Participants:
Series Code: PME
Program Code: PME231202S
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00:15 >> The Scripture reading from 00:16 today comes from 00:17 Ephesians 2:19-22. 00:21 It says, "Consequently, 00:23 there are no longer foreigners 00:24 and strangers, 00:26 but fellow citizens 00:27 with God's people and also 00:29 members of His household, 00:31 built on the foundation 00:32 of the apostles and prophets, 00:34 with Christ Jesus himself 00:36 as the chief cornerstone. 00:38 In Him, the whole building 00:40 is joined together 00:42 and rises to become 00:43 a holy temple in the Lord. 00:45 And in Him you, too, 00:47 are being built together 00:49 to become a dwelling 00:51 in which God lives 00:52 by His spirit." 00:53 [ "O Come, All Ye Faithful 00:56 (His Name Shall Be)" begins ] 06:56 [ "Away in a Manger (Worthy)" 06:58 begins ] 12:48 >> And all God's people 12:49 said? 12:50 >> Amen. 12:51 >> Amen. Amen. 12:53 Well, let's just get 12:55 the elephant out of the room. 12:57 [ Laughter ] 12:58 I broke it. 13:01 It is not due to my age, 13:04 and we won the game. 13:06 [ Laughter ] 13:08 [ Applause ] 13:10 [ Laughs ] 13:12 I go down on Sunday nights 13:13 and play rec with the guys 13:14 and a few ladies, as well, 13:16 at Andreasen, 13:17 and two Sunday nights ago 13:18 came down on someone else's foot 13:20 and rolled it over and snap, 13:22 crackle, pop. 13:23 And here we are. 13:24 So, now that 13:25 we have acknowledged this boot, 13:27 you will not be distracted by it 13:29 at all for the remainder of 13:31 this presentation this morning. 13:32 So... 13:33 And to help you in that effort, 13:34 doesn't the sanctuary 13:35 look nice? 13:37 Stage up here looks nice. Yes. 13:38 William -- and William is head 13:40 of our maintenance here at 13:42 Pioneer. 13:43 And he and his team 13:44 did a great job, I think. 13:45 It looks very, very good. 13:47 I think there's even some more 13:47 decorations 13:48 that are coming in the future. 13:49 'Tis the Christmas season here 13:51 at Pioneer. 13:55 This is indeed part 13:57 three of our series. 13:59 This is the final installment 14:00 of our series entitled 14:02 "The Holy Hurricane." 14:04 And as we begin, I want to do 14:07 an advertisement here. 14:09 If you do not have this book, 14:11 "The Coming of the Comforter," 14:12 by LeRoy Froom, 14:13 I highly, highly, highly 14:15 recommend that you get it. 14:17 It is one of the best 14:19 summations of the Bible's 14:20 teaching on the Holy Spirit 14:21 and what the Holy Spirit does, 14:22 as well as on the Former 14:24 and Latter Rains. 14:25 And if you would like to know 14:26 more about those things, 14:27 this is an excellent book. 14:28 You can go to Adventist Book 14:29 Center Online. 14:31 They have copies there. 14:32 They'll ship it to you. 14:33 It is an excellent, 14:34 excellent read, 14:35 and I highly recommend that 14:36 you add this to your library. 14:38 You know, what we cover 14:39 in this series? 14:40 I mean, we cover a fair amount, 14:41 but it's just scratching 14:42 the surface 14:44 of what the Holy Spirit 14:45 longs to do in and through us. 14:46 So, please, 14:47 looking for some good reading? 14:48 This is a great place 14:50 to find it. 14:53 Now, in this series we have 14:55 obviously been talking about 14:57 the ministry of the Holy Spirit, 14:59 and in part two we talked about 15:00 something called the 15:01 Latter Rain of the Holy Spirit, 15:03 the final global outpouring 15:05 of God's Spirit on His people. 15:08 Now, if you missed parts one 15:09 and two, I'm not going to do 15:10 much review of it here today. 15:11 I'm going to invite you to go 15:12 and go to pmchurch.org. 15:13 You can find those things 15:14 archived, 15:15 the previous presentations. 15:17 Let me just say this. 15:18 The Latter Rain 15:18 of the Holy Spirit, 15:19 as we discussed last time, 15:21 will be incredible. 15:23 It will be an amazing time 15:25 to be alive. 15:27 It will bring all other 15:28 blessings in its train. 15:29 Miracles will happen. 15:30 The dead will be raised. 15:31 And, most importantly, 15:32 the Gospel of Jesus Christ 15:33 will go to the world. 15:35 Thousands upon thousands 15:36 will be converted in a day, 15:38 and at last Jesus Christ 15:40 will return. 15:43 That's going to be awesome. 15:44 It will be an incredible time 15:45 to be alive. 15:47 But as was pointed out 15:49 at the end of part two, 15:51 we will not receive 15:52 this great blessing of the 15:54 Latter Rain of the Holy Spirit 15:55 unless we are prepared 15:57 to receive it. 15:58 There is 15:59 a qualitative difference 16:01 and a substantive difference 16:02 between the Former Rain, 16:04 receiving it, and receiving 16:05 the Latter Rain. 16:06 How can we receive 16:08 the global final 16:09 outpouring of the Latter Rain 16:10 of the Holy Spirit? 16:14 Well, time is short 16:15 and not just for this planet, 16:16 but for this sermon. 16:17 So, let's get right to it. 16:19 Though some people 16:20 may consolidate them 16:22 differently than 16:22 I'm going to here this morning, 16:24 I would suggest that there are 16:25 four steps 16:27 to receiving the global 16:28 outpouring of the Latter Rain 16:29 of the Holy Spirit. 16:31 Steps one and three are to be 16:32 done personally. 16:33 Steps two and four are to be 16:34 done together corporately 16:35 with fellow believers. 16:37 And all together, 16:38 these four steps will create 16:39 the right conditions for God 16:41 to send the global Latter Rain 16:43 of His Holy Spirit. 16:45 Here are those steps. 16:49 Step number one... 16:50 To receive 16:51 the global Latter Rain 16:52 of the Holy Spirit, 16:54 we must personally daily receive 16:57 the Former Rain 16:58 of the Holy Spirit. 17:00 Now, no surprises there, right? 17:00 I mean, 17:02 as we discussed previously, 17:03 the Former and the Latter Rains 17:04 are sequential. 17:05 One follows the other. 17:06 The Former Rain 17:07 must come first. 17:08 And then, and only then, 17:09 comes the Latter Rain. 17:11 Now, those of you that were here 17:12 in part one, how do you 17:13 receive the Former Rain? 17:14 How do you receive the initial 17:15 filling of the Holy Spirit? 17:18 That's right. You ask for it. 17:18 I heard somebody 17:19 say you ask for it. 17:20 Luke 11, Jesus says, 17:21 "if you know how to give 17:22 good gifts to your children, 17:23 even though you're evil, 17:24 how much more will your Father 17:25 in Heaven give the Holy Spirit 17:26 to those that ask Him?" 17:28 And so, in asking for that, 17:31 we are giving permission, 17:32 and we participate 17:33 in letting the Spirit 17:35 begin His work in our lives. 17:38 And the Latter Rain will not 17:39 come unless we are 17:40 experiencing the Former Rain. 17:42 Ellen White, "Testimonies 17:43 to Ministers," page 506 and 507, 17:45 she put it this way. 17:46 She says, "The Latter Rain 17:47 ripening Earth's harvest, 17:49 represents the spiritual grace 17:51 that prepares the church for 17:52 the coming of the Son of Man." 17:53 That's Jesus. 17:54 "But unless 17:56 the Former Rain has fallen, 17:57 there will be no life; 17:59 the green blade 18:00 will not spring up. 18:01 Unless the early showers 18:02 have done their work, 18:04 the Latter Rain can bring 18:05 no seed to perfection." 18:07 And get this. 18:08 This is astonishing. 18:09 "Without the Former Rain, 18:11 we shall not recognize 18:13 the manifestations 18:14 of the Holy Spirit 18:15 in the Latter Rain. 18:17 It may be falling on hearts 18:18 all around us, 18:19 but we shall not 18:21 discern or receive it." 18:23 That's astonishing. 18:25 The Latter Rain, 18:25 as we read last time, 18:27 it will be an incredible time 18:28 to be alive. 18:30 And to think that if we are not 18:31 receiving the Former Rain, 18:33 we won't even recognize it? 18:36 You know, the only thing 18:37 that I can figure is that 18:38 it's not that we won't see 18:39 activity happening around us. 18:41 Oh, we'll see that -- 18:42 conversions and miracles, 18:43 etcetera. 18:44 But because the Spirit of God 18:45 is not inside of us, we will 18:47 attribute it to the dark side. 18:50 We will not recognize it 18:51 as the work of God, 18:52 but rather we'll claim 18:53 it's the work of Satan 18:54 because spiritual things 18:56 are spiritually discerned. 18:57 Exactly. 18:58 So, we must be receiving 19:00 the Former Rain 19:01 of the Holy Spirit. 19:03 This needs to be a personal 19:04 daily experience. 19:05 That's step one. 19:07 Step two is one 19:10 that we are to do together, 19:12 and to find out what it is, 19:14 we need to, again, 19:15 think logically about what we 19:17 have learned from the Bible 19:18 about the Former and the 19:18 Latter Rain. 19:19 So, the Former and the Latter 19:21 Rains of the Holy Spirit 19:23 on a personal level 19:25 are two distinct phases 19:27 of spiritual growth. 19:29 There's the first initial 19:30 spiritual development, 19:32 and second, there is a spiritual 19:34 maturation, this growing 19:35 to maturity in Christ. 19:38 Similarly, the Former and Latter 19:40 Rains on a global level 19:42 are two distinct phases 19:43 of the global work, 19:45 not of an individual 19:46 but of the church. 19:47 The initial development 19:48 of the church's work, 19:49 starting in Acts 2 19:51 that was recognized as the 19:52 Former Rain of the Holy Spirit, 19:54 and the completion of its work 19:55 in the Latter Rain, as seen 19:57 in Revelation 18 and elsewhere. 20:00 But notice carefully 20:02 both of these phases, whether 20:04 personally or corporately -- 20:05 it doesn't matter -- are still 20:06 phases of the Holy Spirit. 20:09 The Spirit 20:10 is not absent from one 20:11 but present in the next 20:12 or vice versa. 20:14 Instead, it is one and the same 20:16 Holy Spirit working in both, 20:18 and therefore it follows that -- 20:20 let me just put it on the screen 20:21 here for you. 20:22 The ways that God's 20:24 people prepared themselves 20:25 for the Former Rain at the 20:27 beginning of the church's 20:28 work -- Acts chapter 2 -- 20:30 are some of the same ways 20:31 God's people should prepare 20:32 for the Latter Rain 20:34 at the end of the church's work. 20:37 We are to be looking to be 20:38 filled with the same spirit 20:39 in both "rains," 20:40 and we can therefore prepare 20:42 to receive those rains 20:43 in some of the same ways. 20:45 For instance, take a look 20:47 at Acts 1, please. 20:49 Acts 1, page 733 20:51 in most of your pew 20:52 Bibles there. 20:53 Page 733, Acts 1:12. 20:58 One of the ways that 20:59 God's people prepared for the 21:00 Former Rain prior to Pentecost 21:03 stands out really more 21:04 than any other. 21:05 And that's what 21:06 we're looking for here. 21:07 Let me set the scene. 21:08 If we were to read earlier 21:08 in Acts 1, 21:10 Jesus has just literally 21:13 just returned back to Heaven. 21:14 Angels have appeared. 21:15 They've told the disciples, 21:16 you know, "This same 21:17 Jesus whom you saw go up 21:19 into Heaven will come in 21:19 like manner back down." 21:21 And then the disciples go to 21:23 Jerusalem because Jesus said, 21:25 "Wait. Wait for the blessing 21:28 of the Holy Spirit." 21:30 And that's what they do. 21:31 Verse 12, Acts 1. 21:33 "Then they, the disciples, 21:34 returned to Jerusalem from the 21:35 hill called the Mount of Olives, 21:36 a Sabbath day's walk 21:37 from the city. 21:39 When they arrived, 21:40 they went upstairs to the room 21:42 where they were staying. 21:43 Those present were Peter, 21:45 John, James and Andrew, 21:46 Philip and Thomas, 21:47 Bartholomew and Matthew, 21:48 James, son of Alphaeus 21:49 and Simon the Zealot, 21:50 and Judas, son of James." 21:52 Notice verse 14. 21:54 "They all joined together." 21:57 Interesting choice 21:58 of words there. 21:59 "They all joined together 22:01 constantly in prayer. 22:03 They all joined together 22:04 constantly in prayer, 22:05 along with the women and Mary, 22:06 the mother of Jesus, 22:07 and with his brothers." 22:08 And just to get an idea 22:09 of how big this group was, 22:11 Verse 15 -- "In those days, 22:12 Peter stood up among the 22:13 believers, a group numbering 22:15 about 120." 22:18 Hmm. 22:21 The second step to receiving 22:23 the global blessing of the 22:24 Latter Rain of the Holy Spirit 22:26 is this -- united, 22:29 persevering prayer. 22:32 United, persevering prayer. 22:35 Now, again, this shouldn't be 22:36 too much of a surprise. 22:37 Again, Jesus said in Luke 11, 22:38 "If you know 22:40 how to give good gifts, 22:41 God can give good gifts, too." 22:43 But what we didn't point out 22:44 previously is that 22:45 it doesn't specify 22:47 which rain this works for. 22:48 It just works for the outpouring 22:50 of the Spirit, 22:51 either in the Former 22:52 or the Latter Rains. 22:55 And we must ask for it. 22:56 We need to ask for both. 22:59 Zechariah 10:1 actually 23:01 is pretty explicit about this. 23:02 It says, "Ask the Lord 23:03 for the rain in the springtime." 