Over the last twelve years, the world has experienced the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit in history. During the time of this great spiritual advance, the church in the West seems to have been going in the opposite direction, suffering one setback after another. This is about to change.
The great advances that have been taking place in Africa, Asia, South and Central America may seem to be cooling off a bit, but this is just a rest and consolidation before they begin another great thrust forward. We are soon going to see great spiritual awakenings in America, Europe, Russia, China, and the Pacific rim nations. Australia will experience the conversion of more than 10 percent of its population in a short period of time. New Zealand will get a second wind for its great spiritual advance.
All of this will help to equip and send out those who are called to be a part of one of the most important spiritual awakenings of all in the Middle East. Ultimately, the whole world is going to be on fire with the truth of the gospel.
What is coming will be like a fire, and it will also be like a flood of irresistible force. This is not some-thing which will be contained in our present spiritual waterways. It is going to go places we did not think it could. As a testimony of this, many of the places which are now deserts will start receiving rain again, and becoming fruitful.
In Matthew 13:39 the Lord said, “…the harvest is the end of the age...” The end of this age is going to be the greatest harvest that this world has ever known. In numbers of conversions to Christ, there is no question that we are presently in the greatest ingathering in history. However, the harvest is not just about numbers, but it is about the maturing of the fruit. In regard to our spiritual maturity, it is obvious we still have a long way to go. Therefore, without neglecting the ingathering of souls, we must increase our devotion to the spiritual maturity of the church until she becomes the pure and spotless bride that she is called to be.
God’s Timetables
God placed many timetables in the Scriptures. You can see an unfolding of the six thousand years of man’s history in the first six days of creation. An unfolding of church history is seen in the birth of Jacob’s twelve sons (in their sequence, the meaning of their names, and the prophecies given to each one by Jacob and Moses). You can see it in the Tabernacle of Moses, and in the seven churches the Lord addressed in Revelation. You can also see a timetable of history in the feasts which the Lord commanded the children of Israel to observe.
It was not just a coincidence that Jesus was crucified at the Passover, or that the Holy Spirit fell on the Day of Pentecost. These feasts prophetically foretold these events, and the Lord is always right on time. However, there was a third feast which came at the end of the Jewish calendar year—the Feast of Tabernacles, which is also called “The Feast of the Ingathering.” It was called this because it was a celebration of the harvest which had just come in (the Jewish calendar year ends in late September or early October of the Roman calendar). This feast came at the end of the Jewish calendar year as a prophecy of the harvest that would mark the end of this age.
During the Feast of Tabernacles, the nation of Israel was called to leave their individual tribes and usual dwelling places to come together as one nation to worship their God in more or less common dwellings. In this way there was a freedom for them to all get to know each other on a personal, individual basis. Nobles and the wealthy would all live in tents during this time right next to the less fortunate or less powerful. This promoted a fellowship and interchange which would have otherwise not been very likely. As we approach the end of this age, the Lord is calling His people to do the same.
Practically speaking, we need a time at least once a year when we leave our usual dwelling places and get together on more or less common ground. To promote more of this kind of interchange, which we believe is essential for the church to accomplish its last day mandate, we have moved our Fall Harvest Conference from being a conference to becoming a festival. MorningStar Publications and Ministries has joined with Stony Point Christian Publications to host Harvest Fest 2003. This is going to be very different from anything we have done before.
Harvest Fest will be held on September 25-28 at the Van Hoy Campground about 45 minutes north of Charlotte, North Carolina (one block off of Exit 65 on Interstate 77). We chose to hold this during the Feast of Tabernacles because we are coming to the time of the fulfillment of what this great feast prophesied. In the past, The MorningStar Fall Harvest Conferences have each drawn thousands of believers from as many as fifty nations, as well as almost every major denomination and movement. One of the ways we are going to honor The Feast of Tabernacles is by providing a format that will promote more interchange rather than just gathering in meetings.
We will have two main meetings a day under a pavilion which can hold about 10,000 people. We will also have a children’s conference taking place at the same time. We are bringing in some speakers to join our own team who we feel have a timely prophetic message for the church. We will also have some world-class musicians and recording artists who will be joining our own worship teams. Even so, the main meetings will not be the main events of this festival.
The main purpose of this gathering will be taking place at “Tent City.” Right in the heart of the grounds, we will have more than a dozen food vendors, and up to a hundred tents for churches, movements, ministries, Christian schools, publishers, etc., to rent. They can use them for hosting small gatherings, providing ministry teams, having representatives share the vision of their church or ministry, and offer their materials, etc. We are asking publishers to bring some of their popular authors to meet with people. We are also asking Christian music labels to bring some of their popular recording artists, and worship leaders. Because the Feast of Tabernacles was mostly for fellowship and interchange, we are encouraging all who lease display tents to provide lawn chairs, etc. for visitors to sit and get to know them personally, and minister to one another.
Harvest Fest will be held on the Van Hoy campgrounds, which for many years hosted The Fiddler’s Convention and has drawn as many as 30,000 people to a single event. There are also hundreds of campsites on the grounds and we are also reserving other campgrounds close by, and blocks of hotel rooms for many miles around.
We believe that some of the greatest miracles, prophetic ministry, worship, intercession, and maybe even messages, will be taking place in Tent City, or breaking out at different times throughout the campgrounds, or even at the hotels. Just as Barnabas had to go and get Paul before either of them could be released into their ultimate calling, there are divine connections which many of us need to make to go to the next level of our ministry. We are expecting many of these to take place at Harvest Fest.
Because an important message for this festival may come through anyone, we are going to be open to spontaneously choosing some speakers from those attending. We are therefore asking everyone to come prepared to be used by God in any way He chooses. Even if you are not called on to speak in “the main meeting,” please keep in mind the “main meeting” here is not “the main meeting.” The most important thing that could happen at this entire festival could be at any campsite or any one of the tents or hotels. God is no respecter of persons. He has always done some of His greatest works in the smallest groups. We must keep in mind that our goal is to celebrate the Lord, and seek to have fellowship with Him as we fellowship with His people.
This is going to be a very important gathering at a very important time in our history. We know that many of the future leaders of the church will be attending. We ask all who are coming to expect relationships to form which can have a significant impact on your future. We also do not think it is an accident that Van Hoy Campgrounds is located on Jericho Road. After so long in the wilderness, it is time to cross over and start possessing our Promised Land.
We also know how this type of gathering can be a bonding place for those who come together as groups, so we are offering a big discount for group registrations. We are also asking all who have banner and processional ministries to come prepared to be a part of the worship.
We sincerely hope you can join us for this important time. It will likely be the first of many more to come, but there is always something special about being at a birthing. If the Lord is quickening you to be there, do not let anything keep you from this divine appointment.