Look At The Fields! They Are Ripe For Harvest

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

-John 4:34-38

This is the year of the Lord's Favour, and also a period of special grace for our Church! I was really amazed by how God had already been moving, such as by bringing many new brothers to the NS group recently, or through ExperieNSe or by putting 5 bros from NS Ministry in the same 5th COY in Tekong.

For myself, there are different people I sowed on. However there were periods where there seems to be little fruit, even though some seemed really open to know God, and though we got to talk and fellowship a lot.

During the period before I ORD last Dec, I took courage to share about God to many camp mates, including my OC, a ME5 from another section, and an Indian brother who was in another section too. I was really grateful for these God-given opportunities. However since then, none of them came to Hope or receive Christ yet. I also had a good friend named Eugene, he is an Atheist, but he joined me for Christmas ESS. He still holds to his belief, but we had a great and fruitful time of sharing.

Despite not seeing much fruit, a message that had been shared recently was that when we plant the seed, we don't know how, but the seed grows! Another message was that, one may plant, one may water, but it's God who makes it grow.

An amazing testimony to this would be how Tian Wei, a new believer came to join us! He was in the same GP group tuition as me for about 2 months during A's. There were also DHS Hope peeps at the tuition, but he didn't came to Hope then. It was in NS that he met Douglas from NS ministry, and came to receive Christ!

There is also a brother named Alvin, who came to Hope for about a year in Sec 3 after I invited him. He went to study in HK, but when he came back for NS, he was in the neighboring COY beside me in BMT. We got to catch up, but he has not come back to Christ yet and is going back to HK this weekend. Yet I'll hold to God's Word, that it is God who makes the seed grow, for He definitely planted the seed.

I also have to share about Bryan! His mum came to Hope recently and got connected with my mum. She invited her son Bryan to join me and my LG for Project Sparkle. His son was going CJC. He came with his mum to 2nd service recently, and after service, they ate dinner at Army Market instead of joining the NS Ministry at Dhoby. It just so happened that the CJC LG was there too and met with Bryan and his mum. Bryan was then connected to the LG! One plant, one waters, but God makes it grow!

In light of all that God was doing in this year of His Favour, and the Word he has given me. I was encouraged to continue to sow and love those around me. Just yesterday, I went with some of my Cat High old friends to send Eugene off for overseas studies. As we sent him off and went for dinner, my friend Yihe, who was also an Atheist suddenly asked about my Church, as he's been there before a few years back. We talked more and he is coming for service this Saturday! Yihe also just happened to know Jordan and Ernest who are in my current LG! I also asked other friends yesterday. A friend named Harvey(who also knows Shaun in my current LG) is coming, and another brother Tjun Sern is joining too! :)

It's amazing that these 3 brothers just responded quickly that they wanted to come last night; especially Yihe, as he is an Atheist. Perhaps God opened this door because we'll meet up less(Cat high old friends) after Eugene flies off, so God just opened Yihe's heart to want to visit this Saturday.

There are others brothers who may come along too and I can really see how God is drawing them to Him; be it through the people they happened to know in Hope, or suddenly softening their hearts! This is indeed the Year of the Lord's Favour! God isn't just orchestrating to open the doors to the Harvest, but is even turning the hearts of many towards Him again! Let's continue to seek Him, to carry more of His heart of compassion, to take the mustard seed of faith, and His living Word, as He continues to advance His Kingdom!

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” 

-Matthew 9:35-38

God is the Lord of the Harvest, and we are the workers he is sending! God bless :)