Yet, this is only the beginning of something powerful happening in God’s church, something we may best understand in the light of an incredible vision given to the prophet Ezekiel.

Ezekiel’s Vision

The vision is recorded in the first chapter of Ezekiel. He writes:

“And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures.” Ezekiel 1:4

“Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces... and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.” Ezekiel 1:15-16

This must have been a dizzying vision. It is evident that while the creatures hovered in the atmosphere above, the wheels within the wheels moved upon the earth. Ezekiel notes how they moved in perfect sync.

“And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.” Ezekiel 1:19-21

The point that stands out here is the unison of activity between the living creatures in heaven, and the work of the wheels within the wheels on earth. Many commentators liken this vision to the work of the church on earth in harmony with the work of angels in heaven for the salvation of man.

Ellen White’s Comments

Commenting upon Ezekiel’s vision, Ellen White makes these profound and revealing statements.

“The sixth chapter of Isaiah has a deep and important lesson for every one of God's workmen. Study it with humility and earnest prayer. The first and second chapters of Ezekiel should also be carefully studied. The wheels within wheels represented in this symbol was confusion to the finite eye. But a hand of infinite wisdom was revealed amid the wheels. Perfect order is brought out of the confusion. Every wheel works in its right place, in perfect harmony with every other part of the machinery.

I have been shown that human beings desire too much power. They desire to control, and the Lord God, the mighty worker is left out of their work. The workmen feel qualified to hold the highest place. Let no man attempt to manage that work which should be left in the hands of the great I AM, and who is in His own way planning how the work shall be done. Know that God is the Instructor of His servants, and He will work through whom He will.--Manuscript 143, 1899.

God often uses the simplest means to accomplish the greatest results. It is His plan that every part of His work shall depend on every other part, as a wheel within a wheel, all acting in harmony. DA 822

Those who have many talents and those who have few are to work unitedly, as a wheel within a wheel. -- {Medical Ministry 201.2}

The Problem

In light of the above references to the wheel within the wheel, Jesus prayer that God’s will “be done, on earth, as it is in heaven” begins to make sense in the context of the latter rain. The disciples were not only on “one accord” with one another, but also with the work and desire of the angels in heaven. The wheel had been fixed ready to move in perfect sync with angelic workers in heaven. The unity that existed among angels was now demonstrated among the disciples. And the rain came as result. “No longer were they a collection of independent units or discordant, conflicting elements. No longer were their hopes set on worldly greatness. They were of "one accord," "of one heart and of one soul." Acts. 2:46; 4:32. Christ filled their thoughts; the advancement of His kingdom was their aim. Acts 4:13. {AA 45.2}.

Reflect on this for a moment. How many ministries are there in our church? How many of these ministries are in their own corner doing their own work earnestly as they can? Could is be that the devil knows that “the secret of our success in the work of God will be found in the harmonious working of our people”, that “there must be concentrated action. Every member of the body of Christ must act his part in the cause of God, according to the ability that God has given him” and that “if Christians were to act in concert, moving forward as one, under the direction of one Power, for the accomplishment of one purpose, they would move the world”? Review and Herald, Dec. 2, 1890, Testimonies, vol. 9, p. 221.

Think of the many independent wheels in the church all doing their own thing. How many ministries for fear of their own reputation refuse to be associated with other ministries in doing “the work of the Lord”. How many ministries struck with the “superwatchman” bug spend considerable effort seeking out faults in other ministries? Think of all the division we have. Separate conferences based on color barriers, ministries in controversy with one another or the church, the liberal wheel, the conservative wheel, yes, it seems we’ve all got our own clicks, our own circles! And those that are not in our circle are viewed with suspicion. Could it be that God is waiting for the only wheel that really counts, the great wheel of the church working in harmony with heaven and under the baptism of the spirit, to be fixed?

The Cure

The question might be asked, “Do we unite with error for the sake of unity?” The answer is no. How then are we to unite? Listen to this striking illustration, again given by Ellen White.

“Picture a large circle, from the edge of which are many lines all running to the center. The nearer these lines approach the center, the nearer they are to one another. Thus it is in the Christian life. The closer we come to Christ, the nearer we shall be to one another. God is glorified as His people unite in harmonious action. {AH 179.3}.

