Thursday, June 28, 2012
POURING OUT
Hello, IrishThursdays will be 'on holiday' during the month of July, and will resume in August. Blessings, sally
Pouring Out
God…can…pour out showers of blessing to refresh you. Acts 3:19
Pouring Out
"It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring…", a children's rhyme. Well, rain it did last night; in fact the heavens opened and it absolutely poured.
Moisture must have literally gushed from thick, charcoal-colored clouds. The rainfall only added to the already full, swift current in the river behind us. This morning the river wasn't just gurgling and bubbling along; it was moving steadily and forcefully. I could hear the roar of the waters before I was looking at it.
Cradling my first cup of coffee, I took a seat by the corner window and sat, mesmerized. It was so awesome to watch the water rushing downstream, pounding boulders and rocks in its way, with only the sodden banks on either side to contain it.
It made me think of when there was a great pouring out, back in an upstairs room, when the Holy Spirit flowed powerfully one morning, to people gathered together to pray (*Acts 2). There was no containing the outpouring on that Pentecost day!
One of the many promises that God gives us in His Word is in the book of Joel, and again in Acts, where He says, " I will pour out my Spirit on all people." (**Joel 2 & Acts 2).
In this same book of Acts, the Lord speaks of His pouring out refreshing blessings when we turn back to Him (***Acts 3). In the last book of the Old Testament (****Malachi 3), He talks of pouring out abundant blessings we won't even be able to contain.
Not holding back, pouring. Pouring out. Isn't that our extravagant, wonderful, heavenly Father? Lord, thank You for Your awesome Holy Spirit, and thank You that You are today willing to pour out Your Spirit on us, Your sons and daughters who believe and are called by Your name. Amen!
That is very good news.
*Acts 2:14, 17-18, 32-33 Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: "Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight. These people aren't drunk as some of you suspect. They haven't had time to get drunk—it's only nine o'clock in the morning. This is what the prophet Joel announced would happen: "In the Last Days," God says, "I will pour out my Spirit on every kind of people: Your sons will prophesy, also your daughters; Your young men will see visions, your old men dream dreams. When the time comes, I'll pour out my Spirit On those who serve me, men and women both, and they'll prophesy. 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. "God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God's right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today
**Joel 2:28 "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
***Acts 3:19 Now it's time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you.
****Malachi 3: 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
Inspirational messages by Sally I. Kennedy Sally I. Kennedy, ©2012
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