FUTURE: Ezekiel 38 & 39

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. My family had a great time. My children were over abundantly gifted - their recently purged rooms are a bit full again. The Christmas decorations have come down. Family has returned home. And looking forward is a new year. Celebrations, return work/school, very cold weather (possibly snow again!).

There is a degree of certainty and uncertainty in the year to come. We anticipate:

• my husband graduating from the police academy
• paying off as many bills as possible
• fixing our fence and electrical issues
• all of us getting a year old

The questions we have going into the year ahead:

• how far Brock will go in the department
• how our church will continue to grow beyond the walls of the building
• will our children accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior (pretty sure Abigail is close)
• will the LORD return this year

On November 29, 1947 the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 181, which formally established a Jewish nation in the land.  War broke out immediately between Jews and Palestinians, which culminated in the establishment of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948. On this date, Israel was re-established as a nation.

Let us look at the parable of the Fig Tree: Matthew 24: 32-41

32 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; 33 so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37 For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.

There is general agreement that the Parable of the Fig Tree that Jesus told His disciples in His Olivet Discourse was a prophecy of the rebirth of Israel because the fig tree represents national Israel in Scripture.

• 1 Kings 4:25
• Jeremiah 24:5 
• Hosea 9:10
• Matthew 21:18-20
• Mark 11:12-14
• Luke 3:7-9, 13:6-9 
• John 1:47-49  

The immediate context of the parable was the Time of Jacob's Trouble, also known as the Tribulation. In other words, the generation that sees Israel reborn and the fig tree "put out its leaves" is the same generation that will see the completion of the Tribulation and the return of Jesus Christ.

The fig tree withered during Jesus' first coming because the nation rejected their Messiah. The Jewish people put to death their own King:

• Matthew 27:37
• Mark 15:2
• John 19:19
• Acts 2:36

Verse 34 of Matthew 24 says this generation will not pass away. A biblical generation is 70 years, and we are coming upon that this coming May. If you have read my blog for some time, you know I believe we are in the very last seconds of the Church Age. I believe and yearn for the return of my Savior, Jesus Christ, Emmanuel - God with us. I have studied Revelation, and know that His return for His bride is glorious for her (the Church), but that it triggers a minimum of 7 years of wrath, judgement, and woe on those who have not accepted Him. And that makes me mourn. For only God, Yaweh, knows that hearts of man, and knows who will be raptured and who will remain. There is grace in the time of Seals, Trumpets, & Bowls, salvation can be had, but at a much heavier price than in all times before.

But recently I became aware of a prophecy that must take place first, before the Church hears the trumpet call and is united with her Groom. There will be a war. All nations will turn against Israel, all. The stage has been set with the Trump administration. He is challenging every nation that doesn't stand with Israel, calling them out. North Korea is unstable (the nation and its leader) and is war of words with our President, which everyone believes will spill over onto the world stage. 

I believe that those that stand with Israel will be wiped out, or so decimated that they will be unable to defend Israel, who will then be attacked. 

But, Israel will not be defeated in this attack. The leaders of that attack though, will suffer loss unlike any other. Ezekiel 38 & 39 outline this war, and the outcome. This scripture has not come to pass yet. The prophecy will happen I believe in the months to come. Please read it below, see what is to come, and prepare your hearts. Friends the Church will be on earth for this, but I believe after this war, sometime soon after, the trumpet will call, and the bride will see her Groom.

Ezekiel 38 (NASB)

Prophecy about Gog and Future Invasion of Israel
38 And the word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him 3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. 4 I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords; 5 Persia, Ethiopia and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all its troops—many peoples with you.

7 “Be prepared, and prepare yourself, you and all your companies that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. 8 After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its people were brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them. 9 You will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you.”

10 ‘Thus says the Lord God, “It will come about on that day, that thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil plan, 11 and you will say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates, 12 to capture spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the center of the world.’ 13 Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will say to you, ‘Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?’”’

14 “Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “On that day when My people Israel are living securely, will you not know it? 15 You will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great assembly and a mighty army; 16 and you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog.”

17 ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Are you the one of whom I spoke in former days through My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for many years that I would bring you against them? 18 It will come about on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” declares the Lord God, “that My fury will mount up in My anger. 19 In My zeal and in My blazing wrath I declare that on that day there will surely be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 The fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all the creeping things that creep on the earth, and all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My presence; the mountains also will be thrown down, the steep pathways will collapse and every wall will fall to the ground. 21 I will call for a sword against him on all My mountains,” declares the Lord God. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother. 22 With pestilence and with blood I will enter into judgment with him; and I will rain on him and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire and brimstone. 23 I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the Lord.”’

Ezekiel 39 (NASB)

Prophecy against Gog—Invaders Destroyed
39 “And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal; 2 and I will turn you around, drive you on, take you up from the remotest parts of the north and bring you against the mountains of Israel. 3 I will strike your bow from your left hand and dash down your arrows from your right hand. 4 You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you as food to every kind of predatory bird and beast of the field. 5 You will fall on the [d]open field; for it is I who have spoken,” declares the Lord God. 6 “And I will send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coastlands in safety; and they will know that I am the Lord.

