Watch “Strangely Wrapped Gifts” Jentezen Franklin, host of Kingdom Connection & Pastor of Free Chapel.
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I was reminded this week about a story
that I heard I’m going to give you the
story and it’s very important that you
lean in and catch it it’s the story that
I heard some time ago about a father and
his son that had a strained relationship
the the boy’s mother died at an early
age and the father had done the best
that he could to raise the boy by
himself but he was also a very
successful man building a very
successful business and that business
had really required a lot from him and
the son felt some neglect the boy grew
up and there was strain in the
relationship and finally the the boy
goes off to college and like many kids
goes off to college and the dad
continues to build the business and they
drift apart but the senior year of his
college education the father be the Sun
began to you know desire to reconnect
with his dad and so he began to go home
on the weekends and he began to reach
out to him and begin to share more time
and talking the the wound began to heal
and the closeness begin to come back and
one day they were out walking in in
their City and there was a used car or a
car lot I should say and it had very
expensive cars a sports car and the boy
said to his dad that is what I want for
my college graduation present that
convertible to the dad he had so much
money so much wealth that car would not
be a problem but he let him know I would
love to have that dad I would love to
have it he even dropped hints as the
date was getting closer to his
graduation he dropped hints to any and
everybody who would have access to his
dad you know your son really wants that
car you know he really really wants that
car his grades are good his grades are
high and he wants you to reward him with
that sports car the day came that the
son graduated from college and after the
graduation that went back to his huge
home of the father and the father asked
him to come into his study
and when he walked in the Father had a
package that was wrapped in paper and
and beautiful bow on it and he pushed it
across the desk and he said this is my
graduation present to you and the boy
was somewhat put back he tried to hide
his anger and his disappointment because
he got stirred up kind of lost it a
little bit thinking this is not what I
wanted and he unwrapped the gift and
took the lid off of the box and inside
was a was a Bible and his name was
engraved the boy’s name in the Bible and
large letters and by this time when he
looks in it was absolutely what he did
not want and he took the box with the
Bible in it and shoved it rudely across
the desk stood up and said thanks dad
thanks a lot the story of my life and he
flipped around and the father said wait
son aren’t you at least going to pick it
up and read what I have to say and he
said I don’t need that now I’ve got a
whole life to live maybe someday I’ll
read what that book has to say and he
stormed out of his dad’s office went
upstairs packed his bags and left that
mansion of his dad and went off and used
his dad’s name to pull some strings and
got a great job and then started making
more money and even more gainfully
employed to the point that he really
began to prosper but he cut his father
off he didn’t want any communication
wouldn’t answer his phone calls wouldn’t
talk to him and then the man became
successful and met a beautiful girl
married her did not invite the father to
the wedding had a child did not inform
the father had a second child did not
invite the father but by that second
child something happened to the son and
he began to desire to have his dad back
in his life so he began to reach out and
build relationship
they planned a trip for the first time
his dad was going to get to see the
family that he had never seen and they
were going to travel across the country
to to get where dad lived and just so
happened according to the story that I
read the week that they were planning to
do it after years of being separated not
speaking the lines of communication
broken the the the father had a massive
heart attack and died suddenly and the
son with a hole in his heart for the
time that he had missed with his dad had
that long trek across country and he
gets there and he’s trying to handle all
of his dad’s business his dad had left
him he was an only child the sole heir
to his fortune and he had people helping
him clean and gather things in the house
and he happened to go into his dad’s
office the last place where he saw his
dad alive and he walked into that office
and he sat down in his dad’s chair and
he looked over on the bookshelf and his
eye was caught by the package he
remembered the wrapping paper
it was the same box it was the same
paper and he walked over and he took it
off of the shelf and the desk of his dad
was still covered with business papers
and he just kind of cleared a space on
that desk and pushed everything back and
set that box down in the wrapping paper
took the lid off and sure enough there
was that Bible with his name on it but
what he didn’t notice that day was
unchanged all those years it’s when he
went to open it it had a it had a book
marker in it at a certain place in
Matthew chapter 7 and underlined only
the words that were underlined by the
father where the scripture was the
scripture in Matthew 7 where it said if
you being evil know how to give good
gifts to your children how much more
your heavenly Father give the Holy
Spirit to them that ask and he was so
moved that his dad had underlined that
Scripture and it had set there all those
years and he started to grab the Bible
and pull it to his chest because he was
moved and he was weeping and when he
grabbed the Bible and pulled it to his
chest
suddenly a key fell out of the Bible and
he picked the key up and he recognized
the key as being a car key and sure
enough he went to the garage the huge
garage that his father had that had
several cars in it and over against the
wall there was a car that was covered
and it had dust on it and he tore the
cover off and there was that convertible
it had been sitting there all of those
years the father had bought it and paid
for it and he had it available for his
son but the problem was the son got what
he asked for
but he didn’t like it because of the way
that it was wrapped the package that it
came it was exactly what he asked his
father to give him but what he was not
prepared for and what he was not able to
receive was he got exactly what he
wanted but he didn’t like the package
that it came in he he rejected it not
realizing that he was rejecting
everything that he had asked the father
to give him but it was in a package that
he did not like and I’m preaching today
that we serve a Heavenly Father who many
times sends his children
strangely wrap gifts we ask God for
things many times we ask him and God
sends what we ask him for but it comes
and strangely wrapped gifts that if you
do not wait on the Lord and if you do
not trust the Lord and if you do not
stand in faith you
push in bitterness and anger back across
the table to the heavenly father and say
what a disappointment I asked you for
something great and all you give me is a
book of promises and we shove it back at
him and we leave bitter and angry
sometimes even at God it’s not what I
was expecting it’s not what I was
praying for it’s it’s not it’s not what
I was believing for such was the case of
Joseph we serve a God who gives
strangely wrapped gifts Joseph I’m going
to you’ve asked me to use you you’ve
asked me to raise you you’ve asked me to
perform my dream for your life and I
have a high and a mighty dream for your
life but Joseph is going to come in a
strangely wrapped package and so the
strange package shows up in Joseph’s
life when he goes down with his coat of
many colors and his own brothers rip it
off and they throw him into a pit and he
sold into slavery and he ends up in
Egypt and he’s working in the house of
Potiphar and Potiphar’s wife lies on him
and he’s thrown into prison for 13 years
for a crime he did not commit and while
he’s there he makes friends with a
butler and a baker and he says I’ll
interpret your dreams but don’t forget
me but they forgot him but there came
one day when Pharaoh had a dream that no
one could interpret it and the Baker
said there’s one man in the dungeon who
can interpret dreams and within 24 hours
Joseph was not only raised out of the
prison but Pharaoh said I will make you
second in the land
second only to me I’ll give you the keys
to the corn and you will save millions
of lives and you will take us through
the famine and you will sit in a
powerful position in the most powerful
nation in the world
it happened in 24 hours but it came in a
wrapped package that was strange and
unusual the golden keys to the corn was
in a package that you could never see
God taking something so so so bad
so ugly but out of it would follow the
golden keys to keeping the whole world
alive because God often sin strangely
wrapped gifts and in you asked for
something and it’s not just about God
giving it to you but it’s about him
preparing you to be able to handle it
it’s the process that you go through
that that that prepares your soul your
ego your heart and it’s in the suffering
it’s in the hurting it’s in the waiting
that God begins to fashion and mold and
shape you it’s not in the high times of
just getting what you want from God
because it’s about you becoming what God
has called you to become so that he can
trust you with what you’re asking him to
give you it was a strangely wrap gift
and Joseph ended up now by calling his
family in and they’re shaking in their
boots saying you’re gonna get us back
with revenge and he said you don’t
