Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Seed for the Harvest

By Alan Demos

As Jesus spoke to both the multitudes and His own disciples, He knew that the Jewish people, however sincere or faithful, had no understanding of growth and harvest for their synagogues or the temple. They were people of tradition and Old Testament law. He had to prepare them to receive other sheep into His worldwide flock of believers. Several of His parables brought forth principles of the kingdom pertaining to evangelism, growth and the eventual harvest.

In the Sermon on the Mount, He taught that they would be “the salt of the earth,” and “the light of the world.” His plan was for them to influence more than one nation, one city and one religious group. All three Synoptic Gospels later record the parable of the sower. “A sower went forth to sow…” (Matt. 13:3.) In Matthew, Jesus pointed us to the ground when He said, “The field is the world.” Luke reveals what the seed should be. “The seed is the word of God.” (Luke 8:11) However humble the packaging, whatever the size or method of dispersion, the seed must be the Word of God and it must be planted in the ground! There we have it! God wants us to find a field, have the right seed in our hands, and sow! It doesn’t take an extensive knowledge of agriculture to be a sower – just willingness, time, a plot of ground, and some seed.

Have you found a field where you can labor faithfully for Him?

Finally, we must be patient. The seed we sow will rarely bring an instant harvest. Our love will be the sunshine; our tears in prayer will be the water. Yet, the regenerating power of the Word has to work through burial, germination, plant growth, flowers and, finally, in due season, the harvest. The faithful sower understands the principles of the harvest. He labors with purpose, beginning by preparing the seed. He knows that no two crops reach harvest in the same time period – the timing is ordered by God. Our Creator insured in the beginning (Genesis 1:11-12) that there would be future natural harvests when He created the plants and the trees with seed within. We learn what we need to know about spiritual harvesting by studying natural harvesting.

Has the seed been placed within you that will bring forth a harvest?

We live with fields all around us – big cities, small towns, and villages. The people into whose hearts we must plant the seed are not hard to find. They’re at home, at work, at school, on the streets and in our neighborhoods. How do we turn barren, unprepared soil into a harvest field? People who don’t believe in God or know who He is are not candidates for the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Faith in Jesus Christ comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God! The seed must be sown to bring forth faith! Jesus prepared for Pentecost by adding knowledge and understanding that would lead them to New Testament salvation. For three years He ministered through miracles and healings, taught and preached, rebuked the wayward and comforted the suffering. Why was He taking so much time to lay the groundwork?

He was preparing the ground even as He was preparing the seed.

None of us will ever be as effective as Jesus Christ, but He expects us to be both sowers and harvesters! Each of us can hide the Word in our hearts and minds, find a field, and decide how to plant, using our own chosen method. Some will pass out tracts to strangers or distribute literature in a neighborhood; some will preach from a pulpit; some will teach children in a Sunday School class; some will teach others in a home; others will just speak gently and persistently with a friend. No method is more important than another! No venue is off-limits!

The only requirement is that we sow His Word!

The written Word of God in a condensed version, a summary or an introduction, is called a tract, whether evangelistic for the unbeliever or doctrinal for the believer. Let’s supply ourselves with Gospel literature to use wherever we walk in our fields. Let us pray to be led by the Holy Ghost in our sowing. It is not for us to inspect the soil. We are called to sow on all kinds of ground - good ground and poor ground. Literature is a time and cost effective means of connecting God with believers needing more truth or sinners needing salvation. Literature should go out to those who don’t know about, or, are not yet ready for, our churches.

A literature evangelist can easily distribute more than a hundred tracts
in the same time that it takes to give a one-hour Bible study!

Literature ministry fulfills the purpose of God revealed in the parable of the marriage. The king said, “Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.” (Matthew 22:9). We can’t wait for them to come into our churches; we must go out to invite them. Without a doubt, we will not be wasting our time. “Cast thy bread upon the waters… for thou shalt find it after many days.” (Ecclesiastes 11:1-6) SOW faithfully in faith, and in God’s time, the Harvest will come.

Why not begin to utilize the wonderful tool of literature in your daily life

as you seek to win souls and lay a harvest at Jesus’ feet in eternity?

