As millions ALL over the world are finishing up there LAST Minute shopping preparing Christmas dinner for family, friends and those that are traveling in and out of towns I am STOPPING to take this time to honor and reflection on My Lord and Savior JESUS CHRIST YESSSS I am talking about The King of Kings and the Lord Of Lords who is soon to Return but I want to focus on is the Man behind JESUS his Father Joseph Here is is Story.
Joseph- may He(Yahweh)increaser
The strength of what we believe is measured by how much we are willing to suffer for those beliefs. Joseph was a man with strong beliefs. He was prepared to do what was right despite the pain he knew it would cause. But Joseph had another trait-he not only tried to do what was right, he tried to do it in the right way. When Mary told Joseph about her pregnancy, Joseph knew the child was his. His respect for Mary's character and the and the story she told him, as well as her attitude toward the expected child, must have made it hard to think his bride had done something wrong. Still, someone else was the child's father-and it was difficult to accept that the "someone else" was God.
Joseph decided he had to break the engagement, but he was determined to do it in a way that would not cause public shame to Mary. He intended to act with justice and love. At this point, God sent a messenger to Joseph to confirm Mary's story and open another way of obedience for Joseph-to take Mary as his wife. Joseph obeyed God, married Mary, and honored her virginity until the baby was born. We do not know how long Joseph lived his role as Jesus' earthly father-he is last mentioned when Jesus was 12 years old. But Joseph trained his son in the trade of carpentry, made sure he had good spiritual training in Nazareth, and took the whole family on the yearly trip to Jerusalem for the Passover, which Jesus continued to observe during his adult years. Joseph knew Jesus was someone special from the moment he heard the angel's words. His strong belief in that fact, and his willingness to follow God's leading, enabled him to be Jesus' chosen earthly father.
Strengths and Accomplishments
A Man of Integrity
A descendant of King David
Jesus' legal and earthly father
A person sensitive to God's guidance and willing to do
God's will no matter what the consequence
Lessons from his life
God honors integrity
Social position is of little importance when God chooses to use us
Being obedient to the guidance we have from God leads to more guidance from him
Feelings are not accurate measures of the rightness or wrongness of an action
Key Verses
"Then Joseph her husband being just a man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeard unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 1:19,20)
As I have reflected on the Life of Joseph I am AMAZED and I just LOVE the simply fact of his humbleness and his obedience to God, thats why Christmas takes on a Special meaning to me to know that Joseph was Jesus legal and earthly father that is the reason why JESUS is the reason for ALL Seasons. You know that I can't leave without playing you some of my favorite Christmas Music by some of my favorite singers
Mariah Carey-O Holy Night
Mariah Carey- Joy to the World
Helen Baylor- Mary did You Know
Wishing you and yours a Very MERRY CHRISTMAS! Lets Keep Christ in Christmas
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