"It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days" Joel 2:28-29.
We're in the midst of a major downpour. The sun may be shining, and there may not be a cloud in the skies as you read this, but I assure you that we are experiencing a downpour. It's the outpouring of the Spirit of God.
Perhaps we can picture the apostle Peter standing before the large crowd gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost, explaining what was happening with reference to these words. A dramatic new act in the plan of God was unfolding as a cloudburst of Spirit "rain" was falling upon the early followers of Jesus.
The rain continues today. God's Spirit is freely poured out on His people to prompt prophesy, dreams, and visions. We have been enabled to declare His word and mysteries, and to envision a community of believers living out the reality of the coming kingdom today. Even as the first church was, we also are empowered to be a dynamic force in the world, displaying God's amazing power. In no way deficient, we are enriched in every way to be all that the Lord intends.
We read of the dynamic of the first century church in the book of Acts and sometimes wonder why the impact of today's church seems diminished. It is the same Spirit, however, at work in and through us that worked through the church of that day.
If the Spirit of God is at work to inspire dreams and visions, may we dream Spirit-inspired dreams for the work today. Let us not focus on limitations, but rather on the possibilities through "Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20).
George Barnard Shaw is credited with statement, "some people see thing as they are and ask, 'why?' I see things that never were and ask, 'why not?'".
May God's Spirit fill us with dreams and possibilities today that inspire us to also ask, 'why not?'
©Steve Taylor, 2023 --Used by permission
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