Preparing for the Latter Rain & the Sunday Law
By Pastor Hal Mayer
Preparing for the Latter Rain & the Sunday Law
Dear Friends,
Welcome to Keep the Faith Ministry. We always look forward to sharing with you important information about the nearness of the coming of Jesus and the amazing developments in our own time that fulfill prophecy today.
I hope that you will think about the preparation that you need to get ready for the coming of the Son and Man and also for the latter rain and the Sunday Law crisis that is surely coming upon God’s people. There are important steps that you must take in order to be ready to receive the latter rain. You are called for such a time as this. God needs faithful men and women to reveal His character in their lives at the most important time in earth’s history just before the close of probation. As we begin, let us bow our heads in prayer that we may have God’s blessing.
Dear Father in heaven, thank You for Your love and care for Your people. We know that You have a special interest in Your last generation church and that it is these very people that You will use to spread your last message to the world. Please send Your Holy Spirit to us today that we may receive what You want to share with us. We want to be ready to receive the latter rain, and we want to know that we are in the channel of blessing. So open to us Your truth and how we can prepare to receive the latter rain and give the trumpet that certain sound. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Turn with me in your Bibles my friends, to the second chapter of Joel, verse 23 and onward to the end of the chapter. “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 fats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wonderously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.”
What a wonderful refreshing that will be my friends! What is the wheat that will fill the floor? That is souls my friends. The precious wheat is the souls that will be faithful to Christ. These are not the compromising souls. Those are tares. These are souls that love Jesus with all their hearts and follow Him and live His law fully and completely.
What is the wine and oil? Wine is doctrine. Pure fresh wine is truth. The wine of Babylon is fermented and causes intoxication. It is false doctrine. But pure wine ministers to the soul. Oil is the Holy Spirit. The Lord will send His Holy Spirit to purify His church so that it will be ready to receive the latter rain. He will not pour out His Holy Spirit on anyone that is impure and unholy.
He will restore to His faithful souls lost time. They have departed from God and their sins like the locust, the cankerworm, the caterpillar and the palmerworm have eaten out their spiritual soul. But He will refresh them so that they will live victoriously and cease their sins and live for Jesus.
Please notice that the Lord says that He will pour out His Spirit on all flesh. Some will be given the Holy Spirit in order to give the message to come out of Babylon and join God’s remnant people who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:17), while others will be given the Holy Spirit to discern the warning and heed the last call of Christ.
Listen to this interesting statement concerning those who have hesitated to accept the truth and join God’s true people. Early Writings, p. 271 says, “I heard those clothed with the armor speak forth the truth with great power. It had effect. Many had been bound; some wives by their husbands, and some children by their parents. The honest who had been prevented from hearing the truth now eagerly laid hold upon it. All fear of their relatives was gone, and the truth alone was exalted to them. They had been hungering and thirsting for truth; it was dearer and more precious than life. I asked what had made this great change. An angel answered, ‘It is the latter rain, the refreshing from the presence of the Lord, the loud cry of the third angel.’”
Notice that the message has such an impact that the normal chains of dependence will not hold them and that they will respond to the message and join those who are loyal and true to the character and law of God.
Speaking of the early rain, God’s messenger to the remnant wrote in Christ’s Object Lessons, pg 121, that “These scenes [of the early rain] are to be repeated, and with greater power. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost was the former rain, but the latter rain will be more abundant.”
Large numbers will accept the message to come out of the confusion of Babylon and adopt the plain statements of scripture. Traditions of men will mean nothing to them anymore. Family relations will be powerless. Professional and church obligations will not hold them back. They will come in as 11th hour workers into God’s truth and will help to give the last message and expose the false teachings of Babylon. We read about the 11th hour workers in Jesus’ parable in Matt 20 who were paid the same as the other workers that had worked all day. Jesus will use them even if they come at the last hour and they will share in the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven. That doesn’t mean that we should wait until the last hour to start working for Christ. I sometimes wonder if we think that way. If we don’t improve on the light and opportunities that we have, we will not be given more light or power. We will lose our way and eventually perish with the lost.
Reading on from Christ’s Object Lessons… “The Spirit awaits our demand and reception. Christ is again to be revealed in His fullness by the Holy Spirit’s power. Men will discern the value of the precious pearl, and with the apostle Paul they will say, “What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” Phil. 3:7, 8.
