Pray ye the Lord of Harvest – Part 2

Jesus went through all the cities and villages with three-pronged ministry: Teaching, Preaching and Healing. Jesus taught in the synagogues. He was not only a teacher but also a Master Teacher and was addressed over and again as Rabbi. Jesus preached the good news of the kingdom and went everywhere healing all manner of sicknesses and diseases among the people. Jesus did not remain at the Division headquarters; neither did He remain at Brigade headquarters nor at Battalion headquarters. Jesus was in front, Jesus led the pact and Jesus set the example.

Jesus said follow me and learn of me (Mathew 11:29). If you want people to follow you and learn of you, then you should be in front, you should lead the pact and you should set the example. The simple truth is that, when anyone refuses to be in front, when anyone refuses to lead the pact and when anyone fails to set the example, that same person has lost all the moral authority to say follow me or to say learn of me.

A leader or pastor should be in front. When I had the privilege of pastoring one of the biggest churches in our denomination, I was in front as the pastor. I hit the street with my wife, together with some members accompanying us with tracts every Saturday morning at 5:00am with my megaphone. The church members who were interested in Morning Cry knew that their pastor was in front, leading the pact and leading by example.

Jesus went and we should go and we should not leave any town. You should plan your church evangelism outreach so that you don’t leave out any town. You can divide the neighbouring streets and assign them to groups of your members so that all the groups go to all the streets at the same time. You ensure that no one has an excuse of not hearing the gospel in your vicinity.

Jesus did not only go to big cities, but also went to the villages. We should find our representations in all the towns and villages. There are souls in all the towns and there are souls in all the villages and they need to be ministered to.

Though Jesus was going about teaching, preaching and healing, but He was still far from being satisfied (Mathew 9:36). He was moved with compassion because of the people’s great spiritual need. As Jesus took a deep look at the multitudes, He saw that their lives had no centre, their existence seemed aimless, and their future was one of futility. Do you as a pastor look very well into the people that gather to worship every Sunday to find out if they are really children of God? We should be interested in helping one another to run the heavenly race and run it successfully.

Jesus addressed the disciples on the urgency of evangelism and calls on us believers to respond. The people are ready to hear the gospel, but the labourers are few (Mathew 9:37). There are true shepherds but hirelings everywhere. Hirelings are interested in positions and join the ministry for their stomach.

Jesus seeing this urgency commanded His disciples to pray to the Lord of harvest to send forth labourers into His Harvest. Why would Jesus tell us to pray, instead of doing something else? It is because the Lord of harvest cares about the harvest, and will do all that needs to be done to ensure there is a harvest of souls.
Today’s Nugget: There are true shepherds but hirelings everywhere
Prayer: Lord send forth more labourers
Prayer lines: 09078154261.
E-mail: aggospelbell@gmail.com
Rev. Pastor Ejikeme Ejim, Ag.General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Nigeria