Stewardship, Seed-Time- Harvest
by Curtis Longstreet on January 18, 2021Yesterday, I bought a bag of cough drops. I put one in my mouth and noticed right away something was wrong. It was a weaker version of the same brand of cough drops I bought a few weeks ago. Manufacturers are cutting corners to save on cost of production. A bag of potato chips that once cost .25 now cost 1.99 and 75% the bag is filled air with a few chip at the bottom. The dollar is constantly losing value.
My question is why would people spend a large majority of their time laboring for it? God knows our needs and promises to supply them. But when it comes to God's kingdom, we are ignorant of it's operation.
I AM TALKING ABOUT the power of seed time and harvest. They don't understand or appreciate the value of their inheritance. Jesus said, it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
I want to spend the next several blogs talking about this critical subject of Stewardship and Seed-Time-Harvest.
First, Jesus said, don't labor for meat that perish but for that meat which endures unto eternal life which the Father desires to give you. The meat that Jesus is referring to is revelation.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-20
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves TREASURES in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE WILL BE YOUR HEART."
In the kingdom of God, you have the best security that money can buy. There is never any lost. Nobody and nothing can touch your treasures. Your treasures hold their fullest value.
First, what are these treasures? In Mark 10:21, the rich young ruler asked Jesus what he must do in order to inherit eternal life (17). If you dont understand what is asked for, you can't appreicate the gift. From a natural stand, seems like the rich young ruler is coming out the loser. But that is not the case. Jesus was offering him an opportunity of eternal rewards but in order to enter into it he had be willing to let go of everything he had. Jesus said, go sell all and GO SELL ALL AND YOU SHALL HAVE TREASURES IN HEAVEN. That was the exchange rate, give up all for Jesus. The reward was:
"Then Peter said began to say unto him, Lo, WE HAVE LEFT ALL, AND HAVE FOLLOWED THEE. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, THERE IS NO MAN THAT HATH LEFT HOUSE, OR BRETHREN, OR SISTERS, OR FATHER, OR MOTHER, OR WIFE, or CHILDREN, or LANDS, FOR MY SAKE, AND THE GOSPEL'S, BUT HE SHALL RECEIVE AN HUNDRED NOW IN THIS TIME, HOUSES..."
The promise is a hundred fold return on your investments now. A hundredfold wife, hundredfold children, hundredfold houses, mothers, hundredfold lands (businesses). But the blessing is not only for this time but the time to come. If you will read Revelation 21:14, in which the apostle John is given a view of the New Temple constructed by God, he saw twelve foundations
"And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the NAMES OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES OF THE LAMB." Look at verse 19, which talks about how the walls of foundations are garnished with all manner of precious stones.
Do these things come automatically? The answer is NO. Jesus said, sell what you have give alms and you shall have treasures in heaven. This involves some type of ministry. Jesus asked his disciples, lack you anything while I was with you? They said, NO.
Second, Whatever you TREASURE, there will be your HEART. If you treasure sports, your heart will be in sports. You will follow all the games. You will follow all the stats. Some people worship money. They worship power. They worship sex.
You've got to value and treasure your relationship with God ABOVE ALL THINGS . Then you wll get the inheritance that comes with it.
SEED TIME HARVEST
On earth, in the countries in which we are citizens; we are governed by the laws and regualtions of the land. There laws governing finances such as taxes. There is an exchange rate (on your labor) be it the american dollar, the English pound or the Indian Rubble.
The American dollar is constantly losing purchasing power. It is taking more and more dollars to purschase a gallon of gas and as i stated before you are getting less and less merchandice for you dollar. Tou are geeting less quality items. Bleach is not as strong as it use to be.
Jesus said, don't store treasures on earth where thieves break through and steal. He said, moths eats it up and rust corodes. You don't have to look far to see examples of this; After 911, my house note increased by over 100 dollars a month. The insurance companies were covering their losts through increased premiums. Have you noticed that when the McDonald's employees finally got their wage increase, the costs of other things increased as well, which means we all lost one way or another. The employees of McDonald wage increase is eatten away by the rising cost of living. For example, the state of Michigan just raised fees for license renewal and taxes on gasoline to repair the roads. And those who were not fortunate enough to get a wage increase, will experience less purchasing power for their labor.
YOU WANT REVELATION INTO THE TRUE RICHES. THESE RICHES INCLUDE HEALING FOR YOUR BODY, SUPPLY FOR YOUR MATERIAL NEEDS AND BLESSINGS ON YOUR FAMILY.
