The honoring of a life given in war was first known as Decoration Day. It originated following the bloody conflict that was America’s Civil War. Americans fought for the freedom of all people and it cost 646,392 souls, the most in American history.

In 1971, the federal government declared it an official holiday, calling it Memorial Day. This commemorated all those who died for the sake of our country in every conflict. From the American Revolution War to the Raid on Yemen, including our ill-timed departure from Afghanistan, our forces have lost almost three million lives.

Today we pause to consider the sacrifices made for our freedom. We hope that this new generation will understand that all liberties and freedoms are bought with the price of blood. Life as we know it did not come cheap. While our current government is trying to dismantle our freedom of speech, the graves, forgotten or remembered, speak to the cost to maintain those rights.

American men and women have not only fought to preserve our own freedom, but countless lives have been given for the peoples of the world. What made America great was not its wealth, ingenuity, inventions, government, or military might. It was our willingness to lay down our lives for the sake of another. This was the conviction of our collective thought and Memorial Day is a small moment to recognize the virtue that brought the world hope.

My prayer is that these graves, where wreaths and flowers are laid, will speak again and remind us to continue the good fight for religious freedom, human rights, godly principles, and moral virtues. The day we forget is the day we lose what cost so much. We honor those who gave all and we pray for God’s keeping in the years to come.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

It may be my age, but when I was young there was no such thing as “disinformation.” We called it a lie.

The term we use today is a broad stroke of ambiguousness. I suppose that in all, it relies upon subjectivism, meaning an opinion leading away from conventional wisdom or fact. The whole subject boggles my mind. However, this “disinformation” thought has been around for centuries. Jeremiah addressed the most egregious matter when he called out the prophets of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 23:16 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.

Jeremiah 23:25-26 I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds?

Perhaps one of the greatest offenses happens when self-proclaimed prophets or prophetesses speak things which do not come from God. They relay visions, dreams, or give “words” from their own minds. These are nothing more than control tactics borne from pride and self-will. While real visions and dreams exist, the opposite is also true. The information given does not come from God and it dilutes real authority and the operation of the body of Christ.

Jeremiah wrote, “among the prophets of Jerusalem…” meaning “among the people who should know better.” They knew the ways of the Lord and how the Word functioned among the people. They were familiar with God’s order of revelation and knew how to deliver the false word. They prophesied things which did not come to pass; things which were not of God.

Short of false christs comes people who subvert the anointing overseer. I’ve heard these voices most of my life. Faces change, but the “disinformation” persists. They seek position all the while thwarting any spiritual authority in their own life. I write of these things because we can not afford to be weak-minded or unaware. Do not believe a person who is self-promoted. Be aware to the voice which has no covering. The prophetic word, preached word, and spiritual gifts are here, but so too is the false, and self-serving word.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

At some point believers must realize that the spirit of the age, which is both demonic and corrupt, is moving against God’s Word. We are living in the last days of time. Governments, political parties, celebrities, and media have joined to dismantle the scripture’s established truth. The Bible has guided us for centuries, but now it is deemed offensive. If you are reading this, then know that life will not return to some former time. Even yesterday is forgotten. We are in a spiritual fight and it will last until the Lord’s return.

Consider the Bible’s own declaration and then compare it to the world’s shifting narrative. God made man and woman. He separated them by gender. Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

He made the Heavens and the earth in six days and rested on the seventh. He spoke it into existence. The earth did not evolve.

He established the husband as the head of the home. God ordered man to work by the sweat of his brow. Marriage was ordained by God and all fornication and adultery was declared sinful.

God’s breathed book declares the origin and beginning of every unborn child. Psalm 139:13-16 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

The Bible is replete with the pre-birth recognition. God formed you. God made you. God knew you even before you were born. The living soul was established in your mother’s womb.

These thoughts are not political fodder for argumentation. They come from the Voice of the Omniscient Creator. They are without rebuttal or rebuke. For Christians to espouse any other thought is an anti-god approach. Psalm 119:89 “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. We serve the God of the Bible, not society’s thought of who they want God to be. He is the Lord of all and He is our coming King!”