23:05 Is that 23:06 the Former or the Latter Rain? 23:09 That's the Latter. 23:10 That's the Latter Rain here. 23:11 Now, the context 23:12 there is agricultural. 23:14 But if that was to help 23:15 the agricultural Latter Rain 23:17 in a farmer's field, how much 23:18 more for the field of the Lord? 23:21 Let us ask specifically 23:23 and frequently for the Former 23:24 and for the Latter Rains 23:26 of the Holy Spirit. 23:27 And do it by name. 23:31 And notice those two things. 23:34 The disciples had prayer, 23:37 but they did it united, 23:40 and they persevered in doing it. 23:44 And if we wish to receive 23:45 the global blessing 23:45 of the Latter Rain 23:46 of the Holy Spirit in our day, 23:47 we need to do the same. 23:48 So, let me ask all of us 23:50 two simple questions. 23:51 Number one, are we asking 23:53 for the Latter Rain of the 23:54 Holy Spirit in a united fashion? 24:00 You say, "Well, what do you 24:00 mean?" 24:03 Well, certainly united has 24:04 at least the connotation 24:05 of geography -- right? -- 24:07 of being in the same place. 24:08 The disciples all gathered 24:09 together there. 24:10 And while undoubtedly there was 24:11 individual prayer happening 24:13 throughout the many days that 24:14 they were in that upper room, 24:16 they were also praying together 24:17 as a group. 24:19 Are we doing that? 24:23 You know, a week and a half 24:23 or two weeks ago, 24:24 we had an opportunity 24:26 over at the seminary. 24:27 Some of our seminarians there 24:27 planned a special week 24:29 dedicated to asking for 24:30 the blessing of the Holy Spirit. 24:32 You know, did you attend that? 24:33 Were you part of that? 24:35 Every week, every week 24:37 of the year on this campus, 24:39 there are small groups 24:40 of people that gather, 24:41 and they pray regularly 24:42 and specifically for the 24:43 outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 24:45 Are you a part of one of 24:46 those groups? 24:50 History is replete with examples 24:53 of how God has has given special 24:55 recognition when His people 24:57 gather together as groups. 25:00 And this is even more than just, 25:01 you know, where two or three 25:02 are gathered together there 25:03 the presence of the Lord is. 25:04 There's something special 25:05 when God's people gather 25:07 together, and they are asking, 25:09 they're pleading for God 25:10 to do the same thing, 25:12 including the outpouring 25:13 of His Holy Spirit. 25:16 You know, if you're not a part 25:17 of a group like that, 25:18 I would just encourage you to 25:18 either join 25:19 one of the existing ones 25:20 or to make one yourself. 25:22 This is not -- 25:22 it's not complicated. 25:23 This is not difficult. 25:24 You don't need me 25:25 to hold your hand to do this. 25:26 You can do this. 25:27 Ask somebody, "Hey, 25:29 let's get together, and then 25:30 let's ask somebody else. 25:31 We're going to pray for this 25:32 on a regular basis," 25:33 asking for the blessing of the 25:34 Holy Spirit in His Latter Rain 25:36 power to come. 25:40 And the second question for you. 25:41 Are we praying 25:42 for the Holy Spirit 25:43 while being united 25:46 in our hearts? 25:51 You know, 25:52 earlier in the Gospel accounts, 25:53 if we were to read there, 25:54 we would find very quickly 25:55 that the disciples were famous 25:56 for their disunity, 25:59 their bickering 25:59 and their fighting. 26:00 You know, who's the greatest? 26:01 Who does Jesus love more? 26:03 "You. Me? No, It's me." 26:04 "No, it's me." 26:05 But in the days 26:07 in the upper room in Jerusalem, 26:08 at last they set 26:09 their differences aside. 26:11 They were united in Christ. 26:12 How about you? 26:15 Are you united in heart 26:18 with your fellow believers? 26:19 It is a sad fact -- we all know 26:21 this to be true -- that there 26:22 are some churches -- present 26:23 company excepted. 26:24 We're all okay. 26:26 But I've heard 26:28 that there are some churches 26:29 where people can be 26:30 sitting shoulder to shoulder 26:31 and yet miles apart. 26:35 Are you united in heart 26:37 with your fellow believers? 26:38 Let me put 1 Corinthians 12:12 26:39 and 13 up here on the screen. 26:41 The Holy Spirit is all 26:42 about this unity. 26:44 Says, "The body," speaking 26:45 of a person's physical body, 26:46 "is a unit, though it 26:47 is composed of many parts, 26:49 and although its parts are many, 26:50 they all form one body. 26:52 So it is with Christ. 26:55 For in one spirit we were 26:57 all baptized into one body, 26:59 whether Jews or Greeks, 27:00 slave or free, 27:02 and we were all given one spirit 27:04 to drink." 27:06 "One body," God says. 27:09 "One body," the Spirit says. 27:12 What is separating you from your 27:14 fellow believers right now? 27:15 If there is something, 27:16 what is it that is separating 27:18 you from them? 27:19 And here's the key question. 27:21 Is that division worth stopping 27:24 the outpouring of the Latter 27:25 Rain of the Holy Spirit? 27:31 "Selected Messages, Volume 1," 27:32 page 175. 27:34 Spirit of prophecy says this. 27:34 "When the laborers 27:36 have an abiding Christ 27:37 in their own souls, 27:39 when all selfishness is dead, 27:40 when there is no rivalry, 27:41 no strife for the supremacy, 27:43 when oneness exists, 27:45 when they sanctify themselves 27:46 so that love for one another 27:48 is seen and felt, 27:50 then the showers 27:51 of the Holy Spirit 27:52 will just as surely come 27:54 upon them as that God's promise 27:55 will never fail in one jot 27:56 or tittle. 27:58 But when the work of the others 27:59 is discounted, 28:01 that the workers may show 28:02 their own superiority, 28:03 they prove that their own work 28:06 does not bear the signature 28:07 it should. 28:09 God cannot bless them." 28:13 And that last sentence 28:14 is specifically talking 28:16 about the outpouring 28:17 of the Holy Spirit of God. 28:21 Ladies and gentlemen, 28:22 as a fellow traveler with you, 28:26 I would plead with all of us 28:27 to hear it and to hear it well. 28:28 If there is something 28:30 that is separating you 28:31 from your fellow believers, 28:33 the source of that separation 28:35 had better be from God. 28:38 It had better be clearly 28:39 evidenced in His Word 28:40 and clearly in accordance 28:42 with His will, 28:43 for if it is not, for God's 28:45 sake -- proper use of the 28:47 phrase -- for God's sake, let go 28:49 of it, get rid of it, 28:52 be reconciled. 