Joseph's Storehouse is blessed with large truck loads of food each month to be a blessing to many in the community.
Cars begin lining up early before our gates open at 8:30 on giveaway day, which last until 11:30. There is plenty of food for everyone who comes during those times.
FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK ~ “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you -- unless, of course -- you fail the test?” (1 Cor. 13:5). I have often heard that the hardest test that any of us will ever take is a “self-examination”. We, like the church at Corinth, are challenged by the Apostle Paul to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. This test is so important for us as Christ followers as we witness the direction of our society and culture in these last days. The test of “self-examination” requires us to answer questions of ourselves that make us uncomfortable to confront.
Pastor and author Rick Renner has posed several probing questions for us to consider in this test. We must open our hearts, be honest, talk with ourselves and God as we consider our answers: 1. What do you do with your time? (Do you make time with God in prayer and Bible study a priority?) 2. What do you do to serve others? (Do you serve God in a practical way in the church or a ministry?) 3. When you pray, what do you pray about? (Do you pray for yourself only, or for the needs and dreams of others?) 4. What personal sacrifices do you make to serve the Lord? (Do you give up something to walk in obedience to God or to serve others and to make a difference in someone else’s life?) 5. What do your spending habits reveal about you? (Do you spend money on your interests, personal possessions, and other non-essentials, and then compare it to the amount of money you invest in the Gospel?) 6. What does your lifestyle reveal about your priorities? (Does your daily lifestyle reveal what you love and that you are consumed with your own needs and offer no service or help to anyone else?).
As we may agonize over but honestly answer these questions, it will hopefully expose those areas in our lives and thinking that need to be changed. By doing so, when all truth is exposed, we will be able to stand before the Father joyfully and confidently knowing that we were found in the faith. ~ God’s blessings, protection, and favor to all.
From John’s Gospel: “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (3:3); “Truly I say to you, he who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life.” (5:24a); “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.” (6:35); “The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” (6:63); “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (8:12); “If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (8:31b-32); “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” (10:10); “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.” (11:25-26); “A new command I give you; ‘Love one another’. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, all men will know that you are My disciples if you love one another.” (13:34-35); “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (14:6); “If you love Me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth.” (14:15-16); “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (16:33b); “'It is finished.' And with that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” (19:30b): “Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you... and I will come again and receive you to Myself that where I am, there you may be also.” (14:1-3). ~ God’s blessings, protection, and favor to all.
FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK ~ “But one thing I do; forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead.” Philippians 3:13. The world will tell you that the dominating influence in your life is your past. If you came from a difficult home life, that would determine the direction of your life. If your culture was treated unfairly, that will dictate the condition of your life today. If you were hurt or abused or if your youth was spent in rebellion, the remainder of your life will be spent struggling with your past. The world is preoccupied with the past because it faces an uncertain future. Christians on the other hand, live in freedom because Christ has overcome our past. The “old things” have been done away with and the “new things” have come (2 Cor. 5:17). God has so totally forgiven the Christian’s sin that He chooses not to remember it (Isa. 43:25). Christians do not forget the past, but we are not controlled or motivated by it. The Christian looks to the future with hope.
The people of the world focus on what they are overcoming. Christians focus on what they are becoming. Christians know that the Holy Spirit is conforming them into the image of Christ. Christians know that ultimately, they will stand before Christ to give an account of their actions and will spend eternity in the presence of God. Christians know that eventually every injustice will be addressed and every hurt comforted. They know that Satan, and death itself, will finally be brought to an end. The Christian’s future is so full and rich and exciting that it supersedes whatever happened in the past.
If you are preoccupied with your past, ask God to open your eyes to the incredible future that awaits you and begin, like Paul, to PRESS ON to what is ahead! ~ God’s blessings, protection, and favor to all. (Excerpts taken from a devotional by Henry Blackaby).
FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK ~ Jesus said in John 14:12, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater works than these because I am going to the Father.” It’s logically impossible to suggest anyone could do something beyond what Jesus accomplished. He is the one who turned water into wine, raised the dead, healed the sick, walked on water, and turned a little boy’s lunch into a feast for thousands. And these are only a FEW of His accomplishments while He was here on this Earth! How can anyone do “greater works” than He did? Let us approach the question from a different perspective. It is not possible to exceed the “quality or significance” of His works, but it is and has been to exceed the “quantity or scope” of His works.
Jesus’ earthly ministry only lasted three and a half years. He had limited ability in His human form to help and minister to others. He walked with the disciples and helped them in their time of need. Jesus knew that by going to the Father, the Father would send them another Helper, the Holy Spirit, to be with them forever (John 14:16). This would allow “greater works” by the power of the Holy Spirit working through not only the disciples but also through anyone who put their faith in Jesus. That includes you and me as Christ followers. Greater communication and travel technology allows us to reach almost anywhere with the gospel. One Christian website can reach more people in a year than was the known population of the Roman Empire in Jesus’ day. Churches and television ministries reach countries around the world with the good news every day. Missionaries today can serve the farthest reaches of the globe with the saving knowledge of Christ. Christian ministries are helping with medical support and food for the hungry wherever there is a need. All these are the continued “greater works” of Christ. The ministry of Joseph’s Storehouse has the honor to be part of this “greater works.” Jesus fed thousands while here on earth, but Joseph’s Storehouse has had the privilege of feeding tens of thousands for His glory! Because of your prayers, support, and financial contributions, you have been part of His “greater works” as well. ~ God’s blessings, protection, and favor to all.
God commanded many different sacrifices in the Old Testament. All the sacrifices in the Old
Testament were opportunities for God’s people to look forward in faith to the coming of His
Son to be their Savior. All the blood that was shed in the Old Testament times was meant to
foreshadow the blood that Christ would shed upon the cross. Without the shedding of blood,
Christ’s blood, there would be no final and complete forgiveness of sins.
Something special would happen in the days known as Yom Kippur or “Day of Atonement.” It
was a season marked by intense reflection and repentance. The High Priest was instructed to
choose two (2) goats that would be selected and presented before the Lord. The casting of lots
would determine each one’s fate. One would be designated “for the Lord” and sacrificed as a
blood offering. The high priest would enter the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle, bringing with
him blood to make atonement for the people. With the other goat, the Scapegoat, the high
priest would lay his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the
people, and in this way put all their sins on the goat. Then the scapegoat would be carried
away into uninhabited land in the wilderness not to be heard from again. The goat would
perish to its death in the barren hills outside of Jerusalem along with the transgressions of the
people.
“And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” Isaiah 53:6b.
Jesus is both goats to accomplish our Day of Atonement. The ceremony has come to its reality
and fulfillment in Christ. Both goats represented the work that Christ would do; the goat
designated “for the Lord” and the goat designated “Scapegoat” are to be found in Jesus Christ.
Christ performed both tasks: the offering of sin, and the carrying away of sin. Out of great love
for us all, Jesus made himself a willing offering and carried away all our sin. “And their sins and
iniquities will I remember no more,” Hebrews 10:17. God’s blessings, protection, and favor to
all this Easter season.
FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK ~ How many people at some point in time have set their sights on becoming like one of their
heroes or idols? Whether it is to be the next Peyton Manning, Dolly Parton or maybe Elon
Musk, they begin to study their habits and character traits to determine what made them
successful. They must also realize that part of their makeup is one of natural ability or gift. This
information will help those individuals to plan for how much more time and effort they need to
apply as they strive to be more like those that they have come to respect or admire so much.
Christ followers are challenged to do the same as we strive to be more like our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. He should be the one we need to emulate. We find Jesus’ habits and character
traits as we spend time studying and meditating on God’s Word. Mark 5:16 says of Jesus, “Yet
he often withdrew to quiet places and prayed.” If Jesus needed to withdraw to a quiet place,
how much more should we? In this fast paced world, it takes a concentrated effort on our part
to disengage from the challenges of life and seek out a place to be quiet. If Jesus needed to
pray to His Heavenly Father, how much more do we? His practice was always one of petitions
as well as one of listening. We all would do good to learn from His example. Luke 2 says His
parents found Him in the Temple listening to the teachers and asking questions. If Jesus
needed to go the place of worship and listen to the teachers, how much more should we? It
needs to be our regular practice to attend worship services and receive from our teachers the
inspired Word. All through the Gospels, we see where the perfect man Jesus extended love,
compassion, mercy, grace, and forgiveness to those He encountered. If He, being perfect,
made this His habit and character, how much more should do so being as imperfect as we are?
May we as Christ followers desire and commit to do more to be like Jesus so that He may be
glorified. God’s blessings, protection, and favor to all.
FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK ~ “Forgetting what is behind...” Phil 3:13b. There are times in all our lives that we all have failed, missed the mark, stumbled, struggled, offended, or hurt someone. It is easy for us to be weighed down and hindered by what we may have done in the past. I have often heard that the greatest tool of the devil is to remind us of our past. (But we can remind him of his future!) Thankfully, we serve a God who faithfully forgives and chooses to forget our past if we sincerely repent. This allows each one of us to look forward to a fuller and more meaningful life in Him.
As we enter a new year, a concentrated forward focus is the best way for us to minimize the past’s impact on our present lives. The rearview mirrors in our cars are but a small reflection of what is behind us. But as we look forward, we have a large clear windshield that allows us to see what is ahead and what we can expect. The expectation of the Christian’s future is so full and rich of possibilities that it supersedes whatever has happened in the past. But to make that become a reality, we must set our minds and spirits on what God has planned for us. Phil 3:13b-14 continues with, “and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” This should be our focus not only for now but also for eternity. The “goal” and the “prize” are the same but at different times. Both are for us to become more Christlike. The “goal” is to run our race in this life purposely to be more like Christ each day. The “prize” is to be ultimately like Christ when God calls us heavenward. For now, and as we prepare for eternity, our forward focus should be to make the changes in our lives that will make us to be more like Him. As it has often been said, “More of Him and less of me.” By concentrating daily on our relationship with Him, we can look forward to what He will help us become. ~ God’s blessings, protection and favor to all.
FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK ~ Because God’s children are human beings - flesh and blood - the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could He set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying (from Hebrews 2:14-15 (NLT)).
Hebrews 2:14-15 connects the beginning and the end of Jesus’ earthly life, and in so doing, makes clear why He came. It is a step-by-step Christian view of Christmas. In sending Christ to earth, God has the salvation of His “children” in view. God’s design was to offer Christ to the world and effect the salvation of His children. Jesus was God but took on flesh and blood and clothed His deity with humanity. He became man while remaining fully God. The reason Jesus became man was to die. He could not die for sinners as God, but as a man He could. Therefore, He had to be born human. In dying, Christ made the devil ineffectual. This means that Satan has no legitimate grounds to accuse us before God. We must realize that Satan’s ultimate weapon against us is our own sin. With Jesus’ death, God has taken that weapon away from the devil. Satan cannot make a case for our death penalty because the Judge has acquitted us by the death of His own Son. We are now free from the fear of death because God has justified us. Satan cannot overturn that decree. If we do not need to fear our last and greatest fear, which is death, then we do not need to fear ANYTHING! We can be free: free for joy and free for others. What a great Christmas present from God to us, and from us to the world (a paraphrase from John Piper).
On behalf of Joseph’s Storehouse volunteers, staff, Community Advisory Council, and Board of Directors, we want to wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christ-centered Christmas and a Healthy and Prosperous New Year.~ God’s blessings, protection and favor to all.
FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK ~ “Oh God, You are so good. You are faithful and gracious, and you have blessed me beyond measure. Thank you for everyday blessings to which I have become accustomed, but never want to take for granted: clean drinking water, electricity, food in my pantry, hot showers, a roof over my head, and a bed to sleep in. Thank you for legs that carry me where I need to go and hands that enable me to accomplish many things. Thank you for my hearing and my vision and for a sound, healthy mind. Thank you for my family, my friends, my job, and my neighbors. Thank you for the freedom to attend my church, for my pastors, and for my small group, and for my many relationships. Thank you for the things You are doing in my heart and in my life. I’m grateful that by the power of your Holy Spirit, I am much different today than I was 10 years ago, or a year ago. I am even different than I was at the beginning of this year, and it’s because of Your power at work in me, continually transforming me into Your image. I love and adore you, Lord, and my heart overflows with gratitude for all these blessings. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.” ~ By Julie K. Gillies
We at Joseph’s Storehouse are giving thanks this season for our many blessings. The blessing of the many individuals who help make the ministry possible. Those who consistently pray for the work and for our efforts to feed those in need. Their prayers help give us a road map to travel on. It is also with sincere gratitude that we are thankful for our many volunteers. It would be impossible for us to feed and minister to our clients without their help and support. Finally, we are blessed to have those who give sacrificially of their monetary resources that make it possible to meet our financial obligations. Your commitment means so much to help sustain our efforts. May this be a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. ~ God’s blessings, protection and favor to all.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled (satisfied with divine contentment)" Matthew 5:6.
When we are physically hungry and thirsty our cravings can only be met with food and drink. As Christ-followers we have an inner spiritual hunger and thirst that only His righteousness can satisfy. There is a difference between physical and spiritual hunger. Physical hunger works opposite of spiritual hunger. We ingest physical food and drink until our body is satisfied. We no longer have a need. When we are spiritually hungry and we are given a feast of good spiritual food, it makes us hungry for more. We cannot seem to get enough.
The reverse is also true. Missing a meal for our physical body increases our desire and appetite for nourishment. But if we receive no spiritual food over time, we can lose our desire for it and malnutrition will set in. Just like physical malnutrition, this creates short and long term spiritual health issues, slows recovery when we are wounded spiritually, and gives way to a higher risk of infection from the world. It also delays our spiritual growth and causes us to waste away spiritually.
Unfortunately, some of us are spiritually malnourished. It’s not because we don’t eat, but because we are consuming the wrong things. The world offers us an endless buffet of things that we can ingest that only satisfies our flesh but leaves us spiritually malnourished. And when we are given opportunity for something to feed our spirits, we become picky eaters. We only want to consume what we like or what makes us feels good. The only way to have a healthy spiritual diet is to have a desire to apply the righteous standard of God (His way of doing and being right) to our lives. The menu to obtain this is only found in His Holy Word. Our desire must be to hunger and thirst for what pleases Him. If we train our appetites to do so, we will be satisfied with divine contentment. ~ God’s blessings, protection, and favor to all.
