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Joseph's Vision
First, if my vision do not harmonize with the
vision of God, and the vision of God for me the is some adjusting that needs to take place on my end. Theis is so very necessary
because God has given us humans free will. However that free will has a context, and that context is God. it is within God
that we are able to exercise the free will that we have been given.
My vision and desire is to know God, and that in knowing God I come to accept the
longings and desires that burn within me. Along with the desire to belong to and with those that are of the family of God
and those that are a part of the environment in which I live, I want to know and realize the feeling that stirs within me,
about and for God.
As I grew and continue to grow, I see my vision in terms of it spiritual nature,
and the spiritaul hunger that wells up from inside of me. In short my vision become a burning desire to speak for God, God's
words to the people God send me to; to heal those that come across my path, and those to whom God send me to to touch them
with that which they need most in their lives; and more particularly to bless them with the healing that they need that
thay may be and do that which God has called them to be and do. It is also a part of my vision to know God and to know
myself in God; that I see myself as God desires me to be in this present life.
When we get to know the true nature and existence of God we begin to see the scope
of the free will that we have been given. The bible says how unsearchable is the grace of God. There is a song that tells
of how it was the grace of God that drew salvation's plan. As with the blood covenant that God made with Abraham, God put
Abraham to sleep when he confirmed the blood covenant with Abraham by the shedding of the innocent blood of animals, which
was a symbol of the innocent blood of Jesus on the cross for the sins of humans and the resturation of fallen human bact
to the state that Godcreated and intended humans to be.
grace
\Grace\, n. [F. gr[^a]ce, L. gratia, from gratus beloved, dear, agreeable; perh. akin to Gr. ? to rejoice,
? favor, grace, Skr. hary to desire, and E. yearn. Cf. Grateful, Gratis.] 1. The exercise of love, kindness, mercy,
favor; disposition to benefit or serve another; favor bestowed or privilege conferred.
To bow and sue
for grace With suppliant knee. --Milton.
2. (Theol.)
The divine favor toward man; the mercy of God, as distinguished from His justice; also, any benefits His mercy imparts; divine
love or pardon; a state of acceptance with God; enjoyment of the divine favor.
And
if by grace, then is it no more of works. --Rom. xi. 6.
My grace is sufficicnt for thee. --2 Cor. xii. 9.
Where
sin abounded, grace did much more abound. --Rom. v. 20.
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein
we stand. --Rom. v.2
3. (Law) (a) The prerogative of mercy execised by the executive, as pardon. (b)
The same prerogative when exercised in the form of equitable relief through chancery.
4. Fortune; luck; -- used commonly
with hard or sorry when it means misfortune. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
5. Inherent excellence; any endowment or characteristic
fitted to win favor or confer pleasure or benefit.
He is complete in feature and in mind. With all good grace to grace
a gentleman. --Shak.
I have formerly given the general character of Mr. Addison's style and manner as natural
and unaffected, easy and polite, and full of those graces which a flowery imagination diffuses over writing. --Blair. Ephesians 3:8Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
Romans 11:33O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his
ways past finding out!
Proverbs 25:3The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.
Psalm 145:3Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
Job 5:9Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:
I find that in the use of the term unsearchable as it is applied to God in the cases above it is speaking
more to the fact that God has no end to the things that God is; and that to know the end from which God's goodness, mercy,
grace, and riches that God givesa to us, has not end. Unsearchable are God's goodness, truth and beauty. As I consider the
3rd chapter of Ephesians I find it rich with grace and promises to the believers in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 3
1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner
of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of
the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he
made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye
read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons
of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 That
the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
7 Whereof
I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 8 Unto
me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable
riches of Christ;
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the
mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 10 To
the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold
wisdom of God, 11 According to the eternal purpose
which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: 12 In whom we have boldness and access
with confidence by the faith of him. 13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my
tribulations for you, which is your glory. 14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That
he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That
Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May
be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And
to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness
of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all
that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
The GOD Of Joseph
GOD AND I:
THINGS AND PEOPLE THAT EXIST,
AS I VIEW THEM...
Let me begin by saying that I am what I am by the grace
of God, and because I am of GOD and from GOD; that is the essence of the grace of GOD. I beleive that There is ONE GOD, who
is eternal, immortal and for the most part invisible. Although God is the God of all flesh even all all creation; God is very much, my God. I believe that the eternality of God is manifested in that which is
seen; the immortality of God is in the life force that flows through the things that are. The invisibility of God is in the
fact that the natural normal sight of humans cannot see God; and unless we can see the whole of the things that exist, we
cannot see nor comprehend God; and thus God for all intent and purposes remain invisible.
The
created can only see God in part, when we come to the point where we can see God, the invisible, in the face of the visible,
that is, we see God in the THINGS THAT EXIST, then we see GOD. We can see GOD in GOD'S fullest form and manifestation in the
person of Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 1:1-5 says:
"1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in
time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath
appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and
the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins,
sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath
by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time,
Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?"
It must never be forgotten nor taken forgranted by those of us who claim to be believers in the GOD of Jesus Christ, GOD makes
it very clear throught the writer of the book of Hebrews, Hebrews 11:6: " Without faith it is impossible to please GOD, for
they taht cometh to GOD must believe that GOD is and that GOD is a rewarder of them that deligently seek GOD." The writer
also says that, Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen. To believe in a GOD that cannot
be seen with the natural eye that a reality that does not yet exis , in fact does exist in the heart and mind of GOD and the
one who stands on the word of GOD in simple and absolute belief, faith. What ever it is will manifest....
If God is all that God claim to be then the people that are is as God say that they are. The
primary things that God says about people is that we are created in the image and likeness of God. At this time it is not
the point whether God is three persons or one; whether there are three God's or one God. The point that I am trying to make
here is that God says that we are God's children and that we are created in the image and likeness of God. God says that God
created us "...male and female,..." (Genesis 1:26,27, and that we have been given "...power over the fish of the sea, and
over the fowls of the air, and over the cattle and over the earth and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
In another place God says through another witness, that God gave us "...power over all the works of his fingers...." Psalms
8:1-6.
The order is of critical importance to me; The order is: GOD, MYSELF, OTHER PEOPLE and THE WORLD.
This is not the order of creation, but it is what I believe to be the order of importance; however, they are so intimately
connected that in fact it is impossible for anyone but God, to separate. I see God as the essence of things, and that all
things are primarily spiritual, which is the center of being; it out from and out of the spiritual, out of and out from God
that all things flow and exist. It is God that gives the ability to see, know and relate to the things that are of God in
us, and throuh through, God gives me the ability to know and relate to the things that are in and make up the world.
It is important to me to make it as clear as possible that there is a spiritual nature which
humans are of, that is common in all creation; however in humans it is at a level that other things in creation do not have;
or at least this is the basic understanding and knowledge that we presently have.
In all the things that are all things that exist, for me the primary things is God. It is my
belief that only God can give an adaquate definition as to who and what God is. I believe that this is the case because the
meaning of the word and concept God, is, that which is First, prime, the producer; God is that which is and was before all
things and as the bible (KJV), King James Version puts it " ... By whom are all things, before all things and by which all
things have their being..." It says in one place in the book of Hebrews, Hebrews 1:3 - "Who being the brightness of his glory,
and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our
sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:" God upholds all things by the word of His, God's power.... In Colossians
1:16 - "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they
be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:", In Revelation 4:11
"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they
are and were created.", and in Revelation 5:12,13 " Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive
power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13 And every creature which is in heaven,
and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and
honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." , in John 1:1-4
" 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the
light of men."
God says in Genesis 35:11 - "And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply;
a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;". I think that the best way to
know and understand someone or something is to go to that somebody or that something and inquire of they who and what they
are. God continues to testify of God's self by saying, Acts 17:24 - "God that made the world and all things therein,
seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;" In Isaiah 45:19-23 19 "I have not spoken
in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness,
I declare things that are right. 20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations:
they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. 21 Tell ye, and bring
them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time?
have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. 22 Look unto me,
and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone
out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear."
Acts 17:26 says of God....:
"And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on
all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;...."
(Whole
Chapter: Acts 17 In context: Acts 17:25-27)
AND WHAT HAS GOD SAID....:
Psalm 24 "1 The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. 2
For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. 3 Who shall ascend into the hill
of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not
lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness
from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob.
