Well, ALIVE has well and truly started for 2011!  And with it we have also adopted a brand new theme song!  "We Will Serve the Lord"  The words to this song speak the sincere desire of our hearts!
We stand here together 
As a family we join hands together 
Lifting praises to the Father above 
For sending His Son. 
We've chosen together 
As a family to serve Him forever 
Knowing nothing else will matter in time 
We've made up our mind. 

Through the heat of the day 
We will join in the fight 
Till he takes us away 
Till our faith becomes sight 
As for me and my house 
We willl serve the Lord. 

Choose you this day 
Tell me who will you serve 
Let nothing stand in your way 
Give the praise He deserves 
As for me and my house 
We will serve the Lord. 

We will serve Him 
We will serve Him 
We will serve Him 
For He is worthy 
Serve Him 
We will serve Him 
We will serve Him 
For He is worthy 

Choose you this day 
Tell me who will you serve 
Let nothing stand in your way 
Give the praise He deserves 
As for me and my house 
We will serve the Lord.
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Powerful message from Pastor C. D. Brooks
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Pr Dwight preaches a powerful sermon at the Annual Council of the Seventh-day Adventist church.  Listen and be blessed.
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Something powerful is happening in the leadership of the Seventh-day Adventist church.  You have to see this; you have to hear it.  There is a challenge for all of us right here. 
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Pr Ted Wilson here delivers stirring message calling for revival and humility and urging us to pray for the out pouring of the latter rain!  Ask and you shall receive!  Even so, come Lord Jesus.
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Without the early rain experience, we will not receive the latter rain. As your church, group or school prepares for OGR 2011, please encourage each person to prayerfully study and contemplate the following statements.

“There are some who, instead of wisely improving present opportunities, are idly waiting for some special season of spiritual refreshing by which their ability to enlighten others will be greatly increased. They neglect present duties and privileges, and allow their light to burn dim, while they look forward to a time when, without any

effort on their part, they will be made the recipients of special blessing, by which they will be transformed and fitted for service.” AA 54.

“I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of “refreshing” and the “latter rain” to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God. Those who refuse to be hewed by the prophets and fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth, and who are willing to believe that their condition is far better than it really is, will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. But there will be no time then to do it and no Mediator to plead their cause before the Father.” EW 71

“Many have in a great measure failed to receive the former rain. They have not obtained all the benefits that God has thus provided for them. They expect that the lack will be supplied by the latter rain. When the richest abundance of grace shall be bestowed, they intend to open their hearts to receive it. They are making a terrible

mistake. The work that God has begun in the human heart in giving His light and knowledge must be continually going forward. Every individual must realize his own necessity. The heart must be emptied of every defilement and cleansed for the indwelling of the Spirit. It was by the confession and forsaking of sin, by earnest prayer and consecration of themselves to God, that the early disciples prepared for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. The same work, only in greater degree, must be done now. Then the human agent had only to ask for the blessing, and wait for the Lord to perfect the work concerning him. It is God who began the work, and He will finish His work, making man complete in Jesus Christ. But there must be no neglect of the grace represented by the former rain. Only those who are living up to the light they have will receive greater light.  Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it.”TM 507

“We may be sure that when the Holy Spirit is poured out those who did not receive and appreciate the early rain will not see or understand the value of the latter rain. When we are truly consecrated to God, His love will abide in our hearts by faith, and we will cheerfully do our duty in accordance with the will of God.”TM 399

“The great outpouring of the Spirit of God, which lightens the whole earth with his glory, will not come until we have an enlightened people, that know by experience what it means to be laborers together with God. When we have entire, whole–hearted consecration to the service of Christ, God will recognize the fact by an outpouring of his Spirit without measure; but this will not be while the largest portion of the church are not laborers together with God. God cannot pour out his Spirit when selfishness and self–indulgence are so manifest; when a spirit prevails that, if put into words, would express that answer of Cain,—‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’” RH July 21, 1896

“I was shown that if God’s people make no efforts on their part, but wait for the refreshing to come upon them and remove their wrongs and correct their errors; if they depend upon that to cleanse them from filthiness of theflesh and spirit, and fit them to engage in the loud cry of the third angel, they will be found wanting. The refreshing or power of God comes only on those who have prepared themselves for it by doing the work which God bids them, namely, cleansing themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 1T 619

“Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse the soul–temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost.” 5T 214

“It is true that in the time of the end, when God's work in the earth is closing, the earnest efforts put forth by consecrated believers under the guidance of the Holy Spirit are to be accompanied by special tokens of divine favor. ...near the close of earth's harvest, a special bestowal of spiritual grace is promised to prepare the church for the coming of the Son of man. This outpouring of the Spirit is likened to the falling of the latter rain; and it is for this added power that Christians are to send their petitions to the Lord of the harvest "in the time of the latter rain."...But unless the members of God's church today have a living connection with the Source of all spiritual

growth, they will not be ready for the time of reaping. Unless they keep their lamps trimmed and burning, they will fail of receiving added grace in times of special need. Those only who are constantly receiving fresh supplies of grace, will have power proportionate to their daily need and their ability to use that power. Instead of looking forward to some future time when, through a special endowment of spiritual power, they will receive a miraculous fitting up for soul winning, they are yielding themselves daily to God, that He may make them vessels meet for His use. Daily they are improving the opportunities for service that lie within their reach. Daily they are

witnessing for the Master wherever they may be, whether in some humble sphere of labor in the home, or in a public field of usefulness.” AA 55

“Those who come up to every point, and stand every test, and overcome, be the price what it may, have heeded the counsel of the True Witness, and they will receive the latter rain, and thus be fitted for translation.” 1T 187

