It's Time for Rain!

1 Kings 18:41 "...for there is the sound of abundance of rain."
If you've ever lived through a smoldering hot summer in Texas, you can surely appreciate the effects of a refreshing downpour of rain. The Bible talks a lot about rain and it's spiritual significance. You might have heard the terms former or latter rain and wondered, "what in the world does that mean?" 
Zechariah 10:1 "Ask the Lord for rain In the time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, Grass in the field for everyone."
WHY RAIN? 
He says to "ask for rain" but in relation to our lives what would we be asking for if we asked for SPIRITUAL RAIN? 

1.) The Refreshing Presence of God 

2.) The CREATIVE Power of God As It Acts of a Seed

• The rain goes through the soil to penetrate the seed and draw out it's potential. The seed we sow is our TIME, TALENT, INFLUENCE and our STUFF. As God leads and we sow the seed (many times in inconvenient seasons) the creative power of God comes to pull out the potential of our seed to yield an abundant harvest.  

3.) The FAVOR of God on the Labor of His People  

• You may have heard a farmer say, "I've sown the seed; now we pray for rain!" We do our part, and then it must take God's favor to bring the blessing.
• It's what we call GRACE! God's unmerited favor that we can't earn or deserve. Without favor (grace) our efforts are futile! Favor is the root of the "favorite". You are God's favorite you! When you are living and being who God's called YOU to be He anoints and blesses you. He can't FAVOR you to be someone else. (Read Duet. 11:7-14 to see the difference between watering the seed with our own effort and by God's grace.) 

WHY ASK FOR RAIN IN THE TIME OF RAIN? 

This shows it is more about "position" than "petition." When we know that God is saying "IT'S TIME!" We can boldly position ourselves to receive what He is pouring out. Faith begins where the will of God is known. 

WHY ASK THE LORD? 

If you read verse 2 of Zechariah 10, you see the "false comforts" of looking to people or things beyond God to give us blessing and favor. The Bible calls this idolatry--trusting in other things to bring us comfort, provision, or direction besides the Lord. 

WHY LATTER RAIN? 
Zechariah was written to a agricultural society who understood the seasons of rain and it's importance in their life. In their farming cycle they would have FORMER or EARLY rains in the autumn that would follow a dry, hot summer. These rains were a light, soaking rain that would loosen up the soil and prepare it for the seed. In the winter they would plant their seed and then in the spring the LATTER rain would fall. This rain was a heavy, penetrating rain that activated the potential in the seed and would bring about a great harvest.

Take note: if there's no seed sown, there is no purpose for the latter rain! We are believing as we have sown our prayers, our faith, our obedience and labor--God is going to send the rain of his favor for a great harvest! 

It's time for RAIN! 

It's Time to Experience Him

EXPERIENCE: a particular instance of personally encountering or undergoing something 

Watch these testimonies about how some people at THE BRIDGE have experienced God move in their life. http://vimeo.com/36216797 

There are levels of experience. You can hear someone talk about seeing an amazing sunset in Africa and learn from the experience of another--that's one level. You can read a book describing that sunset or even see a full-color picture in a National Geographic--that's another level of experience. Then, there's actually encountering it with your own eyes in real life. The vivid colors swirl together in conjunction with the beautifully foreign sounds and smells making you feel like you've just begun to live at a higher definition of life.

Look how the disciples describe their experience of knowing Jesus...

1 John 1:1-3 (The Message, emphasis added) 

From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in - we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. 2 The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we're telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us. 3 We saw it, we heard it, and now we're telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy! 

Watch these amazing stories of God's interaction.

They told us their stories so we could EXPERIENCE Him too. Not just as an ancient story passed down from generations with no relativity to our modern, everyday lives, but so we would ENCOUNTER HIM PERSONALLY. It's TIME to know Him on a deeper level, see Him move in our impossible situations, and experience a relationship with Jesus that's beyond rules, religion and regulations.

Watch these testimonies about how some people at THE BRIDGE have experienced God move in their life. http://vimeo.com/36216797 

Who needs to hear your story? As we experience the love and life of God, we become EXPERIENCED as a connection for others. There's someone waiting...there's a city waiting to hear what we have seen with our own eyes.