The simplicity of our directives were spelled out by Jesus Christ Himself. If we consider all religious and spiritual activities; biblical doctrines and understandings, we must recognize the greatest of them all.

The question was this:

Matthew 22:36-40 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

The greatest of all is this: Love God.

The second is like the first: Love others. Jesus said that everything else hinges on these commandments. Paul wrote that the greatest of all is love – 1 Corinthians 13:13.

There is one more thing leaping from the pages of the scripture. It comes from the totality of the life of Jesus. Philippians 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

Jesus went about serving. He was a minister, which actually means that He “attended to the needs of people.” Ministry is about serving people. While modern vernacular confines it to preaching or teaching, most of history defines it as serving people.

I submit that real believers are not takers, but givers. The authentic Church, which is no less than the Bride of Christ, are actively Loving God, Loving others, and Serving. Many may consider themselves as Christians, but Jesus said:

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Our mission is not complex. It lives in simplicity: Loving the Lord with all that we are. Loving Him so fully that there is no room for any other in our heart. Loving others, because all godly and holy things rest on it. And finally, serve: attending to the needs of people. Our mission is His mission.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

Good news! It looks like Christ can stay in Christmas after all. Retailers, movie stars, and even government officials have begun using the term “Merry Christmas” again. Though some are still deeply offended by the words, there seems to be a resurgence in advertisement that includes both “Happy Holidays” and “Merry Christmas.”

More good news! Jesus may also have a place in this resurgence of the yearly festival. It appears that we can say “Merry Christmas” and consider the baby Jesus all in one breath. As long as He is wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger, there will be no major outcry.

However, there is a catch: Jesus must remain as an infant and “Merry Christmas” must be in reference to being with people you love. Christ the Savior or “the Lamb which takes away the sin of the world” is off-limits. Likewise, the holiday slogan must not be connected to “God with us – Emmanuel” or the Creator coming to save people. Certainly there must be no mention of people being lost or blind as this would only make them feel self-conscious about their preferred lifestyle.

As you may note in my script, I’m a little caustic. The world will never approve of Jesus and the Cross of Calvary. John 1:5 “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” The world can neither comprehend this light or accept it. To the world, Peter said that Jesus is… 1 Peter 2:8 “…a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient…”

So just as a declaration, let it be known that when we say “Merry Christmas” we are recognizing that the incarnate God came as a man to die for the sins of His creation; that God gave His only begotten Son and whosoever believes on Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John. 3:16.

When we say Jesus, we are including His infancy in Bethlehem; His teaching in the Temple at 12 years old; His earthly ministry, death, burial, resurrection, and His second coming. When we say Jesus, we mean The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. We mean that we were purchased with His Blood on a cruel cross and that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Christmas is the moment of the beginning of our Redemption.

Merry Christmas. Jesus is born.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

Tomorrow, decades ago, the world was holding its collective breath. The wooded region of Ardennes was soon to be left twisted and torn like that of a tornado’s rampage. While I often bypass this historical moment in leu of more pleasant Christmas thoughts, this year seemed to stall at the juncture of Winston Churchill’s declaration that this was “the greatest American battle of the War.” The six-week battle saw a suffering unlike anything we have ever seen in our modern era. Beside the 15,000 extreme cold weather injuries, over 100,000 men lay lifeless in the snow at The Battle of the Bulge.

The turning point of that battle was said to be made on Christmas Day. The ground froze over making it possible for tanks and heavy equipment to make headway. Even still, massive loss of life lay ahead for both sides. Hitler’s point in this most critical moment was to divide the Allies in their drive toward Germany. Had he accomplished his mission, military experts say that Germany would have crushed the resistance beyond recognition. Division, as we know, is the best way to stop the progress of any people. Hitler failed, though 30 German divisions attacked the battle-fatigued American troops across 85 miles of the densely wooded Ardennes Forest. He just could not divide them and the rest, as they say, is history.

