Following Jesus with Joseph's Spirit

I remember when I was 8 years old and I had started to read my first Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Being determined to do so, because my Preacher said before I make the decision to accept Christ, I should understand why I am doing it, and that I should read the whole Bible. I was determined to understand why, because since I was a pre-schooler and my Grandma had first taken me to church, and I first heard the words, "Jesus loves me", I wanted to know who He was and why He loved me so much He died for me.

So, I started reading. I read every time I got a break at school. I read after my homework, and by the bathroom light in my bedroom at night when I was supposed to be sleeping...sometimes until 2 in the morning. My preacher had warned that there was boring parts, but if we read our way through it, later those boring parts that we didn't understand would come to light and we would eventually understand it as we continued to read, over and over again.

I doubt my preacher knew how seriously an eight year old would take his words. But, I did.

I remember sitting on our big chair in the living room, reading the story of Joseph from the Bible. My mom and step-dad didn't attend church at that time. But, they didn't keep me from walking down the road two blocks away every Sunday morning.

On this day, as I read the story of Joseph, and I got to the part where Judah offered his life in the place of Benjamin, and Joseph's reaction to it, I began to cry. The story was so beautiful and so inspiring. My mother asked me why I was crying now. All I could say was, "I love the story of Joseph. You should read it."

Joseph has always been my favorite Old Testament patriarchial story. Oh how I rejoiced when he was reunited with his father...and cried some more.

I was even more determined after that to finish the Bible. And, when I walked down the aisle to get saved, I was determined to follow Jesus with the spirit of Joseph in my heart.

Hypocrite

I have noticed that when people use the term "hypocrite", it is usually because they do not fully understand it's meaning and wish to insult the person to whom they are referring. A hypocrite is someone who claims to be sinless while judging others for the same sins that they, themselves, are guilty of.

As a matter of practice, I personally have never claimed to be sinless; nor do I judge others. I do, however, state facts. I do not dare tell someone who is homosexual that they are going to hell. As a matter of fact, homosexuals are just as qualified to see the Kingdom of Heaven as I am, if they have accepted Christ into their life and are seeking to better themselves and lead others to Christ. However, I will tell them that practicing homosexuality is a sin. The Bible says it is a sin. That is not judging, that is stating a fact. I could tell a good, Bible going woman that homosexuality is a sin and it would not offend her. Then why is it that if I tell someone who is a homosexual that homosexuality is a sin they get offended? Truth is truth, whether you want to hear it or not.

On the same note, I am not judging the homosexual by saying that homosexuality is a sin. What he or she does with that information is entirely their business. I am to love the sinner and hate the sin.

When I refer to the Bible, I am pointing as much to myself as I am anyone else. I am constantly working to better myself. God may not expect me to be perfect or sinless (after all, we wouldn't NEED Jesus if that were the case), but He does expect me to strive to achieve perfection. So, when I quote the Bible, it is usually to remind myself that what I am saying is backed by Biblical principle.


Proverbs 11:9 says, "The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor but through knowledge the righteous will be delivered." Therefore, someone who calls someone a hypocrite is, him or herself a hypocrite because he or she passes judgment on someone else.

The righteous are not people without sin. They are people who are doing their best to be without sin, yet being imperfect are humble enough to admit their own faults and attempt to right their evil ways. Their dependence is more fully on Christ's redeeming power and God's Grace because of their imperfection. Only one who is immature in their walk with God would dare try to pull a speck out of someone else's eye when they have a plank in their own. (Matthew 7:3)

One who is mature is willing to accept their limitations, and then glorify in God's infinite lack of them.

Learning to Trust Him

Years ago, I spent every hour I had every day to update a web site and make people who came there aware of the evil being perpetrated on our own people by our own government. I spent so much time doing it, in fact, that I lost track of what I was doing it for.

When I finally started longing for the things I was missing -- time with my family, smelling the roses, appreciating the stars in the sky, just simply taking time out to commune with God and His creation -- I gave it all up. I even gave up television and radio. I didn't want to hear the news. I didn't want to see it. I wanted relationships with real people, real things, real life. I wanted to get to know what I was fighting for.

I spent ten years doing nothing but living. During that ten years, I lived. For the first time in my life, I found myself alive. I got to know people. I learned to love the differences in people. I learned to love as God does. I owned several businesses. I worked in several different places. I travelled the 48 states. I joined a church.

At one point, I found myself homeless and learned that God was watching me, wondering how much faith I still had in Him. I never waivered. I remained positive. And, over and over again, I saw Him bless me.

I met some really great people with nothing. I met some really great people who had everything. I learned that material possessions have nothing to do with a person's character. I learned that only those who knew how to give were the ones who were really living. I learned that the ones who took without ever giving back were the ones who were most ungrateful and bitter with their lives. They were not living at all.

The whole ten years was a lesson on stewardship. In the end, I came to understand that God had given me chance after chance in this life. If I took the opportunities and used them wisely, I was blessed. If I failed to use those opportunities to work with-in His will, what little I had was taken away. My patience, my sanity, and my faith were tested over and over during this time, until I had learned well what it was He wanted me to learn.

Each time I failed, I went to the Father and inquired as to why? I sought to understand where I had gone wrong. I dug into His word, and stood tall on my knees declaring that I would not stop believing, and that I would trust Him, no matter what. I had a lot to learn.

Finally, I came to the realization of what it means when it says to completely trust in the Lord. I now understand that I can do nothing. He is really the one who does all things through me. When I take over, I fail. When I let Him take over and lead me, I succeed.

For the first time in my life, I am fearless. I know that no matter what I am going through, God will provide for all my needs according to His riches in Glory. If I have no food, somehow, He gives me food. If I am bored, somehow He stimulates my senses. If I have no clothes, somehow, He clothes me. If I am without shelter, He protects me. I have never done without, and I know now that He will never let me. All I have to do is keep trying, keep working toward whatever goals He sets for me, and keep seeking to be more like Jesus every day.

He does not do all this because I deserve it. He does this because I am His child. He does this because I believe in Him. He does this because He loves me. The most precious thing He has ever given me was His son, Jesus. If He would give me His only son, who died so that I could live, and then turn around and adopt me as His own child, how can I not fully trust Him?

My journey is far from over. There is still a lot my Father wants me to learn. This is evidenced by the fact that I am still here, on this earth, with you. Each experience I have brings me closer to Him, and teaches me to be a better person to you. I look forward to where He will take me next and what experiences I am destined to have. I hunger to see His every day miracles, and how they will affect me, which will in turn affect you. This is what the "abundant life" is all about.

Finally, I invite you to take this journey with me. It's simple: all you have to do is trust in Him. Let Him lead the way. Listen to what He says in His word. Live according to the example of Christ. Learn from your failures. Thank Him for your blessings. Give Him credit for where you are and who you become without blaming Him for your mistakes. Accept the offering that He made for you in His son, Jesus. Then, let Christ live through you.

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Just One Thing; How Hard Can That Be?

There is only one thing God asks us to do. And that is to "endure until the end" "He who endures until the end shall be saved." We can't stop the things that are happening, we can only be accountable for ourselves. However, that means we also have to do everything in our power to make sure that the people we care about know and understand the truth, that God IS. And, that His son came to seek and save us, and died in our place. That we have everlasting life -- only if we accept it. We do that by believing in Jesus and accepting his sacrifice for us. After that, we need only to hold steadfast to our belief and point others toward the way, the truth and the life.