Editor's Note: Bro. Alan Demos and his wife Valerie have served as UPCI missionaries to the nation of Germany for many years. Bro. Demos skills and experience in literature ministry are legendary. In this article, he presents the concept of a literature ministry. Next month, we will feature a more in-depth look at what sowing the seed of the Word entails and the rewards it brings.
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Praise Report - from India!

 By Colleen Flanagan

We had our Unity Conference, and it did just that - it brought our little"family of God" together in unity! It was such a joy watching them come together all week long, practicing songs, working on the church, connecting the sound system, putting up signs, shopping, cooking - pulling together! They truly worked in "one mind and one accord!"

We did a PowerPoint to "God of this City." We tried to get a projector, but brought in a big screen monitor instead.

The little children called to me as we walked through the neighborhood; many came in and joined us. Four little girls learned "Jesus Loves Me" and we included that in the program. This has inspired so many, and now, next week, we are starting a Sunday School Program for them. We are so-oo excited!

To top things off, the "icing on the cake," the main Sunday School teacher here got the Holy Ghost on Sunday! That makes 25 since I've been here! God is so good! The ears are "tingling" here at what is happening in this little body of believers. Please keep me in your prayers. After all the fasting, praying, practicing, preaching, teaching - my body is weak. (I'm to speak at a non-Apostolic church this Sunday evening.) As I told God's people hereon Saturday, I can see the nail-scarred hands applauding, and hear Him saying, "Well done!"

Editor's Note: Sis. Colleen is amember of the Apostolic Church in Auburn Hills, Michigan (Pastor Steve Warman). She serves in short-term, A.I.M.-type ministries around the world and is currently serving in India. Sis Colleen also led our own Sis. Keila Fischer to the Lord through outreach to rehab housefor ladies back in 1998. 

Seasonal Affective Disorder

By Rufus M. Parker

Text: John 14:1-4 - "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know."

Reading in the paper a few weeks ago, I learned there is a new disease called "SAD" - an acronym that stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder. I thought to myself - "What?" They said because it had been so cold this winter, many people have not been able to get out of their houses and do things. They become negatively affected by having to remain inside and are depressed. The article went on to say it can affect people in the spring and fall too.

Now, I know this is a trick of the devil if people are depressed in the spring and summer! Man, I'm smelling the roses and drowning some worms during those two seasons. There isn't going to be any depression here. I don't know about you, but as for me and my house, we are going outside in all seasons. People go to the beach and pool to swim and get wet, and then stay inside when it rains. Get your umbrella out, get outside, and get wet, and enjoy what God has provided. Don't stay inside and mope because of the snow. Make a snow man. I like shoveling and even eating some of it, as long as it isn't yellow.

I like standing outside in the cold for a while. It helps you get rid of the impurities in your body. For me, I'm affected by every season. Winter, I rejoice. Summer, I rejoice. Spring, I rejoice. And yes, Fall, I rejoice. Do you know why? Because the Bible says, "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24) Seasons come and seasons go, but the Word of the LORD is for ever. And He tells me to rejoice for evermore.

Editor's Note: Bro. Parker, former missionary to Okinawa and Mongolia, pastors Calvary Apostolic Church UPC in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He has authored a number of books and publishes a daily blog called, "Morning Manna." Link: http://morningmanna-parker.blogspot.com 

On Praying Through...

By Marjorie Kinnee
Editorial

Text: Matthew 25:1-13 ~ Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins
Key Verse: "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." (Luke 21:36)

The old-timers called it "praying through" and frequently mentioned it in victorious testimonies. Because I was a rather obstreperous child, my mother would say, "It's time you prayed through, Marjie Jean! You're so much easier to deal with when you've just prayed through." Bro. C.C. Kirby, my pastor for the first 16 years of my life, frequently said we should all be, "Prayed up... packed up... and ready to go up."

Praying through is an accurate description of its definition. As the old-timers used it - it meant that one had prayed until they felt they had overcome something and then given a release in their Spirit. Hence - "Praying Through!" It might have taken minutes or hours, but it was earnest, sincere, serious praying.

There is another realm beside the flesh and blood world in which we currently live and move around. This "world" is more real than the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the chair we sit on. It's not spooky, nor is it science fiction; it's the Spirit world in which God Himself and His heavenly host of ministering spirits (angels) dwell. It's not a restricted world, oh no! It's unfettered by time and space, and it's focus is on the redeemed and those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. All angels serve as ministering spirits.

This spirit world is also inhabited by God's arch-enemy, Lucifer, who was called the son of the morning. (See Isaiah 14:12-16; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Luke 10:18; and Jude 6.) Lucifer, now know as Satan, rebelled against God and drew one-third of the holy angels under his sway. These, though evil and unrepentant, continue to minister; but now for evil and to thwart God's desire that all should come to repentance.

The Bible reveals that these ministering spirits (angels, both good and evil,) take an active interest in humankind. Both are transfixed by, and intrigued about our salvation.
  • They desire to look into our salvation - I Peter 1:12
  • They are "watchers" - Daniel 4:17; I Corinthians 11:10
  • They herald tidings - Daniel 9:21-22; 10:12-13; Luke 1:26; Matthew 1:20; and Luke 2:9-10 (See I Kings 22:14-23, 28 also.) 
  • They intervene - Genesis 18:2-22; 19:1-20; and Hebrews 13:2
Key in all this is our response. Drawing from the inference in I Corinthians 11:10 - "because of the angels," (See also Ecclesiastes 5:6.) we can see that angels"watch" for signs every human displays - by their responses to life, to events, and especially to the preached Word. A rebellious heart is revealed by acts and words of disobedience, even small ones! Our rebellions stir up angelic activity - the good, to rescue if possible without violating our will; the evil, to foster further signs of open rebellion.

Our flesh is one-third of our three-fold enemy. John told us we should, "love not the world, neither the things that are in the world," which are - "the lust of the eyes" [world], "the lust of the flesh," [flesh] and, "the pride of life" [the devil], (See I John 2:15-17.) Paul said we must fight it, subdue it,and make it obey the Spirit that dwells in us. He referred to it as "spiritual warfare" and likened it to soldiering. He said, "Put on the whole armor of God." This armor is needful when fighting off our enemies. Finally, Paul also said that this spiritual battle is daily. It must be fought at a moment's notice. We must be alert, prepared, and ready to fight - not against persons or even personalities. We fight against spiritual wickedness as it attacks us! We do not fight alone, but we must do our part.

Praying through speaks of the ability to press past the opposition (the world, the flesh, and the devil,) and into the freedom of victory, a.k.a. overcoming! Praying through is first and foremost... Praying! Jesus said, "Men ought always to pray." and, "Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation." He led by example in that He consistently prayed and taught His disciples to pray. In Acts 2, those disciples became empowered apostles. They were men of prayer; they also gave themselves to studying the Word. If prayer is our friend and helper, then the Word of God is our arsenal. Jesus overcame the enemy with the words, "It is written." So, hiding the Word of God in our heart becomes our weapon; and "praying through" presses past the enemy's onslaught.

If the five foolish virgins had been "praying through" - "prayed up, and packed up," they would have been "ready to go up." The wise had prayed through; they were ready when the midnight cry came, needing only to trim the wick and light the fire in their lamps. When one prays through they refresh their Holy Ghost experience. They speak in tongues, they light the fire, stir up the coals, and put fresh fuel on them. Note that when the apostles prayed through they were all filled with the Holy Ghost again! (See Acts 4:31.)

Praying through strengthens and helps you win in your battle against the enemy of your soul. It parallels the birthing process in that it includes travail and bearing down. It's a desperate struggle to bring forth new life, (death hovers nearby,) yet, when the battle is over and that new life is now visible and tangible, the celebration begins.

Praying through is wisdom. Keeping prayed through is essential - something no one else can do for you. You must do it for yourself. You can "intercede" for others, but your "praying through" cannot do their part, nor can they do your part. We need the refreshing winds of the Holy Spirit to fill us and fuel us in our quest for the victory known only to those who overcome. It's a daily thing! Staying prayed through will help you be ready for and aware of the midnight cry, "Behold, He cometh! Go ye out to meet Him!" Just before He ascended, Jesus said, "Go, and tarry in Jerusalem [wait in prayer] until ye be endued with power from on high." (Acts 1:4-5)

Pray Through!