Strategies For Harvest

Strategies
For
Spiritual Harvest
This course is part of the Salem Bible College and Seminary, a program designed to equip
believers for effective spiritual harvest.
The basic theme of the training is to teach what Jesus taught, that which took men who were
fishermen, tax collectors, etc., and changed them into reproductive Christians who reached their
world with the Gospel in a demonstration of power.
This manual is a single course in one of several modules of curriculum which moves believers
from visualizing through deputizing, multiplying, organizing, and mobilizing to achieve the goal
of evangelizing.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
How To Use This Manual. . . . . . . . . I Suggestions For Group Study. . . . . . . . II
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . 1 Course Objectives . . . . . . . . . 2
PART ONE: VISUALIZATION
1. The Birth Of A Vision . . . . . . . . 3
2. The Vision. . . . . . . . . . 13
3. His Eyes Behold The Nations . . . . . . . 22
PART TWO: CONCEPTUALIZATION
4. The World In The Word . . . . . . . 29
PART THREE: OBJECTIFICATION
5. Rusty Sickles, Empty Fields . . . . . . . 38
6. Strategies For Spiritual Harvest - Part I . . . . . 57
7. Strategies For Spiritual Harvest - Part II . . . . . 69
8. Reaping By Revelation . . . . . . . . 78
PART FOUR: EXPECTATION
9. Breaking The Yoke . . . . . . . . 94
10. Blessing The Nations . . . . . . . . 104
11. The Vision Becomes Reality . . . . . . . 116
Answers To Self-Tests . . . . . . . . 123
HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL

MANUAL
FORMAT
Each lesson consists of:
Objectives: These are the goals you should achieve by studying the chapter. Read them before
starting the lesson.
Key Verse: This verse emphasizes the main concept of the chapter. Memorize it.
Chapter Content: Study each section. Use your Bible to look up any references not printed in
the manual.
Self-Test: Take this test after you finish studying the chapter. Try to answer the questions
without using your Bible or this manual. When you have concluded the Self-Test, check your
answers in the answer section provided at the end of the book.
For Further Study: This section will help you continue your study of the Word of God,
improve your study skills, and apply what you have learned to your life and ministry.
Final Examination: If you are enrolled in this course for credit, you received a final
examination along with this course. Upon conclusion of this course, you should complete this
examination and return it for grading as instructed.
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS NEEDED
You will need a King James version of the Bible.
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SUGGESTIONS FOR GROUP STUDY
FIRST MEETING
Opening: Open with prayer and introductions. Get acquainted and register the students.
Establish Group Procedures: Determine who will lead the meetings, the time, place, and dates
for the sessions.
Praise And Worship: Invite the presence of the Holy Spirit into your training session.
Distribute Manuals To Students: Introduce the manual title, format, and course objectives
provided in the first few pages of the manual.
Make The First Assignment: Students will read the chapters assigned and take the Self-Tests
prior to the next meeting. The number of chapters you cover per meeting will depend on chapter
length, content, and the abilities of your group.
SECOND AND FOLLOWING MEETINGS
Opening: Pray. Welcome and register any new students and give them a manual. Take
attendance. Have a time of praise and worship.
Review: Present a brief summary of what you studied at the last meeting.
Lesson: Discuss each section of the chapter using the HEADINGS IN CAPITAL BOLD
FACED LETTERS as a teaching outline. Ask students for questions or comments on what they
have studied. Apply the lesson to the lives and ministries of your students.
Self-Test: Review the Self-Tests students have completed. (Note: If you do not want the students
to have access to the answers to the Self-Tests, you may remove the answer pages from the back
of each manual.)
For Further Study: You may do these projects on a group or individual basis.
Final Examination: If your group is enrolled in this course for credit, you received a final
examination with this course. Reproduce a copy for each student and administer the exam upon
conclusion of this course.
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Module: Visualizing Course: Strategies
For Spiritual Harvest
INTRODUCTION
The Bible states in Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vision, the people perish."
All over the world there are born-again believers who are perishing.
No...they are not perishing in sin. They have accepted salvation through Jesus Christ. They
attend church services, read the Bible, and may even be leaders in the church.
But they are dying spiritually. Their lives as believers are routine. There is no spiritual
excitement. They have no goal or purpose. They have no vision.
The vision of which we speak is not what is visibly seen in a trance. It is not natural vision. It is a
spiritual vision.
-If you feel empty spiritually...
-If you long to be used of God, but do not understand your part in His plan...
-If you feel there is something more to Christianity than the routine into which
your life has fallen...
The vision is your answer!
God is taking spiritually dead men and women and making them spiritually alive. The vision is
providing new meaning and direction for living. It is uniting the Body of Christ, the true Church,
in common purpose. That vision is the subject of this course, "Strategies for Spiritual Harvest.”
The course will lead you through four steps to achieve the vision:
-Visualization: In which the vision will be identified.
-Conceptualization: In which you will learn the concept of purpose behind the
vision.
-Objectification: In which you will learn objectives for fulfilling the vision.
-Expectation: In which your expectations will be fulfilled as you become part of

the vision.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this course you will be able to:
C Explain the vision of the harvest as a spiritual parallel of a natural example.

C Use effective strategies for spiritual harvest in your life and ministry.
C Identify factors that prevent spiritual harvest.
C See the world as God sees it.
C Reap in revelation harvest.
PART ONE: VISUALIZATION

Identifying The Vision
CHAPTER ONE
THE BIRTH OF A VISION
OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to:

C Define "spiritual vision.” C Explain the birth process of spiritual vision.
C Compare spiritual birth of a vision to the natural birth process.
KEY VERSE:
Where there is no vision, the people perish. (Proverbs 29:18)
INTRODUCTION
The Bible states in Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." The vision to
which this verse refers is spiritual vision.
Spiritual vision provides direction. It provides challenge and structure for life. Without it, people
become spiritually dead. Developing spiritual vision is the process of recognizing the purpose for
which you have been brought into the Kingdom of God. In this chapter, this development is
called the "Birth of a Vision.”
WHY SPIRITUAL VISION?
Why is spiritual vision necessary? Why do people perish without it?
The answer is found in one of many Biblical examples of spiritual vision. Read the story of the
Prophet Elisha and his servant, Gehazi in II Kings 6:15-17.
God's people, Israel, were surrounded by the enemy nation of Syria. There were many soldiers,
horses, and chariots of war. When Elisha's servant, Gehazi, saw the great force of the enemy he
was afraid. He cried out to Elisha, "What shall we do?" Elisha told him:
Fear not, for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
(II Kings 6:16)
Then Elisha prayed that God would open Gehazi's eyes and allow him to see in the spirit world.
The request was granted, and Gehazi saw the spiritual forces of God surrounding Israel.
In this example, God actually let Gehazi see the spiritual vision with his natural eyes. But the
important point is that without spiritual vision the people of God cannot see beyond the natural
circumstances of life.
Like Gehazi, they are defeated by the powers of the enemy which they see at work in the natural
world around them. Their vision is focused on their problems and their life becomes a cycle of
crying out, "What shall we do?" Without spiritual vision, they cannot see and understand the
divine plan of God.
DEVELOPING SPIRITUAL EYESIGHT
Before you are born again you are blinded by sin. Through salvation by the blood of Jesus your
basic blindness is healed. Then God wants to develop your spiritual vision.
This process is a spiritual parallel of an actual incident in the ministry of Jesus:
And He cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto Him, and
besought Him to touch him.
And He took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and
when He had spit on his eyes, and put His hands upon him, He asked him if
he saw ought.
And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
After that He put His hands again upon his eyes and made him look up: and
he was restored, and saw every man clearly. (Mark 8:22-25)
This miracle was an actual physical healing performed by Jesus during His earthly ministry.
Why didn't the first touch of Jesus heal the man completely? Didn't Jesus have all power? Wasn't
He the Son of the living God? Jesus was providing a natural example of a spiritual truth. Jesus
wants to touch you spiritually just as He did in this natural healing. First He wants to clear up the
basic blindness of sin in your life. Then He wants to develop your spiritual vision.
WHAT IS SPIRITUAL VISION?
Spiritual vision involves seeing beyond the natural world into the spiritual world. It is
understanding the divine purpose of God and recognizing your part in His plan.
Believers who are spiritually "perishing" are in one of the following categories:
-They do not have spiritual vision.

-They have received a spiritual vision but have been disobedient to it.
-They have a vision, but do not know how to fulfill it. They have tried and failed
or perhaps have never tried at all.
Spiritual vision provides a clear image of what God wants you to do and then directs every step
of your Christian life towards achieving that goal.
THE VISION OF
PAUL
The Apostle Paul had spiritual vision. He said:
I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision. (Acts 26:19)
The heavenly [spiritual] vision became the compelling force in Paul's life. He recognized that
having a vision is not enough. Action must be taken to achieve the vision.
A vision can remain "visionary.” This means it never becomes a reality because you never act on
it. When God gives a vision He also provides spiritual and practical strategies for fulfilling it.
When God gave Paul a spiritual vision, He gave him specific things to do to fulfill the vision.
...Rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a
minister and a witness both of these things which though hast seen, and of those things in
the which I will appear unto thee;
Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I
send thee.
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the
power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and
inheritance
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among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
(Acts 26:16-18)
God gave Paul spiritual vision for the purpose of making him a minister and witness.
His ministry was to be to a special group of people, the Gentiles. The term Gentiles refers to
everyone who is not a Jew, so it really means all the other nations of the world.
God gave Paul objectives [a plan] to achieve the vision. Paul was to:
-Open their spiritual eyes from darkness to light. -Turn them

from the power of Satan to God. -Lead them to forgiveness
of sins. -Reveal their spiritual inheritance made possible by
faith.
THE BIRTH OF A VISION
God wants to give you a spiritual vision just as He did Paul. God also wants to reveal the
purposes and objectives which will enable you to fulfill the vision.
As you experience the "birth of a vision" you will become a participator instead of a mere
spectator in God's divine plan.
The natural birth process which brings a human baby into the world is similar to the process of
the birth of a vision in the spirit world. You will experience the following stages as you give
birth to spiritual vision.
CONCEPTION:
"Conception" means to create. A spiritual vision is created in your spirit by God.
When God gave Paul spiritual vision He identified the source. He said, "I am Jesus" (Acts
26:15). God conceived Paul's vision.
DEVELOPMENT:
When you first receive a spiritual vision, it is in "embryo" form. An embryo is a basic cell of life.
Just like the development of the human embryo, God develops your spiritual vision as you grow
in Him.
The basic cell of life in the human baby is the embryo, from it all the basic human features are
developed. If you try to change the embryo, deformity or death can occur to the child.
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God conceives the basic spiritual vision within you. The vision must remain the embryo from
which all features develop. If you try to change the vision, it will be deformed from the perfect
plan of God, or it may be aborted.
When the vision explained in this course is conceived by God in your spirit it must always
remain the same although you may fulfill it in different ways.
The vision will grow and develop as you mature spiritually. Its features will not be the same as
yesterday, last week, or last month. But you must never forget the basic vision which is the
divine purpose for which you are called.
This development of a vision will be a stretching experience as it is in the natural world within
the body of a mother. If the vision does not develop within you it will die.
Just as a mother carries her child within her body, when you receive this vision it is with you
constantly. It becomes a vital, living part of you. It draws from your own life source as well as
from the divine source which conceived it.
While the baby is developing, a pregnant mother will deny herself of certain things. As your
spiritual vision develops, you may have to do this also. You may have to deny yourself of your
own plans and ambitions. You may have to lay aside worldly treasures. You will have to
sacrifice time to fast and pray.
TRAVAIL:
Ecclesiastes 5:3 states:
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business. (Ecclesiastes

