“Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain” (Joel 2:1; KJV). The prophet Joel lamented the destruction of Israel’s crops by locusts as a result of God’s judgement for disobedience. Later in His prophesy to Israel Joel brought God’s call for repentance; a call for the people of Israel to turn back to God with all their heart. (Joel 2:12).

I often look sadly at the modern church and think how we need prophets like Joel to sound the alarm. We need to ask ourselves if our churches are salt and light (Matt 5:13-14). Are we impacting our world and turning it right side up? Do we praise and worship our God: “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23)? Do we put God first in our lives (Matt 6:33)? Are signs wonders and miracles part of our regular church experience (Heb 2:4)? Are our churches growing as they did in the early days of the age of grace in which we live (Acts 2:41)? This early experience of the church is described in the book of the Acts of the Apostles; you should read it. Do we have the same zeal for God, his word and his body the church?

How do we get back to the vibrancy and power God desires in his church? Well, maybe as a start, we need to consider God’s admonition given to Israel by Joel (Joel 2:12-13). “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.” To rend your heart is to humble yourself and repent of sin. What impact we would see if whole churches got on their knees and sincerely sought God; think about it. Put your programs and man-made approaches aside and humbly seek God. God is waiting.

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 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt 6:33-34; KJV). This verse in Matthews gospel is part of an exhortation that we should not worry about the things we need, as God will supply. God answers all of our prayers as long as we ask according to his word (1 John 5:14-15) and in faith (Mark 11:24). In fact, Jesus said to Martha before he raised Lazarus from the dead: “Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God" (John 11:40)?

As Christians we sometimes need to learn to take the limits off of God, to let him out of the tiny box of expectations that we keep him in. We serve a mighty God, one who created the universe and each of us (Gen 1). James tells us that: “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). That’s every good and perfect gift, and notice it says that God does not change.

The Bible tells us that God wants to open the floodgates of heaven on our lives and pour out so great a blessing that we cannot contain it (Mal 3:10). In Ephesians it is written that our God can: “do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph 3:20) and in First Corinthians (2:9) Paul tells us that man cannot fathom, grasp or appreciate with his senses all that God has for those who love him.

If we genuinely love and seek after God it is his heart to bless us in every way possible!

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It is good for us to spend time in the Old testament of the bible and be reminded that God has zero tolerance for sin. This is portrayed graphically in his dealings with Israel and Judah as he allowed them to be taken into exile because of their rebellion and sin (2 Kings). We are exhorted also to hate evil (Ps 97:10).

In the New Testament we are told that sin causes spiritual death (Rom 6:23) and separation from God; all people sin (Rom 3:23). Jesus paid the price for our sins by his sacrificial death (1 Peter 3:18) and won justification for us (Rom 3:24). Justification simply mean that if we repent, ask his forgiveness and ask him into our life as Lord and Savior we are made, just as if we had never sinned. Our sins were washed away by his blood (Rev 1:5), the price was paid and God sees us as righteous in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:21).

Does this mean God has gone soft on sin? Absolutely not (1 John 1:5). We are told as Christians that we should not go on willfully sinning (1 John 3:6-9). But we are still flesh and blood and we will sin (1 John 1:8), but if we repent and ask God’s forgiveness, he is quick to forgive (1 John 1:9).

The next question is, as Christians, are we soft on Sin? Do we have things in our lives that we wink at or ignore? You might say: well, you know, God knows I get it mostly right but I am sure he can tolerate a few minor issues? But God is still black and white on sin and he tells us to take of the old man and put on the new (Eph 4:22-24). That’s all of the old man and all of the new. Let’s not limit God in our lives by ignoring sin.

Now don’t get condemned, God knows our hearts (Ps 44:21) and as we desire to be everything he wants us to be, he will provide grace to help us to change (Eph 1:7-9). Paul never claimed to be perfect (Phil 3:12) and God does not expect us to change overnight. Keep on keeping on, the blessings are amazing.

What should be our focus and how should we live as Christians? I have often heard it said that we can be so heavenly minded as to be no earthly good or so earthly focused to be no heavenly good. Colossians is a good place to start for some answers: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col 3:1-2; KJV); well that’s pretty clear.

In second Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 17 we are told to come out from the non-Christians in the world and be separate; that basically means not to follow the same life style. But we are not told to leave the world (1 Cor 5:10), we need to go where the non-Christians are as we are to be light to them (Matt 5:14). If we are to be light, the non-Christians need to see us, need to see our godly life style, our good works and especially our love. The word says that God will show his manifold wisdom to the world through us (Ex 34:14), in other words, we don’t hide in our homes and churches.

So, can we have stuff or are we to focus on ministry and have nothing? God says he will provide all of our need (not our greed) if we seek him first (Matt 6:33). God is a jealous God, he wants us and wants to be our focus; as we keep or eyes on him he will bless us with an abundant life (John 10:10). That word life in that last verse is the kind of life that God lives and enjoys; wow, that sounds good to me.

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In Psalm 18:19 (KJV) it says: "He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me." This was King David talking but this is not the only place in the Bible that it talks about a large place, see also Psalm 31:8 and Psalm 118:5. God is no respecter of persons and we need to be assured that God is pleased with us and delights in each one of us.

So, what is this large place? It can mean a large piece of land but it also means freedom or liberty. In King David’s case above he was talking about freedom and release from his enemies. If we are right with God then we can enjoy his freedom - freedom from sin, guilt, bondage, condemnation, fear and on and on.

In Galatians 5:1 (KJV) we read about freedom or liberty: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free”. Paul then goes on to encourage us not to return to the former bondage we were under before we asked Christ into our lives. In verse 13 he takes liberty a step further and says that we should use our freedom as an incentive to love and serve one another (and not ourselves). When we do that then we truly are in the large place that David was talking about.

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Check out our web site ( www.onthewayinlove.com ) for information on our book: “On the Way: Basic Christian Training”, including how to purchase it and also to see more encouraging Bible based blogs. Please recommend our book to others.