In John 4, Jesus surprised His apprentices by starting a revival by asking a amaritan woman for a drink of water. As He explained it later, He said, “Lift up your yes and look on the fields, for hey are white already to harvest.”
These words have tugged me for years. Has there been a harvest all around us for years, but we just haven’t known how to step unto it?
In our Gathering last week, I received an unexpected flood of revelation what I call the two-story life – see http://gospelsmith.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/paraphrased-beatitudes/.
Then, a few days ago, JoAnn was facing a long day of mindless and repetitive work. She needed to make cards and attach them to items she was preparing to display for sale. A friend came to help her with the task.
Soon, part of the workflow was laid out on the dining table. But JoAnn needed to go to another room to print more cards. So JoAnn invited me to the dining table to keep her friend company until JoAnn could get back to the dining room herself. So the friend worked and we passed the time with conversation. Soon we were talking about prophetic ministry, inside and outside the church. “It’s all in II Corinthians 5,” I explained. There’s the conscious effort to see people not after the flesh, but in the light of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. This glimpse of people in the light of God’s love and grace is often enough to launch the prophetic flow. I’ve seen it happen in church many times.”
‘But lately, I’ve been seeing it outside the church. Jesus described it this way in John 4 when revival broke out in Samaria. ‘Lift up your eyes and look on the fields.’” It’s all a matter of learning to lift up our eyes.”
For years I had asked God what this phrase means. I have sensed for a long time that a harvest has been ripe all around me, and I haven’t always had eyes to see it. What might change if I were to learn to lift up my eyes and look at the fields?
A lot of people have taught bout these things in the last few years, and as JoAnn’s friend kept working the paper cutter, I could tell she was hungry to walk in what she’s heard. “I think of it as a two story life,” I said. “The first story is on earth, where we do practical stuff that needs to be done, but the second story is in the heavens, where we’ve been seated in Christ. The treasure we carry in our earthen vessels is always ready to flow in the resources of heaven. We just have to be ready to lift up our eyes…”
“What does this feel like?” she asked. I answered with two recent testimonies: Two pastors had taken me to breakfast that morning, and I had given a prophetic word to our waitress. Then, like most fishermen, I also had a story of one that got away; I told of another waitress who had simply wondered if my order was okay and had asked me, “Are you in heaven?” “I had replied, “As a matter of fact, I am!” But then, I should have said, “Can I get you anything?” I didn’t think of it then, but I’ll make another opportunity, next time I see her.
The rhythmic thunk of the paper cutter continued, and so did the questions. Suddenly I realized that God Himself had foreseen this conversation and had spoken into it at the last Gathering when He had given me insights about it. I offered one last explanation as JoAnn returned with more cards and they finished the display. “Frankly, Jesus taught us all about it in the beatitudes.” And suddenly, the nudge came to lift up my eyes because God had a word for our friend. I lifted up my eyes, and there was the word. I gave it. A few moments later our friend had to leave, but her eyes were tearful as she said, “Thank you.”
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