"Chrage them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, BUT IN THE LIVING GOD, WHO GIVETH US RICHLY ALL THINGS TO ENJOY." 1 Timothy 6:17
Yes there is hope! It's called Seed Time Harvest. Seed Time Harvest is the system by which the kingdom of God functions. In the Seed Time Harvest concept all three components are critical. No seed equals No harvest. God supplies SEED to Sowers. Harvests are seasonal.
I think the component of TIME is the most critical component of all three. Although without seed, you get no harvest, if you abuse and misuse TIME and don't understand SEASONS you will lose both SEED and HARVEST.
"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. AND LET US NOT BE WEARY IN WELL DOING: FOR IN DUE SEASON WE SHALL REAP, IF WE FAINT NOT."
Time is the most critical component because what we do with time, how you spend time will tell on you in the harvest season. This is why Jesus said, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all those other things will be added unto you.
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, THAT HE MAY EXALT YOU IN DUE TIME." 1 Peter 5:6
Jesus said, in the parable of Mark 4:26-29, the kingdom of God works like a man casting seed into the ground, he sleeps and raises night and day. He can't SEE HOW THE SEED IS GROWING, but the earth causes the seed to grow, first the blade, then the ear and after the full corn in the ear. When the fruit is ready for picking, he harvest the crop. But notice this man raises night and day, looking and waiting for harvest. He stays focused, watching and waiting for the harvest. He is waiting and watching for the most important treasure of all. This treasure, this harvest represents your healing, your deliverance, breakthrough, your financial miracle.
Return on your Investment
Jesus said, the kingdom produces 30, 60 and 100 fold more than what was sown. It functions like an apple tree. You can plant one apple seed in the ground and get an infinte harvest of apples seeds. And because God knows what you have need of, he provides seed well in advance. God provides seed to the sower and bread for food. He multiplies our SEED sown and HE INCREASES THE FRUIT OF OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
All seed is supernatural. ALL seasons (time) are supernatural and All harvests are supernatural. What I mean by that is, God is nvolved in it all. Now we, because of ingorance, disobedience and willingness to obey the Word of God can and do miss SEED, SEASONS and HARVEST times.
The enemy fights really hard to steal your seed so that you won't get a harvest that glorifies God.
According to Mark 10:28-31, the harvests that God gives is 100 fold returns, it impacts every area of your life. It brings about a reversal in life. The FIRST shall be LAST and THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST.
Again, and this critical because what I am saying is put the WORD of God before everything else. WE all do need a source or sources of INCOME, a job to put food on the table, to pay the light bill BUT there s a better way. Dont quit your job. Work on developing your SEED. Work on understanding how the things of the kingdom of God works.
"Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. LABOUR NOT FOR THE MEAT WHICH PERISHETH, BUT FOR THAT MEAT WHICH ENDURETH UNTO EVERLASTING LIFE, WHICH THE SON OF MAN SHALL GIV UNTO YOU FOR HIM HATH GOD THE FATHER SEALED." JOHN 6:26-27
Stewardship, Luke 16:1-13
I see a lot of people reaping bad harvests. You ALWAYS reap what you sow, good or bad. Jesus talks about the man who build his house on a solid foundation, when the winds and floods beat up on his house, it stood firm because it was build on the WORD and obedience. Now the man who build his house on sand is like the man who build without the Word of God as his foundation, and suffered lost when the storms of life came against him.
You want to labor so as to have continueous harvests. The parable of the unfaithful steward in Luke 16, is packed with revelation. For example, he became responsible AFTER he was fired. He took charge and he came up with a plan of action. He followed through and was commended by his master for his wisdom. From this parable, Jesus said, the children of this world are more wiser than the children of light. WHY? Because the children of this world know how to work their system. They know what a dollar will or won't do. They will search day and night for a bargain or sale. They will work 2 and 3 jobs just to make more money to pay bills. But the children of light are clueless about one of the most valuable assets of their inheritance. Take for example, the kingdom of God. Jesus compared the kingdom of God to treasure hidden in the field which a man found and SOLD ALL THAT HE HAD and brought that field, Matthew 13:44. Jesus also said, the kingdom of God is like a pearl of great price. which when a man finds one, He sells all he had and brought that pearl. Here a few truths from out of Luke 16 parable of the unfaithful steward:
Jesus said, if you are faithful in that which is least, you will be faithful in much. If you are unjust in the least, you will unjust in much.
