397-Joseph is a Righteous Man#
397-Joseph is a Righteous Man
(JP Text Group - shalom organized)
The topic of sharing is: Joseph is a Righteous Man
Matthew 1:18-25:
18 The birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” 24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for giving us this time to come before You again. We believe that the Holy Spirit is with us, and He will lead us to stand firm in the truth. We know that Joseph is a righteous man, blessed by You, and we are also blessed because You have given us righteousness. You anoint us with the Holy Spirit, lead us, and renew our thoughts and minds, so we can understand how much You love us and know You more through the truth. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus, Amen.
God does things through people. In the beginning, the creation work, such as God creating the heavens and the earth, did not require human participation. However, some things do require human involvement, such as the birth of Jesus. God has completed the work of redemption and creation; the remaining blessings must involve our participation to come upon us.
The birth of Jesus must be accomplished by a woman because the initial creation work has been completed. God cannot create Jesus out of nothing; He will not break this law of creation. Jesus must take on human form to redeem the sins of mankind. A woman must give birth, and that woman is Mary, who willingly accepted this task.
In previous shares, we discussed that when the angel found Mary, although she did not know how this would happen, she was willing to let God's word be fulfilled in her. Have you ever thought about the immense pressure Mary faced? If she were alone at home, it might be easier, but she was already betrothed to someone, had family, and a fiancé. In that era, if an unmarried woman became pregnant, it was a terrifying situation. So, for God's plan to be fulfilled in Mary, besides God telling her, Mary had to be prepared, and a key factor was that her relatives had to support her, Amen.
Just like when we evangelize or serve full-time, we cannot just go wherever we want without consideration. That would be something only a single person would say, right? If you are married, have children, and a family, you cannot just say you want to play around for a few years before settling down! This is not up to you. And Mary faced such a situation.
Today we talk about Mary's husband, Joseph, and his trust and obedience to God. The news of Mary's pregnancy, although not publicly announced, spread quickly. Joseph learned of it, and for him, Mary's pregnancy was undoubtedly infuriating and unacceptable. For any man, this was indeed too difficult to accept, even for the most spiritual person!
The Jews place great importance on marriage and are very cautious when choosing a spouse. Generally, there are three stages: first, obtaining the consent of both families for the marriage. Isn't this somewhat similar to our marriage customs? Before getting married, you must meet the parents, and once both families agree; second, publicly announcing the marriage news, and both families make a covenant. This is similar to our engagement; once engaged, it signifies that the agreement has been established. In Jewish culture, the relationship can only be broken by death or divorce, but during this stage, they cannot live together; finally, choosing a date for the wedding and starting a life together.
Joseph and Mary were in the second stage; their marriage relationship was already established, and they were just waiting to choose a wedding date. During this process, Mary became pregnant, which was indeed a great humiliation for Joseph! If they had not signed a marriage contract, the pregnancy would not concern Joseph. All relatives and friends knew they were about to get married, and suddenly, she was pregnant! Faced with such disgrace, Joseph had a choice: to publicly announce Mary's situation and hand her over to the elders for judgment, which would lead to her being stoned to death! Deuteronomy 22 clearly states that generally, a man or woman in such a situation cannot remain rational. This is not just a matter of a covenant; it also represents a humiliation to him and his family. However, the Bible says that her husband Joseph was a righteous man,
Matthew 1:19: "Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly."
Why did Joseph choose to do this? At that time, Jesus had not yet come; how could he be called a righteous man? Do not forget that Joseph was still under the law, Amen. A righteous man under the law is someone whose behavior is blameless. God called him a righteous man because his actions were recognized by others, and his heart was also obedient to God. Although this blessing was great, why could this blessing come upon Mary's family? It shows that both of them were pleasing to God and could be used by Him, Amen.
