2024 Sermons

Rev. Jim Jester

July 7, 2024

SCRIPTURE READING: Ezekiel 36:22-25

INTRODUCTION

I have spoken on this topic about two years ago. But recently, someone asked me about Baptism, so this sermon is the result of that. Keep in mind that I am not trying to make enemies here, so I am not picking on my Baptist friends. I simply want to give the topic some balance, since in my lifetime I have seen lots of imbalance on the subject. And, I want you to see how different a subject can actually be when considered in the light of its full Scriptural context (not just part of the Word).

Copied from the sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore

June 30, 2024

Scripture Reading: Judges 8:34

God told Gideon to send home 22,000 men from his army of 32,000 (Judges 7:1-3). And if reducing Gideon's army by two-thirds was not enough, our King then reduced the army further. He took it down to 300 men. From 32,000 to 300!  That is more than a 99% decrease!

The rest of Judges, chapter seven, details how Gideon’s army defeated the Midianites. First, Gideon received confirmation that Israel would be victorious. Then, his 300 soldiers went up against Midian with torches and empty jars, not with ordinary weapons. They broke the jars and held aloft the torches when Gideon blew the trumpet, creating such a confusion that the Midianites fought against one another. God delivered Midian into the hands of Israel, yet Israel won not because of its superior battle prowess but because the LORD made the Midianites use their swords against their own comrades—they killed themselves. Salvation of Israel from its enemies is of the LORD alone.

“if ye will … keep my covenant”

By Walter Giddings

June 23, 2024

Featured Scripture: Exodus 19:5

[1] Are we the seed of Abraham? 

[2] Are we the children of the miracle Child Isaac, Isaac’s sons, Saxons? 

[3] Are we the living descendants of both Houses, the House of Judah and the House of Israel?  

[4] Were we dispersed among all nations, becoming the greatest migrators on the globe, migrating through the Caucasus Mountains, becoming the Caucasian Race, much more in number than the vagabond sons of Cain, “who was of that wicked One”? [1 John 3:12] 

[5] Are we, therefore, The Covenant People of God?

The Title of our Lesson shows the subject matter is not the genealogies of The Bible, nor our inheritance from them. This is our 3rd Lesson, Covenantkeepers which is clearly based on our 5 conclusions. We are aware of this mystery: “that blindness in part is happened to Israel”! [Romans 11:25] 

By: Alan Breitenstein

June 16, 2024

In the first message we went through all the kings of Israel and Judah and none of them performed as king to the requirements that God had laid out to Moses. This message looks at the one king who performed according to the requirements that God had laid out to Moses. That King of course is Jesus the Christ.

by Rev. Jim Jester

June 9, 2024

SCRIPTURE READING: Colossians 2:13-15

INTRODUCTION

For the most part we will be in the Book of Colossians. Paul’s letter to the Colossians was primarily written to deal with certain doctrinal heresies that were doing much damage at Colosse. It was a mixture of Judaism and an early form of Gnosticism, which taught that Jesus was superhuman but not truly God. Thus those who believe in Christ must also go through angels (ref. Col. 2:18) to obtain deeper levels of spirituality. This reminds me of Roman Catholicism, which believes in the veneration of Saints, and praying to them; thus making them mediators in place of Jesus Christ. Another error insisted upon ritualism and asceticism (strict rules to merit favor; ref. Col. 2:21) as the foundation of moral teaching. Thus their theological ideas and ethical code alike were at fault. Both errors flowed from a common source—the false conception that evil resides in matter (flesh) — a source of many heresies (no marriage for priests; ref. Col. 2:23).

Copied from the sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore

June 2, 2024

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 7:6:  “For thou art an holy [separate] people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.”

Who is this written about? It can’t be everyone who is alive in the world, for the LORD, the God of these people said, that He has chosen them“to be a special people unto Himself.”And if the LORD God chose a people to be special unto Himself, wouldn’t there be other peoples who are “un-special” unto Him?

One can learn much about God’s character by studying His various names. One of these names is “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Early in the Scriptures, one can realize that God is a God of people and relationships. Understanding God’s covenants is critical to understanding God’s plan for Israel, His “special people unto Himself.”  The first thing worth mentioning about the Abrahamic Covenant is the fact that God ratified it with Abram alone. Even though Abram was the recipient of the Covenant and the representative of the Israel nation,

“…for an everlasting covenant”

By Walter Giddings

May 26, 2024

Featured Scripture: Genesis 17:7

To what do covenantkeepers always return?  Does the God of our Fathers, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob/Israel, ever fail to keep his covenant with the seed of our Fathers?  And the answer is ...?  So, God is not The Failure in Covenant keeping!  Who fails to keep the “everlasting covenant”?  Who? 

Rev. Jim Jester

May 19, 2024

SCRIPTURE READING: Genesis 17:1-7

The first mention of God’s covenant with Abram is found in chapter 15 of Genesis. Chapter 17 continues that thought and is crucial to our understanding of the Bible.

We have just read how Abram had his name changed to Abraham, because he was elected to be “a father of many nations.” The name change signified a change in his status under God. Most seminaries teach our clergy that Abraham was only the father of the “Jews.” This makes God a liar, for the modern jews (until 1948) have never founded any nation, much less many nations. And just imagine, if you lived prior to 1948 and are reading the Bible and see the words “a father of many nations have I made thee” and you were told, as today, that the jews are the country of Israel, when there was no such country, you would respond with something like, “You’re nuts!” The people of Israel are not holed up in a particular country, but are scattered throughout the west. Israel is a people, not a geo-political state.

Copied from the sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore

May 12, 2024

Scripture Reading: Genesis 5:27:

“And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years; and he died.”

THE AGE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT PEOPLES

The book of Hebrews tells of the Hebrews who were living in the beginning of the New Testament days. What did this epistle say to this group who were the ancestors of the Abrahamic covenant? This was not the people who are known as the Jews today, but it was the people who were of the Abrahamic covenant, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was the descendants of Eber (Hebrews), who was the great-great grandson of Noah.

by Pastor Jim Jester

May 5, 2024

SCRIPTURE READING: Philippians 2:9-11

In my recent sermon on Genesis 4:1, “A Mistranslation,” I provided some history on how our Bible came into being; noting how the Scriptures became somewhat corrupted. The process of preserving the Scriptures began about 3 BC by 70 translators; thus called LXX, or the Septuagint. This was the Bible of Jesus and the Apostles. But since New Testament times the Scriptures became quite convoluted since the preservation process was taken over by the Masoretes, covering the period of 450 - 1000 AD.