God has been speaking increase repeatedly for 2018, so that even I understand what He’s saying. Then it doesn’t surprise me to learn that others are hearing the same thing from the Lord.
Acts 5:12–16 (NKJV)
12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. 13 Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. 14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. 16 Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
When you’re in a healing ministry the highest motive for what you do is that believers be added to the Lord. Through the healing of their personal bodies and souls they become candidates for Jesus to heal them within their spirits. The Holy Spirit joins Himself to their spirits and they become one with Him. A wonderful side benefit is that they then bring more people who need healing and deliverance. As they are healed and set free they discover Who Jesus really is, the God Who loves them. And more are added to the Lord. Through their testimonies mature believers become interested in being a part of what God is doing through healing ministries and thereby they will experience an increase in workers in the harvest.
Matthew 9:37, 38 (NKJV)
37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Jeremiah 23:4 (NKJV)
4 I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,” says the Lord.
1 Corinthians 3:6, 7 (NKJV)
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
Colossians 2:19 (NKJV)
19 . . . holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.
God is the One Who provides everything. He provides the miracles. He adds to the church such as should be saved. He sends laborers for the harvest. He gives the increase in all these things as we hold fast to Christ, the Head of the church. He also gives us faith through His word by which we have confidence to sow bountifully. And He gives us the voice of praise by which the earth itself yields its fruit to us.
2 Corinthians 9:6–11 (NKJV)
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” 10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, 11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
Psalm 67:5–7 (NKJV)
5 Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. 6 Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us, And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.
Before God yields His increase to us in these multiple ways, He first desires and plans to make us capable of sustaining and properly managing the increase, so increase can lead to increase. Too often we try to manage the increase in our own understanding. Human wisdom is not sufficient for this task and we look back at this as merely another time of blessing which we testify about over and over, because the increase came to an end and we did not understand. This always results in loss and we fail to pass onto the next generation the full impact and benefit of what God did and could have done; had we been patient to allow God to grow our hearts to trust His wisdom and follow Him each step of the way.
Psalm 119:32 (NKJV) I will run the course of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart.
Galatians 3:2–3 (NKJV)
2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?—3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
Ephesians 1:17–19 (NKJV)
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
Ephesians 3:15–19 (NKJV)
15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
This is how God prepares workers for the harvest. He reveals the love in His heart for each one, drawing us into deep personal intimacy with Him and healing us of hurts and wounds of the heart to strengthen us in the inner man. We begin to personally know the width, length, depth and height of the heart and love of God for us. We become bigger on the inside than we are on the outside; more and more capable of receiving and holding all the fullness of our wonderful God.
Then, brothers and sisters, watch and see how the Lord reveals His love to the world around us and the harvest comes in.