If you have not been faithful in your finances, who will commit to your trust true riches?
If you have not been faithful in that which is another man, who will give you that which is your own?
The Question is, Are you willing to SELL ALL for Jesus?
backMy question is why would people spend a large majority of their time laboring for it? God knows our needs and promises to supply them. But when it comes to God's kingdom, we are ignorant of it's operation.
I AM TALKING ABOUT the power of seed time and harvest. They don't understand or appreciate the value of their inheritance. Jesus said, it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
I want to spend the next several blogs talking about this critical subject of Stewardship and Seed-Time-Harvest.
First, Jesus said, don't labor for meat that perish but for that meat which endures unto eternal life which the Father desires to give you. The meat that Jesus is referring to is revelation.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-20
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves TREASURES in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE WILL BE YOUR HEART."
In the kingdom of God, you have the best security that money can buy. There is never any lost. Nobody and nothing can touch your treasures. Your treasures hold their fullest value.
First, what are these treasures? In Mark 10:21, the rich young ruler asked Jesus what he must do in order to inherit eternal life (17). If you dont understand what is asked for, you can't appreicate the gift. From a natural stand, seems like the rich young ruler is coming out the loser. But that is not the case. Jesus was offering him an opportunity of eternal rewards but in order to enter into it he had be willing to let go of everything he had. Jesus said, go sell all and GO SELL ALL AND YOU SHALL HAVE TREASURES IN HEAVEN. That was the exchange rate, give up all for Jesus. The reward was:
"Then Peter said began to say unto him, Lo, WE HAVE LEFT ALL, AND HAVE FOLLOWED THEE. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, THERE IS NO MAN THAT HATH LEFT HOUSE, OR BRETHREN, OR SISTERS, OR FATHER, OR MOTHER, OR WIFE, or CHILDREN, or LANDS, FOR MY SAKE, AND THE GOSPEL'S, BUT HE SHALL RECEIVE AN HUNDRED NOW IN THIS TIME, HOUSES..."
The promise is a hundred fold return on your investments now. A hundredfold wife, hundredfold children, hundredfold houses, mothers, hundredfold lands (businesses). But the blessing is not only for this time but the time to come. If you will read Revelation 21:14, in which the apostle John is given a view of the New Temple constructed by God, he saw twelve foundations
"And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the NAMES OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES OF THE LAMB." Look at verse 19, which talks about how the walls of foundations are garnished with all manner of precious stones.
Do these things come automatically? The answer is NO. Jesus said, sell what you have give alms and you shall have treasures in heaven. This involves some type of ministry. Jesus asked his disciples, lack you anything while I was with you? They said, NO.
Second, Whatever you TREASURE, there will be your HEART. If you treasure sports, your heart will be in sports. You will follow all the games. You will follow all the stats. Some people worship money. They worship power. They worship sex.
You've got to value and treasure your relationship with God ABOVE ALL THINGS . Then you wll get the inheritance that comes with it.
SEED TIME HARVEST
On earth, in the countries in which we are citizens; we are governed by the laws and regualtions of the land. There laws governing finances such as taxes. There is an exchange rate (on your labor) be it the american dollar, the English pound or the Indian Rubble.
The American dollar is constantly losing purchasing power. It is taking more and more dollars to purschase a gallon of gas and as i stated before you are getting less and less merchandice for you dollar. Tou are geeting less quality items. Bleach is not as strong as it use to be.
Jesus said, don't store treasures on earth where thieves break through and steal. He said, moths eats it up and rust corodes. You don't have to look far to see examples of this; After 911, my house note increased by over 100 dollars a month. The insurance companies were covering their losts through increased premiums. Have you noticed that when the McDonald's employees finally got their wage increase, the costs of other things increased as well, which means we all lost one way or another. The employees of McDonald wage increase is eatten away by the rising cost of living. For example, the state of Michigan just raised fees for license renewal and taxes on gasoline to repair the roads. And those who were not fortunate enough to get a wage increase, will experience less purchasing power for their labor.
YOU WANT REVELATION INTO THE TRUE RICHES. THESE RICHES INCLUDE HEALING FOR YOUR BODY, SUPPLY FOR YOUR MATERIAL NEEDS AND BLESSINGS ON YOUR FAMILY.
