Even Now Declares The Lord, Return To Me With All Your Heart
Rend Your Hearts, Not Your Garments
JEOL 2:12-13
“”Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” 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.”
Joel 2:12-13 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/jol.2.12-13.NKJV
God told the people and He is telling us today to turn to Him while there is still time.
Destruction as is today, was soon to come upon the earth and time was running out.
I tell you the truth, our time is running out.
Never before in all history have we seen manufactured pestilence; never before in all history have we shut down trade because of fear of flu.
Never before in all history have we seen so many ridiculous controls, mandates and restrictions placed on our every day lives.
Anxiety/ depression, mental illness, and suicides is at an all time high and is rising, whilst our health services are collapsing.
Businesses are closing, unemployment is rising, and inflation is rapidly growing.Our world financial systems cannot continue like this; printing money does not work. It’s just a matter of time before our financial systems completely collapse.
Nuclear war is looming over the world and we don’t know what is coming next or when our life will end; the truth is we need to return to God in repentance and become obedient to His Word while we still can.
Tearing one’s garments was a customary way of expressing grief and remorse (JOSHUA 7:6).
The tearing of garments, like all outward actions could be done without true heartfelt sorrow or repentance.
God wants true heart felt repentance, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning, turning from the sin of this world toward Him.
Repentance is more than saying sorry; it is to change direction from the sinful ways toward God.
If one truly repents, he will put every effort to turn from his sinful actions. That’s not always easy, but it is encouraging to know that when we do our best, God does the rest.
If you are struggling with sin, maybe out of fear or desperation, or addiction, ask God for help, for He is faithful and gracious to help you overcome all sin, even that which is fuelled by addiction.
Jesus took the sin of the world upon Himself, making it His problem. He died to pay the debt of sin, to justify new life in Christ in His righteousness.
Therefore, even when one slips back, there is no condemnation (ROMANS 8:1), but rather the Holy Spirit convicts one to change in God’s perfect timing.
However, that doesn’t justify sin, but rather frees us from the power of sin (ROMANS 6:1-11), and with heart felt effort, brings change even to the way we think over time (ROMANS 12:1-2).
Therefore today, whatever your situation, or regardless of skin colour, place of birth, sexual orientation or regardless of any and all the sin that holds you, rend your heart not your garments, and do not allow anyone or anything hinder you from turning to God. Your eternal future is totally in the hands of Jesus Christ.
He is faithful to forgive and start a good work in you; ”being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;“
Philippians 1:6 NKJV
This my beloved, is more than Good News, it is awesome, amazingly wonderful , Good News, for God has made a way for all people, where there was no way, including you.
Furthermore, He is doing a new thing; for this is Jesus time; the new wine is being poured into specially prepared wine skins, His elite, prepared for such a time as this, and He saved the best until last (JOHN 2:1-11).
With new wine, comes new powers and new freedoms for the Kingdom is here.
Jesus said, ”“No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.”“
Luke 8:16-18 NKJV
Justice is coming upon the earth and God is bringing about change to rebuild His church, His way, for such a time as this.
The old is being dismantled and the new is being built, and even the gates of hell shall not stand in the way (MATHEW 16:18).
“”Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” 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. Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him— A grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room. 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?’ ” Then the Lord will be zealous for His land, And pity His people. The Lord will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations. “But I will remove far from you the northern army, And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land, With his face toward the eastern sea And his back toward the western sea; His stench will come up, And his foul odor will rise, Because he has done monstrous things.” Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the Lord has done marvelous things! Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field; For the open pastures are springing up, And the tree bears its fruit; The fig tree and the vine yield their strength. Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the Lord your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you— The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month. The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. 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 be put to shame. Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame. “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. “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.“
Joel 2:12-32 NKJV
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
