The Day of the Lord is Near! Updated (part 1)

Joel 2:1, “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;”

About the book of Joel

The imagery and symbolism in this book compares to the prophecies in Ezekiel, Daniel and the book of Revelation. Although the prophecies addressed the historical future of Israel and Judah, like Ezekiel, Daniel and Revelation, Joel also addresses the role of Israel in the end times. Two major themes are: 1) the wrath of God's judgment upon disobedience and, 2) the restoration of Israel.

The call of Joel 2:1 is to awaken the people of Judah to the judgment of God hanging over their head. God sought through Joel to correct their Godless living and return them in repentance to Himself. Joel sees the drought and plague of locusts as judgment for the sins of Judah. There is a direct correlation between sin and judgment. Sin always exacts a tremendous price. How can people think they can live anyway they choose and not reap the consequences of their choices? God created us with the freedom of choice but we must also understand that there are consequences attached to each choice.

The nation of Israel paid a great price for their disobedience and rebellion. Their power and influence as a nation began to decline before the end of the reign of Solomon. After Solomon's death, the leadership split into two groups, the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. The King of the Northern Kingdom, Israel, was Jeroboam. The King of the Southern Kingdom, Judah, was Reoboam the son of Solomon. Neither Kingdom ever returned to the glory of the early days of Solomon's reign.

The Northern Kingdom, was captured by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. The Southern Kingdom fell, Jerusalem was destroyed and its King and people were carried away to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar in 587B.C. Both Israel and Judah suffered in captivity because of their unwillingness to heed the voice of God. They were given multiple opportunities to repent and return to God. Joel's message was written over 100 years before the captivity of Israel and about 250 years before the captivity of Judah.

 Joel was not the only prophet that preached repent and return. The book of Amos is dated about 755 B.C., Jonah 760 B.C., Isaiah preached from 740 – 680 B.C., Hosea 710 B.C., Micah 700 B.C., Nahum from 663 – 612 B.C., Jeremiah 627 – 585 B.C., Zephaniah 625 B.C., Habakkuk 607 B.C., and Ezekiel 592 – 570 B.C. Israel and Judah were both destroyed because of their disobedience and rebellion against the laws of God.

Joel 2:15, “Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. 17Let 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?”
Here Joel repeated the call of 2:1 with the difference being a call to national repentance to be performed in a national gathering of all the people before the Lord. The priests were to proclaim a day of humiliation for all the people regardless of age or distinction. Joel summons all ranks and classes to assemble in the temple for this solemn service.

National sin is a common factor in God's execution of judgment but national repentance will bring God's forgiveness. 2 Chron. 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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.” However, national forgiveness requires national repentance. It was to begin with the leadership and go down the ranks to include everybody including the children.

Why were the children to be included? The children are the next generation and they will mirror the example of their parents. That is what has happened to our world. Over time, each generation has let the principles of God slip out of our societies. Consequently, we have a ungodly world society. Do you know why America has enjoyed the blessings of God since its inception in 1776? Because it was built upon the principles of God as outline in His Word. As a nation we have believed in Godly principles. Since the 50's and 60's our nation has been slowly slipping away from those foundation principles. The only hope for this nation and the world is to repent and return to Jesus Christ. On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand. "My Hope is Built on Nothing Less" by Edward Mote, 1797-1874.

The Day of the Lord is Near! Updated (part 2)

Sanctify the people! The people were to prepare themselves for this solemn time. Under the law, they were to wash themselves and their clothes. They were commanded to cleanse themselves from all legal impurities, to have given sacrifice for all transgressions of the law. To be obedient was to be purged and made worthy to be presented before the Lord in His house.

They were instructed to correct the wrongs in their life, to deal with their stuff, the baggage they were dragging around. Why? Because a move toward correct living is indicative of a repentant heart. Does that mean that we must fix everything before God forgives us? No, but we must be moving in that direction.
Assemble the elders, children, ladies. No one should be excluded. Even the bridegroom and bride were to delay their festivities for this solemn assembly. Everything must stop and all attention to focus on the Lord of Glory.

The sad thing is that many people want to continue on being who they are and living like they are living. They want God to bless them where they are. They want the favor of God but they don't want to change. God will accept the sinner and forgive the sin but the sinning has to stop. Example: Some people accept that a woman can abort her unborn but living baby. As representatives of the Kingdom of God we cannot accept the abortion of a living child. Nor can we accept leadership that promotes this violation of God's law. God has judged past generations for such flagrant disregard for human life and He will bring the sins of this generation into judgment as well.

