The Josephs Will Arise

"The Josephs     Will Arise"

by Michael Edds 

There is a special remnant of believers whom I call the "Joseph Generation." They are a divinely appointed people that God has been preparing for a specific time of ministry. Like Joseph, God has placed within them a "life plan" or specific destiny or calling to fulfill in life. They have divine gifting within them to fulfill that life plan. Paraphrasing Psalms 139:1, the Scripture states: "All the days planned for me were written in Your book before any came to be." Ephesians 4:8 records these words, "When He ascended on high He gave gifts (His abilities) to men and women." The heart of God is recorded in the words of Matthew 9:36, "When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them because they were weary, scattered like sheep having no shepherd." GOD CARES ABOUT PEOPLE. That is His nature. His compassion always leads to action.

JOSEPH....

God looked down through the ages of time and saw a day and time that would bring starvation on the world and upon His people. In His compassion, God prepared a plan and a man in advance to meet that critical situation. He placed that plan along with the divine abilities to fulfill that plan in the soul and life of a man called Joseph. Jeremiah 1:5 states, "Before you were born, I knew you and set you apart. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. You must go everywhere I send you and say whatsoever I command you."

Joseph, like the Joseph Generation today was born by the will of God, not by the will of the flesh. Joseph was born with a life plan and abilities from God. Did he know the fullness of that life plan? No, he did not. He knew that he had administrative abilities, gifts and special insights. His destiny and life plan called to him through dreams, an inward sense of purpose and through circumstances. Did Joseph immediately step into his life plan and destiny? NO, he did not. He was enrolled in the "SCHOOL OF DUNG." Psalms 105: 16-22 describes that schooling. He was rejected and hated by his own brothers, sold into slavery, he was laid in irons and chains, his feet were hurt with fetters, he was falsely accused, innocently sent to prison, and the word of the Lord tried him severely. His destiny which called to him and life's situations were horribly in conflict. Life had gone to "hell in a handbasket." Thoughts raged through Joseph's mind and soul: "God, you promised me wonderful things. What I am going through is the total opposite of what You revealed to me long ago. Why am I suffering rejection, false accusation, hatred and abuse? Where are You in all of this, Lord? Have you forsaken me? Were all those things just a mere dream, a fantasy of my mind? Why does this inward sense of destiny still call me when it looks impossible for any good to come to me?" THE WORD OF THE LORD TRIED Joseph!

When creating a vessel for special purpose or honor, a wise potter follows a certain procedure. There is a plan and destiny for the lump of clay in the potter's hands. The clay is pounded, pressed and pressure placed upon it to make it pliable. It is placed upon the potter's wheel and pressure applied to start molding it into shape. When the desired shape is achieved, the potter places his creation into the kiln for intense heat to be applied to harden it.

After cooling, stain is applied to this hardened pot. It is fired again to make sure the stain and colors are permanent. The pot is beautiful and ready for use, right? NO! The wise potter wants his creation to be completely ready for its intended purpose. He places it on a shelf in a dark, lonely place to age. When the time is right, he takes the pot out of the darkness and brings it into the light for use. Otherwise, an unprepared vessel could break and spoil the contents it carries.

The Word of the Lord tried Joseph. "Has God forgotten me? Has He abandoned me? Have I missed it somewhere?" Like the potter, God allowed Joseph to go through the "dung of life," the pressures, the heat, the staining and the lonely darkness in order to prepare him for the destiny which had called to him all of his life. God had not forgotten nor abandoned him. God heard Joseph's many prayers, laments, and cries of desperation. He felt the hurts and anguish of this man of destiny. Many times He would have wanted to and could have intervened to deliver Joseph. However, He tied His own Hands and refused to deliver Joseph out of ultimate love for him. He knew that if He took Joseph out of the "school of dung," that intervention would destroy the divine destiny God had prepared for him. It would destroy the process of making Joseph into a vessel of honor and use. The Word of the Lord tried Joseph until the day that His word came to pass. That word was, "the king has need of thee." Joseph's prison door was opened, his garments changed, and he was ushered into the presence of Pharaoh. He went from prison to position in ONE HOUR!

