From the Sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore

 June 14, 2015

Scripture Reading: Joshua 23:11-13

I never got to study World War II in high school as we always ran out of time.  We had spent so much time on all the explorers at the beginning of the semester, that there was no time left to study the most recent wars.  I think that was a big mistake.

I was born approximately one year after Japan attacked the United States Navy in Pearl Harbor.  Japan and Germany were fighting on the same side.  They had made an agreement that if anyone declared war on the other, they had declared war against them.  This was against God’s law and a huge miscue for Germany.

So, that is how I learned of how we (the United States) got in the war to fight Germany.  But I always had two perplexing questions:

Copied from the sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore

July 5, 2015

Scripture Reading:  2 Timothy 3:1-5

Today's reading, what a great description for today’s world!  I am interrupting my series on “The Thorns in Your Sides” because there is so much occurring in today’s world that is evil that I thought that I needed to bring a sermon on what is happening.  Every new invention has a good and evil aspect to it.  We are fast approaching the time where there would be “much learning” but it doesn’t produce the scholars that would reveal the truth of the Bible.

There are a multitude of verses which tell us of God’s love for a certain people that has been forgotten or relegated to the Old Testament, which, they say, is about another people.  Let’s look at just one such scripture:

Deuteronomy 10:14-15: “Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens belong to the LORD thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is. Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.”

These two verses were spoken to the Israel people; not the Jews or Canaanites, for they are not the same people.  The Jews were not there to hear this when it was spoken by Moses.  God told them (the Israelites) that He delighted in their fathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob/Israel) to love them, and that he chose (or elected) their seed after them which is you, which are above all people.

Sermon notes of Pastor Don Elmore

May 17, 2015

Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 28:1-4

Have you ever had a thorn in your side?  Do you remember how it felt?  It didn’t feel good.  It was painful and hindered your ability to move.  The solution was not to do anything; but you had to find a way to get the thorn removed.

There are many instances since this warning was issued that the thorns have pierced the sides of the Israelites.  Like the individual, they proved very painful to Israel.  The Canaanite/Edomite was originally destined to be completely destroyed.  But Israel failed in their attempt to destory them, as they left some of them around.  God provided “the drawing of lots” to have Israel inherit the former land of the Canaanites, but gave them their warning about the survivors being “thorns in your side.”  

Sermon Notes of Pastor Don Elmore

May 3, 2015

Scripture Reading: Matthew 27:20-25

America's New Low

The past couple of weeks has brought America to its lowest point, as the country stands in a mass of quicksand; and it is sinking fast.  Bruce Jenner, former Olympic champion, had his two hour interview on television in which he made the oxymoronic statement that “He is a woman.”  His transgendered announcement was linked to Ellen DeGeneres’ statement that she was gay twenty years ago.

But it was the general agreement on the television, radio and newspaper news that astonished me.  All of the comments were favorable.  The interview, that many were waiting for, revealed early on that the former Olympian and reality show star has transitioned into someone Jenner would only call “her.”  And a multimattude of gay, lesbian and transgender advocates as well as other members of the public said they thought the two-hour interview on ABC’s 20/20 was well done and that they applauded Jenner, 65, for the move.

“By sharing this story, Jenner is helping to raise the visibility of transgender people and the transgender community,” said transgender triathlete Chris Mosier, founder of the TrtansAthlete.com website and executive director of GO!Athletes, a national network of current and former LGBTQ student athletes. 

Jay Brown, director of research and public education for the Human Rights Campaign, also in Washington, said Jenner demonstrated “fearlessness” in sharing details of dressing up and struggling with sexual attraction for women while identifying as a woman.

I know that not all the people agree with this kind of behavior, but the news people must be forbidden to find any.  The nation is embracing the sodomite practices so much it would make the ancient destroyed cities of the plain blush.  On the homosexual web sites I found that they believe that their abominable practice is NOT a sin.  They point out all the great accomplishments of past sodomites and say that they only thing that says that they are evil is the Bible.  As a result every 501 (C) 3 church will lose their tax status in the near future! 

by Pastor Don Elmore

March 29, 2015

Scripture Reading: Luke 1:1-4

Introduction

Sometimes I go back and look at the old New Covenant Messengers and read articles that were written years ago.  I did so last Saturday morning and immediately found three articles.  I turned right to them.  It was three articles written by our own Dan and Cory.  It is in NCM #26.

