SPECIAL EDITION N E W Y E A R E D I T I O N J A N U A R Y

Transcription

1 SPECIAL EDITION N E W Y E A R E D I T I O N J A N U A R Y John 12:24 (KJV): 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.

2 P A G E 2 PAGE 2 S P E C I A L E D I T I O N UR YEAR OF HARVEST I want to specially welcome you into I am very grateful to God for seeing us through an exciting He led us by His grace to do some works, but as we all know, we are always striving unto greater works as Jesus promised those that believe in Him. (John 14: 12). In 2017, we set out with a theme to Go all Out!! We attempted to stretch ourselves beyond the usual. We attempted to I was particularly excited about the level of commitment of each member during our stretch Village crusades, Street Miracle Crusades, Medical Outreaches, Retreats, ourselves Revivals, and Conferences. God bless you all! beyond the The Writer Kafui Ntow President, GC Camp God has told usual. us that 2018 is Our Year of Harvest!! As I reflected on the theme, I realized that harvest time has some implications. I will share a few with us: cont d on page 3

3 N E W Y E A R E D I T I O N ( ) P A G E 3 1. SEED TIME While the earth remaineth, SEED TIME and HARVEST, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. - Genesis 8:22(KJV) This scripture clearly spells out the fact that harvest is inevitably preceded by seed time or what is commonly known as sowing. The word harvest also connotes abundance because it talks of gathering of ripened crops/fruits or grain. Jesus gives a guidance as to how to get much fruit during harvest time: 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(KJV) Jesus teaches in this scripture that we will harvest much fruit if we learn to put our seeds (which are mostly valuable) to the ground and allow them to die!! It is only when we learn to sacrifice our seeds that we will see harvest (ie. much fruit during the reaping season). Nothing sacrificed, Nothing gained. Nothing sown, nothing reaped. If you do not sow seeds, you reap thorns while others reap real fruits. The Lord spoke expressly, that any seed we sowed in 2017, we will harvest in 2018!! Some will start the year reaping, others may have to start seeding process for a harvest in later months! 2018, will also be an opportunity to sow, because during the course of the year, you will reap a great harvest!!! Jesus sowed His life, the ultimate seed, and reaped a name that is above every name!!! Jesus sowed His reputation as the Prince of Peace and reaped the status of King of Kings!!! Abraham sowed his ambitions to follow God into a land he didn t know, and he reaped a Great Nation. He was willing to sow his dear son whom he had waited twenty-five (25) years for, and reaped many children: He is the father of many nations!!! Joseph sowed chastity in rejecting the pleasure of having Potiphar's wife and reaped a position of a Prince in a strange land! Mary sowed an alabaster box of costly ointment of spikenard, and reaped a name in the annals of kingdom preaching!!! cont d on page 4

4 P A G E 4 N E W Y E A R E D I T I O N ( ) What have you sowed? And what harvest are you expecting? What are some of the things we can sow in 2018? 1. Our physical resources (money, etc) for the work of ministry and for meeting the needs of others! Give and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down and shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. - Luke 6:38 (KJV) You shall reap a good measure, pressed down shaken together and running over. 2. Our Time a. Waiting in His presence (Isaiah 40:31a) - for they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. You will reap spiritual strength. To catch the reader's attention, place an b. Developing spiritual gifts Neglect not the gift that is in you, which was given thee by interesting sentence or quote from the story here. prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear unto all. - 1 Timothy 4:14-15(KJV) You will reap profit in ministry. c. Sacrificing for others/ Needy Blessed is he that considereth the poor, the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth; and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. - Psalms 41:1-2 (KJV) You will reap deliverance from enemies, preservation of your life and response in the time of trouble. 3. Our energy and natural force - For the work of ministry (SOUL WINING etc.) - But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. - 2 Timothy 4:5 (KJV) For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed to ward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints and do minister. - Hebrews 6:10 (KJV) You will reap remembrance before God if you sow your time to minister. 4. Purity/Holiness- Follow peace with all men, and HOLINESS, without which no man shall see the Lord. - Hebrews 12:14 (KJV) You will reap the manifestation of God s presence in your life if you sow purity and holiness. You shall see God! cont d on page 5

5 NEW YEAR EDITION(2018) PAGE 5 2. HARVEST TIME Harvest is a consequence of seed sowing. We expect harvest when we have sown. Harvesting is quite labour intensive because you will be reaping more than you have sown. Much more labour is needed during harvest time because the proceeds are bountiful. 1. Two areas we expect harvest in 2018 are as follows: i. Blessings: Varied blessings as a consequence of seed sowing (as already discussed). We will enjoy the fruits of our labour!! Financial blessings, social blessings, etc. ii. Souls : The most valuable resource on earth according to scripture is the soul of a man: For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? - Mark 8:36-37 (KJV) The following can be inferred from this scripture; a. A man s soul is the most valuable resource on earth. b. The whole world, and all its resources cannot be compared to the value of one (1) soul. c. There is nothing of greater value that can match a soul in any transaction! 2017 GC CAMP CONFERENCE This clearly means to me that those who win souls are the richest men you can find in the kingdom. The other blessings we will receive this year are perishable, but the harvest of souls gives us an unperishable account that transcends into eternity. cont d on page 6

6 P A G E 6 S P E C I A L E D I T I O N We need to store up treasures in heaven in Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and nor steal. - Math 6:19-20 (KJV) This year, we will have a harvest of souls. We will turn many unto righteousness. This is the most valuable harvest we can have in the year. Behold I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, they are white and ready to harvest! - John 4:35b The harvest is ready, it s our year of harvest Let s get down sickle in hand to reap!!!! The greatest blessing a man can have is to receive the unperishable crown that comes from turning people unto righteousness. ** The need to Mechanize : Harvesting is usually labour intensive. We therefore need to mechanize to reduce fatigue so that we can cover more ground as grace may allow. We need sophisticated equipment like combined harvesters etc. Jesus said the laborers are few, but the fields need to be harvested anyhow!! Therefore said he unto them, 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 (KJV) A combined harvester can do in a few hours what many laborers will probably take days to finish. Jesus was able to win a whole city just by deploying the word of knowledge on the woman of Samaria. She got converted and turned a whole city to follow the master!! The gifts of the spirit are the tools God has given us for the harvest!! We must deploy them! Word of knowledge, word of wisdom, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, divers kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues. All these will be needed for the harvest!!! We must therefore focus on sharpening spiritual gifts to make us ready for the harvest. These gifts will secure harvest of souls and bring great blessings unto many. cont d on page 7

7 N E W Y E A R E D I T I O N ( ) P A G E 7 SECURING THE HARVEST. What happens between seed time and harvest is most critical in ensuring that we make maximum gains during our harvest time. It is usually a period of nurturing. What then must we do? Staying Connected No branch bears fruit apart from the main tree. 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. I am the vine and ye are the branches; he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same beareth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. - John 15:4-5 (KJV) Bearing much fruit is dependent on the branch being perpetually connected to the vine. We must stay connected to Christ to see the manifestation of a bountiful harvest. How do we stay connected? i. The word If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you. - John 15:7 (KJV) ii. Purity/ Holiness- And now also the axe is laid to the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. - Luke 3:9(KJV) Purity, combined with constant meditation of God s word will ensure irrigation of our lands for effective fruit bearing. 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 (KJV) A good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit, neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. - Luke 6:43(KJV) cont d on page 8

8 P A G E 8 N E W Y E A R E D I T I O N ( ) iii. Prayer Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. - Matt 11; 28 (KJV) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. - Heb 4:16(KJV) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. - Romans 10:13(KJV) Prayer will deal with all the pests, rodents and diseases that will affect our harvest. iv. Fellowship with the Holy Spirit : We need the rivers of living water to keep watering our fields so we can have a bumper harvest. We need to always be in constant fellowship with Him so He will show us what to do!! He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) - John 7:38-39(KJV) May the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, The Love of God and The Sweet Fellowship of The Holy Spirit be with us in 2018!!

9 N E W Y E A R E D I T I O N ( ) P A G E 9 Visit our Subscribe to our newsletter for more information on our activities

10 Phone: Connect with gccamponline Giftings and Callings Camp is a group of like-minded young men and women who love God and wish to do His will using gifts He has endowed us with. It was founded in 2015 with the main agenda in the fulfillment of the Commission of Jesus Christ to develop spiritual giftings and callings of the youth, purposely for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ as mentioned by Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:12. Founders P.O.BOX. WY 1742 KWABENYA, ACCRA-GHANA President Kafui Ntow Vice Presidents Kenneth Annoh Dr. Nana Baah Gyan LEADERSHIP Kafui Ntow President Kenneth Annoh Vice President Dr. Nana Baah Gyan Vice President