Serving Our Neighbors

International Harvesters was birthed by the "Joshua's and Caleb's" of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International, which was founded by the late Demos Shakarian.  These "Joshua's and Caleb's" are men and women of faith and integrity to the original vision given to Demos Shakarian, the Moses of the modern day Charismatic/Spirit-Filled/Fullness renewal.  

Just as God called Moses to unify the Jewish people into a nation (an army), so did God call Demos & the Fellowship to unify the Body of Christ around the world [across denominational, racial and cultural boundaries] into an army lead by the Holy Spirit to establish the spiritual kingdom of God in every nation.  Just as Moses, during the last years of his life wrote the first five books of the Bible to articulate the foundational principles of God's spiritual kingdom, Demos wrote five booklets during the last years of his life to articulate how the Fellowship would go into the Promised Land and bring in the greatest harvest of men's souls at the end of this age. 

Today, God has called these men and women to unite (leave their past struggles and conflicts in the wilderness) and go forward into the Promised Land as International Harvesters.  These men and women are committed to lead the next generation, as Gideon [with a broken clay vessel, a trumpet & a torch], to battle the enemy’s strongholds through strategic prayer, worship & ministry and thus restore their cities through the power of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God and His son, Yeshua the Messiah "Jesus Christ", the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

In his book The Happiest People On Earth, Demos, articulated foundational principles for the Fellowship and for today's International Harvesters:

1.  The Fellowship was to be based upon small groups, sensitive to the leading the Holy Spirit, praying and reaching their entire communities, allowing God to manifest in the marketplace.

            Page 139, (Holy Spirit speaking), “I do not want a big centralized organization. . . But for your day-in, year-out work, I want you small, local, sensitive to Me.  I do not want uniformity.  I will never come to two men or two places in just the same way.  Give Me outlets for My infinite variety.”  (Demos speaking), “why shouldn’t each of them have its own ‘Clifton’s,’ a center of power from which life of the Spirit could reach into the community. . . Some are demonstrative, some reserved; some stress teaching, others healing, evangelism, youth work.”  Page 143, (Demos speaking), “The key again was the small local chapter, meeting regularly, sometimes in discouragement, praying for South Bend, waiting, as St Gregory waited, for God’s perfect time.” Page 144, (Holy Spirit speaking),  “Don’t worry about numbers. . . When the Spirit is in control, the numbers will be greater than any man will ever know.”  Page 149, (Demos speaking), “The chance to show God alive in the world a man knows - that’s what the Fellowship was all about.”

2.  The Fellowship was to utilize the personal testimonies and gifts of ordinary people and the anointings of various people, ministries and organizations that would reach targeted audiences.

            Page 76, (Rose speaking), “Demos, as much as I love and respect Dr Price, he’s wrong for talking with soldiers.  We need someone younger, someone . . . I don’t know.  Someone who can play a guitar.”  Page 101, (Demos speaking),  “I believe God has a particular gift for each of His servants, some special ability we’re to use for His Kingdom.  I believe if we find that gift - and use it -  we’ll be the happiest people on earth.  And if we miss it, no matter how many excellent things we do, we’ll be utterly miserable.”  Page 141, (Demos speaking), “He didn’t preach a sermon.  Like all our men, he simply told his own story.”  Page 147, (Demos speaking), “It came so naturally that way, starting with a common language, a common interest. . .”  Page 151, (Demos speaking),  “Through CARE the Fellowship had sent aid to famine victims in the Republic of Haiti.

3.  The Fellowship was to be a catalyst to change the society of each community in the world.

            Page 90, (Demos speaking), “A helper. . . A passer-on of what one man has to the next man.  A provider of time or place or occasion for candles to come together.  An encourager of the spark that could set the world on fire.”

4.  The Fellowship was to be for ordinary men and women in the marketplace around the world.

            Page 83  (Charles Price speaking), “It won’t happen like that.  Not through professional preachers.  ‘All flesh,’ that’s what Isaiah tells us.  This is going to happen spontaneously all over the world - to ordinary men and women - people in shops and offices and factories.”  Page 117, (Demos speaking), “but men and women with ordinary jobs in the ordinary world.”

5.  The Fellowship was to operate in unity fulfilling God’s will for each of our lives.

            Page 76, (Demos speaking), “for Rose and me the key to finding God’s will was agreement.”  Page 187, (Demos speaking),  “I think the Spirit is being given us in preparation for this time:  to bind us into a Body, to assign each one of us the task he alone can do for the welfare of that Body. . . The important thing is that He tells each of us to go.  Go with whatever gift He has given  - knowing that when we find that gift and use it, no matter what the condition the world around us, we will be the happiest people on earth.”

6.  The Fellowship was to support the local church.

            Page 121, (Demos speaking), “From the beginning Rose and I had stressed two principles in every meeting we ever sponsored.  ‘First, stay in your own church. . . And second, don’t leave one penny in the offering basket that belongs somewhere else.  This is not where your tithe is due;  your tithe belongs to your home church.  Anything you give at this meeting must be above and beyond this.’ ”

7.  The Fellowship was to flow in love, across racial, generational, cultural and gender lines.

            Page 131, (Demos speaking),  “Never a Saturday I didn’t learn something. . . Something that helped me love God better, and people better.”  Page 178, (Demos speaking), “Men coming alive not only to God but to one another.  Men who had been isolated coming together, discovering one another.  That, too, was the Fellowship.”  Page 179-181, (Demos speaking), “Races coming together. . . Generations coming together. . . People of all backgrounds coming together . . . Protestants and Catholics . . . Business and professional women. . .”

In his booklet, A New Wave Of Revival, Demos articulated foundational principles for small groups [i.e. Field Units] within the Fellowship and for today's International Harvesters:

1.  Small groups focused on prayer.

            Page 2, “We must once again become yielded, obedient, PREPARED vessels, willing to seek God in prayer and fasting, and willing to do what He wants us to do.”  Page 18, “Our spiritual strength, and our spiritual revival, begins and ends with PRAYER.  God is calling us back to our early spiritual roots, our early beginnings, and the core of those early spiritual roots is PRAYER.”

2.  Small groups of a few people open to the Holy Spirit’s direction, allowing God to manifest His presence. 

            Page 5, “ONLY God, and the Power of His Holy Spirit, can make the fellowship ALIVE and VITAL.”  Page 9, “God does not need large numbers to launch His Work!  He only needs a faithful few in each place.  God does not look at the circumstances and see the empty seats in a meeting.  God only looks at the men who come.  He seeks OPEN vessels, willing to PRAISE Him and seek His will.  Every chapter and every meeting is different.  Let the Holy Spirit control the meeting. BE OPEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT!”  Page 15, “ Son, I gave you Myself.  I gave you My authority.  I have given you My ability.  I have given you everything I can give you.  I can’t give you anymore. GO. DO. . . Men and women are still alone. . . Beloved, they are searching for AN EXPERIENCE FROM GOD.  He only needs our willingness to HEAR and OBEY His will.  The Holy Spirit will supply ALL the rest.”

3.  Small groups encouraging  holiness, repentance and obedience and thus fulfilling the Vision.

            Page 10, “Our work is not over - it is just beginning!  Our vision is not in the past - it is in the future!  Two and one-half billion people have not even heard the name of Jesus Christ once!”  Page 12, “I see a new wave of holiness.  I see a new wave of repentance.  I see a time when God will set us apart, and release a new, MIGHTY OUTPOURING of His Holy Spirit.  It is time to GET OUR EYES OFF OF THE PAST!  It is time to stop talking about how much we have accomplished, and start prayerfully seeking God on WHAT HE WANTS TO DO NOW and WHAT HE WANTS FOR THE FUTURE!”  Page 23, “In my original Vision, God did not show me a large world-wide chapter headquarters. . . God did not show me chapters. . . But beloved, the Vision is people.  The Vision is God’s Holy Spirit changing lives.  The Vision is God BREAKING THE CHAINS OF THE DEVIL and setting the captive free!  Men and women who were ICE COLD became ALIVE and miraculously LINKED in PRAISE and ADORATION to God through the POWER of Jesus Christ!

