Modern Day Josephs in Lean Years Ahead
Mary Ann Wray
While Joseph was in Potiphar’s house God gave him a word of wisdom for Pharaoh after he interpreted his dream. 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. Thankfully Pharaoh heeded Joseph’s words.
With all the words being released today about America and her future, where are the words of wisdom for the church to know what to do in the lean days ahead? I believe the church is going to have to shift the emphasis from giving to only build the local church to a wider harvest. Shouldn't we be just as concerned about giving without receiving anything in return in order to help feed the poor and the hungry and taking care of the widow?
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 for church growth lacks seeing 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 non-believers as well. There was no spiritual checklist to go by when Jesus fed the multitude at the Sermon on the Mount. He told His disciples to distribute what He had miraculously multiplied through an unknown boy's lunch.
It may very well come to the place in our own country where we Christians might 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 help now why would we do it later? God will always make a way for us but are we listening and paying attention to what we see Him do in the scriptures? And are we willing to follow that pattern rather than go along our merry way preaching and prophesying this and that but not doing anything practically to reach out to the lost and to prepare for the days ahead?
The church is not to be a mere referral agency sending the needy to food banks & other government agencies for help. Thank God for them but aren't we called 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? I just see this issue as a big concern to the Father. Government agencies are going to fail. Shut downs are already happening. America is experiencing some lean years. If this is happening now no doubt future years are going to be leaner. What is the church called to do?
Where are the Joseph’s of our day that have words of wisdom for our spiritual leaders (who will listen) to know what to do in the times ahead? In order to advance God‘s Kingdom which is about souls requires action not just talk. Do we understand that building for God goes beyond our building walls? The church is the only organization that exists for the benefit of others! Feeding his lambs and feeding his sheep requires natural as well as spiritual food.
Jesus is not going to allow his church to be wiped out. The gates of Hell will not prevail against her but He is not going to allow the poor to go with out at the expense of unchecked lavish lifestyles and selfishness either. James, Jesus half brother, said that pure religion undefiled is to visit the widow and orphan in their affliction. Thank the Lord for secular organizations and 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 some non-denominational including Charismatic churches seem to be so engrossed in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and worship Services that they forget 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
