by Pastor Jim Jester

February 25, 2024

SCRIPTURE READING: Joshua 4:1-3

It is a new year, January and February have special significance, so I thought of Memorials. I need not mention what February is about; besides the Dresden holocaust against Germany on 13-14 February, 1945.

January is often referred to as “Generals Month” since no less than four famous Confederate Generals claimed January as their birth month: James Longstreet, Jan. 8, 1821, Robert E. Lee, Jan. 19, 1807, Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson, Jan. 21, 1824, and George Pickett, Jan. 28, 1825. It is ironic that MLK day sits between two of these birthdays, Lee and Jackson.

Lee-Jackson Day was a state holiday in Virginia begun in 1889. Its observation was eliminated in 2020, replaced by Election Day as a state holiday. Confederate History month, begun in 1994, happens to be in April because the Confederate Memorial Day falls during this month. It has been observed by seven southern states.

Of course we realize that all Confederate memorials have been under attack and nearly all of them removed. The Robert E. Lee Monument in Richmond, Virginia, was the first installation on Monument Avenue in 1890, and would ultimately be the last monument removed from that site. The statue was taken down on September 8, 2021, then sent to storage.

By Walter Giddings

February 18, 2024

Relevant Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:24 

In Lesson 2, The Doctrine of Balaam, we began the summation of our 1st two lessons with the end time prophet Micah’s impassioned plea to Israel that we “may know the righteousness of the LORD”!   In Micah, 6:6, does Micah call us to remembrance?  Without remembrance can we “know the righteousness of the LORD” (2 Peter 1:12-13).  Did one of the Apostles “think it meet” to put us “always in remembrance of these things”?

Copied from the sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore

February 11, 2024

Scripture Reading: Numbers 21:14

Beginning from the separation of Joseph from his older brothers to the reuniting with them in Egypt,\ after being in Egypt for 215 years and experiencing the miraculous escape from the Egyptians, to their being punished for forty years before they could enter the Promise Land, to their wanderings on the eastern side of the Jordan River, we come to one of the most intriguing events in Israel’s history. For the land east of the Jordan River was ruled by two Amorite kings; Sihon and Og.Both nations of Amorites were very strong and had a reputation of great military might.  God gave His covenant people instructions on how they were to fight any battle.

by Pastor Jim Jester

February 4, 2024

SCRIPTURE READING: Colossians 1:15-18

The epistle of Paul to the Colossians was written primarily to deal with the doctrinal heresy reported by Epaphras. The strange doctrine is not described directly, but we can infer its nature from what Paul says. It was a mixture of Judaism and some early form of Gnosticism which taught that Jesus was superhuman, but not truly God. He was greater than mankind, but not great enough to be the Savior. Thus those who believe in Christ must also go through angels to get to deeper levels of spirituality.

by Walter Giddings

January 21, 2024

Relevant Scripture: 2 Peter 2:15-17

Do the Enemies of Christ know us better than we know ourselves?  Do the wicked angels know more about us than we know about ourselves?  (Luke 16:8).  If the answers to these questions are yes, we are at a severe military disadvantage!  Our forefathers who framed The Republic believed that the congregation above is the church of Jesus Christ Triumphant, and the congregation on earth is the church of Jesus Christ militant.  We are in a war where the weapons of our warfare are not carnal.  Are we at a crucial disadvantage?  Could we be crucified in our own ignorance?  Does God ever fail His Family on earth?!  Does His Word warn and equip us for this Great Battle?! 

by Pastor Jim Jester

January 14, 2024

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 12:1-2

The subject of the doctrine on Original Sin, also known as the Sin Nature and other terms (as we shall see), always brings up questions. What is it; how many are there; is it defined in Genesis? But this is not the purpose of this sermon, so I won’t be listing the sins that occurred in the Garden of Eden or sins that similarly plague us today.

The Sin Nature, or “sin” (singular), is a part of our fallen mortal nature and personality that we inherited from Adam. It is not any particular “thing,” for many things can be sinful if they hinder our fellowship with God. It is those times when we fall short of what we, or what God expects of us. It is inward sins that we feel inside, such as: impatience, anger, or jealousy; even though we do not act upon them.

Copied from the sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore

January 28, 2024

Scripture Reading: Acts 5:30:

“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.”

Who is the “ye” in this sentence? Who this pronoun represents identifies at least one of the killers.

Who is represented by the pronouns in the Bible is a big key to understanding the Scriptures. A pronoun can never be used first before the noun that it represents. The noun must be used before a pronoun is used to replace it. Pronouns refer to a noun that has already been mentioned. If the pronoun is used first, then the reader doesn’t know who it represents.

By Rick Ibbett

Very few people outside of Australia; and mostly only the older generation within, know that the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, had every intention of leaving the people of this land to the “tender mercies” of the barbaric Japanese Military in World War II.

Copied from the sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore

January 7, 2024

Scripture Reading: Genesis 17:4-6

Why is this subject almost never, if ever, talked about in most of the Christian churches of our day? The Bible is clear with the details of the people who are closely involved in this covenant and the ones that are put off to the side. The descendants of the objects of the covenant are very important because it is an everlasting covenant. It would be very important for the churches to study this most special event in the history of the world and see who is included and excluded. 

CAIN DISCLOSES HIS IDENTITY

by Pastor Jim Jester

December 31, 2023

Scripture Reading Genesis 4:16

“And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.”

A few years ago, when I took this job as a pastor of our church, someone wrote me from our web site with questions about Paganism. I didn’t have many answers. But perhaps this sermon on the legacy of Cain will be helpful to some of those questions.

We don’t know much about Cain after this statement from the Scripture above. The Bible gives a very brief list of his family in chapter four of Genesis, but it does not give any further details, such as the ages or the years that had passed on any of them, such as we see with the genealogy of Adam in chapter five. What can we surmise from this? Could it be that God is not concerned about those who are not of His family, but is rather much more concerned about His own family?