When I first started walking with God, I had no responsibility in the kingdom except for myself. It was relatively easy to live up to expectations. God loved me and was protecting me from harm. I learned what God wanted me to do in this life and developed my skills in the kingdom. I began to read the bible like I had never done before. I had a bible at home, one in my car and one on my desk at work. I read everywhere I went. I was catching up for lost time. My mind is quick and I learn fast. I don’t remember everything, but just about. I could quote scriptures at any given time. The word of God became part of my life. As I learned I became more confident in my abilities that God gave me. I wanted to do what God was showing me. But the one thing that I didn’t want to do was make serious mistakes that would harm people. God had to walk me through this mine field. You can’t accomplish anything unless you get out there and do something. Doing something is always a risky business. God said He would lead me in the paths of righteousness for His namesake. Not everybody is going to like what you do. Some will even get belligerent about it. God showed me to keep on walking no matter what. I have spoken to people about serious matters. Things that they needed to do in their lives. Very few times has it blown up in my face. But it has happened. I asked God to forgive me and correct the situation. And He has. To where I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ and not afraid of sharing it. I have seen God do miracles in people’s lives. I have had people to return to me and say how much I help them through difficult times. God says learn of Me, for My yoke is easy and My burden is light. I don’t fear mistakes anymore. I have learned where to go for help in the time of need.

www.joseph1637.com

joseph1637@juno.com

As I was growing up, I didn’t read much of the bible except the stories of David in the Old Testament. So I really didn’t know what God has said. I knew the stories were exciting and I wanted a God to do for me just like He did for David. David was the youngest of 12 children of Jesse. That meant that he got the short end of the stick for family assignments. His older brothers apparently didn’t like living in the wilderness with the sheep. Sheep aren’t the brightest animal around. And they don’t smell too good. They don’t smell as bad as pigs, but they still stink. Someone had to be with the sheep to get them out of trouble and keep them in a certain area. In David’s day, there were lions, tigers and bears, oh my, that roamed the wilderness looking for food. Now David had to learn to defend the sheep against all predators. And he had to learn to defend himself against the wild animals. David had 3 weapons, a sling, a club and a staff with a crook. A sling to thrown rocks, a club to beat off animals and a staff with a crook to pull sheep out of the biers or a thorn bush. David would practice each day until he could use these weapons proficiently. A lion came and grabbed a sheep. David killed the lion and got back the sheep. A bear came and took a lamb. David killed the bear and recovered the lamb. David loved the wilderness. It was where he had time to know God and trust Him. After several years in the wilderness, the Philistines marched against Israel. All the young men of fighting age were called up. David was still too young. But His father let him take food to his brothers in the army. The Philistines had a champion named Goliath. He was a giant over 9 feet tall. No one in the Israeli army wanted to face Goliath. The King kept asking for a volunteer. But no one would. Finally David answered and said he would go. He told him he had killed a lion and a bear. He said, this uncircumcised Philistine was no match for the living God. The king offered his armor, but David said no. he picked up stones and ran toward Goliath. David took his sling and a stone and struck the philistine in to head and God push the stone into his head. Goliath died and David took his sword and cut off his head. David was ready with an answer because he had spent time with God and practiced.

www.joseph1637.com

joseph1637@juno.com

“It was the best of times, and the worst of times, and an age of wisdom, and an age of foolishness”. This is the opening sentence of the Charles Dickens book, A Tale of Two Cities. It is quoted many times for different reasons. But mostly because of the 2 forces at work in this world, good and evil. The most popular books, plays or TV shows are moral plays, the fight between good and evil. It resonates inside every human being. It is showing the struggle inside each of us. The earliest moral play was the marionette play of Punch and Judy. It showed the evil of drunkenness. Unfortunately, it is still popular because of the popularity of drunkenness. As of late, the popularity of moral plays has shifted from good winning to evil. It is what the bible says that will happen in the last days. They, mankind, will call good, evil and evil, good. This happens when people lose hope that their situation will change. I know what it is to lose hope and believe that the world is going to hell in a hand-basket. Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to dedicate Him to God. Out of all the believer’s there, two people saw Jesus for who He was. They hadn’t lost hope that God would deliver Israel. Hope is the beginning of faith. Hope believes that things will change. He that comes to God must have hope that God will do what He says. And when He does, it turns into faith. For faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.

