Acts 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water"... 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
This passage of scripture describes for us the final preparations that were to be made by the disciples, before The Holy Ghost would be poured out on the day of Pentecost, as promised in the old Testament scriptures. At this time the disciples had passed through the bitter learning experiences of the cross, by which they had beheld both the humility and forbearance of Christ, and thus the whole episode at Calvary had caused a new transformation in their thinking and attitudes towards one another. Whereas before this there was bickering and arguments about who should be in the highest positions, they were now humbled and subdued to the point that they were contented to dwell together in unison, with the common purpose of carrying the gospel to all the world.
Thus it was in this frame of mind that they spent the next days and weeks, praying and having close fellowship together, when suddenly out of the blue, The Holy Spirit was poured out in copious amounts, and they were thus empowered to take the good news of salvation to every inhabitable place on the globe. At this time a decided change took place in their fluency with many different languages, for God gave them the ability to both speak and understand clearly, all the foreign languages they were to come across. Unity of purpose, together with the fresh outpouring of the Holy Ghost are the two main elements which prepared them for intensive service in the kingdom of Christ, and the entire experience together with the rapid baptisms and conversions which consequently took place contain very serious instructions for us who hold the truth in the 21st century. Let's read:
Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
In our preparation for the final outpouring of the latter rain, we too should be cultivating the spirit of unity and brotherhood, being united in one single purpose, that of carrying the three angels' messages of Revelation chapter 14 to a dying world. The content of the messages and their deep implications should be thoroughly understood, for the lives of millions depend on it, and therefore it should be with fasting and prayer, that we should be unitedly seeking God for a clear understanding of the final warning, so that the messages thus written can be presented in a no-frills manner, with a sincere burden for souls who are now stumbling in darkness.
But it is with grave concern that we observe that instead of becoming more united on the eternal platform of truth, that there are now divisions and schisms arising in many places, as to the sanctuary message and the doctrine of eternal judgment. It seems as if the enemy of souls has been successful to some extent in sowing seeds of doubt as to the messages contained in the spirit of prophecy, and because of this, variations in teaching which engender division instead of unity, are rapidly becoming the norm in certain places. It is therefore urgent that we be united as a body of believers in purpose, in truth, and most of all in Christ, so that when the latter rain does take place, we, like the apostles of old, would be prepared for intensive and extensive service for Christ, in bringing many sons and daughters into His kingdom.
However, we are not to wait in idleness, but instead should be doing all we can in our neck of the woods, to hasten the coming of our Lord in the clouds of heaven, for even right here in America, there are millions who have been brainwashed by the smooth sounding, doctrines and fanciful interpretations of scripture which have produced a false sense of spiritual security in many sincere, but unwary hearts. It is therefore the will of God that those who know the truth present a united front to the world, and by thus doing the work that is at hand, be better prepared for the latter rain when it comes.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to do just that, and God's blessing is sure to rest upon our earnest efforts, for it was in this context only, that Christ has promised to be with us until the end of the age. Let's read:
2nd Peter 3:9 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. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!