Where are the Joseph's of Today?
Where are the Joseph’s of today?
Mary Ann Wray
Where are the Joseph’s of today?Thought for the day… While Joseph was in Potiphar’s house God gave Joseph a word of wisdom for Pharaoh after he interpreted his dream. Thankfully Pharaoh heeded Joseph’s words of wisdom.The word of wisdom was that pharaoh was to take 1/5 of everything that was gathered during the seven years of plenty And store it up for the seven lean years ahead. In other words, during the time of plenteous seven years that was prophesied, they were to take 1/5 of the harvest and store it up for the coming seven lean years so that no one would go hungry or starve to death.
With all the prophets of doom, some of which are probably accurate, where are the words of wisdom for the church to know what to do in the coming days ahead?I believe the church is going to have to shift the emphasis from giving to only build a local church to giving in order to help and store up a portion of the offerings collected to feed the poor and the hungry not only now but for the days ahead. What about visiting those in prison and the sick? Didn't Jesus teach that when He returns to Judge the Earth there will be those who asked, "Lord, when did we see you sick, poor or in jail?" He said, "When you've done it to the least of these, you've done it to me." If our "vision" lacks the less fortunate including "our own", our vision is incomplete. The Heart of Jesus sees EVERYONE as valuable to His Kingdom!
His 'storehouse' includes giving to other Christians as well just like what happened in the book of Acts. It may very well come to the place in our own country where we Christians would have to to start selling some things in order to eat and help others out. Would we be willing to do that? If we don’t do it now why would we do it later? Otherwise, why not just take the Mark of the beast and buy and sell and to get what you need and be part of a one world order system that will eventually doom your soul to hell! God will make away for us but are we listening and paying attention to what we already saw Him do in the scriptures? And are we willing to follow that pattern rather than go along our merry way prophesying this and that but not doing anything to prepare for the days ahead: not only for ourselves but for others as the church of the living God?
The church is not to be a mere referral agency simply sending the needy to food banks & other government agencies for help. Thank God for them but aren't we (the church) supposed to be the hands, feet and heart of Jesus who told his disciples that we would always have the poor with us and to be mindful of them. Didn't he feed the multitude on two separate occasions miraculously after He taught them all day long?Where did we go off track? I’m just speaking in generalities, so please don't misunderstand.....I know that not all churches are like this so please understand that I love the Church. I just see this issue as a concern to the Heart of the Father.Government agencies are going to fail. Shut downs are already happening. Even in one of the most wealthiest nations in the world, America is experiencing some lean years. If this is happening now no doubt future years are going to be even leaner. What is the church called to do?
Where are the Joseph’s of our day that have words of wisdom for our spiritual and governmental leaders to know what to do in the times ahead? Are leaders of local churches aware and doing things that in order to advance God‘s kingdom requires action not just talk.Do we understand that we are not to just build a local church for us four and no more? Are we aware of the fact that building means taking care of people and making sure that we are doing Jesus part to fulfill the great commission locally and abroad by feeding his lambs and feeding his sheep natural and spiritual food?God is not going to allow his church to be wiped out. He is not going to allow the poor to go with out.
James, Jesus half brother said that pure religion undefiled before God is to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep yourself on spotted from the world.It’s time for the church of the living God to demonstrate true religion on a much wider scale. Thank God for para-church ministries that feed the hungry, cloth the naked and offer assistance to the homeless. But we need more.I see so many denominational churches including the Catholic Church, doing outreaches for the poor, and the afflicted, and taking care of the less fortunate while many Charismatic churches seem to be engrossed in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and worship Services while forgetting some important commands of the Lord. Some not all of these types of churches seem to have forgotten the words of Jesus and the fact that we are the salt and the light. Salt is a preservative and without it the things decay and have no flavor.If we’re going to be religious about anything, we should be religious about taking care of the poor and the widows.Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for being so legalistic about the tithe yet they forgot the weightier matters of the law such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. They had lost sight of the widow, the orphan, and the poor. This irked Jesus to no end.What if churches took 10% of their treasuries and set it aside as a tithe for the poor? I wonder what would happen and what kind of increase, harvest, and growth we would experience in our churches then?
