BLOW THE TRUMPET
Today’s Reading: Joel 2
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
Many messages have been preached from this podium at Christ Church which is located inside the Old City of Jerusalem. In our readings of the writings of the prophets, God has sought to communicate messages of mercy, forgiveness and also inevitable judgment for sin. The message of the church to Jerusalem and to the entire world is represented by the cross carved into the olive wood. Jesus has taken upon Himself the judgment of God for sin, and through Him we receive mercy and forgiveness.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verses: Joel 2:13, 17, 28-29
“So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
…Let the priests, who minister to the Lord,
Weep between the porch and the altar;
Let them say, ‘Spare Your people, O Lord,
And do not give Your heritage to reproach,
That the nations should rule over them.
Why should they say among the peoples,
“Where is their God?”‘
…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,
Your young men shall see visions.
And also on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”
There is so much in today’s reading from which we can learn. Because of the importance of Joel 2, we have quoted more verses in this blog than in any other to date.
(1) Twice Joel writes in this chapter, “Blow the trumpet in Zion!” The central mountain in Jerusalem is Mt. Zion. The trumpet symbolizes the preaching of the Message. May we proclaim God’s message faithfully!
(2) Tearing garments still symbolizes extreme grief for many Jewish people. May our hearts be broken in “fasting,” “weeping,” and “mourning” over our sins and the sins of our world!
(3) Priests, whose job it is to represent the human family to God, are to weep over the sins of the people and over the mess we have made of the beautiful garden God intended this earth to be. The New Testament teaches that all believers in Jesus should consider themselves to be priests. John referred to all the people in the seven churches as “Priests.” Therefore, we should weep over sin and separation from God.
(4) God has poured out His “Spirit on all flesh.” All will not receive this outpouring of God. Nevertheless, it’s our responsibility as “sons,” “daughters,” “old men,” “young men” (women inferred), “Menservants” (all males), “Maidservants” (all females), to “Prophesy!” What is New Testament “prophecy”? “The testimony of Jesus is the “spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10b). Sharing Jesus with the whole world is the primary responsibility of all believers who have opened their lives to receive the outpouring of God’s Spirit! Every time we share Jesus, know that the Holy Spirit is “on all flesh.” The Holy Spirit is doing His work! Are we doing our most important work of inviting people to give their lives to Jesus?
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I don’t know how to put fasting, weeping and mourning into the words of this brief prayer, but I’m committed to practicing those evidences of a heart that is torn up by the desperate human need I see all around me. I pray for grace to keep on being filled with Your Holy Spirit, 24/7! I pray for the fulfillment of the dreams and visions You are giving me as prophesied by Joel and quoted by Peter on the birthday of Christ’s Church here on earth! In the Name of the One who sounded “the trumpet in Zion” more loudly and more urgently that any other, the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself! Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
As a Pastor of local congregations in my early years, I would often take literally the call of Joel to weep “between the porch and the altar.” I would walk the aisles, between the pews, and at the church altar, praying early in the mornings for my members, their families, and for our community. I also did this on the road as an itinerate Evangelist, and I did this daily in the TV studios where later in the day we would “Blow the trumpet” of God’s message to our continent and beyond.
Yours for the success of God’s cause!
David
Very powerful message this morning. Blessings to everyone.
I am still amazed when remembering how David would pray very early each day before going on air. He carried on that time with God after he was no longer able to be the host. So many, many, people were affected and enlightened by the ministry over so many years. Praise God
Amen, Doreen!!
Amen , Doreen !
Amen Nan and Doreen. David set a great example for us. Prayer and fasting gets tremendous results. Trust all of you are having a blessed Easter. Love the book of Joel as it talks about the pouring out of the Holy Spirit which we need today. Have a blessed Easter Monday. Jesus is risen and appeared to many. Now we await for His return to this earth; the rapture preceding. Thank you Jesus!
Amen, Ger!
Amen , Ger !
God is blowing the trumpet
to call us back to Him.
May many hear, and turn, and be saved! In Jesus’s totally-transcendent name, amen
An important message to everyone…to “blow the trumpet”!! cry out,, weep, mourn, fast. Lord I pray, that my heart would be open to Your call, in obedience!! Amen!! Awaken our hearts to Your call I pray!!!
Irene you said blow the trumpet when I was at church yesterday one of the members
did blow one it was from Jerusalem I believe. Our pastor went to there a few years ago someone gave it to him. From what I heard it is not easy to blow in.
Lianne Hogg
Thanks for sharing, Lianne…you are right, it is not easy to blow the trumpet, it takes skill and a number of attempts.
Very inspirational song by:
Mike Upright He is Risen Lyrics
Someone rolled the stone away was it a thief
No it was an Angel
Mary says he lives again do you believe
Yes he is my Savior
Thomas was a doubter until he saw for himself
Jesus even let him touch the spear hole in his side.
Chorus. He is risen, he is risen, yes my Lord he is risen today
There are linens with bloodstains that is all that remains
There’s nobody left in that grave.
Jesus had to die before we all could be saved
That is how God willed it
Tear this Temple down he said and in three days
I, I will rebuild it
Those who had him crucified thought this would be his end
They did not know the cross would be his victory.
There are linens with bloodstains that is all that remains
There’s nobody left in that grave.
He is risen.
https://youtu.be/t_BvzoPJQK4
Amen, Lynda!
Praise God “HE IS RISEN” the grave is empty!
Thank you for sharing this Lynda. Let Easter feelings remain with us, as we remember Our Saviour is ALIVE.
I have learned that learning to blowing a horn of any kind takes special muscles on the cheeks and lips, if you start young these muscles get used to the blowing…
I saw a clip regarding someone tatooing Christian symbols on someone’s arm and the person doing the tatoo said it was the Christian thing to do!
maybe I have it wrong but I understood that God only wants the scars of where they nailed him to the Cross to be acknowledged by Christians, these should be the only “tatoos” seen……am I wrong…..
Amen Sah!
Tatoos are choice…and He gave us free choice some take
Thank you for posting Joel 2 and David’s comments he left with us. Thank you, Thankyou!