His destiny had arrived! All of the dung and hardships that Joseph had gone through suddenly made sense. People had meant those things for evil BUT GOD HAD MEANT IT FOR GOOD, FOR THE SAVING OF MANY LIVES. Joseph was completely ready and prepared for the destiny for which he was created. He never failed nor dropped the ball. He successfully fulfilled the plan of God.

A special generation now exists that has felt throughout their lives an inward sense of destiny and purpose. That destiny has called to them every day of their lives. That divine destiny has called to them through dreams, visions, an inward desire or passion, and through circumstances. However, like Joseph, they have been enrolled in the "school of dung." They have unjustly suffered rejection, jealousy, hatred, been forgotten, falsely accused, and have been misunderstood. 

Their pure motives have been suspect. Their love has been not been reciprocated. They have felt imprisoned on an island of loneliness and rejection. Life has not been kind nor gentle to them. 

The Word of the Lord has severely tried them. Their divine destiny or life plan has been in conflict with the situations in which they find themselves. 

Their prayers seem to bounce off a heaven made of brass. They feel that they have been placed on a dark, lonely, dusty shelf. 

Purpose has evaporated. They have even cried out to God to "just take me on home." Where is God in all of this?

Out of infinite love, God has allowed this generation, this Joseph Generation, to endure this school of dung. He has refused to intervene until they had been prepared and perfected for the destiny to which He has called them. 

He is creating a generation that will be "selfless" rather than "selfish." Like Joseph, they will graduate from the school of dung as vessels of honor. They will not fail nor drop the ball. They will be totally prepared to fulfill the destiny to which God has called them. 

They have been prepared for a day and an hour of great ministry. They will be ushered from prison to position suddenly. 

The time has come for the "Master Potter" to walk into that dark lonely room. He will stretch forth His Hand onto that dusty shelf and pick up the vessel that has endured the long night of solitary isolation. Gently, His Hand will wipe away the dust and bring forth that special vessel. 

The words will be spoken, "The King has need of thee." The time of preparation will have ended. Destiny will have come! The long endured hardships will suddenly make sense. Joy will overtake them. The life plan and gifting will be activated.

The Joseph Generation is a secret weapon that God has prepared in the school of dung, in the darkness, in the isolation for such a time as this. They are about to be suddenly unleashed upon the kingdom of darkness. God has prepared them to meet the great needs of this present generation. They will have the Master Potter's image upon them. They will have the forgiving heart of Joseph who said, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good to the saving of many lives." 

They will be a selfless people who will give the glory to God. They will not fail. So, Joseph Generation, take heart. Your bitter night is about to end. It is sunrise not sunset. Joy comes in the morning! Even now, the door is being unlocked and opened. Listen for the words, "the King has need of thee." 

God has not forgotten you! Yes, He has seen your tears and heard your cries. He is opening a door which NO MAN can open or shut. ... Josephs take courage! THE KING HAS NEED OF THEE!

Legend of the Thanksgiving Spoon

Thanksgiving brings to mind many images — the Mayflower, Plymouth Rock, the Puritans, William Bradford and Miles Standish, and the first Thanksgiving feast attended by pilgrims and native Americans. Many stories have embellished this most American of holidays. Some are true, while others are Hollywood fiction.

One such legend has existed in my wife Jean’s family for 15 generations. The story centers on an old silver spoon, which has been handed down to the youngest daughter of each generation in her family. So the tale goes, the spoon came over on the Mayflower in the possession of one of its passengers, Stephen Hopkins. However, lost in the mists of time has been the reason for giving the spoon to the youngest female in each generation. My wife’s Aunt Re is the current possessor and protector of this intriguing heirloom.

Being skeptical and certain that my wife’s lineage could not be finer than mine, I researched her genealogical connection to Hopkins and looked for evidence of the spoon in his day. To my chagrin, I discovered that in fact my wife was a direct descendant of Hopkins and that he and his family were bona fide passengers on the Mayflower. I was married to a blue blood! However, I still found no record of a silver spoon.