Is your experience with Christ like Paul’s? Are the things that you once counted as gain now loss? Nothing is worth as much as Christ. Nothing on this earth is more important than having your heart given over to Christ and all ambition for the things of this earth abandoned.
Let me read again from Early Writings, page 271 and 272. It is important for us to understand that those who give the powerful final warning will be going through a very intense time. Here it is: “Great power was with these chosen ones. Said the angel, ‘Look ye!’ My attention was turned to the wicked, or unbelievers. They were all astir. The zeal and power with the people of God had aroused and enraged them. Confusion, confusion, was on every side. I saw measures taken against the company who had the light and power of God. Darkness thickened around them; yet they stood firm, approved of God, and trusting in Him. I saw them perplexed; next I heard them crying unto God earnestly. Day and night their cry ceased not: ‘Thy will, O God, be done! If it can glorify Thy name, make a way of escape for Thy people! Deliver us from the heathen around about us. They have appointed us unto death; but Thine arm can bring salvation.’ These are all the words which I can bring to mind. All seemed to have a deep sense of their unworthiness and manifested entire submission to the will of God; yet, like Jacob, every one, without an exception, was earnestly pleading and wrestling for deliverance.”
“Soon after they had commenced their earnest cry, the angels, in sympathy, desired to go to their deliverance. But a tall, commanding angel suffered them not. He said, ‘The will of God is not yet fulfilled. They must drink of the cup. They must be baptized with the baptism.’ Pray for the Latter Rain.
While opposition is mounting against those that are the appointed agencies of God’s last message, notice what will be happening. This is from Great Controversy, pg. 611 and 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. Here are ‘the times of refreshing’ to which the apostle Peter looked forward when he said: ‘Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus.’” Acts 3:19, 20.
“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. Satan also works, with lying wonders, even bringing down fire from heaven in the sight of men. Revelation 13:13. Thus the inhabitants of the earth will be brought to take their stand.”
During this time of intensity, as God’s people are filled with His power, Satan will try to deceive by confusing the issues and making it appear as if his miracles are the miracles of God. How will you know which miracles are of God and which are of Satan? The answer is found in the word of God. The way to discern the spirits is rooted in what they teach. If they do not teach according to the word of God, there is no light in them. Isaiah 8:20 says, “To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them…”
Reading on from Great Controversy, page 612; “The message will be carried not so much by argument as by the deep conviction of the Spirit of God. The [biblical] arguments have been presented. The seed has been sown, and now it will spring up and bear fruit. The publications distributed by missionary workers have exerted their influence, yet many whose minds were impressed have been prevented from fully comprehending the truth or from yielding obedience. Now the rays of light penetrate everywhere, the truth is seen in its clearness [in contrast with the falsehood], and the honest children of God sever the bands which have held them. Family connections, church relations, are powerless to stay them now. Truth is more precious than all besides. Notwithstanding the agencies combined against the truth, a large number take their stand upon the Lord’s side.”
So many are asleep, my friends… Listen to this important statement from Testimonies to Ministers, page 299. “Unless those who can help… are aroused to a sense of their duty, they will not recognize the work of God when the loud cry of the third angel shall be heard. When light goes forth to lighten the earth, instead of coming up to the help of the Lord, they will want to bind about His work to meet their narrow ideas. Let me tell you that the Lord will work in this last work in a manner very much out of the common order of things, and in a way that will be contrary to any human planning…”
Did you notice that? God will work in ways that we may not expect, in ways that are contrary to human plans. Does that mean we shouldn’t make plans for God’s work? No. It only means that we should not stand in the way and bind up the work when God does something that is unexpected. So often we think that the only way to do God’s work is within some defined and structured way. And if the members of the church don’t work in that way, they are somehow improper. They are sometimes even made to appear as if they are against God’s visible church, when this is not the case.
He works with those that are humble and that He can use powerfully. He bypasses those that are not humble and who have rejected light, even though they may be in high positions of leadership.
