This month, in connection with the Easter season and the end of our series on the Joseph story (Path of Integrity) we bring you this message from Rev. Cairns Henderson entitled "Heavenly Joseph".

Love and Peace,

Ethan

"So it was that Joseph was taken out of prison and brought before the king. And because the Lord again made it known to him he told the king what his dreams meant-that for seven years there would be great harvests, but in the seven years; after them there would be a great famine in which no crops would be gathered.

Then Joseph told the king that he should appoint someone to store up grain in huge warehouses during the seven good years, so that there might be food for the people in the seven bad years. And because there was no one else so wise the king of Egypt appointed Joseph himself to do this work. So Joseph became the greatest man in the whole land, after the king, and all through the good years he went about the land storing up food against the bad years that were to come.

When the famine came it was not only in Egypt. Soon there was no corn in Canaan. So Jacob sent his ten sons to Egypt to buy food, keeping only Benjamin, the youngest, with him. As soon as he saw them, Joseph recognized the brothers who had treated him so badly. But they did not recognize him. He made them go back to their own country and bring Benjamin to Egypt.

And then, after giving them food and sending them away, he had them brought back and told them who he was. When they knew that this great man was the brother they had wronged so cruelly his elder brothers were very frightened. But Joseph was both wise and kind. He forgave them for the wrong they had done him, and told them not to be afraid. He said that what they did they had meant for evil, but the Lord had meant it for good, so that he might be in Egypt and do this work which had saved so many people from starving to death.

We are reminding you of this story as Easter draws near for a special reason. You know that [for the angels in heaven] this is not a story about Joseph at all. It is a wonderful story about the Lord Himself, a story which tells how the Lord was received when He came into the world. It tells how the Lord was rejected, how He suffered temptations and how He made Himself the Lord of heaven and earth.

All these things about the Lord, and many more, this story tells as it is read by us. And it is in connection with Him that we would have you remember Joseph's words to his brothers: "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good, that I might save this great people alive." That was why Joseph's brothers had been allowed to sell him into slavery. When the the Lord was put to death, [the hells] meant it for evil.

But the Lord knew that only in that way could He become the Savior of all people…that He could save them, not from the death of the body through hunger, but from the death of the spirit which comes when the bread of heaven can no longer be received.

So although [the hells] meant it for evil, the Lord meant it for good, and that is why it was allowed. And if you will think about this each year as Easter comes, then the older you grow the more will you understand how great is the Lord's love for us - that He was willing to be born on earth, to suffer, to die, to rise again, and forgive all His enemies, so He might become our Savior. You will understand why the angels rejoiced when His great work was ended, why they had that great joy which they make us feel on the day on which the Lord rose from the tomb as King of kings and Lord of lords."  HAPPY EASTER!