If the Bible has taught us anything it must include this axiom of truth: Never underestimate the human element! Jesus said, Mark 10:18 “There is none good but one, that is, God.” Self-reliance, codependency, and governmental issuants continually fail.

In regards to self: Jer. 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” To trust in yourself comes with built-in pitfalls. Passions, ambitions, and lust are always lurking. Flesh declarations sound good in the moment, but are mostly suspect. Peter proclaimed, “I will never deny you, Lord.” However, the answer changed when accusations arrived from the shadows. Paul revealed the struggle: Rom 7:23 “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” Rom 7:24 “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

In regards to friends or family, we must remember that the world is filled with broken relationships. While we hope for lasting relationships, failed friendships and dysfunctional families are much more common. All of us have held confidence in people who turned against us. We have all been broken and experienced painful, severed relationships.

In respect to the government, it ought to be clear that most politicians are working for their own good. The prophet Samuel warned Israel of this very thing. He said that a king-ruler-government, would enlist your sons and daughters. They would tax you and take the best of your life. No truer words could be spoken. In the name of universal good, all governments take what they want. Therefore, to trust in government, political parties, or any elected official is to put your life into the hands of those who are often corrupt.

Our Faith is not in economy, health, education, or any element of this world. The human element has always been in conflict with the Divine Will of God. All have sinned. All have come short of the glory of God. There is no one righteous, no not one! It is only by the Blood of Jesus Christ that we are able to stand before Him blameless. Unredeemed humanity will fail, but Jesus never fails! Let us guard against the confidence/trust of the flesh. We will set our affections on things above, not on the things of this earth.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

Deu 19:14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

Hundreds of years after Moses gave this commandment, Solomon reiterated it twice. The issue of landmarks became more prevalent as unscrupulous men demanded more land. However, it was critical to keep the inheritance intact as they were previously measured. The marker established the property line and its value. Even more critical was the assumption that every generation after the first, knew their inheritance and the boundaries of their homes.

In regards to the Doctrine, Jude wrote: Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

The Faith for which we are to contend for was established long ago. Inward and outward holiness was never an option for the first church. The infilling of the Holy Ghost, evidenced with speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance, was part of the original Gospel. Jesus said that we would be baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire. Water Baptism in Jesus’ name, which Acts 4:12 declares as the only way to be saved, was and is the only mode and method of scriptural baptism.

This is the “faith once delivered.” Not only are we to honor these settled landmarks, we are also encouraged to honor those who have given them to us. Our senior saints have kept the Faith. They have invested their lives in delivering the Doctrine of Jesus Christ to this generation. They have given of their time, money, prayer, and sacrifice.

When a body of believers, a church, fails in honoring those who deserve such honor, they in turn disobey the Scripture and set in motion the devaluing of the biblical tenets upon which the body is established. Our future revival is tied to our past sacrifice. They that sow in tears shall come again reaping in joy. Thus, our vision is founded in the faithfulness and commitment of those who came before us. In light of these truths, we must not move the landmarks. They guide us, direct us, tell us when we are off course, and lead us back to God’s Word. We must let the landmarks stand!

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

At the root of all spiritual directives lies a single line of scripture. It was a warning from Moses to God’s called-out people: Deu 8:11 “Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God.” The prophets came to declare the judgments of God because they had “forgotten the Law of thy God.” In more modern times the adage is offered that history tends to repeat itself when we fail to remember. In all, it seems that memory can keep us from a repetitive life, even destruction. We must Remember the Lord our God.

To remember is also the greatest part of honor. To forget is akin to dismiss what once was. Our lives are all fleeting, which makes it even more important to recall and rehearse the sacrifices made for our freedom. When we speak of those who have passed from this life and talk of their attributes, we are honoring them. We must remember the fallen and the saints which have gone before.

Finally, there is a value in keeping a keen memory of both tragedy and triumph. On this day, 21 years ago, the world changed forever. An unsuspecting enemy attacked the homeland. Our casual life came to an end as 2,977 souls died. Even more were affected by the remaining debris. The numbers can hardly be told.

Today, we remember souls lost; fractured families, and those whose lives changed forever. Just as we remember the law of the Lord and the saints, we also pause to consider our nation and the innocent lives which were taken. Our prayer is that the window to reach our nation will remain open long enough to spread the Gospel before these memories fade.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole

Exo 12:34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading troughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.

At the end of what could only be described as a national tragedy, pharaoh and the Egyptian people begged Israel to leave their land. They said, Ex. 12:33 “We be all dead men” knowing that the 10 plagues had wiped them out. The exodus was sudden. The last and final judgement was more than enough to unloose pharaoh’s grip: the Egyptians were also ready for the suffering to end.

Moses gave the command and Israel rushed to escape. Their departure featured the urgency of the moment. A small byline of the scene was that they had no time to add leaven to the bread. Consequently, the taste of the moment was distinguishable from every other time. Bread without leaven does not rise. It tastes bland, even dull. And yet, to wait meant a return to bondage.

Every year from that moment on, the Israelites celebrated the Passover, the exodus, and the salvation of God with unleavened bread. They remembered the urgency of the hour and how time was of the essence. Had they paused for pleasure, or waited for a more savory result, the day may have passed. Thus, the Passover always featured unleavened bread.

There is a battle in our modern Christian world. Believers desire sweetness and freedom. Many seek for blessings without sacrifice. Ultimately, the urgency of the Lord’s return is being lost on feel-good ideologies. The “Thief in the night” has been replaced by complacency, even apathy. Yet, the truth remains the same, there will be no time to turn back when the trumpet sounds. The end of the age will come and only those who are ready will be saved. These words find no refuge on leaven mentality. However, for those who sense the importance of the hour, let nothing hinder us from hearing the final call and the catching away of the Bride. Let it be that no sweetness this world may offer can cause us to pause at the readiness of our soul. Finally, the spiritual battle may entail a bitter taste, but it must not keep us from leaving this world behind.

Pastor Jeffrey Harpole