LESSON 10 - THE LATTER RAIN - I

INTRODUCTION: LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FARMING IN OT TIMES. IN PALESTINE THE RAINY SEASON IS FROM AUTUMN TO SPRING. THE AUTUMN RAIN MOSTENS THE SUMMER SUN-BAKED SOIL AND ALLOWS PLOWING AND PLANTING. DURING THE WINTER THEY HAVE HEAVY RAINS. AND THEN IN THE SPRING IN PALESTINE THEY HAVE A RAIN THAT MATURES THE GRAIN JUST BEFORE HARVEST. (SDA DICT. 975) THE AUTUMN RAIN IS CALLED THE EARLY RAIN AND THE SPRING RAIN IS CALLED THE LATTER RAIN.

I. LATTER RAIN

A. TURN WITH ME TO JOEL 2. I'LL READ TO YOU v.23, 26-29.

1. IS GOD TALKING ABOUT EATING OR THE HOLY SPIRIT OR WHAT? (I THINK HE MIXES THE TWO CONCEPTS. I THINK THAT HE WAS PROMISING FOOD, BUT HE WAS ALSO MAKING A PARALLEL TO BLESSINGS FROM THE H.S.)

B. NOW LETS TURN TO ACTS 2:1-4 AND 12-18.

C. OUR LESSON SPEAKS OF THE LATTER RAIN, BUT PETER SAYS IT STARTED AT PENTECOST 2,000 YEARS AGO.

1. SO, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR TODAY? (GOD SENT RAIN TO HELP WITH THE CROPS. THE PICTURE OF THE WINTER AND SPRING RAINS OR EARLY AND LATTER RAINS IS A PICTURE OF GOD'S BLESSING. PETER MAKES THE CONNECTION BETWEEN BLESSING OF THE HS AND RAIN. AND JOEL 2:28-31 KEYS THIS TO THE LAST DAYS.)

2. LETS ASSUME THAT WE ARE WRONG AND THAT WE ARE NOT IN THE LAST DAYS. SHOULD WE STILL LOOK FOR THE "RAIN" OF THE HS? (ABSOLUTELY. IT RAINED IN PALESTINE FROM AUTUMN TO HARVEST TIME IN THE SPRING. WHENEVER WE HAVE A HARVEST BEFORE US, WE NEED THE HS. JAMES 5:7 SAYS WE SHOULD BE LIKE PATIENT FARMERS WHO WAIT FOR THE RAIN.)

D. I HAVE A REAL DESIRE TO HAVE THE HS COME INTO OUR HEARTS AND OUR CHURCH WITH REAL POWER. SO LETS LOOK AT HOW THIS HAPPENED IN JOEL AND ACTS TO SEE WHAT WE NEED TO DO.

E. READ PS 84:5-6. DID YOU NOTICE THAT IT SAYS THAT THOSE WHO PASS THROUGH THIS VALLEY "MAKE IT A PLACE OF SPRINGS; THE AUTUMN RAINS."

1. HOW DO THEY MAKE THE WATER COME? (84:5 SAYS THEIR STRENGTH IS IN THE LORD. THAT THEY HAVE SET THEIR HEARTS ON PILGRIMAGE.)

F. SPURGEON'S COMMENTARY ON PS 84:6 SUGGESTS THAT THE VALLEY OF BACA IS THE SAME VALLEY CALLED BERACAH IN 2 CHRON 20:26. LETS TURN TO 2 CHRON 20 AND FIND OUT HOW THE PEOPLE GOT THE BLESSINGS OF THE LORD THERE.

1. READ 2 CHRON 20:1-4 AND 12-14. DO YOU SEE THE PROBLEM?

a. WHAT WAS THE ANSWER? (INQUIRE OF THE LORD. TURN TO THE LORD. ASK HIM TO HELP. ACKNOWLEDGE THEY HAD NO POWER. STAND TOGETHER BEFORE THE LORD.)

2. IN VERSES 15-17 GOD SAYS THAT HE WILL HELP--IT IS HIS FIGHT AND NOT THEIRS. THAT THEY SHOULD STAND FIRM AND NOT BE AFRAID OR DISCOURAGED.

3. READ 20:20-21. NOTICE ANYTHING SPECIAL ABOUT THE BATTLE GROUPING THAT JEHOSAPHAT CHOSE? (THEY LEAD WITH THE CHOIR! AND THEY SANG PRAISES TO GOD!)

4. WHAT LESSONS DO YOU FIND IN THIS STORY ABOUT GOING THROUGH THE VALLEY OF BACA AND MAKING SOME RAIN? WHAT LESSONS ABOUT HOW WE GET THE HS IN HERE IN POWER?

G. LETS TURN NEXT TO ACTS 1:12-13 AND ACTS 2:1-4. WHAT WERE THEY DOING HERE BEFORE THE RAIN OF THE HS CAME DOWN?

1. WHAT LESSONS DO YOU FIND IN THIS ACCOUNT? (THEY WERE TOGETHER. THEY WERE PRAYING FOR THE HS.)

H. LETS GO BACK TO JOEL 2 AND READ v.1, 12-13, 15-17.

1. WHAT LESSONS DO YOU FIND FROM THAT ACCOUNT? (BLOW THE TRUMPET (FOR EX. 3 ANGELS MESSAGE); RELY ON GOD (THOSE IN LAND TREMBLE); RETURN TO GOD, FAST, REND YOUR HEART AND NOT YOUR GARMENTS; GATHER TOGETHER. MAKE THIS A TOP PRIORITY (BRIDGEGROOM LEAVE.)

II. WHY WE WANT THE HOLY SPIRIT?

A. I TOLD YOU BEFORE THAT I WANTED THE HOLY SPIRIT TO COME INTO OUR HEARTS AND OUR CHURCH WITH POWER. I ASSUME THAT YOU WANT THAT TOO.

1. WHY DO WE WANT THAT? WHAT DO WE THINK WILL HAPPEN?

a. SOMEONE READ GAL 5:22 OUR LIVES WILL CHANGE: THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS. ).

b. TURN WITH ME TO JOHN 16:7-14. WHAT DOES THIS SUGGEST THAT THE HS CAN DO FOR US?

(1)CONVICTS US OF SIN. JOHN 16:8

(2) GUIDES US TO TRUTH. JOHN 16:13

(3) PROPHECY. JOHN 16:13.

III. THE COUNTERFEIT.

A. THIS WEEK I WAS HOME SICK FOR PART OF THE DAY. AS I WAS EATING BREAKFAST AT HOME, A TALK SHOW THAT I NEVER SEE "ROLANDA" CAME ON. THE SUBJECT WAS MIRACLES, SO I WATCHED IT INSTEAD OF GOING BACK TO BED. AS I LISTENED TO THE STORIES OF MIRACLES, I ASKED MYSELF IF I THOUGHT THIS WAS A GENUINE MIRACLE OR NOT.

1. IF SOMEONE SAYS THAT THEY HAVE HAD A MIRACLE HAPPEN, SHOULD WE JUST ACCEPT IT AS THE HS?

2. LETS LOOK AT THREE TEXTS ON THIS. FIRST, LETS READ MARK 9:38-40.

a. SECOND. LETS READ MATT 12:22-24 AND 31-32.

b. THIRD, LETS READ MATT 24: 24 (ALSO 2 THES 2:3, 9- 10; REV 13:12-14)

3. WHAT DO YOU CONCLUDE FROM THIS? (WE SHOULD BE SHY ABOUT JUST DECLARING THAT SOMETHING IS FROM THE DEVIL. BUT WE NEED TO TEST THINGS TO SEE IF THEY SQUARE WITH THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE.)

IV. NEXT WEEK: THE LOUD CRY. REV 18:1-5. STUDY!