When I was 14, back in 1973, my brother-in-law nagged me to go to church until I finally agreed to go once, on the condition that he stop bugging me. He agreed.
At that time in my life, I was excelling in becoming a full-blown hippie. Sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll!
To the best of my knowledge, Jesus was the Christmas baby...and had something to do with the Easter Bunny. I did believe that there was a God...I just never thought about it much. Though I was fascinated with Greek mythology.
We went. It was horrible. They dressed funny. They talked funny. They acted funny. Though there was nothing funny about the music. After the service, I said to my friend, "Good, it's over...let's get outta here!" He said, "Wait a minute," got up from his chair and quickly walked to the front of the room. He started talking to 2 guys in pin-striped suits and white shoes. Then they came back to me. Groan!
After they introduced themselves to me, one of them opened a bible and read John 3:16 to me. As he did, I saw somewhere else. About 3 feet in front of me was a set of curtains. A hand holding a sword thrust through the curtains and plunged the sword deep into my belly. I instantly knew what I'd just heard was true! I was astounded at what had just happened to me!
The guy then explained to me about sin, death, Christ's atonement, and what I must do to be saved. He led me in a prayer as I bawled my eyes out. This was my first snot ministry time! Lol
During February 2000, I attended a 5-day ministry retreat. The Lord met me powerfully and this is where my discipling began in earnest!
"I died, He lives and dwells inside of me
I am finally assured of eternity
He never left my side, not even when I died
He was with me in the dark...right by my side
Faithful is His name!" Hallelujah! -tc
Dear Oblio,
Your experience at age 14 was when you received the
Early Rain of the Spirit. Even your vision of the "sword" was true.
When Christ comes to us the first time (Early Rain), He calls us out from the world and we enter the "church". At that time, He strikes us a blow with His sword.
These verses apply:
Mat 26:52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
Isa 66:16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
The Word of God is written in Christ's spiritual language. In His language, His words carry meanings that are different than what "man's wisdom teaches" (1Cor 2:13). In spiritual language, the "sword" is the Word of God and "Fire" is the judgment of Christ.
When Christ first comes to us with the Early Rain, He uses His sword to slay our spiritually marred, carnally minded nature we have from birth. But this first blow by His sword does not kill us. The reason it doesn't is because Christ leaves us "spiritually blind" at the time of the Early Rain. And because of our blindness, we can and are easily deceived by Satan. From Satan's deception, our deadly wound is healed and we devolve into a worse creature. Paul calls this worsen spiritual condition a Man of Sin.
Here is where Christ teaches this truth of what happens at the time of the Early Rain:
Mat 12:43-45 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation
Unclean (evil) spirits represent Satan's false truth. Since a new believer remains
spiritually blind (
Mark 8:21-25) after receiving the Early Rain, they cannot replace their worldly false beliefs with God's truth. One "evil spirit" leaves but comes back with seven more (represents the
spirit of anti-Christ) since our house remains void of God's truth. Now, instead of "one evil spirit" within us, we now have EIGHT. The number EIGHT spiritually represents a
new spiritual condition. In this case, our new spiritual condition is "worse than the first". Paul calls this worsened spiritual condition the
Man of Sin.
After the new believer devolves into a Man of Sin, their deadly head wound that came from the sword of Christ at the time of the Early Rain
is healed. The blow by the Sword of Christ was intended to slay their carnal nature (Old man) but because of their spiritual blindness and Satan’s deceptions, the wound is healed and their Old Man continues to live.
Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
As a result, they are still represented by the Seven-Headed Beast of Revelation. In case you are unaware, the Seven Headed Beast is a symbol for
mankind in our spiritually flawed and carnally minded condition. After our deadly head wound is healed, we have truly "fallen away" and become a Man of Sin who follows the ways of Satan instead of Christ. We are trying to serve two masters. This is the one and only sin (works) that leads to our spiritual death (
1John 5:16). From this death, we cannot be renewed by repentance (
Heb 6:4-6). It is for this reason that Christ must come to us a second time if we are going to be saved in this age. When He comes (Day of the Lord), Christ brings the Latter Rain of the Spirit (Baptism of the Holy Spirit), which is what the Apostles received on the Day of Pentecost and what Paul received after being in Damascus for three days.
The Doctrine of Free Will is the most common belief that causes us to "fall away". We use this false belief system to justify why unbelievers are worthy of "hell" and why we are not. We falsely believe that we must be wiser or smarter or simply less evil than those who reject Christ. And because of this belief, we take credit for making the right "choice" to accept Christ. But in truth, the credit is not ours. It was Christ's work within us that caused us to accept Him as "Lord". In our spiritually flawed and carnally minded condition we have from birth, no man will even seek to know God (
Rom 3:10-11, Rom 8:7), much less accept Him as Lord.
Scripture clearly says that unless Christ gives us the Holy Spirit, we cannot call Him “Lord”.
1 Cor 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.
Only after Christ comes to us and gives us the Early Rain of the Spirit can we call Christ “Lord”. Paul’s Damascus Road experience is the part of the “pattern” (
1Tim 1:16) whereby we all must follow in order to be “called out from the world”. Christ came to Paul on the Damascus Road, uninvited by Paul, and gave Paul the Early Rain. Paul had no choice in the matter as to whether to accept the Spirit or to reject the Spirit. The Spirit was
given to Him and after it was, Paul fell to his knees and called Christ “Lord”.
After a Called Out believer has “fallen away” and is no longer saved, Christ must come to them a second time with the Latter Rain of the Spirit (Baptism of the Holy Spirit). If He doesn't, they will die in their sins and receive their “portion” with the unbelievers. If the Called Out believer is one of the “few” (
Mat 22:14) and has been "chosen from the foundation of the world", Christ will come to them a second time. And when He comes, He brings salvation with Him.
Heb 9:28 So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Christ “appeared” the first time in the flesh and took away the sins of the world on the cross. When He comes to an unbeliever with the Early Rain, He does not “appear” to them but remains hidden from their understanding. The Early Rain event is not an “appearance”, it is a visitation. When Christ comes to a Called Out believer with the Latter Rain, He “appears” to them at this time. When He comes, He fully heals their spiritual blindness and the Light of His appearing will destroy the Man of Sin whom they have become. It is at this point when the new child of God is born. I will also explain this in more detail later in the paper.
In 2000, it is possible that what you experience then was the Latter Rain of the Spirit. Only you can know for sure.
I received the Latter Rain on Oct. 8, 2005. My testimony from that time is posted in my profile. You might read it and see how it compares with what you experienced in 2000.
I would be happy to answer any questions if you have an interest in continuing this discussion.
Joe
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