The third article, written by Cory, was very interesting.  It told of the origin of Valentine’s Day.  Valentine was the Roman Catholic priest who defied the Emperor’s order to ban marriages; and as a result married many couples.  The Roman Catholic Church merged the worship of Lupercalia and the death of the priest Valentine.  Lupercalia was the she-wolf that nursed Romulus and Remus when they were orphaned.  The two boys grew up and are credited with the founding of Rome.

In her second article, Cory said the following about why they were home schooling:

“As I said, that was seven or eight years ago and now our oldest [Hannah] is doing sixth and seventh grade work, our second daughter [Katie] is in third grade, our third daughter [Rebecca] is in second grade and we’re going to be starting kindergarten with our fourth daughter [Emily] in the fall  Not to leave any one out, God has also given us a son [Abel] who will be two this month.”

That means that the NCM that I was reading was about 18 years old!  My, how time flies.

But the first article that I saw was the article written by Dan titled:  “Listen!  When A Dumb Man Speaks.”  It was an article that dealt with a favorite portion of scripture for Dan:  Luke, Chapter One.  I thought, “What a fine article.  It needs to be done again so our people don’t forget what happened.”

The Addressee

Do you know who Luke wrote the book of Luke to; and not just this book but his next:  the book of Acts?  Theophilus.  Who was he?  All we know for sure is that he was a man “instructed” in the life of Christ.   That is all.

I liked how Dan started out his article:  “Several times in the Bible, God used strange or unusual events to precede the delivery of an important truth or prophecy.”  Dan gave examples of what happened in several Bible stories:  the talking mule; the hungry lions that did not eat Daniel; and the fish that swallowed Jonah.  These events certainly set the stage for what was coming.  But what Dan was alleging was the strange or unusual event that preceded the birth of our Savior.  It was the birth of another Isaac!

by Pastor Don Elmore

February 22, 2015

Scripture Reading:  Revelation 5:8-10:

Each of the four beasts and twenty-four elders who fell down before the Lamb had a harp.  That would be 28 harps that were played as they sang their new song.  In Revelation 14:2 there implies that there were 144,000 harps and in Revelation 15:2 an innumerable number of harps in heaven.  If God allows this many harps in heaven then it should not be considered unheavenly to have musical instruments in churches. 

This heavenly “choir” sang a new song about their Redeemer; but there is also a “good and evil” part about music.   The genealogy of Cain is given in the fourth chapter of Genesis; with Cain, Enoch, Lamech, Jubal; the great-grandson of Cain; who was “the father [inventor and teacher of musical instruments] of all such as handle the harp and organ” (Genesis 4:21).

God Bless America

So, there are two kinds of music:  good and evil.  Which is which?  The first song that we will look at is the song which many people are in favor of making it our new national anthem, replacing “Star Spangled Banner;” which many people feel is hard to sing.  The song is “God Bless America.” 

It was first sung on November 11, 1938 by Kate Smith.  November 11th was the day that World War I ended; and was sung as part of the memory of this day.  The song was first written in 1918 but was never used. 

As America and the world approached the Second World War, a song was needed to help patriotism in the nation.  Many singers looked for a new song.  The song that was chosen was not used 20 years earlier but was brought back out of the song writer’s casted away songs; and with a few changed words was revamped.  For example, the words “To the right” was changed “Thru the night.” 

by Pastor Don Elmore

February 1, 2015

Scripture Reading: Genesis 12:1-3

Brief comments before I start the message:

First, I would like to make a couple of comments about this Sunday’s climax to the National Football League’s championship game. The illuminati’s showcase game has a twice-as-long half-time show as regular games; about ½ hour.  Today it will star Katy Perry, another illuminati performer.

For years, churches have battled with these Super Bowl Sunday championship games; mostly losing to them by having the lowest-attended services of the year.  There is a “new” church in the area that has the largest crowds of the year on this date:  Crossroads Church. 

Today is the 13th year of Crossroads Super Bowl Sunday’s performances:  Tailgating, inflatables, T-shirt launchers, cheerleaders, pickup trucks full of popcorn, marching bands, tickets (free), with dueling preachers who will be on the four campuses in the Cincinnati, Ohio area.  The events includes 17 services beginning Saturday and running through Sunday afternoon.  They already are expecting 41,000 this weekend and with television exposure and a story on the headline of the second section of the city’s newspaper, it will only grow larger.

It is similar to what Pope Francis remarked about the mission of Catholic schools:  “Catholic education is one of the Church’s most important challenges, committed to carrying out the new evangelization in a historical and cultural context in constant transformation,” likening the modern world to Jesus’ mission field in the “Galilee of the gentiles:  a CROSSROADS of people in diverse races, cultures and religions.” Now, where have I heard that word before…?