King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]
Date: Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Chapters: BOOK OF JOEL
Study: It Is Time For The Church to Repent
Hello My Brother/Sister/Friend,
You should have seen the storm that we had last night, hail hitting the windows so hard that we are blessed that it did not break any. I am not looking forward to what my truck might look like when I walk over to the lot. The power went out last night, I must have been really tired because I slept right through it. Let me tell you, the closer we get to Christ returning the worse things are going to get. Nevertheless, Christ’s few and faithful, those who are not ashamed to proclaim His name, will become an amazing testimony of how we endured it all through our faith. Even Christ’s few and faithful need to always be watching for the day that He will return.
[Luke 21:34-36 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.]
The Book of Joel contains three chapters, the author is Joel and it was written to the people in Judah. The timeline for these events comes with a bit of a debate among Bible scholars, some say 850-860 B. C., others say, 400–380 B. C. Since the book describes what will take place during the time of Christ’s return, it is likely to be the later date. The purpose of the book was to warn Judah of their sin and need for repentance and to inform them of God’s future restoration for the entire nation. What we are to learn from the book is that even in the midst of God’s chastening, His plans always include restoration, [Joel 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.]
The book itself was written around the same time that Ezekiel prophesied, which is why I believe that Joel was actually living in Judah during that time that God had shown Ezekiel its devastation. Joel, describes the state of his beloved nation, what once was the land flowing with milk and honey has now become a desert land. Joel, is angry with his fellow Jews who can care less about its devastation and tells them that it is time to wake up.
[Joel 1:2-3,5-7,10-12 Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers? 3 Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation. 5 Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth. 6 For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion. 7 He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white. 10 The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth. 11 Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished. 12 The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.]
[Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl,] There is something gravely wrong when compassion has been replaced with selfishness, even the Church is guilty of this, [Jude 1:11-13 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. 12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.]
[because joy is withered away from the sons of men.] There is absolutely no joy for those of the world, there is nothing that they are completely satisfied with because they do not have Jesus in their lives. When there is no purpose, but to feed off every lust to the flesh, there will always be a hunger as the soul without Jesus is dead, [John 6:35,40 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.]
The more I read through this book the more it sounds like it is Jesus talking. Have you noticed that sinful Christians are not ashamed of their sin anymore? This is exactly what is wrong with the Church today, they are no longer desiring the new wine that Christ brings, rather enjoying the drunkenness of their sin, using their salvation as a cloak. It is time for the Church to wake up and Jesus is telling them exactly how to do that.
[Joel 1:13-16,19-20 Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God. 14 Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD, 15 Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. 16 Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God? 19 O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field. 20 The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.]
[Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly,] It is time for every church to come together in sackcloth, meaning humbly and with meekness, praying and fasting for God to revive our churches and purge them of all their sin. Then we need to fertilize them be teaching them to live in obedience of His Word, so they too can become fruitful again. Jesus, has not given up on His Church just yet, He is dunging it right now, [Luke 13:6-9 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.]
[for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden] Wake up Church! Pastors, get your act together, stop living in fear! And stop running off Christ’s flock with your traditions! Ministers, get your act together, start teaching and living the way Christ has taught you! Congregation, get your act together and start listening to what God has to say! The Church is dying, grasping for the air that only Christ can give them, and it is time that the entire Church, whether we are faithful to Christ or not, to start praying and fasting for each other. We can turn the state of the Church around, but it is going to take all of us.
[James 4:8-11 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. 11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.]
Dead or alive, we will all stand before Christ, which is why we must keep preaching the Gospel to all the world before that time comes. This warning was not just given for us today, it has always been. Through Joel, God, tells us to be ready for the sound of that trumpet because it will be a day like we have never seen before.
[Joel 2:1,4,7-9,11 Blow ye 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 cometh, for it is nigh at hand; 4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. 7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: 8 Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. 9 They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. 11 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?]
[appearance of them is as the appearance of horses;] This sounds a lot like what we read through the Book of Revelation concerning the horses, and Christ’s army, [Revelation 19:11-16 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.]
[and who can abide it?] Exactly who will be able to live through that great and terrible day? Only those whom have received Christ as their Saviour, [Revelation 21:6-8 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.]
That sharp sword will be none other than the Word of God, and all Jesus is going to do is speak it as He watches nation upon nation that rejected Him become utterly destroyed. The time to accept Christ is not when you stand before Him on Judgment Day, it is now. He is actually calling on you to come to Him, but He will never force or beg you. If you die without knowing Christ as your Saviour, then that is all on you. He is giving you ample warning to come to Him.
[Joel 2:12-14,17 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? 17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?]
[And rend your heart, and not your garments,] Appearance means nothing to God, you can change your clothes, but that does not mean you are trusting Christ as your Saviour. True repentance comes from the heart, and by the way, when the heart changes so do the garments because we start to become a reflection of Christ. This has been the same message from the beginning, through Joel, God tells them how He restores and creates His believers into witnesses that will never be ashamed to call themselves Christians.
[Joel 2:21,25-27 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things. 25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. 26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. 27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed. 32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.]
[whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered:] This is actually speaking of when Christ will return and rule the throne from Zion. The most amazing thing about receiving Christ is that immediately we receive the Spirit of God inside of us, and He does not leave us, ever. Before Christ gave His life on the cross, the Holy Spirit did not dwell permanently in a soul, and if God saw fit He would yank it right out, but today that does not happen because of the promise that He makes to us, [Romans 3:22-24 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:]
Our churches are actually in the shape they are in because Christ’s faithful ministers are tired, many are quitting the ministry, and becoming part of the world, some are just content to preach the Gospel and that is it. We need to lift up and encourage those who are tired, we need to fast and pray for God to work in our lives like never before, and we need to remember how merciful and gracious God is upon us. Zion, is the hill in Jerusalem on which the temple was built, when Jesus returns, all will gather there for judgment before the entire earth will be destroyed. Through Joel, God tells Israel to be ready for the Gentiles, for all will stand before Christ.
[Joel 3:12-13,16-18,21 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. 13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. 16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. 17 So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more. 18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim. 21 For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.]
[for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.] The heathens are those who reject Christ, and if you stop to think about it, before we knew Christ as our Saviour we were heathens as well. God is o merciful and slow to anger in that He does not want anyone to end up this way, which is why He sent His Son, [Psalms 103:8-12 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.]
[Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe:] Jesus, Himself is going to come with that sickle to reap all His people before the entire earth is destroyed, [Revelation 14:14-16 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.]
[For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed:] Jesus, is the one who cleanses our blood with His blood, and as while we will never be able to do anything to lose our salvation, unless it was in vain, we are still to live the rest of our lives as a testimony of Christ having filled us with that new wine, [1 Peter 1:18-21 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for your mercy, grace, and that you truly are slow to anger, I think of the life I lived and sometimes even the things I do today and know that I truly do not deserve Your good graces, but am grateful that I can wake up each day knowing that my Saviour lives and because I am solely trusting Him as my Saviour I know I will stand before Him, cleansed, and unblemished. Lord, I know the harvest is white, and You could send Jesus any day now, lead me and guide me, let me be a faithful witness to reach as many as I can with the Gospel. Restore unto me the joy of my own salvation, my fear, and renew a Your Spirit within me as I rejoice in the unending hope of knowing that I can stand before You and hear you say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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