Selah. 7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall
come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 10
Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah." (Whole Chapter: Psalm 24 In context: Psalm
24:1-2) God makes a statement about who God is, we can either accept it or reject it. God says through the Apostle
John,: Try the spirit, and see wwhether it be of me?" There are deep needs down inside of us that cry out for an answer
to the preplexing issues that daily confront us in our lives. after a while it becomes clear that only God can solve these
issues, problems and questions that fill our lives. One of the beautiful things is that come to
us through the life that God has put within each of us. So it is in turn with ourselves that we find God. And as we
continue in God's presence, we come to know that God is the manifestation of all that we need and believe God for. God
is yet saying, " Call on me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty thing that you do not know of.
There is no one but God and us, you and I, as individuals that can stop or prevent us from fulfilling that which is our purpose
in time and eternity. One of the most beautiful things to me is the fact that God has put within
people the ability that is so wonderfully displayed in nature, and in particular in flowers. The
almost endless varities in flowers. They come in all sizes, shapes, colors and kinds. They have different abilities
to survive and thrive in different environments, how like the human race they are; the human, created in God,s likeness.
"In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.... And the word
became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His Glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and
truth, which was born not of flesh, nor of blood, nor of the will of man, but of God." The
thing that I find Imperative is that God being God, do not need his creation to validate that God is, and that God is all
that God claim to be. We have a mission and a comission, which is to proclaim God and the word
of God to people everywhere. It may not be accepted by other all the time, nevertheless it is what God has commanded us who
receive Jesus as Lord and Savior to do. God did not ask us to try to prove that God is real to other people. It is only to
ourselves that God challenges us to prove God, that is that we, the individual, may know that God is real.
Out of the experiences that we have with God and the word of God that we can present God to other with the kind of
power and force of conviction that will lead the person to an encounter with God for themselves.(See List of page links
below: Joseph McKnight:( http://www.josephmcknight.20megsfree.com)
<<<<"....In light of the many perversions and jokes we send along to one another for
a laugh, this is a little different:
This joke today is not intended to be a joke, it's not intended
to be funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
*Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early
Show and
Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this happen?" ( regarding the attacks
on Sept. 11 ).
((( <<<< Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response.
She said:
"I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God
to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe
He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand of God to leave us
alone? This is the comments of Joseph and not Miss Graham")))
(To often we feel that we can make it without God's contuining
help, or we think that we are suppose to make it without God's continuing help. We can't, we should not, and God did not design
that we do so.)
In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started,
in a big way, in these modern times when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she
didn't want prayer in our schools. She files a lawsuit, and we we gave in; We said OK.
Then someone
said you better not read the Bible in school .. the Bible says things like... Thou shall have no other God's before God, ...
thou shalt not kill, ... thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we let them do it.... Then Dr.
Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped
and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking
about. And we said OK.
Then someone said teachers and principals better not discipline our children
when they misbehave. The school administrators said no faculty member in this school better touch a student when they misbehave
because we don't want any bad publicity, and we surely don't want to be sued (there's a big difference between disciplining,
touching, beating, smacking, humiliating, kicking,etc.)And we said OK.
Then someone said, let's let
our daughters have abortions if they want, and they won't even have to tell their parents. And we said OK.... Then some wise
school board member said, since boys will be boys and they're going to do it anyway, let's give our sons all the condoms they
want so they can have all the fun they desire, and we won't have to tell their parents they got them at school. And we said
OK.
Then some of our top elected officials said it doesn't matter.... what we do in private as long
as we do our jobs. Agreeing with them, we said it doesn't matter to me what anyone, including the President, does in private
as long as I have a job and the economy is good. Then someone said let's print magazines with whatever we want as log as it
what people want and will pay for."
We must question the things which we allow in
the society in which we live. to just accept things just because they are things that are and were done by our parents and
grandparents is not good enough alone. We must view them in light of the Divine, and of all the things and people that are
involved. There are some things that are absolute, however the absolute is the arena in which all things operate. It is from
this prospective that we are to judge. I chose to call the divine God, as God is revealed in Jesus Christ. I will not fight
over whether God is real. I believe that God is real and it is the relationship that God has with each human being that bring
s them to the knowledge of the truth.
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