The Lord, He is God

At 00:15 hrs on the 10th of August, 2007, Joel Philip Britton was born.

Joel is an old hebrew name which really is a combination of two of the words used to speak about God in the old testament - Jehovah - the exclusively Jewish name for God based upon the revelation to Moses at the burning bush - and El - a more general term for God.

The prophet Joel is most likely to have prophesied to the southern Jewsish kingdom of Judah before the babylonian exile. His prophecy consists of the declaration of God's certain judgement upon Judah, and a call for repentance in the light of this. After this mighty judgement there will be a restoration.
Chapter 2:28-32 contains a prophecy of God pouring out His Spirit on His people, one of the passages Peter declares to be fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. Verse 32, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved," is also used by the apostle Paul in Romans 10 to explain the Gospel's universal call.

The writings of the prophet Joel contain (in 3 short chapters) the clear biblical message that all people will face God's judgement. It is in this context that the call to repentance makes sense, because in the face of the terrifying, powerful holiness and wrath of God, there is nowhere to hide. Only God himself can provide any protection, so we must seek it by turning to him. The magnificent truth is that God promises to respond to repentance with unmerited favour.

It is our prayer that young Joel Britton might hear the Word of the Lord, turn to Him, be saved, and receive the Holy Spirit.