The Church is living on the threshold of something that is MOMENTOUS and GLORIOUS.
Only two things are holding back the Second Coming:
1) Preaching of the gospel by the GLORIOUS CHURCH (Matt. 24:14) – And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
The world’s quest for global peace – 1 Thess. 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
2) Most of the signs preceding His Second Coming have been fulfilled. The Church is now guilty of holding back His Return. The Lord is coming back on the cusp of the “Latter Rain Revival” (Eph. 5:27).
Let us see what we can learn from the “Former Rain Revival” in the book of Acts of Apostles, and bring out the URGENT NEED for a Jesus Revolution in this Hour. The Church that opened up the book of Acts was as ordinary as the people of the world that they were supposed to minister to, except that they were called by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were MEDIOCRE, not knowing what the will of the Lord was, until the Holy Spirit fell upon them on the day of Pentecost. And everything changed!! The Holy Spirit came with the JESUS REVELATION. All of them, for the first time knew who Jesus was and understood His ministry.
This was the beginning of the JESUS REVOLUTION that turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). A JESUS REVIVAL broke out that lasted about ten years. The record of the book of Acts of Apostles is an account of that unstoppable revival. It was centred around the Person, Ministry, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. It opened the door for very many people to come into the Kingdom of God.
This is the Former Rain Revival. No wonder, Jesus told His disciples in Acts 1:4-8 4.
And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7. And he said unto them, it is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
The eternal lesson from this is that every meaningful Revival, particularly the expected “Latter Rain Revival” must be preceded by a Jesus Revolution, which is born out of a revelation of who Jesus is. God has done it before. He is set to do it again!