7 “My holy name I will make known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel. 8 Behold, it is coming and it shall be done,” declares the Lord God. “That is the day of which I have spoken.

9 “Then those who inhabit the cities of Israel will go out and make fires with the weapons and burn them, both shields and bucklers, bows and arrows, war clubs and spears, and for seven years they will make fires of them. 10 They will not take wood from the field or gather firewood from the forests, for they will make fires with the weapons; and they will take the spoil of those who despoiled them and seize the plunder of those who plundered them,” declares the Lord God.

11 “On that day I will give Gog a burial ground there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea, and it will block off those who would pass by. So they will bury Gog there with all his horde, and they will call it the valley of Hamon-gog. 12 For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land. 13 Even all the people of the land will bury them; and it will be to their renown on the day that I glorify Myself,” declares the Lord God. 14 “They will set apart men who will constantly pass through the land, burying those who were passing through, even those left on the surface of the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make a search. 15 As those who pass through the land pass through and anyone sees a man’s bone, then he will set up a marker by it until the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog. 16 And even the name of the city will be Hamonah. So they will cleanse the land.”’

17 “As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord God, ‘Speak to every kind of bird and to every beast of the field, “Assemble and come, gather from every side to My sacrifice which I am going to sacrifice for you, as a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh and drink blood. 18 You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, as though they were rams, lambs, goats and bulls, all of them fatlings of Bashan. 19 So you will eat fat until you are glutted, and drink blood until you are drunk, from My sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. 20 You will be glutted at My table with horses and charioteers, with mighty men and all the men of war,” declares the Lord God.

21 “And I will set My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them. 22 And the house of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God from that day onward. 23 The nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile for their iniquity because they acted treacherously against Me, and I hid My face from them; so I gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and all of them fell by the sword. 24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I dealt with them, and I hid My face from them.”’”

Israel Restored
25 Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name. 26 They will forget their disgrace and all their treachery which they perpetrated against Me, when they live securely on their own land with no one to make them afraid. 27 When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations. 28 Then they will know that I am the Lord their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then gathered them again to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer. 29 I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,” declares the Lord God.

Once last thing, if you have time, I recommend you read this book. 

Epicenter 2.0 by Joel Rosenberg

I found it a great book on what has happened in the middle east for the past decade and what is still to come. If you have followed me for some time, you know that I am a fan of Joel Rosenberg. Him and Anne Graham Lotz have a phenomenal series on the Book of Joel that you can find on YouTube (search harbingers).

God Bless & Happy New Year friends.

Emmanuel and the Innocence of Children

Two things I am confident about:

• The innocence of childhood is a precious gift
• Human nature is to always go astray

It is the Christmas season, and as with most everything this year, 2017, it is unique. The year of our Lord, 2017 really has been different for the world and for the area I live in:

• Houston hosted the Super Bowl
• A solar eclipse
• Hurricane Harvey
• Houston Astros won the World Series
• Donald Trump declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel
• Snow

SNOW! Yes friends, we in South East Texas had snow last week! Thursday night, early Friday morning snow fell in our area. Our house did not get dusted until after 11 pm on Thursday, I know this since I went to bed finally.

Last week was the Singing Christmas Tree put on by my church - the yearly Christmas program. My husband ended up being selected to portray Jesus through the drama, and I was in the choir (row 7 by the start of it). Every night last week my husband was at church, I was there every night but Monday. Through Wednesday we were in rehearsals, then Thursday thru Sunday we had the performances with audiences. Long nights, a crazy week, no true schedule. My kids did awesome. They did get tired, they did get cranky. But they did great. And Friday morning they got a wonderful surprise! 

SNOW!

I have never seen my Abigail sprint out of bed so quickly! And sweet Stone, he was so excited. And though they were tired, at 6 am they went outside. Abigail just walked and touched it, before making two snow angels. Stone instinctively made a snowball and threw it at his sister. My husband made a small snow man with the snow on my car. I joyfully documented their expressions, enjoying their joy! And there was still a small amount left when we got home - and is now nicely tucked inside a Tupperware container in my freezer.

Facebook was filled with pictures and videos of everyone's joy and excitement. School wasn't the smoothest last Friday. Honestly, I think us adults were just as excited as the children. And throughout the entire day, as I and others did get to work, my thoughts always went back to my children and how they responded, and the joy I had in their experience that morning.

yenu

It is Christmas, and thankfully I have just a handful of stocking stuffers to purchase. And hope to do so this weekend! We do not go over the top with gifts, we do three gifts, some larger, some small. But very thought out. Abigail is getting a Farmer Barbie (2016 Career's Collection) because the Barbie has a chicken. If you know my Abigail, you know she LOVES the chicken our friends own. I truly believe she will love this Barbie (I will be disappointed if she doesn't). Stone is getting a TNMNT mask and sword -the boy is action and weapons. I have given much thought to the items we have bought them. I have considered personalities, preferences, likes, dislikes, etc. And then God gave my children SNOW! Abigail has asked to see it for a few months now, since a friend of hers moved to Avocado (lol, Colorado) and told her he would see snow. This verse comes to mind:

Matthew 7:7-11

Ask, and It Will Be Given

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

God's gifts are always better than anything I could possibly ever give. He gives eternal life. And that is "dayenu" - that is enough, sufficient. I am not going to stress over the gifts I give, because my Heavenly Father is in control. So I am going to enjoy the memories of the innocence of my children as they played in the snow. The running around, the gasps, the massive (though slightly awkward) snowballs. That morning will always be with me.

All this brings me back to what God is trying to remind me of these days. And it is simply this:

God with us. That right there, is dayenu. That is enough. That is all I need to know. God is with us. He is with me. In my struggles, fears, tears, hopes, frustrations, dreams....He is with us. Oh friend, find comfort. If you are His, He is with you.

I love this time of year due to all the songs. Secular and Religious actually - both have wonder, joy, and spirit to them.The songs we sang at the Singing Christmas Tree were a nice mix. There is one song, that my sweet Abigail almost memorized, that lets you know who the god that is with you is. It is called, "You are Worthy" and here are the names/attributes we lifted up in praise!

HOLY

RIGHTEOUS

ROCK OF AGES

MOST HIGH

SAVIOR

SHEPHERD

FATHER

MY STRONG TOWER

COMFORT

MIGHTY WARRIOR

GREAT JEHOVAH

AWESOME HELPER

MY REDEEMER

HEALER

SOVEREIGN MASTER

MY CREATOR

GOD

That is the God who is with you.

EMMANUEL

Not Our Home

Sometimes, the big lessons God wants to teach us, He teaches us through children. And just because those lessons come from a child, does not mean they are to be discredited (the child or the lesson). Remember, 1 Timothy 4:12 (ESV), tells us, "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."

Tomorrow my oldest turns 5 years old. A whole hand old. I am trying to come to grips with this new reality. She is into Barbie, hair, makeup, drawing and coloring. Also, she likes to play at the park, swing as high as she can, look for rollie pollies, and tease her baby brother. With our schedule, and childcare arrangements for my son, her and I get at least 1 hour a day together, while driving. We have started turning off the music/news and we talk, or we sit in each others presence. It is a beautiful time together, and I am cherishing it. Many days she chatters on about nothing, or an event in her day. Most days she asks questions: when is such and such event, how many days until x, y, z, will you sing a song with me, etc.

I have thought, more than a handful of times, that she is semi prophetic. There have been times, in her few years, where she has matter of factly declared something, and is insulted if you question it. And a few times she has been right. Having worked with children for numerous years, I do recognize that children are way smarter than they are given credit for, and pick up more than we could want them to. The words that come from my children, are a mirror of my heart at times - and sometimes, that is not a pretty sight to see (hello road rage...I need to work on patience). More importantly, my relationship with both of my children, reminds me of my relationship with the LORD. Our heavenly Father is perfect, but I am far from it. But I do try to offer grace, mercy, love, and compassion to my children. And because I am a parent I also have to give discipline and correction when needed. Being a parent means being frustrated when one of my children continues to not grasp a concept of our life that they need to (bedtime, potty before bed and right after wake up, eating dinner when it is before you). In those moments, I can't help but think of how many times I have frustrated God with my continual disobedience, reluctance to follow the path He is outlining for me, talking to the person He has placed on my heart.

The LORD this week used my daughter to remind me of a few important facts. If you know me, or am around me for more than 5 minutes, you know that I am ready to be with Jesus. I long, an aching longing in my heart, for the LORD to return. Heaven is waiting, Jesus is there, no more pain, no more tears, no condemnation. And oh so much more!You also know that while I long for this, i.e. the rapture, the trumpet call, I do so understanding what it will mean on earth. And that always has me...accepting the tarrying of my LORD and Savior, because each day that we are on earth, is an opportunity for the lost to become saved, and to join the flock of the Great Shepard.

John 10:1-18 (ESV) I Am the Good Shepherd
10 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

So I long for Jesus, but I accept the waiting, because God is not done with this generation yet. He is giving grace, time, so more hearts will accept Him.

Earlier this week my heart though was aching. The USA and North Korea look like they are leaping (no longer inching) towards war, children are being abducted, parents are killing their own children, people are stealing from each other, and so much more. I feel the brokenness of the world, I feel the sin looming over every part of life. And these thoughts were in my heart and on my mind while driving home, after having picked up my son, Abigail was in the car already. Our local Christian radio station was on, and at this time of year they play a mix of Christian music and Christmas tunes. I am able to listen more to them at this time of year due to the mix. Rest of the year I prefer news and sermons.

The song, Where I Belong, by Building 429 was on.

Sometimes it feels like I’m watching
From the outside
Sometimes it feels like I’m breathing
But am I alive
I won’t keep searching for answers
That aren’t here to find
All I know is I’m not home yet
This is not where I belong
Take this world and give me Jesus
This is not where I belong
So when the walls come falling
Down on me
And when I’m lost in the current
Of a raging sea
I have this Blessed Assurance
Holding me
When the Earth shakes I want to be found in You
When the lights fade I want to be found in You

As this song was playing, all of a sudden, my daughter cried out, "Mommy, why aren't we in Heaven?" I looked back at her, surprised by the question. Before I could answer (not sure what I was going to say), she continued, "I keep praying to God, but He isn't answering me. I am asking, why won't He answer me!"

