This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s Pentecost Message – Week 7 of Win the Day “Seed the Clouds!” (LISTEN HERE)
Seed the clouds to bring rain to dry earth!
When Vincent Schaeffer began his experimentation with seeding the clouds he used dry ice. In more recent years silver iodide is used at the catalyst. Some are experimenting with radio frequencies. The goal is to get the cloud to produce more moisture than it would have naturally to bring needed moisture to drought ridden areas of the country.
When the Spirit of God sends us into the clouds of chaos in our culture, we have to remember the goal and use the right catalyst.
The goal is to bring the water of the Gospel to parched souls of people. At the heart of the Gospel is the message of good news about Jesus who lived, died and rose again for us.
This of course seems obvious, but permit a reflection or two to consider.
People realize their souls are parched, but don’t know what to water them with. People look for peace in tumult and so look to escape mechanisms such as drugs, alcohol and pornography to seemingly give peace and escape from their problems. The relief is temporary and leaves the heart even drier than before. People look for support and encouragement and so seek approval on social media, or find friend groups that will accept them. This perhaps works until the “likes” diminish and the friend group dissolves. People look for spiritual answers and so wade into the confusion of religion only to come out with self-centered personal thoughts on spiritual things in essence making themselves their own god with their own set of beliefs.
Any counterfeit god a person attaches too will let them down at some point and leave the soul drier than it began.
The second reflection is this. When we engage in conversations with these people we forget that the goal is to share the work and love of Christ. It is easy to be diverted into arguing the biology of gender, the moment of life at conception, or the apologetic reasons for the integrity of the Bible. However, even as sound, reasonable and logical arguments have their place, people need to hear about Jesus.
Peter at Pentecost stayed focused on the need. He saw a crowd of people whose hearts were dry for the saving message of the Gospel. He laid out clearly that Jesus was the Messiah. He confronted directly that they were responsible for his death, but also spoke clearly that the refreshment they were looking for was found in the one they had put to death. Forgiveness was theirs as they were baptized for the forgiveness of their sins.
Because Christ-crucified is the only catalyst that can water hearts with the saving reality of Jesus Christ.
When people come to believe in Jesus as their Savior, they have a peace that surpasses understanding and can be real in a time of great duress. They have a hope that is beyond this life so that they can have perspective on all that life brings. They have a relationship with Jesus who has promised never to forsake them.
All the things that dry men’s souls are watered by the love of Jesus Christ!
Acts 2:21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for
you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Apply: What changes when the focus of a spiritual conversation turns to the goal of helping a person know and see Jesus for who he is and what he had done?
Prayer: Lord, I ask that today, you allow me to water a dry heart with the living water of your Gospel! AMEN.