This sermon delves into the theme of overcoming crises by drawing insights from biblical stories like Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dream during a severe famine. It emphasizes the importance of casting all our cares upon God, resisting the adversary, and recognizing God's care even in the midst of despair. The message encourages believers to trust in God's provision and wisdom, acknowledging His sovereignty over all circumstances.

Now, dear friends, the burden of the message today requires a vast canvas, because it is a subject which deals with the crisis, you know, the sequence of crisis that were in the word of God. It is overcoming crisis. Now, we see that throughout history, and we see it in the Bible, how did people face these immense crisis that arose in their lives? Now, you know how we tend to get all flustered and feel that we are abandoned and in a state of hopelessness when some of these adversities arise. The scriptures that we were reading today has this vital truth in it. If you will turn back to 1 Peter and the 5th chapter and the 7th verse, please. 1 Peter 5, 7, Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist, steadfast in the faith. So, casting all our care upon him. Sometimes we almost feel in our despair, God doesn't care anymore. God doesn't see me. Some of our afflictions are self-inflicted. By sheer disobedience to the word of God, we bring sudden calamities upon ourselves. You know, and for that, we often blame God. That's not right. Now, if you turn to Genesis chapter 41, you will notice that God revealed a certain oncoming calamity to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Seven years of famine. I don't know if some of us can face the idea of seven days of starvation. Can you? Seven days of inadequate food, no supper, no dinner, maybe a few crackers, which can be salvaged from an empty tin or can. I wonder how the thought of that sends tremors. But here, the nations around were plunged into that famine. 41st chapter in the last verse, 57th verse. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn, because that the famine was so sore in all lands. So, here was a famine that encompassed many nations. And in the midst of that, here was a jailbird, a man who had been clapped up in prison just because he would not accept the advances of a wicked woman. He dared to resist the mistress of the house and said, how can I do this wickedness and sin against God? This young man who in his lone testimony, suppose you are the only person testifying for the Lord in this nation, the only person, how would you face such a situation? Probably you will have a big pity party and sit in that pity party saying, hey, I am the only one that is left. There's nobody for me to pray with. There's nobody to stand for me or for my rights. There's none. I am the only person left for Jesus in this continent or country. Now, how would you look at yourself? All kinds of heathen civilization around you and you are reckoned as a dropout and are clapped up in prison just because you will not do as the other inhabitants do. First of all, the very thought of that seems to be so completely enervating and devastating. You know, we don't see people standing alone. They find it so difficult and to meet a crisis situation, we don't see people gearing themselves to do so. Well, when King Pharaoh of that ancient civilization of Egypt had this troubling dream, two dreams in fact, you know, there came seven fat, kind cattle and behind them came six ill-favored and lean cattle and they swallowed up the fat cattle and likewise, you know, there came up the 22nd verse of Genesis 41. I saw in my dream and behold, seven years came up in one stock full and good and behold, seven years withered thin and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them and the thin years devoured the seven good years. I told this unto the magicians, but there was none that could declare it to me. You see, this very troubling dream, which the king had was a dream which no one could interpret, but then when they heard of, when the king heard of Joseph, they hurriedly got him out of prison. He had a prison beard and was unshaven. He quickly shaved it all off and said, let me make myself presentable in court and he was ushered in into the presence of the king. Just think of that, from prison to the very audience chamber of the king and when the king told him these dreams, and the king had said to him in the 15th verse, I've heard say of you that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh saying, it is not in me. God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. It is not in me. You know, here was a young man who recognized that the hand of God was leading him through adversity, through prison, through tough times. It was the hand of God that was upon him. Now, my dear friends, if we realize that in the midst of whatever adversity you're facing, that there is a God who careth for you and you must learn to cast all your care upon him. So, Joseph says, hey, it's not in me. I have a God that careth for me. I can take my problems. You see, you're suddenly pulled me out of the prison and you say, hey, come on, pronto, get me my interpretation. I want to know. I am very troubled. Well, it is not in me, but God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. Prophetic words. You know, if we have something, every Christian must have something of that prophetic spirit. You know, the Bible says, I will send you the Holy Ghost who shall show you things to come. So, you're not to be taken off guard on the wrong foot. You're not to be just saying, hey, I don't know what to do with myself. I am in the soup. Well, casting all our care upon him, for he careth, he careth. My heavenly father knoweth and he careth. It's amazing. When you have that consciousness, there is an inner strength in you to be able to face whatever the devil may pit against you. But what do we see here? We see that Pharaoh tells him his dream. Joseph is ready with the interpretation. Twenty-fifth verse. And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, the dream of Pharaoh is one. God has showed Pharaoh what he is about to do. You're going to have seven years of plenty, and following that, seven years of famine. I don't think any modern economy is able to withstand seven years of total famine when nothing grows. There's no harvest. I don't think there's any economy in the world that can face that situation today. You know, hungry men can't go and work your machines. So manufacturing will stop, and exports will stop, and economy will just wind down. I don't know what people will do. They will turn to cannibalism, probably. Eating one another. Well, there is a form of cannibalism today. You know, eating our neighbors. The reverse of what Jesus taught us. Love your neighbor as yourself. You know, they want a cap on malpractice insurance. It's extraordinary. You go to see a doctor. First thing, you have got to sign certain undertakings. I'm not going to pull you to court. I'm not going to sue you. I'm not going to do this or that. Well, that people can get so avaricious and greedy that they must pounce on somebody like a predator to get some money out of him. It is sad. And now Mr. Obama in his book mentions or refers to an elevator in which a woman suddenly finds herself with a black man, and she clutches her purse. What does that mean? Oh, he must be a thief. He must be a purse snatcher. Oh, a highly insulting thing, you know. But, you know, people have suffered under that kind of complex, that kind of ill treatment. And he mentions that. Okay. Clutching at your purse or clutching at your neighbor's wallet, which seems to happen all the time, with the result that doctors malpractice insurance has shot up so high that some of the poor fellows cannot hardly finance themselves anymore. In fact, one of my doctors told me, I can't keep up with the system, so I'm quitting. So he did. You see, my dear friends, it's a question of grabbing. And imagine seven years of famine and what will happen to these predators, these fellows who want to just get something for nothing. How shocking. But look at Joseph. What does he do? You know, when he interprets his dream, the reaction of Pharaoh was, verse 38, Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, 39, for as much as God has revealed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as you are. Thou shalt be over my house, and according to your word shall all my people be ruled. So the king gave him a free hand. You say you're going to gather the plenty from the plenteous years? Do it. I give you a free hand. You know, my dear friends, unfortunately, one of the advisors who has been appointed by the new administration in the White House is a man who almost advocates not only abortion, but a strict limit upon population in terms of getting rid of some of the older people who are not useful anymore. How terrible. Let us pray. Let us pray. Let us ask God for grace to face any crisis. We are certainly not going to face some Red Sea or something like that, but there are crisis, national, international, personal, family crisis, which have to be faced. Shall we stand still and see the salvation of God? He cares for you. He cares for me. Loving Father, we hardly can understand the struggles, the battles, the privation, which those that treasured their liberty in Christ Jesus have had to face. We want an easy picnic. That's all we are asking of life. One pleasure to another, one entertainment to another, one picnic to another. What sick minds we have nourished and retained. Forgive us, we pray. Give us the grace to face crisis, crisis, tough situations, knowing that the whole testimony of God's Word consists of men and women who faced crisis and overcame. Please, Lord, give us that grace. Give us that living faith, not just a talking faith, nor a Sunday morning's faith, but that living faith. Bring it into our hearts. We ask in Jesus' holy name. Amen.