God is Greater! ~ Raul Ries

“He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

1 John 4:4

"God hath not promised skies always blue, flower-strewn pathways all our lives through. God hath not promised sun without rain, joy without sorrow, peace without pain. God hath not promised we shall not know toil and temptation, trouble and woe. He hath not told us we shall not bear many a burden, many a care. But God hath promised strength for the day, rest for the laborer, light for the way; grace for the trials, help from above, unfailing symphony, undying love.” (Author Unknown)

Problems will come throughout our lives. But, they will increase our faith, mold our character, show us God, and help us to encourage others.

Thought for the Day:

It’s true-God IS bigger than our problems!

Peter Grasps the Wideness of God's Mercy ~ WOW the Bible in 7 minutes a day

Peter Grasps the Wideness of God's Mercy

Acts 10:34-43; 11:19-26; 12:1-25; Psalm 118:1-4; Proverbs 20:25

Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ-He is Lord of all-that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He commanded us to preach to the people,and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins."

Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.

Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me." So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people."

So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. But they said to her, "You are beside yourself!" Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, "It is his angel."

Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren." And he departed and went to another place.

Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death.

And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.

Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king's personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king's country.

So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. And the people kept shouting, "The voice of a god and not of a man!" Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.

But the word of God grew and multiplied.

And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.

Acts 10:34-43; 11:19-26; 12:1-25

WORSHIP

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Let Israel now say,
"His mercy endures forever."
Let the house of Aaron now say,
"His mercy endures forever."
Let those who fear the LORD now say,
"His mercy endures forever."
Psalm 118:1-4

WISDOM

It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy,
And afterward to reconsider his vows.
Proverbs 20:25

Still seated upon His throne of mercy ~ Mike MacIntosh

Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Mark 10:46-48 Aren't you glad that Jesus never tires of granting His mercy? We deserve nothing but judgment and fair payment for our sin, and for the sins that we've caused in others. Yet God, who is rich in mercy, is willing to give us His mercy. I've heard so many people through the years complain, saying that life is unfair, and that they deserved so much more than they'd received. But the reality is so clear: we have been given so much! The question isn't, "God, why don't I have what I deserve," but rather, "God, why have you loved me so much that I am not getting what is really due me--punishment for my sin?" Consider Bartimaeus. Though a blind man, he could clearly see that, in Jesus Christ, complete forgiveness of sin and an outpouring of God's mercy is found. With a humble heart, he cried out, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" And yet many in the crowd of people following Jesus warned Bartimaeus to keep quiet. Did they think Jesus was too busy? Did they think He was too important? Did this blind man's faith in Jesus embarrass them? We're not given the reasons, but what a sad commentary on the people following Jesus. Ask yourself today: Are you hindering others from asking for God's healing touch, just as these people were? For example, I know how difficult it is to talk about the things of the Lord when I'm flying back home from a long trip. Tired, crammed into a small space, and low on patience, the last thing I want to do is talk with someone. But so often it's as if the Lord places a person in the seat next to me, specifically so I can talk to him about salvation. God gives us opportunities to share His love, but how many times do we hinder His work and shut people out? Let the Holy Spirit flow through your life and use every opportunity that comes your way to share Jesus Christ. Keep your heart humble and be in that place where you see the Lord's mercies new every morning (Lamentations 3:23).

Putting on God's Armor ~ Joyce Meyer

Be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].
— Ephesians 6:10

Do you know what happens when you spend time with God? You begin to act like David when he faced the giant Goliath. You begin to take a stand and demand of the enemy, "Who do you think you are to defy the army of the Living God?" (See 1 Samuel 17:26). As soldiers of the cross, you and I are not supposed to be afraid of our enemy, the devil.

When a spirit of fear comes along, rather than shaking like a leaf, we are to be as bold as a lion. The devil comes against those who are doing damage to his kingdom, those who are doing something for God. How do we withstand the devil? By girding on the full armor of God, taking up the shield of faith, by which we can quench all his fiery darts, and by wielding the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (See Ephesians 6:13-17 KJV). But all of that armor and all of those weapons come from spending time in fellowship with the Lord. Ephesians 6:10 actually begins this discourse on the armor of God, saying, "Be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]." To me, that says, "Be strong through your fellowship with God." Then verse 11 goes on to say, "Put on God's whole armor." Only after being strengthened in fellowship can we properly wear the armor.

Slave to love ~ Jon Courson

I beseech thee for my son Onesimus whom I have begotten in my bonds.
Philemon 10

While he was chained to a Roman guard, Paul came into contact with a man named Onesimus who was a fugitive in the city of Rome, a runaway slave who had stolen goods from his master. It is possible that Paul somehow bumped into Onesimus in the marketplace and began to dialogue with him. It is also possible that Onesimus was apprehended and chained to the same guard as Paul. We are not exactly sure how the paths of Onesimus and Paul crossed, but cross they did.

Onesimus found there is no freedom in freedom itself, for although he was free from his master, he was still a slave to his own conscience, to his own sin. But Onesimus was to discover that although there is slavery in freedom — there is also freedom in slavery.

How?

Jesus calls all who are weary and heavy laden to voluntarily, willingly take His yoke upon them. And all who do, find freedom in their labor for Him. That’s why Paul said, 'I am a bondslave' — a slave by choice (Romans 1:1). Marriage proves this point, for it is, in a sense, slavery. And it can either be glorious or miserable, depending on with whom you are linked!

The question in this life is not whether or not you’re yoked, but to Whom are you yoked? If we are yoked to Jesus, we are yoked to the quintessentially excellent Master, to the One Who loves us so much, to the One Who’s so good for us, and so good to us.

Broken yokes ~ David McGee

Acts 15:10

"Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?"
NKJV

Life Lesson

Grace is not just something we receive, it is also something we give.

It is a sad reality that few Christians are willing to extend grace to one another just as Jesus showed grace to us. On the day that we asked Jesus to forgive us of all our sins, He extended His grace toward us. More so, God extends this same grace to each of us everyday. What about your friends and family? Do they need grace? What about co-workers or the person sitting next to you in church?

How quick we can be to call out the sin in others while we ignore the sin in our own lives. This shows just how poor our understanding is of what Jesus did for us. If we truly understand just how far down God had to extend His merciful hand to reach us, certainly we should be willing to reach out with the same grace to others.

Think about this. When we accept God's grace for ourselves, but are unwilling to show grace to others, are we not claiming the gospel of grace for ourselves while charging the law to others? What pride! Colossians 3:12-13 reads, "Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others."