Some people accept that homosexuality, same sex marriage, and trans-gender lifestyles are tolerable. Many have embraced this new found freedom with open arms. As representatives of the Kingdom of God, we cannot accept these unholy lifestyles as the law of the land. And we can't accept or agree with any elected leader who supports it. We have to do everything that we can to stop this nonsense. We are mandated by God's holy Word to come out from among them and be ye a separate people saith the Lord. We need to publish our Holy displeasure and let it be known that this nonsense needs to stop. What would Jesus do? He would forgive the sin but the sin must stop.

These two principles are sending the soul of this nation to hell, to say nothing of all the lying, cheating, stealing, killing, doping, adultery, fornication, all manner of sexual sins and nefarious behavior. People want to live like that and then have the audacity to proclaim, “ God bless the United States of America.” That is spitting in the face of our holy and righteous God. It is nothing short of blasphemous for human kind to embrace such unholy and ungodly behavior declaring evil good and good evil. God is not going to bless this nation without a national repentance and a move back to God. Repent and return!

The priests, the ministers of the Lord were commanded to take the lead in this sacred work of penitence. They are compelled by the great weight of the national transgressions to stand weeping and praying between the porch and the altar. It was there in the open court that the priest, with his face toward the altar where the sacrifice was offered, turned his petition toward God in supplication for the sins of the people.

Joel's cry was to the elect, the chosen of God, His beloved. I feel in my spirit that we need to sound the alarm in Zion. Can we truly feel that we have obeyed God completely when there is such a great need in our world. A need for our altars to be filled with saint and sinner alike seeking God for divine revelation and intervention. We cannot complete our mission without Him. We need and must have a fresh wind of Holy Ghost power. As a whole the Body of Christ must return to Pentecost and receive anew the power of the Holy Ghost. Then we are enabled to be actively engaged in the harvest.

The Day of the Lord is Near! Updated (part 3)

Let us all cry out with the priests of God, “spare the people, oh Lord.” Joel's petition was to entreat God to deliver His people, not because they deserved it but for His own glory. Lord, restore your reputation in us. Let it be said that the Lord God Jehovah dwells among His people. That's what struck fear in the hearts of the enemies of God's people, that God was in their midst. The only thing that strikes fear in the heart of our arch enemy, Satan is that God lives in us, that we are possessed by God's eternal spirit. Spare your people, Lord, that the heathen should not rule over them. May God manifest himself within the daily lives of each believer. Through His abiding presence, we will throw off the encumbrances that have silently crept in. Throw off the doubt that has slipped in due to the lack the manifestation of Christ's presence in the Church. Break the chains of oppression that has gripped us due to the lack of freedom in the Holy Ghost. Throw off the cloud of ignorance that has anesthetized us because of the lack of receiving a fresh word from God.

Wake us oh Lord to the full measure of your truth. We will not be content with only the similitude of truth. Baptize us in your truth. Immerse us in your person. Let us put on the Lord Jesus Christ and be a representation of Him because He is in us.

Go back to the beginning! God is the beginning and in Him we live and move and have our being. He is the beginning, the beginning of time, the beginning of creation, the beginning of life, the beginning of man, the beginning of love, etc. James 1:16, “Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” In this chapter, James is addressing mortal weakness of man and his propensity to sin. And right in the middle, he plants this golden nugget. Sure there is imperfection all around us but our life comes from above, from the Father of lights who never changes and there is not even an allusion to His changing. He is always the same, consistent, loving, compassionate, powerful, delivering, victorious Father.

In the beginning, God! I feel that He is pulling us back to Himself as in 1 John 1:1, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;” He has been with us from the beginning of this journey and He wants us to understand that it is through Him that we will finish. There is no other power, presence or virtue sufficient to complete our assignment. He will magnify our efforts and ministry as He receives the honor and glory for the results. The Holy Spirit is calling “come wrap yourself in the power of His presence and allow Him to perform in you His glorious works!” I am weak but He is strong. If we allow Him to fully control our lives, we are made strong in our weakness because our weakness is God's strength. There is no enemy that can stand against Him, there is no foe that He cannot overcome. There is no fortress that can withstand Him and no opposition that He cannot vanquish. Come, come to Him now. No! Run, run to Him now and allow him to wrap you in His mantle of authority and shelter you from the storms ahead. I hear the rumbling in the distance, the sound of a mighty army moving into position. It is a well prepared force, each warrior is in his place and prepared to do his duty. There is no fear in their number because they have been washed clean. Though their sins were as crimson, their raiment is white as snow. And there is one with them whose name no one can know except that His eyes are a flaming fire and He is clothed with a vesture dipped in blood and His name is the Word of God. Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword to smite the nations and rule them with the rod of Truth and He tramples the wine-press of the wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His garment and on His thigh written the name, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. At His appearing every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that JESUS IS LORD.

Go Back to the Beginning! Updated

A few days ago God gave me a Word, “Go back to the beginning,” along with the text in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Since that time, its seems that everywhere I look, God is saying to me, “return to the beginning.” It reminds me of a scriptural principle, “repent and return.” We find numerous passages in the Bible where God instructed His people to repent and return to Him. How can that be relevant to the Body of Christ. Because our attention can be easily diverted from the vision we have of God's work and our mission. We are easily distracted from God's business so we need Him to remind us often of where we are and what we need to be doing.

Go back to the beginning, to the beginning of what? Go back to the inception of the vision. Go back to where you started. “Roll back the curtain of memory now and then, show me where you brought me from and where I should have been.” Examine anew your decision to follow Christ. What was your perception of your relationship then and where are you now? What has changed? What about the vision must receive my attention? In the beginning it was all about Jesus and the truth of God's Word. We must allow the Holy Spirit to open the windows of our soul to the revelation of His perfect truth.

John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Jesus is the focus here. The Word was made flesh and lived among mortal flesh. The Greek term for “word” is “logos.” Revelation is the idea contained in the perception of “logos.” The Word is the revelation of the Triune God. Triune being three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. 1 John 1:1, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” Therefore we can conclude that the essence of Christ is fully accessible by mortal flesh through the medium of the Holy Spirit.

What does that mean to us? It is important for us to understand that God, in all his awesomeness, is fully approachable through Jesus Christ. Ryrie says that the logos concept, “here is applied to Jesus who is all that God is and an expression of him. The Word is said to be with God (IE., in communion with and yet distinct from God) and to be God (IE., identical in essence with God) Jn. 1:1.” Sounds awesome, right? That believers have full access to such a magnanimous person. But, we do in Jesus Christ. God wants us to know Him. He wants us to walk in daily communion with Him.

We don't need to back away from the mountain of God in fear of His presence. He wants us to not only be aware of Him but to share His presence in our daily walk with Him. The Israelites recoiled in fear at the manifest presence of God on Mt. Sinai. They had witnessed the powerfulness of God, but without faith to trust Him, God's presence created fear. They had seen with their own eyes what He could do. So, God placed a boundary at the foot of the mountain and they were instructed not to approach the mountain. The Israelites had to communicate with God through a mediator. God gave His instructions to the Israelites through Moses. What made Moses different from the rest? He trusted God! He was willing to leave the things that he didn't understand in the hands of God.

We have no need to be fearful and afraid. Jesus became our mediator with God when we accepted His sacrifice at Calvary. Because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ we have the boldness to draw near to God and through our mediator, Jesus, we bring our petitions to Him. He invites us to come boldly before the throne of grace and make our petitions know to Him. This is a very important attribute of our relationship with God and it is becoming increasingly more crucial with the passing of every day. The revelation and leading of the Lord is absolutely indispensable today and in the days to come.

Go back to the beginning. The beginning is the revelation, the vision, the dream, the communication of heaven. John 1:1-18 is the revelation of Jesus as the unmistakable Son of God. God would have every generation experience Divine relationship with Him through faith in Jesus Christ. One attribute of that relationship is revelation and guidance. He will remove all barriers and obstacles for all who will repent and believe.

What is the foundation of your revelation, vision, dream or Word from the Lord? Your future depends upon your revelation. Is your life built upon Jesus Christ and His Word? Matt. 7:24, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”

We look at the condition of our world and know that we are living in perilous times. But it is going to get worse. We don't know exactly when the Church is going to be raptured, but we do know that conditions are going to get progressively worse.

May I Use This Breath? by Myra Boozer

Today's prayer.. How beautiful are your ways oh Lord, Your Glory and your Good Pleasure are such a delight. I learn from the very air I breath how vast your love is to all mankind and the creatures you have created. You blow upon this earth and we breath. Our very Life is from your Breath..it is what sustains all of us....

Lord may I use this breath you gave to sing Praises to you Holy Name .. To lift you high above the Mountains that your own breath created for you spoke all things into existence ....May my heart rejoice in your Beauty and Splendor for all of my days...

May I use this breath to call upon you in a time of surrender of my will to your perfect will. Accept my hearts cry today for I am helpless, useless and utterly lost without your Mercy... I am as one who is groping in the darkness without you...

May I use this breath to tell someone of your great love .. Some do not know or else they have forgotten just how much you love them... May my breath speak your unlimited Love to all people everywhere...

May I use this breath to speak Your Truth to those who should be ashamed.... ashamed for turning away from you plan for mankind and going after their own “design” for lifestyle and behavior ...