Many people say, "Lord, give me more blessings..." Yes, God wants to give you this blessing, but if your vessel is too small to hold it, then there is nothing that can be done! You must wait until your vessel expands; only then can you receive the blessing when God gives it to you! Amen. It is clear that Joseph could bear this blessing; he was a righteous man and, in terms of spiritual life, was considered outstanding in Israel. Whether in knowing God, worshiping God, obeying the law, or in what we call professional ethics, Joseph should be a good person in the community. He had some good deeds, relationships with neighbors, and testimonies; in the eyes of people, he was a good man, and in the eyes of God, he was a person who feared God and obeyed His word. How can we see this? This article will demonstrate it to everyone.
You can guess Joseph's age; was he fifty? Sixty? No, he was in his twenties! A young man in his twenties with such a life is quite remarkable! Because he was not yet married, he was at the stage just before marriage. Having such a good foundation of life is a necessary prerequisite for God to use him, Amen! Brothers and sisters, you are here studying the Bible to enhance your spiritual life so that you can bear greater blessings from God, Hallelujah!
Moreover, Joseph did not live long; he probably only lived until about forty years old. Jesus had already been a carpenter for many years before His ministry. After Joseph's death, the firstborn son had to take over the family's economic responsibilities. At that time, Jesus had already inherited His father's work and was supporting Mary and the family. In God's plan of redemption, Joseph played a very important role! He was a kind man, full of love, willing to cover Mary's faults. If this happened today, what would most people want to do? They would definitely want to find the man involved and deal with him! When human anger rises, they must clarify the situation, right?
But look at Joseph; he was a righteous man who did not want to publicly shame her. This does not mean Joseph was not angry: "It doesn't matter!" This is not a trivial matter! For him, it was also very important. Although he did not understand the revelation from God regarding Mary, he was not willing to repay evil for evil or publicly shame her; he wanted to put her away secretly. After their engagement was broken, at least Mary would not be stoned to death by her family! He did not want to escalate the situation, causing Mary to lose face, nor did he want to cut off his own escape route. This shows that Joseph was indeed a gracious person, Amen.
Joseph used a gentler way to resolve this matter, which also revealed his righteous character. The Bible says Joseph was a righteous man; through this incident, doesn't his handling of the situation show he was indeed a righteous man? If he were hot-headed, unable to tolerate even a speck of sand in his eyes, he might have taken a knife and killed Mary, regardless of what dreams she had! But now that he knew about the problem, he wanted to resolve it quietly. While Joseph was pondering how to handle this disgraceful matter, God revealed Himself to him.
Matthew 1:20-21:
20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
If one of our church brothers had such a dream, would he believe it after waking up? Wouldn't he want to dream it again? Is that a fact? Did Joseph immediately marry his wife after waking up from the dream? No. Do not think that Joseph's faith was as great as Abraham's when he was old; it was not like that! So everyone must first remember that Joseph was a young man with flesh and blood. Although he wanted to resolve this matter quickly, when God gave him a method, he needed to verify whether what God said was correct.
Let’s see how the text describes it: While he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. First, let’s talk about whether a dream appearance is a way for God to reveal Himself? Yes. If you read the Old Testament, you will find that God has often revealed Himself to people in dreams, explaining what He wants them to do, right? So a dream appearance is indeed a way for God to communicate with us.
Let’s look at a passage from Numbers 12:6-8:
6 Then He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. 7 Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. 8 I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?”
Was Moses a servant of God? But at that time, Moses had received great grace from God; when God spoke to Moses, He did not use visions or dreams but spoke directly to him, possibly with a great voice, etc. This method exists. Brothers and sisters, do you know that Moses has a shadow of Jesus Christ, Amen! Part of him symbolizes our Jesus. Other people receive revelations from God through visions or dreams, which is a common occurrence. Does God still often use this method to reveal things to us today? The answer is no. In the past, God used dreams or visions to tell people because the Bible had not yet been written, and people's understanding of God was very limited. At that time, God communicated through dreams or visions in a very vague way to tell people what to do. Therefore, prophets received God's words through dreams or visions.
For example, many prophets received words from God; how did they get them? There was no Bible. If there were a Bible, there would be no need for prophets to speak. It was precisely because they dreamed at night or during prayer that God told them these words in visions, and then they conveyed God's words to the people.
Moses' situation was quite special. Brothers and sisters, can you imagine if Moses received revelations from God through visions or dreams, how long would that take? At least 40 days of sleep! Moreover, Moses wrote the Pentateuch, which contains too many events! Have you thought about it? After sleeping for forty days, could he remember what dream he had on the first day? He wouldn't remember. Therefore, this matter could not be conveyed through dreams or visions; God spoke directly to Moses, and Moses recorded all these things. This is what you see in Genesis and the five books; they were all directly told to Moses by God. At this time, it could not be done through dreams or visions; God spoke directly to him to avoid any miscommunication during dreams.
However, other people can receive God's words through dreams or visions, but they are very brief, just like Joseph, who received God's words in a dream. It was to directly resolve his issue. How can we discern whether this dream is from God or just our imagination? Because for people, "what they think during the day, they dream at night," right? Do you know what dreams are? Are dreams trustworthy? Some say not necessarily. Should we believe this matter?
Some say, "Pastor, I had a dream last night; can you interpret it for me?" I find that their dream is just about someone they have hated for too long, so they dreamed about it at night. I say this can be forgotten.
How can we discern whether a dream is from God? Visions and dreams still exist today, but they are no longer the most common way God communicates. The Bible has been completed; God’s way of communicating with us is mostly through His words directly, Amen. However, it does not exclude the possibility of dreams and visions being used to reveal things to us. How do we discern these things? You must be certain of this!
Let’s look at a passage from Deuteronomy 13:1-4:
1 “If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, and let us serve them, 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.”
Many people interpret others' dreams or visions without understanding, and in the end, problems arise. For example, a couple of years ago, I told everyone not to participate in virtual currency investments with high returns, but some said they prayed and God told them it was fine, so they went ahead! God wants to transfer wealth to you! What happened in the end? They lost their money to others!
Why did they say it was from God initially, but later they lost money? This indicates that it was not from God. If someone tells you something in a dream or as a prophet, see if it comes to pass; if it does not, it is not from God. Some things, when we realize they cannot come to pass, it is too late! What to do? There is another way: look at the results. Here it says if a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises and shows you a sign or wonder, it actually proves that they have some ability. If they say, “Let us go after other gods,” do you think this can be from God?
Some people do not want to come to gatherings and say, "Pastor, last night the Holy Spirit revealed to me that I do not need to attend the gathering." How should you respond to such people? If you do not want to come, then don't come; don't say the Holy Spirit told you! This is definitely not from the Holy Spirit, right? The Holy Spirit would not tell you to hate someone and not attend gatherings; that is impossible because it contradicts the Bible! Therefore, if someone tells you their prophecy or conclusion from a dream leads you away from God and creates discord among people, it is definitely not from God.
Look at what it says here: If someone tells you to follow other gods, do not believe them because this is the Lord your God testing you. How do you discern between true and false prophets? You can discern it through God's words. If someone tells you they are a prophet and gives you a prophecy that leads you away from God, do not believe it; this is definitely not from God.
Verse 4 says you shall walk after the Lord your God, fear Him, keep His commandments, obey His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.
This is what comes from God! What comes from the Holy Spirit will always lead you to love Jesus more and be at peace with others; this is certainly correct! Moreover, no matter how many revelations the Holy Spirit gives, they must align with the Bible. Dreams are not necessarily from God; we must look at the results to discern whether they bring you closer to God or push you away from Him. Do they create peace and harmony or enmity? What comes from God brings peace, harmony, and encourages love for God and others.
So, to judge whether visions or dreams are from God, look at the results. Another extremely important aspect is to have multiple confirmations; remember this! If, as we just read in the Bible, Joseph had a dream and immediately married Mary without thinking, that would be too spiritual.
Let’s see how Mary treated the angel's message. Luke 1:30-31:
30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.”
When the angel told Mary, did he also quote the Bible? You will conceive and bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. This fulfilled the content of the Old Testament, but just having this is not enough. Brothers and sisters, you must remember that when discerning whether something is from God, the most critical step is to have multiple confirmations. If someone tells you, "Sister, last night God told me to sell your house and donate everything to me," and you do not feel that way, what should you do? Sorry, God did not reveal that to me! That is the correct response. If it is from God, it will certainly be revealed to both parties; everyone must remember this! Otherwise, you will be deceived. Christians must have this kind of wisdom, especially spiritual wisdom.
