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Reaping Is Not Automatic Consider the farmer who invests time and money planting a crop. Then, at harvest time, he simply sits on the porch and watches it rot in the field. Our response would be, “That’s crazy!” Unfortunately, that is the way some Christians think. Too many are sleeping through their harvest. Proverbs 10:5, "New Living Translation" says, “A wise youth harvests in the summer, but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace.” Many sow their seed and then just wait for God to reap the harvest. That is not the way it works. A natural harvest doesn’t just jump from the field into the barn. Someone must go out and reap it. And that someone is us! Mark 4:26-29 confirms that reaping is our responsibility. Jesus said, “So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.” I know you weren’t expecting it, but here’s a pop quiz on what you just read. And so you’ll pass with flying colors, I’m giving you the answers. 1. Who did the sowing? (Man) 2. Who did the growing? (God) 3. Who reaped the harvest? (Man) In the July 9 installment of Kenneth and Gloria Copeland’s daily devotional, From Faith to Faith, Brother Copland writes, “Jesus compared the kingdom of God with the planting of seed and reaping the harvest. It’s a simple concept. One all of us understand. Why, then, aren’t all of us producing bumper crops every season? Because we are sitting around waiting for God to do all the work.” We Were Created to Reap Earlier this year, Gloria Copeland and I spent two weeks on the "Believer’s Voice of Victory" broadcast teaching on the topic How to Reap Your Harvest. If you missed any of those teachings from last May, I encourage you to visit the KCM website, find those 10 days of broadcasts in the archives section and watch them. They will help renew your mind to the importance of reaping your harvest. During the taping, Gloria and I were discussing the fact that God created Adam to harvest. Genesis 2:15 says, “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” That definitely included sowing and reaping. We read Genesis 8:22, and determined that sowing and reaping have not passed away. “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” Then, Gloria said something I had never heard before. She declared, “We still have a ‘harvest gene.’ It’s in our DNA.” God created us to harvest. That is what THE BLESSING has empowered us to do. We still have what it takes to reap the harvest from every good seed we sow. Here is another example. Look at Matthew 6:26. “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” While meditating on this scripture, I asked the Lord why we were better than birds. Without hesitation, He answered. 'Because you were created to sow and reap and they weren’t.' Think of it! You and I were created by God to sow our seed, reap our harvest and gather it into barns. But, don’t ever forget our purpose for reaping: Our motivation for accumulation is distribution. ******ADVERTISEMENT************** Learn How to Reap Your Harvest! So many are frustrated with their giving. “I have given and given, but am not seeing the results. I guess it’s just not working for me.” I felt the same way until I discovered the missing link. We can’t just be good sowers. We must be good harvesters as well. According to Scripture, harvesting is our responsibility—not God’s. Join Gloria Copeland and me in this 10-part series. Our topics include: • The Missing Link • Rules of Reaping • Harvest Essentials • And more! Determine today that you are not just a good giver. You are going to become a good reaper, as well. Now—get up, get into the field and start reaping your harvest! —Pastor George How to Reap Your Harvest Package "How to Reap Your Harvest" 4-CD series or 2-DVD set by Gloria Copeland and Pastor George Pearsons (study notes included) "Blessed to Be a Blessing" paperback by Kenneth Copeland CDs sale $29.99* reg $35.98 #B140603 DVDs sale $29.99* reg $40.97 #B140604 Order online & save an additional 10% kcm.org/mag 1-800-600-7395 U.S. only +1-817-852-6000 *Plus shipping. Offers and prices valid until July 31, 2014 ********************************* JULY '14 : 23

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