Image of Liam and Saraí, my grandchildren
O children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the Lord your God; for he has given the early rain for your vindication, he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the later rain, as before. The threshing-floors shall be full of grain, the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent against you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other. And my people shall never again be put to shame. Then afterwards I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour out my spirit. I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls. (Joel 2:23-32)
In the Bible we find that yesterday's prophecy is today's truth. In the years that the prophet Joel wrote his words, he offered to them a word of comfort as well as a word of what was to come. Little did that prophet know how mighty his words would be on that day we call the Day of Pentecost. The mighty rush of the Spirit like tongues of fire, and the words uttered by Peter first uttered by Joel: "I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; you sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions." The coming of the Holy Spirit was an act of comfort as well as an act of what could be: All flesh being filled with God's Holy Spirit in order to share the truth of God's love in all languages and in all ways that could be understood by all.
Right outside the windows and doors of our church is a ripe harvest. I have shared and will share again the proud little church that spent precious money on a new entrance to that church. I knew their hearts and shared in their joy, but I said it is important that the church receive whoever may come, but that entrance is also the way to reach those that don't know about God and may not wander over and come in; so we must go to them! The words of the prophet strengthen what we as Christians believe, God is close to us and we should stay close to the cross, knowing that all things are possible in God for whatever we seek to do for God's glory and kingdom.
Quit staring out the window at what could be; go out and make it happen.
PRAYER: Loving God, out we go into the mission field. We know it is ripe for harvest and You provide all that we need to make it Yours. Empower us to the laborers of that harvest; keep us close to the cross. This we pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
Prayer Request: Please pray for our son-in-law, Eric, who is undergoing some medical tests. Thank you.
