By Larry Rosenbaum
“And it shall come to pass, if you 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 you may gather in the corn, and the wine, and the oil” Deut. 11:13-14.
Many Christians believe that there will be an “early rain” and “latter rain” of God’s spirit at the beginning and end of the Church Age. The early rain was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that occurred beginning at Pentecost. The latter rain would be a last day’s revival that occurs right before our Lord’s return, possibly in the next few years.
In his January 9 newsletter, David Wilkerson pointed out that in ancient Israel, the early and latter rains were both needed to bring in the harvest. “If you want to judge any move of the Holy Spirit–to discern if it is of God or of flesh–then use this criterion: The Spirit’s work is always focused on the harvest of souls!…It is not a true movement of God unless it is focused on the harvest! The Holy-Ghost rains always fall to produce an ingathering of souls.”
“God poured out His Spirit in the former rain at Pentecost, to prepare the ground. This outpouring softened the ground for the gospel seed to be sown. Spirit-filled sowers were sent out from the Upper Room that day into all the world….”
“Many so-called Holy-Ghost movements vanished quickly because they were man-centered–focusing on gifts, blessings, self- improvement, happiness … all flesh unless it produces a broken heartedness for the lost and unsaved. If it is truly of the Spirit, it will result in a hunger and inclination to reach a lost and dying world!”
“Jesus tied the harvest to lost souls when He said, `Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest’ (Matt. 9:38). Any true outpouring of the Holy Spirit will focus on this prayer of Jesus. And the few revivals documented as genuine all were blessed with great harvests of souls. There is no true revival without great ingathering of lost souls!….When the Holy Spirit convicts us, comforts us, teaches us, sanctifies us, leads us and shows us things to come, it is all meant to prepare us to gather in the harvest–to make us able laborers in His vineyard!
“Consider what happened as a result of Joel 2:28. At Pentecost, 3,000 people were saved in one day–and souls were added daily afterward! These believers were then thrust out into all the world to witness Christ to the lost.”
In the 25 years I have been a Christian, I have never seen as little interest among believers in reaching the lost as I see today. However, revivals come during times of greatest spiritual darkness. God, send us revival! Give your people a burden to reach out to people that will enable them to overcome every obstacle and excuse!
