As I look back on life I realize that many of my plans never turned out the way I planned.  Plans for the ministry never went the way I planned.  I did get to perform my sister’s wedding and I did pastor a few small churches, however my true dream of going to the mission field as a Bible teacher was never meet.  Every door I tried to open closed.  Until one day I said yes to a new job offer.  An opportunity to go into management with Kroger.  This job I enjoyed for fourteen years, even with the long hours and the difficult path it took to finally get an Unit manager position.

Joseph was also a man of dreams.  His brothers even called him the dreamer.  In Genesis 37:19,20 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other.  Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him.  Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.  How Reuben step in and prevented his brothers from taking his life, however they sold him to the Ishmaelites as a slave.  But in Genesis 39:2 we see that the Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered and  that the Lord gave him success in everything he did.  This is the same God that I serve.  If we walk in His ways we too can be God’s chosen people.

But we must also have the mind of Joseph and walk in God’s way to serve our Lord.  Remember that at the time this was written, Joseph only had the training from his parents and family to know the difference between right and wrong.  We are blessed by having the Word of God to guide and lead us in this world.  Paul in Colossians 3:12-17 gives the way to serve the Lord.  “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.   And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.   Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.   Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

This verse found in Revelations 3:7 was written to the church of Philadelphia.  Of the seven churches mentioned in Revelations chapter two and three the church of Philadelphia and Smyrna were the only two that the Lord did not give a warning in the address to them.  In Revelation chapter 3:20 he writes to the church of Laodicea these words: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”  Three doors: an open door, a closed door, and a door ready to be open to enjoy the fellowship of the Lord.

In my live many doors have been closed.  I remember the time in January 1978 that the door to the ministry was closed to me, and yet another door opened for a new career with Kroger.  At that time it was a disappoint, having spent the last six years of my live preparing for the ministry, yet now looking back I can see God’s hand in the my life.  We sometimes forget the words from of the great hymn Follow Me.  In this hymn it states:

Oh Jesus if I die upon a foreign field someday,
‘Twould be no more than love demands, no less could I repay,
“No greater love hath mortal man than for a friend to die”
These are the words He gently spoke to me,
“If just a cup of water I place within your hand
Then just a cup of water is all that I demand.
But if by death to living they can Thy glory see,
I’ll take my cross and follow close to Thee.

Sometimes we must realize that the Lord has a different purpose in our lives than what we dream.  We can not all be the star of the football team.  It takes a great blocking front line to give the quarterback the time he needs to make that great pass, so some of us have to be the center, guards, tackles, and tight ends in the game.

We must realize that when the Lord closes a door, he also opens a door.  However there is always a door we must open.  That is the door of Fellowship.  The church of Laodicea was the last of the seven churches in Revelation chapter two and three.  I believe it pictures the last days of the church before the Coming of our Lord.  It is the church that is rich in worldly goods, but poor in the spiritual matters of the Lord.  It is the church that pictures the Lord outside the church and knocking on the hearts of believers to come in.  This is the door we can open or close.  The chose is ours, so when the Lord knocks open the door, because His fellowship can give you the peace that passes all understanding in a world of confusion which is around us daily.

Yesterday I was asked about the ages of the people in the Bible who lived before the Flood.  Did I believe people could live that long?  My answer was yes.  Have you ever looked at the numbers in Genesis chapter five.  If you consider these numbers as truth, then only around 1661 years after the Lord created the Earth He destroyed it by the flood.  Adam was alive to see all his grandchildren, except Noah.

Peter writes about these numbers in II Peter 3:3-7:

³ Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. ⁴ They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” ⁵ But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. ⁶ By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. ⁷ By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

The world of that time was destroy must have been a different world in which we lived in today.  My mind can only fathom what type of earth it could have been in those days.  However, we do know from Genesis chapter six that man was corrupt, and the whole earth was filled with violence.

With this in mind we must heed Peter’s warning and take his words in verses 8-17 of chapter three to heart:

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.  Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.  That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.   But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.  So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.  Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.   He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.  Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.   But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

So consider again the numbers of Genesis chapter five.