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: Monday, September 12, 2022
Chapters: BOOK OF JOEL
Study: When The Harvest Comes
Hello My Friend,
I spent the whole day teaching the kids at church, Sunday School, Junior Church, and Sunday Night, and I swear you have kinds that are well mannered everywhere else, except when they are in church. And it does not matter what you do, if they are in their moods, they will not listen for anything. I will admit that even I have not been as zealous as I once was for God’s work. Needless to say, I knew that God had some great plans for those kids. If the devil was doing everything to distract them and me, then you know that God has a great use them for a great purpose. You know though, what the Bible says about how wicked the world is going to get before Jesus gets here, is so true, [Romans 1:30-32 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.]
The closer we get to Christ returning the worse things are going to get. In fact, we are seeing these end times prophecies coming rather quickly, especially dealing with this pandemic, catastrophic storms, a godless government, and Christian prosecution at an all time high. As I was reading the chapters for today, something that Jesus said came to mind, [John 4:34-36 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. 36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.]
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 His 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.]
Most commentators believe that Joel prophesied during the time that Isaiah did, but they really cannot be sure of that. 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 1:2-3,5-7,12 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. 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.]
[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.]
This is exactly what is wrong with the Church today, they are no longer desiring the new wine that Christ brings, rather remaining in the drunkenness of their sin, using their salvation as a cloak. Well, it is time for the Church to wake up and God is telling us 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 meekness, fasting for God to revive our churches and purge them of all their sin, and fertilize them in the obedience of His Word, so they can become fruitful again before Jesus arrives, [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.]
Wake up Church! Jesus, is returning! Pastors, get your act together, stop living in and or condoning sin! Ministers, get your act together and start teaching and living the way Christ leads 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, 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. 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 2:1-3,7-8 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; 2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. 3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. 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.]
[they shall not be wounded.] Not one of these will be wounded or killed with man made weapons, the weapon will be the voice of Jesus, and all He is going to do is speak it as He watches nation upon nation that rejected Him become utterly destroyed.
[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.]
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 2:11-14,17 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? 12 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?]
[wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?] 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 as we start to become a reflection of Christ. And God, answers that question Himself.
[Joel 2:19-21 Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen: 20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things. 21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things. 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.]
[I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:] This has been the same message from the beginning, through Joel, God, tells how He restores and creates His believers into witnesses that will never be ashamed to call themselves Christians, [Joel 2:28-32 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 30 And I will shew 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 great and the terrible day of the LORD come. 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.]
[before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.] 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 in the shape they are in because ministers are tired, many are quitting the ministry all together, 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. Through Joel, God tells Israel to be ready for the Gentiles, for all will stand before Christ.
[Joel 3:1,9-13-14 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, 9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare 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 pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. 11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. 12 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. 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.]
[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.]
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 completely destroyed, [Joel 3:16-18,21 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 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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