Oil on canvas, in a Private collection.
The Lesson for Sunday, November 18th is titled "God Preserved a Remnant"
Key Verse: Genesis 45:7
Focus of the Lesson: Often in retrospect, even the worst situation may have positive significance. How do we explain the good that comes out of such terrible circumstances? Joseph told his bothers that God had sent him to Egypt to preserve a remnant of the family of promise.
The reading is Genesis 45:1-12. This text is from the New International Version. (NIV)
Background Scripture: Genesis 43:1--45:15
1Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, "Have everyone leave my presence!" So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh's household heard about it.
3Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?" But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.
4Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. 7But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8"So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. 9Now hurry back to my father and say to him, 'This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don't delay. 10You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. 11I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.'
12"You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you.
NIV
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