I was caught off guard, but then came to, and replied, "Honey, it isn't time. When God is ready for us to be in Heaven, He will make it happen. Until then, keep praying. He will answer when the time is right." I reached behind me and held her foot for a while (a gesture I do when I am trying to connect with her, and reassure her. She smiled at me, then turned to look out the car window.

The rest of the drive my heart pondered what she said. Here are my take aways:

• My daughter talks to God, without my promptings for/in prayer. 
• She knows enough about Heaven to know that is where she wants to be.
• She understand that God doesn't always respond.

Folks, this earth, this world is not our home. Scripture makes that abundantly clear, and the longing in our hearts tell us there is something more. There will come a day when we will be in our eternal home. Hold onto that longing. Seek God's word, pray. Don't lose sight that how things are is not how they will always be. And each day, wake up, and use the day to the glory of the LORD. Invite people to church, share verses that speak to you. In this holiday season, remember who Jesus is: 

Matthew 1:22-23, "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us)."

God is with us. He is with us! We should rejoice, we should sing, we should dance! God is with us. In this broken world, in this time of despair, God is with us. So while this world is not our home, our Messiah came down from Heaven, dwelt among us, and still is with us. Take heart, one day soon we will be with God in Heaven, and things will be right. However long it takes it takes, each day we wake still on this earth means that souls are still be redeemed, and the wrath of God is not yet poured out on humanity. 

Christmas Blessings

Ponderings

Life has been good lately.

November is coming to a close, and December is upon us. I have much to be thankful for, and I do enjoy pondering over the month of November everything that I can count as a blessing. Some years I share publicly my thanks list, some years, like this year, I keep those ponderings and musings in my heart. Having a week off with children for the holiday truly gave me time to reflect on the past and the future.

December....my favorite month. My house has been decorated for over a week already. Trees are up, ornaments hung, stockings in place, nativity sets in place. A time for baking bread and cookies. Christmas programs, driving to see lights, some cold weather (somewhat cold), hot chocolate and marshmallows. But more importantly, the birth of Jesus.

Jesus. Emmanuel....

This name of Jesus has been with me lately. This past week I created a piece of artwork for our patio area with the names/attributes of God. Down the center, an offshoot of NOEL, I put EMMANUEL. And, there is the wonderful song Emmanuel by Amy Grant - which I LOVE hearing all through the holiday season. (song link)

[1]
From the Hebrew name עִמָּנוּאֵל ('Immanu'el) meaning "God is with us". This was the foretold name of the Messiah in the Old Testament. It has been used in England since the 16th century in the spellings Emmanuel and Immanuel.

God is with us. I get so much comfort from this.

Shootings in churches, earthquakes across the globe, children being killed, countries still unable to recover from hurricanes. I have known that the world is broken (i.e. sin), but, it actually feels broken now. And this has me longing for what is to come. I am ready for my Messiah, for the trumpet call. I am dismayed that so many will be left behind, I have prayed that as many will come to acceptance of Christ before it is too late, but still my heart longs.

Part of my waking thoughts is on what is to come, the 1,000 year reign, how those of us who will reign with Christ will do so and even what our appearance will look like. My mind goes to Moses when my thought goes to that part. How after 40 days in the presence of the LORD, his appearance was radiant, his face shined, so much so, he had to wear a veil.

Exodus 34: 27-35

27 And the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 28 So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

The Shining Face of Moses
29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. 30 Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. 32 Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.

34 Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, 35 the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Can you imagine what we will look like? If we have not died bodily when the trumpet is called, then we will get to spend 7 years in the presence of the LORD.

7 years! Can you imagine the shining? The light of our appearance? What about those who have been in heaven say 10 years, 100 years....the appearance of Paul, Peter, John, Luke, Matthew? What about the Old Testament saints?

It might seem trivial, and honestly I don't think I will worry about anything once the time comes, but I enjoy thinking about the future future. The future where the world is made right, and our only reason for existence is to worship the LORD, and live in the wold as He originally intended.

[1] https://www.behindthename.com/name/emmanuel

SERMON NOTES: Fighting the Odds & Being Thankful

Pastors Dr. Jon Redmond and Dr. Charles Redmond did a phenomenal job yesterday on preaching. And I feel the need to share the messages they gave out.

NOTES: When the Odds are Against You - II Chronicles 20: 1-30

Jon pulled his lesson together after the win of the Houston Astros, which was astounding considering the teams the beat: the Yankees and the Dodgers. It is a great feat, not to be undermined. But the odds were against the Astros, and so the underdogs won. Jon could have easily pulled the historical narratives of David & Goliath, Moses and the Plagues on Egypt, Abraham & Sarah having a child, Joseph sold into slavery. God's people have historically always fought against the odds. Our salvation tells us this. Against all odds, all logical, God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us, so we can be with Him, worship and adore Him for all eternity.

But no, Jon did not pull from the well known stories of our history, he went to the story of Jehoshaphat, in II Chronicles 20:1-30.

• Jehoshaphat was a King of Judah
• A godly man, not perfect, but he did right in the eyes of God.
• And 3 armies joined forces and came against him and Isreal
• Moabites
• Ammonites
• Some of the Meunites (Syria)

So this massive combined army is coming against the kingdom, we learn this in verse 1 & 2. In verse 3 & 4 we see:

Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

Jehoshaphat did 3 things, and they brought about a victory in spite of the odds.

1. Turn to God
2. Wait on a word from God (receive)
3. Watch God work

Now Jon only focused on point 1 this Sunday, and he plans to expound on the other two points in the weeks to come.

So what does it mean to "Turn to God"?

First of all, you seek God, you pray, you fast. 

And when you pray, you praise God, acknowledge His:

• Power
• Provision
• Presence
• the Purpose He has given you.

II Chronicles 20: 5-9: 

And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?  And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying,  ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’

Then, in you prayer, our out your heart to God. Be honest with Him (He already knows your heart). Jehoshaphat did this very thing:

• Doesn't seem fair
• God could have stopped it (verse 10 & 11)
• And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy - behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit.
• Future is injeopardy
• Nothing we can do

Finally, decided to focus on God, verse 12, "O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

That needs to be our focus, with the battles all around, the tragedies, the deaths, the natural disasters. We need to have our eyes on the LORD.

NOTES: Two Powerful Words - Deuteronomy 6:10-12

Not from the sermon:

It is the month of November. During this month, your Facebook feed will probably be filled with daily "I am thankful for..." posts. I have done them in years past, and believe it is a good habit actually. I am going to work on my own list, privately this year, not publicly. But it is good to see people being thankful. 

Deuteronomy 6:10-12 (ESV)

“And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Pastor Charles believes, and I see where he is coming from, that society as a whole could be more thankful. There is power in two little words, "thank you." His focus was on the later part of verse 12. When we eat and are full, that is when we tend to neglect having a thankful heart. There is nothing wrong with food, and we should be thankful for our food. Millions go hungry daily in our world, and we in America really do not know this too well. There are those who go without, and that is a travesty. When we do get food, and are tummies are no longer crying out, we get content. When food easily comes, we don't stop to think about how lucky, how blessed we are to have it. 

Let us remember James 1:17.

Everything we have, every good gift (food, salvation, clothing, housing) comes from God. When was the last time you told God, "thank you"? We all, hopefully most of us, give a blessing before we eat. But, outside of that, do we say thank you to God for the food we have?

On your list, if you are making a November Thankful List, make sure to add food to that list, but also, that Christ is our righteousness:

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

With the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 Thesis to the Catholic church door, we should all be eternally grateful and thankful that Christ is our righteousness.

I challenge you today to take time and tell God "thank you" for your food, His righteousness, and all that is put upon your heart.

Tragedy in Texas

Yesterday morning, while my family was at church, learning God's word, singing praises to His Holy name, a few hours away, another church, was devastated. As that church congregation gathered to do what I was doing with several hundred others, an evil man came in with a gun, and fired on that congregation.

Yesterday, 26 saints of God went to heaven. The youngest an 18 month old; 12 to 14 of the victims were children; and the pastor's own 14 year old daughter in that number. Roughly 20 others were injured, at least half of those are still in critical condition.

Friends, nothing is sacred, nothing is holy anymore. When I go to church, to worship, praise, and study the word of God, I leave the world behind. I do all I can to leave my worries at the door, at the cross, so I can focus on God. But last night, when I went to church, I was watchful, I was leery. The choir sang a phenomenal song, we have practiced it for weeks. But there was a weight on my heart, and I feel on the hearts of many because of the news we received after leaving church that morning.

I reference the Sandy Hook incident often in my writings, due to it happening right after the birth of my daughter Abigail. I was new to motherhood, and the flood of emotions of having a life to care for, to tend to, to protect...Sandy Hook stirred those even more. And I felt that the little bubble I had created at home with her was pricked when I finally turned on the news that December day. I was in a hormonal haze that had me thinking the world was perfect. I knew, and know, that the world is not perfect. But, there was an innocence to that chapter of my life, that abruptly ended with the devastation of that school shooting.

And yesterday...I feel we are in the last seconds of this current age, and I know things are ramping up as a woman in labor, but I was shocked by the events of yesterday. This isn't the first church shooting in recent years, and not the first shooting incident period. In the past few months there was Las Vegas, and even the terror in New York just a week or so ago. We barely have time to recover, reestablish a new sense of normal, and there is another incident, lives taken, communities shattered. Upon hearing about the death of the pastor's child, my heart just hurt. The entire event is a travesty, but lets think about that man and his life. He is a pastor, the shepherd to his flock. He needs to tend to them, the families that have lost loved ones. And he needs to do that all while he is in mourning, his baby was taken from him suddenly, and he wasn't there. It is almost too much to endure. I am praying for that poor man, that he will endure, he will have strength, and that he will live out a testimony for Christ, that even though he is dealing with a loss, he will still serve, be faithful, and help others.

I hugged my children a bit more yesterday, cuddled longer than normal, breathed them in. We are not promised tomorrow, and we do not know how our time will end. We need to do as much as we can each day we are blessed to have.  Let us remember this:

Psalm 34:18 (ESV)

 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted

and saves the crushed in spirit.

And this:

Right now we need to pray for those who lost loved ones, the pastor to have strength, the first responders to be brave and to recover, and that the light of Jesus will shine bright in this situation.

