The Rain of Fire
(November, 2011)
By Philip Hayes
(Crossville, TN)
The winds of the Holy Ghost are beginning to blow throughout America and the world; and they’re bringing a rain of fire. The end of the Last Days is upon us and God is preparing a people for the coming of the Lord.
I am feeling the fire of the Holy Ghost burning within me as I did years ago. Although the church has endured a very dry season for many years, I believe God is sending a great awakening. We have all read about the Great Awakening of the last century. We have read about powerful men of God and their incredible exploits. Yes, we have heard about how God moved long ago; but friends – get ready – we’re about to experience more than you have ever read about!
I’ve preached for years that we must have another outpouring of the Holy Ghost. We are dying spiritually! We are a vine that is withered and will soon perish unless God sends his Holy Rain of Fire upon us. We need the latter rain of the fire of God!
The prophet Joel foretold our time when he said, “The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted. The new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth. Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen. Howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley because the harvest of the field is perished. Joy is withered away from the sons of men” (Joel 1:10-12).
Joel is prophesying of a spiritual condition; not a natural one. It is evident by his prophecy that the “new wine” had already been poured out and that it had “dried up.” The new wine is the Holy Ghost. Jesus said, “You can’t put new wine in old bottles” (Mark 2:22). The new wine – the New Covenant – came on the day of Pentecost into vessels prepared for a new experience in God!
Joel said the “harvest of the field is perished.” If you would be honest, you would say we are dying! Our children and grandchildren are being given over to all kinds of demonic activity; and it seems we are helpless against what we know is happening. Folks, we need a revival!
Joel prophesied that “joy is withered away from the sons of men.” Few today have real joy. I see many Christians in our meetings that are bound by oppression and depression. It seems many are ruled by these discouraging emotions and can’t seem to escape them. Surely, we’re seeing Joel’s prophecy come to pass. Where there is no joy, there is no strength: no power, because “the joy of the Lord is our strength.”
This is why I believe God is about to pour out his Holy Rain; and I believe it will be the last – or latter – rain. It will be sent to bring back to life the vine that is clearly dried up. It will come to bring this last day harvest into maturity for the coming of the Lord. God is not coming back for a dead, dried up church.
A great restoration is prophesied to come. Joel said, “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” (Joel 2:23). I believe the prophet is saying the former rain that was poured out on the day of Pentecost was poured out moderately; but what will come afterward will be the former and the latter rain. A double portion! Both rains at the same time.
According to Jesus, the harvest time is in the end of the world. I believe its harvest time. Every farmer knows he must have a good rain to have a good harvest. I believe God is about to rain down the Holy Ghost to mature and empower the church as never before. James says, “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” (James 5:7).
I keep hearing about people being filled with the Holy Ghost all over the world. I keep hearing about uncommon miracles being performed in Jesus’ name. I believe these reports. This is just the beginning. Get ready for the Holy Ghost. You might say, “I already have the Holy Ghost.” Good for you. You’re going to get it all over again; and twice as much.
You might look around at your condition – or what you perceive to the condition of the church – and say the church is cold or lukewarm at best. And I say that on the most part, you’re right. But, I also say you don’t have to remain in that condition. We must hunger for God. Too many of God’s people are hungry for the wrong things: the world, money, pleasures, prosperity, materialism, etc. We don’t have to see after these things. Jesus said all these things would be ours if we would seek the Kingdom; and the Kingdom of God is “not meat and drink; but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14:17).
As Leonard Ravenhill said, “This generation of preachers is responsible for this generation of sinners. Sin today is both glamorized and popularized, thrown into the ear by radio, thrown into the eye by television, and splashed on popular magazine covers. Church-goers, sermon-sick and teaching-tired, leave the meeting as they entered it – visionless and passionless! Oh God, give this perishing generation ten thousand John the Baptists!!!”
It is time for God’s prophets to prophecy! Speak to the Wind! Breathe on us, O God! Send your wind upon us that we might live; for we are the modern day house of Israel; and without you, our hope is lost. Lord, send us revival!
We need rain: Holy Ghost rain! Without a real God-sent Holy Ghost revival, we will perish in this desert land. Our bones are dry; our lives are dry; our churches are dry. We must have an outpouring; and I believe God is sending it.
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