HCC Monthly Harvest Seed
Acts 5:14-16 (NLT) - Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. 15 As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. 16 Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.
There are people that leave an incredible impact on people’s lives.
Just being in their presence is uplifting, inspiring, challenging and leaves you better for having been around them.
These are people that have cast a long shadow. People just get around them and their lives are impacted and changed for the glory of God.
Peter was this type of person. He was making such an impact that people had the kind of faith that if they could just get into his shadow they would be healed.
People are hurting, confused and need healing. Many are desperate enough to just want to be near people that can refresh them and bring healing. They are desperate for a touch from God. God has called us to be the Peter’s of our day.
A shadow is an extension of a person. Many people speak of shadows as a shady thing or a spooky thing. A shadow is simply an extension of who you are.
You can’t have a shadow without light.
You can’t cast your own shadow. You have to be positioned in the light and then that light causes a silhouette.
The brighter the light the longer the shadow.
The reason that Peter was making such a difference is because he was a person who walked in the light.
1 John 1:7 - But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
1 Thessalonians 5:5 - You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.
Our enemy tells us the lie that he is doing his work in the shadows. This is a lie.
This is not so for the people of God. All that God is doing is out in the open. He is the God of Light.
James 1:17 - Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
(NLT) - Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
"No shadow of turning" means that God is unchanging and consistent. The phrase emphasizes God's steadfast nature, reliability, and immutability, implying that His goodness and perfect gifts are constant and do not change.
1 John 1:5 - This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.
Here is what I am saying; if you and I want to cast a long shadow then we need to walk in the light. The closer to the light the longer the shadow.
I hear many Christians who talk about wanting to make a difference. They are more worried about making a difference than they are about getting close to Jesus.
If we make walking with Jesus our priority, we will not be able to help but to make a difference and cast a long shadow.
A shadow isn’t about casting shade on others it is about becoming shade; a place of refuge for others when life is hard.
The Primary way that we cast a long shadow is by being a witness. It is our call to share the light.
Remember that light always drives out the darkness.
When we shine our light, it gives the enemy nowhere to hide.
Matthew 5:16 - Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
(AMP) - Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven.
What we say and how we live is a powerful witness. Especially in dark places and in the dark and difficult seasons of life.
Every time that we share our testimony we overcome the enemy.
Our witness and our testimony are simple – here is what Jesus did for me.
Revelation 12:11 (AMP) - And they overcame and conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, for they did not love their life and renounce their faith even when faced with death.
We make defeating the devil way to complicated.
There are three simple things:
Do you know why the Psalmist says in chapter 23 that when he walks through the valley of shadow of death, he will fear no evil. – Someone needs to get this.
Remember – nothing can have a shadow without light. When you walk in the light; death is brought to life.
The light of Jesus overshadows death. – For the believer there is no fear of death because death is no longer shrouded in darkness. It is flooded with light.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 (NLT) - O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
I want to leave you with a thought;
A testimony begins and ends with God. In a biography we are the star of the story in a testimony Jesus is the star of the story.
People need our testimony. It connects people to God. It inspires people for God.
Remember the saying – no test no testimony.
People will always connect with God when they connect with our struggle.
There is something powerful that happens when people see the realness of our walk.
Cast a long shadow. I dare you! Get close to Jesus and watch what happens. You will naturally start making a difference in people’s lives.
May we see what happened in Peter’s life happen through our own.
Remember that You are Loved,
Pastor Marvin & Dawn
Image by wal_172619 from Pixabay
HCC Monthly Harvest Seed
John 1:1-5 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
(NLT) - The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
It is easy when you are watching the way things are in the world to get discouraged. When life is difficult, and you are going through one thing after another it is easy to wonder if the darkness is winning. It is natural when you are praying for someone, and you do not see a change to wonder if the witness you have been and the Word of God that you have shared is making a difference.
Whenever light shows up it wins – It always wins!
Darkness cannot stop light it cannot dim it and it cannot quench it.
Wherever light is - darkness flees. Darkness is the absence of light, so even just a little light renders darkness no longer darkness. There are levels of brightness but there are not levels of darkness. Pitch black is still black, but dim is not darkness it is light. Even just a little light helps you to see.Somebody needs to hear what I am trying to tell you. - - Light always wins over Darkness. Even shades of gray are not levels of darkness they are levels of light.
God is not only LOVE. GOD IS LIGHT. 1 John 1:5 - This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
God is light. He does not just have light. He is the source of all light in all of its forms, natural and spiritual. The first thing that God did at creation is make physical light. – He spoke into the darkness.
Darkness is not something it is nothing. Into nothing Jesus spoke light. Nothing could be made unless there was first light because there was nothing there. Light – God is the source of everything.
Often, we hear that Satan is the prince of darkness – This means that he is the prince of nothing.
John 1:5 says, “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not This doesn’t mean that darkness won’t attempt to overcome the light. Its efforts will always be frustrated and unsuccessful because the light of God always prevails, even in what seems to be the darkest hour or the bleakest situation.
Darkness simply doesn’t have the power or ability to put out God’s light. Since you are a child of the light, this means darkness doesn’t have the ability to put out your light either! First John 5:4 says, “For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” The word “overcomes” is the Greek word nikos. It means to conquer. It was used to portray athletes who had gained the mastery of the competition and ultimately reigned supreme as champions over the games.
Because the word “overcomes” is the Greek word nikos, it tells us that we are the ultimate champions and describes our superior position as children of God over the world. We are fully armed with everything we need to be super-conquerors in this life!
Understand that anytime light and darkness come together their will be conflict. Light and darkness can never coexist peacefully because darkness does not like the light and the light will always drive our darkness. Because Darkness does not understand light it is unreceptive to it.
Darkness does not desire a relationship with light.
It will try to appropriate it, absorb it, extinguish it and overcome it but light and darkness can never coexist together. This is where many Christians wind up in trouble. They get in business relationships, romantic relationships, Partnerships and friendships with people who walk in darkness. 1 Corinthians 6:14 - Do not be unequally bound together with unbelievers [do not make mismatched alliances with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership can righteousness have with lawlessness? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness.
Light always attracts light. This is why there is such an attraction to people who are also walking with God. 1 John 1:7 - But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. For those who walk in the light there is always fellowship and when we disagree it is the Blood that cleanses us from sin and heals the relationship.
Darkness simply doesn’t have the power or ability to put out God’s light. Since you are a child of the light, this means darkness doesn’t have the ability to put out your light either!Ephesians 5:8 - For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
I believe that this is God’s encouragement to all of us. We need to walk like and walk out who we are. We are Children of Light! Darkness does not, cannot and will not overcome us. We do not generate our own light we simply reflect the light, life and Glory of God. We are light and our life will drive out darkness.
Christian you are an overcomer and a champion. Darkness can’t comprehend you, understand you or overcome you. Go ahead walk like it and live like it in freedom.
This month instead of being overwhelmed with darkness, be overcome with gratefulness. God has been good to us. Give Him thanks for all that He has done.
You are dearly loved!
Pastor Marvin & Dawn
Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay