I call out a warning! I call out Danger! Yesterday I was led to teach on the Book of Joel - The name Joel means, “The Lord is G-d.” The prophecies of the Book of Joel are divided into two parts, the first part may be summarized as follows: The prophet at the beginning calls the attention of the elders and of all the inhabitants of the land to a coming event the like of which has never been seen, a terrible visitation by locusts, which will be coincident with a famine, and which will together reduce the entire land to the bitterest misery. The prophet exhorts the people to fast, to pray, and to mourn. In this double visitation the prophet perceives the approach of the "day of the Lord", which is to be ushered in by a terrible affliction unless the people become truly repentant. In the second part it is first related how the people did actually bring about a gracious change in G-d's plans by obeying the prophet's injunctions; this is followed by Yhwh's answer to the prayer of the people; then there is the promise of relief from famine through abundant rains and through a marvelous fruitfulness, after which the spirit of prophecy is to be poured out over all flesh, and the day of the Lord will draw near, accompanied by terrifying signs in heaven and earth. These terrors, however, are not for G-d's people, who will be rescued in the day of judgment because they called on the Lord, but for their enemies. At the time of the change in the fate of Judah and Jerusalem the Lord will gather all nations into the valley of Jehoshaphat (Yhwh judges), there to be destroyed through the fulfillment of the divine judgment of wrath, I believe the valley where G-d judges will be and is Armageddon. The prophet Joel gave us a precise overview of the end-time events, including the outpouring of the Spirit, our Nation's current problems, Armageddon and the Last judgment. Joel clearly speaks to G-d's people then and now who are about to feel Yhwh's wrath and are going through the great tribulation. Moses had already warned them long time ago: "When the Lord your G-d brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you – a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant – then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery (Deuteronomy 6:10-12)." This is exactly what had happened during Joel’s (our end) time. Much of their (our) time was spent in merrymaking and drinking as Joel tells them, “Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine; wail because of the new wine, for it has been snatched from your lips”. There is nothing wrong in enjoying life and the material blessing as a gift from G-d. But when forget who gave it to you and/or that becomes your main goal in life, “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless,” and “Nothing was gained under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:1; 2:11). Joel describes the fire, drought, locusts and Yhwh's destruction of "their" prosperity, “The seeds are shriveled beneath the clods. The storehouses are in ruins. The granaries have been broken down, for the grain has dried up”. The Results? First, All the material blessings are taken away. Second, All the religious sacrifices are taken away. “Grain offerings and drink offerings are cut off from the house of the Lord”. For a Hebrew, cutting off the religious sacrifices was far more serious than the loss of the material blessings, because the religious sacrifices guaranteed them the covenant relationship with the Lord. As long as they were able to offer the sacrifices, they thought that the Lord was bound by His covenant to keep His part and continue to take care of them in every way. But, when the sacrifices are taken away, there is no guarantee of any blessings from the Lord. Do you really think you can manipulate Yhwh into giving you blessings by giving more or simply by proclaiming prosperity verses? Third, The joy is taken away. “Surely the joy of mankind is withered away”. That is how it is with the joy that is based on material blessing and religious formalities. When man trusts in other things or men and turns away from the Lord, even the very ground is taken away from under his feet to make him realize how shaky the ground is upon which he thinks he stands. The Joy of the Lord is our true strength! The Prophesy of Joel clearly sees beyond then and into the last days (now). When you read Joel - you can clearly see the fires, drought, problems and enemies that are now destroying us and this once great Nation that once was under G-d! People are having to purchase hay this Summer to feed their cattle here in the USA because of the droughts. G-d brings all of this vengeance and various problems upon this nation and the earth in an attempt to turn His people back to Him! The destruction in the book of Joel is described in terms of the Day of the Lord, “Alas for that day! For the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty” “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming”. The Lord thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty are those who obey his command. The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it? Five of the 19 explicit references to the “day of the Lord” in the Old Testament are found in Joel's prophecy - (1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14). Joel (G-d's) Call for Genuine Repentance "Put on sackcloth, O priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar … .” And, “Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly, summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord. Even now, declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments”. Priority of repentance is first given to the priests and the religious leaders, then Joel called for the rest of the people, from the oldest to the youngest, “Bring together elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber”. It is the same with our Nation today. Jesus' church is clearly divided by denominations and doctrines of "holy" men who tell us what to believe rather than our turning to and hearing G-d - these "prophets" of today advise us to vote for some man they say is appointed by G-d to save this Nation that once was UNDER G-D! Do you really believe that some man (or men) can save America from G-d's hand or Yhwh's plan or His destruction?! Let that man first call down rain if he can! The prophet’s call was, “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill”. The spiritual condition of Zion then and our Nation and Jesus' church today - is the very same! Paul wrote a few hundred years later: "Now you, if you call yourself a Jew (Christian); if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to G-d; if you know His will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth – you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples (or, G-d as in the sense of Malachi's statements)? You who brag about the law, do you dishonor G-d by breaking the law? As it is written, 'G-d’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles (non-Christians) because of you (Romans 2:17-24) Is Obama or some political group responsible for the destruction of our Nation, finances, jobs, famine, lands, water and air? No! Will some Republican or any group of politicians be able to save our Nation? No!!! Only G-d saves! The Scripture puts the total responsibility on the people of G-d, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14). If our Nation is in broken condition, it is not because the heathen or devils are acting as heathen or devils, but it is only because the church is not acting as the church and trusting only in their G-d. No man can not save you now or at the time of Judgment dear one - only the great G-d can! Joel 2:18 begins with “Then,” just like 2 Chronicles 7:14 above. If the people, the people of G-d, will turn to Him (and only to Him) in true repentance, “Then the Lord will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people” (2:18). The prophet describes fourfold blessings as a result of their genuine repentance. First, that G-d will heal their land for their material abundance (2:18-27). The blessings are described in the same agricultural terms as the devastation because of the locusts described earlier. “I am sending you grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy you fully”. And, “The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil … . You will have plenty to eat, until you are full … ”. However, the emphasis is not on the material blessing; it is on the Lord Who provides the material blessings, on the relationship with and the knowledge of G-d, that provides the full satisfaction. It is the Lord Who is sending the grain and new wine: “Surely the Lord has done great things”. “Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your G-d for he has given you autumn rains in righteousness”, and “You will praise the name of the Lord your G-d who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be ashamed”. The ultimate purpose of G-d for blessing His people is that they would want to know Him (John 10:27) and grow in their relationships with Him. G-d says, I will bless you: “Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your G-d, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed”. The purpose of blessing and meeting all our needs over abundantly is not that we get into enjoying the gifts and forget the Giver, but that we would find our joy, our fulfillment, our satisfaction in Him alone, because, as David said, “You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11). You can either turn to the Lord - or you could continue to vote for some man to further mess up this Nation. The basic idea in repentance is to turn about, changing the course, making a U-turn, changing life goals and priorities. This is what the people of God, people who call themselves Christians, need to do today. Instead of running after the material things and listening to men (antichrists), they need to hear G-d and seek after the kingdom of G-d and His righteousness. Instead of finding happiness in the things of the world, they need to seek the true joy, fulfillment, and contentment in relationship with the Lord. The ultimate purpose of G-d for blessing us is that we seek Him and desire to know Him more and more and love and serve Him more and more. Second, G-d will pour out His Spirit for their universal spiritual restoration. After speaking about their material blessing because of their turning back to G-d, Joel speaks of their spiritual blessing. In the New Testament, Peter applied this part of Joel's prophecy to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the beginning of the church (Acts 2:16-21). Paul applied Joel 2:32 for the salvation available to all, "For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord (not some political party) will be saved" (Romans 10:12). Third, G-d will judge the wicked and establish His eternal Kingdom. Joel speaks of G-d’s wrath and ultimate punishment of all the nations that oppressed G-d’s people. They will be judged and ultimately destroyed, e.g., Edom. The wrath of G-d on the unbelieving nations is described as G-d’s trampling of the grapes in the winepress. As the Apostle John describes in the Book of Revelation, The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of G-d’s wrath. They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia (180 miles) (Revelation 14: 19-20). Then, the Kingdom of G-d will be established, and G-d’s unlimited blessings will flow to His people, In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the Lord's house and will water the valley of acacias. Fourth, the ultimate blessing. The book of Joel ends with a note of the ultimate blessing, “The Lord dwells in Zion,” the Lord’s eternal presence with His people as described in Revelation: And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of G-d is with his people, and G-d himself will be with them and be their G-d. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4). The Prophesy of Joel begins with all of the terrible devastation and ends with the eternal blessing of the presence of the Lord with His people forever. Two of the oldest writing prophets, Obadiah and Joel, speak about the last days and the Second Coming without speaking about Jesus' first coming. Why? Because as Peter tells us, “It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you” (1 Peter 1:12). And, as Paul writes, “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come” (1 Corinthians 10:11). They all warn us not to trust in any man but to only trust in G-d! What does the Bible say about trusting in man? Psalm 118:8 "It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in man." Psalm 146:3 "Do not trust in princes,In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation." 2 Chronicles 14:11 "Then Asa called to the LORD his G-d and said, "LORD, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O LORD our G-d, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our G-d; let not man prevail against You." Psalm 40:4 "How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood." Psalm 56:4 "In G-d, whose word I praise, In G-d I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?" Well dear one are you warned enough to stop listening to some religious/political "leader" and you will now hear the Lord or will you continue eat with the drunken and listen to and trust some man to save you?