With all the prophets of doom, some of which are probably accurate, where are the words of wisdom for the church to know what to do in the coming days ahead?I believe the church is going to have to shift the emphasis from giving to only build a local church to giving in order to help and store up a portion of the offerings collected to feed the poor and the hungry not only now but for the days ahead. What about visiting those in prison and the sick? Didn't Jesus teach that when He returns to Judge the Earth there will be those who asked, "Lord, when did we see you sick, poor or in jail?" He said, "When you've done it to the least of these, you've done it to me." If our "vision" lacks the less fortunate including "our own", our vision is incomplete. The Heart of Jesus sees EVERYONE as valuable to His Kingdom!
His 'storehouse' includes giving to other Christians as well just like what happened in the book of Acts. It may very well come to the place in our own country where we Christians would have to to start selling some things in order to eat and help others out. Would we be willing to do that? If we don’t do it now why would we do it later? Otherwise, why not just take the Mark of the beast and buy and sell and to get what you need and be part of a one world order system that will eventually doom your soul to hell! God will make away for us but are we listening and paying attention to what we already saw Him do in the scriptures? And are we willing to follow that pattern rather than go along our merry way prophesying this and that but not doing anything to prepare for the days ahead: not only for ourselves but for others as the church of the living God?
The church is not to be a mere referral agency simply sending the needy to food banks & other government agencies for help. Thank God for them but aren't we (the church) supposed to be the hands, feet and heart of Jesus who told his disciples that we would always have the poor with us and to be mindful of them. Didn't he feed the multitude on two separate occasions miraculously after He taught them all day long?Where did we go off track? I’m just speaking in generalities, so please don't misunderstand.....I know that not all churches are like this so please understand that I love the Church. I just see this issue as a concern to the Heart of the Father.Government agencies are going to fail. Shut downs are already happening. Even in one of the most wealthiest nations in the world, America is experiencing some lean years. If this is happening now no doubt future years are going to be even leaner. What is the church called to do?
Where are the Joseph’s of our day that have words of wisdom for our spiritual and governmental leaders to know what to do in the times ahead? Are leaders of local churches aware and doing things that in order to advance God‘s kingdom requires action not just talk.Do we understand that we are not to just build a local church for us four and no more? Are we aware of the fact that building means taking care of people and making sure that we are doing Jesus part to fulfill the great commission locally and abroad by feeding his lambs and feeding his sheep natural and spiritual food?God is not going to allow his church to be wiped out. He is not going to allow the poor to go with out.
James, Jesus half brother said that pure religion undefiled before God is to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep yourself on spotted from the world.It’s time for the church of the living God to demonstrate true religion on a much wider scale. Thank God for para-church ministries that feed the hungry, cloth the naked and offer assistance to the homeless. But we need more.I see so many denominational churches including the Catholic Church, doing outreaches for the poor, and the afflicted, and taking care of the less fortunate while many Charismatic churches seem to be engrossed in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and worship Services while forgetting some important commands of the Lord. Some not all of these types of churches seem to have forgotten the words of Jesus and the fact that we are the salt and the light. Salt is a preservative and without it the things decay and have no flavor.If we’re going to be religious about anything, we should be religious about taking care of the poor and the widows.Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for being so legalistic about the tithe yet they forgot the weightier matters of the law such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. They had lost sight of the widow, the orphan, and the poor. This irked Jesus to no end.What if churches took 10% of their treasuries and set it aside as a tithe for the poor? I wonder what would happen and what kind of increase, harvest, and growth we would experience in our churches then?
Proverb 19: 18 says that he who gives to the poor, lends to God and he will repay him again.
Selah
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