Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision ~ Joel 3:13-14.
Introduction:
Increase is good, and it is a gift from God Who always delights in seeing His kingdom expand, and His children enjoying the good life on earth (Psalms 85:12). Hence, the first blessing He invoked in Eden was that of supernatural fruitfulness (Genesis 1:26-28).
God designed that we should flourish and blossom luxuriantly, and that our harvests should be bountiful and wholesome (Matthew 9:37). Bumper harvest is the destiny of the righteous (Psalm 92:12-13). However, every exploit in life is a product of knowledge. Until you know it, you don’t become renowned for it.
Whatever the situation might be around you presently, I affirm that your season of mega-harvests has come (Galatians 6:9). God wants to rebuild His Church, and that includes you. The devil may not like it, but he has no choice because God is determined to raise up the fallen tabernacle of David (Amos 9:11). He wants to return His Church to her glory days, in the power of the Holy Ghost.
For too long a time, the Church has been ridiculed, dishonoured, slandered, maligned, used and abused. But the Lord is poised to raise us as a people that will “push” through until the windows of heaven are opened to pour out the abundance of rain, ushering in the bumper harvests of souls and all other gospel benefits (Amos 9:13).
Indeed, it’s time for the Church to grow from strength to strength, and for the practicing believers to start experiencing sudden manifestations of unusual miracles, signs and wonders as it was in the days of old (John 4:36). This season, it’s just abnormal not to produce (Leviticus 26:3-11).
Understanding Supernatural Harvest
Put succinctly, harvest is a process of gathering in the benefits or the consequences of actions earlier taken (Exodus 23:16). Farmers, for example, take many actions prior to harvest (e.g. tilling, ridging, harrowing, planting, weeding, pruning etc.). Thereafter, the harvest is eagerly anticipated.
Here, we are discussing “spiritual harvest”, which brings abundant blessings upon the believers in every area of life, enriching God’s kingdom and meeting every need so we can enjoy the “no lack” promises of God (Proverbs 28:27; 2 Corinthians 9:8-11).
Spiritual harvest is powered by God Himself. It is not dependent on man per se, but on the Holy Spirit to bring such an abundance of harvests beyond our needs (Amos 9:15). Harvest is a multiplied form of the seed sown, and as such, covenant-practicing believers can expect at least three main dimensions of supernatural harvest in their lives.
The first is the harvest of financial prosperity (Psalm 35:27). The second is the harvest of supernatural intervention, bringing fulfillment to our dreams and aspirations, inclosing healings, deliverance and victories in spiritual conflicts (Romans 5:17). Of course, the third and most important supernatural harvest is the harvest of souls!
The first two kinds of harvest mentioned above are meaningful only when they contribute to the tasks of soul-winning, which is the most royal employment of every Christian. Soul-winning is the very heartbeat of the Almighty God, and it ought to be the chiefest business of every normal Christian (John 3:16).
Moreover, soul-winning is the only true yardstick for measuring durable supernatural increase. Being a child of God is not a title, it is an admission into a kingdom-life of royal responsibilities, and our holy rewards are embedded in our tasks of releasing reaper angels and winning souls for Christ.
If God wants to save or bless a man, He would look for a man to use (Isaiah 6:8). Thus, the eternal joy of many lives are inseparably bound to your readiness to obey God and run with your assignments faithfully upon the earth (2 Kings 7:9).
When you are profitably involved in soul-winning tasks, other dimensions of supernatural fruitfulness will begin to trail you, till you indeed experience bumper harvests (Amos 9:13). Meanwhile, when your fields produce, you don’t leave the fruits to rot away, you harvest them. Hence, you must engage the sickles!
Engaging the Sickles for Your Harvests
Basically, a sickle is a reaping-hook designed for harvesting of agricultural produce. The first essential sickle which every spiritual harvester must effectively engage with is pure faith in God because your belief-system determines what you get from God. Jesus Christ would say, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23).
An attitude of looking up to God all the time is the second necessary sickle for any efficient spiritual harvester. David was a champion in this respect. He said, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help” (Psalms 121:1).
God has goodly plans for His children, and this should be enough to fill our hearts with excitement, hope and confidence that we are indeed highly favoured (Jeremiah 29:11). We should stop wringing our hands in fear over whatever we see and hear, and learn to smile at our future. God is our Source, not the breaking news headlines from the press.
Thirdly, we must be ever ready to sow if we are to enjoy bumper harvests in the spiritual fields out there. God promised to bless us when we reach out to the least and the lost (Proverbs 19:17). You are a walking warehouse of seeds; everything you have is either your harvest or it’s the seed you must invest in order to produce your anticipated harvest.
As well-worn as this may sound, being generous in sowing sacrificial seeds is one of the surest ways to experience bumper harvests. When you sow aright into God’s Kingdom, God will in turn honour your obedience and give you bountiful harvests (Luke 8:15).
Bible descriptions of acceptable seeds include the seeds of prayers and fasting in favour of the Church of Christ (Mathew 6:6, 18; Colossians 4:12). Soul-winning is also a major spiritual investment that secures amazing returns, making stars of everyone that is truly involved in it (Daniel 12:3).
Other forms of kingdom investment include mental investments, and physical investments of our talents, energy, time and positional influences. Then, of course, our financial investment to God’s kingdom is very essential to our material abundance (2 Corinthians 9:8). Indeed, nothing that you joyfully give to God is wasted!
In conclusion, friends, note that the power for bumper harvest is the preserve of those who are saved by grace. When you repent of your sins and accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, you receive another special grace for harvest. Thereafter, bumper harvests begins to meet bumper harvests in your life. You won’t miss this, in Jesus Name. Amen. Happy Sunday!
- Bishop Taiwo Akinola,
Rhema Christian Church,
Otta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
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