1. YOUR CHILDREN ARE DRINKING AT JOEL'S PLACE

Many parents in today's world are having problems with children at school. Drug-taking, drinking and immorality is as applicable to the young as to the adult.

Ephesians 5:18 "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,"

When the 120 believers received their personal Pentecost, the crowd of witnesses made fun of them and said they had had too much wine. (Acts 2:13 )

Acts 2:14-18 "But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 "For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 "But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy."

That place in Joel's prophecy is continuing to be fulfilled today, children, young people are also being wonderfully filled with the Holy Spirit. How glad parents should be to find their children are drinking at Joel's Place. Let me share with you something of the scriptural meaning of the Holy Spirit being poured out upon sons and daughters, and give you some guidance so that you will be able to give support and help to your Spirit-filled children.

Peter claimed that this is what Joel prophesied long ago: "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy." This prophecy is for now. The last days began on the day of Pentecost, and continue today -and will end with the coming again of the King, the Lord Jesus Christ. The pouring out of God's Spirit upon your children in prophetic fulfilment, gives them EXPERIMENTAL PROOF that Jesus is alive and is now bodily in heaven. Note Peter's statement on that day:

Acts 2:32-33 "This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear."

The Holy Spirit poured out upon your children also gives them EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE that Jesus keeps His word. He promised "another Comforter" (John 14:16 ). Now your children have personal evidence that the Holy Spirit has come. There are two words for 'another' in the Greek, one is heteros and means another of a different kind. The other word is allos meaning another of the same kind. It is this word allos that is used by Jesus. What Jesus has been to the disciples when bodily present, the Holy Spirit will be to each one upon whom He is poured out. Your children will experience the Holy Spirit strengthening, inspiring, equipping and empowering them. Drinking at Joel's Place is another way of saying that your children are living out prophetic fulfilment.

God's promise through Joel included "all people" (Acts 2:17 ). All people includes all races, all nations. Peter did not learn that in practical terms until he witnessed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the household of Cornelius who were Gentiles (Acts 10 ). "All people" includes "sons and daughters". It's interesting to see that "all people" means all the family in Acts 2:17-18, where are mentioned "sons and daughters", "young men", "old men" and "both men and women".

God's promise is for the whole family. It is not a strange thing for your children to be drinking at Joel's Place. It is the proper explanation of "all people". If your children have been drinking ahead of you, come and join them - it is the right of every believer. It is grieving to God when parents try to stop their children being filled with the Holy Spirit. It would be better to join the children and enter into your right to have God's Spirit poured out upon you as a blood-bought believer. The promise is for you and your children, as Peter taught on the day of Pentecost in

Acts 2:38-39 "Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.'"