So, I continued my quest. As I researched Hopkins in depth, what an incredible character began to unfold before me! Stephen was not the typical Puritan, or a Puritan at all! He was a native of Hampshire, England. He married his first wife, Mary, in the parish of Hursley, Hampshire; he and wife Mary had their children – Elizabeth, Constance, and Giles – all baptized there. Constance was my wife Jean’s ancestor. Hopkins went on the ship Sea Venture heading to Jamestown, Va., in 1609 as a minister’s clerk, but the ship wrecked at the “Isle of Devils” in the Bermudas. Stranded on an island for 10 months, the passengers and crew survived on turtles, birds and wild pigs.

After months as a castaway, Stephen and others organized a mutiny against the leader. The mutiny was discovered, and Stephen was sentenced to death. However, he pleaded with tears. “So penitent he was, and made so much moan, alleging the ruin of his wife and children in this, his trespass, as it wrought in the hearts of all the better sorts of the company,” an aged account says. He managed to get his sentence commuted. Interestingly, Shakespeare wrote a play, “The Tempest,” around 1611 with an insurrectionist character called Stefano, who many believe was patterned after Stephen Hopkins. Eventually the castaways built a small ship and sailed themselves to Jamestown.

How long Stephen remained in Jamestown is not known. However, while he was gone, his wife Mary died. She was buried in Hursley on 9 May 1613, and left behind a probate estate that mentions her children, Elizabeth, Constance and Giles.

Stephen was back in England by 1617, when he married Elizabeth Fisher. Their first child, Damaris, was born about 1618. In 1620, Stephen Hopkins brought his wife and children Constance, Giles and Damaris on the Mayflower. Stephen was a fairly active member of the Pilgrims after arrival, perhaps he was one of the few who had been to Virginia previously. He was a part of all the early exploring missions and was used almost as an expert on Native Americans for the first few contacts.

While exploring, Stephen recognized and identified an Indian deer trap. When the Native American leader Samoset walked into Plymouth and welcomed the English, he was housed in Hopkins’ house for the night. Stephen was also sent on several missions to meet various Indian groups in the region. Accompanied by legendary Native American guide Squanto, Hopkins brought gifts to seal a friendship with the chief.

Stephen was a signer of the historic Mayflower Compact, an ancestor of our present Constitution. Stephen was an assistant to the governor through 1636 and volunteered for the Pequot War of 1637 but was never called to serve. By the late 1630s, however, Stephen began to run afoul of Plymouth authorities, as he apparently opened up a shop and served alcohol. In 1636 he got into a fight with John Tisdale and seriously wounded him. In 1637, he was fined for allowing drinking and shuffleboard playing on Sunday.

Early the next year, he was fined for allowing people to drink excessively. In 1638 he was twice fined for selling beer at twice the actual value, and in 1639 he was fined for selling a looking glass for twice what it would cost if bought in the Bay Colony. Also in 1638, Hopkins’ maidservant Dorothy got pregnant by Arthur Peach, who was subsequently executed for murdering an Indian. The Plymouth Court ruled that Hopkins was financially responsible for her and her child for the next two years (the amount remaining on her term of indentured service). Stephen, in contempt of court, threw Dorothy out and refused to provide for her, so the court committed him to custody. John Holmes stepped in and purchased Dorothy’s remaining two years of service, agreeing to support her and her child.

Stephen began to change his ways in the 1650s. He became friends with Captain Miles Standish who used his home and property to be the colony’s arsenal and courthouse. Stephen remained close friends not only with Standish but with William Bradford. Both were witnesses and signers of his will. Hopkins died between June 1644, when his will was made, and July 1644, when the inventory of his estate was taken.

After searching through many historical documents, I still could not locate “the spoon.” Finally, I found Hopkins’ detailed will on the Pilgrim Hall Museum website. As I read through this lengthy document I came across the following lines:

“Also I do give and bequeath unto my foure daughters, that is to say Deborah Hopkins, Damaris Hopkins, Ruth Hopkins and Elizabeth Hopkins, all the mooveable goods the wch do belong to my house. As linnen wollen beds bedcloathes pott kettles pewter or whatsoevr are moveable belonging to my said house of what kynd soever and not named by their prticular names all wch said mooveables to bee equally devided amongst my said daughters foure silver spoones that is to say to eich of them one, And in case any of my said daughters should be taken away by death before they be marryed that then the part of their division to be equally devided amongst the Survivors.”