Be quick to show grace, Christian. Be ready to show mercy, child of God. After all, if when you look at someone else you see their sin, what do you think they see when they look at you? God's grace is not only sufficient for us, it's sufficient for us to show others.

Dear Father,
Thank You for Your grace. Please forgive me for the times when I have not shown that same grace to others. Help me to show grace from now on so that others will see You in me. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.

Godly response to anger ~ Charles Stanley

Proverbs 14:29; 16:32

We live in a fallen world where sin is rampant, injustice is common, and conflicts abound. So there are plentiful opportunities to sin in our anger. Although we cannot change many of these situations, altering our responses to them is possible.

Situations like struggling economies, natural disasters, and global tensions cause frustration, but difficulties with people can present even bigger challenges personally.

When hurt by someone’s words or actions, we may be tempted to hurl a caustic reply or simmer with suppressed resentment. But as believers, we’re to follow Jesus’ example: “While being reviled, He did not revile in return . . . but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Pet. 2:23).

Today’s verses from the book of Proverbs emphasize the value of being slow to anger. This is especially important when facing a verbal attack. Quiet listening protects us from speaking rashly and offers the opportunity to ask the Lord for help to respond as Christ would.

A calm, gentle reply can defuse a tense situation, but without taking time to process what was said, few of us will be able to answer wisely. Those who are slow to anger can gain understanding of the situation and the hidden motives that a hot-tempered person will never comprehend.

Such a response is unnatural since the One who modeled it is supernatural. Priorities need to change for us to emulate Jesus. Love and understanding must supersede the need to defend ourselves; preserving the relationship must replace safeguarding our rights. Let Christ be your defender and protector.

I Walked Where He Stood ~ Chuck Swindoll

Romans 5

It doesn't take a Rhodes scholar to guess the country, though the towns may sound strange: Offenbach, Darmstadt, Mannheim, Coburg, Heidelberg, Worms. . . . The land of beer steins, sauerkraut, liverwurst, and black bread; cuckoo clocks and overflowing flower boxes; wide, winding rivers and deep green woods; stone castles on hillsides and quiet, efficient trains; and the greatest music ever written. The beloved homeland of Bach, Mendelssohn, Handel, Beethoven, and Wagner.

Germany is also where some of the severest yet most essential battles for the faith were fought. It was there that the chain that bound the Bible to ornate pulpits of spiritually dead religion was broken. It was there that the Word's truths were liberated from the secret language of a corrupt clergy and placed into the hands of the common people. And it was there those same people were first given a hymnal from which they could sing their faith. And it was all because a sixteenth-century German monk was willing to take his stand against all odds.

It was in his tiny, stark cell in the Augustinian convent at Erfurt, all alone with a Latin copy of the Word of God, that Martin Luther decided to believe God, to allow Scripture to mean what it says, and then to stand firmly on it, regardless of the consequences. It's that last part we tend to minimize.

Being officially branded a heretic did not hold him back. Being publicly defrocked, rebuked, and excommunicated merely fueled his fire. From the day he hammered those ninety-five theses onto the door of the Wittenberg church to the day he stood at Worms before the most impressive array of church prelates and political authorities ever gathered in his lifetime, the man remained the embodiment of authentic courage.

I have walked where he stood. Jeers no longer mark his pilgrimage; instead, one finds monuments and plaques and paintings. Time has a way of correcting faulty perspective.

I needed that visit to Luther's homeland. I needed to hear those guttural sounds he once spoke and to touch the stones he once touched.

I found myself seeing beyond the temporal stuff like steins and sauerkraut, castles and skyscrapers. I heard Luther's voice in the woodwork, and I felt his fire in the bronze and iron monuments now green with age. It was more powerful than my phrases can possibly describe, making me appreciate again the eloquent words from the sacred text, "He, being dead, yet speaketh."

When we stand on the shoulders of those saints who have gone before, we gain a strategic vantage point.

The Extensive Consequences of Walking by Faith~Bob Hoekstra

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3)

In order to live by grace, we must be willing to walk by faith. For those who actually depend upon the Lord day by day (thereby accessing His grace), the Scriptures regularly proclaim the extensive consequences of walking by faith.

First, let's consider the significant characteristics of faith. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for." Faith is the assuring confirmation of the wonderful things that we anticipate God will do. As our faith grows in the promises and purposes of God, that faith brings us more substantiation of the certainty of God's heavenly plans. Also, faith is "the evidence of things not seen." Faith brings us verification of realities the human senses cannot observe. Faith convinces us of the absolute existence of God and His angels, Adam and Eve, the devil and demons, heaven and hell, and the prophets and apostles of old.

Next, let's consider some of the living results of faith. "For by it the elders obtained a good testimony." By faith men and women of generations past established a godly witness concerning their relationship with the Lord: "By faith Abel…By faith Enoch…By faith Noah…By faith Abraham…By faith Sarah…By faith Isaac…By faith Jacob…By faith Joseph…By faith Moses…By faith the harlot Rahab… [and others]" (Hebrews 11:4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 20, 21, 22, 23, 31). Their testimonies were exceedingly diverse. Yet, the common elements were their trust in the Lord and the glory such faith brought to His name.

Last, let's consider some of the spiritual understanding of faith. "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible." God has shaped the heart of all humanity so that the observation of creation guarantees a universal conviction of Himself as Creator. "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead" (Romans 1:20). His holy Scriptures then explain how He created all visible things. "By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth" (Psalm 33:6).

Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Creator of heaven and earth, I bow before You in faith. I rejoice in the assurances, convictions, and understandings of faith. I have a deep desire to obtain a good testimony through faith in You, for Your honor and glory, Amen.

Nothing but Nets ~ Bob Coy

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up. And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. It shall be a place for spreading nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,' says the Lord GOD; 'it shall become plunder for the nations.'"-Ezekiel 26:3-5 (NKJV)


If you were to walk along the eastern shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea 2,500 years ago, you would have witnessed one of the most spectacular sights of the ancient world-the fortress city of Tyre. This city was actually divided into two halves. One half was a walled city on the edge of the shoreline; the other, an island fortress located a half mile out to sea. Tyre's defenses were virtually impossible to overcome, and its citizens began to exalt themselves because of their invulnerability.

God saw this and spoke against the city of Tyre through the prophet Ezekiel. He declared that the city's walls and towers would be destroyed, that dust would be scraped from it until it was like a bare rock, and that it would become a place for people to spread out their nets in the midst of the sea. This prophecy was given about 580 B.C.

