"Is There Room For You To Receive?"

Acts 2:17 (AMP) - "And it shall come to pass in the last days, God declares, that I will pour out of My Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy [telling forth the divine counsels] and your young men shall see visions (divinely granted appearances), and your old men shall dream [divinely suggested] dreams."

I'm not sure how all believers see this verse. I think sometimes that people interpret it as a far off yet to be fullfilled prophecy.

When Joel prophesied it in the OT it was a future promise. When Peter preached it in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, it was beginning to be fulfilled.

Acts 2:16 (AMP) - "But [instead] this is [the beginning of] what was spoken through the prophet Joel."

I believe that verse 17 has already been fulfilled. Believers, whether men or women, young or old, should be operating in the gifts already provided to them by the Holy Spirit concerning receiving from God fresh revelations, visions, prophecies, and even divinely inspired dreams. Notice that Peter declares it on the very day that The Holy Spirit was poured out in His fullness upon the Church.

You won't be a recipient if you are not empty enough to be filled. Those ten days in the upper room in prayer got the 120 to a place of emptying so they could receive what God was going to refill.

He is "pouring out" His Spirit upon all mankind. Obviously not all of mankind will receive it. I can understand that, and I can even live with that.

What I can't live with are believers who reject what God has declared beneficial to His Church.

You will not receive if you are filled with something else.

The Spirit of God has to be received in spirit. This is not a work of the flesh. It is your flesh that rejects it and refuses to be filled. You will NEVER be spoken to by God in dreams, visions, prophecies, or revelations, if the room for them are taken up by a stiff-necked, contrary, and argumentative carnal nature.

I don't do well with people like that. We clash. If we clash there is no harmony. That means "dis"-harmony. Disharmony will always prevent God from doing great things in people and through the Church.

I need to hear from people who hear from God, just like people need to hear from me when I hear from God. It's a spiritual life cycle. It's God's way of protecting His Church. He is not interested in us furthering our agenda with what "we" believe, He desires vessels who are willing to be emptied and refilled with HIS agenda.

I believe we are getting into crunch time. I don't have patience for, nor the inclination to listen to, self opiniated reasonings, and flesh oriented declarations. The people who gain my ear these days are the ones who I believe are spending time listening to and hearing from God. I know who they are, and who they are not. My spirit antennae is up and receiving loud and clear.

We all should be practicing this, and it only comes by spending time with God. You have to take time and get in the presence of Jesus and have conversation. Loosen up. Learn to receive. You can't be a good receiver if you are bent upon always sending.

Come Lord! Pour it out upon us and in us. Speak Your Words of Truth and Wisdom into us, so that we can in turn edify and encourage the Church. Break us down. Build us up. Teach us to be the people of the vision of Joel.

Keepin' it Real,

Pastor Kevin <><