I had found the spoon! In fact, four silver spoons were given to his four youngest daughters. However, how did my wife’s ancestor, Constance, the fifth and oldest daughter, come to possess one of the spoons? They were left to her four younger sisters. Searching deeper, I found the probable answer, thanks to William Bradford, one of the colony’s famous leaders. He wrote in 1650: “Mr. Hopkins and his wife are now both dead, but they lived above twenty years in this place and had one son and four daughters born here. Their son became a seaman and died at Barbadoes, one daughter died here and two are married; one of them hath two children, and one is yet to marry. So their increase which still survive are five. But his son Giles is married and hath four children. His daughter Constance is also married and hath twelve children, all of them living and one of them married.” One daughter had died – that was my answer! According to Stephen’s will, if any died, her share was to be divided among the others. Constance, the eldest, inherited the spoon from her deceased younger sister!

What an incredible journey through time the spoon had led me! No doubt that old spoon was used at that first Thanksgiving meal. Maybe the hand of Miles Standish, or William Bradford or maybe Squanto held it. Could it have been the serving spoon for mashed potatoes, corn or stuffing? Whatever its use, it was there on that first Thanksgiving table 400 years ago when two vastly different peoples joined together to give thanks unto a most gracious God.

The old spoon will be polished again for this Thanksgiving meal at Aunt Re’s house. It again will be in the hand of a distant daughter of Stephen Hopkins. It again will be present where a sumptuous meal will be served and heartfelt prayers of thanksgiving will be given.

The Final Great Awakening

"OLD WELLS, FALLEN MANTLES, NEW

FOUNTAINS"

 ( A VISION OF THE FINAL GREAT AWAKENING)

by Michael Edds

I moved to a major U.S city in June 2000 to assume the position as Head of School for an interdenominational Christian High School. The school was new but had numerous problems, the most severe totally unknown to me. Prior to my arrival, a teacher had been arrested for involving a student in pornography. The teacher had been convicted and sentenced. Upon my arrival, the incident had become front-page news in the community. To say the least, I was shocked and stunned.

One night I could not sleep. I was very angry with the Lord for putting me into this greatly stressful mess. “Surely, I thought, I deserve better than this.” Around 2 am, I got up to sit on the couch and pout. In spite of my upset state, anger and disgust, the Presence of the Lord settled in the living room. God did not even pay attention to or address my complaint. Instead, His presence was so strong that I physically trembled. He spoke these words, “Old Wells, Fallen Mantles, and New Fountains.” He instructed me to get my Bible. By that time, I too had set aside my complaint. His Presence was so great that I did not know if I could survive it.

I opened my Bible to Isaiah 35: 3-7: “The eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing, for IN THE WILDERNESS SHALL WATER BREAK OUT and streams in the desert. AND THE PARCHED GROUND SHALL BECOME A POOL and the thirsty land SPRINGS OF WATER.”

The Lord led me to Isaiah 41:17 -18, "The poor and needy seek water but there is none. Their tongues fail for thirst. I, the Lord, will hear them. I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open rivers in the desolate heights and fountains in the midst of valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land springs of waters."

Next came Isaiah 43:20, " I will give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert to give drink to my people, my chosen."

I was directed to verse 19 of [Isaiah 43]: “Behold I WILL DO A NEW THING. Now it shall SPRING [BURST] FORTH. Shall ye not know it?”

The Lord was moving so quickly through the scriptures that I could hardly keep up. His presence was incredibly strong. I felt like I was floating.

Leaving Isaiah, the Lord took me to Joel 2:23: “He will cause to come down for you the rain, THE FORMER RAIN AND THE LATTER RAIN IN THE FIRST MONTH.”

