Day: March 6, 2014
Sunday, February 23rd we visited, “White Stone Christian Fellowship.”
Sunday, February 23rd we visited, “White Stone Christian Fellowship.” Their address is 427 14th Ave N, Payette, ID 83661. Their phone number is (208) 642-4630. The Pastor is Dennis Dickinson. His e-mail address is dennis@wscfpayette.com.
1. How approachable/welcoming, is the Pastor before and/or after the service? Pastor Dennis greeted us as we came in to the sanctuary and he talked to us after the service.
2. How friendly is the congregation? The congregation was small. We were only engaged in conversation by a couple of people during the moments of fellowship.
3. How many congregants were there? Approximately 20-30
4. How do they take the offering? There was an offering box as you walk into the sanctuary.
5. Where are they located? Their address is 427 14th Ave N, Payette, I D.
6. How is the service broke down between, prayers, worship, and sermon? I wasn’t watching the time so these are approximations, it felt like about 15 minutes of good, God centered hymns and some worship songs, about 5-10 minutes of prayer total, and 30-40 minutes of sermon.
7. What is the condition of their facilities? The facilities were average for a small church. The parking lot needs resurfacing. That might be an issue for people with walkers or wheel chairs.
8. What is the preaching style of their Pastor? Expository
9. Do they use a specific translation of the Bible, or prohibit any translations, if so why? They didn’t officially say which one to use, but after talking to the Pastor, he likes the NASB 🙂
10. Do they have a web page? If so, is there a clear, orthodox, confession or statement of faith? Yes, here is the link http://www.wscfpayette.com/ and yes there is, http://www.wscfpayette.com/doctrines-bylaws/
Pastor Dickinson is very knowledgeable. He understands Koine Greek and Biblical Hebrew. Matter of fact they have a Bible School connected to the Church where he teaches. The school is Charnock Institute of the Bible. Here is the link http://www.charnockedu.com/
Intersting note, Charnock is the last name of Stephen Charnock, a puritan theologian.
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The Fear of the Lord
The fear of the Lord
I was talking with a friend. He brought up an observation he made. He thought that there are many people who claim to be Christian, but won’t open their Bibles. He observed that they also have several abhorrent personal practices, and beliefs. He was frustrated by their resistance to him, attempting to, lovingly correct them with scripture. He said, “It’s almost like they’re afraid to see what’s in there.”
How many of us have had the same experience? It seems pretty typical. Usually this is the person who claims to be Christian, but loves tons of other things, over Jesus and His Church. They might go to Church, but Jesus, His word, and His bride, are far from their thoughts, or affections.
I would have to agree with my friend. I think people are afraid to look in the Bible, and see what it says. I believe that, in their hearts, they suspect they are wrong. They know that they might be the goats, on the left waiting to be told, “‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’” They have every reason to be afraid to look in the word, but they also have that much more of a reason to look, and see. If only they would open the word, read, and study it.
We know that gospel is the power of God unto salvation. We know that faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. We need to pray for them, and be faithful in our witness to them. They have the wrong kind of fear. They fear, finding out they are wrong. They fear having to give up the things they love. They fear, having Jesus as their Lord, when they should fear Jesus as their Judge and punishment under condemnation. They know just enough to be scared off from finding the precious grace offered to us by Christ, in repentance and faith. Their fear needs to shake them to their very core, and break every allegiance and bond of worldliness.
The fear they have is impotent because they don’t understand how truly fearsome God is. To them God is just a little old master craftsmen in a story book, who put together the world. If they could only see, even if it is just with limited sinful human understanding, how vast, infinite, holy, and powerful God is, perhaps they could see their idolatry and repent of it. I pray that we all are kept from undue worldliness and that God will convict us of our sins through the Holy Spirit that we may repent. May He keep us from temptation and deliver us from our oppression, in the name of Jesus our Savior, Amen.
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Ash Wednesday For Nazarenes: The Catholic Way
(NPH Endorsement of the Catholic way)
In 2009, Ashes to Fire was published and distributed by Nazarene Publishing House. Now Ash Wednesday is ever increasing in popularity in the Church of the Nazarene. While General Superintendents ignore Bible-believing Nazarenes and their concerns, they are clearly on board with the Roman “Catholization” of the church. Just a few readings over at Sacramental Nazarenes Facebook group shows how serious they are in going full steam ahead, including the use of ashes to the forehead Catholic style. To what end? This was not my father’s denomination when he was alive; he was rescued from Roman Catholicism, and now the leadership has no problem becoming more like the RCC. Is it financial motivation? Is it to get more members and show how diverse or welcoming the church is? That would be ironic, since there seems to be very little room for Bible-believers now, unless…
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Peter do you love me?
Peter do you love me?
Something interesting, that I don’t remember thinking about before, is found in 1John 21:15-17. My son Josh was visiting us. He and I were talking, and he asked if I ever thought of what Jesus was doing when He was asking Peter if he loved Him? You see, the first two times Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him, He uses the Greek word, “ἀγαπᾷς” it transliterates as, “agapas.” It is a form of the word, “agape.” I’ve always been told by people and Preachers that the word, “agape” means, God’s perfect, sacrificial love. While looking the word up it seems there is more to it than that. It also has implications of a willful, reasoned, self-volitional type of love. We also see that this type of love is supposed to be reciprocated by us, to God, and we are supposed to love each other in the same way, in 2Matthew 22:37-39 when Jesus, in Greek uses the word, “Ἀγαπήσεις” or “Agapēseis.”
So why does Peter respond with the Greek word, “φιλῶ” which transliterates as, “philō.” Philō implies a warm, brotherly love, the kind of love you would have for a very close friend. So Peter is responding back with a more reserved, lesser type of love, than what Jesus is asking him about. Keep in mind, this is after Peter had denied that he even knew Jesus, to save his own neck. Jesus is fully aware of this, and what is going on in Peter’s heart. One has to wonder, “What was going on in Peter’s mind after these questions from Jesus?” I’m not going to make any assumptions here. What we read in the Bible is enough. It is just one of those things that I have wondered about. I hope to find out one day. I think I’ll pass this on to one of my more learned friends and see what they have to say. I’ll get back to you all. Maybe, they can comment on this article?
115So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.”16He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.”17He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.
2Matthew 22:37-39 (NASB) “…37And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’38“This is the great and foremost commandment.39“The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’…”
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