This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s Pentecost Message – Week 7 of Win the Day “Seed the Clouds!” (LISTEN HERE)
Rain brings life.
Seeding the clouds is an interesting experiment in altering weather. Debate certainly is real if the effort produces the intended effect or if mankind should be messing with the weather that God only can control (another debate for another setting).
The effectiveness of the silver-iodide or dry ice in a cloud is in question, but the power of the Gospel is not in question. It produces effects in the hearts of people. Living water brings life to the dry souls of men.
Pentecost is a great example.
Acts 2:38 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.”
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
When the people in Jerusalem heard they were responsible for the crucifixion of the Messiah, they were “cut to the heart.” Their soul was completely depleted of hope and joy. They felt helpless and so asked, “What should we do?”
In comes Peter with the message of the Spirit. He encourages them to turn from their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah…i.e. Repent. Yet the Spirit and Peter realize that just repentance doesn’t fully water the dry soul. The soul needs true hope based on objective truth and fact that is real no matter how one feels about it.
This is the hope that Peter gives. “Be baptized FOR the forgiveness of your sins.” This promise was not only for them, but for their children as well…the children they cursed when they took responsibility for the blood of Jesus AND put it on their children as well.
The result? The waters of baptism rained on the hearts of 3000 people. The catalyst of the Gospel seed the cloud of the crowd at Jerusalem and the dry hearts were watered with the powerful life-giving Gospel.
And the rain of the Gospel has been falling ever since.
It’s the purpose of God’s church to continue to seed the clouds with the catalyst of the Gospel to bring the water of life to the parched souls of mankind.
Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Apply: Pray for one person in your sphere of influence that God will use you to bring the water of life found in the Gospel to the parched soul.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the refreshing waters of the Gospel that bring grace, forgiveness and love to my heart and life. Use me to bring this water of life to others! AMEN.