I often hear Adventists say that Jesus should have come already. After all,
if we had been faithful enough to carry the Gospel to the whole world by
now, then Jesus could have returned. Even though I can sympathize with the
spirit and intent of these remarks, the idea itself concerns me. The implication
is that the timing of Jesus return is dependent on our actions. Jesus is
forced to sit up there in heaven, watching the world wallow in sin until
we get our act together and complete the work He gave us to do. Well, if
Jesus is waiting on us, then I have got some very bad news.
This map shows the status of global evangelism as of 1996. The information was prepared by the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. The green areas show people groups that are fully evangelized. This means that the majority of the people in these groups have heard the Gospel with such cultural and personal relevance that it results in sufficient understanding to either accept Christ by faith or to reject Him. The yellow areas may have a Christian presence but the majority have never fully been exposed to the Gospel message. The purple areas show unreached people groups where there is no indigenous church movement with enough strength to provide for sustenance and growth. And the red areas are called the "World A" population. These are unreached people groups who have little or no access at all to the Gospel message.
This graph gives a breakout of the populations of the different people groups.
Do you see what these numbers mean? Over 50% of the people of the world have never heard the Gospel. Over 80% of the world is unevangelized.
This map focuses in on an area called the 10/40 window. This is an area between 10 degrees North latitude and 40 degrees North latitude. You can see how much of this area is coded as having Unreached or World A people groups.
Here are some statistics on the unreached peoples of the world.
If you think that technology (like satellite broadcasts or the internet) are the answer - think again.
(Do you think we're going to reach these people with satellite seminars very soon?)
The only problem with these slides is that they seem to contradict what we see happening in the world around us. The Signs of the Times are screaming for our attention. And yet, Jesus did say that the Gospel would go to the whole world before the end would come. On the one hand, the signs tell us that Jesus return is very near. On the other hand, the rate of progress of the Gospel tells us that Jesus' return is centuries away. Which one is is? Well, I have a suggestion for you. I believe that God has always known when Jesus would return. He predetermined it from the foundation of the world. He determined exactly when Jesus would come the first time, and exactly when He would return.
Let us never forget that God saves people; we don't. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin and righteousness and judgement. I would hate to think that anyone's salvation was dependent on my efforts. There is nothing I can do to save myself; what on earth could I do to save someone else. God has allowed us to participate in the great plan of salvation for our own spiritual growth. What was damaged at the fall was our relationship with God and our relationships with each other. Immediately after they sinned, Adam & Eve first hid from God and then began accusing one another. God allows us to participate in the plan of salvation so that we will relearn how to love one another. God has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation, but as He so often does, He will step in and complete the work that we are unable or unwilling to do.
Difference between 3 Angels of Rev 14 and Rev 18. Last week we
took a look at the last message that God has for the world just before Jesus
comes - the Elijah Message. I also suggested to you that the Elijah message
was the same message that Seventh Day Adventists have been heralding for
the last 155 years. The Elijah message is the same message, given by the
same people, but with a different power. Don't just take my word for it,
let's look at what the Bible says. First look in Revelation 14 at the three
angels' messages. Revelation 14:6 tells us that the first angel has the everlasting
Gospel. The Gospel must always be the foundation. It must always be where
we begin. Now look at the second and third angels' messages.
Rev 14:8-10
8 And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality."
9 And another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or upon his hand,
10 he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
Now turn to Revelation chapter 18 where we find the Elijah message.
Rev 18:1-5
1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory .
2 And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! And she has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.
3 "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality."
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, that you may not participate in her sins and that you may not receive of her plagues;
5 for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
The messages are the same. In many places they are actually verbatim quotes. But did you notice the difference in the descriptions of the angels? The angels symbolize the messengers. The three angels of Revelation 14 all gave their messages with a loud voice. But the angel in Revelation 18 is said to have great authority; the whole earth is illuminated with his glory; and he cries out with a mighty voice. The messages are the same, and the messengers are the same, but there is a different power. That power is the latter rain of the Holy Spirit.
