Transcript

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1-3 HCSB

Podcast Introduction

Today is Prophecy Friday. We’ll read the book of Joel. I’m calling this episode “A Call to Prayer and Confession.” 

Summary

The book of Joel is a message about the Day of the Lord. Joseph Parker, a 19th century English preacher, expressed the need for someone like joel to examine and reform the Church and society. He emphasized the importance of repentance and a strong foundation. I agree with him, as our world lacks peace and unity without God. We need to pray for revival and turn back to God.

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The Team

Lifespring Family Berean, Sister Denise: Transcript Correction
Michael Haner: Podcasting 2.0 Chapters
Scott Snider: Show Art
Jason Paschall: Show Art
Lifespring Family Berean, Sister Brittaney: Newsletter Publisher

Transcript

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Steve Webb 0:00
It is in vain to preach peace until we have first preached repentance

Steve Webb 0:12
coming at you from Riverside, California, this is the Lifespring! One Year Bible And podcasting since 2004. I am Eero g Godcaster. Steve Webb, today is prophecy Friday And our reading will be the book of Joel all three chapters. The website is Lifespringmedia.com. But I’ll have contact information at the end of today’s show. I have some news to share with you today after my comments on today’s reading, so be sure to listen to that. Before we get started. Let’s pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for our time together. We thank you Lord for your word, because in it, you reveal yourself to us. Help us Lord to get to know you better. I pray that you would touch our hearts And our minds today. And I pray this in Jesus name. Amen. All right, are you ready? Let’s begin.

Steve Webb 0:58
I’ve got a short introduction here for you before we begin the reading. The name Joel means Jehovah is God. And we don’t know the exact time that Joel wrote this book. But many scholars believe that it was about 835 BCE, if that’s accurate than his time was before the exile to Babylon. Joel wrote to Israel And his message can be summed up as the day of the Lord is coming to bring judgment for God’s enemies And restoration for God’s people. That summation is from Charles Savelle, currently adjunct professor of Bible exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary.

Steve Webb 1:37
Joel chapter one. The word of the Lord that came to Joel son of faith you’ll hear this you elders, listen, oh you inhabitants of the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors? Tell your children about it And let your children tell their children And their children the next generation. What the devouring locust has left the swarming locust has eaten. What the swarming locusts has left, the young locust has eaten And what the young locust is left, the destroying locust has eaten. Wake up you drunkards And weep. Whale all you wine drinkers because of the sweet wine for it has been taken from your mouth. For a nation is divided my land, powerful And without number. Its teeth are the teeth of a lion, And it has the things of a lioness. It has devastated my great fine And splintered my fig tree. It is stripped off its bark And thrown it away. Its branches have turned white. grieve like a young woman dressed in sackcloth, mourning for the husband of her youth, grain And drink offerings have been cut off from the house of the Lord. The priests who are ministers of the Lord mourn. The fields are destroyed, the land grieves, indeed the grain is destroyed. The new wine is dried up And the olive oil fails, be ashamed you farmers wail you vinedressers over the wheat And the barley because the harvest of the field is perished. The Grapevine has dried up And the fig tree is weathered. The pomegranate, the date palm in the apple, all of the trees of the orchard have weathered indeed, human joy has dried up, dress in sackcloth And lament you priests while you ministers of the altar. come And spend the night in sackcloth you ministers of my god because grain And drink offerings are withheld from the house of your god announced the sacred fast proclaim And assembly. Gather the elders And all the residents of the land at the house of the LORD your God And cry out to the Lord. Whoa because of that day, for the day of the Lord is near And will come as devastation from the Almighty. Hasn’t the food been cut off before our eyes joy And gladness from the house of our God. The seeds lie shriveled in their casings. The store houses are in ruin, And the granaries are broken down because the grain has withered away. How the animals grown the herds of cattle wandering confusion since they have no pasture. Even the flocks of sheep suffer punishment. I call to you, Lord, for fire has consumed the pastures of the wilderness And flames have devoured all the trees of the countryside. Even the wild animals cry out to you for the river beds are dried up And fire has consumed the pastures of the wilderness.

Steve Webb 4:28
Joel chapter two. blow the horn in Zion sound the alarm on my holy mountain led all the residents of the land tremble for the day of the Lord is coming. In fact, it is near a day of darkness And gloom, a day of clouds in dense overcast like the dawn spreading over the mountains. a great And strong people appears such as never existed in ages past And never will again in all the generations to come. a fire destroys in front of them And behind them a flame devours. The land in front of them is like the Garden of Eden. But behind them it is like a desert wasteland. There is no escape from them. There are appearances like that of horses And they gallop like war horses, they bound on the tops of the mountains. Their sound is like the sound of chariots, like the sound of fiery flames consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for war. Nations right in horror before them, all faces turn pale. They attack is warriors attack. They scale walls as men of war do. Each goes on his own path, And they do not change their course. They do not push each other. Each man proceeds on his own path. They dodge the arrows never stopping. They storm the city. They run on the wall, they climb into the houses, they enter through the windows like thieves, the earthquakes before them, the sky shakes, the sun And moon grow dark And the stars cease their shining. The Lord raises his voice in the presence of his army. His camp is very large. Those who carry out his command are powerful. Indeed, the day of the Lord is terrible And dreadful, who can endure it? Even now, this is the Lord’s declaration turned to Me with all your heart with fasting, weeping And mourning. Tear your hearts not just your clothes And return to the Lord your God. For He is gracious And compassionate, slow to anger rich in faithful love And he relents from sending disaster. Who knows he may turn And relent And leave a blessing behind him so you can offer grain And wine to the Lord your God. Blow the horn in Zion announced the sacred fast proclaiming assembly. Gather the people sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the groom leave his bedroom And the bride her honeymoon chamber. Let the priests the Lord’s ministers weep between the portico And the altar. Let them say Have pity on your people, Lord, And do not make your inheritance a disgrace And object of scorn among the nations. Why should it be set among the peoples where is their God? Then the Lord became jealous for his land in spared his people. The Lord answered his people. Look I am about to send you grain new wine And olive oil. You will be satiated with him And I will no longer make you a disgrace among the nation’s I will drive the northerner far from you And banish him to a dry And desolate land. His front ranks into the Dead Sea And his rear guard into the Mediterranean Sea. His stench will rise Yes, his rotten smell will rise for he has done catastrophic things. Don’t be afraid land. Rejoice And be glad for the Lord has done great things. Don’t be afraid wild animals for the wilderness pastures have turned green. The trees bear their fruit And the fig tree And the grapevine yield their riches. children of Zion rejoice And be glad in the Lord your God because he gives you the autumn rain for your vindication. He sends showers for you. Both autumn And spring rain is before the threshing floors will be full of grain And the vats will overflow with new wine And olive oil. I will repay you for the years that the swarming locusts ate the young locust, the destroying locust And the devouring locust, my great army that I sent against you, you will have plenty to eat And be satisfied. You will praise the name of Yahweh your God who has dealt wondrously with you. My people will never again be put to shame. You will know that I am present in Israel, And that I am Yahweh your God And there is no other My people will never again be put to shame. After this, I will pour out my spirit on all humanity. Then your sons And your daughters will prophesy. Your old men will have dreams And your young men will see visions. I will even pour out my spirit on the male And female slaves in those days. I will display wonders in the heavens And on the earth, blood fire And columns of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness And the moon to blood before the great And on inspiring day of the Lord comes. Then everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh will be saved for there will be an escape for those on Mount Zion And in Jerusalem is the Lord promised among the survivors the Lord calls

Steve Webb 9:32
Joel chapter three. Yes, in those days And at that time when I restore the fortunes of Judah And Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations And take them to the valley of Jehoshaphat. I will enter into judgment with him there because of my people my inheritance Israel. The nations have scattered the Israelites in foreign countries And divided up my land. They cast lots for my people. They bartered a boy for a prostitute And sold a girl for one mind to drink And also tyre Sidon And all the territories of Philistia What are you to me? Are you paying me back or trying to get even with me? I will quickly bring retribution on your heads for you took my silver And gold And carried my finest treasures to your temples. You sold the people of Judah And Jerusalem to the Greeks to remove them far from their own territory. Look, I’m about to rouse them up from the place where you sold them. I will bring retribution on your heads. I will sell your sons And daughters into the hands of the people of Judah And they will sell them to the Serbians to a distant nation for the Lord has spoken. Proclaim this among the nations prepare for Holy War rouse the Warriors let all the men of war advance that attack. Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning knives into Spears lead even the weakling say I am a warrior come quickly all you surrounding nations gather yourselves bring down your warriors their Lord, let the nations be roused in come to the valley of Jehoshaphat for their I will sit down to judge all the surrounding nations swing the sickle because the harvest is ripe. Come And trample the Great’s because the wind press is full. The wine vats overflow because the wickedness of the nations is great. Multitudes, multitudes And the valley of decision for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The Sun And Moon will grow dark And the stars will cease their shining. The Lord will roar from Zion And raise his voice from Jerusalem. Heaven And earth will shake but the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the Israelites. Then you will know that I am Yahweh your God who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain, Jerusalem will be holy, And foreigners will never overrun it again. In that day, the mountains will drip with sweet wine And the hills will flow with milk. All the streams of Judah will flow with water And a spring will issue from the Lord’s house watering the Valley of acacias. Egypt will become desolate And Edom, a desert wasteland because of the violence done to the people of Judah in whose land they shed innocent blood. But Judah will be inhabited forever, And Jerusalem from generation to generation. I will pardon their blood guilt which I have not pardoned for the Lord dwells in Zion.

Steve Webb 12:24
In studying this book, beloved, I came upon a commentary by the 19th century English preacher Joseph Parker. The good Reverend Parker was known as a great orator. So I know I won’t do him justice in quoting him, but these are his words in regards to the prophet Joel. He said, We need a Joel today for his wages, we would award him starvation, he would not live in Kings houses. There is nothing today in church or state that does not need pulling to pieces, cross examination analysis, that all that is good they’re in And there is much good, may be brought into new cohesion And set to new And fuller uses. Man are bribing men, And then going to the Sunday school. Men are saying if you will get this property on these terms through my hands, it will be on the understanding that And the all but silent reply is, that will of course be understood. And then they go to church. If some Joel were to come, he would be starved he must be starved. No one ever came to do messianic work who was not nailed And pierced And crucified. It is in vain to preach peace until we have first preached repentance. It is mischievous to say peace, peace where there is no peace. It is iniquity in the sight of God to dobb the wall with untempered mortar, nothing is settled until it is settled at the foundations. well, we don’t speak like that today. Do we? Let me try to paraphrase Reverend Parker. We need someone like Joel today, the church And the culture needs to be completely re examined to find what is good so that there can be a new And unified partnership with them in order for them to be effective. There is corruption And deal making, even among so called believers, it’s foolish to call for peace until we first call for repentance, a turning from our sins And to Almighty God. It is wrong in the sight of God to try to bring repairs with corrupt methods And people. Nothing will stand unless the foundation is strong. well as we look at the world today, I think we’d have to agree with Reverend Parker’s message. The world is in turmoil. People call for peace And unity but there’s neither peace nor unity, because God has been expunged from our governments, our schools And our society. We will never have peace until the people turn back to him. Several shows back I asked you to pray with me for a worldwide revival. Do you remember that? I believe that this is the only way we will see sanity returned to the world. Second Chronicles 714 says, If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves And pray And seek my face And turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven And I will forgive their sin And will heal their land. Like God promised through Joel to heal Israel, I believe that he can do the same thing. Now, beloved, we don’t know God’s plan for us right now. But I do believe that it’s our responsibility to pray to confess our sins And to ask God to move on people’s hearts. Is there a Joel out there? What are your thoughts? You have a comment or a question? Contact information is at the end of the show. Tomorrow will be gospel Saturday And we’ll read John 13 through 15.

Steve Webb 15:57
I talked to the doctor who will be doing my cataract surgery yesterday, she told me what to expect during the surgery And what I need to do before the surgery which will be on June 20. The normal pre surgery stuff like no eating And drinking after midnight prior to surgery And things like that. I can take my normal meds that morning with a small amount of water And there are three different eyedrops I need to use the two days prior to the surgery. And she told me that there are no plans to do the right eye just yet since the cataract in that eye is not yet bad enough to warrant surgery. So I suppose that’s good, we’ll see how much the vision in the left eye improves after it heals from the surgery. I’ve told you that the left eye has never really seen that well. So if that’s still the case, after the surgery, then I don’t know that I really want to wait until the cataract in the right eye gets bad enough to need replacement because that would mean that for a period of time anyway, I won’t have good vision in either eye. So we’ll have to discuss that. Being an HMO, they don’t really like spending money they don’t have to. So we’ll see. It only takes a couple of days or so before the eye is healed enough to get by. But it’s about a month before the healing process is complete. And then they can test my vision to see if I’ll still need to wear glasses at least for that i It would be great to have close to 2020 in that eye. But I’ll be really surprised if that is the case. So there’s that. And I have another announcement to make the lovely lady Liana And I are going to be in Florida next week. grandchild number five Penny will have her first birthday next week. So Leanne, And I want to be there. I do have next week shows already recorded for you in the can so there shouldn’t be any interruption at all in the show for you. I just wanted to let you know, maybe you could pray for us while we’re gone. That’d be cool. Thank you. And speaking of prayer, since I’ll be gone this Sunday And next Wednesday, there won’t be a praise report or prayer requests segment in those shows, but I will be checking my emails. If you send anything in I’ll add yours to my own prayer list And then when I return I’ll share them on the show.

Steve Webb 18:00
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Steve Webb 18:19
Lifespringmedia.com/support

Steve Webb 18:21
I’ll thank you And I believe God will bless you.

Steve Webb 18:31
Scott Snider did today’s show art. Thank you, Scott. It also Thanks to Sister Denise Michael Haner, Jason Paschall And SR Brittaney. Beloved, thank you so much for inviting me along with you today. I do this show for you. Until tomorrow. May God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb. Bye.

Announcer 18:51
the Lifespring media family of programs are made possible by the generous support of listeners like you. Thank you

Transcribed by https://otter.ai