PREPARING one’s soul to meet God in judgment will be the ultimate celebration of the Final Harvest.
Reverend Arlette Waterman, of Ebenezer Methodist Church, alluded to this scriptural truth during the St Philip’s church recent harvest celebrations.
She said that since the harvest was plenteous and the labourers few, believers must ask God to send labourers into the world, while they too win souls into the kingdom, according to Matthew 9:37.
“Everything we do as Christians leads to Jesus Christ. Our harvest ought to be a preparation for the harvesting of souls. Jesus warns us in John 6:27: ‘Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you’.
“We are mandated through the Great Commission of Matthew 28:16-20 to harvest souls for Jesus Christ,” the former banker said.
She added that harvest was also a time to share and give thanks to God.
“Harvest is a time for the Body of Christ to give thanks collectively to the Creator, Maker and Owner. We give thanks to God directly and through others. We give thanks through song, instruments and words . . . and especially by involving children.
“Harvest is also a time of sharing; a time of giving. Just as it was expected of the people of Israel so it is expected of us, to give; both to God and to others.”
Waterman also referred to Deuteronomy 26, where the children of Israel were instructed to take first fruits of the land to a special place and celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord had given to them and their households.
Fruits and vegetables neatly decorated the church’s “window sills” reflecting the celebratory spirit of those in attendance.
Much of the evening was dedicated to children of the Sunday School who recited and ministered in song and drama.
Highlights of the programme included Melthia Hamilton’s version of The King Is Coming, which resulted in spontaneous worship from the congregation; renditions by the Ebenezer Church Choir, and a skit titled A Harvest Tale which clearly demonstrated that people usually reaped only what they sowed and a failure to sow resulted in the loss of a harvest or rewards.
The evening’s headliner, Sister Margareta Marshall, did not disappoint. She sang a beautiful version of High Places, in memory of gospel icon Joseph Niles, and a selection of other slow, melodious numbers, before bringing members of her captive audience to their feet with uptempo renditions including Walk Holy, Jesus Is My Deliverer, Fire, Fire, Fire, Cover Me Lord Right Under The Blood and All The Way To Calvary.
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