Praising the King of All the Earth

by Rev. Jim Jester

August 3, 2025

SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 46:1-3, UASV

Psalm 47 is the first of a new series on the Kingship of God.

Psalm 47 is a song of praise to God, as the King of the whole earth. It has been recognized as one of the “accession psalms,” because it depicts God as assuming his kingdom, and taking his seat upon his throne (Ps. 47:5-8).

The title tells us both the audience and the authors of the psalm: “To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.” Some believe that “the Chief Musician” is the LORD God Himself, and others suppose him to be a leader of choirs or musicians in David’s time, such as Heman the singer or Asaph (I Chr. 6:33; 16:5-7; 25:6). Korah was a descendant of Levi (Ex. 6:16-24), and therefore the sons of Korah were Levites. Most assume that the specific sons of Korah addressed here and in the titles of ten other psalms were Levitical singers in the tabernacle/temple ceremonies, and perhaps they were performers of the psalm rather than the authors of it; King David being the author.

SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY (Part Five)
THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY (Part One)

Copied from the sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore

July 27, 2025

Scripture Reading Acts 17:34:

When Paul preached in Athens the “resurrection of the dead, some mocked [who do you think these individuals were?]: and others said, ‘We will hear thee again of this matter’” [who do you think these people were?] (Acts 17:32b). Certain men clave unto Paul and believed along with certain women.

One of the men that came to believe was Dionysius the Areopagite, who was an Athenian judge at the Areopagus Court(Acts 17:34). He was also governor of the city of Athens and had one of the highest reputations among the people. Another believer was Damaris, a woman, and many others. How many and who the identity of the others were, we are not told.

by Pastor Lawrence Blanchard

July 20, 2025

Most people, including the majority of God's Covenant People, are drifting through life because they don't have a definite purpose. The theme of the Bible is the realization of the Kingdom of God here and now. With this understanding they can recover a God-ordained vision and passion to define a definite purpose and a definite plan to achieve that purpose.

Available in audio only.

Pastor Blanchard is the author of the Covenant Heritage book series, which is a culmination of 36 years of study and research in the Bible and other related fields.  Per Pastor Blanchard's website, YourBiblicalHeritage.com:

The Covenant Heritage books offer step-by-step systematic training that transforms ordinary people into Bible masters. The Bible Mastery Boot Camp is the interactive video teaching and training series that follows the first four books of the Covenant Heritage Series.

Adorned with Victory

by Rev. Jim Jester

July 13, 2025

SCRIPTURE READING: Exodus 15:1-5

Psalm149 was probably composed soon after the return from the captivity in Babylon. It is filled with the spirit of intense joy and hope, which must have been natural for God’s covenant people at that period of time. Men of strong faith and loyalty must have felt that the restoration of the people to their own land, was seen as proof of Divine favor, and that it could be regarded as a pledge of a great future yet to come for the nation.

This psalm expresses the praises of God’s people for how they were delivered from Egyptian bondage. The first song in the Bible (Ex. 15:1-18, which we read in part), sang by Moses and Miriam, goes into great detail about this deliverance; much of which is touched on in other psalms.

SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY (Part Four)

Copied from the sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore

July 6, 2025

Scripture Reading Acts 17:16:  

Paul was by himself in Athens. He would be by himself for about three to four weeks. His spirit was stirred when he saw how the city was so idolatrous.

Paul had previously been chased out of Thessalonica by the Jews who then followed him to Berea to duplicate the same thing. They were hunting for Paul and were waiting at the place where he was staying. When his brethren found out what was happening, to keep the Jews from finding and violently hurting or killing him, they put him on a ship and quickly got him out of town. Paul’s supporters didn’t have enough money to pay for all his fellow missionaries to travel by ship (my opinion), so the rest of them had to travel by land. The ship that Paul was on took him 275 miles to Athens.

Exodus Set to Music

by Rev. Jim Jester

June 29, 2025

SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 114:1-2

Psalm 114 is the second psalm of a series of psalms known as the Egyptian Hallel (Ps. 113-118), and is sung as part of Israel’s Passover ceremony. It is known as the “Song of the Exodus,” and it pictures God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt.  It is likely that Jesus and his disciples sang the Hallel at their Passover feast recorded in the New Testament. It is also thought that this psalm was used to encourage the exiles on their return from Babylon. It has no introduction and no conclusion. It is an elaboration of the previous psalm. It begins and ends abruptly, without Hallelujah and without the name of the LORD.

By Walter Giddings

June 22, 2025

Featured Scripture:  Hebrews 12:16

 In The Scriptures, against whom is this charge of fornicator laid? What makes someone a “fornicator”? (1 Corinthians 5:11). Of what is a “fornicator” guilty of committing? Most of us here could say a “fornicator” is guilty of committing fornication. Is that “dodging the question”? Is that a humorous way of confessing our ignorance? Is that the same as saying a Jew is a non-Gentile, and a Gentile is a non-Jew? If we are expecting God does better than that, this Lesson might well bear fruit!

by Brian Jones

June 15, 2025

Does God have your heart, mind and soul?  If God has your heart, you will love what He loves and hate what He hates.  

Available in audio only.

SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY (Part Three)

Copied from the sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore

June 8, 2025

Scripture Reading:  Acts 17:26

According to an old and a new gallop poll which asked the following question, “Do you approve or disapprove of marriage between Black people and White people”, the results have changed drastically in the 63 years they have asked this question.

In 1958: 4% of Americans approved of interracial marriages between Blacks and Whites, while 94% disapproved.

In 2021: 94% of Americans approved of interracial marriages between Blacks and Whites, while 4% disapproved.

What happened in the last 63 years?

In Remembrance of His Works

by Rev. Jim Jester

June 1, 2025

SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 111:1

Psalm 111 begins with the simple declaration of “Praise the Lord,” i.e., in one word: “Hallelujah!” The first time we encounter the word “hallelujah” in the New Testament is in Revelation 19. That is when the Lord Jesus has judged Babylon the great, and begins to exercise His public kingship: “And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God.” (Rev. 19:1) So with this one word, hallelujah, it was as if the psalmist thought, “Before I describe how I will praise Him, let me simply declare His praise.” This declaration also implies that others should do the same.