28:54 Be reconciled to God. 28:55 Be reconciled to each other. 28:57 This unity requirement 28:59 is not a joke. 29:01 This is for real. 29:04 The Latter Rain depends upon it. 29:07 God is waiting. 29:10 So, hold on to Christ. 29:13 And as far as it depends on you, 29:15 be united with the rest 29:16 of His family. 29:20 That's unity. 29:22 What about perseverance? 29:25 You know, the disciples prayed 29:27 for the outpouring of the Former 29:28 Rain of the Holy Spirit 29:29 for days on end. 29:31 Can the same be said of us 29:32 with regard to the Latter Rain? 29:35 You know, we get tired 29:36 pretty easily, don't we? 29:39 We identify a little too closely 29:40 with the disciples 29:41 in the Garden of Gethsemane. 29:42 Watch and pray. 29:44 "Oh, Lord, we're going to 29:44 walk..." 29:45 [ Snoring ] 29:47 It happens way too often. 29:50 We grow weary of talking 29:51 with Jesus. 29:55 Yet if we persevere in praying, 29:57 particularly for the Latter Rain 29:59 of the Holy Spirit, it will 30:00 come. 30:01 "Review and Herald," 30:03 March 19th, 1895. 30:05 She says, "The descent of 30:06 the Holy Spirit upon the church 30:07 is looked forward to 30:08 as in the future; 30:10 but it is the privilege 30:11 of the church to have it" when? 30:13 Now! 30:14 Now, if then, now was now, 30:17 how much more is now, now, now? 30:20 Today. 30:22 "Seek for it. Pray for it. 30:24 Believe for it. We must have it, 30:25 and Heaven 30:26 is waiting to bestow it." 30:29 That sounds like perseverance 30:29 to me. 30:30 "Seek for it. 30:32 Pray for it. Believe for it." 30:36 If we are to receive the global 30:37 outpouring of the Latter Rain 30:38 of the Holy Spirit, 30:39 we must have united, 30:41 persevering prayer. 30:45 That's step number two. 30:48 Step number three... 30:52 The third step to receiving 30:53 the global 30:54 blessing of the Latter Rain 30:55 of the Holy Spirit is this. 30:59 Fully cooperate with Jesus 31:03 as He takes the work 31:04 of the Former Rain 31:06 and brings it to maturity 31:08 through the Latter Rain. 31:11 Fully cooperate with Jesus 31:12 as He takes the work 31:13 of the Former Rain 31:15 and brings it to maturity 31:17 through the Latter Rain. 31:19 In step two, 31:21 we asked for the Latter Rain 31:22 to come. 31:23 In step three, 31:24 we live out that request. 31:27 And let's be 31:28 even more specific here. 31:29 The Latter Rain takes what was 31:30 started in the Former Rain 31:32 and brings it to maturity. 31:33 We've seen this multiple times 31:34 now, 31:35 both in the Bible and elsewhere. 31:36 So, what was the work 31:39 that Jesus wanted to do in us 31:41 through the Former Rain 31:43 that He will now carry to 31:44 maturity in the Latter Rain? 31:48 Well, you might remember. 31:49 We made a list. 31:49 We put down seven different 31:51 things that the Spirit 31:52 begins to do in us. 31:53 Let me just remind you 31:54 what those things were. 31:55 In the beginning, 31:56 the spirit convicts 31:57 us of our sins, 31:58 takes Christ's resurrection 32:00 power, applies it to our lives, 32:01 teaches us all things, 32:03 reminds us of Christ's word, 32:04 guides us into all truth. 32:06 He begins to tell us 32:07 what is to come in the future. 32:08 This is prophecy. 32:09 And lastly here, He begins 32:10 to transform us into courageous, 32:12 faithful, powerful, 32:13 and passionate followers 32:14 of Jesus Christ. 32:17 Now, this is a great start. 32:19 This is the work that Jesus 32:21 does through His Spirit, 32:22 through the Former Rain. 32:24 And then, if we want to receive 32:26 the global blessing 32:27 of the Latter Rain, 32:29 we must commit personally 32:31 to living out the work 32:33 of the Former Rain of the Spirit 32:34 to the point of maturity, 32:37 to have Christ fully formed 32:40 in us. 32:44 Now, does that make sense? 32:47 Okay. I see some heads nodding. 32:49 All right, let me put a little 32:50 more meat on these bones. 32:52 Uh, vegan. 32:54 Vegan meat, of course, yes. 32:57 Now, what might this living out 32:59 of the work of the Former Rain 33:00 into the Latter Rain maturity 33:01 look like? 33:02 Let's get very specific here. 33:04 Let's go back to our list, okay? 33:05 So, it begins here. 33:06 In the beginning, the Former 33:07 Rain of the Holy Spirit begins 33:08 to convict us of our sins. 33:11 Now, this is often 33:12 kind of a general sense. 33:14 Many of you, if you look back 33:15 at your conversion experience, 33:16 you can relate to this. 33:17 There was a general sense 33:19 you see in the rearview mirror, 33:20 the Holy Spirit 33:21 giving this to you, 33:22 that your life is not right. 33:23 There are sins. 33:25 There's darkness in your life. 33:26 You are out of step with God, 33:28 and it brings you to the point 33:29 of initial repentance. 33:31 And then there is this initial 33:32 growth that takes place. 33:33 This is part of the Former Rain 33:35 of the Holy Spirit. 33:38 Now, if we are going to 33:39 participate in the Latter Rain 33:41 in this regard, 33:42 we now need to let 33:43 the Holy Spirit move beyond 33:45 that initial conviction of sin 33:47 and into every corner 33:49 of our lives to convict us 33:51 of any remaining sin 33:53 in our lives. 33:54 This is what the Bible calls 33:55 "sanctification." 33:57 You know, 1 Corinthians 2:10. 33:58 We're not 33:59 going to look it up here. 34:00 Let me just share it with you. 34:01 It says that the spirit 34:02 searches all things, 34:04 even the deep things of God. 34:07 And if the Holy Spirit 34:08 can search out 34:09 the deep things of God, 34:10 how much more can He root 34:12 out willful sin from our lives? 34:15 You know, Jesus through 34:16 His Holy Spirit is the greatest 34:18 soul surgeon who ever lived. 34:20 I mean, 34:21 He wrote the book on it, right? 34:22 I mean, He knows how to do this. 34:23 He is on your side, 34:25 and He has never lost a case. 34:28 So, to participate in the global 34:30 Latter Rain experience, 34:31 let His loving, 34:33 searching eye of His Holy Spirit 34:35 convict you of the cancer of sin 34:37 wherever and whenever 34:39 it is found in your life. 34:42 And as we mentioned in part one, 34:45 you don't have to be afraid 34:47 of this process. 34:50 God is not looking to crush you. 34:52 He is looking to save you. 34:55 Let me give you an illustration 34:56 of what that's like. 34:58 Many years ago, 34:59 I was 10, 12 years old, 35:00 something like that. 35:02 And it was a beautiful, 35:04 sunny Sunday, 35:06 central California day. 35:09 There was nothing much to do. 35:11 I was bored, 35:12 and so was my friend David. 35:13 He lived just down the street 35:14 from me. 35:15 We were 35:15 just kind of hanging out, 35:16 wondering what to do 35:17 when David had an idea. 35:19 He said, "Hey, Shane, let's go 35:21 play darts at my house." 35:25 All right. Fine. 35:26 Ride our bikes down 35:27 to the street to his house. 35:28 Go into his garage. 35:29 Get the darts out. 35:30 Foom, foom, foom. 35:33 We'd played darts before. 35:34 This really wasn't terribly 35:35 engaging, right? 35:37 And we're kind of losing 35:38 interest pretty quickly when 35:40 David has a bright idea. 35:45 "Hey, Shane, 35:47 what if we went outside, 35:49 and we found different targets 35:51 for our darts? 35:54 What if we found things 35:55 that a dart would stick into, 35:57 and we saw how far away we could 35:59 get and still hit the target?" 36:02 This was an awesome idea! 36:03 And so we went. 36:04 I grabbed my three darts 36:06 and put them in my pocket. 36:07 He grabbed his three darts, 36:07 put them in his pocket. 36:08 We got on our bikes. 36:09 We rode back down to my house, 36:10 and we began to find 36:11 and destroy targets. 36:13 We had these little saplings 36:14 out, you know, 5 or 6 of them 36:15 on the side 36:16 of our house at that time. 36:17 And they're only 36:17 about this big around. 36:19 And so, we would get, like, 10, 36:19 12 feet back, 36:21 and would throw a dart. 36:22 And the idea is if you stuck it 36:23 in the tree, 36:24 you had to step two steps back, 36:25 right? 36:26 So, pretty soon we're back 36:26 far enough. 36:27 Can't hit that one. 36:28 Lose interest. 36:29 What else could we hit? 36:30 Well, I had this fence. 36:31 If I remember right, 36:32 it was fairly recently painted. 36:34 So, I know my stepdad 36:34 really enjoyed 36:35 what was happening out here. 36:37 We would stand back 36:38 on the sidewalk and say, 36:39 "Okay, I'm going to hit that one 36:40 that's got the knothole in it." 36:41 "Okay, go for that." 36:42 And we'd step back. 36:43 We actually got all the way 36:45 across the street. 36:46 I mean, this is like 60 feet 36:47 away, okay? 36:48 Throwing, chucking these darts 36:49 and bonk in the side 36:50 of the fence there. 36:54 But even throwing darts 36:55 from 60 feet 36:57 can get boring after a while. 37:00 And after about half an hour of 37:01 throwing darts hither and yon, 37:03 I said to David, "Here, 37:04 here's your darts. 37:06 Let's go find something else 37:06 to do." 37:07 So, we go around 37:08 to the front of my house, 37:10 and I'm sitting there 37:11 actually on his bike. 37:12 Sometimes we would switch bikes, 37:13 and I was sitting on his bike. 37:15 And David has great idea 37:19 number three. 37:21 He didn't tell me about it. 37:23 He decided that 37:25 from where he was standing, 37:27 he was going to try to put 37:29 a dart in the post that held up 37:31 my family's mailbox. 37:33 You know, it's 4x4 post. 37:34 You've seen these things. 37:36 It's right there on the curb. 37:37 And he thought to himself, 37:38 "This is a great idea." 37:39 He's like 25 feet away. 37:41 And so he eyes it up there 37:42 with a dart, right? 37:43 And he winds up, 37:44 and he throws this thing. 37:49 And he missed that thing 37:50 by a country mile 37:53 and stuck it right in my knee. 37:57 You see, 37:57 my leg was propped up here 37:58 on the top tube of his bike, 37:59 just sitting here, 38:00 minding my own business, 38:01 I was about two feet away from 38:02 the mailbox. 38:03 And this is a thunk 38:05 right into my knee. 38:06 Now, this was not 38:07 a soft-tissue injury. 38:08 This was, like, into cartilage, 38:09 right? 38:10 Boom, like that. 38:11 About that far in, I don't know, 38:12 half-inch, pushing three 38:14 quarters, right? 38:15 And at this moment, 38:19 I had two choices 38:21 that I could make. 38:23 I could choose 38:24 to remove the dart. 38:27 Or option "B," I could pretend 38:31 that it wasn't there. 38:35 I could, for instance. 38:36 I mean, what if I did it? 38:37 What if I had, you know, 38:37 taken off my light jacket 38:39 and put it over my knee? 38:40 Nothing to see here. 38:41 [ Whistling ] 38:43 What if my mother had come by? 38:44 "I'm fine, Mom." 38:45 "Why aren't you 38:46 bending your knee?" 38:47 You see, I actually tried 38:48 to bend my knee right away, 38:49 and I discovered really quickly 38:50 that my skin was moving 38:51 at a different rate 38:52 than whatever it was stuck into, 38:53 right? 38:54 So, I had to have my leg cocked 38:55 like this. 38:56 And so, if I had hopped 38:57 into the house and said, 38:58 "It's fine, Mom. 38:59 Everything is totally fine," 39:00 right? 39:01 And what 39:02 if Mom suspected something, 39:03 and we went to the doctor? 39:04 And by now I had found kind of 39:06 maybe a large plastic cup 39:07 that you couldn't see through, 39:08 you know, a darkened cup, 39:09 and put it over the dart. 39:10 And the doctor says, "Oh, son, 39:11 do you think 39:12 I could have a look at that?" 39:13 "No, no, no, everything's fine. 39:15 It's fine. 39:16 Don't worry about it." 39:19 I know exactly 39:21 what you would have thought 39:22 about that young man. 39:24 You would have looked at him 39:25 and said, "Genius. 39:28 This kid is brilliant! 39:30 Look at what he's doing, hiding 39:32 this dart on his leg like that. 39:34 This is top-shelf behavior." 39:38 No, you would have said, 39:39 "This kid's as dumb 39:41 as the post that David missed 39:42 when he threw the dart," right? 39:44 Who would do this? 39:45 Who would possibly try to hide 39:46 this dart sticking out of their 39:47 knee? 39:49 Only a fool would try. 39:59 The sin in my life or yours 40:04 in the eyes of Heaven 40:07 is every bit as obvious 40:10 as a dart sticking out 40:12 of the side of your knee. 40:15 And if you try to cover it over, 40:18 to put your jacket over the top 40:20 so no one will know in Heaven, 40:23 the only person you're fooling 40:26 is yourself. 40:29 And let me play it out 40:29 just a little bit further. 