WHY THE LATTER RAIN TARRIES

1.This CHURCH was planted at Pentecost, nourished and refreshed by "EARLY RAIN". Some 2,000 years afterwards, the fields are ripe for harvest, "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" [James 5:7] Faithful men and women never cease to ask, protesting in PRAYER for the LATTER RAIN. If you are asking WHY THE LATTER RAIN TARRIES? The delay if there is any such thing is not with God. Tthe ALMIGHTY is not slack concerning His PROMISE, the fault is squarely with us; we are simply not ready, "The LORD IS NOT SLACK CONCERNING HIS PROMISE, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE" [2 Peter 3:9] Every PROMISE of God is fulfilled subject to men's "READINESS". Remember how TEN VIRGINS went to meet the BRIDEGROOM but only FIVE were READY, "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and THEY THAT WERE READY WENT IN with him to the marriage: and the door was shut" [Matthew 25:10]

2. The ever faithful God gave His WORD to Elijah,"And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I WILL SEND RAIN UPON THE EARTH" [1 Kings 18:1] Here is wisdom, every DECREE or PROMISE of God has necessary protocols. Where His people had gone astray, REPENTANCE comes first. Elijah requested a Bullock for SIN OFFERING, "Then the FIRE OF THE LORD FELL, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when ALL THE PEOPLE saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God" [1 Kings 18:38-39] One thing is clear, we are in need of Preachers "breathing FIRE" who SEE the CHURCH as God SEES Her and bold enough to call both Sheep and Shepherds to REPENTANCE, "Because thou sayest, I AM RICH, and increased with goods, and HAVE NEED OF NOTHING; and knowest not that thou art WRETCHED, and MISERABLE, and POOR, and BLIND, and NAKED: ... As many as I love, I REBUKE and CHASTEN: be zealous therefore, and REPENT" [Revelation 3:17&19] God will only have REPENTANCE, as for our financial GIFTS, SEED OFFERINGS and beautiful Cathedrals, He has no pleasure.

3. The "FIRE OF THE LORD FELL" and consumed the SIN OFFERING, 1 Kings 18:38, yet the RAIN did not come. We have a lesson to learn here, "Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And HE PRAYED AGAIN, AND THE HEAVEN GAVE RAIN, and the earth brought forth her fruit" [James 5:17-18] Every move of God is birthed by PRAYER; when those who FEAR the LORD, know His COUNSEL and hallow His NAME come together to seek His face in PRAYER, heavens open, "Then THEY THAT FEARED THE LORD SPAKE OFTEN ONE TO ANOTHER: AND THE LORD HEARKENED, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name" [Malachi 3:16]  Elijah not only PRAYED, his prayer posture, illustrate the nature of PRAYER required for such time as this. His face between his knees paint a picture of profound humility and utter disregard for self and distraction, "So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and PUT HIS FACE BETWEEN HIS KNEES" [1 Kings 18:42] We may not have the exact words of Elijah's PRAYER, there could be no doubt he was calling for a refreshing REVIVAL: showers of RAIN.

4.  Elijah not only PRAYED, he instructed his servant to WATCH, "And said to his servant, Go up now, LOOK TOWARD THE SEA. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times" [1Kings 18:43] As we PRAY for REVIVAL, we must also WATCH. It's the duty of Shepherds to consistently and deliberately instruct the flocks of the "LITTLE CLOUD" and the PROMISE of REVIVAL. Elijah's servant went SEVEN TIMES, illustrating persistence, before he "SAW" a "CLOUD" as small as a "MAN'S HAND", "And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a LITTLE CLOUD out of the sea, LIKE A MAN'S HAND. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not" [1 Kings 18:44] The "LITTLE CLOUD", signalling the GREAT REVIVAL is visible beyond confines of present challenges and parochial boundaries. It is there to SEE in Pakistan, Nepal, Somalia, North Korea, Bangladesh, Indonesia etc, nations which hitherto endured darkness turning to CHRIST in droves, "The PEOPLE THAT WALKED IN DARKNESS HAVE SEEN A GREAT LIGHT: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined" [Isaiah 9:2] If you can SEE it, let us come together to PRAY for the GREAT REVIVAL; to prepare and make ready the BRIDE.

Join us on ZOOM, every WEDNESDAY,  8.00pm WAT, for One Hour of PRAYER. 
Meeting ID 404 207 5943 
Passcode MjRUk3