Listen to this statement. “What can I say to arouse our churches? What can I say to those who have acted a prominent part in the proclamation of the last message? “The Lord is coming,” should be the testimony borne, not only by the lips, but by the life and character; but many to whom God has given light and knowledge, talents of influence and means, are men who do not love the truth and do not practice it. They have drunk so deeply from the intoxicating cup of selfishness and worldliness that they have become drunken with the cares of this life. Brethren, if you continue to be as idle, as worldly, as selfish as you have been, God will surely pass you by, and take those who are less self-caring, less ambitious for worldly honor, and who will not hesitate to go, as did their Master, without the camp, bearing the reproach. The work will be given to those who will take it, those who prize it, who weave its principles into their everyday experience. God will choose humble men who are seeking to glorify His name and advance His cause rather than to honor and advance themselves. He will raise up men who have not so much worldly wisdom, but who are connected with Him, and who will seek strength and counsel from above.” 5T 461
What does the author mean by “without the camp?” Those are people who go out into the highways and hedges and find lost souls and proclaim to them the message of the third angel of Revelation 14 to come out of Babylon. They are just like Jesus who was a self-supporting preacher and teacher. They won’t be bound by the regular channels or organization. They will be doing the work in a simple, yet profound way, even though they may be opposed or even ridiculed by their fellow church members. Do you think we have conditions today that would require God to use men and women who are not members or clergy approved by the church?
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to stand in the way of the Lord. I want Him to be able to use me. I have to humble my heart before God and live like I mean what I say.
Imagine not recognizing the voice of God! Tragically there will be many like that in God’s church. There will be many whom God will try to reach, but they are deaf to His voice because they are unwilling to follow in His ways. Could there be a time coming when we can no longer be able to rely on the system of organization that has existed for so long to effectively give the message? Is it possible that as we near the time of trouble, there will be alternative methods of giving the loud cry of the third angel of Rev. 14 than what we are used to? I am not saying this to be critical of any one. I am just giving you what God actually says through His last generation prophet. Sometimes, human systems are inadequate for the Holy Spirit. He must work around them, particularly if they are standing in His way and opposing the work of reform and the last great message.
Perhaps you remember the life of Jesus. He was our model that we are to follow. Remember? The leaders tried every way that they could to corral Jesus and to make Him live by their rules, or trap Him so they could condemn Him. But He always escaped their snare. He worked outside the conference system as a self-supporting worker. He traveled and preached and did His self-supporting ministry without getting their approval. This made them suspicious of Him. He would heal the sick on the Sabbath, which was against their rules. He would give parables that would veil His pointed remarks. He ministered without their request or ordination. My friends, we have to be ready to be used by the Holy Spirit no matter what. We don’t need to worry if we are not approved in the usual way.
Here is a statement that should cause us to think. It is found in Last Day Events, page 204. Ellen White is writing to Brethren Who Occupy Responsible Positions in the Work,” January 16, 1896. “The Comforter is to reveal Himself, not in any precise way that man may mark out, but in the order of God – in unexpected times and ways that will honor His’ own name.”
Isn’t that interesting? The Catholic Church teaches that all the gifts of God come to the people through her, even to non-Catholics. She controls them and dispenses them as she sees fit. But the Holy Spirit actually works differently than human planning. He manifests Himself in such a way as to surprise by the unexpected. Ellen White was making it clear that the Holy Spirit would work in ways that they do not expect and probably not according to their thinking and plans.
Some think much like the Catholic church teaches; that the Holy Spirit will work only through the approved channel of an organization. I often hear one person or another tell me that we must work in this or that way because that is the only way that God approves and we must always have the approval of the leaders. But my friends, in the last moments of earth’s history, the Holy Spirit is going to work much out of the common order of things. This is not to say that God will not use those that are humble and sanctified within the church organization. It is only saying that He will also work outside of the plans that man may lay. He is likely to work around any restrictions they may put on God’s servants who are under the direct dictation of the Holy Spirit.
I’ll read from Testimonies to Ministers, page 299 again. “There will be those among us who will always want to control the work of God, to dictate even what movements shall be made when the work goes forward under the direction of the angel who joins the third angel in the message to be given to the world. God will use ways and means by which it will be seen that He is taking the reins in His own hands. The workers will be surprised by the simple means that He will use to bring about and perfect His work of righteousness.”
Imagine that! God will take the reins in His own hands. It will no longer be under the control of the men who have restricted or opposed the message. He will work in such a way that His workers themselves will be surprised.
We are told that He will use simple means to give the message. Ministers are in a difficult situation, and they need prayer. While it may be easy to be a pastor now, the time is soon coming when their metal will be tested to see if they are truly walking in the ways of the Lord. I pray for the ministers and other leaders, that they will be faithful whether church employed or self-supporting, to give the true message with power. Every point of prophecy will be fulfilled, and this is a point of prophecy concerning God’s church. Please pray for the ministers and pastors.
