From the desk of Steve Shultz:
Catherine Browne from Scotland was one of my first prophetic writers for THE ELIJAH LIST.
We have most certainly laughed together. But we also have spent time ministering to a hurting world. This word from the Lord through Catherine is just such a word. God, we must remember, does know the future.
His timing is BRILLIANT.
Do you feel in prison, though you have served God all your life? You just might be ready to be promoted to a high place – even on this earth.
Please remember us in your giving this year. We are a FOR-PROFIT organization, therefore, your donation will NOT be tax-deductible. What you are doing is helping us take the prophetic word around the world. Simply go to: https://www.elijahlist.com/donations/donation.php and make a quick and easy donation today.
Catherine Brown:
God's Timing is Perfect – Even When Men "Forget"
Apostolic Wisdom and Prophetic Insight
Just as Joseph dreamed, many Biblical watchmen have dreams and other visionary/revelatory experiences.
"I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of His robe filled the temple."—Isaiah 6:1
The prophet Isaiah saw seraphs with six wings whose worship was so powerful that the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. Ezekiel saw a throne of sapphire and high above it was the Lord as a figure of a man in the fire of glory (Ezekiel 1:26-28). Stephen, the martyr, had a vision of Heaven opened and saw the glory of God and Jesus at the right hand of the Father (Acts 7:55-56). Daniel the prophet dreamed and saw the Lord as the Ancient of Days whose throne blazed with holy fire (Daniel 7:9-10). Apostle Paul saw a blinding light from Heaven (Acts 9:3; Acts 26:13).
Every revelatory encounter is for a divine purpose and faith application in our lives. Isaiah, Ezekiel and Paul were each commissioned from their revelatory experiences, whilst Daniel's dream led to his understanding of the future for Israel and he responded in prayer and fasting for the nation (see Daniel 9). Stephen received grace for martyrdom and a heart filled with mercy to forgive his killers.
The Importance of Dreams and Destiny
As we continue with Joseph on his journey, we note that dreams continue to play an important part in his destiny. Likewise, we too, should pay particular attention to the dreams God releases into our lives and exercise faith for their interpretation and application in our lives.
Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph and he attended them.
After they had been in custody for some time, each of the two men – the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison – had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw they were dejected. So he asked Pharaoh's officials who were in custody with him in his master's house, "Why are your faces so sad today?"
"We both had dreams," they answered, "but there is no one to interpret them." Then Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams." Genesis 40:1-8
The men told Joseph their dreams and Joseph rightly interpreted them. The cupbearer's dream interpretation led to his reinstatement in the service of the king, whilst the baker's dream led to his untimely death. In both cases, Joseph had correctly interpreted the revelation. The chief cupbearer "did not remember Joseph; he forgot him," (v23) and Joseph languished in jail!
Joseph had blossomed into a mature young man able to give glory to the Lord and to rely fully on the God of Israel to interpret the dreams. It is easy to see that Joseph's walk with God was an intimate one, since his response to the request to interpret the dreams was so honouring to the Lord, and shows the fruit of one in obedient surrender. Intimacy with God is a key to unlocking untold heavenly blessing and treasure from the deep places of God's ultimate and extravagant abundance for His children. Every stage of our journey is to be treasured.
God's Timing is Perfect – Even When Men "Forget"
Despite the fact that the chief cupbearer forgot Joseph for a time, importantly God did not. Perhaps like Joseph you have been let down by others who promised to be a help to you but did not follow through on their pledge. Don't despair, for God will never forget the dreams He has for His children, and even when others let us down, God remains eternally faithful to bring His plans to fruition in us at the appointed time.
After two years had passed, Pharaoh had a series of dreams, and in the morning he was troubled and sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt to ask them to interpret the dreams for him, but no one was able. At this point the chief cupbearer finally remembered Joseph.
"Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, "Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position and the other man was hanged." Genesis 41:9-13
Whilst we note there was a delay in Joseph's journey to the palace, we rejoice in the reality that God did not permit this to destroy His servant. Let us be like Joseph and trust in the goodness of God to bring us safely through any circumstance and keep us by His grace. The preparation for calling is an essential part of our walk with God and we cannot afford to by-pass it.
Pharaoh's response was to have Joseph quickly brought to him, and have him washed, shaved and dressed in new clothes. When asked to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, Joseph responded, "I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answers he desires" (Genesis 41:16).
Joseph interpreted the dream with wisdom, accuracy and holy boldness. The dream interpretation was not a comfortable fit for Pharaoh, and Joseph potentially risked his life by sharing such with the king. Herein lies an important lesson for every budding dream interpreter – we do not interpret dreams to tickle the ears of men, rather we humbly position ourselves in faith to bring forth the heart of the message that God intended to convey to the dream recipient.
Despite the difficult dream interpretation, God honoured Joseph's integrity and the favour of God continued to shine on Joseph. The faith-risk he took paid off with mighty dividends: God was about to shift his servant into his God-appointed place of Kingdom service and destiny from the prison to the palace!
Apostolic Intentionality Leads to Promotion
And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.—Genesis 41:33-36
Joseph responded with all the experience and character God had honed in him during the last thirteen years in a magnificent moment of strategic apostolic intentionality, declaring the interpretation of the dream as seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Without a moment's hesitation, Joseph offered the king the strategic plan that would save a nation. Joseph was the man whom Pharaoh appointed to fulfill the plan he had outlined.
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I greater than you." Genesis 41:39-40
Pharaoh had Joseph dressed in a robe of fine linen, adorned with a gold chain around his neck, and he placed his signet ring on Joseph's finger and "thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt" (vs 43).
Thinking Big is God's Idea
I heard a thought-provoking quote recently: "The only difference between thinking big and delusions of grandeur is God." Joseph was not deluded, but from the first dream he ever had as a young seventeen-year-old, he had been "thinking big." After being humbled for thirteen years in preparation for his assignment, it was time for the man of God to shine in his God-appointed place of destiny, namely the palace. Joseph now found himself in the right place, at the right time, with a profound understanding of his calling.
Over the years God had prepared him as a brother, a son and a father, teaching him how to handle responsibilities, manage people and, in the process, honing his character so that he could be entrusted with tremendous resources. As Joseph walked in alignment with God's will, he exercised wisdom, love and authority that positively influenced the affairs of the nation at a time of national crisis, saving untold lives in the process. As a result, God produced fullness and fruitfulness in His servant. Truly God had sent Joseph ahead of the famine to preserve life and God had made him fruitful in the land of his suffering.
Today, God is raising up a Joseph company in the nations through whom He can shower the multitudes with the Father's blessing. God is causing strategies to be released from Heaven that will empower the financially destitute as He positions apostolic leadership in appointed places, so that His mercy will triumph over judgment and many will come to a saving knowledge of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
At a time when entire nations need the gracious hand of God to bring deliverance and provision, God is on the move. Perhaps you are one of His "Josephs" just about to transition from the "prison" to the "palace." Wherever and however you are called to serve the Lord, I pray that God will bless you in your process and that you will be blessed by every moment of the journey. I pray that you become even more effective in ministry for His glory and in whatever season you find yourself in, may you be encouraged and strengthened by His grace so that you may finish the race before you to the glory of God.
Together in the Harvest,
Catherine Brown
Founder/Director, Gatekeepers Global Ministries
Co-Founder, Scottish Apostolic Networking Enterprise
Email: admin@gatekeepers.org.uk