www.joseph1637.com

joseph1637@juno.com

I don’t have to really define it because most any one knows what the works of the flesh are. But I am going to talk about it. God made us out of the dust of the earth. He did it to house our spirit, or us. It is a part of our life as long as we live on this earth. I told this story before. God created Adam and Eve. He put them in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned against God not only were they kicked out of paradise, their flesh was cursed. God cursed the earth that it wouldn’t yield it fruits freely to man. Again, our flesh is made out of the dust of the cursed earth. Our flesh wars against us, our spirit. It is an eternal struggle. To be able to control ourselves, you have to control your flesh. This is where the works of the flesh come in. the bible says it better than I can. In Galatians 5:19-22, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (KJV). God is very serious about this. He talks about all the time. Like He says if this is what you are doing, you will not make it into heaven. It doesn’t mean that God will not take you from this state of affairs and bring you on. Because He definitely will help you turn your life around. All you have to do is ask God to forgive you and He will. Thank God for His mercy, otherwise you would be a piece of burn toast. Good for nothing except to be thrown out with the trash. This is no joke and I am not trying to funny or cute. God will do what He says in His word.

www.joseph1637.com

joseph1637@juno.com

The gift of Divers kinds of Tongues is speaking supernaturally in an unknown language. It is not understood by the speaker and sometimes not by the hearer. When a person is baptized in the Holy Spirit, they will receive their own personal language from God. The language is not earthly. It is a heavenly language. Every person’s language is individual. There are no 2 spiritual languages the same. And God understands them all. This gift is linked with prophesy. It is prophesy in an unknown language. Just like prophesy is speaking supernaturally in a known language, to edify, exhort, comfort and convict. Divers kinds of Tongues are given to edify, exhort, comfort and convict to the people listening to it. now this is where the Interpretation of Tongues comes in. no one will know what it means unless there is someone to interpret the prophesy. God always gives the interpretation, but each person must be willing to speak out. Sometimes it’s difficult because it is in the middle of church with a large congregation. The first now I ever gave a prophesy, it was like lightning striking through me. I had to sit down after I spoke. Anything God does is always subject to the prophet. God will not make you do or say anything. It is always up to you if you are going to obey. It got easier each time I did prophesy. It wasn’t that I wasn’t careful when I spoke. I was very conscious of what I was saying and doing. This is why God says that a teacher is worth double honor or double damnation. But if you don’t try, you will never know the love that flows through you when God speaks. Again, there are conditions to receiving this gift. Each person must first accept Jesus into their heart. Then each person must be baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. When these 2 conditions are met, then God will give the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Again the power of God isn’t for personal use or abuse. God will not give His power to a sinner.

www.joseph1637.com

When I was a child, I would read from our big family altar bible. I loved the stories in the Old Testament. How the prophets went about doing God’s will. They would perform miracles and prophesied. Everybody knew that they were prophets because they prophesied and spoke in tongues. King David before he was king of Israel, was chased by King Saul. Saul wanted to kill David for many reasons. Mostly that Saul didn’t want David to take his place. Saul persued David everywhere. One day he was about to catch David. Then something happened to Saul. The Holy Spirit came upon him. Saul began to speak in Tongues and prophesy.  He did it so much that the priest around Saul ask if Saul was a prophet. When a person is baptized in the Holy Spirit, there are 2 things that will happen. The first is that the person will speak with other tongues. In a heavenly language that only God and his angels understand. The second is that the person will prophesy. When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will speak. No one can hold it in, but this isn’t the Gift of Prophesy. The Gift of Prophesy expresses God’s feelings. It is speaking supernaturally in a known language, to edify, exhort, comfort and convict. The known language doesn’t necessarily have to be your native language. I have known a missionary that didn’t speak Spanish. He began to pray in his heavenly language and it came of his mouth in Spanish. I knew another Christian who was in Africa in a church service when she began to pray in the spirit. And all of the natives heard their native language. The Gift of Prophesy is God directing an individual to speak His mind to another person. It is exciting but it doesn’t make you a prophet. It is a gift to help man. Again, there are conditions to receiving this gift. Each person must first accept Jesus into their heart. Then each person must be baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. When these 2 conditions are met, then God will give the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Again the power of God isn’t for personal use or abuse. God will not give His power to a sinner.

www.joseph1637.com

joseph1637@juno.com

Contentment is being satisfied with who you are and what you have. In today’s world this seems like a tall order. Everybody is pushing to get the latest craze. If it isn’t a new phone, it is a new watch, phone, and a computer put together. Then there is the new car syndrome. If your car isn’t 6 months old or less, you haven’t succeeded. Let us not forget clothes. If you don’t have the latest clothes, you just can’t go out of you house. And if your house is not up to date, Lord have mercy on my soul. There seems to be a driving need to acquire things. We must acquire bigger things or better things or our life isn’t worth living. That idea is a total lie straight out of the pits of hell. It is an idea to make you discontented with your life and everyone and thing in it too. Do you remember when one toy at Christmas was a real blessing? Or do you remember going to get an ice cream cone with your family? I can remember going with my family to get a cold mug of root beer. It was so much fun and I was with my family. Your life is what you make it. If you don’t participate in it, it still goes on without you. That is even sadder than being greedy. Take back your life and be who you are supposed to be. Don’t let everybody else tell you what you are supposed to be. It is for your self-worth and inner peace that you need to do this. Don’t let the world dictate to you what is important to you. Stand up and be yourself. For as God has said that contentment and Godliness is great gain.

