On May 15, the Assembly of Pentecost was held in all the Churches of God in Korea and overseas. All the members had prayed earnestly with one mind, hoping to receive the Holy Spirit of God in the morning and evening for 10 days after the Ascension Day. And on this day, they gathered with a reverent mind to receive the promised blessing of the latter rain of the Holy Spirit.

ⓒ 2005 WATV

Pentecost is the Feast of Weeks in the Old Testament times. It is the 50th day after the Israelites passed through the Red Sea and landed, that is, the day when Moses went up to Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. God commanded His people to keep this feast (Ex 34:22). This Feast of Weeks was fulfilled as the Early Church made an outstanding revive by Jesus' ascending 40 days after resurrection and pouring down upon His disciples the Holy Spirit of the former rain on the 10th day after ascension (Ac 2).

In the morning service which started with Mother's blessing prayer, the Chief Pastor Joo Cheol Kim preached the blessing of God in Pentecost through a sermon titled, 'The History of Pentecost and the Meaning of the Feast.' We also realized the meaning of the Holy Spirit which is poured down in this age. The Pastor Joo Cheol Kim explained the power of the Holy Spirit of Pentecost, saying, "The disciples who were mere fishermen from Galilee showed the power of the Holy Spirit by speaking in different tongues first after receiving the former rain of the Holy Spirit. This gift was given to them as a tool to spread the love of God to the countries which did not know Him. That became an epochal opportunity for the gospel which had been spread only in Israel to be passed on to the nations in the whole world."

ⓒ 2005 WATV

He also said, "The Holy Spirit is one, but God gives a different gift of the Holy Spirit to each one. The reason for giving the Holy Spirit is to use the gifts as 'the means to save souls.' You will know the Holy Spirit is given you, when you preach the truth. I hope that you will not just keep the Holy Spirit given free but use for preaching and experience its power to the full. And we can receive more blessing of the Holy Spirit when we don't forget that the power of the Holy Spirit God gave us is not for our glory, but for the glory of God; we are only mirrors reflecting God's glory. We are to lead many nations by asking God to open their minds, as the Early Church did."

In the afternoon service, he preached how to become a vessel sufficient to receive the latter rain of the Holy Spirit, "The absolute condition to receive the latter rain of the Holy Spirit is written clearly in the Bible. The condition is to realize Elohim God' existence which we can easily understand through the creatures."

ⓒ 2005 WATV

The members realized that they can go toward eternal life with the knowledge of Elohim God. They gave great thanks and praise for the grace of Elohim God who came down to this low place and were sacrificed to the point of death, and led them to know the Holy Spirit and the Bride and receive the blessing of the latter rain of the Holy Spirit. They also made a resolution that they would renew themselves, being filled with the latter rain of the Holy Spirit and would be the Elohim God's witnesses preaching Their love in Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

After the afternoon service, Mother said, "Only 120 members of the Early Church prayed earnestly with one mind to receive the Holy Spirit of the Christ in the upper room of Mark, and saved 3,000 or 5,000 souls in a day. The blessing which is unimaginably greater than that time is now prepared. So if you believe and preach, God will work more amazingly than in the Early Church. I hope you will be transformed by the renewing of your mind through the given Holy Spirit and try hard to love your brothers and sisters and spread the word of life quickly to the nations all over the world who are thirsty for the truth."

ⓒ 2005 WATV

It was the former rain of the Holy Spirit that revived the Early Church and let the gospel, which was only in Israel, spread to the world. As God gave the saints of the Early Church the power of the Holy Spirit and made them couriers preaching the truth to the nations all over the world, God has surely given us the power of the latter rain of the Holy Spirit in this age.