Joel 2:23 (KJV) Be 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.
Acts 2:16-18 (KJV)But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Haggai 2:9 - The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.
The title of this Blog is, THE RAIN IS COMING! The emphasis is on IS. The rain IS coming! (written 10/2018)
Just as Elijah told Ahab to prepare for the rain that was coming, so is God telling us to prepare for the rain that is coming. In the natural we have been experiencing much rain because of the time of year – since spring time. I don't remember it raining like it has these past few months. Normally, it is the time when rain is needed to grow the flowers, turn the trees green with leaves and other foliage. When the Lord first gave me this word it was spring time.
A few months ago couple of weeks ago the Lord gave us a WORD about the sound of the abundance of rain. The emphasis being on sound. I have been hearing it more and more outside of Worship World. When we were in Dallas this word was spoken again. And many of you remember on Youth Sunday, Minister James Clark was given the same word. As I sought the Lord about the meditation for this morning – again He spoke the about the abundance of rain that is coming. There is a sound in the spirit that is letting us know that the rain IS coming. He that has an ear to hear, let him hear what the spirit is saying to the church. God is giving us a heads up! He is letting us know what is coming to the body of Christ. Not just to Worship World, but to all of His people. He is giving us time to prepare.
It is time for the former and latter rain to come together. This was a time for the farmers to prepare the soil to plant for the winter and spring harvest.
The latter rain came in the spring time, right around the time for the Passover leading up to the day of Pentecost. The former rain comes right ahead of the latter rain. The former rain prepares the ground for the latter rain. If the latter rain came too soon or first it would flood and devastate the land. The land, the soil represents the heart. The former or earlier rain is a gentle rain that prepares the ground for the former rain, which is a harder rain.
How do we prepare for the rain that is coming? The rain in this case represents the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The former and the latter rain coming at the same time according to Joel.
Just as on the day of Pentecost, the people had to get ready for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, be endued/endowed/bestowed with power. They, the apostles, disciples needed to be endued with power to be the witnesses, to do what they were called to do. They had to wait for the Holy Spirit to endow them, to bestow upon them the power that was needed to do the ministry, to serve as they were called. To reap the harvest of souls. The rain, this power that is coming, I believe is the same power that was poured out on the day of Pentecost, dunamis power.
The first thing that was needed we see in Hosea 6:1, return to the Lord. In other words, we have to repent, which means we have to change our minds. This what the Israelites had to do before the Lord could bless them with the former and the latter rain.
The next thing, second thing, after you repent, get in the word as it relates to that sin, that issue that weakness that will keep you from receiving the latter rain/dunamis/power/supernatural ability. That thing that will destroy you, that if you don’t get rid of it, it will kill you spiritually if not physically. The word heals us and bind us up. This will keep us from getting infected while the healing is taking place and our mind is being renewed.
This will allow the soil to be prepared for the rain, our hearts will become softened. What condition is your heart in right now?
Luke 8:4-14 – the Parable of the Soils – rocky soil, hard soil, by the way side, good/fertile ground.
I believe one of the main things the Lord would have us to meditate upon today and going forward is to have a change of heart. A heart that is turned towards GOD, that is pliable, flexible, yielded and surrendered to Him. The rain IS coming!
** I believe that this rain that is coming we will have to be prepared like the priests of old…….
The third thing, last thing that I want to mention is, that will prepare us for the latter rain, we must become thirsty for the WORD of God. As we become thirsty for God, we come to know God. As is said in “Hosea 6:3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.”
The rain IS coming!
Isaiah 44:3 - For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
Will you be ready? Again, God wants us to do a self-examination. God has placed us here in the earth to do a work. Do you know what your ZONE is? Can you say to God, to Bishop/your Pastor, I GOT THIS? The work calls for the power of the Holy Spirit to be manifested in our lives. In order for us to do what we have been called to effectively, we have to be endued with power from on high. They had to be prepared for the outpouring that Apostle Peter spoke about when he made reference to in Joel 2:28/Acts 2:16-18. That is why they stayed in the upper room. Our hearts have got to be ready for what is coming in the spirit! We too may have to go on a consecration for a period of time to be prepared for the outpouring that is coming, because it is coming. I believe God is going to lead many who are truly thirsting for Him to consecrate themselves for what is coming, the deluge of His Spirit! The rain IS coming!
Joel 2:28 - 29And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