This next statement is from the book Great Controversy, page 607. “As the controversy extends into new fields and the minds of the people are called to God’s downtrodden law, Satan is astir. The power attending the message will only madden those who oppose it. The clergy will put forth almost superhuman efforts to shut away the light lest it should shine upon their flocks. By every means at their command they will endeavor to suppress the discussion of these vital questions.”
The clergy we are told, will become maddened by the power of the message that calls their flocks to follow the truth. Was the clergy maddened by the power of Christ’s message in His day? Yes they were. Again at the end of time the same principle will apply. They will do all that they can, even superhuman efforts; to keep their people from receiving the truth. But it will not stop the sincere seeker after truth from receiving the light. There will no doubt be those that will side with their pastors in their effort to restrict the truth from being brought to the people. But others will join with the ranks of those who are obedient to Christ and follow His commandments. Things are going to get pretty heated up. I’m not saying that all pastors will oppose the truth, but from these statements, it spears that many, if not most will.
I’ll continue reading; “The church appeals to the strong arm of civil power, and, in this work, papists and Protestants unite. As the movement for Sunday enforcement becomes more bold and decided, the law will be invoked against commandment keepers. They will be threatened with fines and imprisonment, and some will be offered positions of influence, and other rewards and advantages, as inducements to renounce their faith. But their steadfast answer is: ‘Show us from the word of God our error’—the same plea that was made by Luther under similar circumstances. Those who are arraigned before the courts make a strong vindication of the truth, and some who hear them are led to take their stand to keep all the commandments of God. Thus light will be brought before thousands who otherwise would know nothing of these truths.”
During this time, I wonder what will happen to those that have been compromising? Do you think that they will be standing with the faithful then?
The first steps of the Sunday Law are secret and clandestine, but later the movement becomes more bold and decided as the message of truth becomes more bold and decided. It is Satan that stirs up the opposition to the truth, but only when the truth is being preached. No doubt it will be augmented by calamities and disasters and many people will be led to feel that they are being hurt by the true messengers of God, and will rise up against them.
So, how do we prepare for this most intense and incredible time? Turn with me, if you can, in your bibles to Acts 3:19. Peter says, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.”
That is the first step. We are to repent and be converted. It is the most basic thing. So many of God’s people today are not converted. They have joined themselves to the truth, but the truth has not converted them. They may even keep God’s holy Sabbath day, but they are not changed in their hearts. They still live like the carnal man. They eat and drink what the carnal man eats and drinks. They watch all kind of movies with murder and mayhem, and all sorts of sports on television, just like the carnal man. They love their fashions and jewelry and, fancy cars and their internet games. Some gamble and others give into sensual indulgence just like the carnal man. My friends, if we are going to have the mind of Christ so that we can hear His voice and follow in His ways, we will turn from all wickedness and carnality and put on the spiritual man.
To prepare for the latter rain, notice what the prophet Joel says in chapter two verse 12-14; “Turn ye even to Me with all your hearts, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth Him of the evil. Who knoweth if He will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind Him?”
God’s principle to receive the early and latter rain is to have genuine sorrow of heart for sin. Most of God’s people have no desire to weep for their sins, no desire to fast and mourn for their own wickedness. They would rather gossip about the sins and wickedness of others. But we are to repent individually. We are to humble ourselves before God and turn from our wicked ways and come to God with our whole heart. We have to stop looking at others and look only upon Jesus. He will show us our own sins so that we can have true repentance. This is not something that anyone else can do for you. You must do it yourself through Christ. Most of God’s people don’t want to sacrifice self. They want to be happy and feel good. So they go after a gospel that makes them feel that they are secure even when they are not. They are blinded by teachers that have itching ears. For Paul wrote to Timothy that “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
Has that time come today? What kind of messages do you want to hear? Do you want to hear things that reveal the dark corners of your heart? Do you want to hear the sobering messages for this last hour of earth’s history? Remember what the Psalmist said? “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Ps. 139:23, 24. Much of the Psalms were written for the last generation of people on the earth before Jesus comes, and here is yet another example. If you want to be given the latter rain power, you have to have God search your heart and show you what is in there that is carnal and wicked.
There are many examples in recent times of those who have left the truth and followed fables. They have gone out from among us and no longer fellowship in the truth. They now teach that only the cross matters and nothing else. They think that all we need to do is talk about Jesus and that He will take care of our sins at the second coming. But my friends, those who teach false doctrines and tell you that everything for your salvation was finished at the cross have a great surprise coming. They are leading you along with themselves to eternal destruction. And when they wake up and realize it, it will be too late.
What else must we do to get ready for the latter rain and the Sunday Law crisis?
Here is a statement that I think will help us understand our daily preparation. It is from Acts of the Apostles, page 55; “But unless the members of God’s church today have a living connection with the Source of all spiritual growth, they will not be ready for the time of reaping. Unless they keep their lamps trimmed and burning, they will fail of receiving added grace in times of special need.
“Those only who are constantly receiving fresh supplies of grace, will have power proportionate to their daily need and their ability to use that power. Instead of looking forward to some future time when, through a special endowment of spiritual power, they will receive a miraculous fitting up for soul winning, they are yielding themselves daily to God, that He may make them vessels meet for His use. Daily they are improving the opportunities for service that lie within their reach. Daily they are witnessing for the Master wherever they may be, whether in some humble sphere of labor in the home, or in a public field of usefulness.”
Notice that you have to yield yourself daily to God. How do you do that? This means that you will have a prayer life like Daniel and other Bible heroes. Every day you will get on your knees and turn your heart and your life over to God that He may lead you in the path of righteousness.
Jesus must become your best friend and the Bible your best counselor. You cannot have a daily preparation unless you are improving your opportunities to study His word which is one of His ways of communing with you and teaching you His will. Notice too that you will share your faith. Your strength in the truth will be proportionate to the strength of your testimony. Remember, you overcome the devil by the blood of the lamb and by the word of your testimony.
So you must have a daily preparation of your heart through prayer and Bible study. Along with the full surrender, you need to have a prayer life and a Bible study life that is so strong that nothing can change it. Daniel felt he needed to pray three times a day. I don’t know about you, but I need prayer three times a day too. I need to surrender my heart at least three times a day, plus whenever I am faced with a temptation.
Notice this statement from the book Christ’s Object Lessons, page 61. “The husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.” James 5:7. So the Christian is to wait with patience for the fruition in his life of the word of God. Often when we pray for the graces of the Spirit, God works to answer our prayers by placing us in circumstances to develop these fruits; but we do not understand His purpose, and wonder, and are dismayed. Yet none can develop these graces except through the process of growth and fruit bearing. Our part is to receive God’s word and to hold it fast, yielding ourselves fully to its control, and its purpose in us will be accomplished.”
And now this from the book In Heavenly Places, page 348. “Are our supplications ascending to God in living faith? Are we opening the door of the heart to Jesus and closing every means of entrance to Satan? Are we daily obtaining clearer light and greater strength that we may stand in Christ’s righteousness? Are we emptying our hearts of all selfishness, and cleansing them, preparatory to receiving the latter rain from heaven?”
Are you closing every means of Satan’s entrance into your soul? Do you guard the avenues of your soul so that you are living wholly for Jesus and not for self? Oh my friend, we must receive the testimony of the true witness and put away everything that is displeasing to Christ. We must put away everything that dishonors Him. We must give up our cherished idols, no matter what they are. Don’t delay. Do it today. Determine in your heart that you are going to put away all sin and then like Daniel pray earnestly for the Lord to fulfill His promise to sustain you during the hour of temptation.
To those who think that it isn’t so important to overcome sin before the close of probation, I would like to read this important statement from Early Writings, page 71. “I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of “refreshing” and the “latter rain” to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God. Those who refuse to be hewed by the prophets and fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth, and who are willing to believe that their condition is far better than it really is, will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. But there will be no time then to do it and no Mediator to plead their cause before the Father. Before this time the awfully solemn declaration has gone forth, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” I saw that none could share the “refreshing” unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action. We should, therefore, be drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary to enable us to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. Let all remember that God is holy and that none but holy beings can ever dwell in His presence.”
Isn’t that a sobering statement? How can we watch a football game with all of its artificial excitement, or participate in competitive sports and then expect the Holy Spirit to refresh us with His presence? The Holy Spirit is not in those games. He is not in the productions of Hollywood. He is not in that dancy music. He is not in the other entertainments that we find to occupy our time and attention, when we should really be studying our Bibles and praying and pleading with God for our soul’s salvation. Oh may the Lord help us to be ready for the time of trouble and the latter rain.
Here is another sobering statement found in Testimonies to Ministers, page 399. “We may be sure that when the Holy Spirit is poured out those who did not receive and appreciate the early rain will not see or understand the value of the latter rain.”
We must seek the Holy Spirit in our lives now so that we will have the conversion experience of the early rain. Then when we are overcomers, and when we live in harmony with His law, Jesus can mature our experience in the latter rain.
Here is some more practical counsel for those that want the Holy Spirit in latter rain power. It is from Country Living, page 20. “We are not to locate ourselves where we will be forced into close relations with those who do not honor God. . . . A crisis is soon to come in regard to the observance of Sunday. . . .
“The Sunday party is strengthening itself in its false claims, and this will mean oppression to those who determine to keep the Sabbath of the Lord. We are to place ourselves where we can carry out the Sabbath commandment in its fullness. ‘Six days shalt thou labor,’ the Lord declares, ‘and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work.’ And we are to be careful not to place ourselves where it will be hard for ourselves and our children to keep the Sabbath.”
“If in the providence of God we can secure places away from the cities, the Lord would have us do this. There are troublous times before us.” Manuscript 99, 1908.
Oh my friends, God tells us to move out into the country so that we can live by principle and not be caught in the cities where it will be difficult to keep the Sabbath and all of the rest of God’s law.
Here is another statement found in Country Living page 21. “The Protestant world have set up an idol sabbath in the place where God’s Sabbath should be, and they are treading in the footsteps of the Papacy. For this reason I see the necessity of the people of God moving out of the cities into retired country [places,] where they may cultivate the land and raise their own produce. Thus they may bring their children up with simple, healthful habits. I see the necessity of making haste to get all things ready for the crisis.”—Letter 90, 1897.
We are to have simple habits. That means that we are going to have to eat simply, live simply and be practical with our hands. You will need to grow much of your own food. Your food doesn’t need the processing that normally comes with the food in the supermarket. Betsy and I have learned to eat quite simply and tastefully. We don’t make complicated dishes, but we have learned to season well. This gives us a delicious way to eat simply.
Here is another thing. You don’t need a television to live simply. In fact, the television complicates your life and wastes your time. Get rid of it. Betsy and I have never had one in our home and we are so very thankful. We don’t even watch religious programming on the television. We want to spend our time doing profitable things for the Lord, and have more time to study our Bibles and the Spirit of Prophecy. I’m not saying that there isn’t some good programming on the television or from the satellite or that there aren’t other good books to read. I’m only saying that these things can take away from us the time needful for preparation for the latter rain. Most often even religious programming is a mixed bag of good and evil. It’s true my friends. I hope I’m not stepping on your toes, but I have discovered that we take in whatever comes over the air waves and it ends up being a good sermon perhaps, but surrounded by dancy music, or even a talented preacher that preaches error. What has happened to our desire to read God’s holy word? What has happened to our desire for prayer and supplication to God for His mercy in our lives?
My friends, we need to examine everything that we do and see if it is the best thing for us to get ready for the latter rain. Do you think that you are placing yourself in the best condition to be able to hear the voice of God and receive His Holy Spirit in real power? Are you filling your mind with the very best influences, or are you only filling them with things that may be good, but not the best use of your time? Oh may God help us in these last days to learn to be fully alive to the truth as it is in Jesus.
We are to place ourselves in the Channel of Blessing. Listen to this important statement from the Faith I Live By, page 334. “Do not rest satisfied that in the ordinary course of the season, rain will fall. Ask for it. . . . We must seek His favors with the whole heart if the showers of grace are to come to us. We should improve every opportunity of placing ourselves in the channel of blessing. Christ has said, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst.” Matt. 18:20. The convocations of the church, as in camp meetings, the assemblies of the home church, and all occasions where there is personal labor for souls, are God’s appointed opportunities for giving the early and the latter rain…”
Find opportunities to encourage one another in the love of the truth. Church has become a drudgery to many people, and so many pastors think that the way to liven it up and keep their attention is to bring in the drums and rock music, the skits, mimes and other entertaining things. But this is not God’s way. The problem is that so many of God’s people are worldly and even secular. They don’t find truly spiritual things interesting. Often these undiscerning people blame the church and its leadership for boring them. And tragically some have lived up to those expectations. They haven’t had the coal of fire touch their lips. So the people want something entertaining, something lively that catches their attention and their emotions. But the problem rests primarily with themselves. They don’t really love the truth and therefore they want to be lulled into feeling that they are ok and can be happy the way they are. They want to celebrate and treat their time with Jesus as a party. This is the last thing we need my friends. We need Jesus, but not a Jesus that cannot give us victory and make us serious and mature about spiritual things. We need a Jesus that can empower us to do His will and overcome our worldliness.
Here is another interesting statement… it is from Upward Look, page 283. “We need not worry about the latter rain. All we have to do is to keep the vessel clean and right side up and prepared for the reception of the heavenly rain, and keep praying, ‘Let the latter rain come into my vessel. Let the light of the glorious angel which unites with the third angel shine upon me; give me a part in the work; let me sound the proclamation; let me be a colaborer with Jesus Christ.’ Thus seeking God, let me tell you, He is fitting you up all the time, giving you His grace.”
Are you keeping your vessel right side up my friend? Are you letting the Lord fill it with His grace and truth? Are you joining yourself to Him to be a colaborer with Christ? This cannot be done while you are still living a carnal life. You must take the steps to restore Jesus to the center of your life around which all else revolves. You can start today. You can give Him your soul right now. Don’t wait. Put this message on pause for a moment and pray to God that He will do that for you.
You need a powerful change, not one that is only a small power, but one that is transforming and life changing. Listen to this statement from Revelation 18:1 and from Gospel Workers, page 92; “John says, ‘I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with His glory.’ Then, as at the Pentecostal season, the people will hear the truth spoken to them, every man in his own tongue. God can breathe new life into every soul that sincerely desires to serve Him, and can touch the lips with a live coal from off the altar, and cause them to become eloquent with His praise. Thousands of voices will be imbued with the power to speak forth the wonderful truths of God’s word. The stammering tongue will be loosed, and the timid will be made strong to bear courageous testimony to the truth. May the Lord help His people to cleanse the soul-temple from every defilement, and to maintain so close a connection with Him that they may be partakers of the latter rain when it shall be poured out.”
So my friend, if you have a dry spirit and you no longer have a close, living walk with Jesus Christ, you can ask God to fulfill His promise to you and refresh your soul with His heavenly presence. You need His grace to fill you with His joy. You cannot have true joy and true salvation unless He does.
Here is another soul-stirring statement from Acts of the Apostles page 55. “But near the close of earth’s harvest, a special bestowal of spiritual grace is promised to prepare the church for the coming of the Son of man. This outpouring of the Spirit is likened to the falling of the latter rain; and it is for this added power that Christians are to send their petitions to the Lord of the harvest ‘in the time of the latter rain.” In response, “the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain.” “He will cause to come down . . . the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain,’” Zechariah 10:1; Joel 2:23. {AA 55.1}
And one final statement from Testimonies to Ministers, page 507. “Only those who are living up to the light they have will receive greater light. Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it.”
My friends, are you living up to all the light that God has given you? Are you placing yourself in the channel of divine blessing? We are told that God is more willing to give us His Holy Spirit than parents are willing to give good gifts to their children. So we have no reason to lack, do we?
I pray that you will be a fit vessel ready to receive all that Jesus has to offer you and that He will empower you to do His work in the time of the latter rain.
So here are the main points to put into your life so you can receive the Holy Spirit in early and latter rain power.
1. Be converted.
2. Learn to love Jesus as your best friend and the Bible as your best counselor. Especially Learn to live by the whole Law of God though Jesus now.
3. Determine in your heart to put away all sin.
4. Pray for the holy Spirit to enter your heart.
5. Move into the country.
6. Learn to eat simply,
7. Learn to be humble.
Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, Thank You for Your promise to send the Holy Spirit in latter rain power upon Your faithful people. Now more than ever, we need to have Your Holy Spirit in our hearts to purify us and make us like Jesus. Please send Him today, we pray, and give us the assurance that you will give us the victory in our lives and the strength to hear and understand Your voice and follow in Your ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
There are important steps that you must take in order to be ready to receive the latter rain. God needs faithful men and women to reveal His character in their lives at the most important time in earth’s history just before the close of probation.