In his booklet, Behold the Glory of God, Demos articulated foundational principles for large rallies [i.e. Harvest Rallies] within the Fellowship and for today's International Harvesters:

1.  Large rallies gathering together holy people allowing God’s glory to manifest to the nations.

            Page 7, “I see a time when the intensity of God’s glory will dominate our Fellowship meetings and conferences.” Page 25 “God wants to send His glory into our meetings with such power and presence that our people will not be able to stand!” Page 27, “God can use His glory to bring witness to the heathens, and He can use His glory to prosper and bless you, and heal your body.” Page 30, “Do you see it?  Are you ready to take your city, and our land, for Jesus, to move forward in signs and wonders?”

2.  Large rallies encouraging people to experience God through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

             Page 8, “The only way to God’s glory is through holiness.”  Page 11, “ The way to God is through holiness.  Holiness is achieved through purity.”  Page 20-21 “God DEMANDS holiness, but man can NEVER make himself holy. . . God brought Jesus here, and He was sacrificed on the cross. . . It is this ultimate act of love, it is through this blood sacrifice that Jesus cleansed our sins.”  Page 25, “Not only did Jesus stand willingly as our one, holy, complete, and final sacrifice, but He now waits, willing and ready, to ‘appear in the presence of God’ for us. . . to behold the glory of God in your own priestly temple!”  Page 26, “Get right with God, because God is saying: ‘Repent of your sins.  Allow Me to purify and cleanse you, because I want to bless you.  I want to pour out My glory.  I want to show you My Shekinah.” 

3.  Large rallies filled with singing, praising, thanking and worship of God.

            Page 28,  “The splendor and glory of God was so great that the assembled congregation, UNIFIED through singing, praising, and thanking the Lord, caused the entire house of God to be filled with a bluish cloud. . .and the priests could not stand up to minister!  They PRAISED God.  Beloved, I can see a day when every FGBMFI convention is UNITED through singing, praising, and thanking God, when every auditorium becomes a house of the Lord, when the air is filled with a bluish cloud. . . so that we cannot even stand up to minister.  Praise Him constantly.  Prepare yourself for your chapter meetings, your conventions, and your airlifts by spending time in prayer and worship. . . Why?  Because praise is His normal, comfortable habitat in heaven, and it is the earthly environment in which He feels free to manifest His Presence in power.”

In his booklet, The Ultimate Dimension, Demos articulated foundational principles for ministry projects [i.e. Harvesting Projects] within the Fellowship and for today's International Harvesters:

1.   Ministry projects done by men and women completely at one with God.

Page 1, “The time is short, and God is looking for a few dedicated, passionate people whom He can trust with His ULTIMATE DIMENSION to give the world one final chance to accept Him as Savior.” Page 7, “But in the endtimes, God is seeking a special people who will not be satisfied with anything less than the ultimate that God Himself has to offer.” Page 9-10, “Now, through the ultimate dimension, we are challenged to strive for a perfect ONENESS-WITH-JESUS. . . a total unity with God. . . His nature will be our nature, His words will be our words, His knowledge will be our knowledge, His love will be our love, and His faith will be our faith. . . To work the mighty works of God, To do His miracles, To know His will, To speak His words with confidence and authority, To live without doubt, and To be a true and powerful witness of Christ our Savior! . . We will once again prophesy in specific terms, We will be given His knowledge, We will see detailed visions for the future, and we will hear God speak directly to us. . . For we will be no longer a partner with God, but ONE-WITH-GOD.”  Page 11-12, “We are then united with Jesus and made one with Him by God Himself!  That oneness is a part of His plan for us! . . The Ultimate Dimension is to be one-with-Jesus so that we can live as He did, knowing the will of the Father and willing to sacrifice all to achieve that divinely ordained purpose.”

