In consideration of the intentions of God, it should be known that His desire is for all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. His thoughts toward us are clearly spelled out in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

This, however, is a one-sided commentary. Unless we are obedient, nothing can be accomplished. Hence, the question does not center around God’s motives or the intent of His heart. The question concerns God’s people. An old preacher once said, “He will if We will.” He is able if we believe. He is forgiving if we seek forgiveness. Therefore, the inquiry rests on our intentions and not His. The issue has never been the blessing of the Lord. We must pursue it to receive it.

The children of Israel were given the blessing of Abraham. They were the carriers of the Covenant! The profundity of that statement is overwhelming, though I dare say few modern believers can grasp such a thing. However, the Israelites in the wilderness did not take possession of the promises. Some of them blamed God, some blamed Moses, some Joshuaome adopted the patterns and gods of their heathen environment; as if Jehovah was somehow inept or unconcerned. It was in their hands, but they forfeited their blessing.

As in the case of any decent father, we want the best for our children. We hope to pave the way through prayer, planning, and preparation. Yet, ultimately they must work and apply themselves to the opportunity set before them. Our Heavenly Father has given all that can be given. There is nothing more that must be done. The remainder is up to us.

Shall we see souls saved? We must reach them. Will we build a new sanctuary and expand our vision? We must sacrifice. Will our children and families stay grounded in the Truth; faithful to the Apostolic message; constrained by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and live a holy, set apart life? It will be up to us to live what we believe and example it in our own lives. These are the pressing issues of our hour.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

Tradition. Of the many definitions given, perhaps the transmission or beliefs from one generation to another best summarizes the word. Customs are also part of this description wherein a particular method is passed through family functions.

Biblical tradition has a mixed review; some for the good and others not so. The latter is due to the elevation of the tradition above the heart of God. At the same time there is great value in having a tradition as it tends to keep history in its proper place. The Jews kept the tradition of reading the scripture and in turn it kept them through the centuries, the dark ages, the Holocaust, and to this day.

Attending church on Sunday is a worthy custom. Sunday school is a format for learning as it builds an expectation in the minds of children. Traditions in their proper place keep the family intact. They speak of boundaries and learning. When they are lost, so too are the results in the lives of the people. It is apparent that the enemy of your soul would rather strip you of all traditions, which have the ability to lead you to an altar and hear the preached Word.

In some ways, traditions help deepen the habits which are ingrained in the mind. Some are similar to involuntary functions of the human body. However, their main objective has always been to remind us of the meaning or values that came before us.

The Jews will not eat a particular portion of the lamb by custom. Genesis 32 depicts the angel of the Lord, or a theophany, touching the hip socket of Jacob, hollowing out his thigh. The Bible says that the Children of Israel would not eat the meat of the animal that came from that location. Make no mistake, the meat is good to eat. There is no disease or danger in the meat. However, tradition points to the moment when Jacob had a life change.

As the world shifts, and that violently, I pray that we keep our traditions which lead us to church attendance, prayer, devotions, and serving. The upheaval of these things are showing cracks in the body all around the nation. Compromises are leading people to forget the reason and purpose for the things of God. Cynical voices are dismantling the structures once erected to remind us that our Gospel is of Jesus Christ and we are called out of a sinful world to walk in newness of life.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

The early church dealt with one of the major issues our nation now faces. Woke-ism is a return to tribalism which separates people based on the most shallow of outward appearances. This division has bled into the mindset of the church. I believe this to be part of the “spirit of the age” meant to divide believers by the same demonic forces which Paul addressed in his letters.

Colossians 3:10-11 “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.”

Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

As we pause to remember the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., there is a certain irony concerning his actual message. Dr. King preached character, not characteristics. He demanded equality, not equity. He spoke of being judged by content, not by appearances. Today, Dr. King’s sermons would sound like hate-speech to a generation more enamored with globalism than with the American plight. The woke crowd want a salad bowl. Dr. King sought for a melting pot. Surely these are the last days.

