Harvest Time

By Tom Burns

For some time now, I have been feeling a sense of urgency that I believe is from the Lord.  We talk about the End Time Harvest, and we look forward to it with great expectation.  But the question remains, what are we doing to prepare for it? 

If we truly believe that there is a Billion Soul Harvest that is about to come forth in the world, what are we going to do with it when it happens?

We have heard these things for years.  But, the season is changing.  The harvest that we have been looking forward to for so long is upon us.  

We are seeing hundreds of thousands of people come to the Lord in Uganda.  In Iran, over one million Muslims have accepted Jesus as their Saviour and over fifty thousand mosques have closed.  Here in the United States, revival is breaking out on college campuses across the country.  Thousands of students are coming together to worship and praise the Lord.  Fraternity houses are trading parties for revival services and mass baptisms. 

The harvest is here and the church needs to quickly respond.

“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and [then] comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” – John 4:35

Jesus commanded us to go into all the world and make disciples.  Yet for far too long, much of the modern church has changed this commandment into, “go and make converts.”

Salvation and being born again are vital, foundational steps – but, they are only the beginning.  New believers must be trained and equipped to fulfill their calling as disciples living in the Kingdom of God.

¹⁸ And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.“ – Mat 28:18-20

I recently had the opportunity to teach a class in Kazakhstan on discipleship.  As I worked through translating my slides for the teaching, I noticed that the Russian word for disciple is also translated as apprentice.  I was amazed by how succinctly this sums up what it means to make disciples.

Discipleship involves teaching, yes – but that is only part of the job.  Discipleship also requires releasing, encouraging and evaluating the disciple’s performance as they start applying their knowledge in real life.  

For too long, we have relied solely on Pastors – the “professionals” –  to train new believers.  But true discipleship requires personal relationship and active engagement. At its core, it is built on the relationship between teacher and student, master and apprentice.

This is Jesus’ great commission to each of us.  Every believer is called to make disciples – to help raise the next generation of Christ-followers.

Jesus said that a student should become like his master.

²⁴ “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. ²⁵ “It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more [will they malign] the members of his household! – Mat 10:24-25

“A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. – Luke 6:40

The Apostle Paul reinforced that point when he said, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

Imitating Christ is a noble goal, but is only a beginning.  Jesus also said that those who believe in Him would do the works He did—and even greater works.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater [works] than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” – John 14:12

If we look honestly at the church today, we must admit that we fall far short of this standard.  One of the greatest lies that we have allowed into the church – and the greatest theft that we have tolerated – is to look at the things that Jesus did and say, “But that was Jesus.”  We have institutionalized the deception that we cannot do the things that Jesus did, in direct contradiction to what He said.

There is a story that John Wimber shared about his early days as a new believer.  He was attending a mainline denomination church in his neighborhood.  After a traditional Sunday morning service, he spoke with the pastor and said, “Okay, when do we do it?”

The pastor looked at him with confusion and asked, “Do what?”

John replied, “When do we do the miracles? When do we do the power things?”

The pastor’s response was simple, “We don’t do those things.”

Sadly, the pastor’s reply does not align with scripture.

For the Kingdom of God is not in words, but in power.– 1 Corinthians 4:20

Paul also warned of a time when there will be people, “having a form of godliness but denying its power.”  He tells Timothy, “And from such people turn away!” (2 Timothy 3:5)

Today, many churches are known for eloquent, entertaining speakers, moving worship, and polished production. But for too many, they are not known as places of power.

We can no longer be satisfied with the form of religion while denying its power. We must pursue the power of God with all our hearts, souls, and minds.

Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual [gifts,] but especially that you may prophesy. – 1 Corinthians 14:1

The phrase desire earnestly in the Greek conveys more than simple longing—it means to pursue passionately, to be driven by an overwhelming desire to operate in the supernatural realm. We should passionately seek the power of miracles, healing, prophecy, and the wisdom and knowledge of God.

In Revelation 3, Jesus rebuked the church in Laodicea:

“Because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.” – Revelation 3:16

He went on to expose their deception:

“Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” – Revelation 3:17

It’s time for a wake-up call.  It’s time to break free from deception and compromise.  It’s time to step into our inheritance as believers—a new creation born into a Kingdom without limits.

But walking in this Kingdom also requires obedience and humility.  We must learn to follow the Spirit carefully, avoiding the traps of assumption and presumption.

In many ways, the Church has lost its focus. We have become so salvation-centered that we have lost our vision of the Kingdom of God.

The good news of Jesus Christ is not merely that our sins are forgiven—it is that the Kingdom of God has come near. When we fail to pursue that Kingdom, we miss the fullness of God’s blessing, purpose, and power.

Jesus said He came so that we might have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10). That abundant life is a Kingdom lifestyle—living as children of the Lord God Almighty. It is a life where we can speak to mountains and expect them to move, where we walk in the same power and authority that Jesus demonstrated.

Now is the time to draw near to the Lord. God desires to be with us so deeply that He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within us—to be present every moment of every day.

He is with us in every trial, every challenge, and every victory. We must learn to live in continual fellowship with Him—not only seeking Him in crisis, but walking with Him daily, hourly, every moment.

He is ready to manifest His power through us at any time.

It’s time to put down unbelief.

It’s time to break free from the burdens and limitations the enemy has placed upon us.

Jesus said that the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy—but He came that we might have life. The enemy has stolen too much for too long. Today, it is time to rise up and declare, “There is more, and I will walk in it.”

As we learn to live in His Kingdom, it is also time to disciple this great harvest—to teach new believers how to walk in that same Kingdom power.