KINGDOM LIVING: Expect the Harvest

Day: Day 12
Date: January 20, 2023
Title: KINGDOM LIVING: Expect the Harvest

Isn’t this exciting to see all that happened in one day by the infusing of power released by Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost?

I am so excited for all of us to embrace this and to see it all come alive to us more than ever before. So let’s look at the next part:

Acts 2:41 NASU

So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.

We see that there were those that day that actually received Peter’s word.  Do you also realize that everyone there did not ALL receive it that day?  There were many thousands there that day, and though 3,000 is a lot of people, it wasn’t ALL of them who heard the truth that day.

They had to not just hear it, they had to receive it.

• To take fully
• Welcome
• Approve
• Accept, receive

So what really happened?  They responded properly to it and then it says they were baptized.

I believe they were baptized in water, but I believe they also were baptized with the baptism of the Spirit of God. Upon receiving what Peter released, they received salvation, believing Jesus as Lord and Savior, and there was the overwhelming presence of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

Why wouldn’t they have also received the same gift of the Spirit as the 120 did that day?

When the Spirit is moving, the Spirit often releases even that which people don’t know they are desperately in need of.

In fact, there are many times the Holy Spirit has done the same thing since that occurrence 2,000 years ago.

Let us look at the Azusa Street Revival.

The Azusa Street Revival was a historic series of revival meetings that took place in Los Angeles, California.  It was led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher. The revival began on April 9, 1906, and continued until roughly 1915. On the night of April 9, 1906, Seymour and seven men were waiting on God on Bonnie Brae Street, “when suddenly, as though hit by a bolt of lightning, they were knocked from their chairs to the floor,” and the other seven men began to speak in tongues and shout out loud praising God. The news quickly spread; the city was stirred; crowds gathered; services were moved outside to accommodate the crowds who came from all around; people fell down as they approached, and attributed it to God; people were baptized in the Holy Spirit and the sick were said to be healed.

Did you see that?  This is historical truth from the 1900s!

Let’s review with much joy as we read this.

Eight men were waiting on God.

The Spirit of God came and knocked them out of their chairs (Oh, do it again Lord!)

Then what did the other seven men begin to do?  Speak in tongues and shout out loud praising God. (Isn’t this just so fun? I love to think and ponder this.  I long for these things to happen in our midst again, and they are and they will increase – I believe it and declare and decree it!)

Then what happened?

There was immediate increase, like on the day of the first Pentecost.  News spread, the city was stirred and crowds of people came. (Can we see that happening at Liberty Life Center and Davie, Florida, and beyond?)

As they gathered, and even as they came near, the power of the Holy Ghost was moving in such powerful ways, they couldn’t stand up in their own natural strength.  (Praise God! I have been believing for this for years, and we are on the brink of this happening if we stay operating with hunger and thirst after God.)

What happened then? The people were baptized in the Holy Ghost. And what else happened? (They were healed because a whole lot of SOZO was going on.)

What was the announcement?

The testimony of those who attended the Azusa Street Revival was, “I am saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost.”

During a revival, God supernaturally transforms believers and non-believers in a church, locale, region, nation, or the world through sudden, intense enthusiasm for Christianity.  People sense the presence of God powerfully; conviction, despair, contrition, repentance, and prayer come easily; people thirst for God’s Word; many authentic conversions occur and backsliders are renewed.

Revival and awakening are, generally, synonyms. The larger the geography a revival covers, the greater the tendency to call it an awakening.

America has a deep, rich history of revivals and awakenings.  

Why not here?  

Why not now?

There has to be an expectancy that we come into agreement with.  We need to be as one, trusting and relying fully upon the power of the Spirit to once again come, move and bring about radical deliverances, salvations, healings, and events. Then no one can deny it is the true living God that has made these things happen.

We cannot shy away from the moving of the Spirit.  We must instead cry out for it, and be willing to offer ourselves to His move and His flow.

Pray for HIM to come and knock us out of what is usual and bring us higher.  We can and we must become vessels of honor to be used to build the Kingdom of God.

People are suffering.  They are confused.  They are alone.  They are on their way to hell for eternity, unless we cry out for the harvest and are willing to be ones that surrender to the fullness of what the Spirit wants to do.

We have no apology for how the Spirit moves, but desperate cries are necessary for Him to come and do whatever is needed for all to be able to respond to HIS AWAKENING!

KINGDOM LIVING REALITY

We have been satisfied with the move of the Spirit that we have enjoyed.  We are thankful for it. Yes, but we must not be satisfied that it is not multiplying for others!

We must expect the harvest to come and to come to us and through us!

ACTIVATION:

Sit down and write three points about your testimony of salvation that you feel would Impact another individual.

As an Example:

• Where did it occur?
• How did it occur?
• What was the immediate and continuing change it brought to your life?

Let us pray.

PRAYER:

Dear Jesus,

How we need you!  We recognize how much more can be done because of the power of the Holy Spirit.

We are praying and fasting, not just to get cleansed ourselves.  We are crying out for a Holy Ghost river of fire to flow and cleanse hearts and lives in this region.  Our hearts are gripped by Your truths that You are releasing!  We desire to experience Kingdom living that comes from an outpouring of our King’s will on earth as it is in Heaven.

Lord, please help us to understand the neediness of our day.  We cry out for the change You have been bringing to us, and to recognize there is so much more we have been empowered to do.

Holy Spirit, fall in each of our houses today!  Pour out that which has nothing to do with man, but all that has to do with the Father’s heart and His will being done.

Let us look past what has been and begin to come into agreement with Your intentions for us, here and now to be transformed again and again.  Let us release the power that is needed to bring many into the Kingdom!

We praise You in advance for the answer to these heart cries.

We love You so much! We want everyone to experience how wonderful You are!

Come in all Your glory as we wait upon You.  Amen.

Now…wait….