Joel

9/8/2015

This past Sunday we read through the 3 small chapters in the book of Joel. Joel can be a hard book to understand unless we discover the purpose of the book being written. Joel was writing to the people of God letting them know that God was not absent from life. With the historical backdrop of a locust plague as the picture, Joel was telling the people of God that He was still alive, very active, and desired the people to repent of their sin and return back to worship of Him alone. The first chapter is the historical background and the lament of the prophet over the people who had turned their back on God. Chapter 2 was the prophet talking about the Day of the LORD and His coming judgement and discussing this, was leading the people to realize that there was a day coming when the people will stand before God. Chapter 3 is a little hope, in telling the people of God that everyone will be judged by God someday, and also getting the wider audience’s attention of the impending judgement. The Day of the LORD is a term we will see more of over the next few weeks, so understand that this day is a reference to the presence of God judging all of the people for their sin is important. This is not a single day but a period of time that God is working in. Peter’s use of Joel, in Acts 2, shows that the Day of the LORD for the nations has already began but will culminate in the Second Coming of Jesus. As I was reading through Joel, sitting in my comfortable cool house in my comfortable happy life, I kept asking myself if I was ready for the Day of the LORD to complete. There are many in the world around us that have no idea that the completion of the Day of the LORD is coming, are we ready to face God and are we telling others, with our actions and more importantly words, that the Day of the LORD is coming to a close soon?

6 Comments

Bruce

9/8/2015 01:11:34 pm

I often talk to people i know, (co-workers, family and friends) about the way the world is today. As a friend and co-worker put it. Everything that was right is now wrong, including believing in God and it's only getting worse. However, what i have found is that the people i talk to that are believers of God seem to believe all the more. I also find that we (believers) are talking about God and Jesus more openly and with people that are not as much a believer. So; hopefully some of the conversations we are having will take hold in their lives and they will enjoy the wonders of heaven when judgement day does come. I just wish i knew more to tell them.

Tammy

9/8/2015 05:22:04 pm

Luke 12:12....Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit will teach us at the time what to say. I've read that people need to hear of Jesus at least 7 times before it sinks in. Know that what you do say is planting a seed and let the rest up to God. Do your part and God will work through you to lead others to Him. Your life testimony is setting the example to others and that speaks so much more than words. Let you light shine before men. Matthew 5:16

Tammy

9/8/2015 05:26:58 pm

Question for pastor Jeff.....
All through the Old Testament God is calling the Israelites to repentance. He wants the nation to be set apart as His and show the world they are His chosen people. Why is it that it is always the nation as a whole? what about the individual? Weren't some faithful even though the majority wasn't? I know God raised up leaders and prophets out of them. Just Wondering.

Pastor Jeff

9/9/2015 07:42:30 am

I pray this answer makes sense.
First-Yes, there was faithful people all through the generations of the people of God. Think young Daniel and Ezekiel at the time of the prophet Jeremiah. These faithful few are called many times the remnant of God. So there were always a few that were still faithful to God. But....

Second- God is always concerned with the whole not the individual. Yes, each person will stand before Him to have their works looked at. But God looks at His people as a whole. God writes to His people as a whole. Ever single book in the Bible was written to a group of God's people. God speaks to His people as a whole. Our faith is designed and made to live in a community, not individually. We have a responsibility to the whole. Every Spiritual gift is designed by God to be used in the whole. God is always focused on and concerned with the whole. Even the leaders ones day will be judged on their leadership of the whole. Like I said in the bog today, the church today has gotten to focused on the individual person when in reality it is always about the whole community of God, not the person. And I am convinced, we will be judged on our works by God individually, in how we worked in the whole community of His people.

So God focus is always the whole group, just like me message every Sunday is meant for the whole group.

I hope that answer helps and if more clarification is needed please let me know.

Tammy

9/9/2015 10:59:41 am

thanks.

Bruce

9/8/2015 06:17:33 pm

Thanks for the confidence and i will remember what you said about 7 times. So, i will try top get a few more in there.

As for your question to Pastor. I have wondered the same thing. I'm sure that there were some that tried to be godly in their life. I often wondered what happened to them and how handled some of the things that happened.

Joel

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