5:3)
The meaning of the word "multitude" is great. "Business", according to one Hebrew meaning, is
travail [difficulty]. So a dream or vision comes through "great travail.”
In natural birth there are facts about travail that parallel the spiritual travail which births a vision.
Natural travail is a time of intense, concentrated effort to birth the child. This time of travail is
also called "labor.”
As in the delivery of a child, a spiritual vision is birthed by intense mental, physical, and spiritual
concentration. As you study this course, concentrate on what God wants to birth in your spirit.
In the natural world during labor [travail], the one giving birth must let the natural forces take
control. Physically forcing the child into the birth canal before it opens can kill the child.
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The same is true in the spirit world. Let God take control of your life. If you try to birth the
vision in your own strength it will abort the plan of God.
Everything within you may cry out to push and bring the spiritual vision forth with natural
abilities. But by self-effort you can destroy the vision.
Peter cried out to Christ, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man," when he realized what Christ
was calling him to do (Luke 5:8). He knew the vision was too great for him to fulfill by his
natural strength and abilities.
As a mother in travail hides herself from public gaze, so those in travail spiritually must be alone
with God.
THE TIME OF TRANSITION:
In the natural birth process there is a time during labor known as the time of "transition.” It is the
most difficult time of travail right before the birth canal is open to permit the birth of the child.
This parallels the birth of a vision in the spirit world. When God births in you a spiritual vision
you will experience a time of transition.
Transition means change. As God gives you this spiritual vision it is going to require change in
your life. It will call for new commitment and dedication.
You may experience pressure in every area of your life. Everything within you may cry out for
relief from the spiritual birth pangs of what God is bringing forth.
This is the point where many fail to receive the vision. Time and time again God has brought His
people to the time of transition to birth His vision within them.
But because the transition was too difficult many have turned back. They could not take the
pressure of this most difficult time.
It required changes in their thought patterns and lifestyle which they were not willing to make.
They could not abandon self-effort and tradition. They could not set aside their own ambitions
and desires to embrace the plan of God. This is what happened to the nation of Israel:
Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in
pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in Thy sight, O Lord.
We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought
forth
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wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the
inhabitants of the world fallen. (Isaiah 26:17-18)
Travail brings sorrow but it leads to the birth which brings joy:
A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but
as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the
anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. (John 16:21)
We are told in Isaiah 53:11 that God witnessed the travail of Jesus Christ and was satisfied. A
vision was fulfilled that day on Calvary...a vision that had been promised since the fall of man
into sin (Genesis 3:15). Through travail, the vision of redemption from sin became a reality.
Travail is a painful experience, but it is only through travail that the vision can be birthed:
...for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring
to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to
bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God. (Isaiah 66:8-9)
THE BIRTH:
The development of a spiritual vision has an expected end, just as a human embryo. That end is
birth. Prematurity of birth and delay of birth can result in death, both in the natural birth process
and in the birth of spiritual vision.
After birth in the natural world the child continues to grow and develop. After the birth of this
spiritual vision it will continue to grow and develop. It will have new features and form, but they
all must develop from that basic cell of spiritual life which is the vision.
THE VISION OF ABRAHAM

Abraham tried to bring forth his God-given vision through self-effort by the birth of Ishmael. He
knew God wanted to make him a great nation and he thought an heir could not come through his
wife, Sarah.
So he did something about it and Ishmael was born. But whose power was behind Ishmael, that
of Abraham or that of God? Was the fulfillment of the vision through Ishmael man- made or
God-made?
You can bring an Ishmael on the scene through your own efforts. Ishmael represents your plans
and methods of trying to do God's will through natural abilities. But the heavenly
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vision, represented by Isaac, must be birthed by God.
Who is the source of spiritual vision?
When asked, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?", Jesus responded, "This
is the work of God", indicating that He, Himself, was the source (John 6:28-29).
God did not want Abraham to be the source of the heavenly vision any more than He wants us to
bring forth man-made or organizationally-made visions.
God is the source of spiritual vision. The vision which you will receive in this course is His plan.
It is not a plan of man, a denomination, or an organization.
Scripture has no record of God speaking again to Abraham for thirteen years after the birth of
Ishmael. Not until it was humanly impossible for Abraham to have a child did God again stir the
vision within him. By then, self-effort had died.
Then came the birth of a vision, for in the perfect timing of God Isaac was miraculously born.
But with the birth of God's plan [Isaac], Ishmael [self-effort] must be cast out.
It is time for your Isaac [God's plan] to be birthed in your spirit. In order for this to happen,
Ishmael must be cast out.
It is a painful experience to cast out self-effort, your plans, ambitions, tradition, and
organizational programs.
But God is saying to you as He did to Abraham, "Grieve not for Ishmael [self-effort], for in Isaac
shall your seed be called." In Isaac the source of the vision was God.
ARE YOU
READY?
Birth requires change. In the natural world, the child must leave the security of the womb.
When you were born again you had to leave the old life of sin. You had to let Jesus change your
thought and action patterns.
To give birth to spiritual vision also requires change. It requires courage to step from the known
into the unknown.
Are you ready to receive that spiritual vision? Are you willing to experience spiritual travail in
order to birth something new and vital in your Christian life? If you are not willing you had
better stop your study here, for once you glimpse the vision shared in these pages your life will
never again be the same.
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SELF-TEST
1. Write the Key Verse from memory.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
2. Define spiritual vision.
_________________________________________________________________________
3. Look at the names in List One, then read List Two. Choose the number of the sentence which
relates to the person in List One in the blank provided in front of his name. The first one is done
as an example for you to follow.
List One List Two
__2__Paul 1. Tried to bring forth the vision through Ishmael. _____Gehazi 2. "I was
not disobedient unto the heavenly vision." _____Abraham 3. "What shall we do?"
_____God 4. "Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth?" _____Jesus 5.
"Depart from me for I am a sinful man." _____Peter 6. God witnessed His travail
and was satisfied.
4. Read the sentences in List Two. Put the number of the sentence which best defines
the word in List One in the blank provided in front of the word.
List One List Two
_____Conception 1. The time during which the vision grows within you spiritually.
_____Development 2. Right before the birth. The most difficult time when you must cease
natural self-effort and let God bring forth the vision. _____Travail 3.
The start of the vision in your spirit as it is planted by God. _____Transition 4. A time of
spiritual birth pangs, intense physical, mental and spiritual
labor.
(Answers to tests are provided at the conclusion of the final chapter in this manual.)
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FOR FURTHER STUDY
1. Expand your knowledge of the process of travail, by studying the following

Scriptures:
John 16:21: It brings sorrow, but it leads to the birth which brings joy. I Thessalonians
2:9: It is labor, both in the natural and spiritual worlds. Galatians 4:19: It results in Christ
being formed in you. Romans 8:22-25: It brings hope. Isaiah 66:7-9: It is God's desire
that spiritual travail results in birth [spiritual reproduction].
2. Think about this statement:
"A vision without a task is visionary. A task without

a vision is drudgery. A task with a vision is what
makes a missionary."
3. Wicked men give birth to evil plans:
He who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth

to disillusionment. (Psalms 7:14, The Living Bible)
4. To be "barren" in the natural world means you are unable to have children. Have you
been "barren" spiritually?
Women of the Bible who had been barren for many years gave birth to great children
after God touched them...
-Sarah birthed Isaac

-Rachel birthed Joseph
-Manoah birthed Samson
-Hannah birthed Samuel
-Ruth birthed Obed
-Elizabeth birthed John
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CHAPTER TWO
THE VISION
OBJECTIVES:

C Explain the meaning of a "natural parallel of a spiritual truth.” C Identify the natural example
of the harvest as a spiritual parallel of the vision God
wants to birth in your spirit. C Explain steps which lead to
receiving the vision.
KEY VERSE:
Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I
say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white
already to harvest. (John 4:35)
INTRODUCTION
The last chapter described the process of developing spiritual vision. This chapter identifies the
vision Jesus wants to birth in your spirit and explains how to receive it.
The vision is the same with which He challenged His disciples over 2,000 ears ago. In order to
understand the meaning of the vision it is necessary to identify one of the basic principles of
God's Word. This principle concerns natural parallels of spiritual truths.
This chapter defines this principle and applies it to the vision God wants to conceive in you.
NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL TRUTHS
The written record of God's Word, the Bible, focuses on the subjects of people, promises,
prophecies, and principles.
Much of the Bible is a record of people, how God dealt with them and their response to Him.
There are also major portions of the Bible which record prophecies of future events and there are
many promises given to God's people.
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The Bible also contains important principles which you must identify in order to understand what
God is saying to you through His Word. One of these great principles is that of natural parallels
of spiritual truths. The word "parallel" means to be similar to something. When we speak of a
"natural parallel of a spiritual truth" it means God uses a natural example to explain or represent
a spiritual truth.
The parables of Jesus were natural examples of spiritual truths. In one parable He used the
natural example of a woman placing a small bit of leaven in a lump of bread. The spread of the
leaven throughout the bread illustrated the growth of the Kingdom of God in the world.
This is just one of many examples of parables in which He used a natural example to illustrate a
spiritual truth.
This principle of natural and spiritual parallels is explained in I Corinthians:
...There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last
Adam was made a quickening spirit.
Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and
afterward that which is spiritual. (I Corinthians 15:44-46)
This is a great example of a natural parallel of a spiritual truth. The first man created by God was
the natural man. His name was Adam. Jesus, who is referred to as the last Adam, was a spiritual
man.
Adam was a natural example of the spiritual truth God was to reveal through Jesus Christ. By the
natural man came sin and death. By the spiritual man came salvation and life.
That which is natural is something you can observe with your senses. You can see, hear, or touch
it. That which is spiritual can only be observed with spiritual senses.
Natural examples can be recognized with physical senses but spiritual parallels can only be
recognized through the revelation of the Holy Spirit.
Understanding this principle of natural parallels of spiritual truths increases your understanding
of God's Word.
THE HARVEST
The vision with which Jesus challenged His disciples and which He desires to birth in your spirit
was revealed by a natural parallel of a spiritual truth.
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Jesus said to His disciples:
Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I
say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white
already to harvest. (John 4:35)
Jesus was not speaking of the natural harvest in the fields that stretched before them at the time
He spoke these words. He was speaking of a spiritual harvest.
He used the example of the natural harvest to give His followers a vision that would provide
meaning and spiritual direction for their lives.
WHAT DID IT MEAN?
What did this natural example of the harvest mean in the spiritual realm?
Read John 4:3-35. Jesus was passing through Samaria on the way to Judaea. When He rested
near a well His disciples went in search of food. While they were gone a Samaritan woman came
to draw water from the well and Jesus shared the Gospel with her.
When His disciples returned with the food, Jesus said to them:
I have meat to eat that ye know not of...My meat is to do the will of Him that
sent Me, and to finish His work. (John 4:32,34)
The most important thing to Jesus, more urgent than natural food and the necessities of life, was
to do God's will and finish His work.
It was at this point in the conversation that Jesus used the example of the natural harvest. He
used it to illustrate what He had just told His disciples: The most important thing in life is doing
God's will and His work.GOD'S WILL AND HIS WORK
What is God's will? What is His work? It is revealed in the vision of the harvest.
Jesus told His disciples to lift up their eyes and look at the natural fields of grain ready to
harvest. He used these fields as an example of the spiritual fields of multitudes of men and
women around the world who are ready to be harvested for the Kingdom of God.
The Samaritan woman with whom He had just talked was an example of this great spiritual
harvest. She was ready to receive the Gospel and accepted it with great joy. Through
"harvesting" this one woman, an entire city came to know Jesus:
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And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him for the saying of
the woman, which testified...
And said unto the woman, now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we
have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the
Saviour of the world. (John 4:39,42)THE VISION TODAY
While standing in the middle of visible natural harvest fields that day, the disciples experienced
the birth of a spiritual vision.
It is the same vision Jesus wants to birth in your spirit. He wants to give you a vision of the
spiritual harvest fields of the world which are ready to be reaped for His Kingdom. When you
recognize the reality of that vision and understand your responsibility in fulfilling it, your life
will never again be the same.
Jesus clearly stated:
The field is the world... (Matthew 13:38)
Africa, Asia, Australia, North America, South America, Europe, the Islands of the sea...the
harvest fields of the world are ripe with multitudes who have yet to hear the good news of the
Kingdom of God.
The vision has not changed. It is the same as it was when Jesus birthed it in the lives of His
disciples. The will of God is the same because the work of God is not finished.
There are untold millions yet untold. The vision is still the harvest fields of the world.
WHY THE HARVEST?
Why did Jesus use the example of the harvest to illustrate the spiritual vision He wanted to give
His followers? There are many other natural parallels He could have used. Why did He choose
the harvest?
The harvest was an example to which His disciples could easily relate. The history of God's
people, Israel, dated back to Adam who was first to till the ground. Agriculture continued
developing to the time of Moses when it became the basis of the economy.
At the time of Christ's ministry the economic cycle of Israel centered on agriculture. Harvesting
was a continuous activity throughout the year. Flax and barley harvesting
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occurred in April-May, the wheat harvest about six weeks later in June-July. Apples, figs,
almonds, and the first grapes were gathered in June. Olives, dates, and summer figs were
harvested in August and September, pomegranates and pistachio nuts in October. Olives in
northern Galilee and winter figs were gathered in November.
Not only did the economy center on the harvest, it was also at the heart of the religious system of
Israel. The three main religious feasts God established for His people related to the harvest. The
Passover came in the season of the barley harvest (Exodus 23:16). Seven weeks later, at the time
of the wheat harvest, was the feast of Pentecost (Exodus 34:22). The feast of Tabernacles was
observed the seventh month which was the period of the fruit harvest (Exodus 34:22).
Since the entire calendar, economy, and religious system revolved around the harvest the
disciples could easily understand this example.
But even more important, there were certain guidelines for sowing and reaping which affected
the natural harvest. These natural laws also applied to spiritual harvesting. The disciples of Jesus
could easily apply these principles to spiritual harvesting because of their familiarity with them
in the natural world. Applying these natural principles spiritually would bring forth an abundant
spiritual harvest. We will study these principles later in this course.
Most important, the disciples recognized the urgency represented by the example of the natural
harvest. When a crop was ripe it must be harvested immediately or it would ruin. It was a matter
of reap or rot.
If the harvest was great and there were not enough workers available to reap it, the crop would
be lost. Of the spiritual parallel to this natural problem Jesus said:
The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. (Matthew 9:37)
RECEIVING THE VISION
When Jesus spoke to His followers about the vision of the harvest He outlined five steps to
enable them to receive the vision:
(1) SAY NOT YE (2) THERE ARE YET FOUR MONTHS then cometh
harvest? (3) BEHOLD, I SAY UNTO YOU, (4) LIFT UP YOUR EYES, and
(5) LOOK ON THE FIELDS; for they are white already to harvest. (John
4:35)
STEP ONE: "Say not ye..."
Many believers spend their entire lives talking about the harvest. They are like a labor crew
17
trying to gather a harvest while sitting in a barn. They go to the barn [church] each Sunday
morning and study bigger and better methods of agriculture [spiritual harvest]. They sharpen
their harvesting sickles and then go home.
They come back that night to study better methods of agriculture, sharpen their sickles, and go
home again. They are back for a midweek meeting to learn bigger and better methods, sharpen
their sickles, and return home. They do this week after week until the weeks turn into months
and months into years, yet nobody ever goes out into the fields to gather the harvest.
When Jesus said, "Say not ye" He meant that talking about spiritual harvest was not enough. You
must become involved in the actual harvesting process. That does not mean everyone is to leave
their jobs, seek financial support from the church, and travel to other nations as preachers of the
Gospel. But each believer is to be involved in some way in the harvest. For some, it will be the
fields that are right outside the doors of their home and church. It will be the harvest in their
school, on their job, and in their local community or village. For others, the harvest will be a
foreign field. The point is that each believer is to be participating in and not just talking about the
harvest.
STEP TWO: "Yet four months.”..
In order to become part of this harvest time vision you cannot delay it. You cannot wait until
some future time to become involved. Souls are dying in sin now. For many, tomorrow will be
too late:
Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; come, get you down; for
the press is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is
near in the valley of decision. (Joel 3:13-14)
STEP THREE: "I say unto

you..."
God's ways are different from those of man:
For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,
saith the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than
your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Men talk about spiritual harvest. They delay it. But what God says is different than what man
says. He says...
18
STEP FOUR: "Lift up your eyes..."
The eyes of the disciples were distracted. They were not focused on the vision of the spiritual
harvest fields.
In order to receive this spiritual vision you must take personal action. You must lift up your
spiritual eyes from the natural distractions of life. You must lift them from your personal
problems, from discouragement, from business and worldly concerns.
You must lift your eyes from the circumstances of life to...
STEP FIVE: "Look on the harvest.”..
Turning your eyes from distractions to the harvest field is not enough. You must really look at
the harvest. You must see the world through the eyes of God.
Many do not have spiritual vision because they have not really looked. They have not recognized
their personal responsibility to the harvest fields. They have not considered the conditions of the
harvest fields of our world today.
TO RECEIVE THE
VISION...
-You must not just talk about it.
-You can not delay it.

-You must listen to what God says, the challenge He presents when He cries, "Whom shall I
send and who will go for us?" (Isaiah 6:8).
-You must lift your eyes from the distractions of the world to the harvest field.
-You must look at the fields of the world through the eyes of God.
19
SELF-TEST
__________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. What is meant by a "natural parallel of a spiritual truth"?
________________________________________________________________________
3. The natural example Jesus used to give His disciples a spiritual vision was the
example of the_______________________.
4. In the example of the harvest the field is the __________________.
5. List three reasons why Jesus chose the natural example of the harvest to give His
followers a spiritual vision.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
6. List five steps given in John 4:35 which enable you to receive spiritual vision.
_________________ _______________________
_________________ _______________________
_________________________
20
FOR FURTHER STUDY
This chapter emphasized personal involvement in the vision of the harvest.
Read the story known as the parable of the "Good Samaritan" in Luke 10:25-35. This parable
illustrates attitudes of involvement with human need. It is an example of the various attitudes of
believers towards the vision of the spiritual harvest fields of the world.
Notice the attitudes of the thief, the priest, the Levite, the innkeeper, and the Samaritan in the
parable. Also observe the attitude of the lawyer who originally asked the question which resulted
in Jesus telling the parable.
Character Attitude
The Lawyer Saw a question for discussion.

The Thief Saw a person to exploit.
The Priest Viewed the need as a problem to avoid and ignore. and Levite
The Inn-keeper Saw a customer to be served for pay; had an attitude of

"What can I get out of it?"
The Samaritan Saw a person dying, a harvest perishing, and responded to the need with
personal involvement.
21
CHAPTER THREE
HIS EYES BEHOLD THE NATIONS
OBJECTIVES:
C Explain what it means to see the world through the eyes of God. C Understand the present
condition of the spiritual harvest fields of the world. C Make a personal commitment to join the
team of international harvesters being raised
up by God throughout the world.
KEY VERSE:
His eyes behold the nations. (Psalms 66:7)
INTRODUCTION
The last chapter stressed the importance of lifting your spiritual eyes and looking on the harvest
fields of the world.
The disciples did not have the same vision which Jesus had. This is why He urged them to lift
their eyes and look in order to see the great need as He saw it.
You must see the world as God sees it. This is essential if you are to develop proper spiritual
vision.
This chapter focuses on the harvest fields of the world. The Bible states of God that "His eyes
behold the nations." What does God see when He views the harvest fields of the world?
RUSTY SICKLES, EMPTY

FIELDS
God views the world as a harvest field:
The field is the world... (Matthew 13:38)
The cry comes to the ears of God from the people of the world:
22
The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
(Jeremiah 8:20)
The spiritual harvest fields of the world resemble the natural fields over which the prophet Joel
cried:
Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers; for the wheat