Elijah Message and Latter Rain go together. Actually, the Elijah message has always been accompanied by a special outpouring of the power of the Holy Spirit. We see the symbolism in the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel. Remember last week that we stopped just after God had rained down fire from heaven and consumed the sacrifice, the alter, the stones, the dust and the water in the trench. Remember also that this took place following 3-1/2 years of drought in Israel.
IKing 18:41-46
41 Now Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of an abundance of rain."
42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth, and put his face between his knees.
43 And he said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." So he went up and looked and said, "There is nothing." And he said, "Go back" seven times.
44 And it came about at the seventh time, that he said, "Behold, a cloud as small as a man's hand is coming up from the sea ." And he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.'"
45 So it came about in a little while, that the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.
46 Then the hand of the LORD was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to Jezreel.
The literal rain that we see here associated with Elijah's original message is symbolic of the power of the Holy Spirit that accompanies the Elijah messages that are given just before the Jesus’ 1st coming and again just before His 2nd coming. In our study of the Elijah Message we saw that John the Baptist fulfilled the Elijah promise that God gave through Malachi.
Luke 1:13-17
13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.
14 "And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
15 "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine or liquor; and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, while yet in his mother's womb.
16 "And he will turn back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.
17 "And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous; so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
Did you notice that John was filled with the Holy Spirit while in his mother's womb? Did you also notice that he came in the Spirit and Power of Elijah? What is the "Spirit and Power" of Elijah if it is not a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit?
In our study of the Elijah Message we also saw that the
144,000 are the Elijah people who are sealed just prior to the little time
of trouble and who are commissioned by God to take the Elijah message to
the world. This was in Revelation Chapter 7. Well, in what way are these
people sealed? What are they sealed with? The Holy Spirit! Ephesians 4:30
tells us not to "grieve the Holy Spirit, by whom you were sealed for the
day of redemption. The 144,000 are given a special measure of the power of
the Holy Spirit.
What is the latter rain?
So what exactly do we mean when we talk about the latter rain of the Holy Spirit? In Palestine they had a wet season and a dry season. The wet season ran from autumn to spring. The summer months were hot and dry. The rains would begin in the fall. These rains were referred to as the early rain or former rain. The early rain would soften the sun-baked ground so that it could be plowed. It would also cause the newly planted seeds to germinate and thus cause the crop to begin to grow. The latter rains were the heavy rains that came in the spring. They would ripen the wheat and barley crops and prepare them for harvest. The rains were a symbol of God's blessing and providence to the Jews. Their lives depended on the bountiful harvests that the rains made possible. We see an example of this principle in the book of Joel.
Joel 2:23
23 So rejoice, O sons of Zion, and be glad in the LORD your God; for He has given you the early rain for your vindication. And He has poured down for you the rain, the early and latter rain as before.
Well, these literal rains were symbolic of a greater spiritual truth. They symbolized times of a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This is hinted at in the passage we just read. Different versions of the Bibles differ in their translation of the phrase "He has given you the early rain for your vindication." This is because some Hebrew manuscripts use the words "moreh sedaqah" here, and others use "yoreh sedaqah". Sedaqah means righteousness. Here is the interesting point. Yoreh is the word for the early rain. Moreh is the word for teacher. So this phrase could be referring to the former rains, or it could be referring to the teacher of righteousness. And who is the Teacher of righteousness? The Holy Spirit. I don't think that the ambiguity here is accidental. The symbolic meaning becomes even more clear when we read the verses which follow this one in Joel chapter 2.
Joel 2:28-32
28 "And it will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
29 "And even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
30 "And I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire, and columns of smoke.
31 "The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.
32 "And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be save
In this context it is very clear that the former and latter rains are symbolic of times when there is a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
A conditional promise. When we look back to God 's promises of blessing, especially those concerning the rains, we see something else that is very significant. The promises are conditional .
Lev 26:2-4
2 'You shall keep My sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary; I am the LORD.
3 'If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out,
4 then I shall give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit.
Deut 11:13-14
13 "And it shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul,
14 that He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil.
God said that He would send the early
and latter rains if His people would follow His commandments. When God displayed
His power on Mount Carmel, the Israelites bowed down and said, "The Lord
He is God." Then they tore down the altars of Baal and executed the prophets
of Baal. Do you think that God would have sent the rains if the people had
turned their backs on Him instead?
