Church · Church Reviews

We visited Christian Life Fellowship or CLF 03/09/14.

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clf

 

 

 

 

 

 

We visited Christian Life Fellowship or CLF 03/09/14.

  1. How approachable/welcoming, is the Pastor before and/or after the service? The Pastor was not at the front door greeting people nor was he after the service.
  2. How friendly is the congregation? The congregation was very friendly and welcoming.
  3. How many congregants are there? There were approximately between 100-125 people there.
  4. How do they take the offering? A bag was passed.
  5. Where are they located? They are located at 366 S.E. 5th St. Ontario, OR 97914, their phone number is (541)-889-7264
  6. How is the service broke down between, prayers, worship, and sermon?  It seemed to be approximately 5% prayer, 60% worship, and 35% sermon.
  7. What is the condition of their facilities? The facilities were above average, there was no cross to be found in the sanctuary.  The only cross I saw, was a small decorative one in the foyer.  It was only about a foot long and hung on the wall as decoration.
  8. What is the preaching style of their Pastor? Horribly eisegetical, misapplied scripture… what he used of it.  They are part of the Vineyard Movement, and John Wimber’s bad instruction.
  9. Do they use a specific translation of the Bible, or prohibit any translations, if so why? They didn’t seem to prohibit any translations or promote any.
  10. Do they have a web page? Yes, here is the link; http://www.clfontario.org/#/home  If so, is there a clear, orthodox, confession or statement of faith? Here is the link to their,      “What We Believe” page. http://www.clfontario.org/#/home/what-we-believe It was not as theologically clear and certain as I would like.  They have a confused understanding of satan. They seem to see satan as almost an adversarial contender to God instead of one of His creations.  It looks like they believe, “Replacement Theology.”  They are also in need of some help on their pneumatology.  Looking at the end of their belief statement it appears they got it from the vineyard movement  associated with John Wimber.  They are Christian, just too reliant on experience, and in dire need of Bible study.  After they would say, “amen” in the service the entire congregation would give one loud clap.  We felt like we were in the middle of a cult meeting.

sharkbait

Then the Pastor started talking about how when he was talking to Jesus.  At 20 minutes and 35 seconds into his sermon he said, “I literally had the Lord say something to me, he says, well Doug I want to introduce you to the Holy Spirit.”  Then at about 20:53 he says, “and so what happened was I literally this very Jewish looking person that’s in my mind as I’m connecting with Jesus when he says I want to introduce you to the Holy Spirit, here’s this kind a blonde haired surfer dude, “hey!” he’s just chillin’, just hangin'”  then at 21:29 he says, “the person of the Holy Spirit he morphed in the coolest kind a sci-fi way I have ever seen, he morphed into like oil “hooo” and he would just smooth things out”

surfer

That was on top of God apparently literally telling him things.  I’m not sure if I was pickin’ up what he was putin’ down if ya dig?  I know he was well intentioned, but I’m wondering if maybe there is a better way?  I’m not even going to get into the red velvet lined closet that Jesus treasures our pain in…

Church · Church Reviews

03/02/14 Our Visit to the First Baptist Church of Fruitland

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fruitland sbc

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We visited the First Baptist Church of Fruitland on 03/02/14.

  1. How approachable/welcoming, is the Pastor before and/or after the service? The Pastor was proactive in greeting us and making sure to invite us to the potluck after the service. He was very friendly.
  2. How friendly is the congregation? The congregation was very friendly and welcoming. They invited us to their potluck after the service and made sure to engage us in conversation.
  3. How many congregants are there? There were approximately between 15-25 people there.
  4. How do they take the offering? A plate was passed.
  5. Where are they located? They are pretty conveniently located close to Fruitland, and Ontario. They are at, 1070 N. Pennsylvania Avenue Fruitland, Idaho 83619, their phone number is (208) 452-3938
  6. How is the service broke down between, prayers, worship, and sermon? It seemed to be approximately 20% prayer, 40% worship, and 40% sermon.
  7. What is the condition of their facilities? The facilities were average for a small congregation.
  8. What is the preaching style of their Pastor? The sermon was an exegesis of Romans 7. It seemed expository. We’d have to keep visiting to know for sure.
  9. Do they use a specific translation of the Bible, or prohibit any translations, if so why? They used the KJV for the overhead and the Pastor read out of it. They didn’t seem to prohibit other translations though.
  10. Do they have a web page? They don’t have a web page, but they do have a Facebook page. The link is at the bottom of this article.   If so, is there a clear, orthodox, confession or statement of faith? I couldn’t see one on the Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Baptist-Church-of-Fruitland-Idaho-SBC/132348916918064?rf=111687335534649

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Marital Love

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5_16_LoveLikeJesus_330742342

Marital Love

            When two people get married, usually they are in love.  This is true for Christians and the lost.  What happens when one person stops being in love with the other?  However this comes about, let’s assume that it has happened.  In a marriage of lost people, what is there to keep them together?  Once the one spouse realizes the other is no longer in love with them, why should they stay?  Why would anyone want to stay in a marriage where they are not cherished and loved?  There might be some pragmatic reasons like, convenience, money, or children.  Some people will stick it out just for these reasons.  What is the point of all of that if you don’t have the love of your spouse?  You might as well be living on your own, looking for someone to share love with.

Nobody gets married, thinking that one day they won’t be in love anymore.  People get married to share their love and lives together.  So what happens to a Christian couple when one of them stops feeling in love with the other?  The same thing happens to them, that happens to a lost couple.  About half the time they get divorced.  The others stay married out of pragmatic reasons or some sense of duty or obligation.

How should it be with a Christian couple?  What should the spouse do that has found out their spouse isn’t in love with them anymore?  What should the spouse do that doesn’t feel in love anymore?  Should they divorce and look for someone to be in love with?  Should they stick together because of duty, obligation, or their faith?  We know that God hates divorce.  We read about it in Malachi 2:16 “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”  So the Christian couple should stay together, but that doesn’t fix the problem.

They are not in love anymore.  Either both of them have no feelings for each other, or one of them has lost their feelings for the other.  How do we resolve this?  What does the bible say about love?  We read this about love and God’s love in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, “1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

How pointless is life without love?  The love of Jesus for us, the love we should have for each other is explained in the cross of Christ.  In 1 John 4:7-13 we read this, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.  In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.”  Are we starting to get the picture?

Maybe they are not in love anymore because one or both of them feel like they have been wronged or victimized?  If so, they are holding on to hurt feelings and resentment.  Healing of their marriage can’t happen until they forgive each other.  In Matthew 6:15 we read, “but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”  Ephesians 4:31-31, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

We know that in a marriage there are two sinners living together.  Sins are bound to happen.  One of them will sin against the other and the other might sin back or sin in the way of harboring a grudge, hurt feelings, or resentment.  If these things are left undealt with they will keep coming up to cause problems.  Both people must repent.  Sometimes one person believes they never did anything wrong.  They think, “It is all the other persons fault, I don’t need to repent.  What could I have possible done wrong?  They are the one who hurt me!”  Most of the time, both people are thinking the same thing.  This is why both need to repent and ask not only God to forgive them, but they have to ask for forgiveness from the other.  When you humble yourself and come to someone asking them for something that they can give or deny it takes the power away from you.  You are at their mercy.  Hopefully you have a truly saved spouse who can see their own sin and grant you their forgiveness because of how much they have been forgiven by Christ.

Even still, while you are living in this torment you can’t give up.  As Christians you aren’t allowed to stop loving your spouse just because they aren’t in love with you anymore.  Oh, you might want to.  You might even feel yourself beginning to resent them as you put yourself on the throne of your life.  You might hear, “You poor, poor person you…  You don’t deserve to be treated like that by them!  How dare they!  Don’t they know how good they’ve got it with you?  You’ll teach them!  You’ll leave, and then what will they do?”  So you like what sin is telling you?

Do you want to be on the pitty pot?  You have failed to remember that you are the worst kind of sinner.  Christ bled and died for your sins.  Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  1 John 4:10, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”  Jesus pursued us, our salvation, and the Father’s will, all the way to the cross and the grave.  How dare we give up on forgiving, loving, and repenting!