When the angel told Mary, he also provided her with a confirmation, a factual evidence. Luke 1:36:
36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.
You cannot verify the previous dream, but can you verify this matter? You must check if this is true. So, multiple confirmations are extremely important. Look at Mary, this blessed woman. She really did this.
Luke 1:39-42:
39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”
The way the Holy Spirit conceived was indeed very quick; perhaps that night, after the angel spoke to her, the next day Mary hurried to verify this matter, and she was already pregnant. Is this true? Because you see, Mary hurried to the hill country and entered Zacharias' house to verify whether the angel's words were true. Therefore, multiple confirmations are crucial when dealing with dreams, visions, and prophecies. You must use this method to verify, Amen. You cannot just believe everything because this person is a pastor and says the return rate is 20%. You cannot believe that; you must discern and receive.
However, in real life, many believers are still deceived because they lack this discerning heart. Some believers are unwilling to let God's words be the standard for their actions and only seek God's guidance when needed. They do not like to read the Bible regularly, but when urgent matters arise, they suddenly become "devout," and this devotion needs to be in quotes. They pray for a long time, saying, "Lord, please say a word to me; Lord, even if you give me a vision in my dream, that would be fine!" They approach God like pagans seeking false gods, trying to understand what God means for them.
In the past, there was a believer who never read the Bible. Once, when faced with a very urgent situation, he took out the long-dusty Bible, blew off the dust, and like a worldly person casting lots, he said, "Father God, please help me at this moment; tell me what you want to say through the Bible." So he opened the Bible and pointed with his finger. When he opened his eyes, he saw: "Judas went out and hanged himself." He thought this was wrong, closed the Bible, and said, "This is not from You," and then said, "Please speak to me again." He opened the Bible again and looked: "You go and do likewise!"
Should we believe this? These people do not read the Bible regularly but hope to receive God's dreams, visions, or angelic messages, which is very dangerous! This is just a joke, but in real life, many people, when faced with urgent situations, seek so-called prophets for prophecies or ask so-called pastors to pray for them, which is dangerous! Because they do not verify, they just believe whatever is said, which can easily lead to problems. Do not imitate such behavior.
Let’s return to our text today, Matthew 1:24-25:
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife; 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
After Joseph woke up, he did not immediately marry his wife; there was some time in between. After waking up, he first went to Mary to verify this matter. Remember, no matter how urgent the situation you encounter in life, you cannot make decisions when you are very angry. Even worldly people know that impulsiveness is dangerous! How much more for Joseph, who must have been very anxious when he heard such news. After God told Joseph, he woke up and actually needed to go find Mary to verify this matter. Brothers and sisters, this is our wisdom, Amen.
Why do conflicts and misunderstandings arise between believers and between believers and pastors? It is precisely because of the lack of communication. If we do not discern God's words in this way, it is easy to be deceived in the end! Brothers and sisters, because in the last days, many people pretend to be prophets, and there are too many false prophets. If we do not have God's words, we can easily be misled by false prophets.
Matthew 7 mentions, "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."
The characteristic of false prophets is also to shout, "Lord, Lord!" Sometimes they disguise themselves as angels of light, telling you ambiguous words that make you easily believe. When you encounter something you do not understand, do not rush to conclusions. Like Joseph, after hearing this matter, he began to ponder how to handle it. During his contemplation, the angel spoke to him, and God revealed to him in a dream. Most people actually lack this step; when problems arise, they start looking for others because they are too anxious and have never given God time to settle down and ask Him what to do.
Many people's prayers are like completing homework; they kneel down and pray for an hour, then say, "In Jesus' name, Amen," and leave. My simple suggestion is to learn from Joseph: first, let yourself calm down and think about how to handle this matter. Simply put, after each prayer, can you stay quiet for a few minutes? If God wants to speak to you, He needs time too! Before you keep talking, after you finish, take some time to be quiet so that when God gives you a word, you can receive it! You see, both Joseph and Mary had this habit—the habit of contemplation. This is also what I often tell everyone: to meditate on God's words because during this process, you will receive revelations from God.
This passage of scripture, although simple, actually contains many things Joseph had to do. He woke up and got up; what did he get up for? To ask if this matter had really happened. Because revelations from God must be revealed to both parties, Amen.
Let me share a true story of a vision from God. This happened before 2002. We know what happened after 2002, right? SARS. Before that, there was a person, and I do not know if he is still alive, but he once gave a testimony that he received a revelation from God, and this revelation, as we share today, must be verified.
What was his situation? At that time, he was ill and went to the hospital for surgery. As a result, while on the operating table, his soul left his body and went directly to heaven. When he arrived in heaven, an angel guided him around, and he said this place was so wonderful! Being there was truly beautiful, much better than on earth! The angel told him, "You have not yet completed your work on earth; you must return to testify for the Lord." He said, "When I return, who can prove that I have been here? Or was it just a dream?" Because it felt so real, he could not distinguish what was happening.
Why do I tell you this? Because visions and dreams, if they are from God, are as real as they are now. This person had such a real experience with God. Before he returned, the angel told him, "I will give you three confirmations; when you return, you can verify them."
The first confirmation was that the doctor performing your surgery has a very beautiful 7-year-old daughter;
The second was that when you return, your son will come back from abroad, and he will go to Africa for missionary work; you should encourage him to go;
The third was that after you return, not long after, you will see the air filled with viruses, and people will begin to panic.
Then he returned. In fact, he suddenly woke up from the hospital bed, and all his indicators returned to normal. After waking up, he wondered whether this was a dream or real. How could he know if it was from God? He needed to verify! So, you may have had countless dreams, but if it is from God, you will remember it very clearly. Just like Joseph, when he woke up, he needed to get up and verify whether this matter was from God. If it was not from God, if Joseph found Mary and she was not pregnant, without this vision, he would not believe it was from God! He needed every detail to be interconnected.
Returning to this testimony, after this person woke up, the first thing he asked was, "Do you have a 7-year-old daughter?" The doctor said, "Yes, how do you know?" Was the first verification successful? Were there still two more? His illness had already healed, and the doctor said, "Great! We completed such a difficult surgery." He knew in his heart this was from God, but if he said it out loud, not many people would believe it was true; he had to verify it personally.
The second thing was that after he returned home, he contacted his son abroad, and unexpectedly, his son called and said, "Dad, I’m back." His heart sank. Why? Because he was very unwilling for his son to go to Africa. As a parent, if your child has earned a PhD in the United States and is ready to make a big impact, can you let him go to Africa? When his son returned, he said, "Dad, I have a very grand plan to tell you!" His father’s heart sank again, thinking, "What could you possibly say?" His son said, "I want to go to Africa for missionary work!" Although his father was very reluctant and did not want to let his son go, this confirmed the second revelation from God, right? He said, "Alright, since you have decided to go, I will bless you!" His son was very happy to go to Africa to preach the gospel.
The third confirmation occurred about a month and a half later when SARS happened! People did not understand what was happening, but did this person know? The air was filled with viruses! Invisible, yet truly existing! Isn’t this very similar to our current situation? These three things confirmed to him that his life was in the Lord's hands. Therefore, this person began to testify for the Lord for the rest of his life! He said, "I want to tell you that heaven is so wonderful; do not fight for these little benefits in the world; it is not worth it! You must set your sights on heaven!" Why could he have such a vision? Because he had been there! He experienced it!
I believe that the Apostle Paul also had this perspective because he saw it, which is why he considered everything in this world as rubbish, taking Jesus Christ as his treasure! So brothers and sisters, when we read the Bible, we must keep these words in our hearts, and when needed, God will tell you. And what is the most common way? It is when you finish praying, suddenly a verse or a word comes into your heart, and this word has an explanation. Congratulations, this is from God! This is very common; this is the way God uses today.
Another way is that God will give you some visions and dreams, but they must be explained through the Bible. When God reveals dreams and visions, they will never exceed the Bible, just like when Joseph received this dream and vision, God told him it was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet, Amen. So he must have sought out Mary, and Mary said, "God told me the same thing; I will conceive and bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus." When the two of them sat together, they found they had received the same revelation! What does this indicate? This matter is from God, Hallelujah! Only in this way can we believe it is from God. Do not easily believe the dreams and visions others tell you. Now, the main way God reveals is through the Bible, Amen.
Later, it says he arose and must have verified all these matters in detail. I believe Mary must have told him: "Our relative Elizabeth is also pregnant; she is six months along, and you didn’t mention it!" Is this something God did? Because those two were old, and it was impossible for them to conceive by themselves. Moreover, in that region, people had given her the nickname "barren," but the one called barren was six months pregnant. Is this from God? Even if these two people were dull in life, through this series of confirmations, they would certainly know this was a revelation from God.
In our generation, we will see many visions and dreams because in the last days, God will reveal the message of Jesus' second coming through various means. In this age of information explosion, how can we discern these matters? It is very simple; remember what I just told you. One of the most important steps is to have multiple confirmations, Hallelujah! If you have received something and are not sure, let’s wait. If someone says, "God told me I will do something in the future," and there is no sign of that happening now, what should you do? Very simple: eat when it’s time to eat, go to work when it’s time to work, and sleep when it’s time to sleep. Wait for God's timing to come.
When God anointed David with oil through Samuel, He said, "You will be king of Israel!" Did David stop tending sheep from that moment? What should he do when the time had not yet come? He continued to tend sheep in the wilderness. When the time came, it would not be up to him! David was not dreaming of being a king every day; he continued to tend sheep. One day, his father said, "Your brothers are fighting on the battlefield; go bring them some food." Unexpectedly, that visit changed his life! This was not something David sought after, right?
But did David know he would be king? Yes, he did not know when it would happen. What should you do if the revelation is from God? Do not let it detach from your life. If the revelation is from God, we hold onto it and carry that hope into our daily work and life. Do not let those things slip away, Amen. If you say God revealed to you that you are a king, shouting at the sheep will not help; the sheep do not understand your words. Just do what you need to do, Amen.
Later, it says Joseph obeyed the command of the Lord's angel and took his wife. This was because they had already verified everything, and both had reached an agreement. After everyone understood, Joseph took the action of marrying Mary! If you have misunderstandings with others, do not seek others' opinions; go directly to the person and clarify with them, Amen. Think about it: if Joseph received such news that Mary was pregnant but did not go to Mary and instead asked her family and friends, what conclusion would he reach? He would certainly think Mary was unfaithful, and there must be someone else involved, right? Because people cannot know such matters!
When we have conflicts or misunderstandings with others, we must find that person and ask them what they mean. In this way, the devil cannot cause trouble in between! Joseph did this very well; thank the Lord! So he obeyed the command of the Lord's angel. From this point, we can also see that Joseph was a righteous man. No matter how big the issue was, he prayed before God, and after God spoke to him, he verified it and obeyed God's word to act. So brothers and sisters, God commanded him to do this, and he understood it was from God.
He did not act like Zacharias, saying, "Lord, I do not know how this can happen to me." At that time, God had done many things through his relatives, but John's father, in the original meaning, was asking, "Can this happen?" He had this kind of meaning! The same question was asked of Mary, and Mary said, "How can this happen?" Is there a difference? One does not believe God can accomplish this, while the other asks, "Lord, how can this happen?" I hope everyone asks the latter: "Lord, how can this happen? Please help me; please reveal it to me." God will certainly tell you. Do not be like Zacharias, saying, "Can this happen? It cannot!" At that time, the angel said, "Because you do not believe, do not speak." Perhaps because of his words, this child would die, so God made him mute until the child was born. When others asked him what name to give, he wrote on a board: "John." Then his mouth was opened, and he began to praise God and glorify Him. Thank the Lord!
So we must believe in God's words. In these last days, we will indeed encounter many signs, wonders, dreams, and visions related to Jesus. What we are reading now is related to the birth of Jesus. In our generation, people may receive more visions, dreams, and words from God related to Jesus' second coming. Have you noticed that many false prophets use this banner: Jesus is coming again! Or Jesus has already come! You must have this discernment, Amen. I will give you a very simple, unchanging way to discern: look at the phenomena. Just like after Joseph received this revelation, many reasons and evidence pointed to Jesus; this word is true.
In the Bible, Jesus once said, "Wherever the corpse is, there the eagles will be gathered together." What does this mean? Does it mean that when Jesus comes again, many people will die, and the eagles will start eating the corpses, and we will say, "Has Jesus come?" Actually, what Jesus is saying here is about the occurrence of a phenomenon. You say there is a corpse in the wilderness, and several eagles are eating the flesh of the corpse; is this normal? Very normal. Such things are quite common in economically underdeveloped Africa.
But what does Jesus mean? Many corpses, many eagles gathering in one place is an unusual phenomenon, and this kind of phenomenon keeps occurring. For example, Joseph received this revelation, Mary also received this revelation, and then Mary received confirmation from Elizabeth. Did they not confirm the matter from multiple angles? They received these visions from God.
When Jesus comes again, there will also be many ways and confirmations proving one thing: Jesus is coming again! Or the day of Jesus' return is near! Amen. When we say the day of Jesus' return is near, it is different from what the Apostle Paul said about the Lord's coming being near; what we mean by near is truly near! When Jesus said that when He comes, there will be earthquakes, plagues, famines, and wars, right? Are these things happening a lot now? Have you all become accustomed to them? Two thousand years ago, if someone said there was an earthquake somewhere, it was considered a rarity! But two thousand years later, earthquakes are frequent! Earthquakes and plagues are now particularly numerous, right? In the past, information was not developed! Even if it was not developed, such major events have been happening continuously; can this still be considered an ordinary phenomenon? It has become very unusual. These events keep occurring, indicating one thing: the day of the Lord Jesus' return is near!
We should have the perspective of Joseph. After he received this revelation, he knew that God would bring Jesus into the world through his wife Mary, and after receiving this revelation, he married Mary. Through this matter, we see how this couple was able to be used by God. Do not forget that when such things happened to them, they were indeed difficult to accept! But they believed in God, and after receiving this revelation, they verified that it was indeed from God and willingly accepted it. This is why we say that those who obey are always blessed. Because they are not obeying the words of a particular person but the words of God. You live by obeying God's words, and you are also blessed, Hallelujah!
They were called righteous by God in that generation. This is indeed the case, and through this matter, we see it. Are we righteous? It is not through doing certain things that people call us righteous; we become righteous by believing in Jesus. The blessings that Joseph experienced can also be manifested in our lives; it is just that the blessings may be different. Do you hope for a prosperous family, career, and even spiritual life? That is all called blessing, right? What should we do? Can we learn from Joseph and Mary to maintain a heart of reverence and obedience to God's words, to meditate repeatedly? You will surely receive!
Finally, let’s look at a passage from Psalm 37:27-31:
27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell forevermore. 28 For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; they are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. 29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell in it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of justice. 31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
This passage can be understood simply: our God loves justice and does not forsake you; you are eternally blessed, Hallelujah! After receiving this blessing, you need to be like Joseph and Mary. When you hear God's words, can you let God give you the strength to carry out these words in your life? You see, after Mary received the revelation, she immediately went to visit Elizabeth, and after Joseph heard the news, he got up to verify whether what he received was true. They did not delay.
I hope brothers and sisters, after listening to these sermons, will try to apply these words in their lives this week and see the power of these words. Because the righteous shall inherit the land, it is not that we will inherit the land a hundred years after believing in the Lord; it is that after you believe in the Lord, you can rise up and act according to the Lord's words and receive it. The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom; may brothers and sisters often speak the truth. May your tongue often declare God's righteousness.
May these blessed words of God and the truths of Christ always reside in your heart, and you will never slip. God has placed the manual of life—the Bible—in this world for us to receive. The Holy Spirit will open up this wisdom for you as you read the Bible. When you are willing to live according to God's words, you can also be blessed like Joseph and Mary. Thank and praise the Lord.
Let us pray together
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for comforting us through these words. Joseph was a righteous man; he believed that Your words are true. Although it was difficult for him to accept such things in that generation, he still believed after careful examination.
We believe that Jesus was indeed born in Bethlehem and that through Jesus' birth, He became my sin offering, reconciling my relationship with the Father completely. Because Jesus shed His blood on the cross for my sins, I am justified by faith. As a righteous person, I possess the blessings and authority of the righteous. As the new week begins, no matter where I go, the blessings of the righteous will accompany me, and the Holy Spirit is with me. I believe that God's power will be manifested through me, and I will also become a blessing to those around me, believing that I am a channel of this blessing.
In this month when we commemorate the birth of Jesus, I am willing to be a blessing to tell those around me the good news of the gospel. Holy Spirit, help me, give me eloquence and wisdom, so that more people are willing to return to You. Thank You, praise You, and all glory be to You. In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.
Let us partake in the Holy Communion together
Everyone can open their hearts before the Lord; this is your moment to receive His blessings and healing. In the name of our Lord Jesus, I set apart this bread; from now on, it is no longer ordinary bread but the body of Jesus, broken for me. Jesus came into this world for me and broke His body so that I can receive His wholeness and healing. The body of Jesus has such redemptive power and healing power. I am willing to receive Jesus' heavenly health; He is whole, and I receive His body, so my body is also whole! Therefore, brothers and sisters, no matter what problems or diseases you encounter, you can receive healing through the Holy Communion. Tell Jesus and our Heavenly Father what you need right now! He can renew you. Everyone, let us pray before the Lord and receive His body. Hallelujah!
In the name of our Lord Jesus, I heal all brothers and sisters, no matter what diseases you have. In the name of Jesus, I command this disease to leave you now. You are justified by faith and have a covenant with God, so this disease has no authority over you. In the name of our Lord Jesus, this disease is leaving you now! Declare that you are healthy! You are whole! Hallelujah! In the name of our Lord Jesus, declare that your body is healthy from head to toe because the Lord has already granted you this health. Hallelujah! Thank You, praise You, Lord.
In the name of our Lord Jesus, I set apart this cup; it is no longer ordinary wine but the precious blood of Jesus, shed for me. The blood of Jesus has forgiven all my sins, and I am fully accepted by God. I do not need to meet God through the old covenant prophets; I can meet God face to face because Jesus has given us His words. His words are a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Therefore, no matter what grievances we face, at this moment, you are in Christ, and God will grant you His peace and joy. Hallelujah! Give your grievances to our Lord Jesus now; let Him comfort you. Any condemnation or curse from others cannot prevail! You must believe that in Christ, you have been completely renewed by God! Cast your burdens upon Him, for He is willing to comfort you at this moment. Everyone, let us pray before Jesus, casting our burdens upon Him, and He will grant you His rest. Hallelujah!
Let us raise our hands before the Lord and lift up our heads, so you will not be ashamed in this world again because He has lifted you up. He wants you to live out His glory in this world! Raise your hands, lift your heads, and look up to our Father's glory, looking up to His provision! In the new week, you will no longer be the same; you will live with God's blessings in the new week. Hallelujah! Thank You, praise You, Lord. Let us pray together.
In the name of our Lord Jesus, as the new week begins, you will carry our Father's glory and the power of the Holy Spirit. You will experience His wonders in the new week! God will reveal Himself to you through His words and also through visions and dreams, allowing you to know Him more, draw closer to Him, and experience Him! If you have the determination to live your life in obedience to the Lord's words, you will experience His wonders in your life and become a channel of this blessing! In the name of our Lord Jesus, I bless you and your family to be free from all diseases! Everything you touch will be filled with God's glory! Thank You, praise You, Lord. I bless all brothers and sisters who seek Him. In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen! Hallelujah!