YOUR WEEPING WILL BE TURNED TO REAPING

Chad Taylor
Mar 26, 2003


"Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that your children shall come again to their own border." (Jer 31:16-17).

Read these verses carefully above, "and they shall come again from the land of the enemy..." and again, "your children shall come again to their own border..." I heard this so clearly today as I was waiting on the Lord and listening to the ongoing saga in Iraq. That is a word of the Lord to America and her children today. "and they shall come again from the land of the enemy..."


COLUMBINE AND IRAQ - THE SAME END

I first experienced these scriptures 4 years ago in Colorado Springs as I was ministering at Springs Harvest Church. I was asked to minister to the Junior and Senior high groups on Sunday morning. The message was clear, "Prepare for revival to break out in your classrooms and hallways as the punk, gothic and outcast generation begin to run to Jesus with an intensity unrivaled in modern history.

I remember clearly prophesying that exact scripture to the youth pastor at Springs Harvest, "your children shall come again to their own border..." Two days later only a couple hours away Columbine exploded and the blood of this generation was poured out on the ground. I was in Littleton, CO. the night before this occurred. I lived in Littleton, CO. in 1995 for many months. It only served to confirm the prophetic word to this generation and emboldened my message, HARVEST. Now we have seen and witnessed the massive movement of youth that have forced themselves into His presence because of Columbine. The millions that are meeting at THE CALL and other epic events around the world. The blood of Columbine only prepared the soil of humanity to be reaped. It will be the same in Iraq.

"Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD..."

We are not going to experience failure in our campaign in Iraq, rather we are going to accomplish exactly what the Lord desires; LIBERTY. I believe these current events only sets the precedence for a spiritual awakening in Iraq and her neighboring countries. That will be our "reward"; revival. It was the same as this nation faced the tragedy of Columbine in 1999. Yes, we wept, yes we need to weep, but there came a time in our weeping where the Lord says, "Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD..."

This is what I mean, "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty..." (2nd Cor. 3:17). As Iraq is liberated from a God hating and Israel hating regime it will charge the atmosphere toward revival and spiritual transformation. I believe this region will be featured on future "Transformation" videos and other Christian documentaries recording the moving of revival throughout the earth. These current events are only setting the stage for a massive Spiritual expansion and harvest. Tragedies and wars like Columbine and Iraq will create a spiritual momentum and a mountain of prayer that will landslide through the devil's opposition and sweep millions into God's Kingdom.


WE CANNOT FORGET TO PRAY FOR HARVEST - AS JESUS COMMANDED

We cannot forget as we concentrate and increase our prayer that we remember the ancient treatise of Jesus, "Therefore said He unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest." (Luke 10:2). In Israel's critical moments this is how Jesus commanded His disciples to pray. We must make harvest the real end of our prayers and intercession. Yes, we pray for our troops, yes we pray for their safety and the safety of everyone involved, but the finality of it is HARVEST. Jesus knew this on Calvary. It was the "joy set before Him" that He endured the pain and shame of the cross. This too will be our joy or "reward" that will be our mainstay during these moments of pain and loss. The end of this war in Iraq will be the liberation of a nation and an era of revival and Spiritual renewal ushered into a hostile and godless environment.

OPEN UP YOUR HOMES AND CHURCHES FOR PRAYER AND SUPPORT

I challenge every Christian in this country, especially churches and ministries, to open your doors every night for prayer and public comfort. WE MUST MEET THIS CURRENT DEMAND FOR HARVEST! A vacuum forms in people's hearts during crisis. Many things can fill it but only one thing can satisfy it, JESUS. In these often confusing times we need to lift up a banner of help and comfort. Put a sign up or advertise in the local newspaper and radio that your church is open each night during a designated time for prayer. Prayer for our troops, their families etc.

This will give you an incredible opportunity to show your city that you are not just an institution but a FAMILY. A outreach. A place of safety and salvation in times of war and crisis. Like the broadcast tests on our Television that say, "THIS IS A TEST, THIS IS ONLY A TEST". I believe that this is a test for the American Church to prepare herself for even greater dilemmas in the future and be ready to reap and harvest. We have to become the true church again!

Open up your homes for a "block party/prayer time" and barbecue. Be the "City upon a hill that cannot be hid" and show the world God is still God. There are so many practical ways we can express a supernatural Kingdom. These moments in history like Iraq can serve as incredible moments of salvation for so many if we will just allow God to do it through us! What will it finally take to wake us up to these awesome opportunities for harvest? I pray nothing more extreme that what we are already facing. Let's seize this moment of harvest and revival and focus our prayer appropriately and get ready for a move of God!

"Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that your children shall come again to their own border." (Jer 31:16-17).