Speaker A
In order to be caught up in the secret coming of Lord Jesus Christ, we must become fruitful. Galatians chapter 5:9. Divine characters have been given as the fruit of the Spirit, and all these nine characters should be formed in us. If this fruit is to be formed in us, we need a suitable temperature or this heat from the sun. Deuteronomy chapter 33 verse 14 says, "And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon." Glory be to God's holy name for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun. If you go and prove scientifically and in the spiritual way also, you can find when the way the fruit is made ripe and tasty is with the help of a sun. Who is the sun? In the past, we read that the Lord God is the sun, the Lord is the sun and the shield. In the book of Malachi, it is written, Jesus Christ is the sun of righteousness. That is the heat or the temperature that is from the Lord, or the trials, temptations, reproaches, shames, and the sufferings that are sent from God or heaven. Certain people used to say in the place where they study, and certain people in their offices also say that they have got a black mark. Certain people would have done a mistake and thereby received the black mark, whereas certain others without any fault of theirs would have received the black mark by the mistakes committed by others or corruption committed by others. Each would have been shouldered on them, thereby they would have received a black mark. Similarly, in our lives also, when unsubstantiated false allegations are leveled against us, which even haven't crossed our mind, then we have to bear a black mark. And when we see in a car way, when certain people are under these sufferings, when they look at us, at times they keep a distance from us, and we have to face all those things. But the spiritual people will never give weightage to all those things. And was there a black mark for Joseph? Was it true? Was it a truth? No. But the whole Egypt had believed that Joseph was a sinner, and the whole land of Egypt had trusted only the wife of Potiphar and it believed a sinner to be a saint and looked at a saint as a sinner. This is the experience of a black mark. This is the sun that has been permitted from heaven. But when Joseph went to prison, what happened in him? For the space of two years, he was there in the prison, in the dungeon. Within that period, the pride that was found in the life of Joseph was completely removed. Initially, when he went to the prison, what did he say? Two people had dreams and they were speaking or sharing it one with the other. They did not come and tell this to Joseph. He went forward and said, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me them." He had the nature of revealing himself and exhibiting himself because he had to bear the false accusation and also the black mark. He had to go to the dungeon. Why was he taken to the dungeon? The reason may be false because of the false accusation. He was taken to the dungeon. The matter is false, but God had a purpose. God had a purpose behind it before elevating him to the throne in Egypt and a place where he was to judge the people of the land. The pride and the arrogance that was found in him had to be eliminated. He had that ego in himself, but if he has to take the throne, he should not have such a nature. Therefore, the Lord permitted and allowed a false accusation to crop up against him and thereby a black mark, and he took him to the dungeon in Egypt. There he changed his nature. His arrogance and pride were totally removed from him. When we read this in the Book of Genesis, we can find the difference between that chapter and the following one. What does he say in the chapter? "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me, then I pray you." Genesis 40:8. And they said unto him, "We have dreamed a dream and there is no interpreter for it." And Joseph said unto them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me them, I pray you." This was told when he went first into the prison. "Tell it to me." He means that he and God were one. "Can I alone know this?" This was found in him. When you read the first verse of chapter 41, "And it came to pass at the end of two full years that Pharaoh dreamed." Therefore, there was a gap of two years between these two incidents. What had happened in these two years of captivity? You can compare these two incidences. The first incident, we can see two people were speaking one to the other. They did not tell it to Joseph. He volunteered and said, "I can, so you can tell it to me." But when you see this incident, Pharaoh called Joseph from before him. He said, "I have heard about you." Genesis 41:15. For Pharaoh said unto Joseph, "I have dreamed a dream and there is none that can interpret it, and I have heard say of thee that thou can understand the dream to interpret it." And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me. God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace." Just when he went initially, when he went to the prison, he said, "I can." After the life of two years and captivity, after having two years of false allegations on him and after two years with a black mark, now when Pharaoh directly called him and asked him if he could, he said, "Not I." Dearly beloved, out of my own experience, I'm telling it. It is a truth. When there is a black mark on us, when we are led through a dark shadow valley, or when the sun is upon us, our heart will be crushed. Generally, I love a verse from the scripture, and whenever I pray, I used to quote that verse. That is the verse that has touched me. "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, our sufficiency is of God." Right from the day I stepped into this ministry, whenever I prayed, whenever I had to give a message prior to that message, I used to pray quoting this verse. We are uttering it with our mouth. 2 Corinthians 3:5. "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God." I can prepare a biryani very well. I can prepare tasty pepper water. I can cook fish curry very tastily. All these are literal things. I can give a very good sermon or something. I can flawlessly interpret. Certain people used to interpret. I could have done the interpretation in a better way. They used to say, instead of using this word, they could have put another word. Each one of us has such thoughts. But do you know the meaning of this verse? Generally, we know to prepare pepper water, but we must hear, "I'm not fit to prepare pepper water." I know of the sisters who worked along with me in the kitchen. When they were cooking each day, they used to do the same thing. Many years, they were doing the same thing, and I used to hear the voice from the kitchen saying, "Every day, Lord, I know nothing." And I used to hear them say so and praise the Lord. Glory be to God's holy name. And even driving a vehicle, I have so many years of experience. Till now, I haven't met with an accident. I know how to drive well. "Not so, Lord. I know nothing. I know nothing." Even though you have known everything, you must say, "I know nothing." We can say with our mouth, but according to our mind, coming to that place is quite difficult. Therefore, God permitted the black mark in our lives as Joseph had to have the black mark and also false allegations against him, so that we also come to a place whereby we can say out of our mind and heart that we are good for nothing. Only when we come to that place, the heart would be shattered. When we go in, only when you practically tread the path alone, you can know that. If you just listen to that theoretically, it's of no use. When you are blamed and accused falsely and everybody views you as a sinner, alone you can understand that.
