Okay that’s a crazy title, but it has a meaning, just keep reading.
We’ve been following the story of Joseph in Genesis. He had a coat of many colors that got ripped off of him by his brothers when he was being sold into slavery, he had a coat left in the grasp of Potiphar’s wife after he refused her advances. That coat landed him in prison for years. This time, in Genesis 41:42, Joseph gets some new duds when Pharaoh put’s Joseph in charge of all of Egypt. From sold to slavery by his brothers to second only to Pharaoh in Egypt. What a wild ride that can only be explained when we read how much Joseph gives God credit for bringing him through everything.
In fact, Joseph is so convinced of the interaction with God that he names his two sons … wait for it … Manasseh and Ephraim. Manasseh (meaning Forget) because God has helped Joseph forget all the trouble from his growing up years amongst his brothers. Ephraim (meaning Twice Fruitful) because God has made Joseph fruitful (aka successful) in the land of his suffering. Joseph has been placed in a position in Egypt (the most powerful nation of its time) and can now be a blessing to entire nations of people. And God is responsible for this grace-filled turn of events!
This past weekend I was in a maximum security prison doing a Kairos weekend. Our team was there to let a group of men in white hear and see how much God loves them. Many of these incarcerated men feel forgotten and abandoned and despised. The team on which I served got to remind them that these were only feelings and that God would never leave or abandon them. God wants to help them Manasseh, even while they are still incarcerated. God wants them to Ephraim and share the good news which they found this weekend even from closed security. This unexpected and undeserved expression of God’s grace was hard for these men to grasp, but some of them reached out their hands and hearts to Christ to come and be a greater part of each and every one of their days.
My prayers are that each of us by the grace of God are Manassehing and Ephraiming and moving forward into the present and future which God has for us!
And if you want to know more about Kairos prison ministry drop an email to me at chris.harrison@tylerh65.sg-host.com and I will tell you all about this special time with God in prisons!
Blessed to be a blessing!
Chris aka Ephraim
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