Recent Articles and Sermons

IMAGE - PART 2

by Walt Giddings

February 9, 2020

Greetings kindred and fellow sheep. You are my classmates in God’s Classroom. Shall we hearken to and heed the Real Teacher, The Master, Jesus Christ?

Scripture Reading: Matthew 7:6  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again, and rend you.

What does rend mean? Who or what are the Dogs? Swine?

Is Wisdom the issue here? What action is the wisest to take? Should we hearken to and heed the Master? What is the name of the Book of Wisdom? What constitutes Wisdom?

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

By Alan Breitenstein

February 2, 2020

Scripture Reading: Genesis 2:7

How many different types of cells are in the human body?

There are about 200 different types of cells in the body. Here are just a few examples:

• red blood cells (erythrocytes)

• skin cells

• neurons (nerve cells)

• fat cells

Humans are multicellular, complex organisms. The cells inside our bodies are “specialized.” This means that each type of cell performs a unique and special function. For this reason, each of the 200 different types of cells in the body has a different structure, size, shape, and function, and contains different organelles (any of a number of organized or specialized structures within a living cell.) 

MAN - A COMPLEX BEING

"You have possessed me in my inward parts; you have covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise you; for I am awesomely and wonderfully made… My substance was not hidden from you, when I was made in secret…Your eyes did see my substance, yet being unformed; and in your Book (DNA) All is written." Psalms 139:13-16

by Pastor Mark Downey

October 7, 2012

Scripture Reading: I Kings 19:9-12

What gets your attention?  A tornado twisting through your immediate neighborhood?  An earthquake that shakes you out of your bed?  Or perhaps a smoke alarm that indicates your home is on fire?  People often refer jokingly to a bolt of lightning or a burning bush before they are motivated to take notice of something, even though these two supernatural elements are mentioned in the Bible and got people’s attention.  There are times when spectacular events ordained by the divine hand of God do not register in the minds of man.  It’s just “mother nature” or the inane mindset that ‘it is what it is.’  However, God is not without other means by which He gets your attention. 

We are living in a day and age where Madison Avenue is trying to sell you something, either by hook or crook, meaning unethical mind-control techniques.  And thus, we are bombarded every day with an assault of visual and audio advertising, unless you live in a cave like Elijah.  Even churchianity has jumped onto the illicit bandwagon of smoke and mirrors, gimmicks and trickery.  There’s even an occult technology of power to reach you on a subconscious level to make you hear voices in your head.   But, today’s message is to help you overcome all of that ungodly influence.  Do you know how to focus on Christ?

ABOUT BAPTISM

by Pastor Jim Jester

January 26, 2020

Scripture Reading: Matthew 3:11-12

Introduction

If you ask a dozen Christians what is the meaning of baptism, you will get many different answers. Even among Protestant churches, one will get differing opinions on the meaning, purpose and mode of the alleged “ordinance” of Baptism. Some churches have split over these issues, or whether to observe the custom at all. The same can be said of the Eucharist (or Communion/Lord’s Supper). But are these symbolic practices, commonly called “the Sacraments”, really necessary?

Furthermore, we should ask, are these Sacraments necessary for what? Are they necessary for spiritual growth, or, for any kind of salvation? I realize that I am entering a controversial area of theology and some may disagree with what I have to say on this topic, but that is ok – we have liberty here. I hope these studies will answer such questions.

by Pastor Jim Jester

A two part Series on the Sacraments. A proxy ritual is not needed.

IMAGE - PART 1

by Walt Giddings

Greetings kindred. We are on a first name basis here. My name is Walter. I am your pedagogue whose mission is to lead you to the Real Teacher. Is one of the marks of a Christian his capacity to see the invisible? Is this strange to an unbelieving world? Direct from Romans 1:20 we have this blessed assurance. “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.” This fifth Bible Biology lesson may be the most invisible.

Scripture Reading:  Genesis 1:26-28

v. 28: The dominion covenant, we recall, received a major interruption in Genesis chapter three: Adam fell. Heaven and earth separated, losing oneness. Adam became a prisoner of time, fell into the image of the earthy, becoming mortal, his eyes now holden, an invisible realm no longer visible to him. Without divine intervention Adam can no longer see into what is now invisible to him. This presents in this lesson some difficulty.

vv. 26-27: We have two words, both mentioned three times. The first is God. The second is our lesson title : Image. These two verses emphasize the creation of Adam “in the image of God.” (v 26) “after our likeness.” Where is the likeness? Was Adam also created “in the likeness of God?” (Genesis 5:1). Here in verse one, God’s infallible Word, our question is answered. “In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him.” Why does God wait to tell us that “He created to make” His son Adam in his own likeness?

Why are we told all the way over in chapter five? There is a reason.

by James Jester

Isn’t it Ironic?

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. I have the dream that one day our country will return to God’s Law and honor the leaders that have actually made the country originally great.

THE DIVINE RIGHT OF KINGS

Copied from the sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore

January 12, 2020

Scripture Reading: Matthew 13:29, 30

Here are two competing grains in these two verses: tares and wheat.  One is evil, the other is good. The instructions given to the gatherers is to gather the tares first, bind them in bundles and burn them; but the wheat gather them into His barn. But they had to wait until the proper time—the harvest. Why? So, the reapers could tell them apart. Notice, the tares are to be taken first.

This was God’s warning to the Israelites through his general Joshua that if they let the Canaanites remain in the land of Palestine, they would no longer be driven out from before them. They would be snares, traps, scourges and thorns to the Israelites. The enemy would provide the harm that would result from Israel’s disobedience to keep them living in the land that they were promised.

DOES AMERICA HAVE THE BEST GOVERNMENT IN THE WORLD?

Compiled from the sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore

January 5, 2020

Scripture Reading:  2 Samuel 1:13-16

Who was the stranger that David had killed for testifying that he had slain King Saul, the LORD’s anointed? He was an Amalekite. Who was an Amalekite? He was a descendant of Amalek, grandson of Esau, who was part of the Canaanites. So, it was the descendant of Esau and the Canaanites who said that he murdered the LORD’s anointed—the king of Israel. Remember, this was something that the future king refused to do, even when he had the opportunity.

In a recent speech, Nancy Pelosi said some confusing things. For example, she said that America had formed a new government, a republic, starting with “We the people.” Then she said, “For centuries Americans have fought and died to defend democracy for the people. But, very sadly now, our founders’ vision of a republic is under threat from actions from the white house.”

And it wasn’t just the speaker of the House. It was many of the Democrats, when they spoke they said in one breathe that we were a republic and in another that we were a democracy. The two words were used interchangeably, and the meaning was the same.

But they are not interchangeable.  Benjamin Rush (signor of the Declaration of Independence) said that “a democracy was the devil’s own government.”

by James N. Jester

December 29, 2019

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 16:14-18

Introduction

This could be considered a follow-up sermon on the recent series I did on Israelite migrations.

Ah, fishing and hunting, two very popular sports diversions to help the working man or woman escape the stresses of everyday life. They are also good survival skills too. Fishing is the easiest, but hunting sometimes can be a little more difficult. We can also see this difficulty in relation to the captivity of Israel, which of course, precipitated the dispersion of Israel and Judah throughout Asia and Europe.

In my previous series of sermons, we traced much history about the migrations of Israel. The armies of Tiglath-Pileser III, Shalmaneser V, Sargon II, Esarhaddon, Sennacherib, and Nebuchadnezzar, found that their attack upon Israel was sometimes easy, much as a fishing net would easily capture large amounts of fish. On the other hand, there were times when the invader, as a hunter after his prey, would have to seek out those people who had hidden from him in the mountains and caves or other places.