Hello all,

This morning I asked the Lord to show me what He would like me to learn and write about today. I opened the Bible to the Book of Joel and read these verses, Joel 1:17-18:

Joe 1:17
The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered.

Joe 1:18
How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.

What was impressed upon my heart after reading these verses was how they were speaking about the Truth, and how rotten and contaminated it has become. How pure doctrine has become doctrines of demons! And we are seeing the results of generations of Satan infiltrating the Church, and the by-product of all those false doctrines that has lead millions astray!

I then went to work, and soon found out why I had read those verses this morning. My co-workers are all women between the ages of 21 and 35. They all have at least 1 child out of wed-lock, and some have two. One lady who just quit, has come to know the Lord and is waking up to the Truth, getting her life in order. She and I became good friends, and would talk openly about Christ. The others are not believers, and in fact are openly into the New Age, and the "me" generation, with all manner of tattoos and pierced cheeks, tongues,and who knows what else. They all know that I am a Christian,because of the over heard conversations between my sister in Christ and I, before she left.

But today, I experienced the most distressing outpouring of disgusting speech and attitude from two of these women. We were all talking together and the youngest lady brought up how she went to a "gay pride" parade 2 days after her son was born, still bleeding from the birth process...because she just had to take part in this most important event. She went on and on about how she loves gay people and how awesome it was to see men all dressed up as woman, and how some were naked and wore just stockings and high heels.
Those dressed up like Madonna in pink wigs and carrying rainbow flags, were her favorite.

Then the other lady chimed in with how much she loves the gay people! I just stood there and couldn't say much, but then couldn't stop myself and said:" All that is such an abomination in the eyes of God, not just the sin of sodomy and homosexuality, but the sin of pride; proud of their discussing behavior and shaking their fists at God!" They both just looked at me and rolled their eyes and the youngest said:" God loves gay people or He would not have created them" and the other lady chimed in with a defiant "yeah!"

I immediately responded that God does love gay people, He just hates the sins, He loves the sinner but hates the sin!" And they both went on saying how much they love gay people and huddled together to exclude me from their further conversation about this.

I finished up my work and left feeling such sadness at both having not known how to deal with them, and how lost they truly are. And then it hit me!! What I read in the Bible that morning, and how these women had never had a chance at hearing the truth, as it was already so far removed from their lives before they were even born!!

How the locust of Joel's Army of false prophets and wolves in sheep's clothing has already perverted the Word of God beyond recognition, probably before their parents were even born!! How can I blame them for choosing the "humanistic " view of God loves everyone and everyone is going to heaven and good is evil and evil is good!! For generations these lies have been passed down from parents to children!

This made me very sad, and I knew, I had to pray for them and speak truth to them whenever Jesus permitted an opportunity.But, just the realization that these past several generations have been brought up on nothing but lies, and not just the ones who did not go to church, but the ones who did! I had to have a good cry about this, as this is sad indeed. The "flocks of sheep are made desolate"...how true this is of so many in these times.

I wondered if others saw Joel's Army as these false prophets that the Lord was allowing to come against the end-time churches, so I did a bit of research and came up with a study that I see as truth. But, as always, find out for yourselves!!

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FOR FAIR USE EDUCATION AND DISCUSSION PURPOSES


Link of article or video : http://www.homepages.ihug.co.nz/~revival/joel.htm


THE TRUTH ABOUT JOEL'S ARMY

by Andrew Strom

Why do some seem so keen to promote the concept of "Joel's Army", when the Scriptures openly declare it to be an army of LOCUSTS that devours and destroys every good thing in the land?

In recent years there has been much said and written about the
concept of Joel's Army being the great end-times army of Godly
warriors who bring Revival in the last days. However, it is
very clear from the Scriptures that the army in Joel that they
are referring to is actually an army of LOCUSTS which God sends
as a JUDGEMENT upon the land. It is only later, after this army
of locusts has devoured and destroyed every good thing in the
land, and has then been driven into the desert and the sea by
God, that He sends a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit and a
mighty "harvest". In other words, this locust army of judgment
and devastation sweeps through first, and it is only after it
has been driven away to destruction by God that true Revival
can come. This is very clear from the Scriptures.

I have no doubt at all that the book of Joel is truly an "end-
time" book, prophesying a series of events that culminates in
the end of the age and the return of Jesus Christ. It is
certainly a very important book for us to study, and it is clearly
vital that we understand what it predicts will take place in
these last days.

Right from the beginning of Joel, it is clear that this devour-
ing army coming upon the land is a judgment from God: "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."
(Joel 1:4).

In fact it is clear that it is GOD HIMSELF who raises up and deploys this army against His own people and the land: "The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but after them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them...They leap upon the city, they run upon the walls; they climb up into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief... The LORD utters His voice before his army, for His host is exceedingly great; he that executes His word is powerful. For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; who can endure it?"
(Joel 2:3-11).

But soon after this we read: "Then the LORD became jealous for
His land, and had pity on His people. The LORD answered and
said to His people, 'Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine,
and oil, and you will be satisfied;... I will remove the north-
erner far from you, and drive him into a parched and desolate
land, his front into the eastern sea, and his rear into the
western sea; the stench and foul smell of him will rise, for he
has done great things." (Joel 2:18-20).

And now that this devouring army has been driven away to des-
truction, we read of the great Revival that God then sends upon
the land: "He has poured down for you abundant rain, the early
and the latter rain, as before. The threshing floors shall be
full of grain, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
I will restore to you the years which the swarming locust has
eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great
army, which I sent among you" (Joel 2:23-25).

And now comes that famous Scripture, prophesying the great
'last days' Revival: "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..." (Joel 2:28).

After this, Joel goes on to speak about the great judgment
that will overtake the whole earth at the end of the age, and
the return of Jesus Christ to establish His glorious kingdom.

THE FULFILLMENT OF JOEL'S PROPHECY?

In my view there can be little doubt that we have already
entered the period that the Bible calls the "last days" - the
very time that Joel prophesied about (and also the time that
the New Testament speaks of again and again as being a period
of great deception and danger for Christians - even the 'very
elect').

I find it very significant that for years, prophetic ministries
around the world have been shown by God that they would soon
see the rise of "Joel's Army". Many of them have obviously in-
terpreted this to mean an army of anointed ministries that God
will raise up to bring in the great last-days "harvest" of
souls. But as we have seen, in reality, what God has been
speaking of here is the raising up of a devouring army of
locusts, to bring judgment upon the land (the church, I be-
lieve) immediately prior to the genuine Revival. Some have even
been told by God that they will "stand before Joel's Army" (ie.
this army of locusts). But is this really a privilege?

My own belief is that this army of locusts which "devours the
land" in these last days, may well be strongly linked to the
many warnings in the New Testament of a great 'apostacy', with
seducing spirits and 'lying signs and wonders' that will sweep
through the church in these latter times. The picture of a huge
army of locusts devouring everything seems to me to fit very
well with the concept of a great deception or apostasy which
sweeps through the church, likewise devouring everything in
it's path. And the time-frame for these predicted holocaust
seems pretty much identical also.

Jesus Himself declared that in the last days, many deceivers
"will come in my name". He said that the deception of that time
would be so great that if possible even the 'very elect' would
be deceived (Mt 24:24). The apostle Paul prophesied that in the
latter days, "perilous times will come", and that men would be
"lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God". He predicted
that there would be great apostasy involving 'seducing spirits
and doctrines of devils' (1 Tim 4:1). And it is obvious from
the above Scriptures that much of this will arise from WITHIN
THE CHURCH.


We are also told in the Bible that in the last days, those who are not "lovers of the truth" will be deliberately given over by God to 'believe a lie', to come under a "strong delusion" involving 'lying signs and wonders', etc. (2 Thess 2:9-12). And of course, as always, such judgment mustfirst begin in God's own house (1 Peter 4:17).


Surely it is obvious that we are now paying a heavy price for all the shallowness and experience-centred soulishness that we have sown in the years of the Charismatic Movement. God has indeed seemingly given the Laodicean church over to believe a lie, a "strong delusion", and millions are now falling prey.

Joel makes it clear that the great invasion of locusts that he
prophesies for the end times, is to be a form of massive
"judgment" upon God's own people. We are told in the Bible
that 'judgment begins at the house of God' (1 Pe 4:17). And it
is interesting to note that the word 'judgment' very often
involves a 'separating' or a categorizing. The sheep are separ-
ated from the goats, the tares are separated from the wheat,
before judgment falls.

This 'separating' or dividing is very much a crucial part of the judgeent process. And this is why we can expect a separating to take place through this current deception, if it truly is a judgment brought upon the Laodicean church by God.

It is my strong belief that God is using this movement to
"test" His people immediately prior to the great last-days Re-
vival (just as the wilderness tested the children of Israel
before they could enter into the promised land - and only a
tiny remnant survived from that entire generation. The rest all
perished in the wilderness).

In 1984 one of the major prophetic groups in America received a
word from God to the effect that, just like the king's butler
and the king's baker in the story of Joseph, the church would
be placed in a 'dungeon' by God (a place of 'death', of waiting
and of testing) for about the next ten years, and at the end
of this period, part of the church (the butler) would be
raised up as an honoured servant of God, and the other (the
baker) would lose it's head. (Again we see here a 'separating'
before judgement falls).

Others have shown that there will be a process of "culling" before a remnant can be found who will possess the "promised land" (Revival) in His name. This is exactly the same as what the children of Israel went through (a process of testing and 'culling' by God), so that only those who were worthy would inherit His promise. It seems harsh, but this has simply always been the way. Judgment must always begin at the house of God.

While I certainly believe that Joel's Army is an army of devouring locusts, I am also definitely a believer in the great last-days outpouring of God's Spirit upon "all flesh" which is also prophesied in Joel. This great Revival is clearly to follow immediately after the plague of locusts has swept through the land. As Joel states, this outpouring is to be a time of abundant restoration and "harvest". And though the thought of
"Joel's Army" itself doesn't thrill me too much, I do believe
that God will Himself raise up His own 'remnant' army (a kind
of "Gideon's three hundred") when genuine Revival falls, to
gather in this enormous end-times harvest.

This is clearly to be the final great "harvest" in history, immediately prior to the terrible judgments of the end of the age. Such a great outpouring of God's Spirit "upon all flesh" just before the end is entirely in keeping with His character, because as history shows, He has always brought great mercy before He has brought great judgment. Therefore if we are nearing the final "great judgment" of all time, then surely we can expect the greatest ever harvest immediately prior to it?

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To be honest, I am not sure if I agree with this author about there being an end-time revival. I just do not see how this can be so, as I see Jesus as having brought both the former and latter rains in His life and ministry. The later rain was the pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, as the end-days include all the days after the Cross. Yet, I pray that it is so, and if it is, it must be done by the Remanent of 144,000 and the Two Witnesses.

Be kind and patient with those that have never even been exposed to the truth, as they are most of those that will be opposing it in these final days. Ignorance of it will be no excuse, and we know that God is merciful and He will make sure that each soul knows the truth before they reject it. So, maybe that is what this end-time revival will be all about...the true Gospel preached to the ends of the earth!

I pray the Lord gives all of us the strength to do and say the right things to those who are un-believers or have fallen victim to deceivers. In most cases we do need "to forgive them for they know NOT what they do!" It's getting pretty dark out there...keep shining, all those full of His light, and let Him tell you what to say and do. I will try my best to practice what I preach! We shall soon see what will happen as it does!

Agape!

JESUS IS ALL AND EVERYTHING!!

Patti C.