Harvest Time

Matthew 9:37-38 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Last night was the final evening of the Southern California Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. One of the greatest elements of the Lord’s purposes in building His church is not the hearer of the gospel message of forgiveness and salvation, but the message not being presented in a world ripe and ready to hear it. I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t ask sometime in their life: I was put on this earth for a reason. But for what reason? What is the meaning of life? What happens when you die? Or maybe, why am I so empty inside? We all have questions. In our own thinking, we tend to equate our meaning and purpose to such things as our career, our family, our position and our possessions in a material world and link our happiness to these things, so we seek them. And where does God come into all of this? Have they heard of the Savior and the gospel of peace? Does Jesus cross our minds?

Romans 10:13-15 “For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”

That is what the Harvest Crusades are here for. We know that we have done wrong in our life; how can we get right with God? How many could say that if they were to die today, while reading this blog post, would have the assurance of going to God’s heaven? Four things each of us must do to have this assurance are: (1) Realize you are a sinner. The Bible says, “Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” – Romans 3:23, (2) recognize Jesus died on the Cross for you. The Bible tells us that “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” - Romans 5:8, (3) Repent and turn away from sin. The Bible tells us to “repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.” – Acts 3:19, (4) Receive Jesus Christ into your life. The Bible tells us in Romans 10:13 that “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

If you have not submitted your life to Jesus Christ yet, why not take a moment right now and make that commitment? For “As many as received Him (Jesus), to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” - John 1:12-13.

In Christ, Brian