Mar 29, 2023 If It Weren’t For Jesus, I’d Be Dead

I have almost died five times in my life, and the only answer I have to explain why I am still alive is Jesus, explained Joseph.

Joseph was raised in the Adventist Church. He never left the church, but he said, Some of the things I was doing were not in line with someone who goes to church. I was drinking and smoking; I did all of that.

He recounted story after story of situations he was in where he almost died.

One night we said, It’s too hot to sleep inside, let’s sleep outside’ So we all agreed, me, my brother, my mother, and my three sisters, we all slept outside that night.

His mother awoke in the night to see the house engulfed in flames, It must have been the Holy Spirit prompting us to go outside.

Joseph remembers getting beaten up badly during a drunken argument to the point that he thought he was going to die. He also remembered when he was a truck driver going down a hill and realizing he had no brakes. But by the grace of God, the car in front of him moved over just at the last second before he crashed into them and other cars.

My turning point was when I almost got hit by a minibus… I believe angels moved me.

My turning point was when I almost got hit by a minibus. I was stunned; it was so close to hitting me–but suddenly I was out of the way. How was I instantly moved away? I believe angels moved me. That was my turning point. I said, from now on, I will never taste alcohol, and I will never smoke. I did not stop smoking or drinking because I was sick or had no money. I said no because I knew I needed to rededicate my life to Christ. He is the only reason I am alive.

All these near-death experiences were happening to Joseph as if God was trying to tell him something. Somehow I knew that last incident was a warning, so decided to make a full surrender to God in baptism.

Shortly after that, Joseph lost his job.

When I got fired from my job, I was worrying because I was the only person from my family who had gone to school and who had secured a stable job. When I got fired, I had so many questions. “Why me?”

And then after some time, I said, “No, I have to pray and fast.” I said, “God, thank you. My job has been lost, but I still have my arms, I still have my legs, and I still have a car that works.”

After that Joseph had a series of unsuccessful jobs. He would get one and then lose it a few months later.

Until one day, there was an opening to train as an evangelist. This year alone, he has worked with two different series of meetings and is preparing to start his third. Joseph is one of the gospel workers that Quiet Hour Ministries hired to visit homes and offer Bible studies in advance of the mission trip to Malawi.

However, Joseph’s other evangelism work is not paid. I am not working, but Jesus makes a way. Joseph said there is nothing he doesn’t have that he needs.

Jesus means life to me. So how could I not dedicate my life to evangelism? Because if it weren’t for Jesus, I would be dead.

For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living. Psalm 116:8-9

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