40:31 If I had tried 40:32 to hide that dart, 40:34 it would have messed my life up. 40:37 I mean, truly think about this. 40:38 What if I had actually done this 40:40 crazy thing and tried to hide it 40:42 and never get it out? 40:44 I couldn't run. I couldn't play. 40:46 It would be difficult to get 40:47 to school and back and forth, 40:48 certainly not like I had been. 40:50 I probably actually wouldn't be 40:52 sitting here right now, would I? 40:55 Because when you leave stuff in 40:58 that ought to be out, 41:00 it will mess you up. 41:05 When the Holy Spirit 41:06 in the Latter Rain goes looking 41:08 to convict you of your sin, 41:09 He is not looking to harm you 41:12 but to heal you. 41:13 He is looking to get the dart 41:15 out of your knee. 41:17 So, cooperate. 41:18 Let Him into every nook 41:20 and cranny of your life 41:22 because every conviction of sin 41:24 by the Holy Spirit 41:25 is an invitation to participate 41:27 in the next part of Christ 41:29 and the Spirit's work, which is, 41:31 as we saw on our list here, 41:32 takes Christ's 41:33 resurrection power 41:34 and applies it to our lives. 41:36 This is such incredibly 41:37 good news. 41:38 If the Holy Spirit 41:40 and the Former Rain begins 41:41 this second step, begins 41:42 to apply this in our lives, 41:44 then in the Latter Rain, 41:45 we need to let the spirit 41:46 into every corner of our lives. 41:49 What was in the Former Rain 41:50 an initial dip into the process 41:52 of becoming more like Jesus -- 41:54 again, what the Bible 41:54 calls "sanctification" -- 41:56 now, in the Latter Rain, 41:57 go for full immersion. 41:59 Dive in. 42:02 Again, the Latter Rain is 42:03 intended to bring deep and 42:04 profound conviction of sin, 42:06 for sin harms us, 42:08 and it must be removed. 42:09 But the Bible is clear. 42:10 Romans 5:20. 42:12 Many of you have memorized this. 42:13 Where sin increased, 42:14 grace increased all the more. 42:18 Christ through His Holy Spirit 42:19 can bring you victory 42:20 over every willful sin, 42:22 transforming you by His grace. 42:24 Christ through His Holy Spirit 42:26 can bring previously 42:27 unimaginable power to bear 42:28 against the sinful habits 42:30 that may have held you back 42:31 for years. 42:32 And this is not true 42:33 because I say so. 42:35 It is true because God says so. 42:37 Let me just put it up here 42:38 for you to see. 42:39 Philippians 1:6... 42:41 "...being confident of this, 42:42 that he who began a good work 42:44 in you will carry it on to" 42:45 what? 42:46 >> Completion. 42:47 >> "To completion until the day 42:48 of Jesus Christ." 42:49 Amen. 42:50 Look at this -- Jude 24. 42:52 "Jesus is able 42:53 to keep you from stumbling 42:54 and to present you unblemished 42:56 in His glorious presence 42:57 with great joy." 42:59 How about this from Romans 8? 43:01 "What then shall we say 43:02 in response to these things? 43:03 If God is for us, 43:05 who can be against us?" 43:06 What's the answer 43:07 to that question? 43:08 >> No one. 43:09 >> No one, no one can be. 43:10 "If God is for us, 43:11 who can be against us?" 43:12 No one can. 43:12 "He who did not spare His own 43:13 son but gave Him up for us all, 43:16 how will He not 43:17 also along with Him, 43:18 freely give us all things? 43:20 Who will bring any charge 43:21 against God's elect? 43:22 It is God who justifies. 43:24 Who is there that condemns us? 43:26 For Christ Jesus, 43:27 who died and more than 43:28 that was raised to life, 43:29 is at the right hand of God, 43:30 and He is interceding for us. 43:33 Who shall separate us 43:34 from the love of Christ? 43:35 Shall trouble or distress 43:36 or persecution or famine 43:37 or nakedness or danger 43:38 or sword? 43:39 No, in all these things we are 43:42 more than conquerors through Him 43:44 who loved us." 43:48 I tell you what. 43:49 It's no wonder to me 43:50 that some quotations from 43:52 the Spirit of prophecy came out. 43:53 I have no wonder at all why 43:54 Ellen White said the following. 43:55 Look at this. 43:56 This is from 43:57 "Selected Messages, Volume 1," 43:58 page 124. 44:00 She says, "There is nothing 44:01 that Satan fears so much." 44:03 Stop right there. I like that. 44:06 I get tired of living in a world 44:07 full of fear. Don't you? 44:09 Wouldn't be nice to see 44:10 the enemy getting a taste 44:10 of his own medicine? 44:12 All right, here it is. 44:13 "There is nothing that Satan 44:14 fears so much as that the people 44:16 of God shall clear the way 44:18 by removing every hindrance, 44:19 so that the Lord can pour out 44:20 His spirit 44:20 upon a languishing church. 44:22 Every temptation, 44:23 every opposing influence, 44:24 whether open or secret, 44:26 may be successfully resisted, 44:28 'not by might, nor by power, 44:30 but by my spirit,' 44:32 says the Lord of hosts." 44:33 Ahh! 44:35 You know, there's so much more 44:36 to be said about this. 44:39 What Jesus began through 44:40 the Former Rain He longs to 44:42 and is able to complete 44:44 through the Latter Rain. 44:45 We serve such a good God. 44:47 You know, we're going 44:49 to talk more in the future 44:49 about righteousness by faith, 44:50 because, really, that's what 44:52 we're talking about right here. 44:53 But until then remember at least 44:55 this. 44:56 Without God, you can't. 45:01 Without you, God won't. 45:05 But with you and God together, 45:07 all things are possible. 45:10 I can't help but put 45:11 one more thing up here for you. 45:12 2 Corinthians 3:17-18. 45:15 "Now the Lord is the spirit, 45:16 and where the Spirit of the Lord 45:17 is, there is...?" 45:18 >> Freedom. 45:19 >> Freedom. 45:19 That's what it says. 45:20 "There is freedom. 45:21 And we all, 45:22 who with unveiled faces 45:23 contemplate the Lord's glory, 45:24 are being transformed into His 45:27 image, with ever-increasing 45:28 glory, which comes from the 45:29 Lord, who is the Spirit." 45:32 Put your trust in Jesus Christ, 45:35 and by the power of His Spirit 45:36 living in you, 45:37 you can be set free. 45:42 There's so much more we could 45:43 say about the list 45:44 that we had up there. 45:45 Let's go 45:46 at lightning speed here. 45:47 The Holy Spirit in His 45:48 Former Rain 45:49 began to teach us all things. 45:51 So, in the Latter Rain, 45:52 Jesus invites us to forsake any 45:54 and all other teachers that 45:55 would lead us away from Him. 45:57 In the Former Rain, 45:58 the spirit begins to remind us 45:59 of Christ's words. 46:00 So, in the Latter Rain, 46:01 let us let the spirit 46:02 make Christ's words 46:03 an integral part of us, 46:05 not merely something external 46:06 but the very fabric 46:07 of our hearts. 