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

William Ross Wallace once wrote, “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” He wrote of the power and preeminence of motherhood; that almost all views are given by the voice of motherhood. The Bible bares this truth in the light and life of Hannah, Jochebed, Jedidah, Eunice, and more. Great men and women were birthed and raised in the things which pertained to the Holy Spirit by virtue of their godly mothers. Wallace asked, Who rules the world? Not politicians, preachers, employers, or the famed, but an attentive mother.

Motherhood is broader than just having a baby. To give birth is no small thing, but even that pales in the face of being a mother. In almost every case, children lean toward their mothers. Mothers carry the sound and sight for the present and the future of their children. They set on course the nations, both for war and peace. Churchill knew this fact and employed the mothers of England to raise sons with patriotism and purpose. In every age, the hand that feeds, cleans, nurtures, and guides holds the power of direction and cause.

The future of the Church is closely related to the spiritual depth of those who occupy the realm of motherhood. They teach holiness through daily living; godliness through common thought; and conviction via intentional boundaries. For the Church to thrive, and not just survive, it will be by the care given to those whose clay has not yet set. For people to be restored, the same virtues of “motherhood” must be exercised. Everyone needs to be cared for, again!

If this Mother’s Day is to be notable, let it not be simply because it is on our calendar. Rather, let it be because we have determined to establish ourselves as people of purpose. Let it be because the entire church body views itself as a place of love, restoration, and mercy for a world without hope. Furthermore, let the hands which guide these lives raise up a great army; marching for Truth and the Cause of Jesus Christ.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

Matthew 26:4 “And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtlety, and kill him.”

In every age there is a resistance to receive the fullness of Jesus Christ. Pieces of Him are palatable, but the whole of Him is distasteful. He offers “hard sayings” and straightforward commands. He tells the rich to sell all; the good-intentioned to leave the dead and follow Him. He offers no room for personal endeavors or self-advancements.

If truth be known, the most combative group against His Lordship is the religious segment. Jesus, in His sovereignty and Word, is a threat to religious people. They sit in church; sing in choirs; teach classes; and sing about Him. Yet, forsaking all does not appeal to them. Jesus, Who talks of His Kingdom, must contend with their kingdom. Jesus, Who prayed for laborers, and sought for the lost in the byways; Who purposely went through Samaria, is rejected by those who profess Him. They don’t see the lost as a necessity. They think it is enough for them to have receive the Gospel. They have no intention of spreading it. They will even tell you how many years they have “been in church.”

Caiaphas was perhaps among the first to find Jesus a threat. The palace of the high priest was in an uproar as Jesus advanced in ministry and popularity. The religious order could not afford to lose control of the minds of the people. They needed rituals and fear to rule the crowd. Caiaphas knew that he could not keep the people if they followed Jesus with their whole heart. Caiaphas offered the enjoyment of temple worship and personal ambition. The mixture of worldliness and religious practices was the right blend. However, Jesus preached against the lukewarm lifestyles and the half-hearted paths.

Killing Jesus is subtle among Christians. They would never accept that they would do such a thing. Pentecostals, which boast of Holy Ghost and exuberant worship, have joined the ranks of removing the sharp edges of His word in order to fit in with the world. Submission, forgiveness, authority, self-sacrifice, and servanthood are buried. These biblical teachings have been replaced for subjectivism and advancement in personal ministries.

There is a consultation going on. It may not be overt or verbal, but many are negotiating their level of commitment. Most live on the peripheral of true obedience. Most give a portion; few give all. Most like the idea of Jesus on special occasions; few would give their life for His cause.

The killing of Jesus did not begin and end with Matthew 26. Caiaphas was not the last to conspire. The question resides with us. Shall we live fully devoted? Jesus said, “except ye eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will have no part with me.” It is all of Him or nothing. Sold out for the Cause of Christ is His demand. Yet subtly, the compromise is being considered.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole