Considering the Joel 2 Generation Mandate

This week, as I was rereading the Book of Joel and a great commentary on it, I was challenged once again to consider WHY the Lord gave us the titles for the blog and podcast - "Joel 2 Generation"

I admit that when I started them, I really had NO IDEA what Joel was about. We had come into ministry that was more characterized by God's power (healing, exorcism, and prophetic stuff), and of course, in Acts 2:17-21 the Apostle Peter quotes Joel 2:28-32.

That was pretty much why I chose the name - we were trying to become more like the Church in the Book of Acts, and so we came up with the name.

Little did we know that years later, the Lord would give me/us more understanding about the Book of Joel, and we would come to appreciate this name, "Joel 2 Generation," far more!

A few things that came to mind:

1. The Book of Joel highlights not only THE final Day of the Lord, but also the intermediate ones. The minor "Days" were ones of God's judgment IN HISTORY and also His deliverance. Many Christians have yet to discern that there has been very much of this day of the Lord dynamic going on across the earth and inside of God's Church in recent years. Even as in many ways the Church had been in a Babylonian-type captivity, God has raised up political entities to judge that pagan system and to free His people. Joel speaks clearly about the response of God's Remnant - to repent, to fast, to pray, and to live fully for God. 

God promised to "remove the northerner far from you" (Joel 2:20) - I only quite recently would have understood

Admittedly, when we began the blog and podcast, I/we had little to no idea that this was something God was going to do in our day. Thankfully, He has brought us into a deeper understanding of this particular spiritual and political dynamic across the earth.

2. The early church in Acts 2 saw a type of fulfillment of Joel 2's promise of the pouring out of God's Holy Spirit in power. It is hard to believe so many Christians seek to expand God's Kingdom and don't utilize the gifts that God has given His Church. Yes, they have been abused by many. Yes, there are frauds. So, I get why so many are turned off to the charismata, which literally means GRACES from God. Having started in more of a Conservative Evangelical place, it was God's sovereign plan to ensure we were not ill-equipped. At this point, what the world needs to see is not the liars, frauds, and false teachers abusing the gifts, but rather humble disciples who pursue the gifts for the Glory of God and the expansion of His Kingdom. Let's leave the video cameras off and love the ones in front of us with the power of God - the way His gifts were intended to be used!

3. Evangelism - the culmination of the prophetic utterances in Joel 2 is about EVERYONE calling upon the Lord and finding salvation. Living for several decades in the Arab world and now living in the West, the lost are all around us. Even today in an American mall, we ministered to Muslim after Muslim who were all open to hearing what we had to say and to receive prayer in Jesus' Name. Some needed healing; others asked for an encounter with God. But one activity that we must ALL be doing is sharing the truth of salvation in Christ and Christ alone. 

These are 3 important truths/themes that Joel 2 has taught us and/or has kept us pursuing for many years. What else will God show us that we currently are not seeing? Only time will tell!

The Book of Joel is as relevant today as the day it was revealed. Little did we know 20+ years ago that it would be a blueprint for the rest of our lives and ministry.