John and I are still faithfully doing something we have always done together, ever since we were married, nearly eleven years ago. On Shabbats I read the week's Torah portion from the Bible and then we talk about it together. Dementia has not stolen the Word of God from him. It lives deeply in his spirit and for the most part, he is able to recall it to memory, even when most other words escape him. This gives us both a deep peace.

We met at a conference of the Messianic Israel Alliance in Maryville, Tennessee. During this conference we were seated close together at a teaching by Bill Cloud. I remember it well as the teaching really impacted me. Now, all these years later, John and I were watching Bill's Livestream from his Messianic congregation in Tennessee, and once again my spirit was deeply stirred by what he shared.  I give him credit for what I will be sharing below with you and if you want to hear more, you can find it on video here:  ​www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-lwhWagtIE  (You will want to fast forward it about one hour and 10 minutes to get into the teaching).

In reading Genesis chapters 42-47, John and I found many key verses that catapulted us right into the very same situation that we are in today.  Joseph's brothers had come to Egypt because of the severe famine in Canaan and as the story unfolds, they discover that Joseph, the brother they had betrayed and sold into slavery, was now the ruler of all Egypt.  Eventually they confess to their father, Jacob, that Joseph is still alive and that they will all have to go into the land of Egypt to find enough food and provisions to stay alive. 

Many of us equate the word "Egypt" to the "world" or the "world system."  And so here we are - in this very day and age - becoming aware that we could be forced into the corrupt, tyrannical world system in order to survive. As Bill stated, "Jacob was given a night vision in Genesis 46:2-4, and in the darkness of night, God revealed to him that he would be going down into Egypt, but he would not go alone.  He said to Jacob, 'Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go.'"

Does it feel to you that we are getting ready to enter into a period of terrible darkness? Or maybe it feels to you like we are already there! I am always seeking for a way to encourage God's people, to lift you out of fear and worry.  These passages in Genesis remind us that although a severe famine completely overtook the land of Jacob and his sons and all their families, God made a way for them to move into a region known as Goshen.  They were separated there from the rest of the people in Egypt. And what was the difference between the Egyptians and the Israelites during that time?  The Egyptians used their silver to pay for food; that is, until their silver was spent. Then they began to sell their livestock to the Pharoah in exchange for grain, and finally, when their livestock was depleted, they said to Pharoah, "Now buy US and buy our land. We will be your slaves so we can have food."

Friends, does any of this sound familiar to you?  Isn't this pretty much the definition of Marxism and Communism - a people enslaved by their governing masters?  So it was for the Egyptians who did not serve the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and who made the choice to comply with the Pharoah and sell themselves and their land to him.  But they were not in Goshen! Only God's people were in Goshen and Scripture tells us that "they were fruitful and acquired property" (Genesis 47:27).  The mandate they were under was to be a blessing to God and to one another.

Psalm 18:4-6 illustrates the deep message being portrayed here. "Floods of ungodliness overwhelmed me but God heard my cry." He is not just with us in the light, He is present also in our times of darkness, those times when we feel utterly overwhelmed by the ungodliness, lawlessness, violence and chaos in the world. Psalm 139 reminds us, "If I go to the heavens You are there; and if I go to the grave, You are there!" Where can we go to flee from His Presence? Nowhere! 

In Genesis 46:30 Jacob has a powerful revelation. He says to his most beloved son, Joseph, "Now that I have seen your face, let me die." Bill Cloud pointed out that this was a foreshadow of a righteous, devout man named Simeon, who had been told he would actually see the Messiah before he died; and this prophecy came to pass. In Luke 2:27-30, it says, "Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation."

Next time you find yourself fretting and fearful about what you see happening in "Egypt," where grocery shelves are getting bare, food priced too high to feed a family, loss of jobs because you would not comply with the Pharoah, stop and remember these stories about very real people who knew that they only needed the Presence of God to be with them to get through it. Seek His Face. Fill your soul with His Word. And in the midst of a dark and fearful night, cry out to Him. He will say to you what He said to Jacob: "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go."

We arrived late, so it was a real blessing to find six seats together in the massive, crowded church where the Colorado Christian University choir and symphonic band held their incredible Christmas concert.  My almost-twenty-one-year-old grandson sings in that remarkable choir and I felt much excitement and anticipation as we enjoyed the prelude of handbells. One seat next to me was saved with a coat sprawled across it, and just before the concert began, a very small, elderly woman made her way slowly down the aisle in front of all six of us and then, with great effort, lowered herself into the empty seat. 

The concert began with a reading from Isaiah Chapter 9:
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. 
The words of this powerful Scripture ushered in the magnificent opening song "Emmanuel, God is With Us," and the pure, rich young voices rang out above the strings and brass and percussion, filling the auditorium with glorious worship!  As the music began to build in intensity, suddenly the frail little woman beside me began to rise up from her seat. It seemed like it took her a long time to straighten the knees, slowly raise up the bony shoulders and then extend one hand into the air in praise! I looked around me. There was not one other person standing, and no other hands lifted in the entire huge sanctuary.  Unashamed, this tiny, elderly woman stood to give glory to God; not once, but quite a few times during this awesome concert.  Each time she would gingerly rise from her seat I could feel the tears streaming down my face. She did not care if she was the only one standing to lift her hands in surrendered worship to her King!  Something was moving her very deeply into a worship that I have seldom witnessed in my life.

When the songs were lively, she would sometimes tap her toes and sometimes wave her fingers in rhythm. And when she needed to sit down, it was so difficult for her that I would reach over and support her back, helping her ease back into her seat.  For two hours the glorious music filled our souls and for two hours I marveled at this woman's love of her Savior.  Finally the concert came to an end with a thrilling rendition of "O Holy Night" and then the lights came on. Immediately I reached over and put both my arms around her in a big hug and said to her, "I love your spirit of worship! We have kindred spirits. Please tell me what moves you to worship so deeply, unaware of anything but the Lord." She took both my hands and cradled them in her gnarled, old hands, smiled at me with a great beam of light around her face, and exclaimed, "I'm Jewish and I just found my Savior! His name is Yeshua, which means 'God's Salvation!'"  

I thought my heart would burst! "So you are now a Messianic Jew!" I prompted her. And with great excitement she replied, "Yes! Now I know that He is my Messiah and I just don't want to do anything but worship Him!" 

On the long drive home from Denver I pondered this whole remarkable experience. A Scripture kept reverberating through my mind from Romans 11:13-15. I recalled how Paul wrote, "I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?"

So that is what I was witnessing! Near the end of her years, this Jewish woman had met her Messiah and her unabashed, unbridled worship was a true picture of life from the dead! She literally beamed with light as she quoted to me from memory the verses from Isaiah read at the very beginning of the concert: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end!"  She would have read those verses from the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue during her lifetime; but now, suddenly it had become truth and life to her. And as for me, these verses imparted fresh new light and life to me too, and I was filled anew with the desire this little Jewish woman has: I just don't want to do anything but worship this King who holds the true government on His shoulders and whose Kingdom will have peace without end!