I See the Rain A Comin'

I was raised (and often reared ... if you get my drift) in a home where my sister Ruth and I had to be dead three days before missing church. After all, if Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, Mom and Dad expected us to as well. Missing church for baseball practice, going to the movies with friends on a Wednesday night, being up late on a Saturday night and not getting up for church on Sunday wasn't an option. Consequently, in addition to the great foundation laid at home each day, we received consistent, systematic, solid Bible teaching in our Sunday school classes, children's church, and Royal Rangers and Missionettes clubs. Thanks Mom and Dad!!!!

It was through those Bible studies that I fell in love with the story of Elijah on Mt. Carmel. After all, what boy in his right mind wouldn't love a story about the battle of the G(g)ods? What boy doesn’t have pyromaniac yearnings for fire to bellow down from heaven?

This week, that story came even more alive to me. In telling the story each week in Kid’s Crusades for 10 years and from time-to-time in children’s church here at Trinity, I’ve often emphasized the battle and the fire. This week, God placed a special emphasis in my heart about the cloud that followed the showdown.

You remember the story from 1 Kings 18. There had been a God-ordained drought for 3 years. Before the battle on the mount, Elijah told Ahab to prepare for rain. After the battle, Elijah forecasted a heavy rain was on its way. Upon sending his servant 7 times to go look for the rain clouds, the only thing that Elijah saw was a cloud the size of a man’s hand. A big promise had been given. A small vessel was on the horizon for its delivery.

Here’s what God shared with me about this story. In addition to being the children’s pastor of a great church, my mission or assignment right now is to travel around the nation and globe prophesying about a mighty rain of the Holy Spirit. In pulpits and in conferences I stand as Peter did on the Day of Pentecost declaring that “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel …” I am convinced that this is the day of the Holy Spirit in children’s ministry. And yet, what I see in doing meetings both here and abroad are small pockets of people, the vessels that this rain will come through. Here’s what God told me through this story … here’s the shouting material … according to 1 Kings 18, the size of the cloud didn’t determine the amount of the downpour! Right now, the cloud may be small. There may be pockets of people across the nation crying out for a Holy Spirit deluge. After this encouragement from God, with confidence I too like Elijah will boldly continue to say that I see a HEAVY rain in the forecast!!!!

Be encouraged. The size of your ministry might be smaller than what you’ve dreamed of. The size of your budget might be less than what you need. One more time … remember that the size of the vessel doesn’t determine the amount of the downpour. To quote T.D. Jakes, “Get ready, get ready, get ready.” I see a cloud the size of a man’s hand!