Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…

We are at the bookend of the year and it seems to have come and gone so very fast. The scripture is not silent about days like this. The scripture calls the Lord, The Author and the Finisher of our faith. God did not just start a work in you, but He will also finish it. He is a God of completion and He is calling His people to be likewise. Jesus once said that no one begins to build without considering the cost. He was emphatic that we look ahead in order to finish what we began. Finishing is what I’m concerned about in this day of the uncommitted spirit. Many commence, but few complete.

Jesus prophesied about the last days in which the Church would be persecuted. He foretold of a time to come: Matthew 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. He said, “you will have trouble; my name will invoke a rage against you… but get to the end and you’ll be saved.” Completion. I submit that finishing is critical to our faith.

Yet, there is another element that cannot be overlooked. It’s not just that you finish, but it’s how you finish. Paul wrote it this way: Acts 20:24 “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

Our lives are too short to be in angst. I pray for Joy today and in the coming year. It is better when we give cheerfully; worship with adoration; greet with a smile; and walk by faith. Both our individual and collective witness is greater when we exhibit the Joy of the Lord. By virtue of it, the Joy of the Lord will be our strength.

I’m looking to Jesus because He always finishes what He begins. Even on the Cross, He said, “It is finished.” He’s a God that completes the work. I’m thankful for this year and I’m ready to see the next move of God in our lives and in our church. It’s going to be a great year and here it comes… 2018!

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Is there any wonder that His name would be called “The Prince of Peace”? Since the exiting of Eden, the world has seen chaos and strife. Yet, Jesus is the Royalty above it all. The conception of Mary was issued through the Holy Ghost, which Jesus called “The Comforter.” His invitation included a yoke that was easy and a burden that was light. His nature is that of being slow to anger and of great kindness. His actions included calming the raging Sea of Galilee and setting the tormented Gadarene free insomuch that he was found sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. Calm.

Christmas is celebration of God’s own visitation in the form of a man. More specifically, He was known as “The Lamb of God.” Yes, He is the Lion of Judah, but He came as a lamb; innocent and tender. The prophet of old said, “Behold, thy King cometh unto thee meek.” Which Jesus echoed when He said of Himself, “for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

In light of His nature, what a thought to know that He is our peace. The rat-race, which no one has ever won, is constantly pressing. Struggles abound in all of our lives. Mounting losses and continual conflict remain despite our best efforts to resolve such things. Confusion and bewilderment accompanies the best of faithful hearts. Jesus is our refuge from the storm. He speaks and placid waters emerge. His touch brings assurance. Even His name is called a High Tower where the righteous run and are safe.

I wish this season to be filled with Jesus, The Prince of Peace. He is the Lord strong and mighty. His voice is the quiet confidence in the midst of life’s cacophony of voices. As Paul concluded a portion of his inspired writing, so too I write, Romans 15:33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

Romans 9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Perhaps in the carnal mind, the only thing more difficult to believe than the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the virgin birth by which He came. His entry is more perplexing to the skeptic than His exit. To those on the outside it might seem more likely that an empty tomb is plausible if Mary was truly found with child of the Holy Ghost. Yet His entire story is a difficult narrative for the unbeliever.

Peter writes that Jesus is the Stone; the Rock of offense that causes men to stumble. Paul quotes the prophetic word that His presence alone would be a rock of offense that makes the doubter trip and fall. Moreover, to think that the life and subsequent resurrection of Jesus Christ hinged on the faith of a young, teenage girl who replied to the angel, “Be it unto me according to thy word” is beyond the telling.

The Messiah came through the faith and acceptance of one and would be called the Mighty God and the Everlasting Father. The Bible states that All of the fulness of God dwells in Jesus bodily. Jesus became the image of the invisible God, so says the Bible.

He is the Righteous Judge and the Mediator at the same time. His Gospel was not hid, but it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. Yet to those who do not believe, Jesus is the world’s greatest hindrance. We either fall on the Rock and are saved or we trip over Him in unbelief and are lost. There is no middle ground with Jesus. His very existence demands an answer. His name is the ultimate source of separation for He said, “Ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.” I see a Stone laid in Zion and it causes men to stumble. Born of a virgin. Emmanuel. God manifested in the flesh.