2.  Ministry projects done by men and women filled with vision and passion for the Lord.

            Page 16-17, “What is the difference between the ones who seem to do great things and those who do not?  The difference is in their passion, and in their vision. . . Passion and vision . . . that’s also the difference between Christians little used and Christian mightily used. . . Passion and vision make the difference.  We must want to be one-with-Jesus more than anything else. . . We must want to be one-with-Jesus more than anything else in our world.”  Page 18-19, “I believe we will see a select group of endtime Christians who will become consumed by enthusiasm and passion for Jesus. . . making Him their dream, their greatest desire, their daily hope!  His vision will become their vision!  His will will become their will!  These dedicated spiritual warriors will take the world because they will be ONE-WITH-JESUS. . . When a group of men and women who are all ONE-WITH-CHRIST come together, there will be unity in their midst because they derive their lives from the same Spirit of God!”

3.  Ministry projects done by men and women willing to sacrifice all to get the job done.

Page 9, “Do you want to have more of God is your life?  If you do, then you must be willing to sacrifice and pay the price.”  Page 15, “Jesus said, ‘I came down from Heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. . . That’s our challenge . . . to seek and do God’s will, not our own, no matter the cost.” Page 20-21, “You see, in the Ultimate Dimension with Jesus, men and women will willingly sacrifice their personal feelings or personal ambitions for the cause of Christ. . . If we want to be ONE-WITH-JESUS, if we want to share His crown and glory, then we must be willing and ready to share His suffering.  We must allow ourselves to be crucified with Him, giving up all we have . . . even unto death.”

4.   Ministry projects accomplishing the works of Jesus in incredible power and glory.

Page 1, “When just one person reaches God’s ULTIMATE DIMENSION, he or she will be able to do more than an entire army of ordinary Christian soldiers.” Page 21, “Men and women walking in ‘The Ultimate Dimension’ will manifest EXPLOSIVE SPIRITUAL BREAKTHROUGHS to parallel the explosive breakthroughs we are now seeing in science, technology, and even in man’s finances.”  Page 24, “Now is time when God will raise up His special group of chosen people who are willing to suffer and sacrifice to become one-with-God until the MAGNITUDE and INTENSITY of their endtime witness will produce a QUANTUM BREAKTHROUGH REVIVAL, the likes of which this world cannot even imagine!”

5.  Ministry projects involving very specific strategies given by the Lord for success.

            Page 14, “When God asked Joshua to take Jericho, He gave him specific instructions.” Page 25-26, “Sometimes, little changes in our lives can make huge differences, but even small changes come hard for most of us. . . It was time for change. . . New times often demand new methods. . . The world is skyrocketing into the twenty-first century, . . . Today, many still do not understand or utilize the computer. . . But a walk in the Ultimate Dimension requires modern-day men and women willing to change and utilize all the technology and science available to bring the message to a dying world: satellites, television, newspapers and magazines. . .”  Page 28, “Be open to change. Let Jesus be your life.  Be willing to give all you have to Him so that He can give His all to you. ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, YE SHALL ASK WHAT YE WILL, AND IT SHALL BE DONE UNTO YOU.  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you.’ (John 15: 7,9)”

From the 1950’s, God has used the members of the Fellowship to bring men & women back to God and into fellowship with their local churches throughout America (and the world) via their Voice Magazine, Good News Television, various radio broadcasts, airlifts, conventions, dinner banquets, breakfast & lunch meetings, etc.  Today, God is using International Harvesters within the Fellowship to harvest and release men and women into service throughout the marketplace through its weekly small group meetings [Field Units], quarterly citywide meetings [Harvest Rallies] and various ministry projects [Harvesting Projects]. 

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