Culture of Idols

Our pastor previously has encouraged everyone to have a few verses that they call life verses. We were to memorize these verses, and have been encouraged to read them daily. I accepted this challenge. And one of my verses is:

In 2002, the show American Idol came out, and everyone I knew was watching it. But I recoiled at the name. I am confident I was saved a few years prior, and while my faith wasn't the strongest, I was trying to grow closer to the LORD. And I feel in my heart that the Holy Spirit put that recoil in my heart, so I would not watch that show.

My first stepfather used to call my Hollywood. I always wore sunglasses in the house, played dress up, and yeah, it was my nickname. He even called me it, after a decade of not seeing him, when my brother graduated high school. And I thought it was a cool pet name. I remember growing up, actors/actresses were Hollywood Stars. But as I grew up, that went away. Then in 2002 the show came out.

And in the years since, I have come to realize why God gave the first commandment, and the second:

Exodus 20 (ESV) - The Ten Commandments

And God spoke all these words, saying,

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

I have come to learn that the order God gives His words matter, how He starts His words and ends them matters too. All of God's words matter, but He puts an emphasis on certain parts, because we as humans fail, need extra direction and guidance.

God want's to be first in our life.

Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

These 4 verses are so important, and more than relevant these days.  John warned us to keep from idols. He did so, because, our hearts are deceptive and we easily go astray. Now, in his time, idols, the false gods, were little tokens, statues, etc. Man made items that could not talk/walk/think. And here we are around 2,000 years later, and not much has changed. We might not have blatant altars and statues. But we are surrounded by idols. Food, television, computers, smart phones, shopping, hobbies.

We put all of these things before God on a daily basis. And I am no better than anyone else. When you do not make time to pray and read your Bible daily because you are too busy, well...what do you have time for? How many times did you browse Facebook? Did you clean up your emails? Did you get your 3 mile run in? What did you listen to while driving your kids to school and yourself to work?

This past week was the World Series of Baseball. And our hometown team, the Houston Astros played. I am not a sports chick. I will go to games, watch occasionally on t.v., but I honestly don't care for any of it. My life is not made better by it, or worse, it has no impact on my life. Normally. This past week though, my Facebook feed was packed with orange. Everyone excited for the games, emotions running high and low, people decked out in the colors. I let my kids dress up for school once or twice, there is no harm in minor participation. Honestly, I only stayed up the last night, and even fell asleep before the game ended. Houston won! And the frenzy only increased. HISD closed down on Friday (it appeared to be for the parade, so students could go, but it was because the school buses could not transverse due to the parade). Oh and the parade. Parts of the city closed down, thousands of people in attendance, kids taken out of school, families in line for hours for merchandise, news coverage wall-to-wall.

Life is tough. Houston not even 2 1/2 months ago was devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Many people still have not recovered. This was a break and a relief. I an not against that. I have my luxuries, my little pleasures. And I pray that God would convict me if any of those started to consume my life. Because if they are consuming my life, they are coming before Him. It takes work to stay focused on God, and not let idols come before Him.

Now, lets go back to Hollywood and American Idol. I truly believe America is a land of idols, that we are putting everything before God. And God is starting to remove the scales from our eyes to see how destructive these idols WE make are to our lives. In the past week or so, it has come out that major producers and actors have abused power given to them to abuse, molest, and harm others. And horrific stories keep coming out about the different abuses. We, as society, have allowed these individuals to be paid ridiculous money,share their worldly opinions with all, and be an influence in our lives. And many of them apparently have been abused or been abusers. The appear to have everything: glitter, gold, friends, riches, glory. But it is all falling apart. And apparently this false world has existed for decades.

John was wise to end 1 John with his words, "Little children, keep yourself from idols." The offer no hope, no future, and pry our focus off of God. Who needs to be our first search, in all that we do. We need to focus on Him, put Him first in our lives. If we do that, He will work things out for us.

I recommend reading the Book of 1 John, it's theme is "-God is Love."

ARTICLE: The Luther Family and the Reformation of Marriage

I love learning about church history. And today being the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 thesis to the door of the church, and the fact that my ministry emphasis is marriage, coming across this article had me excited!

Please take time to read this. Marriage's under attack is not a new thing, in fact, it has been happening since the very first marriage: Adam & Eve.

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/book-review-katharina-and-martin-luther-radical-marriage

These three highlights are outstanding:

1. Marriage done God’s way is a pathway to abundant joy.

2. The home is a little church, and parenting is a holy vocation.

3. A faithful Proverbs 31 woman is not a passive, demurring wife.

Just those three statements alone, show you how wonderful marriage can be and should be. God's word is not dormant, it is alive, and His plan for us is joyous!

The Star of Bethlehem Documentary 2007

Friends, I recommend that everyone watch this documentary. It is outstanding, and eye opening. I have watched this with family, my Sunday School Group, and by myself numerous times.

Two Separate Events: The Rapture & The Second Coming

I came across this today in some reading, and I thought I would share.

http://www.unsealed.org/2017/10/messiahs-lament.html

The Book of Joel

What do you know of the Book of Joel? Do you know anything about the man himself? Do you know how many chapters there are in the Book of Joel?