Of all the tactics that the devil uses against the Body of Christ, none rise higher than simple division. In Paul’s God-inspired writing, he told the church about the necessity of a unified body. The apostle relayed the value of the whole body; each member being as important as the next. Then he wrote, 1 Corinthians 12:25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

Experience has taught me that divisions are so damaging that few congregations survive. The enemy has easy access when we are divided. People become disillusioned, dishearten, and altogether discouraged by the division even if they are not involved. Paul asked, “Is Christ divided?” To the church in Rome he said, “Mark them that cause division.” Jesus said that a house divided cannot stand. Jude wrote, “They said to you, In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires. These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.” Jude 1:18-19

Tomorrow there will another attack in a region where the church will be challenged, because that is the design of the enemy. Still I pray that we will overcome through the bond of faith and the unity of the body.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

If you haven’t noticed, the “Word Police” are actively looking into your conversation. This week marked another series of culturally approved words while dispelling the formerly offensive ones. As you might imagine, we are in a hypersensitive society where appropriation can result in loss of jobs and friends. It’s also a time ruled by people who seek to smear the once accepted fact of gender separation. Even marital terms seem to be offensive, i.e., “husband and wife.” For some reason these words cause people pain and are said to be found too exclusive. Instead we are told to use the words, “life partner” or “them.”

Maybe these things have become so common that the church no longer feels outraged. I do wonder sometimes if the creeping world has numbed us toward sinful advances. The greater concern is the encroachment against The Word: God’s Word. While all words matter, His Word is the only word that will ever matter. So while we contend with the antics of a secular culture, we need to consider the root of the aggression.

Modern language is being turned as a weapon against the Holy Scripture. Paul told Timothy: 2 Tim 3:15 “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” Paul said that the Scripture was God-breathed and that it was profitable. He declared that through this inspired Word, “the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

If the scripture will make us “wise unto salvation” is it any wonder that the motivation to manage our words will eventually lead to a rebuke of the Bible altogether? These days are filled with great spiritual unrest. The devil is fighting the church on every level, but specifically against the Bible. So as we concede that some words and statements are insensitive and should be changed, the management of words is leading to an assault on Bible verses, scriptural concepts and moral truth.

Given this premise, if you share such a thought, we must be vigilant to maintain The Book; it’s authenticity and authority in our daily lives. Nothing is more critical than the Bible for in it we find hope, salvation, direction, and our knowledge of God.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

Geoff Pender first turned me on to the news. Writing for The Clarion Ledger, Pender predicted the day when retailers in Mississippi would receive their first ever lottery ticket distribution. Vice chairman of the Mississippi Lottery Board, Gerard Gibert, was ecstatic to announce this week that the end of the opposition to the lottery in the southern state had taken place. What really peaked my interest however were the words of Danielle Genovese who explained the reason for the hold-out state. She wrote, “For decades Mississippi was one of only six states without a lottery due to strong opposition from politically powerful churches.”

Once the “powerful” churches folded, or became weak, the lottery prevailed. In fact, it was well reported that the only reason the gaming commission was held at bay was due to conservative churches which taught against the practice. Come to find out, they voted in favor of their beliefs. However, as those churches and their spiritual convictions declined, the introduction of new measures emerge.

The nation as whole is experiencing similar dismantling of convictions. Instead of standing for biblical teachings, godliness, and spiritual understandings, people are defaulting. The word “default” has multiple meanings, but I use it in its last form: “in the absence.” We have become absent in our duty to our communities by believing in the lie of “live and let live.” The statement sounds like a measure of peace until we realize how destructive and diluted it has become. The “live and let live” crowd has compromised their beliefs in favor of a false sense of security. Israel experienced similar issues. They forsook the God of their fathers and in time, they lost their children and families. Idols were erected in the very places where holy worship once took place. After the idols came grotesque sacrifices and offerings. They devolved into an idolatrous people full of carnality and debauchery. Nevertheless, it did not begin that way. It began when they compromised their convictions. They lost their “powerful” opposition to sin and it cost them the nation.

It seems only reasonable to inquire as to our direction, especially in light of our homes and families. What are your convictions? What do you stand for or stand against? While the world allows the introduction and acceptance of all things, I am wondering if the people of God can articulate their own powerful, spiritual opposition. I suppose Moses said it best when he asked, “Who is on the Lord’s side?”

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole