Acts 8:5-6 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

There is a great challenge given to the 21st century church. It refers to the seed of the Word. Paul referred to himself as a soul-winner when he wrote: “I planted.” Jesus’ parable of the Sower focused on the Seed and the Soil. Even before the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2, Jesus proclaimed that He would give them “power to be witnesses” Acts 1:8. The purpose was to plant seeds and be a witness.

In John 4, Jesus went to Samaria to visit a woman of influence. For the sake of time, and to remove all confusion, Jesus sent the disciples into the city to buy food. Then, at Jacob’s well, Jesus began to plant seeds of faith. He spoke to a woman who had been married five times. The end result was a host of people believing that Jesus was the Messiah.

History tells us that this occurred in the earlier part of the Lord’s 3 1/2 years of ministry. John 4 and Acts 8 are approximately ten years apart. Acts 8 features Philip going to Samaria and baptizing many in Jesus name. Philip was reaping the seeds planted by Jesus all those years prior.

The point here is that unless we plant, there will be no harvest. Unless we are witnessing, sharing the Gospel, and speaking God’s Word, there will be no seed planted and no harvest to reap. A Holy Ghost revival will only occur if the entire church takes on the responsibility of sharing the Gospel.

Please note that Act 1:8 was not meant for people with outgoing personalities! It was not reserved for a select group with confident dispositions. The message of the Gospel was meant to be shared by everyone!

We must plant seeds! You and I are commanded to spread the Gospel. We cannot simply enjoy the confines of the church or feast on sermons and songs. We must be about the Father’s business. This is the critical message for the church today. The world is lost. Hell hath enlarged her mouth to receive the people. The spirit of complacency is fighting against the commandment of the Lord. We must pray for a heart of urgency and then follow that up with action. When the Lord returns we must be busy with the work of the Kingdom: planting, watering, preaching, teaching, witnessing, praying, giving, and serving.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

The final greetings sent by Paul to Philemon reveals a tragic scene. Paul is concluding his letter when he offers a sendoff from those he considered “fellow workers.” These were apostles, preachers, and fellow prisoners of Christ. They were among the elite of their time. Phil. 1:23-24 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.

Epaphras may have spent time with Paul in prison for preaching the name of Jesus. Mark, known as John Mark, is now called profitable to Paul. Aristarchus was the faithful man standing with Barnabas . . . and then Demas. In this last salutation, Paul will reference these men as companions in the faith. They were important to the Gospel and to him. They were the stalwarts of the Apostolic movement of the first century.

The tragedy is that somewhere in between Philemon 1:24 and 2 Timothy chapter 4, Demas left the faith. 2 Tim 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica . . .”

Demas turned his back on truth and it cut Paul to the core. The loss was felt by the great apostle. Demas once stood with Paul preaching the Gospel. But now the love of the world has overtaken him. I submit that none would have predicted his departure. We do not know what happened or why, only that Demas was mentioned with the faithful and then was lost to the world.

The truth is that it could happen to any one of us. It has happened to people I thought were strong in the faith. I have watched long-standing church members walk away from truth. While they may have experienced an offense, nonetheless, they backslid from the doctrine.

How is it that when people leave the church, they also abandon outward holiness? Why do they suddenly shrug off the revelation of the Oneness of God and join themselves to trinitarian churches? Or why do they give themselves to ministries which minimize baptism in Jesus’ name? I too am saddened when people turn away from the Apostolic doctrine. Paul saw it and said “Demas hath forsaken me.”

The pressing of the world combined with the daily struggles, offenses, and disappointments will test our resolve. Perhaps the only word left is found in the admonition of Jesus Christ:

Mat 10:22 “…but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

John 19:27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

In one of the handful of statements Jesus spoke from the Cross, He made sure that Mary, His mother, was included. Jesus was concerned that she would be cared for after His death. John 19:27 “Then saith he
to the disciple, Behold thy mother!” John was commissioned to provide for Mary and some historical accounts give evidence that she lived with him until her passing.

Jesus only spoke seven statements as He hung from that instrument of death. Each word was uttered through withering pain and agony. The struggle to breath gripped His body as He pulled Himself up by the pierced nails to clear His lungs for one more exhale. In all that suffering, Jesus never lost sight of His faithful mother. The same Spirit which occupied His body had overshadowed her many years prior. Mary believed the voice of the angel and offered every believer the appropriate answer when she said, “Be it unto me according to thy
word.” While the face of Jesus was disfigured, His body wreathing in pain, He saw her and gave recognition to her ongoing needs.

Mother’s Day is not a biblical observance. It wasn’t a structured day in any culture for most of human history. Yet, of all the man-made holidays or days of honor, this is the one which connects us to the
scripture. Paul instructs us to honor father and mother. The Bible is clear on the importance of the wisdom of older women teaching the younger. In all accounts, those older women were the mothers of the church. Even today, the “church mothers” conduct most of the programs; perform most of the work; and support the greater majority of external ministries. It’s critical not to lose sight of these faithful mothers.

We pause to give special honor to all the Apostolic ladies of New Life Fellowship. We are grateful that you have upheld Holiness standards and have kept the Bible doctrine of separation in your daily lives. It is
a blessing to know that our faith is perpetuated through your giving, serving, and sacrifice. To that end, I pay particular honor to Tami Harpole, First Lady of New Life, for her years of faithful service, prayer,
and leadership. Happy Mother’s Day!

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

In a rather obscure scripture, Elijah paused at what the Bible calls a broom tree and went to sleep. The emotional impact of Jezebel’s threats overwhelmed him as he collapsed in this nondescript place. An angel of the Lord came to feed him; his body was wasted from the prior event. The prophet fell back asleep as he needed the rest.

Spiritual battles combined with daily duties are taxing on the mind and body. The constant running from one thing to another has left many with less energy and more anxiety. Some call it “the grind.” Elijah called fire down from heaven, killed 850 false prophets, and ran down Mount Carmel some nine miles to safety. If that was not enough, the queen sought to take his life. The combination of both the physical and emotional attack took its toll. I Kings 19 tells us that Elijah walked a full day’s journey and slept under a broom tree. It was too much, even for this powerful man of God.

The Sabbath was meant for rest, but the church often rejects God’s law. Instead of preparing for Sunday worship, many are depleted from a long weekend of activities. Our schedules leave no room for prayer, much less mediation. Paul told us to meditate on “these things” Phil 4:7, but we are either consumed with busy lives or we are drowning in media or entertainment. Until we restructure our lives and prioritize our days, true rest, which is followed by peace, will be left undone.

Physical duress, which often comes from harried lives, leaves us open to spiritual dangers. When the mind is worn down and the body is weak, the enemy has ample room to attack our thoughts. Poor diets, lack of sleep, and undisciplined lifestyles are not always related to spiritual attacks. However, our physical frame is not isolated. We are body, soul, and spirit. One affects the other. Nothing is isolated when it comes to this life. God knows our weakness and the frailty of our frame. His pattern includes rest, meditation, contemplation, and sleep. He instituted the night time hours for this very purpose. When we bypass His order, our lives, both physical and spiritual, become disjointed and weak.

I urge you to take time and consider the scripture. Turn off your media devices, televisions, computers, movies, video games, and phones. Prepare for worship by reducing other activities. Open up your Bible every day and read the Word. Talk to God openly about your life, burdens, fears, concerns, and needs. The path to healing is found in these small, but critical directives.

2 Sam 10:2 Then said David, I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness unto me.

It’s a small, almost obscure Scripture. We know nothing of Hanun, only that his father Nahash was kind to David. Now king, David, offers no insight into the reason for the blessing, only to say that Hanun’s reward had nothing to do with him. It was the actions of his father Nahash which David remembered.

A handful of verses prior, David blessed Mephibosheth, who was the son of David’s covenant friend Jonathan. These blessings were given to the next generation which had made no investment, but were the recipients of the former. Solomon himself grew up in the house of vision. David longed to make a house for God. That was the talk, the conversations, and burden in his home. Solomon built the Temple by way of his father. He heard it all of his life. David’s passion to build a place for the Ark of the Covenant was handed down to Solomon, hence his blessing was given.

Today, you may very well make an investment not realized in your own life, but in those which follow. What you speak of and have love for will make its way into the hearts of those who hear you. If you are negligent and care nothing for the things of God, do not be surprised when your family follows suit. They tend to care about the things you care for. So if you live a carnal, half-hearted, and non-committed life, then your home and those who hear you will follow in your path. However, if worship and service is in your hands, the next generation will reap from your sowing. Givers produce givers. Workers produce workers. Furthermore, the reward of the latter is the result of the former.

One man witnessed a tragedy of his child. He asked, “How did this happen?” He asked the question and he was the answer. The father was never committed; never gave; never served the body of Jesus Christ. His family simply followed in his footsteps. He was bewildered because he could not see the error of his own life. Whether for good or bad, The Law of Harvest will never be undone.

Hanun reaped the reward sown by the kindness of his father Nahash and Solomon lived out the heartbeat of his father David. The worshiper, giver, and supporter sends blessings forward as it has always been. So too, those who live to the desires of their flesh will sow an unwanted harvest.

I suppose the question remaining is this: What is the coming fruit of your harvest?

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

Transitional times are often difficult to predict and even harder to navigate. In some sense they can be dangerous or disheartening. In consideration of the children of Israel, there was a “time in-between” which existed from the crossing of the Red Sea until Mount Sinai. Those days were filled with the high’s and low’s of water and drought; praising and complaining. The people had escaped Egypt, but were still a long way from where God wanted them to be. This time proved to reveal their deep rooted flaws.

Marah, the bitter water, was found in those days. Elim, with 12 springs of fresh water and 70 palm trees, was also present. God led them by the Cloud, protecting and directing. Yet, some made a golden calf and faced God’s judgement. This transitional moment tested their resolve and divided them by faith and obedience. They lived through Egypt, but died at the base of Sinai. The thought of it astounds me. That someone could be brought out of generational bondage, pass through the impossible Red Sea on dry ground, only to die in the time of transition.

The urgent matter before us is much the same. We are not where we once were, but we are still a distance from where God is leading. It’s here that we must walk in faith and adhere to the doctrine. When drought confronts us and the answer is a bitter water, we must not lose faith or walk away from our commitment. There will be a revival of joy and provisions. God has never failed. However, in-between the promise and the fulfillment is a testing of the spirit. Furthermore, when we are commissioned to wait as Israel did at the foot of the mountain, we must wait on God’s direction. Philosophies and feel-good doctrines often negate the revelation of the Oneness message and the baptism in Jesus’ name. It hurts my heart to see former Apostolics leave the Truth and support a false doctrine. They were brought out, but now decay in apostasy.

So much can happen in these times. Our focus must be on the Lord and His Gospel. Bible studies and prayer are our mission. Service, sacrifice, and giving should fill our hands. Our words must echo God’s goodness regardless of our circumstances. God is leading us to the place where He wants us to be.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

Psalm 78:1-4 O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying. For I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past – stories we have heard and known; stories our ancestors handed down to us. We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord; about His power and His mighty wonders.

When Asaph wrote Psalm 78, he made clear the intent of Israel’s historical review. Nothing was to be hidden, either good or bad. He offered no cover for the infractions of the nation; no masking of God’s wondrous power. All of it lay bare for the next generation to hear. Both God’s judgement and mercy were on full display for those who came after. There were reasons for Asaph’s rehearsal.

History repeats itself when the lessons of the past are hidden. The “sins” of the past, often lodge in the hearts of those who have never known the bitter taste of judgement. When the scripture is revised, disbanded, or ignored, there are ramifications. Asaph wrote of “hidden lessons” which were only so because they were untold. None of those lessons were cloaked in mystery; they were just buried by their fathers. Failures often follow forgotten lessons.

As a church, when we forget where God has brought us from, we will slide back to the place of our bondage. No one thinks they will revert to their old ways, but millions are living in that reality. Furthermore, the next generation invariably suffers when the reasons for holiness, godly living, and daily disciplines are not told, and “Yes” there are reasons why we live constrained and with boundaries. There are reasons we avoid worldly pursuits. Our history shows us that we must run from “foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction” I Tim. 6:9.

I hope and pray you read and take note of this written word. There is so much at stake during this time. It is truly a season of consequence. The Spirit is speaking to this generation to learn from the past. We must be fervent for the Lord and consumed with the things of God. Anything less is history lost.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

Luke 23:54 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.

In Jewish tradition, given by God and set in order by Moses, Shabbat (Sabbath) was commissioned from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday. This coincides with Genesis: Gen 1:5 And the evening and the morning were the first day. Jesus died on the day of preparation when families were about to gather for their Sabbath meal. Preparation was that period when meals were prepared and houses were being put in order. This was all in conjunction with the command of Moses given to the children of Israel long ago. Moses told them to kill a lamb and prepare for the meal. Thousands of years later another Lamb was slain and atonement was paid.

The words “the sabbath drew on” indicate that the day was closing and the night was approaching. The body of Jesus was taken down by Joseph of Arimathaea, who was called a just man that did not consent to the death of the Lord. He was simply waiting “for the Kingdom of God.”

The death of Jesus startled the city. All of their clamoring for His crucifixion did not resolve their struggle against the Roman Empire. The disciples, both men and women, left feeling empty. Their loss too great to bear. Among the religious order, however, there was a concern. The chief priests and pharisees spoke of the Lord’s resurrection. Even though Jesus had been beaten, depleted, hung, and died, there was something unsettling in their narrative.

The Bible says that they went back to Pilate, who himself was reluctant to crucify Jesus, and asked him to secure the grave. They said that if Jesus came up missing and people began saying that Jesus was indeed risen, Mat 27:64 “…the last error shall be worse than the first.” In a single breath they both indicted themselves and proclaimed the possibly that Jesus was not going to stay in the tomb where Joseph laid Him.

They were right. Jesus is out and no one can put Him back. He rose from that borrowed tomb and there is no putting Him back where they laid Him. His fame, His name, and His Word are more powerful than any. He died as the Lamb slain, but He rose as the Living Savior. He is now both Lord and King and there is no going back. A sealed stone could not keep Him. Guards could not contain Him. Philosophies, false religions, traditions, governments, atheists, and deniers will never be able to stop His message of Love, Hope, and Restoration.

Today we celebrate the Risen Christ! The day of preparation was the ending of our shame, but the day of His resurrection was the beginning of our Victory!

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

Perhaps most are not aware, but the thought of church adjustment has been set in relation to our current culture. With so many historical revisions, re-edits of books and literature, people are more inclined to accept changes in order to make the church more inclusive. These conversations are not only taking place, but actions are being taken. Customs, doctrines, musical selections, and verbiage is being reviewed in
many places. Some proposals hinge around anecdotal arguments, i.e., people giving their personal experiences to propel change. The general thought is that the church needs to adapt to the culture. Parents fear that their children will reject the church if holiness standards remain inflexible. Others have opined that sermons are invasive; that they should remain inviting. In short, “the church needs to be more seeker friendly.”

While these matters are being accepted in diverse places, I have no such interest. This is my declaration. My reasoning is not personal, but scriptural. God said: Deu 4:2 Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands… A lie will not help us. It might make people feel good, but only sound doctrine will save. Furthermore, we are not allowed to deviate from God’s inspired Word.

Rev 22:18-19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Just so you know, God is not a revisionist. He does not change and His Word is settled. Our doctrine was given by the Lord. Holiness is a scriptural command. Baptism in Jesus’ name is a Biblical directive and the Oneness of God is the only form of the Godhead found in the Bible (Eph. 4:5, Jn 14:9). The trinity is a man-made doctrine and is not even mentioned in the Scripture. So regardless of what the current trend might be, we will not change the Bible, its teachings, or our lifestyle in order to accommodate the culture. While we are often accused of being “old fashion”, this is about walking in Truth and being original.

Finally, Paul showed us how emphatic we must be… Gal 1:6-8 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

In consideration of current culture juxtaposed with the words of Jesus, it is evident that our understanding of the Lord is far from the scripture. Jesus spoke terms difficult for the American church to accept. Jesus said, Mat 19:30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. This doesn’t sound very inviting, especially for an ever advancing American society built on gain and ambition. There are no corporate ladders in God’s Kingdom.

When Jesus called for a man to follow Him, the man replied, Mat 8:21 “Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.” Jesus said, “Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.” Jesus was declaring Himself as a higher priority over the burial of family members. This is a hard pill for many to swallow. Instead of receiving the Word, people adjust it to fit into their modern thought. Even Pentecostals strain to adapt to the Word.

At one point the Lord was teaching and someone interrupted Him by saying that His family was waiting outside. Jesus answered: Mat 12:48 “Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?” Pointing to his disciples, He answered His own question: Mat 12:49-50 “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

We cannot and must not alter the words of this Jesus of Nazareth. He is the incarnate God and His Word is forever settled in Heaven. So how can we reconcile our cultural preferences of money, family, funerals, and religious pursuits with the Bible? If we read about Him, it is impossible to fit Him into our culture. Jesus just doesn’t fit. He’s encompassing. If He is to be in our lives, everything else must conform to Him.

He did not tell us to seek out a good job or a notable career. He did not offer space for us to gather a retirement and then give him the few remaining days of our life. He called for our entire lives, not the end of our days. Jesus said, Mat 6:33-34 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

The Bible is challenging and Jesus is calling. True Christianity never adjusts the Word to the culture. Followers of Jesus Christ are always adjusting themselves to His command. The Cross looks out of focus to a nation of “believers” who consider church attendance a duty rather than a privilege; serving as a struggle rather than an opportunity; and giving as an obligation rather than an honor.

The mission of this house is to reunite us with the Real Jesus. This is our life; To Know Him and to Make Him Known!

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole