Is it not written that “John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire”? (Luke 3:16). Does this not testify that mountain-moving power comes from none other than the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire? For are we not all called to walk in both authority AND power? “And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.” (Luke 9:1).

     And is it not written that in these last days that, “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“? (Joel 2:28). For is it not said that, “The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former, says the LORD of Hosts”? (Haggai 2:9). For shall the latter rain not exceed the more moderate former rain? (Joel 2:23). For are we not rapidly approaching the season of the final harvest? For is it not true that the germination of the seed is brought on first by the early or former rains, whereas the ripening period is brought on by the latter or last rains of the season called “the latter rain.”?

     And is it not written that there is a season and a time for everything under the heavens, a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace? For THIS is the time, and we have now entered the season that just as with the former house, that on this latter house “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” (Acts 2:3)).

     For just as a seed was planted 2000 years ago, with the laying of “the foundation” of the former house, which was when that precious seed fell to the ground and died that it may produce life (John 12:24), and just as that seed was then germinated by the former rains through the subsequent baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire, followed by the maturation period of the last 2000 years, we are very soon about to enter the ripening period brought on by the last rains of the season called “the latter rain.”

     Even so, is it not written that even during the great outpouring of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire upon the former house that there were those in their midst who did not believe and many who resisted the working of the Holy Spirit? “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.“ (Acts 7:51). Even so, so too shall there be those in the body of Christ who in this final harvest season will likewise resist and already do resist the gifts of the Spirit, and the signs and the wonders and the miracles of the Holy Spirit. For whilst God the Father says that we should all pursue all gifts, especially prophecy, theirs is a doctrine that says that the time and season for the gifts has long since ended, especially prophecy. And if so, what then of the LORD’s own prophesy that, “Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father“? (John 14:12). For how does one confirm the Word without signs? For does not the Word of the LORD say, “They went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the Word through the accompanying signs, Amen”? How else does one confirm the Word without signs? And how else do signs accompany one without being accompanied by miracles and wonders? For is it not written that these signs are the evidence of God, by His own will, testifying with them? “God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.” (Hebrews 2:4).

     When you resist the gifts of the Holy Spirit, when you oppose the miraculous, you diminish Christianity to a social club or an ethical society, when it is intended to be “the grid system for transmitting the power of God into this powerless world”. According to Reinhardt Bonnke, “The Holy Spirit and the Gospel of Christ’s redeeming love are inseparably tied together in the bundle of life. Power is the essence of the Christian witness. It is not a Gospel accessory. We had – and still have – a supernatural Jesus, with a supernatural ministry, creating a supernatural Church, with a supernatural Gospel and a supernatural Bible. Take the miraculous away and you have taken Christianity’s life away.“