Perpetual Harvest
Last January the Holy Spirit spoke to our pastor that 2005 would be the year of harvest for our church. He said that He would give us a Harvest of Souls, a Harvest of Favor, and a Harvest of Finances. Throughout the past year our church has seen this become a reality as the Lord moves and ministers to us both corporately and individually, it has been an amazing journey. At the end of 2005 God said that 2006 would be the year of Perpetual Harvest, that He would continue what He began in 2005.
When we first began talking about Harvest I received the word and the principle but had not experienced it in my own life and family like others had...then all of a sudden the revelation became a reality as doors of ministry opportunity opened, we saw favor and financial blessings enter our lives. Julie and I gave away two older cars we had, they needed some repairs and told that to the people we gave them to...One car needed a new gas tank, it was going to cost somewhere between 265.00-400.00, the people we gave it to got it fixed for 50.00! We bought a car for half what the man we bought it for paid for it, he had bought it the day before and sowed it into our lives!
Already this year doors of ministry opportunity are opening for me, we continue to go to Kenya and pastors are inviting me to come minister in their churches...and the Lord is blessing.
This evening my wife received a phone call from a friend in another state that is in need, she needs to come back to Florida and can't afford it. Julie and I discussed it and will be sending some money...not a huge deal...but! Our dryer is drawing near the end of it's life, we bought it used and it has worked well...but this evening a family in our church called and said they heard our dryer was on the blitz and they wanted to buy us a new one...Julie resisted, telling her we don't want you to do that, it's too much...the lady replied, "Don't take our blessing!"
I'm not boasting on us and know that harvest is not all about material things, but I do know that God has a way of making Himself known to us...and that He is in the business of releasing a perpetual harvest in our lives. I look forward to what the remainder of the year holds, and pray that harvest comes to those reading this post...it is harvest time!
5 comments:
I love the way God works!!!!!
I have similar stories, like last year we stepped out and gave a certain amount I felt God wanted us to give. We were getting our tax refund in a few days, and even with that fairly large amount of money, this was a big offering for us. Our washing machine was broken, washing the clothes, but spin cycle didn't work. I had to actually ring out our clothes before putting them in the dryer.
On the day I gave the offering, at going to a funeral at the church, I was heading in the door, check in wallet, when a sister at the church asked me if I needed a washer and dryer! I couldn't believe it! They were older, but working fine. I didn't need the dryer, as mine is fine, and I have gas, the other was electric. But God made a way!
Thanks for sharing what God is doing, Neil. It gives me some encouragement as I wait for God to open doors for us.
~Jeff
Praise the LORD!!
I think the prosperity preachers have made us reluctant to share stories of financial provision- but the truth is that God does bless His people with "stuff" when they need it.
My former pastor used to say this from the pulpit (regarding prosperity):
"If God can get it through you....He will get it to you."
In light of a recent blessing to our church, we're going to vote on Sunday about giving to some churches struggling on our district. We are blessed to be a blessing!
Thanks be unto God!
Praise God, Henry, that's what its all about. God does bless his children, not so we can sit around and get "fat" on his goodness, but to be channels of his grace. I like what 1 Pet. 4:9-10 says, "Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a {special} gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." We are to be rivers, not resevoirs.
There's powerful story in Genesis about sowing seed in the time of famine. The seed was sown in a time of famine, yet Isaac reaped 100 fold in the first year...he became the envy of his enemies! God does want us blessed, but it is also to be a blessing! When we pastored in Illinois the first Sunday morning offering was a seed offering, not the tithe or designated offerings, but we announced it, and found a place to sow it, and were blessed! There's a church in Kentucky that is sowing into our Africa ministry, the pastor said that since he started doing a monthly missions offering his finances and other areas of ministry have increased...He sowed into a young man in Israel last year and started sowing into us in December. When it's done in the right way with the right attitude, it works!
I could go on and on...you can tell that...God is faithful!
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