History tells us that nearly a decade later, the Babylonians destroyed the walls and towers of the city on the mainland. Those who escaped fled to the island fortress, which the Babylonians were unable to penetrate. Centuries passed and the Greeks came to power. Alexander the Great was determined to conquer the island, and without realizing it, he fulfilled the rest of Ezekiel's prophecy by scraping the ruins of the city for every available bit of stone to build a bridge to the fortress. Eventually, the bridge was completed, Alexander crossed over it, and Tyre was destroyed.

But what about the nets? To this day, fishermen use the bridge built by Alexander as a place to dry off their nets in the midst of the sea! Once a mighty spectacle, the city of Tyre has become nothing but nets.

Discuss with your group the potent prophecy recorded in Ezekiel 26. In 580 B.C., how do you think the people of Tyre responded to this prophetic word?

Dig into Ezekiel 26:3–5. What did Jesus say about Tyre? What principle do you see that we should pay attention to today? What is God saying to you through this Scripture?

Decide with your group to give attention to times and places in history where God allows the sin of pride to lead to ultimate destruction. Research other examples and share them with your group at your next meeting.

Are you a servant leader even to those who can’t help you? (92-3)~Barry Werner

Are you a servant leader even to those who can’t help you? (92-3)

October 21st, 2009 in 2 Samuel, Leadership Principles, Old Testament, Relationships, Servant Leadership | leave a response

Christian leaders should place a high value on servant leadership. The very name Christian was given to those who are followers of Jesus the Christ, the ultimate servant. Another example of a powerful leader living as a servant leader is found in 2 Samuel 9.

King Saul’s family line had been removed from the leadership of Israel by God for acts of disobedience committed by Saul. David replaced Saul as God’s anointed, serving as king of Israel. It would have been natural for David to make sure that there were no descendants of Saul left anywhere in the kingdom that may divide the loyalties of any Israelite. But David modeled servant leadership when he went a different direction and sought out those that may have been descendants of Saul to bless them.

Working through one of Saul’s household servants, David locates one descendant of Saul, his grandson, David’s friend Jonathan’s son. David told Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, “Don’t be afraid…for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

David served Mephibosheth for Jonathan’s sake. Although King David had nothing to gain by serving him this way, he did so to reflect his love for his friend Jonathan and his gratitude for God’s kindness in his own life.

Every leader can evaluate their heart and deeply held truths concerning servant leadership when they look at their actions toward those who they have nothing to gain from, and their actions toward those who may bring confrontation rather than blessing.

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« Do you sacrifice personal gain to make “just and right” decisions? (92-2)

Yes, Lord! ~ Greg Laurie

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.

— 2 Chronicles 16:9

About 40 years ago there was a guy named Charles, known by his friends as Chuck. Chuck, who felt called to teach God's Word in an understandable way, became the pastor of a little church in Orange County, California known as Calvary Chapel.

Meanwhile, the counterculture movement was in full swing. Chuck looked at the hippies and, for the most part, really didn't want much to do with them. But his wife Kay had a real heart for the hippie kids, and she prayed for them. Years later, I discovered that I had hung around in Chuck and Kay's neighborhood, and whenever my friends and I walked by their home, they would pray for us. I was an unbeliever at the time and didn't realize that someone was praying for me.

Kay wanted to reach hippie kids, and Chuck was intrigued by them. So one day their daughter brought home a living, breathing hippie. This hippie was a Christian who talked about how God was reaching his friends, and they were coming to faith. So Chuck wanted to open up Calvary Chapel to the hippies and told his board of elders what he desired to do. They said, "No way. We just put in new carpet. And these kids, they don't take baths." So the next Sunday morning, Chuck was at the front door of the church with a basin of water and a rag, ready to wash all the kids' feet so they could come to church.

The kids started coming in, and what happened there became part of what we call the Jesus Movement, a modern revival. The impact of it continues to this day. It was a significant revival that altered American history. All because people were willing to overcome their personal prejudice and say, "Yes, Lord!"

A mission from God ~ Mark Balmer

Based on “Under HIS Influence – Mission Possible” by Pastor Mark Balmer;

10/17-18/09, Message #MB393; Daily Devotional #2 - “A Mission from God”

Preparing the Soil (Introduction): When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. (Nehemiah 1:4) Have you ever had a time in your life when you simply sat down and wept, cried, fasted, and prayed before God? There have only been a few times in my life when the burden I felt was so strong that there was nothing I could do but to fall on my face before the Lord.

Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): Sometimes God gives us missions that seem impossible, and yet He knows how possible it is with Him. Jesus gave the disciples what seemed to be an impossible task: to go into the entire world, making disciples just like them. God gave Moses what seemed to be an impossible task, to free every Israelite from Egypt’s hold. God also birthed a mission inside Nehemiah to go and restore Jerusalem. Now Nehemiah wasn’t a building contractor, but a simple cup bearer to the king. I am sure he didn’t know the first thing to do, but there was a passion, a God birthed mission in his heart that could not be ignored until he acted upon it. Many things of this world tug on our heart strings, but very few things tug on our spirit strings to the point that we stop staring at the steps and start walking up them. When hearing the news that his beloved Jerusalem walls were broken down and the gates were burned with fire, (Nehemiah 1:3) Nehemiah didn’t know what to do but to go before the Lord. It was within his prayer that Nehemiah learned what must be done. He now had a choice to make, just like each of us, when we are presented with a tug on our spirit strings. Do we sit and stare at the steps, thinking that it is impossible, or do we take the first step up the stairs, not knowing what the top is going to look like, but believing that with God all things are possible? God has a plan, purpose, and mission for each of us, if we choose it. Nehemiah chose to take the first step. I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days I set out during the night with a few men. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on. (Nehemiah 2:11-12) Sometimes God puts missions on our heart that are specific for us to accomplish, and other times God places a specific plan on a group of people’s hearts. Regardless of how many people God calls, He calls. Oftentimes we forget that Jesus was a man of one on a mission, just like Nehemiah. Both men focused on their mission until the calling that God had placed before them was done. It is estimated that it took Nehemiah and his group of builders a little less than two months to rebuild the wall (Nehemiah 6:15). Now you may be thinking to yourself, “Two months, that’s nothing compared to the mission God has placed before me,” but Nehemiah couldn’t foresee the end results while he was in the midst of building. All he could see was the little steps along the way, not what or when the final outcome would be achieved. It may feel as if you have been standing on the same step for a very long time, waiting for the end results. But remember whose plan it is, yours, or God’s? We must wait patiently on Him to direct us when to take the next step, just as He patiently waits for us to boldly take the next step even when it seems impossible to us. God doesn’t call us to do the impossible, but the possible through Him. Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Nehemiah was an amazing man. He took a step that no other person took for more than a century and a half as Jerusalem sat in ruins. God had a plan for Jerusalem and a specific person who He wanted to carry out His plan. God has placed specific plans for each of us on our lives. He hasn’t called all of us to build cities like Nehemiah, or free entire countries like Moses, but He has called each of us to live boldly for Him, and to proclaim the Good News to everyone everywhere. It may be that we have been sharing the message of Jesus Christ, and yet we are frustrated because it seems as if things haven’t moved since the last time we talked with that family member, co-worker, or friend. But remember, God’s Word doesn’t return void. If He has spoken to us to do something then the very words of God will accomplish their purpose. Take a moment and reflect on the mission God has given you. Are you still mourning, fasting, and praying before the God of heaven over the situation He has called you to? If not, ask God to rebirth that passion, just as Nehemiah had a passion for the city of Jerusalem.

Cultivating (Additional Reading): Isaiah 55:10-11; Romans 8:28-29; Acts 1:8

Twitter Proverbs from Rick Warren

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• The myth "I cant say I'm humble" misunderstands humility.Humility is admitting I'm helpless without God. It's dependence!11:21 AM Oct 19th from web

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• Our DCguy @markbatterson lost his bldg.Pray! http://bit.ly/1xgDBB SaddleB used 79 differnt bldgs in our1st 13yrs.Ifeel it!8:24 AM Oct 19th from web

• Oct is Pastor Appreciation month. Cheer YOUR pastor for me. "They deserve double honor,esp.those who preach&teach” 1Tim5:178:05 AM Oct 19th from web

• You measure success by how much others benefit from your work,not by how much you benefit. Selfishness isnt success.8:38 PM Oct 18th from web

• Why i believe in & assist young pastors:"One generation will commend your works to another" Ps145:4 RADI'CALIS IS FEB 9-11!3:55 PM Oct 18th from web

• God specializes in bringing good out of bad He uses problems to inspect us,direct us,correct us,perfect us&even protect us.3:46 PM Oct 18th from web

• "ARTis the gift of God and must be used for his glory, That art is highest which aims at this." - Michaelangelo3:38 PM Oct 18th from web

• A tip from Jesus: You find ME in "the least of these." Matthew 25:40 http://bit.ly/rciDf7:08 PM Oct 17th from web

• Guys I was hacked. I never recommend "get follower"tweets.5:05 PM Oct 17th from web

• Please tell me about any pastor who is seriously ill, As a pastor to pastors my privelege is 2pray 4them.1 Sam12:23 Thanks5:01 PM Oct 17th from web

• You love Jesus as much as the person you love the least. Go read 1 John 4:20-224:55 PM Oct 17th from web

• Whenever God shows up with a miracle is's because somebody chose to believe. What are you expecting God to do in your life?12:30 PM Oct 17th from web

• You haven't really trusted God until you've attempted something that you cannot do in your own strength.10:34 PM Oct 16th from web

• Jesus won’t turn water to wine in your life,until you run out of your own. He doesn't do miracles for the self-sufficient.1:27 PM Oct 16th from web

• "The alternatives today are either Biblical theology or naturalistic nihilism."- Carl Henry, The Drift of Western Thought1:04 PM Oct 16th from web

Witness protection plan ~ Kay Arthur

Life In The Spirit - part nine

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

I know a doctor who was resuscitating a man who had died during a cardiac exam and he just passed out. And the doctor began to try to resuscitate him and all of a sudden the man woke up and said, “I.m in hell, don.t stop.” And the doctor says, “I.m not going to stop.” He lost the man again; he came back again and he says, “Tell me how to get saved.” And he says, “I.m a doctor, not a preacher.” What would your answer be if someone said how do I get saved?

The doctor was a doctor that I used to work for. The doctor was a doctor that I used to witness to. His name was Dr. Maurice Rawlins and I would talk to him and he.d say, “Will you leave me alone? I am fine. I know Jesus Christ.” And I remember looking at him; I was a little brash and I said, “Dr. Rawlins, if you know Jesus Christ, if you really know Him, then you.re really going to get it at the judgment seat of Christ, because you don.t act like you know Him.” Anyway, it.s amazing that he did not fire me. But he didn.t. I would give him tracts and one day I remember walking into his office after I had given him one and he was sitting there reading it and he jammed it in his desk drawer and got up and was really gruff and that.s the way Maurice was.

So when he was resuscitating this man and this man said, “Tell me how to get saved,” and he says, “I.m a doctor, not a preacher,” you know, the man went out again and finally the man looked up with this look of horror and said, “You.ve got to tell me how to get saved.” Maurice knew the basics. He knew that Jesus Christ died. He knew that He paid for our sins. He knew that He rose again from the dead and he told him that and he said, “You just have to believe.” And the man said, “I believe.”

Well, later on Maurice went into his room to take down notes on this phenomenon that had happened and when he got there he asked the man about being in hell and the man said, “I don.t remember anything about that, but I just know this that I have received Jesus and I am a child of God.”

It was after that when the other doctors began to kid Maurice that it was evident that not only had the man gotten saved, but Maurice got saved, because he was thinking about what happened to that man. He was thinking about the change in that man after he prayed and Maurice realized that he said that he believed but his life had never been changed. What makes the difference?

It.s the Holy Spirit, Beloved. You can pray all the prayers that you want to pray, but they don.t really work unless you really and truly mean it and you receive Christ. And then when you receive Christ, you receive the Holy Spirit. And when you receive the Holy Spirit then you.ve got a changed life.

Well, Peter is at the house of Cornelius. This is where we left him. And Peter has told them you know, it.s not my style, it.s my MO, my method of operation to go to Gentiles. houses but I.m here and I.m here because God told me that I shouldn.t consider you unclean. Well that.s an interesting statement, isn.t it. So as he talks to him, then he turns around and he opens his mouth and he says this. And we.re in Acts, chapter 10, verse 34. And just in case you missed the last program, it is 8 years after Pentecost, 8 years after the Holy Spirit descended on those men and, for 8 years now the gospel has been going out in Jerusalem and in Judea to the Jews, but not to the Gentiles. Cornelius is the first one to have a witness in his home. And when Peter.s there he.s not like Maurice Rawlins. He knows what to say. And Maurice knows what to say now.

Well Cornelius is about to be transformed. This is a man now that has a hunger for God, but he does not yet know His Son Jesus Christ. And so Peter says, “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality.” Have you got that down? “God is not one to show partiality.”

