7/3/97 Rain Storm
(If it is welcome and a blessing, send it on to others,Lee)
As I sit at my desk and look out the windows of my office, it is raining. We have had a long dry spell. My prayer has been that when the water came that it would not come down so hard that it just ran off. I prayed for early rain. And that it would be followed by the heavier latter rains. Why would I pray like that? After weeks of no rain any rain would like to run off. This morning I heard the soft rains, and realized that it was preparing the ground. Soaking it. Causing it to be pliable , that it would receive heavier rains and not have them wash away. Weird things happen with heavy rains and no soaking of the land. In Vermont, we would experience flash flooding, endangering lives and doing no good.
How many know Christians are very much like the ground? (Think about our creation-formed out of the earth!!) We absorb much the same way. Jesus frequently spoke in parables describing our hearts as ground. Today I turn 42. I came to the Lord 7 years ago. I would have come sooner, but in reflecting this morning, I realized the biggest part of the reason. I was driving around 5 this morning to pick up my wife at work. The ground had begun to dry from the first rains. Sucked it right up. I had been that spiritually dead dry land. I was dry for tens of years. No rain in sight. Where were all the Christians, I thought this morning. Where was the rain? Where were the vessels?And I remembered the vessels that did show up. Wow! Thunderstorms, lightning, devastation. These people would come in and pound me. I had to throw one out of my store one day, because she wouldn't stop. This was one of those flashflood people.
I taught a little from the book of Haggai last week. There were many whose pocketbooks had holes in them. Yes, they tithed, they offered-and yet it came to nought. Why? They were busy taking care of their beautiful(high cieled house says KJV) homes and the church was not being built. Where were the people? Remember that little story? Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the door and here are the people.(I realize that the third verse is being challenged these days!). They were in church, meanwhile people are going their own little worldly ways, and heading right to hell(God doesn't send them-they walk that way.). God wants people to come together, to be in one accord by His Spirit. No two ways about it. But being the church IS advancing the Kingdom. If there is no newness, the church will dry up and wither away (and many have!). Your church doesn't need church hoppers-it needs new life, new Christians. In this country, records show that the rate of increase in new Christians is only 1%. WHAT! This country needs rain. It has been dry to long. America has run amuck. We needed renewal. The soaking, the healing. For many Christians they need the heavier rains now. But, the rest of the country and around the world needs rain. Soft, soaking, penetrating rains.
These people need rain. They don't need pummeling, devastating rain storms. They need you to be soft rain. I came to the Lord with a couple who loved me into the Kingdom. No high power, arm wrestling tactics. LOVE. I needed rain. Soft, continuous rain. Gentle, soaking rain. The true water of the Gospel. No one wants to go to hell, that sees the Love of Jesus. It doesn't begin with your pastor. It begins with you. If you are driving an army tank over the people you witness to they may give their head to Jesus, but their hear? It runs off the next day. If I put you in an car and you have never driven, and you look at all the dials, you may have no idea what is going on. But if I explain to you, that when the gas guage gets to E you need fuel-you know your need. If you can't love them into the Kingdom, show them God's love, how will they know their need?
In the story of Elijah and the priests of Baal, he called for an altar. And he told them to soak it with water. Folks, this was a time of drought. And after the first soaking, he called for another round. And after this wood had soaked. What happened, God's fire came and consumed it!!!
The non-believers need to be soaked in the truth of the Word, in prayer. And God's consuming fire will come. I desire that. In this area, we are finding salvations are coming easier, more frequently. A church we minister with last week saw four salvations, we saw four. They had 2 or 3 in the last few days. In many of your churches that may appear to be small(but we know the saints in heaven cheered their approval!!!), and yet for our two churches with a combined membership of maybe 150 that is awesome. Yesterday I had a young man recommit his life. A year ago, he told me he wanted to be a lone ranger. In the last few weeks, drinking caused him to lose his daughter(he needs prayer) and yet he was softened ground for what the Lord has for him. People need Jesus. They need to know how much you care before they care how much you know.
In our area the river is rising. The ground is being readied for the latter rains. This is exciting times. In the natural and the spiritual, the thunder is rumbling, the lightning moving. We are preparing for a tent that will be part of a world change. Lives are being changed.
Where are you? Do you see that your best friend you have never told you are Christian, needs the water of life and you are the vessel. That you are needed to pray? God needs you. Nothing happens here on earth without prayer. Seeds don't grow without water. And if you have been a flashflooder, ease up, gentle up. Rely on the Spirit of God. I am NOT telling you to go slower. There is an urgency in the air, an expectancy. I am telling you the rough and tumble stuff offends. Jesus Christ and His Gospel offend as it is. And if there is resistance, keep soaking with your love. There is a song we sing and one of the verses is,"they will know we are Christians by our love". Do they know that of you???
Selah.
Shalom.
We pray for you, each and every day. If this is an encouragement to you. Please tell us, and please email it to someone else. If you have a prayer request, please mail it to us. We want to stand with you, battling spiritual wickedness, seeing people made free. We want to serve our brother and sister.
In the Service of Christ for His Glory,
Lee Johndrow
For more information on this ministry or to receive our newsletter
please mail us at:
154 Paddock Road
Springfield, Vermont 05156
For those who support us in prayer and deed we appreciate it.
Thank you,
Lee & Tina Johndrow
 |
 |
 |