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GOOD NEWS Letters & SERIES Teachings>
There is HOPE for EVERY Generation! - Rev.A.Bascon
September 20, 2009
There is HOPE for EVERY Generation that Experiences Desolation! By: Pastor Abraham Bascon
The Prophet JOEL prophesied in JOEL 2:12 that God was calling the people of God to repent from their sinful ways. In verse 12, the LORD says: "Turn to ME with ALL your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." In 2CHRONICLES 7:13-14, the LORD appears to Solomon by night, and says: "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. v.13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people.
IF My people who are called by My name shall "humble" themselves,
and "PRAY" and "SEEK" my face, and "TURN" from their wicked ways,
'THEN' I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal(restore) their land."(2 CHRON.7:13-14) In JOEL 2, After a period of destruction and desolation the Prophet JOEL says: "Repent!" In JOEL 2:25 -God says that He will RESTORE to them the years that the swarming locust has eaten! As we read on in JOEL 2:32 we see that God says that there is Salvation(deliverance) for the remnant whom the LORD calls! So, there is a time for RESTORATION. There is a time for every purpose; as we read in ECCLESIASTES 3:1. And, this is what JOEL was explaining; that there would be a time of RESTORATION. And, there is HOPE for EVERY generation that has experienced desolation! There is a time for loving God with ALL of our hearts! There is a time for humbling ourselves and to tell the Lord that we are NOTHING without Him! To tell the Lord that with Him, and Him only, we can be all things! We all need God for our existence;to lead us and to guide us! We move when He says:"Move." We stop when He says: "Stop!" etc.. Yes, there is hope; no matter what: physical, spiritual, financial etc..whatever the need be! There IS HOPE! God says in JOEL 2:26-"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." Now, you can eat; but, if you only eat a little; you will NOT be satisified. God says: you WILL eat in PLENTY and you WILL be SATISFIED! He will RESTORE ALL the years that the locust has eaten! God goes on to say in v.27- THEN,(during the period of restoration), 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." The'Great I AM' shall be in the midst of Israel during the time of restoration! I repeat: The Great I AM SHALL BE in the midst of Israel during the time of restoration! NO OTHER, other than the Great I AM, SHALL BE in the midst of Israel during the restoration! Another way is to say: "Emmanuel, God is with us! "Here, the Prophet JOEL was prophesying the time or period that God would be in the midst of Israel! Apostle John put it this way: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." (JOHN 1:1-2) And John continues on in verse 14 saying: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." And MATTHEW 1:23,tells us: ....and His Name shall be called Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.(MATTHEW 1:23; IS.7:14) As we search the previous scriptures in the Book of JOEL, we see that the Prophet Joel was prophesying the miraculous coming of the Lord Jesus Christ who claimed to be the Son of God, Messiah, Deliverer and the Giver of Salvation,to all who believed in Him!
Joel prophesied this 830 years before it took place! Emmanuel!!
AFTER your repentance, God WILL RESTORE ALL to you; and, God will be in the midst of Israel! (2,000 years ago at the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ!)Further proof,that Jesus Christ is God.
He is GOD! "THEN, you SHALL know that I AM in the midst of Israel: I AM The LORD GOD; AND there is NO OTHER!" JOEL 2:27 Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)---there is NO OTHER! And, verse 27 ends: My people shall NEVER be put to shame.
Joel is saying that the time will come during the restoration years; the message says: My people shall never be put to shame and it shall come to pass ---"AFTERWARD"(meaning: during this period of time that God will be in their midst(Emmanuel),after God makes His appearance as the Lord Jesus Christ and AFTERWARDS
when God is in the midst of Israel; and AFTERWARD that Jesus is Emmanuel, He will be crucified, died, buried, resurrected and ascended into heaven; And, AFTERWARD, "I WILL pour out My Spirit upon ALL flesh!" God is in the midst of Israel! Jesus died, was buried, resurrected from the grave, taught His disciples, told them to wait in Jerusalem to receive
"miraculous powers," and after Jesus ascended into heaven, they would be baptized in the Holy Spirit because, Jesus told them that He would send Him! During the times of restoration, the Messiah would come and do the things that He had to do: He became our "sin offering," and AFTER He ascends into heaven (He did it 2,000 years ago!)THEN, He would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh (AFTER He did what He had to do; and, that was 2,000 years ago, when He finished the work for our salvation and eternal life.)
John the Baptist baptized with water; but Jesus would baptize with: "....the Holy Ghost and Fire!" (MATTHEW 3:11)
This Outpouring of the Holy Spirit has dramatically changed things. Folks will receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and they will be able to prophecy, dream dreams, have visions etc..all that was previously reserved for the prophets! God says, AFTERWARD, after we recieve the Holy Spirit Baptism, We can receive the Anointing to prophecy. And, we ought to be prophesying not only in church; but, also throughout the ends of the earth!To prophesy, is to speak the inspired Word of God, to those who need to be saved! In JOEL 2:28-29 - We read of the prophesying that we should be doing, the dreams, the visions etc.. For in verse 28, we see the word: "And, it shall come to pass AFTERWARD..that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh..." Verse 29 says: "...on God's MENservants AND ON His MAIDservants He will pour out His Spirit in THOSE days."
God also goes on in JOEL 2:30 and tells of the wonders in the heavens and in the earth that He shall show..." BEFORE the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD! Man wants to credit global warming, the climate etc..for the unusual things that are occuring on the earth. These unusual events and occurences on earth, should alert us that these things SHALL take place; because God's Word says they will! And just as we see these unusual things taking place; we should also know that the great and awesome day of the Lord will also take place!
We should ask ourselves if we know folks who fit the description of being unsaved, unknowledgable of what the Word of God says, unaware of God's desire to see them receive eternal life. Who do YOU know??...Children, relatives, friends, neighbors etc..?? When the Lord comes to bring judgment on the earth, all those who have not received the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of their life, shall be destroyed! Is there HOPE? Of course there is! There is ALWAYS HOPE in God!! Look at JOEL 2:32-God says:
"And it SHALL come to pass That WHOEVER calls on the name of the LORD SHALL BE SAVED! For in Mount Zion (the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ) is DELIVERANCE, and the LORD said, Among the remnant whom the LORD calls." PRAISE GOD!
In ROMANS 10:13-15 Apostle Paul asks: How will folks call on the Lord whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe if they have not heard? And, how shall they hear without a preacher?
And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Answer: EVERY BELIEVER of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word, has been commanded to "GO...and PREACH the Gospel to EVERY creature..."
Faith comes by hearing; and, hearing the Word of God. And, folks cannot possibly be saved without faith! Our mouths are NOT supposed to be shut! The Devil is the only one that wants to shut the mouth of a Believer! He wants to shut your mouth so that the relative that you have had on your heart and in your prayers will NOT be saved! We have all seen the unusual events that have occurred and scientists feel may yet occur in the heavens as well as on the earth. It could all take place at any time with God! God has the Power right NOW to usher in that great and awesome day of the Lord! We may think that we have plenty of time yet; but, that day is closer than you think!
We, Believers of the Lord Jesus Christ have the Gospel of Christ! And, Apostle Paul says in ROMANS 1:16:"For I am NOT ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the Power of God to Salvation for EVERYONE who BELIEVES, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." So, why are we keeping the Power of God to save just within our own selves? I pray for Revival, for Revival will bring Salvation of souls! 2PETER 3:9 tells us: "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise,as some men count slackness; but God is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
I pray that you all receive this Word as I have from the Lord. For this Word is not only for JOEL'S generation but for OURS as well! There is HOPE for EVERY person and EVERY generation!
Go, and bring the Good News to them! God, SAVE the people!! All Glory to God!
Pastor Abraham
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