The closer we come to Christ, the more willing we are to lay aside the errors that cause separation. When God’s people are found “running to the center”, we will see the wheel within the wheel begin to operate effectively. The opposite is true as well. The further we are from Christ, the more division and independent action we will have. Christ is the great Hub, the great center of attraction. As we lift up His sacrifice, and make it the center, all other things fall in place. The wheel is fixed as we fix our focus upon Christ and his sacrifice. At the cross, the glory of man is humbled in the dust, and the one great aim consumes God’s people. No longer will the question be “Who is the greatest? Who will get the credit for the work done?”.

We are told, “In spite of all the good qualities a man may have, he cannot be a good soldier if he acts independently of those connected with him. Occasional and uncertain movements, however earnest and energetic, will in the end bring defeat. Take a strong team of horses. If, instead of both pulling together, one should suddenly jerk forward and the other pull back, they would not move the load, notwithstanding their great strength. So the soldiers of Christ must work in concert, else there will be a mere concourse of independent atoms. Strength, instead of being carefully treasured to meet one great end, will be wasted in disconcerted, meaningless efforts. In union is strength. {ST, September 7, 1891 par. 7}

Operation Global Rain brought together many ministries to do one work. There was no striving for the highest place. No one person was in charge of anything. Rather, from a grassroots level, many both of individuals, churches and ministries united together to pray. Such evidence reveals the broken wheel is beginning to be fixed! But this is only the beginning. God is moving in such a way as to bring the glory of man in the dust, by causing us (ministries, churches, conferences, unions) to work together in one united concentrated effort to seek the baptism of the Spirit and thus bring the Loud Cry to the world.

“God designs that His people shall be a unit, that they shall see eye to eye and be of the same mind and of the same judgment. This cannot be accomplished without a clear, pointed, living testimony in the church. The prayer of Christ was that His disciples might be one as He was one with His Father. "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me."

This is how the world is to know that Jesus has been sent by God, when they see the church of God moving in one purpose, a wheel within a wheel, a “unit” revealing the glory of Jesus to the world! Speaking of the Latter Rain and its effect upon the saints, White saw a “company”, “clothed with an armor from their head to their feet” who“moved in exact order, like a company of soldiers.” CET 176. Operation Global Rain 360 is our opportunity to fix the broken wheel!

How?

OGR 6:15 is an initiative to move people to pray personally for the baptism of the holy spirit. Thus as individual “wheels”, we learn to move in harmony with heaven and with one another.
OGR 360 sets aside three 10 day of prayer event, to bring the church on earth into harmony with the work in heaven. Each 10 day event focuses on the baptism of the spirit, and outreach to both inactive, former, and non-Adventists.
Global Storm then moves the body into 10 days of concentrated action in the form of a global outreach ranging from door to door work to flooding malls and shopping centers with the three angels messages through tracts, fliers and booklets.
Finally, the 2009 World Series hopes to see hundreds of pastors, lay-evangelists and ministries uniting in a 10 to 14 day global evangelistic series, simultaneously preaching the three angels messages in connection with the cross and righteousness by faith. In addition to this, plans are underway to conduct the series through various media outlets, using a different speaker each night to present a distinctive feature of our faith in connection with the cross and righteousness by faith, even televising speakers of different languages to their own native countries.

Yes, “by thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given.” --The Great Controversy, p. 612. However, “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, wholehearted 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.--Review and Herald, July 21, 1896. {ChS 253.2}

While the wheel is broken, we cannot expect rain in full measure. There is no need to reinvent the wheel, only to fix it. On September 11th, 2001, in light of the impending danger aboard United 93, passenger Todd Beamer joined fellow passengers in an heroic and successful effort to overthrow terrorists that had hijacked the plane. The last words he spoke to fellow passengers have now become famous. “Lets Roll!”, he said. The Seventh-day Adventist church would do well to learn a lesson. Ours is no suicide mission. We are guaranteed victory, but only as we are united. Broken wheels don’t roll. They don’t go anywhere. It will be almost 164 years since 1844, and 120 years since 1888. It’s time to fix the wheel. Let’s Roll! OGR 360!

Pastor Ivor Myers
http://www.powerofthelamb.com/
To register for OGR 360 and the 09 World Series please go to
http://www.operationglobalrain.com/.
_____________________________________________________________
Please forward this important appeal around the World!