By Rev. James Jester

September 29, 2024

SCRIPTURE READING: I John 1:5-7

A study in First John. What is sin?

INTRODUCTION

I grew up in a typical Christian family during the 1960’s. My two brothers and sister and I were sent to Vacation Bible School, and our family attended the Cokesbury Methodist church. Years later, after my father was converted, we went to a different church (that’s another story).

I distinctly remember sitting in church, listening to the preacher, but not really understanding anything since I was so young. He occasionally used a word that I had never heard before, and I wondered just what it was. Was it something good or something bad? Then the next thing I heard from the preacher was a thundering, “God hates sin!” I suddenly knew that sin was something bad, something awful, and something that offended God. That event impressed the young boy for the rest of his life.

Copied from the sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore

September 22, 2024

Scripture Reading:  Matthew 13:30

Who are the “wheat” and who are the “tares?” This parable says that both (wheat and the tares) have different fathers with the same mother; they are two different seed lines. And they have a drastic, different destiny.So, the identification of the “wheat” and “tares” is especially important in the theological interpretation of these verses of this parable.

But this Messianic web site, thejewishroad.com says nothing about this parable in their article, “Are Jewish People Who Believe in Jesus Still Jewish?” They don’t mention this lesson at all. They assume that all people are equal in the eyes of God in our times.

The purpose of this sermon is to dissect what this article presents and to investigate whether any Jews can be saved. It will also examine doctrines that many so-called “Christians” now believe and show where they cause contradictions in what the Bible says.

“... for without me ye can do nothing” John 15:4-5

By Walter Giddings

Sept 15, 2024

(Exodus 19:5).  Do we need a brief review?  Covenantkeepers has become a subject matter of large size and long time!  Shall we take stock of what we have learned so far?  How is it that we are now embarking on Lesson 6 Covenantkeepers, and the precise term “Covenantkeepers” appears nowhere in either testament!

Shall we return to Bible History, at the commanded time in Israel’s Festival Cycle called Pentecost, at the location where Moses shepherded his father-in-law, Jethro’s sheep, opposite Mount Horeb, before Mount Sinai: 

Copied from the sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore

Sept 8, 2024

Annual Missouri Homecoming Conference 2024

Scripture Reading:  Ephesians 2:13

Who are the “ye” that are being addressed in this passage? It isn’t everyone on the earth, for they were at one time“far off” and were made “near” by the blood of Christ. The Bible has a lot of pronouns. What noun(s) are they representing?

Pastor Chuck Baldwin, who is usually pretty good in his commentary of world events, proved to me that he is way off in his interpretation of one of the important themes of the Bible. He commented on an interview that Christian Zionist Pastor John MacArthur had with Antichrist Zionist Jew Ben Shapiro. He claimed that the interview promoted genocide in Gaza. The article was presented on July 11, 2024.

Copied from the sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore

Sept 7, 2024

Annual Missouri Homecoming Conference 2024

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Scripture Reading:  James 1:1 Who are the twelve tribes of Israel, that the half-brother of Jesus was addressing in his epistle which is in the New Testament, and where were they scattered abroad? Are their descendants still alive and well and somewhere on the earth? If they are still alive (and they are), what do they believe now? Do most of them still believe in God? Are a lot of them, or even some of them, members of Christian churches?

But if they are in Christendom, it is in a chaotic mess. There isn’t just one church, there are many churches with a multitude of opposing views. There is very little common doctrine in the many different denominations and various independent churches.

Let’s look at a few of these disagreements.

By Debra Downey

We have such a deep rich history with 20 centuries of beautiful hymns that has been passed down to us, from generation to generation.  Hymnody is the study of our hymns and should be periodically touched on in conferences. One of my research books had this in the preface: “In each era, creative people have offered their gifts to the Lord, shared by congregations and passed on. So as we worship, we are entering an ongoing song, composed long before our time and continuing into eternity.” 

Contents:

• Music History
• Early Influential Hymnodists
• Interesting background stories on some well known hymns

by Rev. James Jester

Sept 8, 2024

SCRIPTURE READING: II Peter 1:1-8

Peter’s second letter emphasizes again holy living, just as in his first letter. But in this second letter he warns of the false prophets, who were barely mentioned in the first letter (ref. I Pet. 4:5). So, in this second letter he stresses in greater detail, the kind of people who are trying to teach false doctrine to the churches of Asia Minor.

Certain people were teaching that salvation freed Christians from the necessity of living a holy life. They twisted Paul’s doctrine of salvation by grace to support their position. Since they believed it was all right to sin, they naturally mocked at the idea of Christ’s return in judgment. For their own personal gain they lured people by promising them that they could be Christians and still live immoral lives. Peter writes to counter these false teachings and their influence on the lives of Christians. He is concerned that there be a check against false teaching even after he is gone.

By: Garry Maddux

September 1, 2024

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 1:6-9

God has brought a purifying fire into my life many times. What a change this made! We will explore the concept of "fire" in the Bible:

• How it symbolizes trials,
• How it symbolizes God's presence,
• How it symbolizes purification,
• How it symbolizes judgment.

by Rev. Jim Jester

August 25, 2024

SCRIPTURE READING: I Peter 1:3-12

What did the prophets know and speak about concerning the coming Redeemer of Israel? And what did the angels desire to investigate? Let us take a brief overview of the last 3 verses of our Scripture Reading:

“Of which salvation the prophets have enquired” (v 10):A system of faith, securing the salvation of the soul, would be revealed. This hope of the prophets seems to lead them to value the faith they professed more highly, and to encourage them to bear their trials with patience. The prophets saw from a distance somewhat vaguely, and were obliged to search that they might understand the nature of that system. They sought out with care the revelations made to them, that they might understand exactly what was implied,because they were appointed to write about the salvation which was to be made known through the Messiah.

By Walter Giddings

August 18, 2024

Featured Scripture: Romans 14:5

Why is Paul the Apostle so willing to let conviction be a personal matter?  Are we supposed to adhere to the local body’s Statement of Beliefs?  Or is The Bible our Statement of Beliefs?  As we are Pilgrims and Strangers here, is the Battle for the mind of Adam?!  Was this true for Adam and Eve?  Was the Woman fully persuaded to switch Trees, and to eat the Fruit thereof?  Did the woman fully persuade Adam to eat the Fruit thereof?  Did she get the Fruit from the Tree?  Did Adam get the Fruit from Her?  Does failure to answer these questions produce confusion!  Does “…Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind” leave us at the mercy of the Serpent?  Or does Paul the Apostle clearly see what is at stake?  Is Holy Spirit power of conviction at stake?  (Romans 14:5).  Should we look at the context of our featured scripture?