Sinners who don’t think that they have been loved the way they think they should be, you have been loved by Jesus in spite of your many sins against Him.  Your sins are responsible for His suffering on the cross.  You don’t deserve love!  You deserve death and Hell, being so self-centered, to think that you deserve to be treated with love from anyone is ludicrous.  Repent of your selfishness, ask Jesus to forgive you.  Ask your spouse to forgive you for not loving them selflessly, even if your love is not reciprocated.  Love them, while they are yet, not in love with you.  The only love you need is the love of Christ.  Pour yourself out for them the way Christ did for you, and Love them to the grave.  See your sins, and how much they cost Christ.  Look at your spouse, and see them for what they are.  They are a sinner, just like you, in need of The Saviors’ grace.  Demonstrate love and mercy towards them, because you have experienced the love and mercy of God.  Repent of harboring bitterness and forgive them.  Fill your heart with the love of God and then pour it out as a merciful balm of healing on your marriage.  Together, repent and be restored to each other and God.  God can make all things new, including your marriage.  You should know this, because when you were saved, He made you new.

Church · Church Reviews

Sunday, February 23rd we visited, “White Stone Christian Fellowship.”

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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.

The Puritans: Stephen Charnock

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The Fear of the Lord

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FEAR%20OF%20THE%20LORD%20GIFT%20OF%20THE%20SPIRIT

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 Wednes​day For Nazarenes: The Catholic Way​

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Former Nazarene's avatarFormer Nazarene

Ashes to forehead
(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?

Bob Snyder2 Comments

agapephileo

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.’…”

Church

First Impressions, the Criteria I Plan on Using.

Bob Snyder1 Comment
  1. How approachable/welcoming, is the Pastor before and/or after the service?
  2. How friendly is the congregation?
  3. How many congregants are there?
  4. How do they take the offering?
  5. Where are they located?
  6. How is the service broke down between, prayers, worship, and sermon?
  7. What is the condition of their facilities?
  8. What is the preaching style of their Pastor?
  9. Do they use a specific translation of the Bible, or prohibit any translations, if so why?
  10. Do they have a web page?  If so, is there a clear, orthodox, confession or statement of faith?

There are some more important criteria for evaluating a Church.  I will list those next.  The important things take more than a  first impression.  The first impression can be helpful in determining if it is worth learning more about that church.  You can’t tell from first impressions if the Church is going to be like the Church in Acts 2.  Finding a family you can confess your sins to, ask for prayer from, and share communion with is hard to find.

You can’t really make an informed decision if you yourself are not informed.  If you have a very small or immature understanding of scripture and doctrines, it will be hard for you to find a good Church.  You should read and study your Bible.  Get grounded in scripture so you can tell a good Church from a bad one.  If you walk in the door, and see the church; picking up snakes, rolling on the floor, naming it and claiming it, being of fire, planting seeds, speaking in tongues, blowing a shofar while wearing a prayer shawl, and looking for demons in every person, then I don’t think you need to check any further.  It is safe to say, you can go on to the next church.

So what things really matter?  Here is my list.

  1. Orthodoxy, orthodoxy, orthodoxy!
  2. Theology, are they Arminian, Reformed, Pentecostal, Charismatic, Continuationists, Cessationists, Egalitarians, Complementarians, and so on?
  3. What kind of Church government do they utilize?
  4. What ministries do they engage in?
  5. How/where was the Pastor educated?
  6. Are they part of a denomination?
  7. What is their statement of faith?
  8. Are they Christ centered or man centered?
  9. Do they believe the Bible is the authoritative word of God, infallible, and inerrant?
  10. Are there opportunities for me to use my God-given gifts?
  11. Have I heard of any potential areas of concern with that Church?  if so I need to ask the Pastor about those issues face to face.

This blog will be focusing on the, “First Impression” aspect of choosing a Church for the time being.  As we visit local Churches, I will post an evaluation of that Church.  I am doing this more for my family than anyone else.  As we go I will get the Pastors contact information, and try to ascertain the more important details.  I hope this is helpful for others in the area as well.church_21

Church

Church Visits and First Impressions

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Over the next several weeks we are going to be visiting some local Churches. (good and bad) I am setting a list of criteria to evaluate our visits by. Afterwards, I will post a short article conveying our impression of the Church. I hope it will be helpful in deciding what we are going to do in the near future.