The aging priest, Simeon, who was waiting for the consolation of Israel said: “For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” Luke 2:30-32. The Rock saved him, as it has saved all those who believe that Jesus is Lord of All.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

Historically speaking, the first 2,000 years of humankind fill the pages of the first eleven chapters of the Bible. Then the brakes come on and for the better portion of the next 15 chapters, we are privy to the life of Abraham. The focus is significant because it was through Abraham that the nation of Israel would be established and the Messiah would be born. Christiandom as a whole will rejoice to witness the Tribe of Judah from which He came. We excel in the recital of the life of David and all those who find their place in the Lord’s lineage. However, it was Abraham that began this mission of faith.

Abraham was called out and followed God when there was no lineage. He believed in God when there was no evidence to support his belief. He pursued God and made a major sacrifice to leave his homeland on nothing more than blind obedience. At least the kings of Israel had the stories of God’s power over the enemy when they obeyed God. When the children of Israel found themselves in a straight, at least they had the deeds of Moses and Joshua to their record. Everyone after Elijah had his story of the God who answers by fire. Peter and John had been witness to the miracles of Jesus before they called for the lame man to leap. Nevertheless, Abraham had nothing but faith.

Sometimes you can rely on the testimonies aforetime and sometimes you just have to “Faith-It.” Sometimes there are witnesses that surround you and tell of the Lord’s answer that is transferable to your need. However, there are moments when you must become the first. You are pressed to believe, because to date no one in your family has walked by faith. When you have no history and there are no witnesses to boast of His past wonderful works, that’s the time when your faith must rise and triumph. You have to look into the eyes of the enemy and take authority even though you’ve never seen it before.

I submit that the strongest among us are those who walk by faith on a daily basis. There is a deep and widening root for those who trust in God and not in their own resources. Yes, it would be nice if you could see the outcome before you took that leap of faith. If you saw it, you would not have to Faith-It.

Paul wrote it for our admonition: Walk by faith and not by sight.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

Proof: Evidence that establishes a fact or a truth; a particular aspect that maintains the validity of something presented.

Proof. It’s what the high priests, pharisees, and Caiaphas feared the most after the burial of Jesus Christ. They remembered His words, how He would rise from the grave, and they could not risk such a thing. So they sealed the tomb and put armed guards around it, lest their second mistake would be greater than their first. Yet, when the day came and they found the stone rolled away, the unbelievers proposed various reasons for the Lord’s missing body. They submitted that maybe His disciples stole His body or maybe He wasn’t buried there; even that Jesus was never killed and that’s why He never rose again.

Nevertheless, seeing that argument failed, the doubting crowd concocted a better lie: Jesus was never born. If the denier can maintain that Jesus was not born and that His birth place was never found or located, and then maybe He never died. Only a dying Jesus could rise from the grave and only a living Jesus could die. Therefore, they proposed that no one can find the place where He was born thus He never came. While this contention might sound new, the fact is that the naysayers have been arguing the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ for centuries.

In response, the world Christian community has presented possible places of the Lord’s birth. They believe that if His birthplace can be found then there would be sufficient proof of His life. They think it imperative to at least negotiate a birthplace for the Messiah, as if Jesus needed a physical placard to prop up His existence. The endeavor continues as they make every human attempt to establish Him in the eyes of the critic.

I submit that Jesus does not need a rock or some edifice in Bethlehem to maintain His existence. The evidence of Jesus needs no stone because He said, John 14:18 “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” Moreover, when He came, He came through the Holy Ghost, which is called the Comforter (John 14:26) and He returned the same way. Therefore, the proof of Jesus is in us. We are the temples of the Spirit, which is Jesus. He occupies the people who are filled with His Spirit, which we often term the Holy Ghost.

The proof of Jesus is found in lives changed; marriages restored, addictions broken, healed bodies, and a myriad of things of the which these pages cannot contain. So while the media will once again vie for proof in stone, we are His proof in body that He came, He lived, He died, and He rose.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole