WEBVTT 00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:04.879 It's time now for the rope with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:00:06.480 --> 00:00:14.000 You see, the patience of God is the long-suffering of God for us to have time to repent. 00:00:15.199 --> 00:00:16.719 Because he loves you. 00:00:17.039 --> 00:00:20.559 But if you don't repent, he's coming. 00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:24.239 He's coming and he can sweep it all away. 00:00:25.039 --> 00:00:26.559 In a moment in time. 00:00:27.039 --> 00:00:28.480 Repent tonight. 00:00:29.039 --> 00:00:31.280 Get right with Jesus tonight. 00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:34.079 It's what you've always longed for. 00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:36.880 Have a personal, intimate. 00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:41.280 Relationship with Jesus Christ. 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:46.560 Welcome to another edition of The Road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:51.520 Steve is the head pastor of The Road in Colorado Springs, Colorado. 00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:59.280 It's our vision to make wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ and to see you grow in the grace and knowledge of his love. 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:09.840 If you're in the area, we meet at Chapel Hills Church, located at 2025 Harleman Drive, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80920. 00:01:10.079 --> 00:01:14.719 You can go to our website at theroad.org for service times. 00:01:14.879 --> 00:01:17.280 That's thheroad.org. 00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:22.799 Here now with today's message is Pastor Teacher Steve Hope. 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:28.239 So we are at the end of Joel. 00:01:28.319 --> 00:01:30.000 This is our last message on Joel. 00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:31.519 Then we're going to go into Revelation. 00:01:31.680 --> 00:01:33.359 We're in chapter three. 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:39.920 Last week Victor spoke on the great harvest in his entertaining way. 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:46.079 I thought he was the best to do that because he is a Capital E evangelist. 00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:51.120 And if anybody's got a heart for evangelism, it's Victor Marks. 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:52.959 And I thought he did a great job. 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:58.319 But as we go into chapter three, we're actually looking at the last days of the last days. 00:01:58.719 --> 00:02:04.480 As I said before, I feel like that the book of Joel is a cliff's notes for the book of Revelation. 00:02:04.640 --> 00:02:06.640 It's a preface to the book of Revelation. 00:02:06.719 --> 00:02:15.280 It's actually kind of a generic look at the entire book of Revelation, just in the book of Joel, and we call it the marks of the last days church. 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:17.199 And so we start at the beginning. 00:02:17.360 --> 00:02:21.120 Remember in chapter one, the locusts devouring the land. 00:02:21.280 --> 00:02:25.599 And we talked about demonic activity devouring our nation right now. 00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:32.719 We talked about the devouring hordes of rising demonic power across the globe. 00:02:32.879 --> 00:02:40.960 And that what God's doing is he's allowing the enemy, the restrainer is being lifted, as it talks about in Thessalonians. 00:02:41.039 --> 00:02:50.479 The restrainer is being lifted, and there's going to be greater, more intense demonic activity than the world has ever known before. 00:02:50.800 --> 00:03:04.319 Simultaneously, in those that are allowing the Holy Spirit to fill them, those that are that are word-rooted people, the power of the Holy Spirit is going to rise in the latter days. 00:03:05.120 --> 00:03:08.560 And so we looked at the marks of the last days church. 00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:17.120 And so we did week after week in dealing with those aspects of what are those marks of churches that God's going to mightily use. 00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:28.080 So now, and you can go online and listen to those, but as we close, we come to this part of Joel that's really unique. 00:03:28.879 --> 00:03:34.400 And for those that hate Israel, this is really a bad chapter for you. 00:03:34.879 --> 00:03:44.159 Because uh, because God is going to raise up Israel in the latter days and he's going to save a nation. 00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:50.639 And so in chapter three, we're actually going to be looking at probably Armageddon. 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:54.639 This is a preface to and a summation of Armageddon. 00:03:54.719 --> 00:03:55.360 Let me just say this. 00:03:55.439 --> 00:03:56.240 Someone once said this. 00:03:56.400 --> 00:03:57.039 I don't know where I heard. 00:03:57.199 --> 00:04:01.280 I think it was one of the times when I was in Israel, probably one of our guides said this. 00:04:01.840 --> 00:04:08.719 If we are God's chosen people, we wouldn't mind if he would choose someone else. 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:20.399 And the reason is because Israel has been through so much difficulty and so much tragedy and so much war throughout their history. 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:26.000 There's a Jewish proverb that says, No misfortune avoids a Jew. 00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:33.920 And so in chapter three, what we're seeing is we're seeing what God's heart is in the latter days for Israel. 00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:38.959 So turn in your Bibles or look on your app at chapter 3, verse 1 of Joel. 00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:45.120 For behold, in those days, and now he's talking about the harvest, the end times harvest that we talked about last week. 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:57.120 For behold, in those days, and at that time, when I bring back, listen, the captives of Judah and Jerusalem. 00:04:57.600 --> 00:04:59.199 Now, don't miss this. 00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:03.519 And I was listening to a lecture by Joel Rosenberg, who's a completed Jew. 00:05:03.680 --> 00:05:10.879 Here's it, you know, he's written all the end times books, and and uh and Joel has spoken at one of my churches before. 00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:13.199 And Joel's a great guy, but he's Jewish. 00:05:13.279 --> 00:05:15.120 And he says, Don't miss this. 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:23.040 Don't miss this as Gentiles reading the book of Joel, that it is clearly a Jewish book. 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:33.680 That this is a book of encouragement to Jews, that God is going to, in the latter days, bring the Jews back to Israel. 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:34.800 Verse 2. 00:05:35.040 --> 00:05:41.839 I will also gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. 00:05:42.959 --> 00:05:56.959 And I will enter into judgment with them there, on account of my people, my heritage, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations. 00:05:57.439 --> 00:06:01.439 They have also divided up my land. 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:08.560 In the latter days, church, there is going to be a work of the Spirit. 00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:11.519 God's going to be bringing the Jews back to Israel. 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:16.879 We see that beginning in 1946, 47, and 48, becoming a nation. 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:29.680 We could go through the history of what God's done in that period of time, which is just flat amazing, with the wars and the victories of Israel, surrounded by enemies on every side. 00:06:29.920 --> 00:06:31.199 Just amazing stories. 00:06:31.279 --> 00:06:33.680 And I'll go into it when we get into Revelation. 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:38.879 But the reality is God's gonna bring back the nation of Israel. 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:40.240 We've already seen that happen. 00:06:40.399 --> 00:06:43.759 But there's also gonna be this spiritual outpouring. 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:48.160 So it's not just a physicality of God bringing Israel back. 00:06:52.399 --> 00:06:56.240 And they're gonna recognize the Messiah Jesus. 00:06:56.560 --> 00:07:07.360 They're gonna recognize the Messiah Jesus, even as God is gathering the other nations into this valley of decision, this valley of Jehosaphat. 00:07:07.759 --> 00:07:09.360 And I'll come back to that. 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:26.000 Paul, who, if anybody could have begun to get bitter about his own people, it would have been Paul, just beaten times without number, on the run, you know, top 10 most wanted for the Mossad, it was probably Paul. 00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:36.720 And uh and yet he said in Romans, there's a day coming, as he prophesied this in Romans chapter 11, there's a day coming where God is going to save Israel. 00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:38.240 He's going to save Israel. 00:07:38.399 --> 00:07:40.000 Romans 11, 25. 00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:44.000 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery. 00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:58.079 And it is a mystery, it's really an enigma, lest you should be wise in your own opinion that for now a blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles. 00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:01.439 Men and women, we are the fullness of the Gentiles. 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:06.240 We are the fruit of the fullness of the Gentiles. 00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:10.639 And so all Israel will be saved. 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:18.720 As it is written, the deliverer will come out of Zion, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob. 00:08:19.040 --> 00:08:24.560 For this is my covenant with them, meaning Israel, when I take away their sins. 00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:29.120 Now, what does he mean by the fullness of the Gentiles? 00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:30.959 Well, that's a whole nother discussion. 00:08:31.040 --> 00:08:33.440 That's a two-hour discussion, but let me just say this in brief. 00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:49.039 What it means is it appears in Scripture, prophetically, that there's a point where God, in his economy and in his strategy and plan for the latter days, there will be a fullness. 00:08:49.840 --> 00:08:57.759 There will be a fullness of what he wants to do in the Gentile nations, and then he's going to turn toward Israel, and he's going to start a work there. 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:02.080 And it is going to be an end-times revival. 00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:11.200 And you can imagine just from looking at the Apostle Paul as an example, and the and the 11 of the 12 apostles who died martyrs' death. 00:09:11.360 --> 00:09:19.759 You get a Jew on fire for anything, and you better get out of the way. 00:09:20.080 --> 00:09:22.000 You better get out of the way. 00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:35.120 And so there's going to be this revival among, there's going to be 144,000 Jewish evangelists, not Jehovah's Witnesses, by the way, that are going to be used mightily by God. 00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:38.480 We're going to cover that more when we get into Revelation. 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:42.799 And then Jeremiah prophesied of that day. 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:49.279 In those days, Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely. 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:55.519 And this is the name by which he will be called the Lord our righteousness. 00:09:56.080 --> 00:10:06.639 So this banner over the Israeli nation, this banner over the Jewish people, will be the Lord our righteousness. 00:10:07.039 --> 00:10:08.960 Joel's prophesying that. 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:31.039 Indeed, what have you to do with me, O Tyre and Sidon and all the coast of Philistine? 00:10:31.679 --> 00:10:34.080 Will you retaliate against me? 00:10:34.480 --> 00:10:41.919 But if you retaliate against me swiftly and speedily, I will return your retaliation upon your own head. 00:10:42.159 --> 00:10:44.720 This is a judgment upon the nations. 00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:47.840 Because you have taken my silver and my gold. 00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:53.919 I think it's interesting how possessive God is over his people. 00:10:54.080 --> 00:10:55.440 He calls them my people. 00:10:55.600 --> 00:10:57.679 Do you guys realize you're his people? 00:10:58.399 --> 00:11:02.320 That God, God is really zealous for you. 00:11:02.559 --> 00:11:04.639 He's really zealous for your family. 00:11:04.799 --> 00:11:06.320 He's zealous for your kids. 00:11:06.559 --> 00:11:08.399 He's zealous for your grandchildren. 00:11:08.559 --> 00:11:10.639 He's zealous for your home. 00:11:10.960 --> 00:11:12.159 He loves you. 00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:14.159 He wants to fight for you. 00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:15.919 He wants to protect you. 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:18.639 You and I are his people right now. 00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:21.279 He's zealous about that. 00:11:22.559 --> 00:11:23.759 Believe that. 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:25.039 Trust that. 00:11:25.519 --> 00:11:26.720 Fight for that. 00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:37.360 When you go into prayer because you've got a son or a daughter that's messing up, when you go into prayer about your finances because you're struggling, God is for you. 00:11:38.960 --> 00:11:41.120 He's ready to battle for you. 00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:46.879 He's ready to take his spirit and his angels and move you forward. 00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:48.720 Believe him for that. 00:11:48.960 --> 00:12:00.399 Remember when we were beginning, we were beginning Joel in chapter one, and we were talking about the locusts coming over the land, and we were talking about the locust on the church and America and stuff. 00:12:00.559 --> 00:12:15.360 And I said to you, the number one tragedy, the number one issue, the number one sin in America is not pornography, and it's not sex and it's not abortion. 00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:17.360 It is unbelief. 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:20.960 Unbelief in the church. 00:12:21.759 --> 00:12:31.440 That we believe God for what he can do through our lives and the miracles that could be happening in our lives if we just trust him and believe us. 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:34.240 I'm reading this and I'm going, wow, he's saying it. 00:12:34.799 --> 00:12:37.360 He's speaking this about Israel. 00:12:37.679 --> 00:12:40.960 Your gold and silver is my gold and silver. 00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:45.360 You guys know your bank accounts, those are God's bank accounts. 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:47.039 He wants to protect them. 00:12:47.279 --> 00:12:49.039 He wants to see you flourish. 00:12:49.279 --> 00:12:52.000 He wants to see you use your time wisely. 00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:53.679 He gave you talents. 00:12:54.799 --> 00:12:56.399 Allie's my assistant now. 00:12:56.559 --> 00:12:58.480 And she sent me this little thing. 00:12:58.559 --> 00:12:59.759 She's always sending me stuff now. 00:12:59.840 --> 00:13:01.919 I get all kinds of stuff now from Allie. 00:13:02.159 --> 00:13:05.039 But she said she sent me this thing on personality tests. 00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:08.879 And it's, I think it was called 16personalities.com or something. 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:10.320 So I just clicked on it. 00:13:10.559 --> 00:13:11.919 Well, it's only 50 questions. 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:13.200 I can dig that. 00:13:13.440 --> 00:13:19.039 I've done FIRO B and Anderson C and all these different personality tests. 00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:20.399 And there's like 300 questions. 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:21.679 I don't have time for that. 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:24.639 Like the lady on YouTube ain't got no time for that. 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:26.799 And uh I just don't have time. 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:29.679 But this is 50 questions, so I did it, you know. 00:13:29.919 --> 00:13:37.279 The reality is God gave you a personality, and he gave you talents and gifts, and it was to flourish. 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:41.919 You know, he said, some have been given five talents, some have been given two, and some have been given one. 00:13:42.080 --> 00:13:48.320 And he wants us to multiply those gifts and talents that he's given to us. 00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:52.000 You're his child. 00:13:53.120 --> 00:13:54.559 And so I just see it right here. 00:13:54.639 --> 00:13:57.840 He's talking about Israel, but he's really talking about us because we're children of God. 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:05.679 He says, Because you've taken my silver and my gold, and you have carried them into your temples and my prizessions, verse six. 00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:17.200 Also the people of Judah and the people of Jerusalem, you have sold to the Greeks, that you may remove them far from their borders, verse 7. 00:14:17.440 --> 00:14:27.679 Behold, I will raise them out of the place to which you have sold them, and will return your retaliation upon your own head. 00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:42.399 I will sell your sons and daughters into the hand of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabians, to a people far off, for the Lord has spoken. 00:14:43.679 --> 00:14:46.480 Justice is coming, church. 00:14:46.960 --> 00:15:07.519 Justice is coming to those who have been oppressed, those who have been persecuted, those who have been ripped off, those that have been sold into sex slavery, those that have seen their land stolen from them, those that are refugees, those who are on the run that nobody on this earth cares about, God sees them. 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:24.559 And if they'll turn and they'll turn away from Allah, and they'll turn to Jesus Christ, who's their Lord and Savior, and He becomes their Father, and He becomes their protector, and He becomes their mighty one, justice is coming. 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:26.720 Justice is coming. 00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:31.519 We may not see it in our lifetime, church, if the Lord tarries. 00:15:32.720 --> 00:15:36.720 But there's a day coming when justice will be done. 00:15:36.799 --> 00:15:44.559 We're going to study in Revelation the martyrs, the martyrs weeping at the altar before the Lord for justice on the earth. 00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:46.159 And the Lord says, It's coming. 00:15:46.399 --> 00:15:47.039 It's coming. 00:15:47.120 --> 00:15:48.000 That's what he's speaking of. 00:15:48.159 --> 00:15:50.320 He's coming, that day is coming. 00:15:50.960 --> 00:15:58.000 And those nations that have persecuted the Jews will be held accountable. 00:15:58.720 --> 00:16:02.399 Verse 14 talks about the valley of decision, Jehoshaphat. 00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:08.159 The valley of Jehoshaphat is mentioned nowhere else in the Bible but here. 00:16:08.879 --> 00:16:12.320 Jehoshaphat means the Lord judges. 00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:18.480 And this is probably symbolic of the plain of Estra Elon. 00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:20.480 Estra Elon. 00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:24.559 Estra Elon is the plains of Megiddo. 00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:35.120 It's where many of the great ancient battles were fought, and it is known in Revelation as Armageddon. 00:16:36.159 --> 00:16:57.600 Joel mentions the sins that have been committed against Israel, scattering them among the nations, selling them into slavery, treating them like cheap merchandise for which people have cast lots, plundering their land and stealing their wealth. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:09.759 And we could go on and on with the travesties and the injustices against the Jews and against believers who are God's people. 00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:15.119 God is going to bring justice. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:25.359 If he doesn't judge evil, he's a good God. 00:17:26.720 --> 00:17:28.640 And he's going to judge evil. 00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:36.640 And men and women, according to the faithfulness of your own life, you're going to be rewarded. 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:49.599 One of the joys of being with Ruth before she died was reading the book Heaven to Her by Randy Alcorn. 00:17:50.079 --> 00:17:52.240 And I've read it before, but I read it again. 00:17:52.559 --> 00:17:53.279 Parts of it. 00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:55.279 And it seemed like she always fell asleep. 00:17:55.680 --> 00:17:56.880 So, whatever. 00:17:57.119 --> 00:18:03.359 But I'm like reading it, and it's like, and I remember, I think it was Charity said, Dad, she's asleep. 00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:06.559 And I go, I know, but I'm really into it, you know. 00:18:06.720 --> 00:18:08.000 So I would like to dig it. 00:18:08.079 --> 00:18:11.920 So I don't know if she heard much, but she's now experiencing, so it doesn't matter anyway. 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:16.000 But it's like I'm reading it and I'm like, oh, this is so good. 00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:19.599 And I would highly recommend it to any of you, Randy Alcorn's book on heaven. 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:23.839 It's like a theological tome on heaven. 00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:26.720 Best book on heaven I've ever read. 00:18:27.599 --> 00:18:29.200 Actually, aren't that many books on heaven? 00:18:29.279 --> 00:18:32.160 There's probably more books on hell than there is on heaven, which is sad. 00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:37.599 But but the thing that he really reminds you of in that book is you're gonna be rewarded. 00:18:38.400 --> 00:18:40.079 It's really clear. 00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:41.119 And guess what? 00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:42.079 This is what's cool. 00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:44.559 Revelation talks a lot about that. 00:18:44.960 --> 00:18:51.359 So we're gonna, I mean, I'm reading it, and he's got all these passages in Revelation going, oh, I'm going into Revelation. 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:52.079 This is great. 00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:55.359 And I'm like folding pages and underlining parts and putting checks by them. 00:18:55.519 --> 00:18:56.960 I gotta look this up. 00:18:57.359 --> 00:19:06.079 And so it's gonna be an exciting time this next year because what you see about heaven is that you're not gonna, we're not gonna be doing little harps on clouds, gang. 00:19:06.559 --> 00:19:09.440 I know for all the men in this room that breaks your heart. 00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:12.160 Because I watch you and it's really hard to sing, right? 00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:16.400 I mean, it's just all guys like we all struggle with singing, except the guys that are up here. 00:19:16.640 --> 00:19:19.680 But all the rest are like, ugh, uh. 00:19:20.640 --> 00:19:25.279 You know, unless it's you know, Bachman Turner Overdrive driving down the road. 00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:26.880 Or the Allman brothers. 00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:29.119 But anyway, that's another subject. 00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:35.519 But the reality is this you're not gonna be singing on little clouds with little harps on and everything. 00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:45.200 Actually, it appears in numerous passages that we are going to get work to do in heaven. 00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:54.000 We're gonna get land, we're gonna get kingdoms according to how we ruled and how we reigned on the earth. 00:19:54.240 --> 00:20:01.680 So our reigning and ruling here will be rewarded with more reigning and ruling there. 