46:09 In the Former Rain 46:10 of the Spirit, 46:11 He began to guide us 46:12 into all truth. 46:13 So, in the Latter Rain 46:14 let us live in that truth. 46:16 Truth is not a destination. 46:17 It is intended for our 46:18 transformation. 46:20 The Holy Spirit in the Former 46:21 Rain begin to tell us 46:22 what is to come in the future 46:23 to bring us 46:25 to the attention of prophecy. 46:26 So, in the Latter Rain, 46:27 let us take what we've heard 46:28 and study it. 46:30 Study carefully, persistently, 46:31 relentlessly what is 46:32 to come in the future. 46:34 The Christian who does not take 46:36 Bible prophecy seriously, 46:38 particularly in these last days 46:39 of Earth's history, 46:40 is resisting one of the major 46:42 purposes of the Latter Rain of 46:43 the Holy Spirit in their lives. 46:46 And lastly, 46:48 the Holy Spirit in the Former 46:49 Rain begin to transform us 46:50 into courageous, faithful, 46:51 powerful, and passionate 46:52 followers of Jesus Christ. 46:54 So, in the Latter Rain, 46:56 this identity is made to endure. 46:59 It is made to last, 47:00 to become permanent. 47:03 Under the power of the Latter 47:04 Rain of the Holy Spirit, 47:05 courage for Christ, 47:06 faithfulness to Christ, 47:07 the power of Christ, 47:08 the passion for Christ 47:09 ceased to be flashes 47:11 of brilliance that may fade 47:12 with our moods and emotions, 47:14 and they instead become 47:15 an unwavering way of life. 47:19 They become not 47:20 just things we do, 47:22 but rather they become 47:23 who we are. 47:27 Step three to receiving 47:28 the final global blessing 47:29 of God's Holy Spirit 47:31 is to live the Latter Rain 47:33 experience, fully cooperate 47:35 with Jesus as He takes 47:37 the work of the Former Rain 47:38 and brings it to maturity 47:39 through the Latter Rain. 47:42 That's step number three. 47:45 Final step, number four. 47:47 The fourth step to receiving 47:48 the global outpouring of the 47:49 Latter Rain of the Holy Spirit 47:51 is found in at least two texts. 47:52 The first one here, 47:53 let me put on the screen -- 47:54 Matthew 24:14. 47:55 Jesus is speaking. 47:57 He says, "And this Gospel 47:58 of the kingdom will be preached 47:58 in the whole world 48:00 as a testimony to all nations, 48:02 and then the end will come." 48:04 Jesus here 48:05 is foreshadowing our day. 48:06 There will come a time 48:07 when no longer 48:08 there will be huge pockets 48:09 of people that have never heard 48:10 the name of Christ. 48:11 Jesus knows that 48:12 that cannot stand. 48:13 If He's going to come back, 48:14 and if it's going to be a fair 48:15 ballgame, everybody needs 48:16 to have a chance to hear. 48:18 And so, there will come a time 48:19 when the Gospel goes everywhere. 48:21 There's another text 48:22 we've already seen 48:23 that talks about this, as well. 48:23 Revelation 18:1. 48:25 "After this," John says, 48:26 "I saw another angel 48:27 coming down from Heaven. 48:28 He had great authority, 48:30 and the earth was illuminated 48:31 by His splendor." 48:32 The entire planet is lit up. 48:34 Now, as we read further in this, 48:36 in parts one and two, 48:37 we discover this is the Gospel 48:38 going out. 48:39 God is calling people to make 48:41 a decision for or against Him. 48:42 This is the good news of Jesus 48:44 that's being foreshadowed here 48:45 in Revelation 18:1. 48:48 And because this is the final 48:50 great work, 48:52 the spreading of the Gospel, 48:54 the fourth step to receiving the 48:56 Latter Rain is crystal clear. 48:57 Here it is. 48:59 If you want to receive 49:00 the global Latter Rain, 49:02 a majority of the church 49:04 must deeply engage 49:06 in sharing Christ with others. 49:10 A majority of the church 49:11 must deeply engage 49:12 in sharing Christ with others. 49:13 In other words, 49:15 we get things started, 49:18 and the God of the universe 49:19 will recognize that fact 49:21 by sending a massive outpouring 49:22 of His Holy Spirit. 49:25 "Last Day Events," page 193. 49:26 She says this. 49:27 "The great outpouring of the 49:28 Spirit of God, which lightens 49:30 the whole earth with His glory." 49:31 So, Revelation 18, we're in 49:32 the same place. 49:33 "Will not come 49:35 until we have an enlightened 49:36 people that know by experience 49:39 what it means to be laborers 49:40 together with God. 49:41 When we have entire, 49:43 wholehearted consecration 49:44 to the service of Christ, 49:45 God will recognize the fact 49:48 by an outpouring of His Spirit 49:49 without measure. 49:51 But this will not be while the 49:53 largest portion of the church 49:54 are not laborers 49:55 together with God." 49:57 "Evangelism," page 699. 49:58 She says this. 49:59 "The disciples 50:00 just prior to Pentecost"... 50:00 Okay? Acts 2. 50:01 "...did not ask for a blessing 50:03 for themselves. 50:04 They were weighted 50:05 with the burden of souls. 50:07 The Gospel was to be carried 50:08 to the ends of the earth, 50:09 and they claimed 50:10 the endowment of power 50:11 that Christ had promised. 50:13 Then it was that the Holy Spirit 50:15 was poured out, and thousands 50:16 were converted in a day." 50:18 And finally, 50:18 "Testimonies, Volume 8," 50:19 page 21... 50:21 "Let Christians put away 50:22 all dissension 50:23 and give themselves to God 50:24 for the saving of the lost. 50:26 Let them ask in faith 50:27 for the promised blessing, 50:28 and it will come." 50:32 You know, the message to me, 50:33 therefore, is crystal clear. 50:35 Jesus has already long ago 50:37 given us the joy and the duty of 50:39 sharing him with others, right? 50:40 I mean, this is Great Commission 50:41 territory. 50:42 This is not new. 50:43 Matthew 28:18-20 has been around 50:45 for a long time. 50:47 And at the end of time, this joy 50:50 and duty of sharing Christ 50:51 with others is to go global. 50:53 No nation, group, or people 50:54 is to be missed. 50:55 The Holy Spirit -- get this. 50:57 The Holy Spirit 50:58 is not going to perform a duty 51:00 for us that we have not 51:02 already started ourselves. 51:05 So, let us get to work. 51:08 Let us go, and as we go, 51:10 God will send the final fuel 51:12 of his Latter Rain 51:13 to spur us on to victory. 51:15 You know, we talked about this 51:16 a couple months ago. 51:17 Every last one of you, if you're 51:18 a follower of Jesus Christ 51:19 and you're hearing my voice 51:20 right now, every last one of you 51:22 has at least one spiritual gift. 51:24 And I've never met someone 51:25 who doesn't have more than that. 51:27 God has given you talents 51:28 and gifts and abilities 51:29 and resources. 