Hello world!

Welcome to our site and ‘Hello World!’

Along with being an ordained minister I have also spent many years as a Systems Analyst in IT organizations.  The title of this post is ‘Hello World!’ – a very common and standard thing for IT people to read when they are learning a new language or developing a new program.  This is becoming a new language and a new program for my heart to process.

Harvest Light Ministries is about eight years old now and has gone through many shifts both in scope, or sphere of involvement, and vision.  In 1991, I had been involved with a church in Maryland originally called ‘Harvest Christian Fellowship’ which had later been renamed to ‘Church of the Harvest’ (or the other way around).  Because of this involvement, I grew to like the name ‘Harvest’.

One day in 1991 while driving home from work, I noticed a combine in a field, harvesting wheat in the dark with bright flood lights on the front lighting the way.  A few days later, while driving to work I was thinking of names for my church (that I hoped to start) and I laughingly asked the Lord, ‘Lord, you know the name of my church, what is it’s name’ and all of a sudden I felt deep within me the words ‘Harvest Light Fellowship’.  I asked Him what that meant and I was immediately reminded of the combine I had seen about two weeks earlier – and I believe the Lord said, ‘because you will be harvesting in a dark place’.

For years we have been working to equip and release people, to shine a light on a group of people standing in a dark harvest field.  Shining a light around them that revealed that there were tools at their feet. We have been working to identify these and not only learn of their use but to teach others.

Recently, I believe we have gained some new insight into the direction of Harvest Light Ministries.
Scripture tells us that all mankind was created in the image of God and that God is Light and in Him there is no shadow of turning or darkness.  It also says that Jesus was the express image of God and the Light of the World.  Christians are also called the Light of the World.  All this being said, Harvest Light will hope to Harvest Light from People, the light that reflects His image until people are saved (ultimate personal restoration), restored, equipped, and released to do good works – greater works than Jesus’ disciples saw and did.

We have a phrase:  ‘Unity for Restoration, Equipping to Release’.

We desire to unify: to work and partner with others in the body of Christ who want to make an impact for the Lord.  We believe that all called to good works and as each supplies their part, then greater works can be accomplished.

We desire to restore: to see the restoration of people, nations, and cultures.  Many indivduals have gone through life altering circumstances such as divorce, death of a spouse, or dashed hopes and dreams.  These people need to be reignited and given new hope.  America and many other countries have watched internal pressures erode their culture, their founding principles, and national pride.

We desire to equip:  to be a source of education and encouragement, to revive the message of reconcilation and preaching the kingdom.  We desire to be a part of a Holy Spirit empowered transformation of thought and vision in all those we can reach in this country and abroad.

We desire to release:  to empower and invigorate, to challenge and to provoke to good works, all who desire to serve God with their lives, resources, dreams, and vision.

- Bill NeSmith