By mere deductive reasoning, all those who walk after the flesh are condemned.  Most would not accept condemnation regardless of how they live, but Paul writes:  Rom 8:1  “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”  If you are walking after the Spirit, there is no condemnation.  If you are striving to follow the leading of the Lord, there is no castigation, but to walk after the Spirit one must be subject to the things of the Spirit.  It’s a total submission of the human will.  It is guarding the eyes, the tongue, and the desires of the flesh.   Paul rebuked the church at Corinth by saying: 1 Cor. 3:3 “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?”  Paul defined carnality by envy, strife, and, divisions.

I know this sounds lofty, but the world has grown so dark it is often difficult for the church to grasp these landmark teachings.  There is a fight between Flesh and Spirit; Light and Darkness; Truth and Lies.  We are in a battle with our flesh and the only way to overcome is to walk after the Spirit.  Before we speak, we must ask, “Is this wholesome?”  Before we act, we must ask, “Is this godly?”  Before we accept the concepts of the world, we must inquire of the scripture.  Because walking after the Spirit is a daily pursuit, not an event.  It’s not accomplished at a church service or a momentary high.  Paul believed that the subject affected all the saints.  To the Galatians he said; Gal 5:16  “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. To the church in Ephesus, Eph 4:17 :that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,” 

It’s  time for us to Walk after the Spirit.  It’s time for us to live what we profess and practice what we believe. After all, we are the children of the Light.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

Air conditioning is rarely appreciated until it doesn’t exist.  Technicians report that the lifespan of a unit depends heavily on the maintenance of the filter.  A $5,000 unit can be destroyed by a clogged $10 filter.  Incredibly enough, most problems with A/C units deal with dirty filters.  A new unit is far more expensive than the price of a filter, but people don’t pay much attention to their filters.

By now someone in your family has probably seen clips from the 2015 MVA’s.  T.V. ratings were down for the MTV show, but social media picked it up by sharing the sights and sounds. Scantily clad music stars paraded on stages in full exhibition while talking about smoking marijuana.  The dancing was so sexually explicit, it even made the producers blush.  There is no filter.

The movie industry has also presented a similar dilemma for the Christian home.  Hollywood intermingles interesting stories with sexual content.  It’s not subtle or muted.  It’s a full array of sexual displays and vile language.  There are almost no actors that believe in Bible principles. The viewer is hard pressed to find a clean movie.  Television programs and commercials are the same.  Regardless of what one might watch, there is a plethora of soft-porn pictorials through advertisements.  The conclusion: Filters are gone.

In a debate forum, 63% of respondents said that, to some extent, cursing should be allowed in kindergarten.  Proponents argue that cussing is common and should be introduced early to take away the shock later.  Christianity Today and World News Group have reported that Christians cuss on a regular basis.  In response, one retorted, “I’m into Jesus, but I’m not legalistic.”  This is the common thread among those who have no filter.

It has been said that Convictions and Filters are two different things.  Convictions cause the cleaning and maintenance of the Filter, but Conviction-less people are not interested in Filters.  In the physical realm, filters are inexpensive, but they trap pollutants and keep the system working.  In another realm, filters stop blatant sounds and sights that cause damage to the inner man.  This brings us to the great issue of our generation:  The virtual world.  The internet and social media exist without filters.  A smartphone carry’s every image/sound imaginable.  We use these devices, but they are pure poison if they exist without filters.  In the last three years, multiple pastors report an increase in marriage infidelity perpetuated through unfiltered virtual forums.  New and old romances ignite leaving the carnage of children in their wake.

In one circle, youth ministers came together to share their concerns with the issue of sexting (sharing sexually explicit pictures).  The problem has provoked curriculum to confront the issue. The broader scope now includes criminality.  People are going to jail depending on the age of those who receive the image.  In a more glaring revelation it has been noted that there is an increase in contraceptives for pre-teens.  Most Pentecostals would dismiss this report as a by-product of a sinful world.  Sadly however, the research was in the Christian community! Sex is the most pervasive drug of this generation.  One youth minister lamented that several of his young people are engaged in sexual intercourse.  He said, “it happens almost every Friday and Saturday night.”

Filters were once common with husbands and wives.  Filters blocked advances and left them with a conscience clean.  Christians were once afraid of speaking against authority, especially their pastors, but those days are over.  The filter that stopped criticisms has decayed.

We need a revival of our Convictions.  Instituting Filters without convictions is the plight of the pharisee and a Filter without a Conviction won’t last.  If we return to the Word, we might just understand the need to live a holy life as unto the Lord.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

In 1948 Jim Elliot paraphrased the 16th century preacher, Philip Henry, when he wrote;

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” 

Elliot was one of five missionaries killed while evangelizing in Ecuador. The people to whom he brought the message of an abundant life were also those who ended his life. Yet to Elliot and his family, the Gospel was worth the sacrifice.

David Livingstone spent most of his time preaching in Africa.  He too gave his life for the cause of Christ and died there in some nondescript place.

Bud and Nona Freeman sold every possession that they owned, and moved to South Africa to preach the Name of Jesus and the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. They moved without a single financial supporter and dug out a ministry that still exists today.  Thousands are filled with the Baptism of the Holy Ghost because of their sacrifice. Nona once said that at first they were going to keep their little house in the United States but Bud said, “We must sell it so there’s nothing to come back for.” When they left for Africa, they had carried all that they owned.

The world needs this Gospel message.  While all of us cannot travel abroad, we are sharing this New Birth Experience when we financially and prayerfully support our missionaries. The mission of the Church must reach to all parts of the world.  Jesus said that we would be witnesses “…to the uttermost part of the earth.”

I believe this:  If we will reach for the World, God will give us our City. When we sow into the Kingdom, God gives the increase.  When we pray for those we don’t know, God will give us the people that we do know. The Law of Harvest is more certain the any law of Newton.  Whatever we plant, that shall we also reap.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

In the early morning hours of September 11, 2001 the world shifted. Most notably the landscape of New York changed.  Dust and smoke billowed into the sky; buildings that stood for decades lay as rubble.  Notwithstanding the great tragedy of lives lost; the mentality of America began to change also. War was followed by financial collapse and the prayers once offered turned to scorn. The landscape changed once again.  Nativity scenes and The Ten Commandments were removed from the lawns of our courthouses.  The standard of marriage has been redefined as well as gender identity.  The great staples of our society, God and the family, lie in the crosshairs of a sinful society.

Paul and Silas; Peter and John, saw greater opposition in their day. Jesus was not only offensive to the elite, but Rome blamed the Christians for their own demise.  Imprisonment, murder and torture marked the passing of the great revival in the first century.  The Book of Martyrs details their tribulation, but despite the opposition to the message, the Gospel flourished.  In fact, history declares the greater the opposition, the greater the revival.  Every powerful move of God came via tribulation against the body of Christ.  The first church was born in the fire of opposition and it thrives today in the same heat. We may not realize it yet, but I feel the Spirit telling us that we are about to step into the last day revival where both opposing forces and a spiritual awakening will converge.  The scripture says it like this, “everything that can be shaken, will be shaken.”  My prayer is that we will seize the moment of our revival; that we will be ready to receive the souls that are hungry for Truth and the Holy Ghost.  The landscape is about to change again and we must be ready to give an answer, stand for righteousness, and gather the harvest.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole