JOEL 2:28 "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke.31 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. 32 And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved;for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors
whom the LORD calls.
Don’t you get tired of dead sermons, preached by dead preachers, in dead churches, in a dead community in a dying world? It is frustrating that us Christians have become so dead! Just occupying a pew......We need some new life poured into us. WE need a fresh anointing? We need those showers of blessings. We need a revival of Holy Ghost anointed sermons, preached under the power of the anointing of the Holy Ghost on the preacher, who stands behind the pulpit of a Holy Ghost powered church that can make a difference in a dying world!
Look up there in vs 23Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. We need the rain, both the former rain and the latter rain together, in this dry and thirsty land.
So why does the Bible use the term "former and latter rain?" It’s rain that makes things grow, isn’t it? If you plant a seed, it needs a little rain to take hold; then it can begin to grow.....and right before harvesting, a whole bunch of good ole’ rain makes sure that the crop is abundant! That’s what kind of latter day rain we’re talking about here. God is already at work, pouring out the rain upon his children. He is sending both the former rain and the latter rain together to bring forth a speedy crop and a bountiful crop.
As we are drawing nearer to that last great harvest of souls before the coming of the Lord, I can’t help but believe that God is getting ready to pour out the rain of the Holy Ghost on this world like never before.
I am looking for, hoping for, praying for and expecting a great revival, not just in our church, or just in Chico, but around the world. America needs the former rain and the latter rain together. Our church needs the former rain and the latter rain together. I need the former rain and the latter rain together.
Sometimes I think christians are content to just "warm a pew" on Sunday. God help us if that’s our mentality/spirituality. We are Pentecostal......after the day of Pentecost wherein there was a great movement of the Holy Ghost! Acts 2:1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Today, we’re lucky to get people to even move their hands to clap during Praise and Worship.....much less stand to show God respect!
God promises to pour out his spirit upon you like a flood, both the former rain and latter rain together. He promises to feed you and provide for you until you are more fruitful than ever before. God’s rain is falling! The flood gates of Heaven have been opened and the unending power of the Holy Ghost is falling like never before so don’t miss out. The thing about rain is that you can either get out and soak it all in OR.....you can run for cover. But I am here to tell you that if you don’t want to "get wet" you’d better watch out here at LWF...cause we intend on seeing an outpouring right here in 2007. Look at our text....vs 28
God is going to bring your children in and they will not only begin to bear fruit through prophesying, or teaching, but some will be used in prophetic ministries in these last days. God has promised to pour out his rain upon them and anoint them for ministry.
God is going to bring your parents, your older family members into the fold, and he will pour out his rain upon those who will receive it and they will develop a new dream, and a new purpose for living that will bring forth fruit for the harvest.
God is going to bring teenagers in and fill them with power of the Holy Ghost and they will see visions of God’s plans for his children and for coming of Jesus Christ.
Even the old Christians who are set in their ways will be refilled and used by God if they will allow the rain to fill them once again. Those who won’t will die and be blown away by the winds and storms of life and they will become unprofitable servants. But WHO is it for???? I will pour out my Spirit on all people. The former rain and the latter rain together will be poured out on those who will allow the Holy Ghost to anoint and fill them.
How do we recieve the Holy Ghost? Look in ACTS 8:14Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 16(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
Maybe today you just need some of that rain....maybe you’ve been dry for a while....maybe you just need a good old fashioned refilling. We would ask you to do as they did in ACTS.....come let us pray for you to recieve the Holy Ghost....