www.joseph1637.com

josep1637@juno.com

Immortality is part of our life. But it isn’t part of this world’s reality. God first made us immortal. But Adam and Eve decided not to do what God said. God couldn’t leave Adam and Eve in the eternal state of sin. So, God cursed the very ground that we are made of. With that order from God, our flesh became mortal and it dies. We are made up of three parts: body, soul and spirit. Our body is made of the cursed earth. Our soul is the life of God that joins together our body and spirit. And our spirit is who we are: mind, will and intellect. That part of us is immortal and will live forever. Everything that we are, have said and done are recorded in our minds. It is the sum total of our life. Whether we are good or bad, it is because of what we believe. There is no getting out of what you believe. God wanted every father to teach his children about God and His ways. So that our beliefs would be strong enough to weather any storm that comes our way. This hasn’t always been the case for each of us. I was 28 years old when I turned to God and believed. I have seen storms that have shipwrecked many strong Christians. And if it happens to Christians, how will non-believers survive. We will live forever, that is a truth. But how you live your life on this earth will determine where you will live in the next world. It is never too late to learn of God or to believe. We first must believe that God is and a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Then we will live with Him in the world to come.

www.joseph1637.com

joseph1637@juno.com

Healing has always been part of God’s provision for man, because the sin of man brought death and destruction to this world. Man never had the power to change the calamity he brought to this world. Do you know the first time God used the gifts of healing? When the children of Israel were wondering in the desert, they were plagued with snakes. We talking asps. God gave them a symbol to look at each time they were bitten. They would be healed by God. But of course man had to make the symbol into a god. Guess what symbol it was? It is the medical symbol of doctors. God had to make the way for man. This was also done by the Roman interrogation, the whip used on Jesus. The bible says that Jesus looked like a piece of raw hamburger meat after the Romans finished. The exact words are that He was marred more than any man. The bible also says that by Jesus’ stripes, we are healed. God has been making a way for man since the beginning of time. Healing is what God wants for us. Gifts of Healing are given to man to help man. There has been many famous people that God gave the Gifts of Healing to. Some of the most recent people, in the last 150 years, are Smith Wigglesworth, Aimee Semple McPherson, Katherine Kuhlman, Oral Roberts, Kenneth Hagin and Benny Hinn. Katherine Kuhlman would just call it out in a meeting. Then the person or persons who it referred to was healed. Oral Roberts would call it out on TV. Then the person was healed. God would tell the minister that He was healing a person with cancer and that person was healed. The gifts of healing are a very special gift from God. It is most definitely a power gift. Again, there are conditions to receiving this gift. Each person must first accept Jesus into their heart. Then each person must be baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. When these 2 conditions are met, then God will give the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Again the power of God isn’t for personal use or abuse. God will not give His power to a sinner.

www.joseph1637.com

joseph1637@juno.com

A miracle is when God sovereignly intervenes in the affairs of man. Then there are people that God choses to bring miracles to pass. Not by their own power but by the power of God. I was at my church one day when I met this missionary couple for Africa. They were T.L. and Daisy Osborn. An older couple who were touring the US. I got to talk with him for a while. What was interesting about Brother Osborn is that God would send him into a certain town in Africa. When he got there, he would go into the local funeral home and pull a dead man out of the coffin. As he began praying for the dead man, he can back to life. Then he would hold a revival meeting in that town. Every one showed up and many people received the gospel of Christ. That is the working of miracles. There was another man I had the good fortune of talking to. His name was Hubert Lindsey. Most people knew him as Holy Hubert. He and his wife preach the gospel on the University of California, at Berkley campus. He preached during the late 1960’s. That was when groups like the Black Panthers, SDS and the Weather Underground were on campus. Most every day Hubert and his wife were beaten up. They were taken to the hospital and God healed them each day. He never missed a day on campus. It is recorded that over 200 times, Hubert pointed his finger at a person who came to kill him and said this day you will die. And they dropped dead on the spot. This is the working of miracles. I have seen God put bones back into people who didn’t have them. I have seen mountains moved because of God. The Working of Miracles is a power gift of God. But there are conditions. Each person must first accept Jesus into their heart. Then each person must be baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. When these 2 conditions are met, then God will give the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Again the power of God isn’t for personal use or abuse. God will not give His power to a sinner.

www.joseph1637.com

joseph1637@juno.com