00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:06.799 I remember I told this to a guy one time and he said, I don't want to reign and rule, I want to rest. 00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:11.519 I said, dude, then you're going to the wrong place because we're gonna be reigning and ruling. 00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:12.400 But it'll be cool. 00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:13.519 You'll be resting as you do it. 00:20:13.599 --> 00:20:15.680 It'll be according to your talents and your skills. 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:18.000 So don't waste your life. 00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:22.880 Don't waste your life sitting around. 00:20:23.200 --> 00:20:26.880 Because you're gonna be held accountable for you while you sat around a lot, you know. 00:20:27.200 --> 00:20:29.359 You get the washroom. 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:35.279 You know, and this little dude comes up and he was just faithful with what God had given him to do. 00:20:35.359 --> 00:20:36.880 He's always serving us and lasting blood. 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:40.240 Man, you get you get Argentina, dude. 00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:40.960 What? 00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:42.880 Yeah, you got Argentina. 00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:43.839 Cool. 00:20:46.880 --> 00:20:54.400 So Joel is pronouncing prepare for judgment nations. 00:20:55.039 --> 00:20:56.240 Get ready. 00:20:56.559 --> 00:20:58.960 Prepare for judgment. 00:21:00.160 --> 00:21:03.359 Now he says, prepare for war. 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:13.440 And so here he begins to take us into sort of an introduction, I believe, into the battle of Armageddon. 00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:15.039 Prepare for war. 00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:18.000 Wake up the mighty men. 00:21:18.400 --> 00:21:30.319 Let all the men of war draw near, let them come up, beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. 00:21:30.559 --> 00:21:31.440 Isn't that interesting? 00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:36.559 That's the opposite of what Isaiah says because we sometimes mix it up. 00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:44.640 That you know, the United Nations has the Isaiah passage, which is the opposite of this, inscribed on the building of the United Nations. 00:21:44.880 --> 00:21:46.000 Guess what, gang? 00:21:46.160 --> 00:21:50.240 It's never going to happen on this earth. 00:21:50.799 --> 00:21:54.000 That's the millennial kingdom when that comes. 00:21:54.160 --> 00:21:59.680 So it's only gonna get more and more scary for those who don't. 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:02.559 Know the last chapter. 00:22:03.039 --> 00:22:04.480 It's this is what I believe. 00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:14.079 It's more and more exciting for those that are reading God's intelligence briefing called the Bible. 00:22:14.559 --> 00:22:16.000 It's exciting stuff. 00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:20.160 Beat your plowshares into swords, your pruning hooks into spears. 00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:23.680 Let the weak say, I am strong. 00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:29.279 Raise your hand if you felt weak this week. 00:22:29.599 --> 00:22:30.960 You felt weak sometimes. 00:22:31.039 --> 00:22:32.240 Alright, I want everybody together. 00:22:32.319 --> 00:22:33.119 It's almost everybody in the room. 00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:34.319 Let's all say, I am strong. 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:35.440 One, two, three. 00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:37.680 Let's say it again. 00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:39.920 Let's say it again. 00:22:40.240 --> 00:22:41.039 I am strong. 00:22:41.359 --> 00:22:42.000 You are. 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:49.119 And when you proclaim that, you're saying you're strong in Christ. 00:22:49.599 --> 00:22:57.039 Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around, because you're mighty ones to go down there, O Lord. 00:22:57.279 --> 00:23:01.519 Let the nations be wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat. 00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:04.319 Remember the valley of judgment, the valley of decision. 00:23:04.559 --> 00:23:09.119 For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. 00:23:09.759 --> 00:23:12.720 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. 00:23:13.039 --> 00:23:14.240 Come, go down. 00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:20.640 For the wine press is full, the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great. 00:23:21.039 --> 00:23:24.240 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision. 00:23:24.480 --> 00:23:28.319 For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. 00:23:28.559 --> 00:23:34.240 The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will diminish their brightness. 00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:37.039 This is the battle of Armageddon. 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:42.000 This is the last great battle, the assembling of all the nations. 00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:52.799 So God is actually calling forth the unrighteous judgment of the nations by actually telling their men of war to get ready to fight. 00:23:53.039 --> 00:24:00.559 So God is actually letting the demon speak, but he's speaking because it's all according to his plan. 00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:05.759 He's actually working out his plan as they surround the nation of Israel. 00:24:05.920 --> 00:24:10.000 For more detail, you can look at Zechariah 12 through 14. 00:24:10.240 --> 00:24:15.920 But the nations are gathering around Israel from the north, the south, the east, and the west. 00:24:16.240 --> 00:24:21.440 Joel compares this great battle to something like a harvest field. 00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:32.799 You see this imagery in Revelation chapter 14, where he compares the final days as like a sickle reaping a harvest. 00:24:33.039 --> 00:24:35.279 You see this in Matthew 24. 00:24:35.440 --> 00:24:37.359 You see this in Mark 13. 00:24:37.519 --> 00:24:44.480 You see this in Luke 21, where Jesus predicts his coming, the coming of the Lord. 00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:53.279 He prophesies what it's going to be like, and he gives us a glimpse with even more detail about what those days will be like. 00:24:53.759 --> 00:25:05.920 But he says that there'll actually be not only the nations gathering against Israel, but also there'll be environmental terrors and environmental signs and wonders happening. 00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:18.400 We've already talked about this weeks ago, and you can go back and listen to the tapes about blood moons and the lunar eclipses and all the stuff that's beginning to happen like regularly, wasn't happening before. 00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:29.119 I mean, I don't know about you, but I like watching the news, and so I watch the news, and it's it's getting to be like weekly, where I think it was more like annually. 00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:34.160 I hear some incredible catastrophe environmentally happening. 00:25:34.480 --> 00:25:35.599 Crazy stuff. 00:25:35.759 --> 00:25:40.799 And you can just see these scientists that they interview, they don't know what's going on. 00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:43.680 They don't understand where all this stuff is happening. 00:25:43.839 --> 00:25:47.039 And you're like, yes, this is awesome. 00:25:47.200 --> 00:25:49.759 This is the the this these are birth pangs. 00:25:49.920 --> 00:25:51.200 That's what Jesus called it. 00:25:51.359 --> 00:25:53.279 These are birth pangs, these are labor pains. 00:25:53.440 --> 00:25:59.680 All you women that have had babies, you know, you you start feeling that kick and you start feeling that pressure, and everything starts to happen. 00:25:59.839 --> 00:26:01.200 You get excited. 00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:04.640 Your husband doesn't, but you do. 00:26:04.880 --> 00:26:07.599 Because all the husband thinks about is, uh, is it time? 00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:08.559 Should we go now? 00:26:08.720 --> 00:26:10.640 You know, and I just filled up the tank. 00:26:10.799 --> 00:26:12.079 You know, we don't know what to do. 00:26:12.240 --> 00:26:16.880 We're just we're just weirdos, and we're just like, until you've had like seven. 00:26:18.640 --> 00:26:20.400 And then it's not a big deal anymore. 00:26:20.480 --> 00:26:22.000 It's like, okay, well, just let me know. 00:26:22.160 --> 00:26:24.799 I want to finish watching this program, okay? 00:26:25.200 --> 00:26:32.319 But but you know, it's like that you as a woman, you as a mother, you're just so excited because you know that's a good thing. 00:26:32.640 --> 00:26:33.519 It's a good thing. 00:26:33.680 --> 00:26:39.359 The pain is a good thing because something's being birthed, it's beautiful, it's wonderful, and it's awesome. 00:26:39.519 --> 00:26:41.119 That's what God's doing. 00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:46.960 The whole earth is like pregnant right now with the coming of the Lord. 00:26:47.119 --> 00:26:52.160 And it's birth pangs, and the newscasters don't know what to do, and the politicians don't understand it. 00:26:52.400 --> 00:26:54.319 Nobody gets it, but we do. 00:26:54.960 --> 00:27:00.880 Because we we're getting an intelligence briefing every day when we're in God's word about what he's up to. 00:27:01.759 --> 00:27:10.400 So Joel says, nations prepare for judgment, nations prepare for war, and now he says, nations prepare for defeat. 00:27:10.880 --> 00:27:12.160 Verse 16. 00:27:12.880 --> 00:27:15.279 Lord also will roar from Zion. 00:27:15.440 --> 00:27:18.160 That's what I call it tonight, the lion's roar. 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:21.680 The lion's roar. 00:27:22.880 --> 00:27:24.799 Did anybody go see Revelent? 00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:26.160 The movie Revelent? 00:27:26.559 --> 00:27:27.680 A bunch of us guys did. 00:27:27.759 --> 00:27:29.279 It's kind of a guy movie. 00:27:29.599 --> 00:27:30.880 Liz said she wanted to go. 00:27:30.960 --> 00:27:32.640 I said, No, you don't want to go. 00:27:33.759 --> 00:27:35.920 But I mean, there's that scene, you know. 00:27:37.119 --> 00:27:41.680 So Leonardo DiCaprio is the wilderness guy and everything. 00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:42.640 Hugh. 00:27:43.519 --> 00:27:44.720 Yeah, Hugh Glass. 00:27:44.880 --> 00:27:45.440 True story. 00:27:45.599 --> 00:27:56.319 So anyway, when you see that lion, it's not a lion, it's a bear, but it's kind of similar, just roaring and just and then boom on top of him. 00:27:56.640 --> 00:27:59.599 This is a lion's roar coming from Zion. 00:28:00.559 --> 00:28:03.200 And utter his voice from Jerusalem. 00:28:04.079 --> 00:28:06.400 The heavens and the earth will shake. 00:28:07.279 --> 00:28:10.160 But the Lord will be a shelter for his people. 00:28:10.720 --> 00:28:13.279 And the strength of the children of Israel. 00:28:13.599 --> 00:28:16.880 You guys remember that part in the lion, the witch, in the wardrobe? 00:28:17.759 --> 00:28:22.559 And uh the kid, Susan, she don't understand who Aslan is. 00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:26.880 So, Aslan is a lion. 00:28:27.680 --> 00:28:28.559 The lion. 00:28:29.680 --> 00:28:31.119 The great lion. 00:28:32.720 --> 00:28:35.279 Ooh, said Susan. 00:28:35.759 --> 00:28:37.440 I thought he was a man. 00:28:38.079 --> 00:28:39.920 Is he quite safe? 00:28:41.119 --> 00:28:44.960 I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion. 00:28:45.759 --> 00:28:46.480 Safe? 00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:48.079 said Mr. 00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:49.119 Beaver. 00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:52.160 Who said anything about safe? 00:28:53.039 --> 00:28:54.960 Of course he isn't safe. 00:28:56.240 --> 00:28:57.359 But he's good. 00:28:58.319 --> 00:29:00.559 He's the king, I tell you. 00:29:01.440 --> 00:29:08.480 The roar of the Lion of Judah is coming. 00:29:09.759 --> 00:29:16.400 And whether we're up there or down here, everyone will hear it. 00:29:16.880 --> 00:29:19.759 All over the universe. 00:29:20.720 --> 00:29:25.279 Even the UFO guys, they will hear it. 00:29:25.680 --> 00:29:29.440 The roar of the lion is coming. 00:29:30.480 --> 00:29:34.799 John's apocalypse describes it best. 00:29:35.680 --> 00:29:37.359 Revelation 19. 00:29:37.680 --> 00:29:48.960 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he judges and he makes war. 00:29:49.359 --> 00:29:54.480 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. 00:29:54.720 --> 00:29:59.200 He had a name written that no one knew except himself. 00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:06.799 He was clothed a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. 00:30:07.680 --> 00:30:15.920 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. 00:30:16.400 --> 00:30:30.960 Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, and that with it he should strike the nations, and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. 00:30:31.599 --> 00:30:38.319 He himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and the wrath of Almighty God. 00:30:39.200 --> 00:30:43.359 And he has on his robe and on his thigh. 00:30:43.839 --> 00:30:45.519 So he's tattooed. 00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:52.880 On his thigh was written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. 00:30:52.960 --> 00:31:03.440 That's the Lion of Judah coming, dipped in blood with a sword on a white horse on the plain of Estrelon. 00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:05.519 Megiddo. 00:31:07.359 --> 00:31:12.319 Revelation 16, 16 mentions the name Armageddon. 00:31:12.960 --> 00:31:26.160 Revelation 16 informs us that Satan, through his demonic powers, gathers all the nations together to fight against God and Israel at Jerusalem. 00:31:26.400 --> 00:31:37.599 But the invasion fails because Jesus returns in glory and power and slaughters the enemies of God. 00:31:38.000 --> 00:31:40.240 He's a fierce lion. 00:31:41.759 --> 00:31:46.960 Church, don't mess around with God. 00:31:48.160 --> 00:32:02.160 If you've got secret sins, if you've got stuff you're messing around with, if you're in an affair, if you're embezzling money, if you're lying and cheating, he knows. 00:32:02.960 --> 00:32:10.000 And don't take the long-suffering and the patience of God as his blessing. 00:32:11.440 --> 00:32:16.559 Or him not acknowledging that he knows what's going on. 00:32:16.880 --> 00:32:24.400 You see, the patience of God is the long-suffering of God for us to have time to repent. 00:32:25.599 --> 00:32:26.880 Because he loves you. 00:32:27.440 --> 00:32:31.440 But if you don't repent, he's coming. 00:32:32.240 --> 00:32:37.359 He's coming and he can sweep it all away in a moment in time. 00:32:37.920 --> 00:32:39.279 Repent tonight. 00:32:39.920 --> 00:32:42.079