1 Kings 18:24 “And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God.”

I cannot say that my prayers are powerful, but I do know that my God is powerful. He is the God Who answers by Fire. He is The All in All. He is The Great I Am! So while I am commissioned to pray, it is Jesus Who does the Work. Paul said, Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” David said, Psalms 100:3 “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

The prophet, apostle, and king all leaned on the authority of the Lord. Their respective appointments did not determine the outcome of their missions. Rather, it was the Lord Who did the work. Elijah called down fire from Heaven, but it was the Lord Who sent the Fire. He heard the sound of abundance of rain, but it was the Lord Who sent the rain. Paul saw miracles; cast out devils; raised the dead during the course of his ministry, but it was the Lord Who gave manifestation to the spoken word. David was anointed King of Israel and obtained countless victories, but only through the authority granted him by permission of the Lord of Hosts. No one is powerful enough to send rain, fire, life, and victory but God. “…it is He…”

It is critical that we recognize Who it is that brings life, hope, and breath to all things. His name is Jesus and He is the Savior and Redeemer of the whole world. Without Him there is no power. Remove His Word and all things crumble beneath our feet. Everything is sinking sand, if God is not the God of our lives.

My only addition is that we are living in an era in which people believe they are the cause of the goodness in their life. It might seem that we are parsing words here, but our generation has become intensely spiritual. That is not to say that they are holy or obedient, only spiritual. As strange as it sounds, modern spirituality has nothing to do with sacrifice, submission, or the scripture. Many reject the authority of the Bible, but claim an inner spirituality. Some “believers” even decry God’s call to holiness in favor of their own subjective stance. They have become gods unto themselves. They believe in their own prayers, not in God’s Word. Today’s “believer” does not necessarily adhere to the authority of God, but to their own authority.

However, I say that the proof is in the fire and that fire cannot be reproduced by human thought or self-will. His fire is the Holy Ghost and after all is said and done, the truth remains… “It is He!”

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

The American Medical journals have declared a tipping point that should arrest our attention. Sadly, many of us are blinded by the statistics, which reveal the growing need for rehabilitation and post-surgery meds/therapy. Diets combined with inactivity coupled with mounting stress and anxiety has caused a spiral of illnesses that can hardly be calculated. While preventive measures have been promoted, the vast majority of Americans have ignored the matter. The “low level” of living is actually more pleasurable than adhering to the disciplines of healthy eating, exercise, sleep, and rest. We are mostly rushing on to the next thing with a French fry in our hand, stressing out over the instability of our marriages and children. The most disconcerting to me is that the spiritual life of the church is following suit.

Daily prayer has been replaced with morning shows on television. Evening communication with our spouses and children have been supplanted by our favorite news program, sitcom, or sporting event. The national survey reveals that the only scripture most “Christians read or hear is during their Sunday a.m. only church gathering. The end result is an unhealthy spiritual life that requires a surgery followed by years of rehabilitation and therapy. The father, who fails to lead his children, will spend the next 20 years digging his adult children out of trouble. The mother, who decides that she deserves to be “happy” which leads her to worldliness, will spend years raising her unwed daughter’s children. Therapy takes a long time. Recovery, while needful and available, can be avoided by “Preventive Living.”

The routine of daily prayer and Bible reading works to keep us off the operating table. Love and forgiveness helps to maintain a clear conscious. Living the separated life of Holiness is the guardrail that keeps us from vanity and carnality. Spiritual disciplines, which are not always flashy or profound, establish both emotional and physical health.

The fact is that preventive living, with all the trappings of prayer, obedience, submission, worship and giving, is far better than recovering from a disjointed life of disobedience and flagrant living. Yes, we are a healing church. Thank God, this is true. Yes, we are in the business of restoration and reconciliation. However, how much better is it if we stayed true to the Call and the Commission? If in doubt, ask Samson. He recovered at the end and gave Israel a great victory. Nevertheless, he was blind, having had his eyes gouged out. He was wounded and bound having been beaten and chained. So while he pulled down the pillars on the heads of the enemy, it came at the cost of his reckless life. It would have been better had he “stayed” in obedience. It leads me to this final thought: Isaiah 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

Consider the “Words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.” Ecclesiastes 1:9 “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” Simply put, everything is repeated. Regardless of the advancements in technology, medicine, and literature, what has been will be again. All the pressures of this life have been lived before us. All the challenges of family, marriage, church, finances, etc. have been seen and felt long before we arrived. Whatever “road” you travel has been long since paved by the hardships and triumphs of the saints, most of which we will never know. There is nothing new under the sun.

Hebrews 12:1 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” Another version says, “since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses, run…” Our trials have already been experienced by the saints. That Cloud can work for us or against us. Paul wrote; 1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

There is a Cloud of witnesses that speak of overcoming sickness, death, and depression. That Cloud sings songs of praise all the while resisting temptations. They endured hard trials, gave out of want, worshiped with sacrifice, and served without recognition or reward. The witnesses that came before are sitting in the stands to encourage us to be overcomers. However, they also can speak against us. When we complain that no one understands us or that we are going through something unique, they raise their collective hands to say, “We’ve been there and we made it through.”

The scripture was written for our admonition to give guidance and direction. There is hope and reassurance in the pages of this holy book. The Word of the Master is in the Book and because of this truth; I’m looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

Consider God’s declaration in the Bible’s first book. Genesis 18:18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. The blessing of the Jewish people came via the obedience of one man. Israel’s wealth, land, and future began the day that Abraham took God at His word and followed by faith. It makes me know that one person can make all the difference. The Bible says that sin came by way of Adam and righteousness by way of Jesus Christ. Romans 5:19 “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

The Word offers declaratives about the power of obedience, sin, and faith. Through the ages, both men and women have set forth a domino effect for blessings and curses in their families and among their children. Jonathan was a faithful friend to David, which resulted in Mephibosheth’s blessing. Hannah prayed a desperate prayer and gave her son to the work of the temple which led Samuel to become the most unique spiritual leader in the nation’s history. Obededom opened his house to Ark of the Covenant and it changed the course of his life, family, and sons.

We have the power to set things in motion that will add joy or bring sorrow. Seeds that are buried may not be known for many years to come, but in time, all seeds come to life. All seeds bring fruit after their kind. Jesus said, Matthew 7:17 “Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.”

Praise sets in motion the habitation of God and obedience to the Word sets in motion the favor of the Lord. Submission sets in motion the authority of God. A word fitly spoken opens up doors of goodwill and friendship while a negative word binds up faith. Doubt sets fear into motion and so much more…

Whether Abraham knew it or not, his blind obedience to God was the entrance to blessings that reached far beyond his own lifespan. All the nations of the earth are blessed through him. With this in mind, I have come to set in motion something that will outlive me and will work on my behalf. I’ve come to Worship Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. I’ve come to give Him Glory from Whom all blessings flow.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole