HOSEA & JOEL

Today is Saturday.  We do not have our weekly Men's Prayer Breakfast this morning since it is Thanksgiving Weekend.  Today all of our family will come over around noon and we will celebrate our Thanksgiving Meal together.  I'm excited to have all of the children and grandchildren around.  They are such a fun bunch to be around and it is always a joy to have them over.  Today, I'm in Hosea and Joel.  These are two books in the "minor prophets".  They are minor compared to Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel; but, they are powerful as well, just shorter.  They are what I call:  "Big Truth in Little Packages".  Here are a few thoughts:

1) SOWING AND REAPING- Hosea 8:7 "For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind:"  Here we see the principle of sowing and reaping that is found all throughout the Bible.  Notice we reap what we sow.  wind-whirlwind;  notice we reap more than we sow:  wind-whirlwind;  notice we reap later than we sow:  sown-reap; and notice those who sow are those who reap:  they have sown-they shall reap.  Let us never forget this simple, powerful, profound, principle of God that He has established in life!  We reap what we sow!  Now it has a good results as well:  Hosea 10:12  "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy;"  Again, all of the principles apply, but for the good!  That is sowing the good seed!

2) GOD'S POURED OUT SPIRIT- Joel 2:28,29  "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh:  and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy and your old me shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions:  And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit."  On the day of Pentecost, when the disciples experienced the fulness of the Holy Spirit, this reference to what God said in Joel is brought up.  It was a fulfillment of this prophecy.  We now can have the fullness of the Holy Spirit because God promised to pour out His Spirit on His children.  Those who are saved!  The indwelling we get at Salvation, the fulness we get as we yield ourselves to Jesus Christ!

3) THE VALLEY OF DECISION- Joel 3:14 says:  "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision:  for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision." So many today are in the valley of decision.  Multitudes!  This is why we must get the Gospel out.  We must do all we can do to reach people for Christ.  Reach them before their time to make a decision is up.  Soul-winning is just that important!

Hope you have a wonderful day!  Pastor Mike Mutchler