Articles (December 2009 - December 2014)

Part 1: Introduction

            I believe that "The Last Joel" is one of the most timely, most critical words for the body of Christ in this hour. The Lord made real to me parts of this book some forty years ago. But the Lord has gradually been evolving within me the impact of this specific word for many years.  The company of believers who make up the last Joel are known only to the Lord. The last Joel has been given an understanding of the ways of the Lord and has had wrought within them a heart of compassion for the Lord's people.  Two other characteristics of the last Joel are meekness and humility.

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men;
8 And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:5-8...

Part 2: The Beginning of the Last Joel

The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. Joel 1:1

            Please note that the book of Joel does NOT contain Joel's word, but the word of the Lord! "Joel" means "the Lord is God," so the name has the same significance as "Elijah." There are 14 men mentioned in the Bible named Joel. The first person named Joel in the Bible was the first son of Samuel (1 Samuel 8:2). The last Joel mentioned in the Bible is called the son of Pethuel (Joel 1:1 and Acts 2:16). Nothing is known of this last Joel except what is stated in Joel 1:1, the opening verse of the book of Joel. He has sometimes been called "The Anonymous Prophet." Scripture is silent concerning his birthplace, training, and background, other than the fact that he was the son of Pethuel. But no one knows who Pethuel was either. "Pethuel" means "enlarged of God, or vision of God." The name comes from a root word which means "to open the eyes." This book contains NO references to datable historical events. In addition, Joel calls...

Part 4: The Snares of the Adversary

3  Tell ye your children of it, And let your children tell their children, And their children another generation.
4  That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.  Joel 1:3-4

            Verse 3 is a commandment; it is the will of God; it still applies to us as Christian believers.  We are commanded to pass on the word of the Lord within our family forever.

            The four insects mentioned in Verse 4 are NOT four different insects but rather four stages of one insect ... the locust. The palmerworm is the gnawer; the locust is the swarmer; the cankerworm is the devourer; and the caterpillar is the consumer. This clearly states a progression in destruction.  Exodus 10 describes the plague of natural locusts that the Lord brought upon natural Egypt.  Verse 4 does not speak of natural locusts.  Locusts do not destroy the people of God.  In Joel 2:11 and 2:25, the locusts are...

Part 6: The State of the Church

 
            This Part is NOT the main thrust of this series.  It is added only for the sake of completeness.  In truth, this is NOT a time for "business as usual" or for "don't rock the boat." This is NOT a time to "sugar-coat" the word of God in order to keep the people coming in and keep the money coming in.  This is NOT a time for "feel-good" messages.  This is NOT a time to proclaim, "All is well."  Scripture records two events when a man (supposedly a man of God) proclaimed, "All is well."  In both cases, all was certainly NOT well.

            After Elisha healed Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, of leprosy, Elisha refused to take any reward from Naaman. 

20  But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, [as] the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.
21  So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And...

Part 7: The Coming Day of the Lord

1   Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for [it is] nigh at hand;
2   A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, [even] to the years of many generations.
3   A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land [is] as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
4   The appearance of them [is] as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
5   Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
6   Before their face the people shall be much pained: all...

Part 8: The Call to Repentance

12  Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye [even] to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
13  And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for He [is] gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth Him of the evil.
14  Who knoweth [if] He will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind Him; [even] a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
15  Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
16  Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
17  Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not Thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where [is] their...

Part 9: Repentance Re-Visited

            This word could not be complete without the following verse.

If my people, which 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 will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

            "Humble themselves" speaks of a quality of the mind. It represents a decision on our part. There is no place in the life of an overcomer for pride. "Seek My face" and "turn from their wicked ways" speak of repentance, a turning TOWARD the Lord and His ways and a turning AWAY from our own pleasure and our own ways. I hope that no one who has read this word has said, "Repent?  Repent from what? I have not done anything evil." Just in case one reader had that thought, let us share one short word about repentance. Repentance is a turning away from our own works, no matter how scriptural and how good they may appear, and entering into His rest. On June 13, 1976, the...

Part 11: Prayer and Intercession

             The words "pray," "intercede," and "repent" (from man's perspective) do not appear (but are certainly implied) in the book of Joel. "Cry unto the Lord" (Joel 1:14), for example, seems to imply prayer, intercession, and repentance. This Part is NOT a teaching on prayer and intercession. As we stated before, we believe that the ONLY path for the return of the glory of God must begin with our repentance, change of heart, and prayer and intercession. The result of this action on our part will be the return of the two missing items of the ark: Aaron's rod that budded and the golden pot that had manna, which are symbolic of apostolic authority and power and a new level of revelatory, anointed teaching. As we stated in Part 2, there is a critical need for more of the white cells (the prayer warriors and intercessors) to function today. Although some members of the Body of Christ seem to have a special anointing to pray and intercede, each of us has this responsibility (1 Timothy 2:1-3). Prayer and intercession must be led by the Spirit, with a humility and...

Part 12: Judgment of the Nations

 2   I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for My People and for My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted My land.
12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision:  for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. Joel 3:2, 12-14

            We believe that all of Joel, Chapter 3 is "down the road" a ways. We have NO word from the Lord as to how far down the road that may be, but the time is short.  Based upon the light that we have received to date, I doubt that we have more than 15 or 16 years before Joel 3 is fulfilled.

         ...

[This five-part series was recently prompted by the Holy Ghost to emphasize a serious epidemic in the visible church; namely the existence of false apostles, false prophets, false teachers, and false Christs, all of which are mentioned in Scripture, and all of which are present in the visible church today.  We conclude this series with that which the Holy Ghost has shared with us concerning what we can and must do about it.] 

9   The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10  Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new?  It hath been already of old time, which was before us.  Ecclesiastes 1:9-10

            The basic theme of the Book of Ecclesiastes is that all of life and all human striving is meaningless, useless, hollow, futile, and vain if it is not rightly related to God.  Only when based on God and His word is life worthwhile.  Jesus said,

35  Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,...