Sermon Central
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Its Decision Time
Contributed by Joe Rowland on Mar 8, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: Our marriage to our spouse ought to compare with our marriage to Christ. The Bridegroom (Jesus) is coming back for the bride. (Church) It is time to make our decisions while were in the valley of decision.
It’s Decision Time
9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: {Prepare: Heb. Sanctify}
10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. {pruninghooks: or, scythes}
11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. {cause...: or, the LORD shall bring down}
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. {decision: or, concision, or, threshing}
15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. {hope: Heb. place of repair, or, harbour}
17 So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more. {holy: Heb. holiness}
18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim. {flow: Heb. go}
Verses 9-11 are a picture of the assembly of the mighty army which the Antichrist will lead against Jerusalem.
Jesus Christ, at this time, has already come back for the born-again believers in the Rapture of the church.
Joel 3:10 says:
10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.
This verse proclaims the nations of the world under the domain of the anti-christ preparing war against Israel.
When it says “let the weak say that I am strong”, it is saying that Israel has to come to a place where she understands that she is weak, but through Christ she will be strong.
When I am weak, that is when Christ becomes strong within my walk.
When it seems that you are weak, that is when Christ can be magnified in your walks of faith.
11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. {cause...: or, the LORD shall bring down}
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.
Verse 11 is referring to Revelation 16:16 and is talking about the Battle of Armageddon.
Verse 12 again is referring to the Battle of Armageddon when the Lord will judge the nations.
This morning what I really want to focus on is Joel 3:14.
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
This valley that Joel is talking about, the valley of Jehoshaphat where the Battle of Armageddon will be fought, and will be won with the help of God.
The reason that it is called the valley of decision is because the Lord has made the decision to meet Satan there, and his man, the anti-christ, and defeats him.
This will bring on the Second Coming of Jesus.
Everything that is taking place in the world we are living in, is leading up to the Rapture of the church.
You might not believe this, but it really is decision time in our lives, who are we going to serve?
We will either serve God or we are serving Satan. There is NO in-between.
You are either born-again and on your way to Heaven, or you are lost and on your way to Hell.
I’ve entitled this morning: It’s Decision Time
Here’s the reason why:
Dream 2-27-08
I dreamed that a couple, who was married, was sitting at a table in our living room with Susan, Mary, and me. I was reading the Times Recorder. I noticed that, on the front of the paper, is a picture of a church that I thought was ours. I was not totally for sure, but I think that it was our Sanctuary. As I was reading, the lady got mad at her husband, and walked into our bedroom. Her husband followed her back. He came back and he told me that his wife had just told him she does not love him in the way that she should as a wife. Mary told me that the woman had told her the same thing. I told the man that God could give her the love that she needs to have for him. I told him to keep praying.
