Category: Christian/Faith/Religion
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THE LATTER RAIN
1. RAIN is synonymous with WATER and WATER, with HOPE and HOPE rooted in God never fails, "For there is HOPE OF A TREE, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; Yet THROUGH THE SCENT OF WATER IT WILL BUD, and BRING FORTH BOUGHS LIKE A PLANT" [Job 14:7-9] JOB was not thinking of droplets of water, his HOPE was anchored on God for a GREAT REVIVAL of His GOODNESS. In excruciating pains and sorrows, JOB acknowledged the FORMER RAIN of God's GOODNESS, Job 2:9-10 and longed for His LATTER RAIN to restore his JOY and FRUITFULNESS, "... that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and REMEMBER ME! If a man die, shall he live again? ALL THE DAYS OF MY APPOINTED TIME WILL I WAIT, TILL MY CHANGE COME. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands" Job 14:13-15
2. Every farmer waits for EARLY RAIN and chooses his SEED carefully. God, the ultimate HUSBANDMAN, an old English word for FARMER, released FORMER RAIN at PENTECOST. The SEED was His WORD, the GOSPEL preached in the NAME of JESUS CHRIST in HOPE of bountiful HARVEST of SOULS in His LIKENESS, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" [Galatians 6:7] EARLY/FORMER RAIN softens the earth, the SEED goes in the ground and the farmer's Job is largely done. So is the GOSPEL of JESUS CHRIST, the strength is not in riches, men or religious organisations but in the WORD and EARLY RAIN; it is UNQUENCHABLE, "And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should CAST SEED INTO THE GROUND; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear" Mark 4:26-28
3. JOB aptly illustrate the gap between EARLY and LATTER RAIN; HEARTS softened by FORMER RAIN are sooner hardened and watching them wilt under distress, the farmer longs in PATIENCE for the LATTER RAIN, "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" [James 5:7-8] As JOB patiently ENDURED his AFFLICTIONS, TRUSTING in the Lord, so do we in HOPE of HIS COMING. We stand, fully assured of LATTER RAIN before His APPEARANCE and rejoice in HOPE, knowing we shall be matured in His LIKENESS by the outpouring of His SPIRIT. And what a a bountiful HARVEST we shall be to the Lord, "Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest" Isaiah 32:15
4. FORMER RAIN is some 2,000 years old, parched SOULS are wearied and CHURCH fallen into SLUMBER, "While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And AT MIDNIGHT THERE WAS A CRY, Behold, THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps" [Matthew 25:5-7] MIDNIGHT CRY is the rumbling of THUNDER, the mighty rushing sound of LATTER RAIN; a CALL to PRAYER for those who have EARS to HEAR above the many voices in the world, "... for there is a SOUND OF ABUNDANCE OF RAIN. ... And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, ... 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 it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was A GREAT RAIN" [1 Kings 18:41-42,44-45]
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SNARES OF DEATH
1. A SNARE is a DEVICE designed primarily to bring into BONDAGE, DEATH is an APPOINTMENT common to men, “Wherefore, as BY ONE MAN SIN ENTERED INTO THE WORLD, and DEATH BY SIN; and so DEATH PASSED UPON ALL MEN, for that all have sinned” [Romans 5:12] DEATH is a pre-arranged meeting with JUDGMENT, every man shall be weighed; condemned to perdition for SIN or approved to glory in the RIGHTEOUSNESS of JESUS CHRIST, “And as it is APPOINTED UNTO MEN ONCE TO DIE, but AFTER THIS THE JUDGMENT: So CHRIST WAS ONCE OFFERED TO BEAR THE SINS OF MANY; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” [Hebrews 9:27-28] JESUS already paid for SIN and in Him have victory over SIN and DEATH by GRACE through FAITH in His NAME. However, there is the LAKE of FIRE, for which Satan has set SNARES OF DEATH for those who shall join him in SECOND DEATH, “And DEATH AND HELL WERE CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE. THIS IS THE SECOND DEATH. And whosoever was not found written in the BOOK OF LIFE was cast into the LAKE OF FIRE” [Revelation 20:14-15]
2. FEAR is the principal SNARE of DEATH, hunting and locking men up in SECOND DEATH while they yet live. FEAR is the heart-breaking reality of SIN, “And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I WAS AFRAID, because I WAS NAKED; and I HID MYSELF. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?” [Genesis 3:10-11] Sting of FEAR is unimaginable HOPELESSNESS of condemnation of separation from God, for which God revealed Himself in JESUS CHRIST to REDEEM us to Himself in JESUS CHRIST, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that THROUGH DEATH HE MIGHT DESTROY HIM THAT HAD THE POWER OF DEATH, that is, the DEVIL. And deliver them who through FEAR OF DEATH were ALL THEIR LIFETIME SUBJECT TO BONDAGE” [Hebrews 2:14-15] Present global uncertainties, unprecedented casualties and a world wired into a global village has turned FEAR of DEATH into staple diet and in the CHURCH, a worrisome SNARE. A SNARE that gnaws at the root of our FAITH; CONFIDENCE in God, both to SAVE and DELIVER in all situations, “In the FEAR OF THE LORD IS STRONG CONFIDENCE: and his children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to DEPART FROM SNARES OF DEATH” [Proverbs 14:26-27]
3. FEAR unchecked, in recent times morphed into “THEOLOGY” of UNBELIEF on our pulpits, the sickening chalice of SECOND DEATH [Revelation 20:6, 21:8] It is incredible, how over a short period we have built a NEW FACE of CHRISTIANITY, emphasizing what is SEEN and SELF-PRESERVATION, over and above ETERNAL RELEVANCE, “While WE LOOK NOT AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN, BUT AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN: for the THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN ARE TEMPORAL; but the THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN ARE ETERNAL” [2 Corinthians 4:18] UNBELIEF tries our UNDERSTANDING of God’s WORD and PATIENCE in Him. Lest we forget, present challenges are TEMPORARY and SUBORDINATE to God’s COUNSEL [Isaiah 46:10] Every time we rationalize contemporary perplexities in context of human possibilities, we stumble into UNBELIEF and a small step from UNBELIEF to SELF-HELP. Our CONFIDENCE in God is now so low we resort to governments, guns, riots and influence peddling to defend us. How do we then convince UNBELIEVERS our God is ALMIGHTY, the ONE who made all things by His WORD, “THROUGH FAITH WE UNDERSTAND that the WORLDS WERE FRAMED BY THE WORD OF GOD, so that things which are SEEN WERE NOT MADE OF THINGS WHICH DO APPEAR” [Hebrews 11:3] Where is HOPE? Where is UNDERSTANDING? Where is blessed ASSURANCE in CHRIST? Where are the WATCHMEN?
4. SNARES OF DEATH are closing, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your ADVERSARY THE DEVIL, as a roaring lion, walketh about, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR: Whom RESIST STEDFAST IN THE FAITH, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world” [1 Peter 5:8-9] It is scary but true, a man may spend all his time in CHURCH and get caught in SECOND DEATH! More disquieting, perhaps, is the popular dogma of motivational UNBELIEF which encourage BELIVERS to promote self-preservation INSTINCTS through adulteration of FAITH in the WORD of God. “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I BELIEVE, HELP THOU MINE UNBELIEF” [Mark 9:23-24] You cannot eat your cake and have it; our God is a jealous GOD [Exodus 20:5] The father of the child “BELIEVED” but when push came to shove, he thankfully recognized his UNBELIEF and cried for HELP. It is time we admit our “LITTLE FOXES” of UNBELIEF and seek HELP from the Lord before we stand to be JUDGED by Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego [Daniel 3:17-18] Today, let us put away FEAR and UNBELIEF, tomorrow may not come, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death” [Revelation 2:11]
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