and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished. (Joel 1:11)
When God's eyes behold the nations of the world, He sees a spiritual harvest perishing because
of the lack of harvesters. Jesus never said there would be a lack of sowers of the Gospel. He said
there would be a lack of laborers to reap the spiritual harvest:
The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few. (Matthew 9:37)
Presently, North America has 94% of the world's ministers serving 6% of the population. This
means only 6% of the ministers are trying to reach 94% of the population in the remainder of the
world.
There are approximately three billion people representing over 16,000 culturally distinct people
groups yet to be reached with the Gospel. There are over 2,000 languages for which there is no
translation of God's Word.
For every 10,000 villages in India, 9,950 have no Christian witness. In Japan the total Christian
population is estimated at only one percent.
In Latin America there are at least five million people in jungle lowlands who have not been
reached with the Gospel. There are 750 million Muslims with only approximately 500 Protestant
missionaries ministering among them.
The need in other nations of Africa, Asia, South America, and the Middle East is similar to these
examples.
This is what God sees as He views the nations of the world.
THE GAP
The Bible states:
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the
man Christ Jesus. (I Timothy 2:5)
23
The need for a mediator indicates there is a gap between two parties who cannot accept each
other.
When God looks at the world, He sees multitudes of people standing in a spiritual gap. The
reason for the gap between God and man is sin.
Jesus Christ is the mediator between sinful man and a righteous God. Neither can accept the
other without the mediator. Jesus made it possible for man to be redeemed from sin and accepted
by a righteous God.
Multitudes still wait for the message of the mediator who can bridge the gap between them and
God. The Great Commission Jesus gave was for His followers to enter the gap. He spoke of
going to Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.
They were to start where they were and evangelize Jerusalem. Reaching Judaea and Samaria
would require cross-cultural evangelism. Samaria differed theologically and culturally from
Jerusalem. The far regions of the earth represented an even greater challenge. But each region
represented the gap.
At first Christ's disciples were hesitant to bridge the gap between Jew and Gentile due to cultural
and theological differences. Until persecution came, they did little to extend the Gospel to
regions outside of Jerusalem (Acts 8:4).
If you are to fulfill the Great Commission and reap the harvest you must get out of cultural,
theological, and denominational ruts. You may even have to leave your geographical location.
You must enter the gap to share the good news of the mediator between God and man.
ANOTHER GAP
In addition to the gap of sin between man and God there is another great spiritual gap. This is the
gap between the challenge of Jesus to reach the world with the Gospel and the failure of His
people to fulfill that challenge.
Until you receive a vision of the spiritual harvest fields you will never fully understand your role
in the Kingdom of God. It is the cause which gives purpose and direction to Christian life. The
vision of spiritual harvest should be central to your life. For many it is only a minor concern.
We tend to talk about the things we love. We talk about our husband or wife, friends, sports, and
hobbies. We also talk of things that concern us such as politics, finances, and business. But how
often do we speak of lost souls? How much concern do we give each day to the multitudes still
waiting in the gap, the harvest perishing in the fields?
24
Paul speaks of using the most routine activities such as eating and drinking for the glory of God
(I Corinthians 10:31). Every activity of your life can be centered on the vision of spiritual
harvest. When this happens it gives new challenge, purpose, and direction to your life as a
believer. Every day becomes an exciting quest to see how you can be part of fulfilling the vision.
When you recognize your personal responsibility to the multitudes in the gap and the vision of
the harvest bursts into your spirit, you become part of a special network. This network is a group
of believers from many nations who have joined together to see the world through the eyes of
God and fulfill His plan to spread the Gospel.
In recent times, this movement has been referred to as "World Christians.” They are believers
who at the end of each day can confidently say:
"I know this day my life has counted strategically for Christ's global cause,
especially for those currently beyond the reach of the Gospel."
This is the challenge of spiritual harvest. This is seeing the world through the eyes of God.
OPEN DOORS
Men view some nations as closed to the Gospel. When a nation is referred to as "closed" to the
Gospel message it usually means the government will not accept Christian missionaries and
seeks to stop the spread of the Gospel within its borders.
But there are no limits recognized by God. He sees no "closed" countries. It is true that some
nations are closed to the traditional missionary because the government will not grant visas to
those who want to enter the nation and preach the Gospel message.
But when the "front door" closes to a nation, so to speak, there is always a "back door.” Teams of
manual laborers are entering closed nations to build schools, clinics, and agricultural projects.
While there, they share the Gospel message.
Other believers are entering nations as teachers, medical workers, and literacy instructors.
Modern communication devices are beaming the Gospel message beyond closed borders. Teams
of international intercessors are penetrating the entire world through prayer.
Within "closed" nations local believers are assuming responsibility for the spread of the Gospel
in their own countries through underground evangelistic networks. So called "closed countries"
cannot be used to ignore your responsibility. The harvest cannot be stopped by governments.
Your enemies are not political leaders.
Your concern is with the principalities and powers behind these things which are opposing
25
God's worldwide purpose:
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)
Catch the vision of an unlimited world. Look at the harvest fields. Weep over the cities as Jesus
did. See the world through the eyes of God. His vision is global and His purpose is eternal from
the foundations of the world.
26
SELF-TEST
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. What is the estimated number of people in the world who are yet to be reached with
the Gospel?_______________________________
3. Approximately how many language groups still do not have the Bible translated in
their language?______________________________
4. What does it mean to "see the world through the eyes of God"?
________________________________________________________________________
5. What is the cause of the gap between man and God which requires the mediator, Jesus
Christ?_______________________________
6. Write T in front of each statement that is TRUE. Write F in front of each statement
that is FALSE.
a._____Closed countries can not be reached with the Gospel message.
b._____The main enemies we are fighting in the spread of the Gospel are the governments
controlling the nations.
c._____Jesus said there would be a lack of harvesters in the spiritual harvest fields of the
world.
7. What does it mean to be a World Christian?
_________________________________________________________________
27
FOR FURTHER STUDY
Read about Isaiah's vision recorded in Isaiah 6:1-9.
It was an...
-Upward vision [height]: He saw the Lord.
-Inward vision [depth]: He saw himself and his own spiritual condition.
-Outward vision [breadth]: He saw the world.
It was also a vision of...
-Holiness: Of the Lord.
-Hellishness: "I am undone" [unclean].
-Hopelessness: "Who will go for us?"
Note these key words...
Woe: A word of confession (verse 5).
Lo: A word of cleansing (verse 7).
Go: A word of commission (verse 9).

28
PART TWO: CONCEPTUALIZATION Understanding
The Concept Of Purpose Behind The Vision
CHAPTER FOUR
THE WORLD IN THE WORD
OBJECTIVES:
C Explain the plan of God for the nations of the world as purposed from the beginning
of time. C Trace this vision as it is revealed in the Bible from Genesis to
Revelation.
KEY VERSES:
Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good
pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself:
That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in

one all things in Christ, both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth;
even in Him. (Ephesians 1:9-10)
INTRODUCTION
Part One of this course presented the fist step in "Strategies for Spiritual Harvest.” It dealt with
"Visualization" in which the vision was identified. These chapters progressed through birth of a
vision, identifying the vision, and seeing the world through the eyes of God.
This chapter deals with "Conceptualization", the second step in "Strategies for Spiritual
Harvest.” It presents the concept of purpose behind the vision of the harvest. It is the unifying
theme of the world in God's Word that reveals His global purpose.
GOD'S PURPOSE
From the beginning of time God had a divine purpose on which He based His relation with and
His promises and prophecies to mankind.
God has revealed His purpose to believers:
29
Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (His plan, of His
purpose). And it is this: In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful
intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in Him,
He planned for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify
all things and had them up and consummate them in Christ, both things in
Heaven and things on earth. (Ephesians 1:9-10, The Amplified Bible)
God's divine purpose from the beginning of time has been to unify all of heaven and earth in
Jesus Christ. His vision is global in nature and...
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise...but is longsuffering to us-

ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance. (II Peter 3:9)
God's purpose is salvation for the world. Because it is His purpose, it must become our purpose.
We must make His global cause a priority.
There are many needs in the world including hunger, poverty, sickness, and social injustice.
Traditional missions have been involved in all of these areas, and rightly so, for the Bible teaches
such concern.
But the vision of the harvest fields, of reaping men and women for the Kingdom of God, must
remain a priority. The other needs are met once communities of responsible believers are
established.
Missions involves all levels of human need but spiritual harvesting, the winning of lost men and
women to Jesus Christ, must be to us as it is to God: The priority purpose.
THE OLD TESTAMENT
God's purpose can be traced from Genesis to Revelation. His Word is a history of how He dealt
with individuals and nations to fulfill His purpose.
The Great Commission was first given when God said to Adam and Eve...
Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it...
(Genesis 1:28)
Adam and Eve were to populate the earth with descendants who were as they were: Created in
the image of God, living souls in fellowship with a living God. Physically they were to produce
children. Spiritually they were to produce believers.
30
Later God established an everlasting covenant with Abraham. This covenant was global in nature
for He said to Abraham:
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.
(Genesis 22:18)
...and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
(Genesis 28:14)
From Abraham came the nation of Israel. God used Israel as a witness to surrounding nations.
The nations of the earth were blessed as God revealed Himself to them through Israel.
During the time of the plagues in Egypt God told Pharaoh that the judgments were sent to show
him that God was above all others:
For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy
servants, and upon thy people: that thou mayest know that there is none like
me in all the earth. (Exodus 9:14)
When Israel faced the challenge of the flooded Jordan River, God dried up the waters so that the
people of the earth might recognize His hand:
That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is
mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever. (Joshua 4:24)
When David met Goliath on the battlefield he said God would give him the victory so the entire
earth might know there was a God:
This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee,
and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the
Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the
earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. (I Samuel
17:46)
After the Kingdom of Israel was established, Solomon caught the vision of the global purpose of
God he expressed the desire that...
...all the people of the earth may know Thy name, to fear Thee, as do Thy
people Israel. (I Kings 8:43)
David issued a call to the harvest fields of the nations of the world when he cried:
31
Declare His glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people.
Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth... (Psalms 96:3,10)
Two of the Old Testament prophets, Daniel and Jonah, ministered cross-culturally. This means
they took the Gospel message to nations other than their own.
Daniel was a witness to God while serving as an official in Babylon. Jonah was a missionary to
Ninevah.
Isaiah declared that Israel was God's witness among the nations:
Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled:
Who among them can declare this and shew us former things?...
Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen:
that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am He: before me
there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no Saviour.
I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed...therefore ye are my

witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God. (Isaiah 43:9-12)
The entire record of the Old Testament is a history of God using Israel as a witness to the nations
of the world.
The Old Testament reflects God's divine purpose as He dealt with individuals and nations to
bring them to the knowledge of the true and living God.
THE NEW
TESTAMENT
The Old Testament prepared the way for the fulfillment of God's purpose in the coming of Jesus
Christ. The New Testament records the ministry of Jesus as He fulfilled God's will and purpose.
When Jesus challenged His disciples with the vision of the harvest He said:
My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me and to finish His work.
(John 4:34)
The entire life of Jesus was dedicated to harvesting men and women for God. It was the purpose
of His life to reach the fields of the world:
32
And He said unto them, I must preach the Kingdom of God to other cities
also; for therefore am I sent. (Luke 4:43)
When Jesus went back to Heaven, He left us with the Great Commission which is the mandate
behind the vision of spiritual harvest. It is recorded in five different places in the New
Testament:
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in
Heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and
lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. (Matthew 28:18-20)
And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to
every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not
shall be damned.
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out
devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
They shall take up serpents: and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not
hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. (Mark
16:15-18)
Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the

Scriptures.
And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer,
and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of
sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at
Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.
And, behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the
city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. (Luke 24:45-
49)
...As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. (John 20:21)
33
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and
ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in
Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
As believers, it is our responsibility to fulfill God's purpose as we are now His witness to the
nations of the world.
The book of Acts records the birth and early life of the Church. The central theme is summarized
in the phrase "ye shall be witnesses unto Me" (Acts 1:8). The pattern of this expanding witness
can be traced throughout the book of Acts:
Witness to the Jews: Acts 1:1-8:3 Witness to both