51:30 He has put you 51:31 in certain places. 51:32 He puts your apartment 51:33 in certain neighborhoods. 51:34 He's having you take 51:35 certain classes and being 51:37 in a certain occupation 51:38 so that He will have a witness 51:41 for Him in that place. 51:43 Not a single one of you doesn't 51:46 have what it takes to share 51:47 Jesus with somebody else. 51:49 If Jesus lives within, 51:51 there you go. 51:52 You've got everything you need 51:53 to get started. 51:54 So, find it. 51:55 Find some way that fits you, 51:58 how God has gifted you 51:59 and wired you up to share 52:01 the good news with other people. 52:04 And when the majority 52:05 of the church is doing that, 52:06 great things 52:08 are going to happen. 52:11 Four steps 52:15 to receiving the global 52:16 outpouring of the Latter Rain 52:18 of the Holy Spirit of God. 52:21 What a time that's going to be. 52:24 And do you see? 52:26 Do you see what the Holy Spirit 52:28 is doing here? 52:31 In the Former and the Latter 52:32 Rains, the Holy Spirit -- 52:33 perhaps we could put it 52:34 like this. 52:35 The work of the Latter Rain, 52:38 the Holy Spirit in it 52:40 is weaving. 52:43 He is weaving 52:44 Christ's righteousness 52:45 into us personally. 52:47 He is weaving Christ's 52:49 righteousness into others 52:50 through us. 52:52 He is weaving His people 52:53 into something. 52:57 Well, what word can we use? 52:59 He is weaving his people 53:00 into something that is... 53:06 normal. 53:10 Did you hear what I said? 53:12 Normal! 53:14 You say, "Whoa, whoa. Hold on. 53:15 Time-out. 53:16 Pastor Shane, we've been talking 53:17 about the Latter Rain. 53:18 It's going to be an incredible 53:19 time. 53:20 I mean, that's not normal, 53:21 right?" 53:22 You tell me. 53:23 Let me put the list back up 53:23 here. 53:24 Four steps to receiving 53:25 this personal, global 53:27 Latter Rain of the Holy Spirit. 53:28 Personally, daily receive the 53:30 Former Rain of the Holy Spirit. 53:31 United persevering prayer. 53:32 Fully cooperate with Jesus 53:33 as he takes 53:34 the work of the Former Rain, 53:35 brings it to maturity 53:36 through the Latter Rain. 53:37 A majority of the church 53:38 must deeply engage in sharing 53:39 Christ with others. 53:41 What in there is different 53:43 than the normal Christian 53:45 should be, according to God? 53:48 Could it be 53:52 that in waiting to pour out the 53:54 Latter Rain of the Holy Spirit, 53:56 God is just waiting for someone 53:58 to be normal? 54:01 Just be normal. 54:05 The Latter Rain does 54:06 not call for super Christians. 54:09 It calls for Christians. 54:11 And did you know 54:13 that there have been at least 54:14 two times in the Seventh-day 54:16 Adventist Church's history 54:17 when we were almost normal? 54:20 You may not know this, 54:21 and I'm not going to spend 54:21 much time here, 54:22 but just very briefly. 54:23 1844, just after it -- sometime 54:26 when you have some spare time, 54:27 read "Evangelism," page 695. 54:30 And we have been in "the time" 54:31 of the Latter Rain, 54:33 according to the Spirit 54:34 of Prophecy, since 1888. 54:35 You can see 5 "Manuscript 54:37 Release," 151, Letter 230, 1908, 54:38 for instance. 54:40 It is almost as though 54:42 the Holy Spirit 54:43 has many times been standing 54:45 on the edge of Heaven, 54:47 leaning out over the edge, 54:48 waiting, longing to come, 54:50 ready to come 54:51 but so far has been held back. 54:54 And we have to ask ourselves 54:57 the question, 54:59 "What will history say about 55:01 those of us that are listening 55:02 to this right now -- 55:04 that we almost received the 55:07 Latter Rain of the Holy Spirit, 55:09 or that we did receive it? 55:14 The choice is ours. 55:17 I pray the answer 55:19 is the second option. 55:22 May God richly bless us, 55:24 as the Spirit weaves us to be 55:25 fully awake, fully alive, 55:27 passionate, 55:29 normal disciples for Him. 55:39 >> What is it about the 55:40 holiday season 55:41 that gives you the greatest joy? 55:44 Is it the time spent cutting 55:45 down the family Christmas tree 55:47 at the local farm? 55:48 Or, if you're 55:48 south of the equator, 55:50 maybe it's the time spent 55:51 with friends under palm trees 55:52 at the beach. 55:54 Perhaps you find joy 55:56 in contemplating the profound 55:57 meaning of the carols 55:58 that we sing. 56:00 Or maybe Christmas joy for you 56:02 is found in the spirit of giving 56:04 that surrounds this season. 56:06 As we reflect on these joys, 56:08 let's always remember 56:09 the great light who guides us, 56:11 the source of joy 56:12 and meaning in life, 56:13 the loving Father 56:14 who is at the heart 56:16 of all treasured relationships, 56:18 and the wonderful God 56:19 who gave the ultimate gift 56:20 in a newborn child. 56:23 Some of my joy this season 56:25 comes in part from your letters 56:26 and e-mails, your prayers, 56:28 and your faithful giving of 56:29 support for this ministry, 56:31 which literally reaches 56:32 around the world. 56:33 If you've been blessed 56:34 this year, 56:35 I'd like to ask you to join 56:37 the many people who financially 56:38 support Pioneer's media 56:40 ministry, which brings you this 56:41 program. 56:43 It's simple to do. 56:44 Just call our toll-free number, 56:46 877-HIS-WILL. 56:49 One of our friendly operators 56:50 will be happy to help you. 56:52 You can also click the "donate" 56:54 link at the top of our website, 56:55 pmchurch.org, and look 56:58 for the "media ministry" option. 57:00 Truly, no gift is too small 57:02 for God to use to spread 57:03 the good news of His love, 57:05 His sacrifice, and His future 57:07 plans for our happiness. 57:09 Every gift is entirely invested 57:11 in our mission to communicate 57:13 God's good news to a generation 57:15 who needs the hope 57:16 found in Jesus, who alone 57:18 can bring them true joy in life. 57:21 Once again, our website 57:23 is pmchurch.org. 57:25 This season, know that 57:27 our Pioneer family 57:28 is praying for you 57:30 and that our greatest wish 57:31 is that Emmanuel, Jesus Christ 57:33 in the flesh and in your heart, 57:35 will be at the center 57:36 of the best memories made 57:38 with your family and friends. 57:40 ♪ 57:42 ♪ 57:52 ♪ 57:59 ♪ 58:02 ♪ 58:12 ♪ 58:22 ♪ |
Revised 2023-12-08