understand you meant it for my evil the
package that you sent it in was meant
for my evil but God has turned it for my
good that many would be saved by what
you put me through I got a gold key to
ministry through what you put me through
the strange package job I’m gonna do
something incredible in your life you’re
gonna have wealth you’re gonna have
amazing things as a matter of fact I’m
gonna bless you double but my gifts show
up wrapped in strange boxes and strange
wrappings so here comes package number
one all of your flocks have been stolen
and all of your servants have been
kidnapped and here comes package number
two perhaps the most hideous package a
parent could ever get all 10 of your
children are dead
they’re gone and Jobe has no Bible job
has no church job has no explanation job
has no name of Jesus he’s all he can say
is the Lord gives the Lord takes away
blessed be the name of the Lord and well
at least I still got the health and a
still got my wife and I still got my
friends and the friends say you’re a
liar you’re a hypocrite this is the
judgment of God and his wife says curse
God and die and he loses his health he
loses everything he has not one thing
left and well he had God well really
because he said I went forward and I
couldn’t find him and I turned back and
I couldn’t perceive him I turn to the
left and right and he wasn’t there I’ve
had seasons like that we’re all he but
yeah I love what he said he said I know
my redeemer lives even when I can’t find
and he can find me but when I don’t know
where he is he knows where I am
but really what Joe was saying is it’s
not even heaven can shake my confidence
in heaven now I know I know hell can’t
shake your confidence because you know
when it’s the devil doing something but
what about when God allows things why
doesn’t God do something why didn’t he
stop my 10 children from God why why not
even heaven will shake my confidence in
heaven I know my redeemer lives and one
day when I’ve come forth as my fire
tribe I will be pure gold and I’ll see
him for myself Joe made it through the
trial and God said I’m gonna give you
double livestock double business double
everything you’ve got I’m gonna give you
and it’s interesting God doubled
everything he had except his children
because he started out with 10 but God
only gave him 10 more children why
because he didn’t lose the ten that he
lost they were in heaven
we don’t understand I would not be in
the ministry I wonder why I was in a
service when Friday night at a camp
meeting Church of God North Carolina
Ronny Bronk was preaching Steve Broncs
brother and it tore me out of the frame
I was a kid about 16 years old sitting
in the back of the building weeping what
is wrong with me and I’m telling you God
that night placed his hand on my life
and said I’m calling you my he confirmed
it to me later but that was the
beginning of something massive
concerning my call and so I said God use
me God I won’t give me revelation give
me messages let me preach like that man
let me reach people like that man use me
God God said I hear you you know what he
sent me
sickness you know what he sent me a skin
disease that alienated me from everybody
you know what he sent me bowls all over
my body for over a year I was sick and
in the house and I went through
depression I went through suicidal
thoughts I went through wanting to give
up I thought I’m a freak God what I
asked you to use me now I don’t even
have the confidence to stand up and look
anybody in the eye you have devastated
me but I’m telling you that when I look
back on it now I really believe if God
hadn’t sent that strangely wrapped gift
I know God you know people argue I know
I know the devil comes to kill steal and
destroy but but whatever hell either God
allows it and if God allows it
means he’s gonna use it to get glory out
of it and to do a work in me and to a do
work in you all things not just the good
things all things and we know that all
things see I would I would I was I was
popular I was running with a popular
crowd I would have started partying I
would have started doing this I would
have started doing that so God said I
got my hand on you and I’m gonna give
you a special gift of suffering for a
while and it was during that time and my
mother sitting here she’ll tell you I
read my Bible 40 chapters a day I
started seeking God I started fasting I
didn’t know what fasting started fasting
went on a 21-day fast see through my
burden through my suffering through my
loneliness through my brokenness through
through my embarrassment and now when I
get up in front of a beautiful
congregation like this it’s not just
words that I’m saying but that that box
bolts something to me that was strangely
wrapped that makes me understand great
is gratefulness needed your hand has
provided and he is faithful but when
he’s got his when he’s got a promise to
