The Lord of the Harvest

Luke 10:1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. ² Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

The entire world is a mission field and if you belong to Christ then you are called to share your faith with those who are perishing. You do not need to be a pastor or have a degree in theology to be a missionary for Christ, only faith. The Lord is looking for willing hearts who will be vessels that he can work through. God is not pleased with man made denominations or seminaries, because they tend to stifle the work of his Holy Spirit. God is looking for humble people who will reflect the love of Christ. Peter and John were uneducated men but they were vessels that God's Spirit could speak, as well as work through. Acts 4:13  Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. Peter and John were not trained with the theology of man, but by the Master himself. God's Word teaches us that we need to study to show ourselves approved, a workman not ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth. This means that we are not to only just read God's Word, but to study it, so that we may interpret the scriptures correctly and teach others sound doctrine. We  should consume God's Word, because it is spiritual food that will teach us God's ways and lead us to Christ, our only hope of salvation. If a person is truly filled with God's Holy Spirit, then his Spirit will teach us his ways and open up our minds to understand scripture. John 14:25  “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. ²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. All a person needs is the Holy Spirit to teach them God's Word, not the schools of man made doctrine which are Spiritless. 

If you pray for divine appointments, God will bring people to you so that you may share your faith with them. I have witnessed to people in Wal-Mart, on hiking trails, as well as to my neighbors. If  you make the most of every opportunity to share your faith when engaged in a conversation, you may plant a seed of faith in someone. You may plant the seed, then God may raise someone else up to water the young plant, then yet another person to reap the harvest. God's Word teaches that everyone who sows faith into another's life will share in the reward for their salvation. I have noticed that people get very defensive, as well as sometimes hostile, when you share your faith with them, this is because their conscience is being pricked by God's Spirit. Quite often you are getting through to them when they become agitated, so don't be discouraged by their reaction. We are living in a lost and dyeing world, and you may be the only reflection of Christ that someone will see, so always keep this in mind when someone is being offensive. If you were on a boat and saw someone drowning, wouldn't you throw them a life preserver, or even possibly dive into the water to save them? Or if you saw a young child playing in the middle of the road and a semi truck was heading their way, wouldn't you try to save them? True love warns people of danger even if they don't want to hear it. People all around us are dyeing spiritually, and it is up to us to share our hope of salvation which comes only from a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ with them. So I encourage everyone who is born again, to become a worker in the fields of the Lord, for they are truly ripe for the harvest!

     

Are you a living testimony of your faith?

Are you a living testimony of your faith?


The Lord occasionally reminds me that people are watching me and that I represent him. That is why it is so very important to maintain a good testimony. People watch those who claim to know Christ very carefully and they immediately recognize the hypocrites. When I was a young man, I worked as a maintenance engineer in a large office building, and I had a lot of responsibility. One day an attorney who was a tenant in the building, asked me to come into his office. He told me that he was aware that I was a Christian and that he had been carefully watching me for the last two years. He said that I was very honest, and worked very hard, and that I was a credit to my faith. This attorney was a very bitter man who lived alone, and was anti-social. The attorney then hired me to do some part time work for him. I became aware that people were watching me everywhere, even on my job, and that as an ambassador for Christ I must maintain a good work ethic, as well as honesty. I prayed for that attorney, and I hope that I was able to plant a seed in his life through my testimony.


I have met quite a few people who have been hurt by pastors, youth pastors, as well as other people in leadership positions due to hypocrisy. Many Christian leaders have been involved in sexual scandals, as well as living very lavish lifestyles from the flocks that they have fleeced. Hypocrisy, especially from Christian leadership has shipwrecked the faith of many, and this is Satan's plan. I often tell people to keep their eyes upon Jesus and not men, because men will disappoint you. The apostle Paul lived a life that truly glorified God and he told the churches to imitate him even as he imitated Christ. Paul chose to work as a tent maker so that he would not be a financial burden to those whom he ministered to. Paul lived a Christian life that was beyond reproach, and we should aspire to do the same. When God's Holy Spirit comes to live within us he begins the work of sanctification. Sanctification is the process of spiritual purification and if we will allow the Spirit to have his perfect work in our lives we will reflect the attributes of God. We are called to bear the good fruit of the Spirit and not the bad fruit of the sinful nature. If we reflect the love of Christ towards mankind we will lead people to the cross where they will find salvation.
 

In 3John 9-12 we read about a church leader named Diotrephes. Diotrephes was a malicious gossip and troublemaker, who opposed God's Apostles. He was so arrogant that he would put people out of the church who disagreed with him. John said to not imitate what is evil, but what is good, for he who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. There are many church leaders today that are similar to Diotrephes, they oppose sound doctrine, and love the flattery of men, they try to silence God's true prophets and are consumed by the love of money. These evil men have not seen or known God, and we should not imitate them or their doctrines. John encourages the church to imitate a man named Demetrius because he has a good testimony from all and from the truth itself. This scriptural passage emphasis the importance of maintaining a good testimony. Are you a living testimony of your faith?

 
3 John:9  I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. ¹⁰ Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.
¹¹ Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.
¹² Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true.


^Rev12:10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. ¹¹ And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.