To be honest, most people avoid, some intentionally, some without realizing, this tiny book. Why? It is about biblical prophesy. And that right there "biblical prophesy" makes people turn away from it because they think a person needs a PHD in Theology or Seminary to understand it.

I have become very familiar that last few months on the Book of Joel through a series of videos done by Anne Graham Lotz and Joel C Rosenburg on the subjects of harbingers. The series is from 2015, but the fact remains, the series fits even more so today with its message. I am going to share links to the video sessions below, but before you do, let's read the book of Joel.

Joel 1- English Standard Version (ESV)

1 The word of the Lord that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel:

An Invasion of Locusts

² Hear this, you elders;
    give ear, all inhabitants of the land!
Has such a thing happened in your days,
    or in the days of your fathers?
³ Tell your children of it,
    and let your children tell their children,
    and their children to another generation.

⁴ What the cutting locust left,
    the swarming locust has eaten.
What the swarming locust left,
    the hopping locust has eaten,
and what the hopping locust left,
    the destroying locust has eaten.

⁵ Awake, you drunkards, and weep,
    and wail, all you drinkers of wine,
because of the sweet wine,
    for it is cut off from your mouth.
⁶ For a nation has come up against my land,
    powerful and beyond number;
its teeth are lions' teeth,
    and it has the fangs of a lioness.
⁷ It has laid waste my vine
    and splintered my fig tree;
it has stripped off their bark and thrown it down;
    their branches are made white.

⁸ Lament like a virgin^[a] wearing sackcloth
    for the bridegroom of her youth.
⁹ The grain offering and the drink offering are cut off
    from the house of the Lord.
The priests mourn,
    the ministers of the Lord.
¹⁰ The fields are destroyed,
    the ground mourns,
because the grain is destroyed,
    the wine dries up,
    the oil languishes.

¹¹ Be ashamed,^[b] O tillers of the soil;
    wail, O vinedressers,
for the wheat and the barley,
    because the harvest of the field has perished.
¹² The vine dries up;
    the fig tree languishes.
Pomegranate, palm, and apple,
    all the trees of the field are dried up,
and gladness dries up
    from the children of man.

A Call to Repentance

¹³ Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests;
    wail, O ministers of the altar.
Go in, pass the night in sackcloth,
    O ministers of my God!
Because grain offering and drink offering
    are withheld from the house of your God.

¹⁴ Consecrate a fast;
    call a solemn assembly.
Gather the elders
    and all the inhabitants of the land
to the house of the Lord your God,
    and cry out to the Lord.

¹⁵ Alas for the day!
For the day of the Lord is near,
    and as destruction from the Almighty^[c] it comes.
¹⁶ Is not the food cut off
    before our eyes,
joy and gladness
    from the house of our God?

¹⁷ The seed shrivels under the clods;^[d]
    the storehouses are desolate;
the granaries are torn down
    because the grain has dried up.
¹⁸ How the beasts groan!
    The herds of cattle are perplexed
because there is no pasture for them;
    even the flocks of sheep suffer.^[e]

¹⁹ To you, O Lord, I call.
For fire has devoured
    the pastures of the wilderness,
and flame has burned
    all the trees of the field.
²⁰ Even the beasts of the field pant for you
    because the water brooks are dried up,
and fire has devoured
    the pastures of the wilderness.

Footnotes:

1. Joel 1:8 Or young woman
2. Joel 1:11 The Hebrew words for dry up and be ashamed in verses 10–12, 17 sound alike
3. Joel 1:15 Destruction sounds like the Hebrew for Almighty
4. Joel 1:17 The meaning of the Hebrew line is uncertain
5. Joel 1:18 Or are made desolate

Joel 2 - English Standard Version (ESV)

The Day of the Lord

2 Blow a trumpet in Zion;
    sound an alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
    for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near,
² a day of darkness and gloom,
    a day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains
    a great and powerful people;
their like has never been before,
    nor will be again after them
    through the years of all generations.

³ Fire devours before them,
    and behind them a flame burns.
The land is like the garden of Eden before them,
    but behind them a desolate wilderness,
    and nothing escapes them.

⁴ Their appearance is like the appearance of horses,
    and like war horses they run.
⁵ As with the rumbling of chariots,
    they leap on the tops of the mountains,
like the crackling of a flame of fire
    devouring the stubble,
like a powerful army
    drawn up for battle.

⁶ Before them peoples are in anguish;
    all faces grow pale.
⁷ Like warriors they charge;
    like soldiers they scale the wall.
They march each on his way;
    they do not swerve from their paths.
⁸ They do not jostle one another;
    each marches in his path;
they burst through the weapons
    and are not halted.
⁹ They leap upon the city,
    they run upon the walls,
they climb up into the houses,
    they enter through the windows like a thief.

¹⁰ The earth quakes before them;
    the heavens tremble.
The sun and the moon are darkened,
    and the stars withdraw their shining.
¹¹ The Lord utters his voice
    before his army,
for his camp is exceedingly great;
    he who executes his word is powerful.
For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome;
    who can endure it?

Return to the Lord

¹² “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
    “return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
¹³     and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
    for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
    and he relents over disaster.
¹⁴ Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
    and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
    for the Lord your God?