Types and antitypes. Adventists have discovered that the Jewish ceremonial system is much more than an arbitrary set of rules God gave to Israel to see if they would obey Him. Within the rituals of the ceremonial system are revealed the great truths of the plan of salvation. The literal ceremonial observances were symbolic of greater spiritual events. We call the literal ceremonies types; and the deeper spiritual events we refer to as antitypes. One very easily discernable example is Jesus, who was the Lamb of God, slain for the sins of the world. The lambs were the types; Jesus is the antitype.
Well the Jewish sanctuary system had six annual festivals. The first three were in the spring. They were Passover, The Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Weeks. Passover memorialized Israel's deliverance from in Egypt. In Egypt, the Israelites sacrificed the Passover lamb, and placed its blood on their doorposts so that the Angel of death would pass-over their homes and their firstborn would not die. Type met antitype when Jesus was crucified on the day of Passover to free us from our to sin and death.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread followed the day after Passover and lasted seven days. On the second day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, an offering was made to God of the first fruits of the harvest. Once again type met antitype when Jesus rose on that very day as the first fruits of the great harvest of salvation. The Bible calls Jesus the firstborn of the dead.
Fifty days after the first fruits offering, the Jews celebrated the Feast of Weeks. You probably know it better by its Greek name - Pentecost. The Jews celebrated Pentecost at the end of the grain harvest around the April/ May timeframe. Let's read about what happened on the day of Pentecost fifty days after Jesus rose from the dead. Turn to Acts chapter 2.
The disciples were gathered together in
Jerusalem, waiting as Jesus had instructed them to do. On the day of Pentecost,
as they were praying in the upper room, the Holy Spirit descended upon them
in the form of tongues of fire. They went out to the crowds who were assembled
to celebrate the feast, and began preaching the Gospel to them in a variety
of foreign languages. Some of the people accused them of being drunk. But
a large number of the people recognized this as a miracle and listened to
what they had to say. Let's take a look at part of Peter's sermon on Pentecost.
Acts 2:14-21
14 But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: "Men of Judea, and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give heed to my words.
15 "For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day;
16 but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:
17 'And it shall be in the last days,' God says, 'That I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;
18 Even upon My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit And they shall prophesy.
19 'And I will grant wonders in the sky above, and signs on the earth beneath, Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke.
20 'The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come.
21 'And it shall be, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'
Early / Latter Rain (Spring / Fall)
You know, I always thought that the antitypical fulfillment of the Feast of Pentecost was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But I knew that the early rain of the Holy Spirit was associated with the beginning of the growing season, not the harvest time. And the time of the year was wrong - the early rain fell in October, not in May. Well, I was getting two symbols mixed up. The antitypical fulfillment of the Feast of Pentecost wasn't the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost was a harvest festival. The antitypical fulfillment of Pentecost was the first harvest of souls for the kingdom of God. Let's read about the harvest of souls that resulted from Peter's sermon.
Acts 2:37-41
37 Now when they heard this they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?"
38 And Peter said to them, "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
The number of Jesus' disciples jumped from 120 to 3120 in a single day! The outpouring of the Holy Spirit did indeed cause the fulfillment of the harvest festival. But the outpouring of the Holy Spirit itself, as symbolized by the former rain, deals more directly with the Christian era than specifically with the Feast of Pentecost. This was the beginning of the Christian era. It was the time when the ground was being broken up to accept the Gospel seed. The early rain of the Holy Spirit caused the seed of the Christian church to germinate - to give it its start at growth. So the antitypical fulfillment of the Feast of Pentecost - the Feast of Weeks - was this first harvest of souls. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit, on the other hand, was the fulfillment of the early rain, which gave the early Christian church its start. Does that make sense?
Well, with respect to timing, I did find where these two events are tied together in scripture.
Jer 5:23-24
23 'But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and departed.
24 'They do not say in their heart, "Let us now fear the LORD our God, who gives rain in its season, both the autumn rain and the spring rain, who keeps for us the appointed weeks of the harvest."
Note that Pentecost is the Feast of Weeks - or as stated here, the 'appointed weeks of the harvest.' The Holy Spirit will fall again at the end of the Christian era to cause the grain to ripen for the final great harvest. This verse in Jeremiah ties both the early and latter rain to the Feast of Weeks. Could it be that the latter rain of the Holy Spirit might come on the day of Pentecost one year very soon? Might it even happen this year? One thing is certain. The latter rain of the Holy Spirit is specifically tied to the Second Coming of Jesus.
James 5:7
Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and later rains.
7000 Year Theory.
Peter also has something to say about waiting patiently for the Coming of
the Lord.
2 Pet 3:7-9
7 But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
Many Adventist theologians use this passage to support the idea of a 7000-year theory. Just as we are to work for seven days and rest on the Sabbath, many believe that the earth will suffer the consequences of sin for 6000 years and the earth will remain desolate for the seventh 1000 year period, while the redeemed reign in heaven with Christ during the millennium. Are you familiar with the 7000 year theory?
This idea is symbolized in a number of places throughout the Bible. We read about two of them last week in our study of the Elijah message. In 1 Kings 18 Elijah told his servant to go look for rain clouds seven times. On the seventh time he saw a cloud about the size of a man's hand rising out of the east. This is a very clear reference to Jesus coming in the clouds when He returns. Also in Matthew 16 & 17, the Bible said, that after six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John up to the Mount of Transfiguration, which we saw was a miniature representation of the Kingdom of Heaven. Do you remember that?
There are many more examples like this in the Bible. But there is one in particular that links the 7000 year theory with the Latter Rain of the Holy Spirit. To get a little background, we first need to turn to Jeremiah.
Jer 3:1-3
1 God says, "If a husband divorces his wife, and she goes from him, and belongs to another man, will he still return to her? Will not that land be completely polluted? But you are a harlot with many lovers; yet you turn to me," declares the LORD.
2 "Lift up your eyes to the bare heights and see; where have you not been violated? By the roads you have sat for them like an Arab in the desert, and you have polluted a land with your harlotry and with your wickedness.
3 "Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there has been no spring rain. Yet you had a harlot's forehead; you refused to be ashamed.
Note that specifically
the latter rain was withheld because of Israel's sin of idolatry, which God
likens to harlotry or adultery. Can you see the parallels between this concept
and that of Babylon the mother of harlots in Revelation. The reference in
verse 3 to "a harlot's forehead" could perhaps also be a reference to the
mark of the beast, received in the forehead.
This passage in
Jeremiah provides the background for an instance where God ties together
spiritual adultery, the 7000 year theory, and the latter rain. In Hosea chapter
one, God tells Hosea to marry an adulterous woman. Chapter 2 specifically
identifies this woman as representing Israel, who had been unfaithful to
the Lord by seeking other gods. In the final verses of chapter 2, God says
"I will say to those who were not my people, 'you are My people. And they
will say, 'Thou art our God!" This is a very clear reference to the Gospel
going out to the Gentiles after Israel's apostasy. Immediately after this,
in chapter 3, God tells Hosea to marry a second adulterous woman. The rest
of the book of Hosea talks about the apostasy of the people who are symbolized
by this second wife. Could it be that Hosea's first wife represented literal
Israel, and that His second adulterous wife represents spiritual Israel -
or the apostate Christian church? With that in mind, turn to Hosea Chapter
6.
Hosea 6:1-3
1 "Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.
2 "He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day that we may live before Him.
3 "So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring [latter] rain watering the earth."
Some translations of the Bible insert former and latter rains here. But it is probably more correct to just have the latter rain; the usual word for 'former rain' is not in the original. Look at verse 2. This certainly could be a reference to Jesus dying and being raised up on the third day. But in context, it could also very well be a reference to the 'two days' or two thousand years of the Christian era. Did you notice that it is tied specifically to Jesus' Second Coming and the latter rain of the Holy Spirit.
Even though the Signs of the Times are calling out to us from every side, why do you think that we have not yet experienced the refreshing of the latter rain? There is some counsel for us in 2 Chronicles 6:26-27.
2 Chr 6:26-27
26 "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against Thee, and they pray toward this place and confess Thy name, and turn from their sin when Thou dost afflict them;
27 then hear Thou in heaven and forgive the sin of Thy servants and Thy people Israel, indeed, teach them the good way in which they should walk. And send rain on Thy land, which Thou hast given to Thy people for an inheritance.
Pray for the latter rain. The prophet Zechariah gives some similar counsel to the people of our day.
Zech 9:16-10:1
16 And the LORD their God will save them in that day as the flock of His people; for they are as the stones of a crown, Sparkling in His land.
17 For what comeliness and beauty will be theirs! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins.
1 Ask rain from the LORD at the time of the spring [latter] rain -- it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds; and He will give them showers of rain, vegetation in the field to each man.
Covenant Card. How many of you hev ever signed a covenant card? I want
to read to you from that covenant card. "Realizing the urgency of the times,
the rapid fulfillment of Bible prophecy, and my personal and our church's
need for revival and reformation…By God's Grace and His Enabling power…I
will prayerfully STUDY the Bible each day. I will earnestly PRAY for the
promised power of the Holy Spirit for revival, reformation, and the final
harvest." Each one of that made this covenant have committed ourselves to
pray for the latter rain of the Holy Spirit on a daily basis.
What to expect. When we heed God's counsel - When we pray for the latter rain and God answers that prayer, what should we expect? What will the latter rain to be like? Ellen White gives us some insights into what we can expect when the Holy Spirit descends in latter rain power..
In Great Controversy, on page 464, we read, "Before the final visitation of God’s judgement on the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured out on His children."
From the 6th Volume of the Bible Commentary, page 1055. "It is with earnest longing that I look forward to the time when the events of the Day of Pentecost shall be repeated with even greater power than on that occasion. John says, "I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was illuminated with his glory" [Rev 18:1]. Then, as at the Pentecost season, the people will hear the truth spoken to them, every man in his own tongue."
Finally, from Great Controversy, pages 611 & 612. "The great work of the Gospel is not to close with less manifestation of the power of God than marked its opening. The prophecies which were fulfilled in the outpouring of the former rain at the opening of the Gospel, are again to be fulfilled in the latter rain at its close…Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from heaven. By thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given. Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and signs and wonders will follow the believers."
In our study of the Elijah Message, I made the statement that I believe the Seventh Day Adventist Church has faithfully fulfilled God's commission to carry the Three Angels' Messages to the world. Let me show you why I think this is true.
This
is a section of a chart that was compiled by the American Bible Society in
the late 1980's. I couldn't fit all the information on one screen, so I just
took a sampling. The chart lists 69 Protestant churches, and 185 countries.
The dots show which churches have a presence in each country. Some churches
have a lot of dots, and others have only a few. But one denomination stood
out very distinctly on this chart. Only one church had a dot in almost every
column. It is the Seventh Day Adventist Church - highlighted in yellow on
the screen. Blue represents the countries that don't have an Adventist presence.
Pink represents countries with only an Adventist presence. Of the 185 countries
in this study, only six did not have an Adventist presence. Only one of those
(East Germany) had any other church presence. Do you think we have an Adventist
presence in East Germany today? In thirty of these 185 countries, the Adventists
were the only Protestant presence.
Latter Rain Falls on Elijah People. Do you see the significance of what
this chart shows? Do you realize what this could mean? Everything
is ready. God has the raw materiel in place. God is maneuvering the Elijah
people into every corner of the globe. Hi is still making some small adjustments
to fill in the gaps. I think of Jeremy and Michelle heading off to Turkey.
Jeremy, you and Mischelle might just be people that God needs to have in
that particular little corner of the world. God is preparing to accomplish
in a matter of months what the collective Christian church has been unable
to accomplish in over 2000 years. One day very soon, the latter rain is going
to fall, and all those little dots, scattered all over the globe, are going
to blaze forth as beacons of light - rays of truth in a world of confusion
- that will illuminate the whole earth and prepare the way for Jesus second
coming. But, I have to tell you something in all sincerity. If we are unwilling
to yield our lives to God and to allow Him to perform this work through us,
then He will find someone else who is. If you don’t believe me, just ask
the Jews. And so I will leave you today with this final question: When the
latter rain of the Holy Spirit gives life and power to the Elijah message,
will your voice be heard as part of the loud cry that heralds your Savior's
return?