The Bible tells of 7 churches in the first three chapters of the Book of Revelation. Sardis is the fifth. It rose to prominence in the late 16th or early 17th centuries. Early Church of God leaders looked to include John Traske, John Pecke, Peter Chamberlen, John James, William Saller, Henry Soursby, possibly John Maulden, and Thomas Lucas, all of whom seemed to have some connection to the Mill Yard church in London. …

The Book of Esther comes from the 5th century B.C. It involves King Ahasuerus (also known as Xerxes) who ruled 127 provinces of the Med-Persian empire, which ran from Ethiopia to India. It tells of a plot by Haman the Agagite to kill the Jews of all those provinces, because he was upset the the Benjaminite Mordecai the Jew, would not bow down to honor him. It tells of the banishment of Queen Vashti and her being replaced by a young woman named Esther (Hadassah). Esther was an orphan raised …

This sermon is part of a series on the beliefs of the original catholic church. What does the Bible teach regarding the word of God and tradition? Is that consistent with what early Christian leaders like Polycarp and Melito taught? Did Irenaeus warn that some claimed scriptures were not clear enough, and instead tradition should be followed? Did early Christians keep the biblical holy days that many now consider to be Jewish? What about Passover, the Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles, and the Great Day …

In 1708, Sabbatarian Church of God leader John Maudin, wrote a book titled "The pious Young Man Guide: Or a Compendium and Useful Catechism for Children, and All Young Persons" under the pen name Philotheos (lover of God). It is a discussion between a father and son on why to live according to God's ways and some of how to do so. It also includes warnings about …

Would you want to hire a contractor to build you a home who did not know how to actually build a house? As parents, we somewhat function as the builders of our children's character. What are some tips from Solomon and the Book of Proverbs to do so? Should you teach your children work habits and punctuality? What happens if children do not develop proper discipline and self-control? …

The Didascalia Apostolorum claims it "is the Catholic doctrine of the twelve Apostles and the holy disciples of our Lord." Is that 3rd century document claim true? Where should original Catholic Christian doctrine come from? Was the Nicene Creed the original 'Apostles' Creed'? What about the old Roman Form from Rufinus or the 'Creed of Lucian'? Who used the term 'Catholic Church of God'? …

The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians to keep the Feast and purge the old leaven and to live spiritually unleavened. How long is the festival called the Days of Unleavened Bread? What was recorded in the Book of Exodus that took place on the seventh day of Unleavened Bread? What does the Jewish Temple Institute teach about the timing? What did the children of Israel do when faced with new leaven? Did they also repeatedly yearn for the old leaven of bondage and Egypt? …

What does the Bible say about the Days of Unleavened Bread? Do they have any applicability for Christians? Did early Christians keep them? What is leaven anyway? What is sin? Can Christians sin? What about the Passover and the sacrifice of Jesus? Should Christians remove leaven from their houses and eat unleavened bread for seven days? What does leaven picture? …

Thyatira is the 4th of the seven churches listed in Revelation 1:11​--did any part of it use the 4th lighted lampstand as a symbol? The Thyatira church era seems to have been predominant from c. 1050 to c. 1600 A.D. Jesus had the Apostle John write about it in Revelation 2:18​-29. Those of Thyatira were to holding fast until Jesus came. But they had problems compromising with 'Jezebel.' Does anything in the message to Thyatira equate to the Greco-Roman and Protestant churches? …