Joel  2:23  Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
 

In the church world today, I hear so many talking about what they are looking for, reaching for, hoping for.  Many are looking for a great revival, a great deliverance for the people from all disease, evil spirits, that we may have liberty in Jesus, a freedom to worship Him in the way the early Church could – but mostly deliverance.  When you ask how to get this, most people know it is there but they have no idea what must be done to bring it about.  In this article, I want to show you from the scripture how we are to get this deliverance and how we are going to get the double portion, the early and the latter rain, to bring deliverance to the Church and Jesus back to this earth to set up His kingdom to rule and reign in righteousness for 1,000 years with His people. 

 To find the answer, we must go into the scripture and rightly divide the Word of God.  Paul said in II Timothy 2:15: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."   In Isaiah 28:10 the prophet said, "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:"   Meaning one scripture from here, one from there, putting them together in their rightful context which will give us the answers to these questions. 

 When the Early Church received the Holy Ghost and the cloven tongues of fire on the Day of Pentecost, which is the early rain, they did not receive the latter rain that is to come.  As Peter said in Acts 2:17-21:   "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all 
Look for the great revival that will bring deliverance to God's people from the things that torment and keep us from God. 
flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:  And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."    LAST DAYS means OUR day that we are living in today. 

 Joel said in 2:23: "Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month."   The early Church, mostly Jew (and some Gentiles who received the baptism of the Holy The heaven must hold Jesus until the times of restitution of all things – until the power is restored unto His people and He can return in all His glory.Ghost also) received the former rain moderately which fulfills the first part of this scripture.  However, they did not receive the latter rain.  That is for the last days revival.  The former and the latter rain coming together will bring about the great revival that the world has not seen as of yet.  This revival will complete the Church to gather God's people and have them ready for the second coming of Jesus.  The great revival is described in Joel 2:28 as: "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call." 
 Just as the 120 in the Upper Room received the Holy Ghost with cloven tongues of fire fell on them and then spread throughout the world, so will it be when a handful of people will seek the Lord God for this same power.  Deuteronomy 11:13-15 describes what we must do: "And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full."  These scriptures show that we will not have these signs and wonders and miracles that the Early Church and Apostles had until we get the former and the latter rain. 

 Now that we know God is waiting for a people to pray and seek Him so that we may receive this power, this early and latter rain, we must do as James said in James 5:7-9: "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. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door."  These scriptures show us plainly that Jesus will not come back to this earth until these prophecies are fulfilled.  He is waiting for a people to show themselves true to Him, trusting Him, and letting Jesus have full control of their lives.  Acts 2:20-21: "And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began."  This scripture also shows us that He is waiting and being held until the power of God is restored to the people. 

 Therefore, brothers and sisters in the Lord, ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ, let's do like James said – let's quit fussing with one another and let's get together and discuss these scriptures, so the people, GOD's people will receive deliverance, sinners will get saved, and God's people be delivered from all their problems, and troubles and enjoy the abundant life that Jesus came to give to us.  This must begin amongst the Gentiles, upon whom the end of the age is come and then will go throughout the whole world.  Acts 15:14 "Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.  Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world."   Acts 3:20-21: "And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." 
 

Study to show thyself approved unto God that you will not be ashamed at the coming of the Lord. I have shown you in the scriptures what we must do to receive the early and the latter rain.  We are all looking for this last day revival to come, but it will not come until God finds a people who are willing to give their all to Him like  the 120 that got together in one accord, praying, seeking, and preparing themselves to receive the Holy Ghost, the early rain.  God is calling for you and me to go forward in His Word.  Study the Word to show ourselves approved unto God, pray and seek Him with all our heart and soul, for Jesus said this is the great commandment, that we might be ready to receive the former and the latter rain as the 120 were ready when the early rain came to them.  Let us give ourselves to Him because Revelation 22:12-14 says: "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, an may enter in through the gates into the city."  Let us enter in together into the city. 

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