You know there are some of you that were involved in World War II, and you still have a hatred for the Japanese. There are some of you that have hatreds for other nationalities and if you knew that they were going to be in heaven you.d say you don.t want to be there. Well I want to tell you something, if that.s your attitude, go check and make sure that the Holy Spirit.s under your hood, that you.ve got that power of the Holy Spirit, because God is not a person that shows partiality.

Listen, he says this; it.s very important. “But in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.” Now what does he mean, “… the man who fears Him and does what.s right?” He.s talking about a man that all of a sudden realizes, hey, there is a God. When Maurice was resuscitating that man and he had that experience, he realized that he was headed for hell and that he needed God. So he.s saying God is looking for those who fear Him, those who understand that He is God and who want to know Him and who want to do right. They want to do right and they.re doing right as well as they can do right, but they don.t have the power in them to do it all the time.

You know, is that you? Is that you? Has God got you tuned to this program because that.s you, because you want to do what.s right, because you do have a respect and a trust for God, and you walk away in the business place when other people start slamming God and when you hear them use the name of Jesus Christ in a profane way or hear them you know, call on God.s name and desecrate it or tell jokes like that. It offends you. You haven.t aligned yourself with Christians yet, but it offends you. God.s dealing with you and that.s why you.re hearing the truth of God today.

Well, let.s go on and hear what else Peter said. He said, “The Word, which He sent to the sons of Israel preaching peace through Jesus Christ.” You see if you don.t have Christ, you.re at enmity with God. You.re an enemy of God. And it.s not God that.s moved away from you; it.s you that has chosen to move away from God, to do your own thing, to live your own way. It.s your choice. And so you.re at enmity with God.

And he says, “If you want to have peace with God, there.s only one way to get peace,” and the only that connects you with God is the cross and you.ve got peace through Jesus Christ. It says, “He is Lord of all.” In other words, He rules over all. He is Master over all. Hebrews, chapter 1 says, “All things came into being by Him.” And that.s John 1. And then Hebrews 1, “And He is the sustainer of all things. He upholds all things by the Word of His power.”

So he goes on to say, „You, yourselves, know the thing that took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee after the baptism, which John proclaimed.” I mean they didn.t have newspapers. They did not have radio. They did not have television. But they had word of mouth. And when something happened in that area, Israel is a very, very small land. And so when something happens in Galilee it can reach the ears of those in Jerusalem very quickly. And when you have somebody walking around, healing the sick and raising the dead and causing the blind to see and the dumb to talk and the lame to walk, I mean man, news is all around. And when you have somebody that.s out there and he.s wearing this kind of a hairy garment and he.s out in the middle of the wilderness and he.s crying, “Repent, the kingdom of God is at hand,” you know it. And he says, “You.ve heard all of this. You.ve been here. You.re occupying our land. You know what.s going on.” He says, “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit.”

If you.ve been following this series, if you.ve been listening to these programs then you know, how from the very beginning, from Genesis, chapter 1, verse 2, we have looked at the Holy Spirit and we have looked at the fact that the Holy Spirit would anoint Jesus. It.s in the Old Testament. Now it says it here in the new. And, and you know, you say, O, I wish I had heard. I wish you had heard too. I wish you had been listening and studying along with me. But you know what? Good news, good news, you can go to our website preceptsforlife.com, preceptsforlife.com. And when you go to that website you can find out how to get these programs.
Okay, back to verse 38. “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power.” You see when you get the Holy Spirit, then, as I said, you get the, rrruuummm (engine noise), you get the engine under the hood. You get the power that makes the car grow. So He anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power and how He, Jesus, went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.

And when I mark my Bible, if I come to any reference on the devil I put a red pitchfork over it and I hope that you are marking your Bible. I hope that you mark verse 38 where it says the Holy Spirit, every reference to the Holy Spirit. Verse 39: “And we are witnesses of these things. He did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. We saw this. He did it in the land of Jews. He did it in Jerusalem and they also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. And God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He should become visible.”

Now what has he just done? He has just covered the death of Jesus Christ. He has shown them that these people were under the power of the devil and that.s because of their sin and that God has raised Him from the dead. What did Maurice need to tell this man that he was resuscitating? He needed to make sure that that man understood who Jesus Christ was, that He was the Son of God who died for that man.s sins, who was buried and who was raised from the dead, because God was satisfied with His death. And Peter goes on to say more. And we.re going to see the impact that it had in just a moment.

I.m so glad you.re back. Well let.s go back to Acts chapter 10; well, verse 40 Peter is preaching the gospel to Cornelius and his household and his friends cause he.s got them all there because Simon Peter is coming to explain this to us. And God told me to get this man here and I know something great is going to happen. Well Peter says, “And God raised Him, Jesus up on the third day and granted that He should become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God.”

You know when you read through the Word of God carefully you see who.s in control. It.s God that.s in control. When that man was dying and Maurice Rawlings was resuscitating him from the dead, that was orchestrated by God. That was orchestrated by God because God was drawing him to Himself. Now watch what happens, and God was using that to draw Maurice to Himself and then to use Maurice greatly as a result of all that.

Well it says, “He was visible, but not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after,” you want to put a time clock there, “after He arose from the dead. And He ordered us,” He, Jesus ordered us; we.re under commission, we are under our Master.s command. “He ordered us to preach to the people and solemnly testify that this is the One, Jesus, who has been appointed by God as judge,” listen, “as judge of the living and of the dead,” which means, Beloved, that if you don.t have Jesus you.re among the dead and you are going to perish forever. But God doesn.t want that. Watch what he says. “Of Him, all the prophets bear witness.” So you go back to the Old Testament, “all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives,” and this is awesome, “forgiveness of sins.”

I mean do you have a past that torments you? That you want to hide, that you want to bury, that you wanna erase? I know, I.ve been there; I have that kind of a past. Well listen, you can have forgiveness of sins. This is what salvation is all about. There is forgiveness of sins. You can start anew, but you started by believing in His name.

In Acts, chapter 4, verse 12. Let.s go back and look at it very quickly. In Acts, chapter 4, verse 12. Peter is preaching and he replies to the people who are looking in amazement at the man that he.s just healed. “And he replied to the people, „Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this or why do you gaze at us as if by our own power or piety we made him to walk?.” And then he goes on to say that, “„there is salvation in no other, for there is none other name given among men whereby we must be saved..” And if anyone, anyone does not believe in that name, does not believe in Jesus Christ and thinks he can get to God through another path through another religion they are wrong, they are deceived. They.re going to be judged by Jesus, who is the judge of the living and the dead.

So go back to Acts, chapter 10 again and listen to what he says in verse 43. “Of Him, of Jesus, all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” You may be a Muslim that is curious about this program. And you may have been curious about the Passion of the Christ and you may have gone to see that film because Mohammed and the Koran refer to Jesus Christ, and so you want to know more about Him. Well, one of the things that you need to understand is you believe that He is a prophet and a prophet He is. But a prophet, a true prophet cannot lie. A true prophet never tells anything false. And this True Prophet, Jesus Christ says that He is the way, He is the truth and He is the life and no one, no one comes to God the Father except by Him. There.s only one God and there.s only one way to God and that.s through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. There.s salvation in no other name. But it.s through this name that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.

And I know if you.re a Muslim that you don.t know how to get forgiveness of sins. Well this is the only way that any human being Hindu, Muslim, Catholic, Protestant, Jew, anyone can ever have forgiveness of sins is only through Jesus Christ. And while Peter was speaking these words the Holy Spirit, now watch, “The Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening.” And it says, “And all the circumcised believers who had come with Peter;” Peter didn.t go down them alone; he took some Jews with him, “were amazed.” Why? Catch this. “Because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been pored out on the Gentiles,” and this is a very important phrase, “also.” “The gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.” It.s Gentile Day, hey, it.s Gentile Day! The Spirit has come.

Now the Spirit is going to all the world and the message is going to come out so that they can see and understand that there is forgiveness of sins, there is reconciliation with God, there is peace with God, but it.s only one way and that.s through Jesus Christ. And these Jews that were there probably on the day of Pentecost are blown away because this is what they.re seeing. It says, “For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God.” Now you say, why is God doing that? Because God wants them to understand that He.s no respecter of persons, that anyone who comes to Him, from any nation can be saved, and that it.s not just for the Jews and this is what he.s pointing out.

“And then Peter answered and said, „Surely no one can refuse water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit as we did..” In other words he.s talking about salvation. What is he doing? Stop and think, put away your preconceived ideas. He.s saying believe. He.s saying get saved. They get saved, they believe and the Holy Spirit falls on them just like He did at the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, if you go through the Scriptures and you study it very, very carefully, and without prejudice, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is synonymous with salvation.

You say, but I.ve had an experience after I got saved. That was your experience, but the Bible teaches that the baptism is synonymous with the Holy Spirit. If you put aside every man.s experience, and you went only by the Word of God, you say I.m not going to do that. You need to, Precious One. This is God.s manual, not experience. Then experience comes along and if it doesn.t line up with the Word of God, it wasn.t from God. But you could have an experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit, but it doesn.t mean that you got the baptism of the Holy Spirit, because the baptism of the Holy Spirit is synonymous with salvation. You need to study inductively. Go to preceptsforlife.com and find out how you can take our workshop. We have a workshop that helps you understand everything about the Holy Spirit. So what has happened? “He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and they asked him to stay a few days.” They were saved. What about you Beloved? Have you been saved? Have you recognized that there is salvation in none other than in Jesus Christ? If so, come to Him today, receive Him and miss hell and know how to have eternal life.

Welcome to the Valley of Decision ~ Bob Caldwell

Welcome to the Valley of Decision Joel 1:1-3:21 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. Threaded throughout Joel’s prophecy, we find the declaration of God’s final judgment upon a world in rebellion to Him. Most of our world chooses to reject the call to love our Maker with all our hearts and to love one another. When reading the warning from the Jewish prophets, it doesn’t take a Biblical scholar to discern all the tragic sorrows that are daily inflicted upon humanity because they are rooted in a rejection of these two overarching purposes of life. Humanity’s exaltation of loving “self” first has led to a world where love for God and our neighbor is a rarity. There is no way a just God will go on forever without holding the world and each individual in it accountable to Him. Judgment is surely coming for us first as individuals and then upon a world whose judgment will be like a disaster never before experienced in human history (Rev. 20:11-15). God gives a prophetic description of this throughout these three chapters. Revelations 6 through 19A gives a much fuller description of God’s judgment upon our world. In light of both our coming personal judgment and worldwide judgment, we should all take very seriously the fact that, in a real sense, we are all standing in “the valley of decision” (3:14). You may ask, therefore, “What is the decision to be made?” The decision is simple, yet by far the most difficult one we will ever make—simple because it is not complicated; difficult because it requires a response from every part of our being. It is to return to God with all our heart (2:12). Return to the first and most fundamental purpose of your existence. Let your life be centered on God. From there, live life based on that love—sending His Son out of love for us, to stand in our place for every single sin of every single person who has ever lived. Then turn to your neighbors and love them as God has loved you. It is this one decision that determines all other things. Who owns your heart produces what makes Heaven “heaven” and Hell “hell.” If God owns your heart, then you will bring to Heaven what will make Heaven so glorious—love. If self-idolatry owns your heart, you will bring to Hell what makes Hell so horrible—self-absorbed pride. The valley of decision will determine your eternity.
Proverbs 11:1-12:28 1 The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. The Land Laid Waste 2 Hear this, you elders, And give ear, all you inhabitants of the land! Has anything like this happened in your days, Or even in the days of your fathers? 3 Tell your children about it, Let your children tell their children, And their children another generation. 4 What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; What the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten; And what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten. 5 Awake, you drunkards, and weep; And wail, all you drinkers of wine, Because of the new wine, For it has been cut off from your mouth. 6 For a nation has come up against My land, Strong, and without number; His teeth are the teeth of a lion, And he has the fangs of a fierce lion. 7 He has laid waste My vine, And ruined My fig tree; He has stripped it bare and thrown it away; Its branches are made white. 8 Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth For the husband of her youth. 9 The grain offering and the drink offering Have been cut off from the house of the LORD; The priests mourn, who minister to the LORD. 10 The field is wasted, The land mourns; For the grain is ruined, The new wine is dried up, The oil fails. 11 Be ashamed, you farmers, Wail, you vinedressers, For the wheat and the barley; Because the harvest of the field has perished. 12 The vine has dried up, And the fig tree has withered; The pomegranate tree, The palm tree also, And the apple tree— All the trees of the field are withered; Surely joy has withered away from the sons of men. Mourning for the Land 13 Gird yourselves and lament, you priests; Wail, you who minister before the altar; Come, lie all night in sackcloth, You who minister to my God; For the grain offering and the drink offering Are withheld from the house of your God. 14 Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land Into the house of the LORD your God, And cry out to the LORD. 15 Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is at hand; It shall come as destruction from the Almighty. 16 Is not the food cut off before our eyes, Joy and gladness from the house of our God? 17 The seed shrivels under the clods, Storehouses are in shambles; Barns are broken down, For the grain has withered. 18 How the animals groan! The herds of cattle are restless, Because they have no pasture; Even the flocks of sheep suffer punishment. 19 O LORD, to You I cry out; For fire has devoured the open pastures, And a flame has burned all the trees of the field. 20 The beasts of the field also cry out to You, For the water brooks are dried up, And fire has devoured the open pastures. Joel 2The Day of the LORD 1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD is coming, For it is at hand: 2 A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations. 3 A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them. 4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like swift steeds, so they run. 5 With a noise like chariots Over mountaintops they leap, Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array. 6 Before them the people writhe in pain; All faces are drained of color. 7 They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like men of war; Every one marches in formation, And they do not break ranks. 8 They do not push one another; Every one marches in his own column. Though they lunge between the weapons, They are not cut down. 9 They run to and fro in the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter at the windows like a thief. 10 The earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness. 11 The LORD gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; Who can endure it? A Call to Repentance 12 “Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” 13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. 14 Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him— A grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God? 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; 16 Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room. 17 Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, “Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” The Land Refreshed 18 Then the LORD will be zealous for His land, And pity His people. 19 The LORD will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations. 20 “But I will remove far from you the northern army, And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land, With his face toward the eastern sea And his back toward the western sea; His stench will come up, And his foul odor will rise, Because he has done monstrous things.” 21 Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the LORD has done marvelous things! 22 Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field; For the open pastures are springing up, And the tree bears its fruit; The fig tree and the vine yield their strength. 23 Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the LORD your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you— The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month. 24 The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. 25 “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. 26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame. 27 Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the LORD your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame. God’s Spirit Poured Out 28 “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. 29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. 30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. 32 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the LORD has said, Among the remnant whom the LORD calls. Joel 3God Judges the Nations 1 “For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land. 3 They have cast lots for My people, Have given a boy as payment for a harlot, And sold a girl for wine, that they may drink. 4 “Indeed, what have you to do with Me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the coasts of Philistia? Will you retaliate against Me? But if you retaliate against Me, Swiftly and speedily I will return your retaliation upon your own head; 5 Because you have taken My silver and My gold, And have carried into your temples My prized possessions. 6 Also the people of Judah and the people of Jerusalem You have sold to the Greeks, That you may remove them far from their borders. 7 “Behold, I will raise them Out of the place to which you have sold them, And will return your retaliation upon your own head. 8 I will sell your sons and your daughters Into the hand of the people of Judah, And they will sell them to the Sabeans, To a people far off; For the LORD has spoken.” 9 Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, Let all the men of war draw near, Let them come up. 10 Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’” 11 Assemble and come, all you nations, And gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O LORD. 12 “Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. 13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; For the winepress is full, The vats overflow— For their wickedness is great.” 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. 15 The sun and moon will grow dark, And the stars will diminish their brightness. 16 The LORD also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the LORD will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel. 17 “So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, Dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. Then Jerusalem shall be holy, And no aliens shall ever pass through her again.” God Blesses His People 18 And it will come to pass in that day That the mountains shall drip with new wine, The hills shall flow with milk, And all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water; A fountain shall flow from the house of the LORD And water the Valley of Acacias. 19 “Egypt shall be a desolation, And Edom a desolate wilderness, Because of violence against the people of Judah, For they have shed innocent blood in their land. 20 But Judah shall abide forever, And Jerusalem from generation to generation. 21 For I will acquit them of the guilt of bloodshed, whom I had not acquitted; For the LORD dwells in Zion.”
Joel 1:1-3:21 v. 2 you elders – old men abitants of the land – Joel’s message was spoken to the region of Judea v. 4 Chewing, swarming, crawling, consuming locust – This is a reference to one insect in four different stages. The locust would go from a caterpillar to a flying insect, then hatch a new generation that would continue the destruction. Although Joel’s primary reference to the locusts is literal; he was also speaking of four foreign military powers that would bring devastation to Judea with Rome being the last as well as the climax of Judea’s destruction. v. 5 new wine – The locusts would devour the fruit and vine so that it would take years for new fruit to grow. v. 6 a nation has come up against My land, strong and without number – This refers to the Chaldeans, who were mighty and numerous as described in the imagery of the locusts who brought great destruction because of the mass and size of their population. the fangs of a fierce lion – This may be speaking of the fierceness and cruelty of the Chaldean army which is also in harmony with the locust imagery, for the locust would not only cut down the fruit and vine but would actually gnaw on the doors of houses. v. 7 its branches are made white – Locust would chew away the protective bark and leave the wood exposed. v. 8 Lament like a virgin – This describes a woman, who is betrothed to a man. Although they have not consummated the marriage, they were still considered man and wife. It would be a horrible tragedy, to be waiting for the marriage day, only to lose the one she so passionately loved to death and would cause her great sorrow. sackcloth – An uncomfortable and rough material that was worn when someone was in great distress or mourning. In their culture, this was an outward sign of mourning and taking no comfort. v. 9 grain offering – This was made from fine flour, oil, and frankincense. drink offering – Wine made from grapes. These offerings were offered up to the Lord by the priests in the Temple. Because their crops and vineyards were laid to waste, they could not bring offerings to the Lord, which in turn caused the priests to mourn. v. 10 the oil fails – the oil was made from olives, which would have not escaped the destruction from the locusts v. 11 joy has withered away – There was great joy in the season of harvest when the farmers would reap their rewards for sowing and planting, but now there would be nothing to rejoice over. v. 14 Consecrate a fast – Joel was instructing the priests, whose job it was to appoint a fast or determine the times of religious services. sacred assembly – a time of restraint from work to devote to prayer and confession of sins elders – referring to age and office All the inhabitants of the land – meaning not just the leaders and magistrates, but everyone who would come to the Temple v. 15 The day of the Lord – Meaning the day of God’s judgment. Not only was Judea plagued with locust, but an invading army was on the way. destruction from the Almighty – This indicates that God allowed this army to invade as judgment for continued disobedience and indifference to God’s warnings. v. 19 fire has devoured the open pastures – Most scholars agree that the fire refers to the scorching heat, or describes the effect of the swarming locust that devoured everything in its path. v. 20 The beasts of the field also cry out to You – This seems to be indicating the pitiful moans from the cattle and sheep as they are suffering from extreme draught and lack of food and water. Joel 2 v. 1 Blow the trumpet in Zion and sound the alarm in My holy mountain – The prophet Joel is instructing the priests to blow the trumpets in order to call assemblies or in this case to warn of coming danger. The trumpets would be blown in a broken quivering cadence called the tarantantara and everyone who heard it would know that danger was looming. The day of the Lord – usually means a day determined by the Lord to execute judgment and punishment v. 2 A day of clouds and thick darkness – A description of swarms of locusts that were so numerous they would block the light from the sun. A people come great and strong – Most scholars agree the prophet is referring to the Chaldeans and Babylonians, who had great populations and military might. These invasions are historically documented as well. v. 3 A fire devours before them and behind them a flame burns – This is speaking of the utter destruction the attackers would inflict on Judea. Like the Garden of Eden before them – The land was pleasant and fruitful until the armies swarmed through and left it desolate. v. 4 Like the appearance of horses – Locusts have heads that resemble a horse’s head. Revelation 9:1-11 seems to be a parallel passage. Like swift steeds – The Chaldean army was known for fierceness and fast horses. (See Jeremiah 4:13 5:15 and Habakkuk 1:6-8 for a further description of the Chaldeans.) v. 5 With a noise like chariots – Locust make a loud noise with their wings and hind legs. The noise of their eating has been described as the sound of a flame driven by the wind. v. 6 Before them the people writhe in pain – Terror for what has come upon them and all that would be devoured from their land. Drained of color – turning pale from utter fear Joel 3 v. 1 in those days and at that time – Jewish scholars believe this refers to the Jews’ return from Babylonian captivity under the rule of Cyrus and Darius. Some Christian scholars also believe this is referring to the last days preceding the second coming of Christ. This prophecy seems to fit both the return from exile under the Babylonians as well as the latest miraculous return from exile after World War 2. v. 2 gather all nations – to cause them to come against Israel the Valley of Jehoshaphat – This literally means “the Valley of Jehovah’s Judgment.” This valley lies between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. This is where Jehoshaphat defeated the foes of Judah and where Israel overthrew the Tyrians, Zidonians, Philistines, Edomites, and Egyptians. These victories are a shadow of the final battle and judgment prophesied in Revelation 16:14. scattered among the nations – Israel has more than once been forced into exile and yet God has preserved this nation to this day. divided up My land – The surrounding nations often invaded Israel’s territory and divided the areas they had overrun. To this day, territory in Israel is violently disputed and many nations are involved in the argument, history is proving a solution does not seem attainable, but prophecy reveals that God will bring the solution in His righteous judgment. v. 3 They have cast lots for My people – When Israel’s enemies invaded, the soldiers would carry away captives and cast lots for the spoil. Josephus (the Jewish historian) recorded that 97,000 Jews were carried away by the Roman army. A boy as payment for a harlot…sold a girl for wine – This is describing the utter wretched state of Israel’s enemies and the corruption of the value of human life. v. 4 Indeed, what have you to do with Me – Although the said occupants were causing strife on God’s people, He views the attacks against His people as though they were being done to Him. Will you retaliate against me – God questions their intention and boldly warns them that they face a hastily and much quicker reprisal upon them. v. 5 Because you have taken My silver and My gold – Often times it was customary for the enemy to pillage and bring the treasures back to their temples of worship to hang as trophies. v. 6 Also the people of Judah – The Greeks were the descendents of Javan, a known human-trafficking merchant. Over time the Greeks took on the practice of human trafficking. That you may remove them far from their borders – To literally remove them from their homeland and disperse of them. v. 7 Behold, I will raise them out of the place to which you have sold them – The Greeks sold and dispersed the inhabitants to the point that those who were sold had absolutely no way of return. God will therefore bring them “back to life” from the near-death experience of hopelessness of ever seeing their homeland and return them to the place they call home. God will resurrect the return of his people to their land. And will return your retaliation upon your own head – There will be repayment and vengeance upon them for their treatment of Judah. v. 8 I will sell your sons and your daughters – Scholars write that Alexander fulfilled this prophecy. Alexander captured Tyre and 30,000 Tyrians were sold as slaves. Judah was a beneficiary of this vindication as many of the Tyrians were sold to Judah. And they will sell them to the Sabeans, To a people far off – Just like the Greeks’ intention to remove the inhabitants of Judah far from their borders, so to the Tyrians were in turn sold by Judah to the Sabeans who were a very distant remote people of Arabia. v. 9 Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! – This is a declaration from God to His people. v. 10 Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears – Not a call to trained soldiers but the common individual: Pick up your working tool and turn it into a weapon. let the weak say, “I am strong” – Being weak from illness or having physical weakness is not an excuse to stay out of battle. This is an encouraging word to mentally prepare those who might say they are too weak to fight so therefore they will then heed the calling for war. v. 11 Assemble and come, all you nations, And gather together all around – In fulfillment of verse 2, a command is made to the enemies of Judah to amass as one from all over the land and assemble in the Valley of Jehoshaphat for their judgment. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O Lord – Scholars interpret the “mighty ones” as a reference to God’s army of angels to confront the enemies of Judah. v. 12 Let the nations be wakened – A challenge from God to the enemies of Judah to be provoked from their comfortable lifestyle of oppressing the people of Judah. For there I will sit to Judge – Almighty God will have the final say. He, as the Judge, will pass sentence upon the enemies. He will vindicate His people and will heed their cry for vengeance against their enemies. v. 13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe…the winepress is full – A series of analogies are used to describe the judgment of sinners. As the harvest signifies the gathering of crops so to the enemies will reap what they sowed and thus will face God’s impending judgment. For their wickedness is great – The judgment is in response to their sin. v. 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! – The gathering place where the enemies of Judah faced God’s judgment. v. 15 The sun and the moon will grow dark, And the stars will diminish their brightness – Signs of what is to come before the judgment; a prophetic word that is similar to Matthew 24:29, 30. v. 16 The Lord also will roar from Zion – God will have his wrath against the enemies of Judah. He will not be gentle, as He is described as the lion of Judah. He is the defender and protector for His people. v. 17 So you shall know – God’s judgment will leave His imprint. People will know He is God, Jerusalem will be purified, and never again will God’s people suffer. v. 18 the mountains shall drip – God will restore the land and bless it with an abundance of water, allowing the land to be fruitful. v. 19 Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom a desolate wilderness – Egypt and Edom are specifically named because they were Judah’s primary enemies. v. 20 Judah shall abide forever – Bible scholars believe that Judah is used here in reference to all who call on the name of God. And they shall inherit eternal life. v. 21 I will acquit them of the guilt of bloodshed – God ends this book with a promise of forgiveness to those who repent. The Lord dwells in Zion – The final statement that proclaims His presence. He is among His people.
"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision." –Joel 3:14 Every day, in every way, we have a decision to make about following You, God. Every choice, every action can either reveal our love for You and glorify Your name, or reveal the self-idolatry we hold in our hearts. Show us the way, Lord, the way of You.