ITS BEGINNING TO RAIN- ARE YOU
THIRSTY?
There was a song back when I
first started to attend church regularly that went something like the following;
“It's beginning to ra-a-a-a-ain hear the voice of the Father... say-ay-ing who
so ev-er will come drink of he water... for I will pour my Spirit out on your
sons and your daughters... if your thirsty and dry lift your hands to the sky
it's beginning to rain!”
This song came to mind this
morning while milling over the days before and after this one, that were and
shall be full of rainy weather.
The fun thing is today it is
sunny and fairly dry.
I am wondering if we in the world
today can really understand the song above and if we have ever truly felt
thirsty and dry spiritually?
I think that in this world of
fast food and soda shops we can get whatever we want instantly; but can we get
an instant outpouring of the Holy Spirit? I think not.
If we read in the second chapter
of Acts we can find that the people on the day of Pentecost were thirsty and
wanting more from God. They were found together in one accord, seeking for what
to do to share the gospel.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable to God, which is your reasonable
service And do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what
is that good and acceptable and perfect will of
God.For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not
to think of himself more highly than he ought
to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Romans 12 1-3
While they were there the first
out pouring of the Spirit of God happened. Oh sure God's Spirit moved many times
prior to this, we read a bit about it here and there throughout the whole Old
Testament.
Just like today we hear about
“God moving” in said church, or at so-and-so's gathering. I actually laugh
sometimes when people say God was there! Because as a child I knew that God was
everywhere, even before I knew Him. If an ignorant child could know that God is
with us, then why do we Christians use such phrases?
“And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He
who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never
thirst.” John 6:35
When Jesus fed the five thousand,
no one said “oh wow you should have seen it God was there!” at least not until
we all preached it in our churches in Christianity style.
We as Christians really need to
think about how we think about the Truth. We need to remember that once we are
saved the Holy Spirit is with us in all that we do. So what does it mean when we
go to church and we don't get anything out of it?
Either we are dry, or our Pastor
is. No offense to any pastors reading this:I am not thinking of any particular
pastor just that in general I know that preachers and seminar speakers etc., can
get dry just like the rest of us.
So how do we keep that “cup full”
of the Holy Spirit?
Just like everything else; we get
in the Word, Pray and walk it out.
For this
is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not
burdensome.
For whatever is born of God
overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the
world—our
faith.
Who is he who overcomes the
world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God . 1
John 5:3-5
We love
one another and do not try to be so pushy but by living a life of Christ like
behaviors we will draw others to Him. When this happens we have fulfilled our
commission just as much as if we had gone on a trip to Africa and brought a
thousand souls to Christ because the Word of God says that the Angels rejoice
when we bring even one sinner to Christ.
When we
get to the point in our lives when we do not pay attention to the true calling
on our lives I believe this is what is referred to as being dry. When we are
realize that we are dry and we need to get a refreshing drink or that we are
walking in the world instead of in the Word, we need to change something. The
only way we will notice this is when we dig in the Word and find ourselves
lacking or listen to a church service and do not seek God to find the message
for us personally
God wants
to speak to each one of us in church, on the radio, in the garden, in the Word
each day.
It's just
like with the rain; sometimes we will not notice the rain if we not look outside
or listen to the dripping, or better yet walk out into it. It will not effect
our lives until we bring it's influence into our lives.
The Word
of God will not change us until we open it up and read it,even then, we will
gain knowledge but when we apply it to our lives then we will grow full up with
the Holy Spirit!
Maybe you
will like to see this as a cup of tea, it is only going to get full if we add
hot water; a cup of tea dry tastes bitter and really is not enjoyable. The Holy
Spirit is with us but unless we dig into the Word, and apply it in our lives we
will not be full of the Holy Spirit; He will be that thing we keep in our pocket
now and then to take out.
Heavenly
Father, help us to listen, to seek, to see, to hear your Holy Spirit calling us
to do Your will today. Help us to listen. Help us to obey. IN Jesus name, amen.
Suggested reading; Romans 12:1- .
1 John 5:1-21, Acts 22:1-30, and John 5 1-47.