Then Joel 2:28 was given which states: “It shall come to pass afterwards that I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT ON ALL FLESH. Your sons and daughters shall PROPHESY, YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS and your YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS.”

Finally, Genesis 26:18 finished the scriptures that the Lord was rapidly giving me: “AND ISAAC DUG AGAIN the WELLS of water which they had DUG IN THE DAYS OF ABRAHAM HIS FATHER.”

The Lord revealed the meaning of this vision:

The Early Church experienced the fullness of God. They had the fullness, the gifts and revelation of the Holy Spirit. They were full of boldness, power and anointing. God turned the world upside down through them. The dead were raised, the blind received sight, the possessed were set free, the sick healed and the Gospel was preached to the poor. The anger of Hell was violently aroused. The more the devil persecuted and killed them, the more they multiplied and spread. So Satan changed his tactics. By 300 AD, Roman Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Empire. What Satan could not do through persecution, he accomplished through promotion, position, power, prestige, acceptance and prosperity. They SOLD OUT! The Church backslid and humanity later fell into the brutality of the Dark Ages.

The purpose of each Great Awakening or the bursting forth of a spiritual well was to restore an element of truth that the Early Church possessed back to the church. Luther restored "the just shall live by faith." Wesley, Whitefield, Edwards and the First Great Awakening restored repentance, inward holiness and “Christ in you.” 

The Second Great Awakening with Barton Stone at Cane Ridge in the West and Francis Asbury in the East brought restoration in society through evangelism, missions, and great social renewal such as abolition, child labor laws, and suffrage movement. 

The Third Great Awakening of 1857 restored the power of prayer. Azusa Street Outpouring of 1905 restored the in filling and gifts of the Holy Spirit. 

The Lord stated that He was going to reopen all of the “old wells” of revival in order to restore TOTAL truth to His church.

Fallen mantles of ministry and anointing that rested upon the great men and women of God of old would be picked up and placed on godly men and women today to finish what was started long ago. They are the “Isaacs” that will revisit the old wells of revival and reopen them. The mantles of ministry did not die nor were they buried with Asbury, Wesley, Stone, Amanda Berry Smith and others. They have only been “on hold” until a generation would be born that could relate to them and pick them up. 

Isaiah 58:12 refers to them: “And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places, thou shall raise up the foundations of many generations, and thou shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in.” 

The Lord said, “What once was shall be again.”

Malachi 4:5 prophecies that “I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” The Lord said this was not just a generational reconciliation between the old and the young. It is a restoration of His people to the Faith once delivered to the Saints, the Faith of our fathers. The Lord said He was tired of the apostasy, deadness, programs, personality cults, plans and politics that have nearly destroyed His church. He is going to restore HIS church by returning the “Faith of our Fathers to their children (descendants) and the children (descendants) to the Faith of our Fathers.”

The old wells will BURST forth and the fallen mantles will be picked up. This will be a “suddenly”. Isaiah speaks of it occurring in the desert places and on the barren heights. In other words, it will happen in the most unlikely of places.

The Lord continued His interpretation of the vision by explaining to me that “NEW FOUNTAINS” would gush or break forth also. Something that has never occurred in any Great Awakening or in any historic move of God will exploded upon the scene in our day. 

Joel 2:23 speaks of God sending the former rain (the Old Wells of revival) and the latter rain (The New Fountains) in the SAME MONTH!!! In other words, all of the moves of God and fallen mantles from Pentecost until now will be reopened and picked up and combined with a totally new thing from God. It will literally shake the church and the world. HE WILL RESTORE A CHURCH WITHOUT SPOT OR WRINKLE! He will not allow the church to go out defeated. HE WILL ARISE FOR HIS OWN NAME’S SAKE!

God has been preparing a "Joseph Generation" that has been enrolled in the "School of Dung.” In this schooling, they have endured the pain of rejection, slander and isolation. The ‘Word of the Lord’ has tried them severely. They cry out, “God why? All I wanted to do is serve you. All seems to have ‘gone to hell in a hand basket’. It seems just the opposite of what You promised. I am lonely, the organized church thinks I am crazy, a fanatic, out on a limb. They have rejected me and hated me because of my love for you. WHY, OH LORD?”

