Solemn Assembly – 600+
Disciple Summit – 125+
Luke 8:5-15 - As the farmer, (the Lord) has scattered the seed (God’s Word to men), we are trusting God that to those He has chosen to be at the above meetings [Remember Jesus said, “No man can come unto Me, except My Father who sent Me bids them come]:
o They are not the category of people who have heard the Word, but the devil comes and takes the message of God away from their hearts, not believing in Jesus and not saved = philosophy of the world?
o Neither are they those - after hearing the Word, they receive and welcome with joy, but the Word has no firmly grounded root. They believe for a little while, but in the time of trials and temptation, they depart from the Saviour and abandon their faith = shallow faith?
o Nor are they those who heard the Word but anxiety, riches and pleasures of this life have suffocated the Word and no fruit is brought to life = intrusion/distraction?
What happens to a seed after it is planted for it to be able to bear fruit? What happens to the Word of God that has been deposited/sowed into the hearts of the men/women that He had gathered for those three days [both at Solemn Assembly & Disciples Summit]? What is God expecting?
A seed goes through a process before it becomes a plant/fruit. That process involves death for life to spring forth and for fruit to begin to emerge. But even before the springing up of fruit, there are some basic necessities/factors to aid the growth of that seed in order for it to bear fruit of an hundredfold or more. Remember, Jesus was the seed that was planted by God, and the seed (Christ) died that He might bring forth life. Buried and raised from the dead, He is the best seed that brings forth new life and bears fruit – John 12:24. It is a mystery that no man can comprehend/fathom. Alleluia!
Therefore, in relation to this, now that God Himself has planted the seed, which is His Word, into the hearts of men, there is the great labour of follow-up process that needs to spring forth, so that God’s gathering and outpouring during those days upon His people, is not in vain.
Let us look at the essentials that are needed for a seed to grow after being planted and inline relate this to the need for follow-up after these in-gathering of God’s people.*
ü Sunshine
The scripture says that God is light (1 John 1:5), and there is no darkness in Him. God is our sunshine, He is the one whose light causes the seed of His Word to germinate in our hearts, come to life from our dormancy, and bring upward growth of the planting. Without the light of God’s revelation, the seed (Word) is lifeless, dead, and unable to become alive in us.
ü Watering
Just as seeds and plants need adequate moisture to grow, so too, our hearts can become hardened without having communion with the Spirit of God. Jesus promised that when we receive the Holy Spirit, it would flow like rivers of living water (John 7:38). By preparing the soil of our hearts through active and daily prayer, like my water troughs, our hearts are both receptive to receiving God’s spirit when He pours down on us, and we are able to contain more of what He sends.
ü Fertilizer
Praying, hearing, and obeying the Word of God, is like mixing the Lord’s commands with the power of His Spirit. This is a winning combination for bearing fruit, and for making us healthy plants. What is the best food that we, as followers of Jesus, can use to nourish God’s plantings in our hearts? The same food Jesus partook of! Doing the will of God! (John 4:31-34) How can we know the will of God? It is revealed by His Spirit, through His Word, and when we listen to the counsel of His only begotten Son Jesus!
ü Pruning
Just as pruning is essential in maintaining the health and fruit bearing ability of any plant or tree, so does God prune away those things in our lives that have become old, and useless. Sometimes that pruning is the removal of our “old ways” of the world. Sometimes God prunes away our old concepts, and doctrines. John 15:5-8 – Jesus told the parable of the Vine and the branches. The main Vine represents Jesus. The branches represent His followers and disciples. The branches (us) must be connected to the main Vine, from whence comes the source of life. If the branches are broken off the main Vine, they dry up, and become useless. They can no longer bear fruit.
What Is God’s (The Gardener/Husbandman/Farmer/Vine-Dresser) Expectation? Harvest! Harvest! Harvest!
Mark 4: 26-29 – And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts up and grows-- how, he himself does not know. The soil produces crops by itself, first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
After preparing the soil, planting the seed, watering, and fertilizing, all a farmer can do is to watch the plants grow. If the conditions are not right, the plants will not grow to maturity. So it is with our walk with God. We have the responsibility of preparing our hearts, and allow the Spirit of God to plant the Word of God in our hearts – Galatians 6:7-8. We have to water our hearts with prayer. But only God can truly cause the growth. He provides the right spiritual conditions for us to grow in Him.
Prayers
v Let us appreciate God once again for the way He came to us as we seek His face at the Solemn Assembly gathering, as well as the Disciples Summit; thank Him for encountering us all afresh.
v Thank You Jesus as You revealed Your heart on the need of true discipleship and Your desire on the platform of discipleship to be multiplied.
v Enrich our lives O Lord as You did for Your apostles of old; help every labourer in UK Revival Labours to work diligently in the harvest field of souls, to live, to love and to nurture individual souls; Holy Spirit help us to learn that each labour of love in the field has a spiritual counterpart.
v Use Your humble work Lord Jesus to teach us Your simple and marvellous way, which is in accordance to Your pattern.
v Lord Jesus, You love the soil of a heart that is fertile (humble and obedient), and ready to receive the implanted word of God. Therefore, break up every hardened ground of our hearts which are still receptive to sin and its deceitfulness; let Your rain of righteousness fall upon our soiled hearts.
v Forgive us for not working or making things according to Your pattern Lord Jesus; instruct and teach us again; help us to rely on You so that You can show us how to prepare the ground of our heart, whereby the seed of Your Word is planted to yield a crop of righteousness.
v Let Your Word be properly planted in our hearts, so that when trials and temptations come, they wither in the sunlight of God; let Your Word that we have heard go deep into our heart, so that we do not fall away from the source of Your light and life.
v We need the rain of the Holy Spirit for without it, we cannot live. Spirit of the Living God, keep our garden watered with prayer and communion with God; let us not be satisfied with a droopy spirit, but press on to know the Lord; feed us with whatever is needful for us to serve You in righteousness, in order that we grow in the knowledge of our Redeemer.
v Holy Spirit, there is a great labour in follow-up, O for Thy Grace, set at work in the heart of Your labourers, so that unbelief, doubt, fear and the accuser of the brethren does not stand and begin to delude the hearts of Your people that You have gathered and breathe upon. Let Your outpouring not be in vain; O God, restore true shepherds to Your people so that they might grow into a healthy crop, mature and bearing the fruits of Your Spirit; we pray Thee that even in this labour, let it be according to Your divine pattern.