perform in your life don’t be surprised
if it shows up in strangely packaged
wrappings and Paul says listen to listen
to what Paul said Paul I love Paul I
love him
because Paul just really gets the
revelation of what it’s all about that
the tough times that we go through and
listen to what he says he says
everything that has happened to me has
happened for the furtherance of the
gospel and he says so therefore I will
take pleasure in my gift wrappings I
know that if if stuff comes and into my
life either God said it or
and he’s gonna take it and transform it
for good and a golden key is gonna drop
out to let somebody free to heal
somebody to open up some door of
blessing something is good a key is
gonna drop out of this strangely wrap
gift and so Paul says so I will take
pleasure in my gift wrappings and my
suffering in my tribulation I’ll come
out stronger hmm his strength will be
made perfect in my weakness because
everything this happened to me has
happened to further the gospel in my
family in my life in my world folks it’s
not just about you having a nice sweet
perfect life life will come hitting you
and your family sooner or later and I
don’t want a bunch of cool hwhip
Christians who don’t know what to do
when trouble comes I tell you what you
do you don’t shove the gift back at the
Father and turn around in a temper
tantrum and say if you don’t give me
what I want like I want it I won’t talk
to you for another year or two and I’ll
quit church and I’ll get no sir I’m
talking to people right now that that
that you’ve lost your job or whatever
how do you know how do you know we hear
stories all the time I lost my job I
thought it’s the worst thing it was a
gift because you never started that
multi-million dollar business if you
you’re to steal
so what jerkwad lift you and cheated on
you thank god he’s gone kick him to the
curb and say well praise God I’m waiting
on the golden key to mr. gorgeous Holy
Ghost feel gorgeous that’ll go to church
with me quit whining over what you’ve
lost and how bad and mad at God and say
God here’s here’s maturity god I trust
you even when I don’t understand you
when I don’t know anything and don’t
have any explanation for anything my
faith is in you I know my redeemer lives
everybody take a praise break right now
some of you been getting some strange
reroute gifts I dare you to turn it into
praise turn your pain into praise turn
your tears into praise turn it into a
statement of faith this says he’s alive
he’s real
we know that all things work together if
you won’t quit
if you won’t get bitter if you won’t
shove it back at the father there are
some things we’ll never understand on
this side completely but I promise you
all things work together for them that
love God and are called according to his
purpose hallelujah
stand to your feet all over this room
please no one moving for the next for
the next 20 seconds if you have received
in your life some strangely wrapped
gifts I want you to throw your hands up
like Paul and say I will glory in my
tribulation
it’s working a far more exceeding weight
of glory on my life let’s see it raise
them high and for the next 15 seconds I
want you to praise God that there’s a
golden key that’s gonna come out of that
fiery strangely wrapped you know what
I’m preaching you know what I’m talking
about you know what you’re going through
you know and you’ve had questions and
that’s the thing I can remember when I
was going through that little thing and
I’ve been through other things of course
since but as one of the big things I
would say to God why don’t you do
something what are you waiting on your
God kind of cruel God would let this
happen I didn’t see I couldn’t see but
he did and he does you don’t understand
everything you’re going through but the
Bible said in everything not for
everything but in everything give thanks
whatever you’re put in give thanks come
on this is what I want you to do for 15
seconds
you got the gift it’s rats trains but in
it give him thanks give him thanks I’m
still alive I’m still here God still has
a purpose God still has a plan God will
get glory all things are working for the
good the gospel will be it will be
fathered in my family in my life I will
grow and after a while after you’ve
suffered a while say we don’t talk that
stuff in church no more but after you’ve
suffered a while
that’s a scripture I’ll reward you I’ll
change your season you’ll know joy
unspeakable and full of glory the sun’s
gonna shine seven times brighter as I
preached last Sunday if you won’t give
up
life is real vivid alive beating
breathing it happens behind closed doors
and out in front there’s joy there’s
laughter
chaos
lifelong friendships are forged love is
found moments cherished
and never forgotten
life is a gift and together we are real
family
friends
real people
experiencing real life
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you