The apostles faced this spirit and fought against the exclusion of a segmented church. There is no “body of Christ” if we are severed by the deeds of the past. The enemy of the church is the originator of these Endtime philosophies. The Bible declares us one in Christ! Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to resist the false notion that anyone is less-than or more-than based on culture or ethnicity. The Bible calls those who have been born again, Sons and Daughters of God. We are joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. The breakdown of family structure, marriage, and the home is at the root of this spiritual darkness. The further division of cultures is an attempt to limit the growth of the Kingdom.

Jesus came to break down the “middle wall of partition between us.”(Ephesians 2:14). That wall was the Mosaic Law which blocked the entry to the Gentile people. It was the barrier that inhibited even the most devout Jewish believer. Jesus tore it down! Why would we build any more walls to separate what Jesus came to destroy? My dream is a church of every creed and color, worshiping the One and True God of Israel in this sanctuary.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

Genesis 24:6 “And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.”

Eliezer, the unsung hero barely graces the biblical writ. Eliezer was the loyal servant, administrator, and overall caretaker of Abraham’s estate. In the waning years of the patriarch’s life, the concern was that Isaac had not found a wife. To ensure that Isaac would marry rightly, Abraham sent his most trusted servant, Eliezer, to find her.

Abraham made a single yet distinct requirement: “Make sure that you do not take my son back to the place where I came from.” Under the commandment of God, a new life and a new covenant was established. The last thing Abraham wanted was for his son to be introduced to the place God brought him from.

We cannot determine Isaac’s spiritual state; whether he was vulnerable or weak. It is not for us to make such a determination about his character that was largely left out of the scripture. We do know that Abraham was not taking a chance. He was so emphatic that he repeated his command again in Genesis 24:8. Abraham said, “Even if you cannot find a wife, only do not bring my son back there!”

There are some places that should never be revisited again. Some testimonies need not repeated in detail; some stories and memories should stay buried beneath the blood. The saints should take precaution. God brought us out!

The Tempter is well aware of the power of environment. His power is in the temptation made possible by exposure. In the drug culture it’s called “gateway drugs.” In crime it’s called ‘petty theft.” In relationships it’s called dating worldly people. The list includes people and places not suitable for the children of the Kingdom. We are called for a higher purpose. We are keepers of the new covenant, the Holy Ghost. We are called to be holy, set apart, and examples to a lost world. We cannot go back; not to last year or wherever God brought us from.

The next generation should never know addictions of secularism, subjectivism, humanism, greed, fleshly pleasures, sexual permissiveness, etc. You are holy nation and a royal priesthood. You’ve come to far to turn back now!

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

Life gets busy, of this we all know. Schedules must be kept and bills must be paid. Families are often bound by school routines and other events, all of which seemed baked-in or without reprieve. Personally, I enjoy the continuity. There is a safety in consistent living. However, the problem comes when our hunger for God is swallowed up by our routines. God never fits inside of our program. He made Himself to occupy the first.

God is calling us to be something new. There are new spiritual plateaus to find; new seeds to plant; new revelations to be seen. This endeavor demands our attention to the “soil of the heart.” Hardened ground cannot accept the seed and without the seed there is no harvest. The Bible calls this the “fallow ground.” Horticulturalists have warned the farmer not to allow the ground to lay dormant or unused too long due to the difficulty of replanting. Fallow ground is the untouched life. The unplanted “field” becomes compacted so the Word finds no place.

The Holy Spirit is speaking to the Church. Hosea wrote for our understanding: Hosea 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

The elements of Hosea 10:12 are critical for this year. We can make this a year of harvest, but we must break up the soil of our own heart. This is called Breaking Ground! A harvest will come if the ground is broken up and the Word finds root. The rain of righteousness will fall if the ground is prepared.

Jeremiah gave a similar instruction to Judah. He said that there are places where seeds go to die. Jeremiah 4:3 For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

We will Break New Ground as we order our lives according to the Bible. Our time and money will find its worth as we sow into the Kingdom. Old, fleshly ways of speaking and thinking must be broken up and torn away. The Harvest depends on the soil of our hearts and we desperately need the Harvest!

Breaking Ground is taking new territory!

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole