“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:20
I often find myself studying the depths of the faith of the great men and women of the Bible. It is the faith of one young man that gets little attention in the world of devotions and sermon topics, yet when we peek a little closer into his fervent faith, we find a man who could teach us a thing or two. That man is Joseph, the earthly father to Jesus. When I look back on his encounter with the angel, I continuously remind myself of what the angel said to him. In language that you and I can understand, the angel said, “Joseph, son of David, do not worry about what is going on here. Jehovah has promised to save His people from their sins and you are part of that plan.”
I wonder if Joseph had the typical hang-ups we often find ourselves tangled up in when called by God: “Who me? How can I? What if?” Let me remind you of what I’m sure the angel had to remind Joseph: “It doesn’t matter where you’ve been, or what you’ve done, what matters is Who You Know!”
Nothing could be more true today. If you know Jesus, and worship Him in spirit and in truth, God can and will elevate you to a new level. It was Joseph’s sincere faith in God and knowledge of who He was that allowed him to be elevated to the place of raising our Savior on this Earth as his own son. Do you know Jesus intimately enough that God can use you in His Kingdom, and elevate you to a new level?
The Bible says, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24. God was and still is everything the Bible declares Him to be. He is the “I am that I am,” in the Old Testament and the “God that is with us,” found at the birth of Jesus and the “God that lives within us,” found on the day of Pentecost.
Will you commit with me to getting to know God more in 2017? Committing to trust that He is who He says He is, and allow Him to elevate you to the next level in your life? Many blessings await those who will!
Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” Luke 11:28
We’re saving you a seat at Community Family Church in 2017
We love y’all!
Pastor Bates
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