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Due to the large amount of sermons and topics that appear on this site I feel it is necessary to post this disclaimer on all sermons posted. These sermons are original to the author and the leading of the Holy Spirit. While ideas and illustrations are often gleaned from many sources including those at Sermoncentral.com, any similarities and wording including sermon title, that may appear to be the same as any other sermon are purely coincidental. In instances where other minister’s wording is used, due recognition will be given. These sermons are not copyrighted and may be used or preached freely. May God richly bless you as you read these words. It is my sincere desire that all who read them may be enriched. All scriptures quoted in these sermons are copied and quoted from the Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible.
Pastor James May
CAN YOU HEAR THE TRUMPET?
Joel 2:1-2, "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; 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."
This message is a wake up call for all of those in the church who are living in a condition of lethargy toward the things of God. God is going to shake you today, in an effort to get us realize just how close His coming really is.
Throughout the Old Testament, God referred to Israel as the land of Zion. King David took the land where Jerusalem was built, from the Jebusites, and then built a citadel on the highest point of the land. From that day forward, this city of David; this holy mountain has been the capital of Israel and the location of the Temple of God. The temple is not there now, but it will be rebuilt before long.
The name Sion is the name that is given to the Church of God. It is also used to describe Heaven, the place of God’s Eternal Throne.
These scriptures begin with a command from the Lord of Hosts, the Great King of Kings to sound forth a trumpet in Zion. The sounding of a trumpet, in this context, is meant to call together all of the Men of War of Israel to prepare for a battle for the enemy is just outside the gates of the city and is preparing to overwhelm the land and devour everything that is in it.
Joel 2:3-5, "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. The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. 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."
ILLUSTRATION:
In ancient Israel, there appeared tremendous swarms of locusts. They would appear suddenly, coming as a dark cloud that darkened the skies. Like the sunlight would spread over the peaks of the mountains and begin its slow, steady spread across the valley, these swarms of locusts were unrelenting in their progress.
They were referred to in many locations, as “cavalry”, because these locusts had hard-scaled bodies like armor and their heads were very similar in appearance to that of a horse. They would come in such large numbers that the sound of their wings could be heard 6 miles away.
Every attempt of men to stop them was to no avail. Men would dig trenches and fill them with brush, then set fire to the brush in an attempt to burn the insects but that would not stop them. Rank upon rank would continually push forward until the burned bodies of those in front would simply be a bridge for those who followed.
These locusts were so destructive that they would leave the land absolutely barren for two years. Every bit of grass, tree leaves, small limbs, the bark off of the trees and even the reeds used on the thatch roof of the houses would be devoured. There would be nothing left after they passed and there was no defense against them. They would eventually get to the sea and there they would perish but only after having devoured the land and leaving the people in great distress.
In this message to the church, and to those who are outside the Ark of Safety of the true church of the Lord Jesus Christ, God is calling us together, calling us to assemble and prepare for war for there is a strong and powerful enemy that is coming against us to destroy and devour all that God has given to us.
I know that Israel was brought under God’s judgment shortly after these prophecies of Joel and that they were scattered and defeated because of their great idolatry. The land of Zion was taken from them and, in 70 AD; the Romans leveled the city of Jerusalem and temple. Thus, the dark cloud of despair settled over Israel for nearly 2000 years.
We also understand that, in these last days, Israel has been returned to her homeland, never to be driven out completely again. But, the darkest hour of judgment against Israel for their rejection of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, is yet to come.
In the last days, there will an enemy to come against Israel that will nearly annihilate them. These armies will descend upon Israel much as the locusts of ancient times. They will appear suddenly, with vast numbers so great that they will cover the land. They will come against Israel with an evil plan to utterly destroy God’s chosen people.
If you will read Ezekiel chapters 38 & 39, and compare those with Joel chapters 1 & 2, you will get the full picture of what God’s warning is all about.
In this message, however, I have a trumpet to sound for Sion, the church of God. This trumpet is a sound to battle and a sound of alarm to be sounded throughout, not just Victory Temple, but the entire Body of Christ. I believe that this same trumpet is being sounded in every true Bible believing church and God-called Pastor and Evangelist throughout the world. The trumpet is blowing right now and it has been sounding for a long time. The trumpet is calling you and I to get prepared for battle for the enemy of our soul is coming, as a dark cloud, to devour everything in your life that is good and holy.
This battle is going to be held mostly in the Spiritual Realms but the destructive power, and victories of this battle from either side can easily be seen in the Natural Realms also.
The Church of the Living God is going about the business that God has called us to do. We have been called and ordained by God to reach out to lost souls to teach them of the Salvation through the Blood of the Lamb.
We are called and ordained by God but we are not going to get this job done without some major opposition from the powers of darkness.
The Devil and his demonic powers are like that cloud of locusts as they appear on the horizon and are relentless in their efforts to destroy every work of Sion. Our adversary, Satan, goes about seeking who he may destroy, who he may devour and what he may steal from our lives that will leave us desolate and in despair. That’s his job and he is good at it.
In a natural sense, I am concerned that the enemies of Christianity, especially those of Islam, who make up the terrorist element in the world today, are just beginning to make their power known. It is very evident, from recent events, that their ultimate goal is the absolute destruction of everything that opposes them in their relentless effort to spread their gospel of evil to the entire world. I wonder if we are not seeing the birth of the “cloud of locusts” that will soon invade Israel.
They will never destroy Israel but they will try. Israel’s salvation will come in the form of judgments against this great enemy. God will send fire upon them. Hail of fire and brimstone and mass slaughter will stop Israel’s enemies with only 1/6th of their vast army being sent home in utter defeat. Except for the direct intervention of God, the enemy of Israel would have succeeded for Israel has no power to stop them
Ezekiel 38:1-6, "And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee."
Ezekiel 38:18-23, "And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD."
Thus we can see that God will fight for His people, Israel. He will never allow the powers of evil to claim victory over His chosen nation. God will come to their defense and Israel will be delivered to fulfill the destiny that God has chosen for it.
In a spiritual sense though, the battle isn’t quite so recognizable unless you are really looking for the signs of what is happening.
The weapons of our real warfare are not weapons of tanks, smart bombs, cruise missiles and weapons that are man-made. Our weapons are weapons of the realm of the Spirit.
The weapons of our warfare are fasting, prayer, Bible study, evangelism, intercession and faith in God. Those weapons have no equal. The enemy cannot match them or overcome them and because of this, Satan is destined for utter defeat.
Have you noticed the effects of this Spiritual War? They are all around, if you take the time to look.
Satan’s demonic hoards have invaded the very creation of God and they are steadily advancing on all fronts in their attempt to destroy God’s creation and, especially, to destroy every human being who are made in God’s image.
What signs are visible with the natural eye of the battle that is raging in the realms of the Spirit?
Defeats in this war are visible in the church itself when you see:
1)People who turn their back on God and go back into the world
2)The people of God under oppression and living in defeat
3)Churches splitting and whole denominations accepting sin even in the pulpits. Some churches even allow homosexuals and lesbians to be Pastors. Many of our Pentecostal and full gospel churches are now beginning to accept the methods of the world in attracting people to God’s House in the form of dances, concerts and such that are just like the world. It is as though “the end justifies the means” and it doesn’t matter what you do to get people to church, just so they come.
4)Sicknesses and diseases are rampant among the saints of God
5)Cliques and factions forming that cause strife in the congregation
6)Intolerance toward differences of opinion when neither opinions are totally right or wrong to begin with
7)Moral failures in the areas of sexual misconduct and/or finances that plague the ministry
8)The “Friday Night Fights” in Christian homes where either Mom and Dad are quarreling constantly or where the Parents are fighting with the kids
Defeats in this war are visible in those who are not even a part of the church and are still caught up in the middle of the battle:
1)Alcoholism and drug addition plague mankind, destroying families and lives by the multitudes
2)Sexual perversion and promiscuity have given rise to all sorts of deadly diseases like aids, syphilis and gonorrhea
3)Untimely deaths on the highways due to alcohol, partying and carelessness
4)Divorce rates that are growing all the time
5)“Unconventional Family Units” made up of same sex parents who are rearing kids who are allowed to be adopted by our sin-influenced court system
6)Murder and mayhem upon the streets, in the schools, in the Post Offices, or just about anywhere at any time
Yes, the powers of hell are trying to overwhelm mankind and the church, but they will not succeed in destroying the church if we don’t let them. Satan may seem powerful, and he is, but he is not all-powerful. He tries to devour every good thing in your life, but Jesus has promised that Satan will never succeed.
1 John 4:4, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."
Isaiah 59:19, "So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him."
That’s our promise of victory! The true Church; the Body of Christ; those that believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ will never be overcome but will be the OVERCOMERS THROUGH THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY AND BY THE POWER OF THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB!
God will rise with Fury in his face and come speedily to the rescue of His Bride. He will catch us away, to be with Him in the Air where Satan’s forces cannot enter. He will destroy our enemies in the Lake of Fire forever and none shall escape God’s hand.
What is the duty of each of us to see that this war is won? I know that we cannot fight in our own power. There is nothing in the flesh that has any power at all against the weapons of Spiritual Warfare. Therefore the scripture says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled."
Yes, the weapons of our warfare are Spiritual Weapons. We must learn to use them; train ourselves in their power and capabilities and put them to use.
Now listen to what God’s instructions to Israel were in the face of their warfare and learn what God is still saying to the Church today. This is the formula for victory in Spiritual Warfare!
Joel 2:12-15, "Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 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. 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? Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:"
There’s the real method of winning against Satan – Fall down before God in repentance for sin, get your heart right with God, put the flesh under subjection and don’t yield to the natural desires but seek after the things of the Spirit first of all.
Don’t try to pay a price for self-depravation or punishment of the flesh! Don’t think that any penance you can pay will redeem you from the power of sin! Don’t think that you can do anything within your own power to overcome failures! REND YOUR HEART BEFORE GOD! Tear open the deepest recesses of your heart, open your heart to the Lord and let Him clean all of the filth, dirt and sin out of your heart by the Power of His own Blood.
God is full of grace and mercy. He is longsuffering and kind. He will turn from bringing the judgments of God against you if you will only turn to Him and who can know how great the blessings of God will be upon your life?
WE are to blow the trumpet of alarm in Zion and warn the church of the battle ahead! We are to blow the trumpet and let the world know that the Day of Lord is coming and that judgment is just around the corner.
We are to blow the trumpet for one another and warn one another that we are allowing our guard to drop and that Satan is lulling us to sleep. The church can’t rest, the church must be ever watching and waiting to sound the alarm. If we don’t, who will?
Joel 2:17-18, "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 God? Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people."
God isn’t just talking to those who stand behind the pulpits or who minister in the service of the church anymore. He may have meant that in the days of ancient Israel, but today we are all Priests unto the Lord. We are all a part of that “Chosen Generation” and that “Royal Priesthood”.
Therefore we should all cry out to God on behalf of the lost souls of this world and the evil injustices of our world. We should all cry out to God for those who are our Brothers and Sisters in Christ who we know are facing the onslaught of the powers of Hell!
Every part of our being, every moment we are awake, our prayer should be a prayer of intercession for those in trouble. Pray for others and let others pray for you, but pray!
The porch was in the Outer Court of the Temple in Jerusalem and the Altar was inside the Walls of the Temple itself where only those who were chosen could go. We should pray for those without and those within the Body of Christ!
Can you hear the sound of the trumpet this morning?
Have you heard the clarion call of God to close ranks with others in the Body of Christ?
Have you answered the call of God to tear your heart before Him in repentance?
Listen closely and I believe that you will hear the trumpet sounding the alarm for battle!
Listen a little closer and I believe that might even hear the Trumpet sounding for the Coming of the Lord to take away His Bride!
The trumpet is blowing – Can you hear it?
