Dear Family and Friends of Harvest,,

XWow! What a fall we are having at Harvest! God’s hand is upon the work of the Lord. In the past few months we’ve witnessed an ever-increasing number of adults walking the aisle and being saved. Some have walked in off of the street curious about what it means to be born again. We have prayed for months and even years for God to allow this ministry to bear supernatural fruit.
X I cannot say enough about the people of God here at Harvest. It is a miracle place. Every day we witness lives being changed and the lay people stepping up to their place of service.
XGAs many of you have already noticed the new fellowship hall floor has been put in. I thank God for the person who allowed the Lord to use them to pay for the $1 6,500 project.
X. Harvest Baptist Bible College is on the grow…We have several new students and faculty this year at the Harvest Baptist Bible College. Bro. Buchanan is giving great leadership to the college. Please continue to pray for the students the Lord desires for us to have here. Make the students feel right at home. Greet them and get to know them.
X Harvest Baptist School is headed upward…Under the new leadership of Bro. Stewart I have seen the direction of the school taking a new course. Last year under Bro. Cwenar we accomplished great things. But as we all understand that a ministry like this is on a journey. Bro. Stewart is the right man to take the school to the next level. Please pray for Bro. Stewart as he, through the Lord’s leadership takes the helm of the school and presses through uncharted water.
XHarvest Baptist Home and Foreign Missions Conference… In just one month we will be in the middle of our annual missions conference. As you know this conference has been used of the Lord to touch thousands of lives along with motivating God’s people to give and at times to go to the mission field. This conference has been instrumental in touching Jason and Rory Dover missionaries to Peru, Jason and Kelly Sigmon to Madagascar and Art and Emily Wrigley missionaries to Croatia. At this conference pastors are encouraged, and Harvest Baptist is always transformed to a greater level of world wide influence.
XPlease continue to pray as we see this conference drawing very close. We need support, energy and most important the Holy Spirit to make this week a huge success.
XAs your pastor I want to thank you for following my faith and obeying God!
XXPastor Smith

XAll throughout the Word of God there are references pertaining to the abiding fellowship of Jesus. This Abiding fellowship is truly available to all those who are willing to cooperate or collaborate ( work in harmony ) with God.X
The text I have chosen is John 15:1-10. The word "abide" is used nine times in this passage of Scripture. Must be an important word. So, what does it mean to "abide"? Abide means to remain, to dwell, to live, to be united with in heart, mind, and will. We should all have a desire to experience this kind of abiding fellowship with our Lord. Without this fellowship, a believer will feel incomplete, empty to some degree, and somewhat defeated. We must have that "abiding, dwelling.lodging, steadfast fellowship" in order to provide the security we seek in these turbulent times.

XNow you may ask, "What are the benefists of having abiding fellowship?' When the floods of life come over us, we will have a supernatural trusting life. Psalm 61:4 says, " I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah."Psalm 61:7 adds,"He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him."Psalm 91:1 declares, " He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."

XGod promises that out of this abiding fellowship with Jesus our lives can bear fruit. When we bear fruit our life is filled with eternal purpose that includes touching others and seeing their lives impacted by the Lord through you. John 15:4-5 says, " Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me, and I in him, he same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."

XWho would not like to have a miraculous prayer life? John 15:7 says," If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." After we have meditated, memorized, and spent ourselves in the Word of God, the Word swells within us ad directs our prayer. Our prayers then become saturated with the Word of God and God's will always lines up with His Word.

XWe will give an account for what we have done on this earth. At this time your works will be proved by God's judgment and you will receive your heavenly reward. I Corinthians 3:14 says, "If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward." This verse shows us that works that we do that are not done and initiated out of an abiding relationship with God will not abide.

XI meet people all the time that say, "Preacher, God does not speak to me when I read His Word." God has poerful truths that He wants to quide you into, reveal to you, and unveil to your understanding. We must remember that the revelation that the Holy Ghost opens to your understanding will be determined by the depth of your abiding relationship with God. I John 2:27 says, " But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him."

XI was recently challenged by a young person to tell them where the Bible supports the statement, " Live right so that when you come into the kingdom of Heaven you won't have to come in backwards in shame, but walking with your head up, knowing that you have been pleasing to God." I John 2:28 says, " And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming." There is only one way to enter the kingdom of Heaven to face the Lord Jesus-as His child and with your head up. We should abide with Him so close here on earth that when we make the move, it won't be much different from here on earth, except that we will see the one with which we abided in face-to-face.

XAfter Jesus speaks to the disciples regarding this abiding life, he says in John 15:11, " These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." There is no joy outside of the abiding fellowship of Jesus. Nehemiah 8:10 says, "...for the joy of the LORD is your strength. " There are so many unhappy believers, and it is all because they do not put their hearts to this abiding fellowship with their Lord and Savior.