Joel 2: 21-32. Acts 2: 14-21.

On Saturday millions of people watched on TV the marriage of Harry and Meghan in St George’s Chapel Windsor.  In a marriage a couple learn to love and trust one another.

Putting our faith and trust in Jesus is like:  Blondin the tight rope walker walked across Niagara Falls many times. One of his feats was to wheel a wheel barrow on a tight rope across Niagara. He asked if anyone would like to sit in the wheel barrow while he wheeled it across, no one watching in the crowd volunteered. His mother had faith and trusted him and she was wheeled across Niagara Falls on the tight rope.

It’s that kind of faith we have in Jesus, but Peter the disciple lost his faith for a short period, it diminished when Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and taken to Caiaphas the Chief Priest’s house. In the court-yard Peter denied knowing Jesus three times and there is no account of him being at the cross. His relationship with Jesus was broken.

Joel 2.12 speaks about returning to the Lord, “Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful.”

After Jesus’ resurrection the angel at the tomb told Mary to tell Peter that Jesus was risen. Peter saw Jesus on the same day of his resurrection and later Jesus spoke to Peter and asked him three times, “Do you love me” the same number as Peter had denied him, Peter replied. “You know I love you,” Jesus never let go of Peter; he never ceased to love him.

Faith looks to God to embrace us and never to let us go.

I’ve known people who have started out with Jesus and for one reason or another and have fallen away. But there is a way back.

I turned back to Jesus on Christmas Eve 1970 I decided I would be in Church on Christmas Eve next year because that’s what Christmas is really about. A year later I was in church having made a commitment at Louise’s baptism to take up my faith again.

At the ascension the disciples were told by the angel that Jesus would return their expectation of his coming must have been very real. Jesus had indicated he would return soon he had said, “There are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” Mark 9: 1

Joel spoke of the gathering of the people and assembling of the elders. The bridegroom was about to leave his room and the bride her chamber. Joel 2: 16

Yesterday I watched the arrival of Harry the Bridegroom with His brother William his best man and 20 minutes later Megan his bride arrived at the church.

So the disciples were looking for the bridegroom to come, but first they had to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

The disciples had faith in Jesus’ word that he would send the Holy Spirit into the world and he did at Pentecost.

What Peter didn’t understand that this is where the church, the bride came on the scene.

Jesus in his death paid the bride price or dowry, a covenant of betrothal with his bride the church.

However, Peter here realised that Joel’s prophecy was being fulfilled, “In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.” They had evidence, it was happening before their very eyes. Speaking to people in their native tongue without knowing the language they were speaking.

Today the Holy Spirit’s ministry is just as it was at Pentecost; to convict people of sin in the light of God’s righteousness according to Christ’s gospel and those who believe are justified, judged through their faith in Jesus for rewards. Those without faith in Jesus, fall under judgement on the last day.

Verse 21 “And it shall be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

The Holy Spirit acts on our faith and reveals Jesus to us; the Spirit’s manner of working is different, because we can’t see him as a person. His indwelling presence affects us, in our body language:

Peter was able to equate the effects of receiving the Holy Spirit with the appearance of men looking as if they were drunk, drunk in the Spirit.

There are other noticeable effects on the body; my sister was holding a child in her arms and was slain in the Spirit at Holly Bush Camp. The Holy Spirit ministered to her specifically in that way.

I’ve seen the Spirit’s love in people’s faces, I saw a halo of gold and white light around the head of Rev Ronald Freeman in a brightly lit room in the light, and I saw the word ‘Love’.

I’ve seen men and women’s faces glow with the Holy Spirit as they witnessed their faith about Jesus to me.

I’ve been rocked in my chair gently from side to side and the words that came to my mind formed the basis of my book ‘The Messiah’s Secret.’

He touches our emotions sometimes we are filled with compassion for someone and as a result of the Holy Spirit’s love we shed tears.

The Holy Spirit distributes the gifts among a body of believers.

He gives direction through dreams, and visions, this is where his presence within speaks in a visual way to our mind.

In our reading the prophecy in verses 19, 20  “I will show wonders in the heavens above  and signs on the earth below,  blood and fire and billows of smoke.
²⁰ The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

Joel’s word of prophecy relates still to the future.

Jesus the bridegroom, the church is the bride, and the prophecy has still to be fulfilled where he leaves his room and the bride her chamber. It speaks of the calling out of the church to the marriage of the lamb.

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.” Revelation 19: 7

Yesterday, after the bride arrived the wedding took place and afterwards they waved to the crowd and went to the castle where the guests were gathered for the marriage supper.

 “And the angel said to me, “Write this, blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb” Revelation 19:  9

Joel continued Israel will no longer be a reproach among the nations, “I will remove the ‘northerner’ far from you, and drive him into a parched and desolate land.” Joel 2: 16, 20.

After the wedding supper the Lord will come with his heavenly armies and defeat the beast, the Antichrist and the false prophet.  Joel described the Antichrist and his allies like the swarms of locust that darkened “The sun and the moon are darkened and the stars no longer shine, there are so many of them. They are like a mighty army drawn up for battle.”

The Lord says, “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten, the great locusts and the young locusts the other locusts and the locusts swarm. 2: 25 The Antichrist will be defeated by Jesus and the heavenly armies.

The days of rejoicing will follow,”…..The Lord will satisfy you full; never again will I make you the object of scorn to the nations.” Joel 2: 19.

God’s love will never let Israel go; they will one day recognise Jesus as their Messiah.

Zechariah prophesied,   “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, a spirit of compassion and supplication, so that when they look on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him.” Zechariah 12: 10.

His love will restore the fallen Christian; the temptations that will come our way may cause us to sin.

Paul wrote, “I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I have betrothed you to Christ to present you a pure bride to her one husband.” 2 Corinthians 11: 2

Jesus the lover of our soul will help us to walk right with God the Father, upheld by His Son and comforted by His Spirit.