May I use this breath to sound the Alarm for all those who are far from you.... some who just gave up and put down their armor and others who just want to seek out an easy way, still claiming your Name... others who have fallen asleep and do not know the times in which we live...As in the days of Noah, seeing the conditions yet deny the judgment coming on all sin...

May I use this breath to speak Hope to the hopeless and Life to the dying. Peace to the restless and Joy to the sorrowful. May my words be uplifting and encouraging as I speak of your soon return for your Bride, Your People, Your Church, Your Chosen Ones...

May I use this breath to speak of your great treasures ... the ones you have hidden in your word ... the hidden riches of secret places... that they may know that you are the Lord God of Israel....mb

Jesus is My Bench Mark!

Bench mark: something that serves as a standard by which others may be measured or judged.

Jesus is my bench mark, He is my base line, He is my standard for living. I must go to Him every day to put my life and all things in it into proper focus. I must begin in Him and with Him. It is there that I receive insight and instruction for my assignment. It is there that I receive spiritual strength and motivation for the mission ahead. I dare not to move forward without His guidance and anointing. He prepares the table before me in the presence of the enemy. I shall eat and drink from His table and prevail before my enemy. Jesus is my strength and my victory. He leads me beside the still waters and restores my soul. He is my source, my strength, my redeemer and in Him I will trust today and every day as Christ Jesus, my Lord. Thank you God for the assurance that only you can give!

Jesus is my bench mark. He established His position in Gethsemane. He came to die but all flesh is appointed to death. But in Gethsemane, Jesus submitted to death, He chose to die as the Son of man to prove that He is the Son of God. The fleshly man would die but the Spirit man would live on. That is what happens when we meet Jesus at the cross. We submit to death. We choose death to the fleshly man so that the Spirit man can live on. But, we must go through our Gethsemane to get there. We must come to the end of ourselves and allow Christ to take charge of our lives. We are literally consenting to the death of the flesh that we can experience life in the Spirit through Christ. Gal. 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

How Long Will God Continue? by Myra Boozer

How long will God continue in His mercy and give this country time to Repent? ... How long will He wait? We do not know... he has given time for individuals to fall before Him in repentance for their sins...But for a Nation to go against His laws and commands is a different story. I feel judgement is coming on America for all the sin that is parading around as something good when it is an abomination!!! .Not only this country but other countries are defying the laws of God.. .. God will not wait long! I think He will do as He has done in the past... I think JUDGEMENT will come quickly. Some may go thru the fire and call upon His Name being purified by the fire. Others will continue in sin and will regret that they have NOT taken the time to repent when the Spirit was pleading and convicting their hearts... Many Christians, saints of God are giving their lives today and suffering much persecution because they have not denied the Name of Christ.. Then there is the rest of the living righteous, the blood bought Church, the Body of Christ who has made herself ready she will be taken in the moment and the twinkling of an eye to meet the Bridegroom .There were seven Churches of Asia that are written about in the first three chapters of Revelation... Jesus named the things that He had against six of the churches and ask them to repent , He was telling them to listen to what the SPIRIT HAD TO SAY TO THEM BUT NOTICE the Church in Philadelphia.... He said I know thy works: behold I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it : for thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name..vs 9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, (his), and are not, but do lie;behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation ( II Peter 2:9 the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly, out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished), which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.... BEHOLD , I COME QUICKLY hold fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown....Notice chapter 4.... and see what John has to say about seeing the open door... saw the throne and the four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment (clothes) and had their crowns on their heads... the crown that Jesus said,"Let no man take thy crown" Praise the Lord ! He is coming .... BE READY for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man is coming.....MB

Handwriting on the Wall! by Myra Boozer

America is ruled by sin and evil in much of our leadership... That is why people like Franklin Graham .. Jay Sekulow.... Kurt Goff Live to name a few are constantly trying to get people to wake up... There are many good and righteous people in our country who are praying and seeking God for repentance and change in America...... But how can it happen before the leadership changes its ways of doing things and promoting sin... while all the time making it very hard for the Christian to live according to the dictate of their own hearts... Leadership is promoting the rights of those who are breaking and defiling the commandments of God ... they are bringing chaos and building the altars of Baal for this nation to worship... leaving behind the Divine Principles that our country was founded upon... This is what I believe.... Judgement is coming to this country soon and those who remain faithful and true to the principles and laws of God will be hidden in the secret place of God.... a hiding place for the soul of the righteous man... I am not saying no Christians will suffer, because many are suffering all over the world today ....... I am trusting this will awake the sleeping Church.... the one's who have allowed their oil to run out...And those who were called of God , the prodigals to return to their Father... I am trusting this will happen before the Rapture and the great tribulations and the wrath of God that will be poured out on all those who would not repent...God help us all to see the hand writing on the wall and seek God as never before....MB