Published November 30, 2017 11:42
Harvest thoughts
As I reflect this morning on aspects of our trip through Europe, what speaks loudest to me is the perception God gave of the readiness of His harvest through the parts we travelled of that continent.
Matthew 9:35 - 38 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But seeing the crowds, He was moved with compassion on them, because they were tired and scattered like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few. Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest that He will send out labourers into His harvest.
Jesus' entreaty here to pray for workers into the Harvest was on my heart quite a lot. When we were moving about among people, I would become aware of and sensitive to the high levels of spiritual hunger these people were carrying, and the empty, aching Jesus places within them. I was moved with deep compassion many times during the 3 months we were there earlier this year, and came back with a burden to pray, and also to somehow help these "workers into the harvest" Jesus is talking about to be ready. The burden I am carrying has a global perspective to it. In other words, I believe Dad has been saying that this harvest readiness is the same all round the earth. The harvest is ready but the workers are few.
I realise that I may be using some words and phrases here in a different way from some accepted thinking patterns. To unpack that a bit, when I talk about workers, I am talking about those who will come alongside a new believer to help them walk fully into Kingdom culture and Kingdom living. I am not talking about those who bring people into the Kingdom. It is primarily a revelation that God gives that brings us through the Jesus shaped door into Kingdom reality. Our Dad will do this if He knows that a "worker" is going to be available to walk alongside the person for a while.
So what does it take to walk alongside at this first stage of Kingdom growth? Firstly, an understanding of what they really need. That boils down to an answer Dad spoke to my question "What is discipling then?" after He had dismantled all that I thought discipling was during several nights of prayer and visions. He replied, "Teach My people to stand before Me, hear My voice and walk with Me, and I will do the rest."
Standing before Him means able to keep standing through all that comes against us. It does not mean sitting down thinking about it, having a tantrum on the floor, or asleep. Hearing His voice happens in many ways and varies with each of us. I don't know anyone who hears God speak to them in the same ways I do. Every person who has learned to hear well that I have talked to, hears in different ways, some of them unique. Our Father delights in diversity of creation. We each need to experiment, with His help, to discover how we each hear Him. Walking with Him is of course based on our ability to hear Him, and as we become practised in this area He fully takes over our spiritual development. We are then ready to work with Him and disciple effectively.
What I am talking about here is developing a walking, talking relationship with God Himself. There are various thoughts throughout Christendom about Christian life being based on a firm adherence to scripture. I agree. Scripture is not, however, the sole guideline for Kingdom living, especially when relied on as a set of rules that tell us what to do in each situation so that we don't need a living walk with God Himself. He reveals scripture to us, as part of the working, individual relationship with us that scripture encourages. Kingdom life and living operates according to the principles of the Kingdom, not formulas. In my experience, we must hear from Holy Spirit how to work with Him for the highest good of every person we disciple, motivated by His love welling up inside us. When we do this we look more like the caring family man raising children and that is how our Father likes it to be.
If you would like to ask for Dad's help in these things but don't know where to start, you can pray like this. - Dear Father God, please help me to understand how you would like me to get ready to work with You into other's lives. I understand that the bible speaks about Christians encouraging each other to walk with You well and that is what I would like to do with You. I ask in Jesus Christ's name, thank you.
There are a few resources that may help on this website, and a contact page if you have questions and thoughts you would like to talk about.
There is a need to understand the foundations of Kingdom existence and living. I call those "Entering into Sonship" on this website. (To date, the number of these articles is not yet complete, however there is plenty there to be going on with.)
Admin
30 November 2017