"Chrage them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, BUT IN THE LIVING GOD, WHO GIVETH US RICHLY ALL THINGS TO ENJOY." 1 Timothy 6:17
Yes there is hope! It's called Seed Time Harvest. Seed Time Harvest is the system by which the kingdom of God functions. In the Seed Time Harvest concept all three components are critical. No seed equals No harvest. God supplies SEED to Sowers. Harvests are seasonal.
I think the component of TIME is the most critical component of all three. Although without seed, you get no harvest, if you abuse and misuse TIME and don't understand SEASONS you will lose both SEED and HARVEST.
"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. AND LET US NOT BE WEARY IN WELL DOING: FOR IN DUE SEASON WE SHALL REAP, IF WE FAINT NOT."
Time is the most critical component because what we do with time, how you spend time will tell on you in the harvest season. This is why Jesus said, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all those other things will be added unto you.
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, THAT HE MAY EXALT YOU IN DUE TIME." 1 Peter 5:6
Jesus said, in the parable of Mark 4:26-29, the kingdom of God works like a man casting seed into the ground, he sleeps and raises night and day. He can't SEE HOW THE SEED IS GROWING, but the earth causes the seed to grow, first the blade, then the ear and after the full corn in the ear. When the fruit is ready for picking, he harvest the crop. But notice this man raises night and day, looking and waiting for harvest. He stays focused, watching and waiting for the harvest. He is waiting and watching for the most important treasure of all. This treasure, this harvest represents your healing, your deliverance, breakthrough, your financial miracle.
Return on your Investment
Jesus said, the kingdom produces 30, 60 and 100 fold more than what was sown. It functions like an apple tree. You can plant one apple seed in the ground and get an infinte harvest of apples seeds. And because God knows what you have need of, he provides seed well in advance. God provides seed to the sower and bread for food. He multiplies our SEED sown and HE INCREASES THE FRUIT OF OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
All seed is supernatural. ALL seasons (time) are supernatural and All harvests are supernatural. What I mean by that is, God is nvolved in it all. Now we, because of ingorance, disobedience and willingness to obey the Word of God can and do miss SEED, SEASONS and HARVEST times.
The enemy fights really hard to steal your seed so that you won't get a harvest that glorifies God.
According to Mark 10:28-31, the harvests that God gives is 100 fold returns, it impacts every area of your life. It brings about a reversal in life. The FIRST shall be LAST and THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST.
Again, and this critical because what I am saying is put the WORD of God before everything else. WE all do need a source or sources of INCOME, a job to put food on the table, to pay the light bill BUT there s a better way. Dont quit your job. Work on developing your SEED. Work on understanding how the things of the kingdom of God works.
"Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. LABOUR NOT FOR THE MEAT WHICH PERISHETH, BUT FOR THAT MEAT WHICH ENDURETH UNTO EVERLASTING LIFE, WHICH THE SON OF MAN SHALL GIV UNTO YOU FOR HIM HATH GOD THE FATHER SEALED." JOHN 6:26-27
Stewardship, Luke 16:1-13
I see a lot of people reaping bad harvests. You ALWAYS reap what you sow, good or bad. Jesus talks about the man who build his house on a solid foundation, when the winds and floods beat up on his house, it stood firm because it was build on the WORD and obedience. Now the man who build his house on sand is like the man who build without the Word of God as his foundation, and suffered lost when the storms of life came against him.
You want to labor so as to have continueous harvests. The parable of the unfaithful steward in Luke 16, is packed with revelation. For example, he became responsible AFTER he was fired. He took charge and he came up with a plan of action. He followed through and was commended by his master for his wisdom. From this parable, Jesus said, the children of this world are more wiser than the children of light. WHY? Because the children of this world know how to work their system. They know what a dollar will or won't do. They will search day and night for a bargain or sale. They will work 2 and 3 jobs just to make more money to pay bills. But the children of light are clueless about one of the most valuable assets of their inheritance. Take for example, the kingdom of God. Jesus compared the kingdom of God to treasure hidden in the field which a man found and SOLD ALL THAT HE HAD and brought that field, Matthew 13:44. Jesus also said, the kingdom of God is like a pearl of great price. which when a man finds one, He sells all he had and brought that pearl. Here a few truths from out of Luke 16 parable of the unfaithful steward:
Jesus said, if you are faithful in that which is least, you will be faithful in much. If you are unjust in the least, you will unjust in much.
If you have not been faithful in your finances, who will commit to your trust true riches?
If you have not been faithful in that which is another man, who will give you that which is your own?
The Question is, Are you willing to SELL ALL for Jesus?