Jews and Gentiles: Acts 8:4-12:25 Witness to Gentiles:
Acts 13:1-28:31
The early church was born in a great demonstration of power as recorded in Acts 2. God began
the process of creating a new body of people, the Church, through which His witness would flow
to the nations of the world:
And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from
the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by
Jesus Christ;
To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places
might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God. (Ephesians 3:9-
10)
God's purpose is that by the Church His plan of redemption through Jesus will be made known
throughout the world.
The Epistles in the New Testament explain the position, order, privileges, and duties of members
of the Church. A well-ordered Church capable of not only articulation [teaching] but of
demonstration [showing] of the power of God was to provide the labor force in the harvest fields
of the world.
In Revelation 1-3, John recorded the lifestyle of seven local churches at the end of the first
century. Through this record we view the condition of the Church two generations after
Pentecost.
Some of the churches had forgotten their purpose. Some were cold spiritually and had no power.
But regardless of the condition of the church reflected in these chapters, the divine purpose of
God had not changed:
34
Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open
the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.
(Revelation 3:20)
To any man....from any nation, tribe, and tongue...God desires to reveal Himself. From the
beginning of time, God's purpose has not changed.*
____________________
* Harvestime International Institute offers a course entitled "Developing a Biblical World View"
which further details God's purpose for the nations of the world as revealed in His Word.
35
SELF-TEST
1. Write the Key Verses from memory.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. Write T in front of each statement that is TRUE. Write F in front of each statement
that is FALSE.
a._____God has not revealed His divine purpose to man.
b._____God's purpose is to unify all things in Jesus Christ.
c._____In the Old Testament record, God used Israel as a witness to the nations of the world.
d._____In the New Testament the Church is the body of people through which God desires
to extend the Gospel to the world.
3. What is the divine purpose of God? Give at least one Scripture reference to support
your answer.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________Reference:__________________
36
FOR FURTHER STUDY
1. Study Revelation chapters 1-3 which are God's message to seven churches in Asia.
Make a list of the qualities in these churches which God commends. How would these
qualities aid the churches in their extension of the Gospel?
Make a list of the problems in the churches which God identifies. How would these
problems prevent the church from fulfilling its purpose as a witness to the nations of the
world?
2. Continue your study of the world in the Word. During the next year read the entire
Bible with the global cause of God in mind.
Identify all of the verses which concern God's dealings with the nations of the world. Use
a special colored pen or pencil to underline these verses in your Bible.
Some words to watch for which will help you identify the verses are listed below:
-Earth -World -Nation or nations -Gentiles (which means

every nation other than Israel) -Heathen
37
PART THREE: OBJECTIFICATION
Objectives For Fulfilling The Vision
CHAPTER FIVE
RUSTY SICKLES, EMPTY FIELDS
OBJECTIVES:
C Identify things which prevent harvest in the natural world. C Apply

these natural principles to spiritual harvest.
KEY VERSES:
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall
he also reap.
For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that
soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (Galatians 6:7-8)
INTRODUCTION
Part One of this course introduced the vision of the harvest. Part Two identified the purpose
behind the vision. This section, Part Three, deals with "Objectification.” It presents the plan
which leads to "Expectation", the fulfillment of the vision.
This chapter examines reasons for poor spiritual harvest. It is just as important to know how
NOT to do something as it is to know how to do it.
Thomas Edison, a famous inventor in the United States, conducted 1,500 experiments which
failed before he discovered electricity. When asked about these experiments he said they were
important because "I learned 1,500 ways not to produce electricity." He did not have to waste
future time and effort in unproductive methods.
You do not have to experiment with spiritual harvest. God has identified the reasons for poor
harvest in His Word. It is important you understand these so you do not waste spiritual effort.
That is the subject of this lesson.
38
The next two chapters concern "Strategies For Harvest", principles which result in effective
spiritual harvest. Chapter Eight, "Reaping For Results", identifies the methods and tools for
spiritual harvest.
THE "IF-BUT" PRINCIPLE
There is an important principle in God's Word called the "If-But" principle. God has given many
promises to His people and most of them are based on the "If-But" principle. Deuteronomy 28 is
one example of this principle. God promises:
And it shall come to pass, IF thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of
the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all His commandments which I
command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all
nations of the earth. (Deuteronomy 28:1)
The chapter lists the blessings God's people will experience IF they will serve Him. Among
those blessings are promises of abundant harvest in the natural world:
...and blessed shalt thou be in the field...
Blessed...shall be the fruit of thy ground... (Deuteronomy 28:3-4)
But verse 15 warns:
BUT it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord
thy God, to observe to do all His commandments and his statues which I
command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and
overtake thee. (Deuteronomy 28:15)
Among the curses for turning from the ways of the Lord is poor harvest in the natural world:
Cursed shalt thou be in the field...cursed shall be the fruit of thy land.
Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little
in...Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the
wine, nor gather the grapes, for the worms shall eat them.
Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not
anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit...
All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume.
(Deuteronomy 28:16,18,38-42)
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This chapter in Deuteronomy illustrates the "If-But" principle. God's promises are conditional
upon our response.
NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL PARALLELS
The Bible reveals principles which will result in abundant harvest in the natural world. It also
warns of ruined crops and poor harvest if these principles are not followed.
These principles apply to actual sowing and reaping in the natural world but they are also
parallels of great spiritual truths.
Understanding these principles will result in a harvest in terms of reaching the world with the
Gospel. But applying these principles in every area of life will also result in the blessing of God
financially, materially, physically, and emotionally.
SATAN'S INTEREST IN THE HARVEST
Satan has an interest in spiritual harvest. Jesus said to Peter:
Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you like wheat.
(Luke 22:31)
Satan wants to sift all that is good from your life so that only waste remains. He does not want
you to reap a spiritual harvest.
To help you identify strategies Satan has designed to sift the harvest from your life, God warned
of things which prevent spiritual harvest.
In order to apply strategies for effective harvest it is first necessary to eliminate things that
prevent harvest in your life.
You must deal with these negative factors. It is like preparing the ground for planting in the
natural world. The ground must be broken up and the rocks and thistles removed before it is
ready to receive the seed.REASONS FOR POOR HARVEST
These are reasons for poor spiritual harvests:
DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD'S WORD:
The passage from Deuteronomy 28 previously discussed illustrates one reason for poor spiritual
harvest: Disobedience to God's Word. God promised abundant harvest IF His
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people would observe His commandments. BUT if they would not, then the harvest would
perish.
In Isaiah chapter five God speaks of Israel as a vineyard. Through disobedience to His Word
(verses 13 and 20) they became unfruitful. When you disobey God's Word it results in spiritual
famine:
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the
land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words
of the Lord:
And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east,
they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.
(Amos 8:11-12)
FORGETTING GOD:
Another reason for poor harvest is forgetting God by not acknowledging His rightful place in
your life:
Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been
mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants
and shalt set it with strange slips:
In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou
make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief
and of desperate sorrow. (Isaiah 17:10-11)
It is not enough to know about God, you must know God. You must accept His plan of salvation,
and acknowledge Him as Lord of your life.
If you do not rightfully acknowledge God you can work night and day and yet not bring forth
spiritual harvest. Israel was an example of a people who forgot God:
They soon forgat His works; they waited not for His counsel.
They forgat God their Saviour, which had done great things in Egypt.
(Psalms 106:13,21)
Because of this, Israel suffered both in the natural and spiritual harvests.
As many who forget God, Israel did not recognize the reason they were experiencing poor
harvests:
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And they shall eat up thine harvest...they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig
trees...And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the Lord
our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye
have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve
strangers in a land that is not yours. (Jeremiah 5:17-19)
Amos clearly described the reason for poor harvest in chapters 4 and 5 of his writing:
And also I have witholden the rain from you, when there were yet three
months to harvest; and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to
rain upon another city...and the piece whereupon it rained not withered...
I have smitten you with blasting and mildew; when your gardens and your
vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm
devoured them; yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. (Amos
4:7,9)
In addition to identifying the problem Amos gives the solution:

Seek ye Me, and ye shall live... (Amos 5:4)
IMPROPER
SOWING:
God warned His people:
Thou shalt now sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed
which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled.
(Deuteronomy 22:9)
...Therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange
slips:
In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou
make thy seed to flourish; but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief
and of desperate sorrow. (Isaiah 17:10-11)
In these verses God speaks of "mingled seed" and "strange" slips [small plants or seedlings]. He
said they would appear to be growing but in the time of harvest would be cursed.
The New Testament calls the "seed" the Word of God. What you sow in your life affects
spiritual harvest. If you sow His Word you will have abundant harvest.
If you consider the traditions of man, organization, or denominations more important than
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or equal to the Word of God, then you are mingling seed. Many denominations look like healthy
spiritual plants. They have large congregations and beautiful buildings in which to conduct their
meetings. But they have mingled God's Word with their own traditions or revelations. Their
spiritual harvest is cursed. This is how cults begin. They "mingle" the seed of the Word with
their own ideas. In the end the harvest is a sorrow.
The Word of God is the incorruptible seed which brings forth the harvest of the new birth in the
lives of men and women:
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word
of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (I Peter 1:23)
UNCONCERN:
Proverbs speaks of a son who sleeps during harvest:
...but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

(Proverbs 10:5)
The harvest is a very busy time. It is the most important time, for if the harvest is not gathered
rapidly it will rot in the fields.
In the natural world in Bible times every member of a family assisted in the fields during harvest.
A son who spent his time sleeping during this period was a shame to his family.
We are in the most crucial time of spiritual harvest as we near the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Yet many of the children of God are sleeping. They have not joined the Body of Christ in the
harvest fields. Their sickles are rusty and the fields are empty.
Proverbs speaks of the results of such unconcern:
I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of
understanding;
And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face
thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed
man. (Proverbs 24:30-34)
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Unconcern results in spiritual unfruitfulness.
Jeremiah speaks of leaders destroying the harvest because of their unconcern:
Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion

underfoot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness...the
whole land is made desolate because no man layeth it to heart. (Jeremiah
12:10-11)
Unconcerned leaders result in unconcerned followers. The vision of the harvest must be
communicated by our spiritual leaders or the fields will lie desolate because "no man layeth it to
heart.”
SELF-EFFORT:
You cannot bring forth spiritual harvest by self-effort. Observe the results of self-effort in the
following verse:
In the day shalt THOU make THY plant to grow, and in the morning shalt
THOU make THY seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day
of grief and of desperate sorrow. (Isaiah 17:11)
Chapter One stated that the vision God desires to give cannot be brought forth by self-effort. The
only way it will come is by eliminating things which prevent spiritual harvest and applying God-
given strategies for harvest.
Hosea spoke of poor harvest resulting from self-effort. Israel had trusted in their own way and
their mighty men (Hosea 10:13). As long as you depend on your ways, methods, or your "mighty
men" you will fail to see spiritual harvest. You must do God's work in God's way.
CURSED REPRODUCTIVE PROCESS:
One of the results of the fall of man into sin was that God cursed the reproductive process of the
natural world. Women bring forth children in sorrow. The ground brings forth thorns and thistles
and it takes much work to make it produce fruit (Genesis 3:16-19). These curses on the
reproductive system were the result of sin.
In the spiritual world when you are living in sin there is a curse on the spiritual reproductive
process of your life. It is only by salvation from sin through the blood of Jesus Christ that the
curse will be lifted. You cannot claim the blessings of spiritual harvest as long as you are living
under the curse of sin.
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REGARDING
CIRCUMSTANCES:
The circumstances of life can prevent spiritual harvest:
The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in
harvest, and have nothing. (Proverbs 20:4)
He that observeth the wind shall not sow: and he that regardeth the clouds
shall not reap. (Ecclesiastes 11:4)
In the natural world if the farmer waited for perfect conditions he would never sow or reap.
Regardless of the wind, the clouds, or the cold, the farmer works his field.
In the spiritual world if you wait for perfect circumstances to enter the harvest fields you will
never go. The circumstances of life...your problems, your financial situation, your lack of
education...must all be ignored.
UNDIRECTED EFFORT:
You can spend all your life busily doing good works and never do the work of God. This is
undirected spiritual effort:
For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no
stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow
it up. (Hosea 8:7)
There are many good works and worthy causes in life. People will misuse your talents and
abilities for these causes if you permit them to do so.
But in order to bring forth a spiritual harvest good works are not enough. Jesus said:
My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work.
(John 4:34)
The key to spiritual harvest is not busily doing good works but it is doing the work of God. Your
spiritual effort must be directed towards His divine purpose or it will be like seed sown in the
wind which is carried away and gives no yield.
PESTS AND DISEASE:

In the natural world there are pests and diseases which attack plants and destroy the harvest.
Pests are things which attack the plants from the outside such as bugs, grasshoppers, weeds.
Disease attacks plants from the inside, destroying the root and growth systems.
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Believers also face pests and disease in the spirit world. Satan attacks from without through
circumstances of life and from within through the mind which affects the will and emotions.
Farmers find it necessary to prune their fruit vines. They cut off the growth that has come from
within the vine which saps its life. They do this to make the vine more fruitful.
This is also necessary in the life of believers. There are things that come from within that prevent
us from being fruitful (Mark 7:15). God prunes these things to increase our fruitfulness. John
chapter 15 tells of this process.
The real problem with spiritual pests and disease is actually not the circumstances or the thought
processes in the mind. The problem is with the spiritual powers behind these:
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)
In the natural world, plants are sometimes treated with chemicals to kill the pests and cure the
diseases. In the spiritual world, the armor of God protects the spiritual harvest of your life:
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the
breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
Word of God. (Ephesians 6:13-17)
IMPROPER
HARVESTING:
Improper harvesting ruins the crop:
Does he who plows for sowing plow continually? Does he continue to plow
and harrow his ground after it is smooth?
When he has leveled its surface, does he not cast broad the seed of dill or
fennel,
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and scatter cummin [a seasoning], and put the wheat in rows, and barley in
its intended place, and spelt [an inferior kind of wheat] as the border?
And he trains each of them correctly, for his God instructs him correctly and
teaches him.
For the dill is not threshed with a sharp threshing instrument, nor is a cart
wheel rolled over the cummin; but the dill is beat off with a staff and the
cummin with a rod by hand.
Does one crush bread grain? No, he does not grind it continuously, but when
he has driven his cart wheel and his horses over it, he scatters it-tossing it up
to the wind-without having crushed it. (Isaiah 28:24-28, The Amplified Bible)
There are proper methods for preparing the ground and for planting the seed in the natural world.
There are also various methods for harvesting depending on the crop. Fitches and cummin come
out of the husk easily, so only a staff and rod is used. Bread corn requires more force so a
threshing instrument must be used.
When you are harvesting the lives of men and women for the Kingdom of God, some will come
easily to knowledge of the Lord. Others will take more effort to harvest.
Improper harvesting ruins the crop. Too much force bruises the tender plants. Too little effort
fails to bring forth other crops. The same God who gives wisdom for reaping the natural harvest
will provide wisdom to harvest spiritual crops.
UNCULTIVATED GROUND:
If the ground is not properly prepared, the harvest will be poor. Read the parable of the sower in
Mark 4:12-20, Matthew 13:1-23, and Luke 8:4-15. In these parables the Word of God is
compared to seed in the natural world. The Word is sown in the hearts of men and women.
The thing that varies in these accounts is not the sower, the seed, or the method. The thing that
affected the harvest was the condition of the soil. Some of the ground is not cultivated but is full
of spiritual stones and weeds such as the cares of the world, riches, and lusts of other worldly
things. The harvest from this uncultivated spiritual ground is poor.
But some of the seed is sown on good ground which represents hearts spiritually prepared to
receive it. The result is abundant harvest:
And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the Word,
and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an
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hundred. (Mark 4:20)
The seed of the Word sown on fertile soil brings forth the greatest harvest.
Some people are receptive to the Gospel while others are resistant. If you are not experiencing
harvest, uncultivated soil may be the problem. It must be properly prepared. The prophet Hosea
commands:
Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow

ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain righteousness
upon you.
Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit
of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty
men. (Hosea 10:12-13)
Uncultivated ground in the spiritual world represents unrighteous ground. Hosea tells God's
people they have reaped iniquity because they have plowed wickedness into the spiritual ground
of their lives. The wickedness sown which results in a harvest of iniquity includes:
Discord:...A wicked man...soweth discord. (Proverbs 6:12,14)

Iniquity: He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity... (Proverbs
22:8)
Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the
same. (Job 4:8)
Strife
:
A froward man soweth strife... (Proverbs 16:28)
Flesh:
he also reap.
For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that
soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting... (Galatians 6:7-8)
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Now the works of the flesh are...these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions,

heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like.

(Galatians 5:19-21)
To assure proper spiritual harvest, you must break up the spiritual ground of your life and
remove these hindrances. As Hosea recommended, we must "seek the Lord until He comes and
rain righteousness" upon us.
UNRIGHTEOUS FOUNDATIONS:
When there was a poor harvest in the natural world, the prophet Haggai told God's people to
examine their ways:
Ye have sown much, and bring in little...Consider your ways...Ye looked for
much and lo, it came to little. (Haggai 1:6,7,9)
God's people had sown much seed but the harvest was little. Haggai told them they must rebuild
both in the natural and spiritual worlds in order to have a good harvest.
Why was rebuilding necessary?
In the natural world, Israel had delayed building God's house and emphasized building their own
homes. They had put their own concerns ahead of God's command.
In the spiritual world, the foundation of their lives was wrong. They had been sowing and
reaping in the spirit world with unholy hands:
...So is this people, and so is this nation before Me, says the Lord; and so is
every work of their hands; and what they offer there on the altar is unclean
because they who offer it are themselves unclean. (Haggai 2:14, The
Amplified Bible)
A right work or sacrifice offered by unholy hands is not acceptable. The foundation was wrong.
God said to Israel:
Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed; how then art thou
turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto Me? (Jeremiah 2:21)
Because of this improper spiritual foundation God cursed the harvest:
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I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of
your hands. (Haggai 2:17)
The Living Bible states that the result of unrighteousness was that "everything you did went
wrong."
Haggai told God's people that the foundation of the Lord's temple must be relayed. He said if
they would rebuild in both the natural and spiritual worlds God would bless them:
But now note this: From today...and from this day onward, I will bless you.
Notice, I am giving you this promise now before you have even begun to build
the Temple structure, and before you have harvested the grain, and before
the grapes and figs and pomegranates and olives have produced their next
crops: From this day, I will bless you. (Haggai 2:18-19, The Living Bible)
From the day that Israel began to rebuild the temple in the natural world and the foundation of
righteousness in the spirit world God started to bless them. The result was abundant harvest in
both worlds.
If you will rebuild the foundations of your life on righteousness, from this day God will begin to
bless you. You will reap abundantly in every area of life.
Harvestime International Institute offers a course entitled "Foundations of Faith", dealing with
the importance of proper spiritual foundations in the Christian life.
The subject is so great that it cannot be covered here but it is important to note some basic
principles because they affect the spiritual harvesting process. The proper foundation which
brings abundant harvest is:
Built On A Rock Which Is Immovable:
He is like a man which built a house, and digged deep, and laid the
foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently
upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
(Luke 6:48)
That Rock Is Jesus Christ:
There is no other rock; I know not any. (Isaiah 44:8)
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The Foundation Is Based On Righteousness:
The uncompromisingly righteous has an everlasting foundation.

(Proverbs 10:25, The Amplified Bible)
It Is A Good Foundation:
Laying in store for themselves a good foundation...(I Timothy 6:19)
It Is Eternal:
Laying in store for themselves a good foundation for the future [eternal] so
they may grasp that which is life indeed. (I Timothy 6:19, The Living Bible)
It Is Based On God's Word:
God's Word stands firm like a rock [foundation]; nothing can shake it.
(II Timothy 2:19)
The Foundation Stands On Two Principles:
But the firm foundation laid by God stands sure and unshaken, bearing this
seal and inscription: The Lord knows those who are His and let everyone
who names himself by the name of the Lord give up all iniquity and stand
aloof from it. (I Timothy 2:19) The Amplified Bible
The two principles upon which the foundation stands are:
1. Redeemed men: ± The Lord knows those who are His.
2. Living redeemed lives: ± Let everyone who names himself by the name
of the Lord give up all iniquity and stand aloof
from it.
This is the proper foundation for spiritual harvest.
FEW LABORERS:
If there are few laborers in the harvest field, the yield will be poor. The harvest will rot before it
can be reaped. Jesus said:
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...The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the
Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth labourers into His harvest.
(Luke 10:2)
THE RESULTS
Things that prevent harvest have tragic results in the spirit world:
The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine
is dried up, the oil languisheth.
Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat

and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished.
The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the
palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field are withered.
(Joel 1:10-12)
In the natural world, poor harvest results in sadness...
And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the
vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting... (Isaiah
16:10)
In the spiritual world poor harvest also results in a loss of joy and gladness:
Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house
of our God? (Joel 1:16)
If we wonder why there is no joy in our lives, if we question why singing and the victory shout
have vanished from our churches... it is the result of poor spiritual harvest.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
We have identified the factors which prevent spiritual harvest. We have discovered the reasons
for lack of spiritual joy and victory.
What can you do to reverse the cycle of poor spiritual yields and bring abundant harvest in your
life?
When the natural harvest was poor in Israel, Joel told God's people to:
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Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping,
and with mourning:
And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your
God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness...
(Joel 2:12-13)
You must turn to God in repentance for disobedience to His Word and unconcern over spiritual
harvest. You must ask Him to remove the spiritual pests and diseases which have prevented
fruitfulness.
You must repent of self-effort and ask Him to direct your efforts to the fulfillment of His
purpose for the nations of the world.
You must break up the uncultivated ground and rebuild the foundation of your life on
righteousness.
Joel advised the spiritual leaders to repent and call a fast:
Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the

altar...Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and the
inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry unto the
Lord. (Joel 1:13-14)
If you are a Christian leader and your church has not been reaping spiritual harvest take the
following steps:
-Call an assembly of your elders and your membership.
-Come together before God in fasting and repentance.
-Ask God to give you a vision of abundant spiritual harvest.
-Then unite in purpose to fulfill that vision.

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SELF-TEST
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. Write T in front of the statements which are TRUE. Write F in front of the statements
which are FALSE.
a._____Deuteronomy 28 is an example of the "If/But" principle of God's promises.
b._____Satan has no interest in spiritual harvest.
c._____Self-effort is important in reaping spiritual harvest.
d._____You should carefully observe the circumstances before you sow spiritually.
e._____Doing good works is not enough to bring forth spiritual harvest.
f._____Your problem is not really with bad circumstances but with the spiritual powers
behind these circumstances.
g._____A right work offered with unholy hands is not acceptable.
3. What are some of the wicked things we sow which bring a spiritual harvest of
iniquity:
________________________________ ____________________________
________________________________ ____________________________
4. What are the two principles of the foundation based on Jesus Christ?
________________________living________________________
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5. Give one reference showing the results of poor spiritual harvest.
________________________________________________________________________
6. Give one reference showing what you can do to reverse the trend of poor
spiritual harvest.
________________________________________________________________________
7. List the things which prevent harvest that were discussed in this chapter.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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FOR FURTHER STUDY
Study the following references to identify other reasons for poor spiritual harvest:
OLD
TESTAMENT
Leviticus 19:19 Deuteronomy 22:9; 28 Job 4:8 Psalms

105 Proverbs 6:12,14,19; 10:5; 16:28; 20:4; 22:8;
24:30 Ecclesiastes 11:4 Song of Solomon 2:15 Isaiah
16:10; 17:10-11; 28:24-28; 32:9-20 Jeremiah 2; 5:17-
19; 8:13-14; 12:10-11 Hosea 8:7; 10:12-13 Joel l Amos
4,5 Micah 6 Haggai l
NEW TESTAMENT
Matthew 13:1-23 Mark

4:2-20 Luke 8:4-15; 10:2;
22:31 II Corinthians 9:6
Galatians 6:7-8 James 5:4
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CHAPTER SIX
STRATEGIES FOR SPIRITUAL HARVEST
PART I
OBJECTIVES:
C Use Biblical strategies which yield abundant spiritual harvest.
KEY VERSES:
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come
again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. (Psalms 126:5-6)
INTRODUCTION
The previous chapter identified things that prevent spiritual harvest. This and the following
chapter details strategies which assure abundant spiritual harvest.
Strategies are principles, methods, and plans to follow in order to reach a certain goal. They are
revealed in God's Word as natural principles which are parallels of spiritual truths.
STRATEGIES OF HARVEST
Here are the strategies of harvest:
EACH PLANT IS CAPABLE OF REPRODUCTION:
In the natural world when God created the earth He made each plant capable of reproducing
itself:
And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the
fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, WHOSE SEED IS IN ITSELF, upon
the
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earth; and it was so. (Genesis 1:11)
Just as each plant in the natural world is capable of reproduction, each believer has the ability to
reproduce spiritually. Within YOU dwells the potential to be spiritually reproductive. Great
knowledge of spiritual things is not necessary in order to become part of the cycle of spiritual
harvest. Jesus told a parable which illustrates this truth:
And He said, So is the Kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the
ground.
...and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle,
because the harvest is come. (Mark 4:26,27,29)
It is not necessary to understand the theology behind the growth and development of the seed of
God's Word in human hearts. It is not required that you have understanding of deep theological
truths.
What IS necessary is that you become a participant in the cycle of spiritual harvest.
SOWING IS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO

REAP:
In the natural world, you must sow seed in order to reap a crop. In the spiritual world you must
also sow in order to reap. God provides the spiritual resources for sowing:
And God, who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also
provide and multiply your resources for sowing... (II Corinthians 9:10, The
Amplified Bible)
God multiplies your spiritual talents and abilities to make you reproductive.
God multiplies your financial resources so you can invest in His work. He does not multiply your
finances for you to accumulate great fortunes. The purpose is that you can reinvest the blessings
in His Kingdom.
YOU DO NOT HARVEST IN THE SAME SEASON YOU SOW:
In the beginning God established a seasonal principle in the natural world:
While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest...shall not

cease. (Genesis 8:22)
58
Sowing is necessary in order to have a harvest. But the harvest does not come in the same season
as the sowing. Some who receive the vision of spiritual harvest become discouraged because
they do not understand this principle.
There is a time of sowing but then you must wait for the seed of the Word to germinate in the
hearts of men and women. There is a time to patiently cultivate. You do not harvest in the same
season in which you sow.
Psalms l speaks of this process in the life of believers:
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth
his fruit in his season... (Psalms 1:3)
If there are fruitful seasons of life this means there are also periods which appear unfruitful.
These are periods of preparing the ground, sowing, and cultivating. But these seasons of
"unfruitfulness" are necessary to bring the harvest.
This makes the principle of timing an important key to harvest. You must wait patiently during
the time of growth and development. But you must also recognize when it is harvest time and act
promptly before the crop perishes:
But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle,
because the harvest is come. (Mark 4:29)
In summary, there is...
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is

planted. (Ecclesiastes 3:2)
YOU REAP WHAT YOU
SOW:
Seed reproduces after its own kind in the natural world. If you plant apple seeds you will harvest
apples. The same is true in the spirit world:
he also reap. (Galatians 6:7)
Sowing to the flesh brings a corrupt harvest while sowing in righteousness results in a good
harvest.
YOU MUST SOW REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES:
Those who regard circumstances will never become part of the vision of the harvest. Their
59
circumstances will defeat them just as a farmer who neglects his field because of the cold, wind,
and clouds:
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds
shall not reap. (Ecclesiastes 11:4)
An important strategy of spiritual harvest is that of sowing regardless of the circumstances of
life:Happy and fortunate are you who cast your seed upon all waters when the river overflows
its banks; for the seed will sink into the mud and when of the waters subside will spring up;
you will find it after many days in an abundant harvest... (Isaiah 32:20, The Amplified
Bible)
You must sow beside all waters which means in all circumstances of life. Even when the rivers
of difficult circumstances overflow the banks of your life, you must continue sowing. God has
promised it will bring abundant harvest.
YOU HARVEST IN PROPORTION TO THE AMOUNT SOWN:
Remember this: He who sows sparingly and grudgingly will also reap
sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously and that blessing may
come to someone, will also reap generously and with blessings. (II
Corinthians 9:6, The Amplified Bible)
This principle applies in every area of your spiritual life. If you give grudgingly of your time,
talents, and finances to the work of God, then your harvest will be small. If you sow generously,
you will reap abundantly. There are different levels of productivity in spiritual harvest described
in John 15. You can bring forth:
-Fruit: John 15:2 -More fruit:

John 15:2 -Much fruit: John 15:4
-Permanent fruit: John 15:16
God's desire is that you bring forth much fruit and that it is permanent.
Peter identified some qualities you should develop in your life in order to be fruitful:
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue
knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience
60
godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither
be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (II Peter
1:5-8)
Peter warns that if these qualities are not developed you will lack spiritual vision:
But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath
forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. (II Peter 1:9)
YOU CAN SOW WHERE YOU DO NOT REAP and

REAP WHERE YOU DO NOT SOW:
When Israel entered the promised land God said they would eat of vineyards which they had not
planted. They would reap a harvest which they had not sown.
The same is true in the spirit world. You can reap the harvest others have sown:
And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured,
and ye are entered into their labours. (John 4:37-38)
For centuries believers have sown their lives in the harvest fields of the world. As we near the
return of the Lord their sowing is bringing a great harvest in the nations of the world. You enter
into their labors when you reap where you have not sown.
But you may also be part of the sowing process and never reap the harvest.
Paul speaks of this:
I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but
God that giveth the increase.
Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall
receive his own reward according to his own labour.
For we are labourers together with God... (I Corinthians 3:6-9)
61
YOU WILL REAP THE HARVEST IF YOU ARE FAITHFUL:
Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint
not. (Galatians 6:9)
Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the
husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long
patience for it, until he receive the early and the latter rain. (James 5:7)
If you are faithful God has promised you will reap the harvest. Do not become weary in the task
He has given you to do.
IN ORDER TO REPRODUCE, THE SEED MUST DIE:
A seed looks dead. There are no green leaves, no tender shoots or branches. In order to grow it
must be buried.
This is a natural parallel of a great spiritual truth. Spiritual life depends on sacrificial death:
Every time you plant seed, you sow something that does not come to life
(germinating, springing up and growing) unless it dies first. (I Corinthians
15:36, The Amplified Bible)
In order to bring forth life it was necessary for Jesus to die on the cross. His ministry seemed to
be in vain because it ended in death.
But it was His sowing time. What an abundant harvest has resulted from His death from that one
kernel of wheat which fell into the ground. Through His death millions have found life.
Spiritual life requires sacrificial death. It requires death to sin. It requires death to worldly desires
and pleasures.
Jim Elliott, martyred for the cause of Christ in an attempt to reach the Auca Indians of Ecuador
with the Gospel, wrote in his diary: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what
he cannot lose."
In natural life, the ultimate contradiction is death because death brings eternal life to the believer.
The only real death is when you do not have anything worth dying for. Be sure the thing you are
living for is worth dying for.
At times there will be no visible evidence of harvest. It may appear you are losing your life for a
vision which is dying.
62
But you must remember:
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and
die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. (John 12:24)
Jesus did not die in vain. Through His death came life. Through his death, salvation came to the
Auca Indians as others stepped forward to take his place and reach them with the Gospel.
The seed is not dead. Within it is the life force of God. But in order to bring forth life it must die.
Hosea speaks of the results of investing your life in this manner:
And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that
had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people,
Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God. (Hosea 2:23)
This verse summarizes the purpose of applying the strategies of spiritual harvest. You labor so
God can say to those who were not His people "Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art
my God."
63
SELF-TEST
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. Define "strategies.”
________________________________________________________________________
3. List nine strategies for spiritual harvest discussed in this chapter.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
64
FOR FURTHER STUDY
PARABLES OF THE VINEYARD
There are several parables in the Bible which concern the vineyard and reveal additional
information about spiritual harvest. The parable of the sower (Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8) is
covered elsewhere in this course. Other parables of the vineyard are listed below for further
study.
BASKET OF SUMMER FRUIT: Amos 8:1-2
What natural example did God show Amos?_______________________________________
What was the meaning of this example?___________________________________________
What was the great famine which God sent as judgment on Israel because they would not
obey His Word? (verses 11-12)________________________________________________
GOD'S VINEYARD: Isaiah 5:1-7
This parable refers to the nation of Israel. God had planted Israel in the spirit world to be
reproductive and bless the nations of the world. But Israel had not been fruitful. What was the
result of the spiritual harvest in Israel? (verse 4)
________________________________________________________________________
What was the judgment on the vineyard? (verses 5-6)
________________________________________________________________________
What are the contrasts in verse 7? God looked for __________________________________
but found_____________________.
He looked for ___________________but found________________(of unrighteousness).
What were the reasons Israel was in this spiritual condition? (verses 13,20)
________________________________________________________________________
GOD'S VINEYARD: Matthew 21:28-41; Mark 12:1-9; Luke 20:9-16
65
This New Testament parable also concerns God's vineyard. It is a record of how God sent His
prophets to Israel and they rejected them. Finally He sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, and He too
was rejected.
What was the response of the husbandmen (Israel) to the servants God sent?
________________________________________________________________________
What was their response to the Son?_____________________________________________
What was the judgment God sent?_______________________________________________

(The others to whom He would give it were the Gentiles).
THE FIG TREE: Luke 13:6-9
When the owner of the vineyard came to gather fruit from the fig tree, what did he find?
___________________________________________________________________________
What did he want to do?_______________________________________________________
What was the response of the keeper of the vineyard?________________________________
The fig tree represents Israel. What do you think this parable means?
________________________________________________________________________
WORKERS IN THE VINEYARD: Matthew 20:1-16
What was the pay of the workers hired early in the day?_______________________
What was the pay of the workers hired late in the day?________________________
What was the problem which arose between the workers?
________________________________________________________________________
What is the principle which Jesus illustrated with this parable? (verse 16)
________________________________________________________________________
66
THE TWO SONS: Matthew 21:28-31
When the father asked his sons to work in the vineyard:
How did the first son answer him?____________________________________________
What did the first son actually do?____________________________________________
How did the second son answer him?__________________________________________
What did the second son actually do?__________________________________________
What was the principle Jesus taught through this parable?__________________________
________________________________________________________________________
THE HARVEST: Matthew 9:37-38; Luke 10:2; John 4:34-38, 12:24
On several occasions Jesus used the natural example of the harvest to illustrate spiritual truths.
What is the greatest need in the harvest field?
________________________________________________________________________
What is one thing we can do about this need (Matthew 9:38)?
________________________________________________________________________
What is the principle of harvest Jesus taught in John 12:24?
________________________________________________________________________
What truth do you learn about sowers and reapers in John 4:36-38?
________________________________________________________________________
THE TARES: Matthew 13:24-30
What kind of seed was sown in the field?_____________________________________