God has been preparing and perfecting these "Josephs" in the darkness and in the prison houses of loneliness and isolation for a day and hour that they will be unleashed as a secret weapon on the kingdom of darkness. He has allowed all of these things to happen to them for their good. He has prepared a people whom He can trust with His power, gifts, and anointing. In holiness, humility and boldness they will fulfill His plans in our day. They will give HIM the glory. They will give HIM total control of the coming Great Awakening. The door of their prison house of utter loneliness and rejection is about to open. Their “word” is about to come. That word is “the King has need of thee.” In a moment, they will be ushered from prison to position. In a moment, they will fully understand their long and severe sufferings. In a moment, they will be brought out into the light of God’s divine destiny for them. God will greatly use them to lead the Coming Great Awakening.

Along with this final Great Awakening is coming Divine Judgment. Isaiah 35:4 declares, “Your God shall come with vengeance, even God with a recompense.” God is going to overthrow the abuse and control of man in His church. He’s going to take back the "ship" that has been turned into a luxury liner and restore her back to her original state: a ship of war. HE IS GOING TO TAKE BACK CONTROL OF HIS CHURCH!!! The Church is HIS bride, not someone else.

This nation is going to be greatly shaken. The First Great Awakening preceded the American Revolution. Before the Second Great Awakening began at Cane Ridge, Kentucky, a massive epidemic of Cholera occurred. In its early days, the Third Great Awakening saw every bank in the nation collapse. This awakening was followed by the greatest disaster in American History when the nation was ripped apart and 600,000 Americans perished in the horrific War Between The States. A great earthquake hit California at the same time as the Azusa Street Outpouring. He is going to shake the Church and this nation. Only that which is of Him will be left standing.

A great hunger for repentance, seeking God, seeking holiness and seeking truth has exploded within the "Joseph Generation." They have studied, researched and sought out the Old Wells of revival. They intensely hunger for God to do it again! They cry out, “Just one more time, oh Lord!” Programs, politics, personalities, manipulation, and plans in the church sicken them. THEY MUST HAVE GOD! They MUST be in His presence! They are meeting in the homes, in the fields, in the woods, in their prayer closets and any place that they can totally seek His face. Their despair has turned into an all-consuming hunger that says, “Give me God or let me die.” GOD HAS HEARD! He is about to reopen the old wells of revival, He is picking up the fallen mantles and placing them on men and women, and He is about to do a new thing!

Every Awakening has incurred the wrath and persecution of man. When the Presence and holiness of God confronts mankind, they must make a decision for or against Him. When they choose to reject Him, they lash out and fight against His messengers. In the mid-1700s, the Baptist in Colonial Virginia were beaten, imprisoned, and killed for preaching the Gospel. The Methodist circuit riders were jailed, tarred and feathered, beaten, abused and martyred for the message of God. The reason there is little persecution against the Church in America today is that there is so little of the Presence and Message of God to confront mankind. The world has heard how to get rich, how to prosper, how to have self-esteem, and to feel good. They have not heard the message, “Repent or perish.” They have not heard the anointed Word of God that demands a decision. Be forewarned, The Final Great Awakening will usher in a wave of persecution against the true Church of God.

Old Wells of Revival are on the threshold of being reopened. Fallen Mantles of ministry are being picked up. New Fountains are rumbling beneath the surface and about to burst forth. Frank Bartleman (chronicler of the Azusa Awakening) once said, “To understand what God is going to do, we must understand what He once did.” The most incredible move of God will suddenly explode upon the scene.

Judgment and a great shaking are coming to the land and to the church. Persecution of the Isaacs and Josephs, the true saints of God will occur. However, they will be covered with such zeal and boldness, they will be like the Fathers of old: “And they loved not their lives even until death.” (Rev 12:11) God will harvest a holy remnant from this generation. He will have a church that is without spot or wrinkle, a pure bride for His Son. Be encouraged. Lift up your heads. Your God has come! “The King has need of thee!”