The Locust Horde and the Day of the Lord

The Locust Horde and the Day of the Lord
September 19, 1982
Joel
The book of Joel falls naturally into two parts. In 1:1-2:27 we read about a terrible locust plague that came over Israel as a judgment from God and how the people repented and God restored their fortunes. Then in 2:28 to the end of the book we read about how God at some future time is going to pour out his Spirit far and wide to bless his people and how he is going to gather for judgment the nations which have rejected him and his people. Or to put it another way, the first half of the book describes how God fought against his own people to make them honor him alone. And the second half of the book describes how he will fight against the nations who refuse to honor him alone.
What I would like to do this morning is guide you through the whole book in a summary way, then go back and focus on the main messages of the two halves as they apply to us today.
Let's begin with Joel 1:1. "The word of the Lord that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel." We know almost nothing about this prophet. And that does not matter too much in the end, because his intention is to be a mouthpiece for God, not himself. In verses 2 and 3 he says that his message should be passed on from generation to generation. Then in verse 4 he describes the catastrophe of the locust plaque: "What the cutting locust has 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." The results of this locust plague were utterly devastating. Verse 5: all the wine is cut off from the drunkard's mouth. Verse 7: the fig trees have splintered. Verse 9: there is not even enough grain for the cereal offerings in the temple. So in verse 13 Joel calls for Israel to cry to the Lord because he sees in this catastrophe the judgment of God leading up to the great and terrible day of the Lord.
Gird on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God! Because cereal offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of the Lord your God; and cry to the Lord. Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near and as destruction from the Almighty comes (vv. 13,15).
Chapter two begins with another warning that the terrible day of judgment called "the day of the Lord" is coming and that this locust horde is the dawn of this day of the Lord. "Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness." Then in verses 3-11 Joel describes the locust horde again as a raging army with horses and chariots and warriors. Verse 3: "The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but after them, a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them." Verse 9, "They leap upon the city, they run upon the walls; they climb up into houses, they enter through windows like a thief." And in verse 11 they are said to be the army of the Lord. "The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his host is exceedingly great; he that executes his word is powerful." Then for a third time the locust horde is described as the advance troops of the day of the Lord: "for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; who can endure it?"
So far, then, we learn that God is fighting his people for some reason. We're not told why. Which probably means that Joel intended for us to learn more about God here than about ourselves. God has sent his army of locust against Israel and threatened that the end is near. He is fighting against his people. But is only destruction in his mind? No. Verses 12-14 tell us more about this warrior God:
'Yet even now,' says the Lord, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.' Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil. Who knows whether he will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, a cereal offering and a drink offering for the Lord our God?
Even though God has threatened destruction of his own people (since he can raise up from stones children to Abraham! Matt. 3:9) yet he holds out the opportunity of repentance and salvation at the eleventh hour. If they will repent, he will repent. If they will rend their hearts, he will cease to rend their land.
So in verses 15-17 Joel calls for fasting and the priests pray for God not to make his heritage a byword among the nations. They humbled themselves and appealed to God's jealousy for his chosen people; and he responded in verse 18: "Then the Lord became jealous for his land and had pity on his people." He turned away from judgment; the climactic day of the Lord which had been threatening withdrew into the more distant future; and verses 19-27 describe the stunning restoration which God promises to the land.
Verses 25-27 show what God was really after in fighting with his people.
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. 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 again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I the Lord am your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame.
The ultimate aim of God in sending the locust horde against his people is to secure their undivided allegiance: "You shall know that I, Yahweh, am your God and there is no one else." Evidently, the cause of the locust plague had been the people's half-hearted allegiance. Some of their affections had gone after things other than God. He was not their all-consuming love. So he fought against his own people. For few things are more dishonoring to God and dangerous for us than love to God which is only half-hearted.
That is the first half of Joel's book. He had said that the day of the Lord was near (in 1:15; 2:1,11). But then God repented and the final judgment did not fall. What becomes of it? Evidently it was "near" not in the sense that it had to happen soon, but in the sense that it was on the brink of happening; conditions were ripe for it; the massed troops were just across the border; the trumpet was on the lips, when the commander raised his hand and made peace with his rebellious people. But now what of this promised day?
In the second half of the book Joel lifts his eyes to the future and, inspired by the Spirit, predicts the events that will precede the day of the Lord. Verse 28: "And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams and your young men will see visions." Sometime in the future Joel sees a time of overflowing spiritual blessing beyond the prosperity which God provided after the locust plague. But this benefit applies only to those who "call on the name of the Lord" (according to verse 32) because the day of the Lord approaches again with darkness and destruction. Verses 30-32:
And I will give portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered.
So Joel sees two things coming as the day of the Lord approaches: one is a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit (2:28,29) and the other is a terrible time of divine judgment. He had fought against his own people in the past to lead them to salvation. He will fight against the nations in the future who reject his salvation and his people.
This final world-end judgment is described in chapter three. First, verses 1 and 2, "Behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat and I will enter into judgment with them there." The word Jehoshaphat means "Jehovah judges." Joel sees a great day coming when God will vindicate his name by judging all who have spurned him. Verse 12 describes the scene as a great judgment: "Let the nations bestir themselves and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the nations round about." Verse 14 describes multitudes in the valley: "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." This does not mean people come there to make a decision, they come to experience God's decision. God is the Decider in the valley of decision. The valley of decision is the same as the valley of Jehoshaphat and "decision" (or verdict) is virtually the same as "judgment."
So Joel sees a future with two sides: salvation and blessing for those who call on the name of the Lord, but judgment and destruction for the people who go their own way. The contrast is laid out finally in verses 16-21: "The Lord roars from Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shake. But the Lord is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel." At the end of the age, when the day of the Lord comes, God will meet us either as a roaring lion to devour or as a quiet refuge of delight.
And now, just as the first half of the book ended in 2:27 with the purpose of God: "You shall know that … I am the Lord your God and there is none else," so the second half of the book draws near its close in 3:17 with the same purpose expressed: "So you shall know (in view of all that's happened) that I am the Lord your God." The purpose of God in the historical locust horde and the purpose of God in the final day of the Lord are the same: to make known that he alone is God and is to be loved and worshipped and served above all things.
That's an overview of Joel's message from the Lord. Now what is God's word to us in these two halves of Joel's prophecy? There are four things I think we should take to heart. First, let us never lose sight of God's purpose in history—from grasshopper swarms to world-wide judgment to the dissolving of sun and moon—his purpose is to be God in the eyes of all the world. "You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I the Lord am your God and there is none else!"(2:27, 3:17). If we are God's people everything we do must have this as its aim. The American church is weary with having man and his relationships and feelings and self-concepts at the center of our attention for so long. We are bored with the very unamazing results of standing in front of the mirrors of psychology and anthropology and sociology. And it is time that, at least in the church, we hold our eye to the telescope of theology. Untold numbers of puny personal problems would be swallowed up if we could learn to stand atop the Mt. Palomar of divine revelation and gaze at the God whose purpose is to be God alone, and before whose unutterable majesty, every knee will bow whether in heaven or on the earth or under the earth. My prayer as we study the prophets this fall is that we might see God the way they see God, and that the word will spread, "They have a big God at Bethlehem." The first lesson of the prophet Joel for our man-centered 20th century is this: From devouring grasshoppers to vanishing galaxies God has a purpose and he will achieve it—to be God alone in the eyes of all the world.
Second, if our hearts wander from this God, he will fight against us to bring us to repentance. I have seen it in my own life: if I begin to become proud and self-confident and prayer starts to feel unnecessary, God clogs my way. He brings me down. Things will go sour at home. Tensions arise at work. Sleep is not sweet. Depression builds. Everywhere I turn there is no joy. He boxes me in and clogs my way. He fights against me in my pride. For he is a jealous God and will have our heart's trust 100%. When he says in 2:12, "Return to me with all your heart" it is clear, isn't it, what he is fighting for: all our heart, not a piece on Sunday and a piece at mealtime and a piece at bedtime. If you are his he will fight you until you give him all your heart all the time.
Hosea describes the people of Israel going after other gods like a bride leaving her husband. And God says in Hosea 2:6,7:
Therefore, I will hedge up her way with thorns; and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths. She shall pursue her lovers, but not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them. Then she shall say, 'I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better with me then than now.'
God will fight against us and clog the joy of our lives until we return with our whole heart to him. For his purpose is to be God alone in the midst of his people.
Third, therefore, as Joel pleads, rend your hearts and not your garments, awake (1:5), lament (1:8), be ashamed and wail (1:11), declare a fast and cry to the Lord (1:14) for mercy. Turn from the sin you cherish and for which you feel guilty every day. Return to the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (2:13). Don't be bitter at God because he clogs your way and frustrates your day. Every divine stroke is the discipline of a loving Father and a blow against our pride, our self-reliance, and our love for the world. Turn and kiss the rod of God and the Lord will become to you a gentle shepherd.
Fourth, and finally, let us pray and seek God earnestly for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit promised in 2:28,29. It is true that at Pentecost Peter said that the coming of the Holy Spirit on Jesus' disciples was a fulfillment of Joel 2:28,29: "This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel" (Acts 2:16). But that was just the beginning of the blessing. We have only tasted the power of the age to come, we have only received the downpayment of the Spirit. The prophecy is far from complete. How many of our old men dream dreams of God? How many of our young men see visions of God? Where are the sons and daughters who hear the word of God and bring us prophecies for our guidance? Has the hope of Moses in Numbers 11:29 really been fulfilled: "Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his spirit upon all." We know it has not yet been fulfilled, not only because the church is so far from ideal but also because the people of Israel persist in unbelief. They have been broken off because of their unbelief, and we gentiles have been grafted in to the rich root of the covenant and made seed of Abraham and heirs of the promise (Gal. 3:14, 29, Rom. 11:17ff). But Scripture promises that one day Israel will be converted, accept Jesus as the Messiah; and then the prophecy of the Spirit will have its final fulfillment. So let us pray earnestly and call upon God to pour out his Spirit for a great awakening at Bethlehem and for the conversion of Israel that we may be united in one holy people of God. Then when the day of the Lord comes and all the nations are gathered for judgment in verdict valley the Lord will be our refuge and we will confess with unspeakable joy that he alone is God in our midst and there is none else.


By John Piper. ©Desiring God. Website: http://www.desiringgod.org/. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 888.346.4700.

What is a “Rhema”?

Scripture for personal application

The Word of God

There are two primary Greek words that describe Scripture which are
translated word in the New Testament. The first, logos,
refers principally to the total inspired Word of God and to Jesus, Who
is the living Logos.

Biblical Examples of Logos

The following passages of Scripture give examples of the logos of God:

• “In the beginning was the Word [logos], and the
  Word [logos] was with God, and the Word [logos] was
  God” (John 1:1).


• “The seed is the word [logos] of God”
  (Luke 8:11).


• “Holding forth the word [logos] of life”
  (Philippians 2:16).


• “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth
  not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word [logos] of truth”
  (II Timothy 2:15).


• “For the word [logos] of God is quick, and
  powerful” (Hebrews 4:12).


• “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible,
  by the word [logos] of God, which liveth and abideth
  forever” (I Peter 1:23).

Rhema—The Spoken Word

The second primary Greek word that describes Scripture is rhema, which
refers to a word that is spoken and
means “an utterance.” A rhema is a verse or portion of Scripture
that the Holy Spirit brings to our attention with application to a current
situation or need for direction.

Every word of God is inspired, and “all scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness” (II Timothy 3:16). It is the Holy Spirit
Who illuminates particular Scriptures for application in a daily walk with the Lord.

The words of Jesus are significant on this point. “Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word [rhema] that proceedeth out of the
mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Jesus also stated, “The words
[rhema] that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life”
(John 6:63).

When God gives a rhema for us to act upon, He often confirms it
by a second rhema, that “in the mouth of two or three witnesses
shall every word [rhema] be established” (II Corinthians 13:1).

Biblical Insights Into Rhemas

The following passages of Scripture provide insight into the rhemas of God:

• “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word
  [rhema] of God” (Romans 10:17).


• “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the
  Spirit, which is the word [rhema] of God” (Ephesians 6:17).


• “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the
  church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it
  with the washing of water by the word [rhema]”
  (Ephesians 5:25–26).


• “If ye abide in me, and my words [rhema] abide in you, ye
  shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7).

Biblical Examples of Rhemas

The following passages of Scripture give examples of the rhemas of God:

• When Jesus told Peter to cast the fishing nets on the other side of the boat,
  Peter answered, “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have
  taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word [rhema] I will let
  down the net” (Luke 5:5).


• When the angel told Mary that she would have a child, “Mary said,
  Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word
  [rhema]” (Luke 1:38).


• Simeon recalled the promise that he would see Christ before he died:
  “Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy
  word [rhema]” (Luke 2:29).


• God gave John the message he was to preach as a forerunner to Christ:
  “The word [rhema] of God came unto John”
  (Luke 3:2).


• God reminded Peter of His Word: “Then remembered I the word [rhema]
  of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye
  shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 11:16).


• Jesus told Peter he would deny Him. “Peter remembered the word
  [rhema] of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow,
  thou shalt deny me thrice” (Matthew 26:75).

How do I “get” a rhema?

In the regular course of our daily reading of God’s Word (logos),
we need to ask God to speak to us through His Word and give us insight
into it. The Holy Spirit can cause certain passages to stand out with
significant meaning or application for our lives. These are the rhemas of
Scripture and should become a part of our daily thoughts and actions.

IS GOD A MATCHMAKER?

IS GOD A MATCHMAKER?

by Blaine Smith
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A member of the church I attended as a single Christian wrote a song that became a favorite at weddings there. Many couples included it in their wedding ceremonies, and Evie and I began our own service with it. The first verse sets forth the theme that continues throughout the song: “Before God gave us life... He planned us for each other.”
The song proclaims a belief which Christians have long held sacred -- that God predetermines whom you marry. If he wants you to be married, he has one ideal choice in mind. And he works in many mysterious ways to bring you to the one for whom you are destined.

Writing Should I Get Married? challenged me to think back to our decision to include that song, beautiful as it was, in our wedding service, and to wonder if it was the wisest and most sensitive choice we could have made. Do I still hold to its premise as strongly as I did then? And was it edifying to proclaim it to others with trumpets as we did in our ceremony?

I have no question that some Christians benefit from the belief that God predestines your spouse. It inspires many married couples to view their relationship as more than a chance occurrence and to appreciate the hand of God in bringing them together. This leads to deeper reverence for Christ and greater faithfulness in their marriage. Many who are single, too, take heart in the thought that if God wants them to be married, he will move mountains to make it happen. They are inspired to stay hopeful and to take the sometimes scary steps needed to find a spouse.

Yet I find that just as frequency this viewpoint has an adverse effect on Christians. Some who are married feel an unhealthy sense of superiority over single friends for having been handpicked by God for the estate of marriage. Others are too quick to blame God for problems that come up in their marriage (see, for example, Gen 3:12!).

Most unfortunate, though, is the paralyzing effect this notion sometimes has on single Christians who want to be married. Some conclude that any personal effort to find a spouse is outside the bounds of faith. Changing jobs or churches to improve the prospects of meeting someone compatible, for instance, is out of the question. Faith demands that you sit still and wait for God to bring the right person to your doorstep.

In one extreme case a Christian woman told me she felt she must avoid any situation that would make it too easy to find a husband. She had four opportunities for missionary service. In three of these situations there were single men whom she would consider marrying. Thus she felt compelled to choose the fourth. Though this woman, who was past forty, deeply wanted to be married, she greatly feared getting her own will mixed up with God's in the matter. Making it as difficult as possible for God to bring a man into her life would help ensure that marriage would come about only if God willed.

The belief that God has one ideal choice also leads some to be too idealistic about whom they would consider marrying. Since God is perfect, it is felt that you must not settle for anyone who less than fully measures up to your image of the ideal mate. Such persons are quick to bail out of a relationship at the first sign of another's imperfections, while others wait endlessly for that perfect relationship that never comes along.


Not Going Beyond Scripture

I must confess I wince a bit when I remember how Evie and I included the song about God predestining us in our ceremony without considering the effect its message might have on others. I fear, too, that there was something too smug or self-congratulatory in our desire to announce to the world that God had determined from before time to bring us together. I shudder when I think that several other couples who featured this same song in their weddings are now divorced. We certainly tread on thin ice whenever we declare unreservedly that we know particulars of God's hidden plan for our lives.

It's not that I'm ready to reject the premise of the song. My Presbyterian background has given me profound respect for the extensive biblical teaching on God's sovereignty and has taught me to be at home with paradox in the Christian life. I'm comfortable with the thought that God can give us full freedom to choose and act on the human level, yet still on a deeper, more mysterious level be ordering what we do in light of a preconceived plan.

My experience, though, is that most Christians do not find this notion helpful when it comes to decisions related to marriage. In an area as deeply personal, life-changing and far-reaching as moving toward marriage, it is vital that we be guided by the most clear and obvious teachings of Scripture and guard against getting sidetracked by speculative notions. Certainly God has told us what he wants us to know clearly and straightforwardly.

Here it is striking that Scripture never specifically states that God predestines a man and woman for each other in marriage. Even though this belief was deeply embedded in Jewish tradition and reflected in a number of sayings and anecdotes in the Talmud, the Holy Spirit did not choose to state matters so specifically in the inspired Scripture. This suggests that, whether or not there is truth in the notion, it is not an edifying one for most believers to keep in mind as they take steps toward marriage. This isn't to imply that Scripture has nothing to say about God's role in bringing about marriage. Quite the contrary! But the Bible in general views the responsibility as a cooperative one, where both God and we play a part in the process. This is a most liberating concept when it is fully appreciated, but a challenging one as well. To this end Scripture stresses three perspectives which are important to keep in mind.


The Call to Optimism

You have supreme basis for optimism as you seek to find a life partner. While Scripture does not directly address the question of whether God predestines a specific man and woman for each other, it does indicate that he gives a special measure of guidance and help -- and very often success -- to those who seek the opportunity for marriage.

When Paul, for instance, encourages Christians who need to be married to get married, he shows a remarkable confidence that those seeking a partner will be able to find one. In declaring “let each man have his own wife and each woman her own husband” (1 Cor 7:2 NEB), he doesn't even entertain the possibility that someone needing marriage will be unable to find an acceptable partner! His optimism is especially intriguing when we remember who he is addressing -- a fledgling Christian community barely five years old where the pool of qualified candidates for marriage was surely not vast. Yet Paul's outlook is fueled by faith in a God whose hand is not shortened when it comes to meeting the needs of his saints.

Paul begins his letter to the Corinthians with a declaration of confidence that God will sustain them and meet the deepest needs in their lives:

I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way... Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. (1 Cor 1:4-5, 7-9)
This faith in Christ's provision for the Corinthians' needs undergirds all of Paul's remarks in his letter to the young church. He writes with the underlying confidence that as they seek to make intelligent choices, God will work for good in their lives.
To be sure, Paul stops short of guaranteeing that God will provide a spouse to anyone who wants one. Neither here nor anywhere else does Paul -- or any biblical writer -- lock God into a required response to any human need. There is always the possibility that God will choose not to meet a need directly but to give the grace to live contentedly with unfulfilled desires, a point Paul stresses in his second letter to this church (2 Cor 12:7-10).

Still Paul puts the accent on hope in his teaching on marriage, and throughout his writings urges us toward faith in a God who provides all of our needs in Jesus Christ (Phil 4:19). If you want to be married, you certainly have reason to stay hopeful that God will provide someone to meet that need unless he changes your desire or in some clear way shuts the door.

Again, it is important as you maintain this hope to keep your expectations within reasonable bounds. If you're thinking, “God has one ideal choice for me,” you may be setting your standards for that person impossibly high. When we consider the perspective on God's role which was in Paul's mind as he wrote 1 Corinthians 7, it seems to be not “God has one ideal person for you to marry” -- but “God will help you find a suitable partner.” This is usually a more edifying thought to dwell on. The person whom he gives you to marry will have imperfections and failings, just as you do. Still that person will complement you in a way that will work for your greater happiness and a more fruitful life together for Christ.


The Call to Responsibility

At a party one evening, when I was writing Should I Get Married?, I got to talking with a married friend about the book I was writing on the marriage decision. Our conversation wandered onto the question of how faith and personal responsibility work together in finding a spouse. At that moment her husband walked by, and she handed him an empty glass and asked him to fill it with ice for her. I remarked jokingly: “If your faith were strong enough, Molly, your husband would have known you wanted the glass filled without you asking. In fact if your faith were really strong enough, you would have just held the glass out and the ice would have plopped into it!”

She replied: “But isn't this exactly how many Christians are thinking when it comes to finding a partner for marriage? You simply hold the glass out and the ice drops in.”

She is right. When we talk about faith, some are left thinking that the burden is completely upon God to bring results. They think that we have no responsibility for the outcome.

Scripture, though, never views matchmaking this way. It always sees it as a mutual process where both God and the one wanting marriage have responsibility for the outcome. It involves not only waiting in faith but taking steps of faith as well.

Thus Paul speaks in 1 Thessalonians 4:4 about the attitude in which a man should "take" a wife, using a verb that implies personal initiative.* And in his whole discussion of the importance of marriage in 1 Corinthians 7, he says nothing about waiting passively for God to provide a spouse. Rather, he speaks to individual initiative in saying, “let each man have his own wife and each woman her own husband.”

In reality we trust Christ most fully not by sitting idly, but by taking careful, prudent action which we have reason to believe is in line with his will. While there is a certain trust implied by sitting passively and waiting for God to dump the love of your life into your lap, there can be a greater trust involved in taking the often scary steps of changing your circumstances or beginning a new relationship. Such steps are not incompatible with having faith in Christ. When bathed in prayer and a desire to honor him, they are a vital part of what walking in faith involves.


The Call to Accountability

This brings us to the third perspective that is vital in seeking marriage. Scripture takes the highest possible view of marriage, deeming it a relationship comparable to that of Christ and the church (Eph 5:21-33). To this end I must strive for the highest possible reverence for Christ at each point as I consider the possibility of marriage and take practical steps to bring it about. Thus Paul commands, “For this is the will of God... that each of you know how to take a wife for himself in holiness and honor” (1 Thess 4:3-4 RSV).

This statement speaks to the importance of taking my daily walk with Christ seriously--the need for faithfulness to personal devotions, Bible study, worship, fellowship and support groups. Growing in Christ not only will prepare me to be a better companion to my spouse but will enhance the Lord's freedom to work out his best in my life, for marriage and all areas. Part of this growth process is praying regularly about my hopes for marriage. I should give attention both to asking God for grace to do his will and to expressing honestly what my desires are at the present time. Finally, this passage speaks to the need to make the most responsible, sanctified decisions I can as I take steps to find a relationship and, ultimately, as I decide about whether to marry a particular person. At each point my goal should be to understand and do God's will.

While knowing that God wants me to seek a relationship with him presents a challenge, it brings me back to a basis for hope as well, for it reminds me that he wants to work for good at all points in my life. He is not my adversary but my friend, one who desires the very best for my future. As the psalmist declares: “He redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion. He satisfies my desires with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's” (Ps 103:4-5). That is incentive enough to seek to honor Christ in every way as I take steps toward marriage!

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*I realize that the phrase in this verse, translated by RSV "to take a wife for himself," is rendered in two other ways by other translations: "to gain mastery over his body" (NEB) and "to guard his member" (NAB). I am following the conclusion of O. Larry Yarbrough, who devoted a major portion of his Ph.D. thesis to examining 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, that the RSV translation is the most reliable one. See O. Larry Yarbrough, Not Like the Gentiles: Marriage Rules in the Letters of Paul (Atlanta, Ga.: Scholars Press, 1985), especially pp. 68-76.
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Copyright © 2003 M. Blaine Smith. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with permission from Nehemiah Ministries.

Developing the Prophetic in Worship

Developing the Prophetic in Worship
Matt Redman
These are notes taken from a worship leaders conference meeting where Matt was teaching.
Intimacy in Worship
We're aiming at teens to twenties with what we do and we got to a point recently where we're thinking 'well what should the music be like?... should we have to do all this drum programming and dance stuff?'. We were struggling with that for quite a while. The thing that came out of that was the Lord said to me that you've got to do what's on your heart, and you've got to be real. In the end worship can never be a performance, something you're pretending to do or putting on. It's got to be an overflow of your heart; play what comes out of your heart.
Worship is about being real with God. You notice how many of the Psalms are not just thanksgiving and joyful things but also times of saying 'Lord where are You?', just crying out from a hunger and a thirst and a dependence in God.
Intimacy in worship is about getting personal with God, drawing close to God. Obviously we revere Him as King and we fear Him as Lord... we bow down before our Creator. But the Lord has said we can draw close to Him. In the New Testament one of the most commonly used words for worship is the word 'proscunio' (Greek word). It's used 66 times and means 'to come towards to kiss', this may seem irreverent; but in that culture it was used a lot to describe when a hound would lick his masters hand. You have the picture of reverence, but within that reverence there's a closeness... to come towards to kiss.
Intimacy in worship is not about warm fuzzy feelings; it's far more about self disclosure; it's about you sharing the secret things of your heart with God, and coming close to Him; you tell God things that you would never tell another person. In that place of closeness and intimacy God shares His heart with us, there's an exchange. In John 15:15 Jesus says 'I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know his masters business. Instead I call you friends; because everything I have learnt from the Father I have revealed to you.' He's talking about closeness there, He's saying you're the friend of God now; and that friendship is about Me telling you about the Father, its about Me sharing the things of God with you.
There are some things that you'll tell everyone and there are some things that you'll only tell your friends. With God it's like that. In a sense there are different levels of revelation. To the whole of mankind He's revealed creation. In Romans 1 it says that man is without excuse because all that has been revealed to them. There's maybe a second level of revelation with the cross, because in Corinthians it tells us that to some people the cross is just a load of foolishness, but to us who have been saved it is the power of God. As we becomes friends of God He reveals more and more in those times of closeness and intimacy.
If you're close to someone you need to whisper, you don't need to shout. But on the other hand there's still a time for shouting; an intimate song isn't always a slow or quiet song.
We're pursuing a breadth in our worship; because of the nature and character of God. So wide, broad, and with so many different aspects and facets to Him, we need to respond in lots of different ways.

Prophetic Worship.
There's a sense in which the prophetic flows from that place of Intimacy. You have to be close to God to hear His voice... He speaks with a whisper. He maybe shouts to His enemies but to His friends He whispers. If you want to sing, play or dance prophetically, it has to come out of place which is close to God.. where you hear His voice, you become His spokesperson.
The prophetic is that which reveals Jesus. In Revelation it tells us that the spirit of prophecy is "the" testimony of Jesus, it's that which reveals Jesus. We often think of the prophetic about revealing the future; but the prophetic is far more about revealing Jesus. The heart of the prophetic, the heart of God is to reveal Jesus. That can come about in so many different ways; you could reveal the heart of God through dance, a spontaneous song - 'a song of the Lord'. The effect of that spontaneity is that people are drawn closer to Jesus.
The prophetic could be that you really feel to play a song one day, an old song maybe, but you feel this is the song the for tonight; and you play it and it is the song for tonight That's prophetic, something happened there which revealed Jesus; it brought us into His Presence more and more... it revealed the heart of God. We mustn't fall into the trap of thinking that the prophetic is just one thing... silence could be prophetic. You hear the voice of God and you act in such a way that it brings people closer to Jesus. Prophetic playing may bring a time of intercession or compassion for the lost, but the effect is always ultimately to glorify Jesus.
Prophetic worship is not a new thing; the Psalms are great example of prophetic worship, they revealed the future and they also revealed Jesus. In 2 Kings 3:15 Elisha said, "Bring me a harpist, and while the harpist was playing the hand of the Lord came upon Elisha." People may have experienced that in a meeting; all you're doing is playing and it's revealing the Lord; the Presence of the Lord is being ushered in... just through playing.

Just in the same way that God speaks through creation; you see a lovely landscape and you think 'now I know there's a God, I can sense Him speak through these things'. It's the same in music; you can hear Him speak through music which is just another part of creation. God created it for His glory and His honour but it can be used in many different ways; even sometimes when someone is not playing it for the glory of God (example Dave Gilmore with Pink Floyd playing a big guitar solo) it points you towards the Lord. How much more so, we who are saved, with our music point people towards the Lord; usher them into His Presence. It allows peoples minds and their hearts and their spirits be stirred, even by the music alone. Again in the Old Testament; I Chronicles 25:3 it talks about Jeduthun's sons. It says they prophesied using the harp, thanking and praising the Lord.
It doesn't always have to be spontaneous. You maybe preparing for the meeting and you write a little song, and that song will only ever get sung in that meeting; it seems to be the song of the moment.. addressing something that is on the Lord's heart for that night
Sometimes we're just playing along, the worship time is just normal; and then into the worship leaders mind, or a dancer or musician, comes something. And because that's the thing on the Lord's heart for that moment, and that's how He's chosen to reveal Himself, suddenly something happens... there's a dynamic... you change gears as it were; you find yourself even deeper in the Lord's Presence.
A prophetic word will break through into your life. In the same way prophetic songs, dance, music will cause a breakthrough in a time of worship. People sit up and listen when you prophesy over them, a change occurs. It's the same in worship. People get ushered into the Lord's Presence through the prophetic in our playing or in our words. That's what we should be aiming for. Our aim is to put people in touch with God.
Playing or singing prophetically is like walking a tight rope; sometimes all I have is a line in my head and I think 'OK then, here we go'. The thing about walking a tight rope is that you mustn't look down. In the same way when stepping out in the prophetic keep look 'straight ahead' towards God. Keep focusing on the Lord, focusing towards Jesus. I keep my eyes shut personally, because there will always be a few people giving you a weird look. lf you lookdown and worry about falling you probably will.
The Bible says we only see in part when we prophecy. One day we'll see in full. Often with the prophetic we won't understand the whole of what we're singing or be consciously cognizant that we're not seeing the whole picture.

I was in Norway once and in the middle of the worship time I felt the Lord put the Michael Jackson song 'You are not alone, I am here with you' into my head. So I sang this song out and at the end of it I felt 'Oh no, what have I done', I thought - at least I'm in Norway, we'll be going home in a couple of days'. At the end of that I felt 'that was not from the Lord... your a prat.'. But then this lady comes up to me at the end and says 'I've been desperate for the Lord, I've been crying out for him and I came tonight In the car I said to God I felt so alone, where are You... You're not with me.'. That seemed to be the heart of God for that day... God will often leave the 99 to go after the 1.
Questions.
"What way can we cultivate a prophetic lifestyle ?"
In all that you do search after God... if God's speaking to you, act upon it Expose yourself to the Word of God, that's the truth. Too much Word and you dry up, too much Spirit and you blow up, Word and Spirit and you grow up. There has to something to draw on... and that's the Word of God.
"How can a secular guitar solo draw you closer to God?'"
In Matthew 5 Jesus says that the Lord rains on the righteous and the unrighteous. Music is to the soul what wind is to a ship, blowing her onwards in the direction she Is already facing. I walked round national gallery recently and saw paintings that were on a religious theme but were not painted by Christians. But these paintings still spoke to me.
"How do we start to prophecy in our times of worship?"
Start off in the private place, in practices. Cultivate it when everyone's not watching. Allow time at the end of rehearsals. In a larger setting of a meeting its like the tight rope, you have to take that first step. If in doubt, make sure that it's really burning in you.

Matt Redman is a singer / song writer / worship leader who lives in North London. He leads worship at two churches. The first is St. Andrews, Chorley Wood; an Anglican Church with an emphasis towards family based worship. The second is a Soul Survivor Church which is geared mainly towards young people. He has written and released several albums and is one of the main driving forces behind Soul Survivor and the Soul Survivor youth weeks.

Prophetic Worship by John Paul Jackson

Prophetic Worship

by John Paul Jackson

Worship, by its very nature, is prophetic. Worship engages an omnipresent God who
spans the dimension of time. Inherent in worship is a prophetic declaration of what
has happened, what is happening now, and what is to come.

When we worship, we are suddenly thrust into an eternal realm, where worship is being
offered up continually before the Lord. In those moments, we are literally catapulted
into the future, joining those from eons past, in worshipping the Ancient of Days.

Worship flows from revelation about God. As the Lord reveals Himself to us, adoration
arises from our heart. Judson Cornwall once said, "the depth of our worship is always
proportional to the extent of our revelation of God."

In worship, we catch a fascinating and tantalizing glimpse of God in a way that is
breathtaking. The Lord causes us to "see" or "know" Him with our spirit. We may have
a revelation of His thoughts, words, character, and attributes. Such revelation
transforms us and draws forth devotion from the depths of our being.

The Lord has endless realms of His glory to make known to us. If we were to spend
every moment receiving wave after wave of knowledge of God, we would have scarcely
uncovered all there is to know.

One day, we will join with all creation in worshipping before God's throne
(Revelation 5:13-14). It will be a spectacular celebration as we who were born to
worship will find our heart's greatest fulfillment in worshipping our Creator. We
will surprisingly find the integration of science, mathematics, politics, the arts
and religion woven into His creation, not as man suspects, but as God intends. The
beauty of His holiness will transcend mankind's feeble attempts at greatness.

Copyright © 2001 John Paul Jackson, Stream Ministries International. All rights
reserved.

Learning to Hear God's Voice

Learning to Hear God's Voice

Stacy R. Wood, Jr.
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The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep . . . and THE SHEEP LISTEN TO HIS VOICE. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because THEY KNOW HIS VOICE. But they will never follow a stranger, in fact, they will run away from him because THEY DO NOT RECOGNIZE A STRANGERS VOICE. I have other sheep that are not of this flock I must bring them also. WILL THEY TOO LISTEN TO MY VOICE, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." (John 10:1ff).
This parable concerns the ability of sheep to faithfully follow their own shepherd. The sheep comply with the shepherd solely on the basis of KNOWING HIS VOICE. Such behavior clearly demonstrates that they are not mere "simpletons," as they are so often pictured. The fact is they are so discerning of the shepherd's voice that a stranger USING THE SAME WORDS can not lead them astray. NOTICE: They have learned to follow THE VOICE and not THE WORDS of the shepherd.

DOES NOT VOICE RECOGNITION COME AUTOMATICALLY!
The ability to ascertain the true shepherd, solely by his voice, does not come AUTOMATICALLY. It is not an inherent capability because someone is "a sheep by Birth." However, through FELLOWSHIP and DISCIPLINE sheep become conditioned to listen for the voice of the true shepherd.
Jesus used this illustration concerning sheep because He recognized THE NEED FOR LEARNING HOW TO HEAR in the lives of all those he called to follow Him. Luke's record of the Good News makes mankind's need for discipline in the area of hearing evident for all to see. In the Gospel of Luke Jesus admonished his disciples saying, "PAY ATTENTION HOW YOU HEAR!" In the Gospel according to Mark, Jesus again warns his disciples to "TAKE HEED WHAT YOU HEAR." (Lu 8:18; M'r 424).
HOW WAYS CAN A PERSON HEAR?
In a previous writing entitled "The Most Important Parable," we dealt with the subject of hearing. It was through "The Parable of the Sower" that we recognized the possibility of receiving what we hear into any of four distinct areas of the human intellect. The first area of reception is the well-traveled "wayside of dogma." The second area is "the shallow stony halfheartedness of religiosity." The third area of hearing is "the weed infested entanglements of double-mindedness." Then finally the area of hearing referred to as "the good rich soil of genuine response." Due to the possibility of receiving God's word incorrectly it becomes necessary for us to be cautious of WHAT WE LISTEN TO, as well as, HOW WE LISTEN to a thing. This is so we do not suffer loss of the life and fruitfulness of the word.
IS THERE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW TO HEAR?
In the book of Acts we encounter a people set forth as an example of how to receive the declaration of the Good News of Christ. It is here that we discover the writer considered the people in Berea to be MORE NOBLE than those of Thessalonica. This was because they received the word with ALL READINESS and WILLINGNESS OF MIND, examining the scripture DAILY, with a positive view, expecting to prove what they had heard to be true. Likewise we must learn HOW TO LISTEN with an open, yielded, and genuinely responsive frame of mind. (Acts 17:11).
HOW MANY VOICES CAN THERE POSSIBLY BE?
In this present day there are MANY KINDS OF VOICES in the world, as well as in the Church. None of these voices are without significance for they all have a message. (1 Cor. 14:10). The following is a list of a few voices spoken of in the Scripture. First, we find the voice of the Lord God and of His excellency. Then we see the voice of the trumpet, the voice of a great rushing, and the voice of many waters. We also locate the voices of thanksgiving, joy, praise, rejoicing, gladness and the voice of triumph. Next, there is the voice of harpers harping, the voice of the turtle dove, as well as, the voice of the bridegroom and the bride. Moreover, we discover the voice of swearing, and of oppression. Then there is the voices of wailing, weeping, trembling, howling, and groaning. Furthermore, we find there are the voices of charmers, fools, a multitude, and the voce of strangers.
It is because there are so many voices in the earth that we must LEARN TO DISTINGUISH or DIFFERENTIATE the many sounds that come into our personal world everyday. Remember. It is the voice that makes clear the true significance and reveals the genuine character of every word.
WHAT TO DO YOU MEAN DECIPHERING THE VOICE?
We find an illustration of comprehending the voice of words in the use of my very own name. You see I am a "Junior," which simply means my father gave me his name. Now to make matters a little more interesting my wife and I gave my name to our son making him "the Third." It all seems quite simple, but how about when we all gather into one location at the same time. This causes confusion for those who do not understand how to interpret the voice of the one calling our name. None of us like being called by our titles, Senior, Junior, or The Third. Each of us prefers the use of our given name. People often become inquisitive when someone calls out, "Stacy!" This is the case especially when the correct Stacy responds. They question, "How do you know which one of you is being spoken to?" The answer lies within THE DISTINCTION FOUND IN THE VOICE of the one doing the bidding.
We find another example that many can relate to in the phrase "I love you!" These are three simple words in the English language that can express such a variation of thought. What this _expression conveys to the hearer depends completely on WHAT VOICE IS BEHIND THE WORDS. One might hear the voice of appreciation. Another, may ascertain the voice of dominion, or the voice of eroticism. Still another could detect the voice of animosity.
Potentially everyone can listen to CORRECT WORDS given in a WRONG VOICE. This is why I cannot over emphasize the importance of LEARNING TO DECIPHER THE VOICE OF WORDS. When we learn to know the voice of words we will no longer be vulnerable to deception and error. The issue of knowing what voice we listen to becomes extremely important when we consider that our FAITH or PERSUASION increases through our hearing. Moreover, life we live and portray is greatly effected by our beliefs. Moreover, if we build our persuasion or conviction upon a false premise, because of improper hearing, it becomes meaningless and unfruitful. (Rom. 10:17; Prov. 237).
DO WE NEED MORE INTELLECT OR MORE ACKNOWLEDGMENT?
The prophet Hosea declared, "The destruction of God's people is due to their lack of knowledge!" Moreover, Isaiah said, "My people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge." (Hos. 4:6; Isa. 5:13). Many believe to acquire a greater intellectual knowledge of the purpose of God guarantees they will not become deceived. However, holding a particular doctrinal concept and calling it a spiritual revelation is not what the prophet means by knowledge. This becomes indisputable when we see such an absence of fruitfulness and maturity in the lives of so many "deeper word saints."