What happened while the workers slept?_____________________________________
67
What was the solution to the problem of the tares which had been sown? (verse 30)
________________________________________________________________________
Why did the owner decide on this solution? (verse 29)
________________________________________________________________________
Is it our responsibility to separate tares from wheat?___________
THE MUSTARD SEED: Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:31-32; Luke 13:18-19
The mustard seed is the________________of all seeds.
What type of plant is it when it is grown?_________________
What spiritual truth was Jesus illustrating with the story of the mustard seed?
________________________________________________________________________
In Matthew 17:20 Jesus used the mustard seed as an example of faith. What are the
effects of a small amount of faith?
________________________________________________________________________
68
CHAPTER SEVEN
STRATEGIES FOR SPIRITUAL HARVEST
PART II
OBJECTIVES:
C Explain spiritual parallels of the natural principles of plant development. C Apply

these parallels as strategies for spiritual harvest.
KEY VERSE:
For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things
that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness
and praise to spring forth before all the nations. (Isaiah 61:11)
INTRODUCTION
This chapter continues the study of strategies for spiritual harvest. It concerns a final principle of
harvest: Seeds develop in response to certain external conditions.
In the natural world there are certain conditions required for growth and development of seeds.
These natural conditions are parallels of spiritual factors necessary for development of the seed
of the Word of God in order for it to bring a spiritual harvest.
CONDITIONS FOR GROWTH
LIFE:
Growth is impossible without life. There must be life in the seed, or it will not grow. Jesus was
the visible revelation of the Word of God, the Seed, and in Him was life:
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4)
69
For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life
in Himself. (John 5:26)
Jesus came to plant this seed of life in you to make you reproductive:
I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more
abundantly. (John 10:10)
His life is in you. When you plant the seed of His Word, you know that...
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not
thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it
may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
So shall my Word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return
unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper
in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)
PROPER SOIL:
You have learned in this course, that uncultivated ground prevents abundant harvest. Proper soil
is necessary for a good harvest:
And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the Word,
and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an
hundred. (Mark 4:20)
When you harvest in the spirit world you must concentrate your efforts on good ground. You
must prepare the ground and sow the seed of the Word properly. Both are necessary if harvest is
to come (Hosea 10:12; Jeremiah 4:3).
According to the parable of the sower (Mark 4:3-20), if there is no harvest then the variable is
the ground. This is an important principle of harvest. Unresponsive ground should not be
neglected. Someone should sow, cultivate, and recognize when it is time to call in harvesters
(Luke 13:6-9). But this is not the place to concentrate the spiritual forces. Jesus never said there
would be a lack of sowers but a lack of harvesters. The spiritual labor forces should be
concentrated where the ground is responsive and yielding a harvest.
Timing is of great importance in harvest. Harvesters are not needed when the seed has just been
sown or when the crop is still green. But there is that brief, strategic moment in which the harvest
of the good soil is ripe. It is then that many harvesters are needed. If all the laborers are busy
with unresponsive spiritual fields and there are no harvesters available, then the opportunity is
lost forever.
70
WATER:
Water is necessary if a seed is to germinate and produce in the natural world. God promised:
For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry
ground. (Isaiah 44:3)
This pouring out is an anointing of the Holy Spirit of which water is a symbol:
I will pour out of my Spirit upon your seed. (Isaiah 44:10, The Amplified
Bible)
He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow
rivers of living water. (John 7:38)
The water of the Holy Spirit causes the seed of the Word of God to take root in the hearts of men
and women who are dead in sin:
For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and
that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the
ground;
Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a
plant. (Job 14:7-9)
LIGHT:
It is response to light that stimulates plant growth in the natural world. It is the light of God that
results in development of the spiritual harvest:
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4)
I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,
but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)
The light of God brings spiritual life.
AIR:
An important substance called carbon dioxide is drawn in by the natural plant from the air which
surrounds it. Air is necessary for plants to grow. In the Bible the Holy Spirit is compared to air or
a wind:
71
The wind breathes where it will and thou canst hear the sound of it: But
knowest nothing of the way it came or the way it goes. So it is when a man is
born of the breath of the spirit. (John 3:8, Knox Translation)
The Holy Spirit breaths life into the seed of the Word which results in spiritual growth.
SPACE:
In the parable of the sower, competition for space caused some plants to die:
He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the Word; and
the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the Word, and
he becometh unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22)
The competition of the things of the world can choke the seed of the Word of God and prevent
spiritual fruitfulness.
ROOT SYSTEM:
Roots are necessary to anchor and supply nutrients to the plant. Psalms l tells how to develop the
root system in your spiritual life:
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor
standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day
and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth
forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he
doeth shall prosper. (Psalms 1:1-3)
REST:
The plant rests during a period called "dormancy.” Dormancy is a period of rest for the plant.
Dormancy usually occurs right before a period of very rapid growth. The plant looks like it is
dead. But it is not dead. The seed of life is still alive within.
When you plant the seed of the Word of God in the lives of men and women there is often a
period of dormancy during which you can see no growth. You may think you have failed in your
mission. But the seed has not died.
72
Just as in the natural world, spiritual dormancy precedes the period of rapid growth and
development of spiritual harvest. Wait patiently for the harvest:
Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath
long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. (James 5:7)
ATTACHED TO THE VINE:
In order to bear fruit in the natural world a branch must be attached to the main plant. If the
branch is broken off from the main life-giving vine or trunk it will not bear fruit.
Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. In order to bear spiritual fruit, you must maintain your
relationship to Him:
I am the true vine, and my Father is the

husbandman.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch
that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it
abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (John 15:1-4)
PRUNING
:
Pruning is necessary in the natural world if a plant is to remain reproductive and bear fruit. When
a farmer prunes a plant he cuts off the unproductive branches in order to make the plant produce
more fruit. He removes everything which would hinder the growth of the plant.
Pruning is also necessary in the spiritual world. Spiritual pruning is correction by God. The Bible
also calls it chastisement. When God prunes, He removes from your life everything which would
hinder your spiritual growth. This process is necessary if you are to bear spiritual fruit:
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch
that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (John
15:2)
Sometimes you do not reap the benefits of pruning because you blame Satan when God is
73
actually the one bringing circumstances into your life to correct [prune] you. The purpose of
God's correction is given in Hosea 6:1:
Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us;
he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. (Hosea 6:1)
The chastisement of pruning results in a return to God. Only by returning to Him will you
become spiritually reproductive.
CLIMATE:
Climate is important to plants in the natural world. Sometimes plants are kept in buildings called
"hot houses" at specific temperatures in order for them to grow. They are protected from the real
world outside. If you take a "hot house" plant and move it outside, it will soon die because it has
lived only in a controlled environment. It cannot withstand the environment of the real world.
Spiritually speaking, we do not want "hot house" Christians who look good in controlled settings
but are unable to reproduce when they come in contact with the real world. The seed of God's
Word sown in your own life and the lives of those to whom you minister should produce growth
despite the most difficult of spiritual climates.
SUMMARY
This chapter concludes the strategies for spiritual harvest. A review of the principles reveal the
following spiritual parallels of natural truths:
-Each plant is capable of reproduction. -Sowing is necessary in order to

reap. -You do not harvest in the same season you sow. -You must sow
regardless of the circumstances. -You harvest in proportion to the amount
sown. -You can sow where you do not reap and reap where you do not
sow. -You will reap the harvest if you are faithful. -In order to reproduce,
the seed must die. -Seeds develop in response to certain external
conditions.
Understanding and applying these strategies will result in abundant spiritual harvest. The next
chapter will show you how to reap that harvest.
74
SELF-TEST
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. What was the final principle of harvest taught in this chapter?

________________________________________________________________________
3. List the ten natural conditions for growth discussed in this chapter and applied to
spiritual harvest:
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
75
FOR FURTHER STUDY
In the last two chapters spiritual parallels of natural principles of sowing and reaping have been
analyzed. Jesus presented a similar study in the parable of the sower. Compare the three accounts
of this parable in Matthew 13:3-9; Mark 4:3-20; and Luke 8:5-15.
1. What was the spiritual parallel of the natural seed which was sown?
(Luke 8:11)__________________________________________________________
2. The different types of soil represent the responsiveness of people to the Word of God.
Complete the following chart which describes the types of soil and the results of sowing the
seed:
Type Of Soil Results From The Seed Sown In This Soil
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. What happens when someone hears the Word and does not understand it?
(Matthew 13:19)________________________________________________________
4. What causes the seed in stony places to die?
(Matthew 13:20-21; Luke 8:6,13)__________________________________________
5. What are the things which are compared to thorns which choke out the Word?
(Matthew 13:22; Mark 4:18-19; Luke 8:14)_________________________________
6. What happens when the Word is choked out by the thorns? (Matthew 13:22).
He becomes______________________.
7. Does the parable indicate there are different results when the seed in good ground is
harvested? (Matthew 13:23)_________What are the results?____________________
76

Strategies For Harvest

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Strategies

PART ONE: VISUALIZATION

1. The Birth Of A Vision . . . . . . . . 3

3. His Eyes Behold The Nations . . . . . . . 22

PART TWO: CONCEPTUALIZATION

4. The World In The Word . . . . . . . 29

PART THREE: OBJECTIFICATION

5. Rusty Sickles, Empty Fields . . . . . . . 38

6. Strategies For Spiritual Harvest - Part I . . . . . 57

7. Strategies For Spiritual Harvest - Part II . . . . . 69

PART FOUR: EXPECTATION

9. Breaking The Yoke . . . . . . . . 94

10. Blessing The Nations . . . . . . . . 104

11. The Vision Becomes Reality . . . . . . . 116

Answers To Self-Tests . . . . . . . . 123

HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL

Each lesson consists of:

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS NEEDED

You will need a King James version of the Bible.

SECOND AND FOLLOWING MEETINGS

-If you feel empty spiritually...

The vision is your answer!

-Visualization: In which the vision will be identified.

-Expectation: In which your expectations will be fulfilled as you become part of

Upon completion of this course you will be able to:

C Explain the vision of the harvest as a spiritual parallel of a natural example.

C Identify factors that prevent spiritual harvest.

C See the world as God sees it.

C Reap in revelation harvest.

PART ONE: VISUALIZATION

Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to:

WHY SPIRITUAL VISION?

Why is spiritual vision necessary? Why do people perish without it?

This process is a spiritual parallel of an actual incident in the ministry of Jesus:

And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.

WHAT IS SPIRITUAL VISION?

-They do not have spiritual vision.

The Apostle Paul had spiritual vision. He said:

I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision. (Acts 26:19)

-Open their spiritual eyes from darkness to light. -Turn them

THE BIRTH OF A VISION

"Conception" means to create. A spiritual vision is created in your spirit by God.

Ecclesiastes 5:3 states:

For a dream cometh through the multitude of business. (Ecclesiastes

THE TIME OF TRANSITION:

THE VISION OF ABRAHAM

Who is the source of spiritual vision?

1. Write the Key Verse from memory.

2. Define spiritual vision.

List One List Two

List One List Two

FOR FURTHER STUDY

1. Expand your knowledge of the process of travail, by studying the following

2. Think about this statement:

"A vision without a task is visionary. A task without

3. Wicked men give birth to evil plans:

He who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth

-Sarah birthed Isaac

Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to:

NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL TRUTHS

This principle of natural and spiritual parallels is explained in I Corinthians:

...There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.