¹⁵ Blow the trumpet in Zion;
    consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
¹⁶     gather the people.
Consecrate the congregation;
    assemble the elders;
gather the children,
    even nursing infants.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
    and the bride her chamber.

¹⁷ Between the vestibule and the altar
    let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep
and say, “Spare your people, O Lord,
    and make not your heritage a reproach,
    a byword among the nations.^[a]
Why should they say among the peoples,
    ‘Where is their God?’”

The Lord Had Pity

¹⁸ Then the Lord became jealous for his land
    and had pity on his people.
¹⁹ The Lord answered and said to his people,
“Behold, I am sending to you
    grain, wine, and oil,
    and you will be satisfied;
and I will no more make you
    a reproach among the nations.

²⁰ “I will remove the northerner far from you,
    and drive him into a parched and desolate land,
his vanguard^[b] into the eastern sea,
    and his rear guard^[c] into the western sea;
the stench and foul smell of him will rise,
    for he has done great things.

²¹ “Fear not, O land;
    be glad and rejoice,
    for the Lord has done great things!
²² Fear not, you beasts of the field,
    for the pastures of the wilderness are green;
the tree bears its fruit;
    the fig tree and vine give their full yield.

²³ “Be glad, O children of Zion,
    and rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given the early rain for your vindication;
    he has poured down for you abundant rain,
    the early and the latter rain, as before.

²⁴ “The threshing floors shall be full of grain;
    the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
²⁵ I will restore^[d] to you the years
    that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
    my great army, which I sent among you.

²⁶ “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
    and praise the name of the Lord your God,
    who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
²⁷ You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
    and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.

The Lord Will Pour Out His Spirit

^28 [e] “And it shall come to pass afterward,
    that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
    your old men shall dream dreams,
    and your young men shall see visions.
²⁹ Even on the male and female servants
    in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

³⁰ “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. ³¹ The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. ³² And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.

Footnotes:

1. Joel 2:17 Or reproach, that the nations should rule over them
2. Joel 2:20 Hebrew face
3. Joel 2:20 Hebrew his end
4. Joel 2:25 Or pay back
5. Joel 2:28 Ch 3:1 in Hebrew

 

Joel 3- English Standard Version (ESV)

The Lord Judges the Nations

3 ^[a] “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, ² I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land, ³ and have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it.

⁴ “What are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back for something? If you are paying me back, I will return your payment on your own head swiftly and speedily. ⁵ For you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my rich treasures into your temples.^{[b] 6} You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks in order to remove them far from their own border. ⁷ Behold, I will stir them up from the place to which you have sold them, and I will return your payment on your own head. ⁸ I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far away, for the Lord has spoken.”

⁹ Proclaim this among the nations:
Consecrate for war;^[c]
    stir up the mighty men.
Let all the men of war draw near;
    let them come up.
¹⁰ Beat your plowshares into swords,
    and your pruning hooks into spears;
    let the weak say, “I am a warrior.”

¹¹ Hasten and come,
    all you surrounding nations,
    and gather yourselves there.
Bring down your warriors, O Lord.
¹² Let the nations stir themselves up
    and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
for there I will sit to judge
    all the surrounding nations.

¹³ Put in the sickle,
    for the harvest is ripe.
Go in, tread,
    for the winepress is full.
The vats overflow,
    for their evil is great.

¹⁴ Multitudes, multitudes,
    in the valley of decision!
For the day of the Lord is near
    in the valley of decision.
¹⁵ The sun and the moon are darkened,
    and the stars withdraw their shining.

¹⁶ The Lord roars from Zion,
    and utters his voice from Jerusalem,
    and the heavens and the earth quake.
But the Lord is a refuge to his people,
    a stronghold to the people of Israel.

The Glorious Future of Judah

¹⁷ “So you shall know that I am the Lord your God,
    who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain.
And Jerusalem shall be holy,
    and strangers shall never again pass through it.

¹⁸ “And in that day
the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
    and the hills shall flow with milk,
and all the streambeds of Judah
    shall flow with water;
and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord
    and water the Valley of Shittim.

¹⁹ “Egypt shall become a desolation
    and Edom a desolate wilderness,
for the violence done to the people of Judah,
    because they have shed innocent blood in their land.
²⁰ But Judah shall be inhabited forever,
    and Jerusalem to all generations.
²¹ I will avenge their blood,
    blood I have not avenged,^[d]
    for the Lord dwells in Zion.”

Footnotes:

1. Joel 3:1 Ch 4:1 in Hebrew
2. Joel 3:5 Or palaces
3. Joel 3:9 Or Consecrate a war
4. Joel 3:21 Or I will acquit their bloodguilt that I have not acquitted

Here are the links to the videos:

Session One (36:58 in length)
Session Two (52:24 in length)
Session Three (54:40 in length)
Session Four (1:12:58 in length)
Session Five (1:08:15 in length)
Session Six (57:58  in length)
Session Seven (1:07:44 in length)

It will take some time, but I recommend sitting down in front of your computer, with your Bible, a notepad, pen, and a highlighter. You will not stay in the Book of Joel, you will do cross references, but you will see God's warnings clearly, and your life will be better for getting to know this wonderful Book of the Bible.