“Are we emptying our hearts of all selfishness and cleansing them, preparatory to receiving the latter rain from heaven.” 4 BC 1177

“I saw that none could share the ‘refreshing’ unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action.” EW 71

But there must be no neglect of the grace represented by the former rain. Only those who are living up to the light they have will receive greater light. Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it. {TM 507.1}

“Today you are to have your vessel purified that it may be ready for the heavenly dew, ready for the showers of the latter rain; for the latter rain will come, and the blessing of God will fill every soul that is purified from every defilement. It is our work today to yield our souls to Christ, that we may be fitted for the time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord— fitted for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.” RH March 22, 1892

“May the Lord help His people to cleanse the soul temple from every defilement, and to maintain such a close connection with Him that they may be partakers of the Latter Rain when it shall be poured out.” 6 BC 1055

OGR Team
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I don't like travelling very much - but when it comes to travelling for God - there's nothing really to stop me.  Last December, I flew to Melbourne to run some revival meetings down there for a group of churches.  I remember being tired, I remember meeting lots of lovely Christian people.  But what I remember most was this song that they sang and sang with all their hearts.  The words to the chorus go something like this:

"In the presence of Jehovah,
God Almighty, Prince of Peace
Troubles vanish, hearts are mended,
In the presence of The King"

Those words touched my heart and today as you listen to this song also, I pray that those same words will minister to your soul as well. 

May the amazing grace of Jesus Christ, the extravagent love of the Father and the fellowship of the Spirit be with you all. 

Post submitted by Charissa Fong

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Here are some great videos that we hope you find to be a blessing! :)

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Are you amazed? 08/10/2008
 

A thought provoking song that ought to be the song of all our hearts.  May you be moved to embrace anew a closer relationship with Jesus - because of His amazing grace. 

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The concept of God's Spirit being given in an early and latter rain experience grew out of the agricultural cycle in Palestine. The first time we read about the early and latter rains is in Deuteronomy 11:13, 14 where God told Moses, "'And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, and new wine, and your oil.'" In the agricultural cycle, the early rain came in the fall when the winter wheat was planted, and it helped the seed to sprout and take root. The latter rain came in the spring and prepared the grain for harvest. The prophet Hosea makes the spiritual application of the agricultural cycle to the gift of the Holy Spirit, "Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth" (Hosea 6:3, emphasis supplied).
Throughout her writings, Ellen White puts the early and latter rains within two contexts, historical and experiential. Historically, the early rain came at Pentecost and the latter rain will come just before the close of probation. Experientially, the early rain comes to the individual at the time of surrender to Jesus and baptism. This is emphasized by Peter on the Day of Pentecost, "'Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit'" (Acts 2:28). The latter rain comes experientially when it is shared by all of God's people historically,
just before the close of probation.

As the early rain enabled the seed to take root and sprout in the agricultural cycle, the early rain experientially enables the gospel seed to take root in the heart and to grow. Experientially, the later rain completes the spiritual maturing process and prepares the followers of Jesus for the finishing of the gospel work on earth and translation.

Early Rain An Ongoing Experience

A simple illustration taken from the family vegetable garden points out the importance of receiving new in-fillings of the Holy Spirit and growth under the early rain. If a vegetable garden is planted in the spring and the plants receive a good drink of water but receives no water after planting, there will be no harvest in the late summer. So it is with the early rain experience. There must be fresh supplies of strength and grace from the Spirit's presence for the Christian to grow spiritually. The apostles received continued in-fillings of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus sent them out two-by-two, they were given power to heal and cast out demons (Mt. 10:8). This power came from the Spirit. After Jesus' resurrection, He breathed on them and said "receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22). Then they received the Holy Spirit again on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Following Pentecost they were filled with the Spirit again as they prayed in a group (Acts 4:31).

Ellen White gives us solemn warning if we do not seek fresh in-fillingsof the Spirit, "At no point in our experience can we dispense with the assistance of that which enables us to make the first start [early rain]. The blessings received under the former rain are needful to us to the end. . . . We may have had a measure of the Spirit of God, but by prayer and faith we are continually to seek more of the Spirit. . . . If we do not progress, if we do not place ourselves in an attitude to receive both the former and the latter rain, we shall lose our souls,and the responsibility will lie at our own door." (TM, p. 507).

In this growth process under the early rain, the latter rain is the next logical step in the spiritual-maturing process. The latter rain is the final infusion of power that brings the early rain experience to its fulfillment.

Don't Put Off Growth Under The Early Rain

"Many have in a great measure failed to receive the former rain. They have not obtained all the benefits that God has thus provided for them. They expect that the lack will be supplied by the latter rain. When the richest abundance of grace shall be bestowed, they intend to open their hearts to receive it. They are making a terrible mistake. . . . Unless we are really advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it." (RH, 3-2-97, emphasis supplied).

Suddenness Of The Latter Rain

Another reason we cannot put off preparation under the early rain is that when the latter comes it will be so sudden we will not have time to prepare for it if we are not doing so now.

In the Daily Bulletin of the General Conference, February 5, 1893, we are told, "I saw the latter rain was coming as suddenly as the Midnight Cry and with ten times the power'" (p. 152).

Again we are told, "There will be an accumulation of divine agencies to combine with human effort that there may be the accomplishment of the work for this last time. The work will most assuredly be cut short in a most unexpected manner." (Lt. 43a, 1890).

Fitting-Up Time

The period and experience of the early rain is the fitting-up time for the latter rain. If spiritual growth under the early rain is neglected, the latter rain will not be received nor recognized when it comes.

By Pr. George E. Rice

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