Operation Global Rain » 2007

Why Pray for the Latter Rain?

After reading the blog entitled, “Missing the Point”, I went on a search of E. G. White’s writings in an effort to find something there that would clarify the point of praying for the latter rain. I was gloriously rewarded with an article from the Review and Herald March 2, 1897 entitled, “Pray for the Latter Rain”. I encourage anyone visiting this website who has not yet grasped the reasons for the Operation Global Rain movement to take the time to look up and read this article at www.whiteestate.org . I guarantee you will be enlightened and deeply blessed.

RJ Erickson

How May We Get Closer to Our Creator?

How can we learn to be more attentive to the “small voice” of God referenced by Elijah (cf. 1 Kings 19:12)? No doubt one important factor is our closeness to the originator of that voice, isn’t that true? The closer we are to the original language, the better! Here’s an example of a New Testament text that could make a difference:

“Show me the seal of the obligation. And they brought it to him.” Matt. 22:19 (TLT^©)

“Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.” (KJV)

The TLT^© translation above is a literal translation of what I believe is a copy of the original Hebrew manuscript of Matthew 22:19. It is based upon Shem Tov’s Hebrew Matthew. Based upon my own studies I have no doubt that all Greek manuscripts of Matthew are ultimately derived from an original Hebrew manuscript, probably via an Aramaic intermediary. As best I can tell Shem Tov’s Hebrew Matthew is not a perfect copy of the original Hebrew MS since there are obvious lacunas here and there in the text. (A complete version of Shem Tov’s Hebrew Matthew is published in “Hebrew Gospel of MATTHEW” by George Howard. It has a parallel English version on each opposing page. A more easily available book discussing some important particulars that may be learned from Shem Tov’s Hebrew Matthew is “The Hebrew Yeshua vs. the Greek Jesus” by Nehemia Gordon.)

I find the above verse of considerable interest in that it does not seem to give reference to a coin as suggested by the KJV, but rather to a specific document. That would correspond to for example a signed Individual Income Tax Return, which is a specific contract between IRS and the individual signing it, is it not? That is very different from an assumption of the tax obligation being based upon general law, or upon the coins and currency in general circulation, is it not?

See more at: TreeOfLife.lan.io/IFoundMannah/TaxCoin.htm

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Power for the Church

Here is a good statement that I found in Life Sketches:

“Those who have received the truth may be poor, but they should not remain ignorant or defective in character, to give the same mould, by their influence, to others. When the church fully receives the light, darkness will be dispelled; and if in holiness of character they keep pace with the truth revealed, their light will grow brighter and brighter. The truth will do its refining work, restoring the moral image of God in man, and the darkness and confusion and strife of tongues which is the curse of so many churches, will cease. The power that God will give to His church, if they will only walk in the light as fast as it shines upon them, is scarcely conceived of.”

That last sentence fascinates me. We have a great deal of light and I am inspired by the people who are willing to walk in it. This power that Mrs. White speaks of is no doubt the Latter Rain. I am tempted to feel discouraged when I hear someone criticise the concept of preparing for and praying for the outpouring of the latter rain, but we have been warned that those who turn from the light will either be oblivious to the Latter Rain, or think it to be dangeruos and brace themselves against it.

I want to go home. I’m not satisfied with the status quo. I think we have come to a fork in the road - we have two choices: either believe all that the prophets have spoken and conform our lives to the word of God, or we can crawl in bed with the world and pretend that nothing is happening. Every movement I see on the world scene, I have read about before. Over the past few years my confidence in the Spirit of Prophecy has deepened tremendously. There are things that are about to happen that I hate to see, but there are things coming that will thrill our souls. Keep the vessel empty and right side up!

Missing the point?

In response to the “Operation Global Rain” event, I would rather our focus be on setting our faith on fire. I desperately want to seek God and would fully embrace a world wide prayer meeting but the premise on which this “Operation” is based is not right and I will not endorse it. I believe we should be asking for the Spirit to be poured out on us to change our hearts, to help our disbelief, and help us to constantly be focused on showing Christ to others through love, not fear, and to lead us in fulfilling God’s plan for us individually, which will bring us together in one Spirit.

He has given what He has promised… to not believe this is His full measure… means the Holy Spirit is leading us to pray for Him. If we feel like we don’t have Him and “He isn’t doing what He is suppose to do for us” then we need be renewing ourselves in Him.

Christ promises in John 14 ” If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you.(What does He tell us to do to love the Lord with ALL of our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves.) I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will ALWAYS have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him. Doesn’t know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you! I will not leave you orphaned. I’m coming back. In just a little while the world will no longer see me, but you’re going to see me because I am alive and you’re about to come alive. At that moment you will know absolutely that I’m in my Father, and you’re in me, and I’m in you.” We need to be praying for God’s authority in our lives, for showing love- God’s love to this world- so that they will see the Light. This operation is a distraction from walking in the Light. I believe we are stumbling in darkness looking for a way to bring about the latter rain… we are not to be looking for anything except Jesus. It’s that simple.

God’s time line is His own not ours… ours is to be showing God’s love to the world period… not spending hours trying to bring about his coming based on OUR understanding of the time line. Jesus specifically tells the disiples this before his assends in Acts 1… “When they were together for the last time they asked, “Master are you going to restore the kingdom to Isreael now? Is this the time?” He told them, “You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s business. What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witness in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.” These were his last words.” Reactions of fear to the idea of “global rain” that this could actually put the “end time” events into motion proves that our focus is in the wrong place. We have so many underlying fear messages which come to the forefront when people start promoting prophecy not Christ which is why I do not endorse a corporate movement like this operation… we must be careful!! We need to prayerfully ask God to redirect our church leaders to seek Him only Him. Who is going to get us through end time events? God… he is the Comforter and if we can’t focus on what Christ told us to… the greatest commandment… we will not only be unable to save ourselves which is what this fear based preaching results in but we will more importantly not be fulfilling his great commission. That will put us in the same boat as the Israelites, listening to God but only on their terms. Let’s be sure He is going before us… we can only do this by the Spirit individually convicting us.

Another concern I have in regards to this is the emphasis on the latter rain. On the website they are using very few verses to support there understanding of something I am not convicted is necessarily about the Adventist church. Biblical I think that references to the latter rain point to the apple of God’s eye, the nation of Israel because they rejected Christ as the Messiah. The first rain came to the gentiles and when the Jews heard them speaking there native tongue many we convicted by the Spirit to belief that Christ was the Messiah. I believe the latter rain again is speaking more specifically of the Jews again where God will again call upon Israel to recognize Christ as their Messiah. I believe we are grafted to the tree through Christ not a replacement for it. This is also in line with Messianic Jewish beliefs in prophecies being fulfilled through Christ’s Life Death and Resurrection in alignment with the symbolism of the Jewish feasts which have to do with the planting of the seeds and reaping of the harvest.

“But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.” Jeremiah 5:23-25.

“After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.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. O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.” Hosea 6:2-4

“Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. 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. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. Joel 2:22-24 This verse even makes direct reference to a time… why are we randomly choosing a time??? To say it doesn’t matter if anything becomes of it is careless and also shows a lack of faith that we don’t believe we will receive what we ask for… to me it is a haphazard approach for an entire world church to take.

This verse really brings it together-what we should really be focusing on… Deuteronomy 11:13-15 “And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.

And finally… James 5:7-8 “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”

These verses directly refer to the latter rain though there are countless verses with regards to the Spirit. I am afraid that we are making something of this “latter rain” and believing it to be something out the context of God’s word. As a side note through Christian history “Latter Rain” movements have sprung up and have cause dissension in churches over the preoccupation of having an emotional experience. God gives us this longing and promises to fill us when we are doing his will which is always to love Him and serve Him with all our heart and soul and mind… that doesn’t leave any room or time for devising ways to preoccupy our efforts.

Let us pray for our memory that we will remember how we find God by seeking Him with all of our heart and obeying his commands which is to love Him which we are able to do in fullness through the Spirit. When we for a second take our eyes off of this focus we find ourselves like Peter… sinking into the water of distractions instead on focusing on Christ. I would be enthusiastic if our church was leading to bring to fruition His plan for our lives not “our” plan for “our ” prophesy.

Pray for my husband

Please pray for my husband to open his heart and accept the Sabbath as the day the Lord has made. He goes to church faithfully but does not keep the sabbath.

Removing Differences

It is a wonderful thing to be praying for the latter rain, those who want to receive it need to be aware of the consequences as it will make the difference as to whether you will sink or swim when it is poured out. You need to sit down and count the cost. You must know what it means to surrender all. You need to be willing to let go of prejudices and differences you have with other members.

First lets look at the differences amoung those who call themselves SDA. There are :

Conservative, Liberal,wearing Jewelry or not wearing or listening to Rock n roll or not, vegan vegetarian or clean meat carnivore, Reform adventist, home churcher etc..

There are so many Major differences among Adventist culturally, doctrinally, personality and even the ones that fall into the same categories you will have groups and subgroups. If you ask any one of these adventists do they want to receive the latter rain they will all say YES! However few will know what that really means or what it entails or the risks involved. Just one of the factors to be considered is the question of unity.

Short term unity is always easier to have if you have a project to work on no matter what the differences. The difficulty lies in in trusting people in the long term, contending with opposing leaders, going one way then another.

The only thing that will allow any kind of unity among us is to have the love of Christ abiding. It is only then that all differences will begin to melt. It is sad but true that not everyone, after having received the love of Christ will remain in it. The thing we need to prepare for is that those who drop out may become our worst enemies.

Another thing is that before one can receive the latter rain they need to have received the early rain.

The reason I write all this is that I don’t want to see people going into something without realising the serious consequences and not to go into this unless they are sincere and really for a total overhaul.

Christian Regards

Jasmin

A Spiritual Revival

There is a good chapter in Prophets and Kings about Ezra and the revival he started. It begins on page 618 and is titled “A Spiritual Revival”. This is the Ezra that I see in the Bible. May we be inspired by his balanced example.

The loud cry of the third angel has already begun

The time of test is just upon us, for the loud cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer. This is the beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth (1SM p. 363. RH Nov 1892).

An unwillingness to yield up preconceived opinions, and to accept this truth [Christ our Righteousness in connection with the law in Galatians.], lay at the foundation of a large share of the opposition manifested at Minneapolis against the Lord’s message through Brethren Waggoner and Jones.

By exciting that opposition Satan succeeded in shutting away from our people, in a great measure, the special power of the Holy Spirit that God longed to impart to them. The enemy prevented them from obtaining that efficiency which might have been theirs in carrying the truth to the world, as the apostles proclaimed it after the day of Pentecost. The light that is to lighten the whole earth with its glory was resisted, and by the action of our own brethren has been in a great degree kept away from the world (1SM p.234-235. 1896).

The cross of Calvary is to be lifted high above the people, absorbing their minds and concentrating their thoughts. Then all the spiritual faculties will be charged with divine power direct from God. Then there will be a concentration of energies in genuine work for the Master. The workers will send forth to the world beams of light, as living agencies to enlighten the earth (MB p. 44. 1896).

Prayer Request

My two sons, ages 25 and 22, have experienced some real negativity where they really don’t want too much to do with our church. Right now we are attending a Branch SS where there are a lot of young people. My youngest has said that he is now agnostic. My husband and I were leaders in our church for about 15 years and gave it all up so as to help to win them back and it hasn’t helped. People are still calling us to come back to our church but our desire is to help our children~it is our first mission field and we have failed there. We are at a loss as to what to do but we know that our Lord is able to reach them if we will not get in the way. Time is so short but we want to claim Isaiah 49: 25, 26!! Please help us to pray and see what the Lord would have us to do for them if anything. We long for Heaven and it’s loveliness!

Unity idea

I have an idea. I was thinking about the early church being together “in one place”, in “one accord”, having “all things in common”, etc. How about uniting the Black an White conferences in the east? This division along racial lines is way out of date (even by worldly standards), and can hardly be described as unity. This would be the acid test of our willingness to work in unity - it would move us beyond mere talk to real action in this area. ”If my people … humble themselves”. When we get ready, God is ready to send the rain. What do you think?

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