The Great Harvest
Yesterday, I wrote about the great falling away promised to happen as Jesus' return nears, but there is another promise: at the same time a great falling away is happening, there will be a "great harvest," as well! Just as the falling away is a danger to the unprepared, the great harvest is also an amazing opportunity for the prepared!
Daniel 12:3 Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.
MANY will be led to righteousness in the valley of decision. Just as churches right now hold many nominal believers who will give in to the world as the pressure increases, the streets of our cities are filled with those who are hungry for truth, and when they see the events of That Day, they will choose truth no matter the cost, all the while being led by those whose lamps are filled with oil...shining brightly in these dark days. The promise available to the harvest workers of this generation, if we will agree with Jesus, is huge: shining in glory like the stars forever. This is real, not symbolic. Jesus said there are positions of first and last in heaven. Jesus desires to give us the fullness of glory in heaven based on our choices in this short time on earth.
How a transitional generation responds to their generation is full of consequence, good and bad. Moses' generation missed the response God intended for them to have. They saw the power of God on earth, the sea splitting, a river coming from a rock, a pillar of fire by night, a pillar of cloud by day, yet the responded in grumbling and unbelief for 40 years. That generation was, in fact, cut off from the promise. Even the man of God, Moses, missed out on entering into the promised land.
The Book of Acts generation did the opposite! They saw the power of God, like the generation of Moses, but had a completely different response! As the blind saw, the lame walked, food was multiplied, and the Holy Spirit filled the men and women who said yes to God, victory rose up in the midst of persecution. 120 who showed up for the first prayer meeting changed the entire world, forever. We stand on their shoulders and hold their words in our hands even now!
We live in the third transitional generation. We live in the third time in human history where we have a choice to respond to the power of God being manifested on earth in a unique way, if we will have eyes to see it. Even the Red Sea parting wasn't enough to give vision to Moses' generation, but the apostles and disciples in Acts had eyes to see, and responded, pouring out everything at Jesus' feet.
We are just at the beginning of the power God is going to reveal in our midst...positiv e and negative...but we are already seeing the signs Jesus described in Matthew 24 being manifested on the earth like no other time in history. Israel is miraculously a country that was resurrected over night in 1948, as prophesied. We are literally seeing the early beginnings of the power of God breaking out on the earth in the dramatic and rapid fulfillment of prophecy, but do we see it? Or are we distracted with re-runs and shopping lists?
Jesus told the parable of the Great Supper in Luke 14 (and the Wedding Feast in Matthew 22) to describe this generation, our generation, and dramatic events of the great falling away and great harvest:
Luke 14:16 Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ 18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ 20 Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ 23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”
Our generation is witnessing the culmination of prophecy given throughout the history of God's people. We live in the most intense and blessed generation ever, but how we respond really matters. Now is the time of preparation. It takes God to love God. Just by pointing our desire to Him, asking Him to be the One Thing we desire above everything else, will position our hearts to respond to this amazing opportunity offered to OUR generation. Now is the time to press-in to God with everything so we can begin responding to the call issued 2000 years ago by Jesus, which is reaching its full meaning right before our eyes:
Luke 10:2 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.
I intend to spend all of my strength, reputation, and emotion to see Jesus get everything He paid so dearly for:
Revelation 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” 13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Daniel 12:3 Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.
MANY will be led to righteousness in the valley of decision. Just as churches right now hold many nominal believers who will give in to the world as the pressure increases, the streets of our cities are filled with those who are hungry for truth, and when they see the events of That Day, they will choose truth no matter the cost, all the while being led by those whose lamps are filled with oil...shining brightly in these dark days. The promise available to the harvest workers of this generation, if we will agree with Jesus, is huge: shining in glory like the stars forever. This is real, not symbolic. Jesus said there are positions of first and last in heaven. Jesus desires to give us the fullness of glory in heaven based on our choices in this short time on earth.
How a transitional generation responds to their generation is full of consequence, good and bad. Moses' generation missed the response God intended for them to have. They saw the power of God on earth, the sea splitting, a river coming from a rock, a pillar of fire by night, a pillar of cloud by day, yet the responded in grumbling and unbelief for 40 years. That generation was, in fact, cut off from the promise. Even the man of God, Moses, missed out on entering into the promised land.
The Book of Acts generation did the opposite! They saw the power of God, like the generation of Moses, but had a completely different response! As the blind saw, the lame walked, food was multiplied, and the Holy Spirit filled the men and women who said yes to God, victory rose up in the midst of persecution. 120 who showed up for the first prayer meeting changed the entire world, forever. We stand on their shoulders and hold their words in our hands even now!
We live in the third transitional generation. We live in the third time in human history where we have a choice to respond to the power of God being manifested on earth in a unique way, if we will have eyes to see it. Even the Red Sea parting wasn't enough to give vision to Moses' generation, but the apostles and disciples in Acts had eyes to see, and responded, pouring out everything at Jesus' feet.
We are just at the beginning of the power God is going to reveal in our midst...positiv e and negative...but we are already seeing the signs Jesus described in Matthew 24 being manifested on the earth like no other time in history. Israel is miraculously a country that was resurrected over night in 1948, as prophesied. We are literally seeing the early beginnings of the power of God breaking out on the earth in the dramatic and rapid fulfillment of prophecy, but do we see it? Or are we distracted with re-runs and shopping lists?
Jesus told the parable of the Great Supper in Luke 14 (and the Wedding Feast in Matthew 22) to describe this generation, our generation, and dramatic events of the great falling away and great harvest:
Luke 14:16 Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ 18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ 20 Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ 23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”
Our generation is witnessing the culmination of prophecy given throughout the history of God's people. We live in the most intense and blessed generation ever, but how we respond really matters. Now is the time of preparation. It takes God to love God. Just by pointing our desire to Him, asking Him to be the One Thing we desire above everything else, will position our hearts to respond to this amazing opportunity offered to OUR generation. Now is the time to press-in to God with everything so we can begin responding to the call issued 2000 years ago by Jesus, which is reaching its full meaning right before our eyes:
Luke 10:2 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.
I intend to spend all of my strength, reputation, and emotion to see Jesus get everything He paid so dearly for:
Revelation 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” 13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
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