february kerusso
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Our Monthly church newsletterTRANSCRIPT
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Kerusso Volume 14 * Number 2
Prayer and Church discipline are not new revelations of the Christian dispensation. These two things had a high place in the Jewish Church.
Instances are too numerous to mention all of them. Ezra is a case in point. When he returned from the captivity, he found a sad and distressing condition of things among the Lord’s people who were left in the land. They had not
separated themselves from the surrounding heathen people, and had intermarried with them, contrary to Divine commands. And those high in the Church were involved, the priests and the Levites
with others. Ezra was greatly moved at the account given him, and rent his garments and wept and prayed.
500 Main Street | East Rochester, NY 14445 | Phone (585) 385-0450
Monthly Newsletter
Evil doers in the Church did not meet his approval, nor did he shut his eyes to them nor excuse them, neither did he compromise the
situation. When he had finished confessing the sins of the people and his praying, the people assem-bled themselves before him and joined him in a covenant agreement to put away from them their evil doings, and wept and prayed in
company with Ezra. The result was that the people thoroughly repented of their trans-gressions, and Israel was reformed. Praying and a good man, who was neither blind nor unconcerned, did
the deed.
(Continued on page 14)
“THE ESSENTIALS OF PRAYER” by E. M. BOUNDS
Chapter 11: CONCERTED PRAYER (continued)
DATES to NOTE
Feb. 6th “Hope & Help for
Single Moms” resumes
Feb. 14th Valentine Date Night
Feb. 16th “Foundations of Faith”
classes begin
Feb. 19th Singles Event
@ Museum of Play
Feb. 20th Annual Finance Meeting
Feb. 24th Ladies’ Dinner
Feb. 25th Men’s Retreat
& 26th @ Marriott
FOUNDATIONS of FAITH
“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor 3:11
Starts February 16th Ends May 4th
Wednesdays at 7:30 pm: Upstairs in Room 6 with Frank Carbone (224-9456)
This series of lessons would be great for anyone who wants to:
1) set a firm foundation for a new life with Jesus;
2) rebuild a shaky foundation;
3) prepare to share the Christian faith with those who don’t yet know the Lord.
DATE SUBJECT
Feb. 16 Studying the Bible Feb. 23 The Trinity March 2 Assurance of Salvation March 9 Water Baptism March 16 Prayer March 23 How to Be a Disciple March 30 Knowing God’s Will April 6 Trials and Temptations April 13 Characteristics of a Christian
April 20 Winning the Spiritual Battle April 27 Witnessing May 4 The Rapture of the Church
Please sign up in the parlor by February 13th.
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Kerusso Psalm 34:4 “I sought the LORD, and He heard me,
and delivered me from all my fears.”
Lynn Metier 385-0450
Linda Hoyt 385-0450
PASTORS
Ray Viola (Elizabeth) 377-2499
David Barbero (MaryAnn) 288-3879
Jaimie Cole (Audrey) 426-5433
Casey Fabiano 678-4166
Ben Hiwale (Theresa) 425-2534
Tony Joseph (Ann) 223-2046
Gregg Thompson (Treena) 377-7501
ELDERS
Frank Carbone 224-9456
Dana Colbert (Joy) 654-8608
Dave Hoppe (Carol) 385-3610
Vince LaBarbera (Lori) 671-0229
Pat Tharp 402-0072
DEACONS
Russ Loria (Anne) 472-4070
Ralph Myrthil (Brenda) 461-2747
Frank Rivaldo (Diane) 671-0234
Vince Santacesaria (Susan)
227-6918
SUNDAY
7:30 am: Open Prayer
8:15, 10:00, 11:45 am: Morning Services – Pastor Ray
9:15 & 11:15 am: (2nd) Worship Ministry Prayer
9:30 am: (2nd) Kids Ministry Prayer
6:30 pm: Bible Study – Pastor Ray
(last Sunday) Praise & Worship
Koinonia School of Worship
Kids’ Time (children ages 5-12)
Boys & Girls Clubs (ages 13-18)
(1st, 2nd, & 3rd) Hope & Help for the Single Mom
MONDAY
NOON: (1st & 3rd) Women’s Prayer
7:00 pm: (2nd & 4th) Women’s Prayer
7:00 pm: (4th) Italy Meeting
TUESDAY
5:30 -7:00 am: B.A.M.M.: Be A Man Morning 7:00 pm: Bible Study – Pastor Dave Barbero
WEDNESDAY
7:30 pm: Bible Study – Pastor Ray
(3rd) Corporate Prayer & Communion
Club Night for Children (ages 5-12)
Youth Group (ages 13-18)
THURSDAY
6:00 pm: (4th) Ladies Agape Dinner 6:30 pm: (1st-4th) Father’s Heart Outreach Ministry
7:00 pm: (1st & 3rd) India Meeting
FRIDAY
6:30 pm: (3rd) Men’s Meal - CANCELLED in FEBRUARY 7:00 pm: (2nd) Singles Bible Study
SATURDAY
7:30 am: (weekly) Men's Prayer
8:00 am: (last Sat.) Men's Prayer Breakfast - CANCELLED in FEBRUARY
Ground Floor
Nursery
Toddlers
Kitchen
Agape Hall
Youth Group
Men’s/Ladies’
Bathrooms (handicap accessible)
Main Floor
Sanctuary
Prayer Room
Offices
Media Center
Library/Parlor
3rd Floor
Children’s Church
Classrooms (grades Pre K-7)
Boys’/Girls’ Bathrooms
Resource/Supply Rooms
CHURCH OFFICE
HOURS: 8:30am-4:30pm M-F, except 3:30pm Wednesdays
Raymond J. Viola,
Senior Pastor
www.koinoniafellowship.com
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Kerusso Psalm 54:7 “For He has delivered me out of all trouble;
and my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.”
THE BOOK of HEBREWS
Pastor Dave Barbero
CHAPTER 3 (continued)
So we’ve seen that Jesus is a model of faithfulness, which
demonstrates a tender-hearted response to God. Also, we’ve
seen that Israel is a model of unfaithfulness, which is a hard-
hearted response to God. Now let’s move away from what
Jesus got right and Israel got wrong and look at ourselves.
Ask yourself, ―Am I like Jesus or am I like Israel?‖
Hebrews 3 verse 12 begins the second warning passage in
the book: “Beware brethren...”
Malachi 3:6: “For I am the LORD, I do not change”. The
reason we need to “beware” is because the same God who
cast the children of Israel into the wilderness until they died
is still God today. He changes not! There is a God who says,
―That’s enough.‖ There is a God who says, ―You know what
I’ve been trying to get across to you for days, weeks,
months, and even years.‖
Psalm 103:9: ―He will not always strive with us, nor will He
keep His anger forever.‖ There comes a time when God says,
―THAT’S ENOUGH‖ of working with you and your stubborn,
unbelieving heart, and your attitude of, ―Tomorrow, maybe
tomorrow.‖
In light of this, there are two questions we should ask. The
first question is: Do I have an unbelieving heart?
Verse 12a: “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an
evil heart of unbelief...”
Now there are two kinds of an unbelieving heart. One that
actively rejects God, that says, ―God stay out of my life;
thanks but no thanks, I have it covered.‖ People with that
kind of thinking don’t make it to church often. The second
kind is a passive rejection of God - as in every time God gets
close, when the Word begins to speak to us and challenge us,
we take a step back. In other words, we guard our hearts.
(How weird is that to guard your heart from God?!) The Holy
Spirit brings conviction in an area of your life and you panic.
And that’s what verse 12 is warning us against. That’s an
unbelieving heart - a person who, rather than joyfully taking
hold of what God is saying, instead holds God at a distance.
Before we move on, let’s look at the adjective God used to
describe an unbelieving heart. What’s the adjective that’s
used in verse 12? ―EVIL‖! The reason why I ask is this: In
the church today we call unbelief everything but evil. We use
Christian terminology, or we camouflage our unbelief by
calling it something else. We make excuses for our unbelief.
Here are some of the things we come up with.
(Continued on page 12)
Married or engaged couples are welcome
to join us for a ’50’s-style evening of
bowling, food, fellowship, and music at
AMF Fairview Lanes on Fairport Road.
Cost is $50/couple.
MUST purchase ticket from church
office by Sunday, February 6th.
Men,
Join us for the annual Koinonia Men’s
Getaway at the Rochester Airport Marriott
on West Ridge Road, Friday evening to mid-
day Saturday, February 25th
& 26th
.
Enjoy pool, spa, great food, fellowship,
and time with Jesus in His Word.
Room rates per person:
Single - $166; Double - $115;
Triple - $98; Quad - $90.
Meals included.
Sign up & get a registration form in the
parlor. Deadline is Monday, February 21st
.
Questions, contact Pastor Dave.
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Kerusso Psalm 56:13 “For You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept
my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?”
"that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love". Colossians 2:2
In 1 John 3:1 we read, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” Look at, pay attention to, observe, examine the love that the Father has for us!
We who were once called the children of disobedi-ence, are now called the children of God! As we see from Ephesians 4:1 - 3: “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also
we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our
flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” How awesome it is that we once were destined to spend eternity separated from the Lord because of our
sin, but because of His great love for us, He made a way for us to spend eternity with Him, praising and worshipping Him. How merciful and full of grace our Lord and Savior is! What sort or what quality of love, has the Father poured out on us? A love that is everlasting, as we read in
Jeremiah 31:3: “The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: „Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.‟ ” This is a love from which nothing can separate us, as Paul
writes in Romans 8:38 & 39: “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This is a love that is uncondi-tional, and a love that never fails!
Just think; the love the Lord has for us is always
there. This love never, ever fails, disappears, or is with-drawn from us. No matter what we do against Him, or say against Him, He still loves us. Even if we drift far away from Him, completely forget Him, He still loves us. How amazing!
In fact, He loves us so much that He has no pleasure when one who is against Him dies. As Ezekiel wrote in Ezekiel 33:11: “Say to them: „As I live,‟ says the Lord GOD, „I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?‟ ”
The Single Mom’s Ministry
I have been very blessed in my single Mom’s Bible study in many different ways. The 21 Principles of a Single Mom has taught
me a lot of things in my life. It has taught me to be
faithful in prayer, to let the Lord guide me in my life in everything I do. If has also taught me to read the Word of God every day. It has also taught me to be an up forth woman of Christ. I have met a lot of wonderful women in this study. I also became very close to Andrea and Michelle. The 21 Principles of a Single Mom has
opened my heart to other single moms. It has taught me that God is my husband and my children’s Father. My children have come a long way. The Single Mom’s Ministry has helped me to search out Godly men for my boys. These are up forth men of Christ who teach my boys how to be men of God. I thank
all the men who are still teaching my boys the Word of the Lord. The Lord has opened my heart to other Christian women to be able to fellowship with them too. This Bible study has helped me with my walk with my Lord God. I am very thankful for my Christian family. They have all helped me in everything in my life. I thank everyone for all their prayers. I have been very blessed by my Godly family.
So if there is anyone who would like to talk to me, I would be more than happy to share with them.
God bless and I love everyone through God’s love.
Jeanine D.
Resumes February 6th
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Kerusso
EAST ROCHESTER Tuesday Bible Study Tuesdays at 7:00 pm at Koinonia Contact: Dave Barbero 385-0450
"The Father's Heart"
Outreach Ministry 1st - 4th Thursday at 6:30 pm Contact: Russ & Anne Loria 472-4070
"At His Feet" Ladies College & Careers 3rd Friday at 7:00 pm Contact: Anne Loria 472-4331 or Andrea Montanarella 872-5865
FAIRPORT Ladies Devotional & Fellowship 1st Monday at 7:00 pm Contact: Teresa Hiwale 425-2534
GREECE Home Bible Study Tuesdays at 6:30 pm Contact: Vince & Susan Santacesaria 227-6918 Women's Prayer 1st Monday at 5:30 am Contact: Eileen Caccamise 663-3439
PENFIELD Men’s Prayer Fridays at 5:30 am Contact: Pastor Ray Viola Women Waiting on the Lord 1st & 3rd Friday at 7:00 pm Contact: Dawn Landers 309-0178 “A Time To Wait” Afterglow 1st & 3rd Saturday at 7:00 pm Contact: Gregg Thompson 377-7501
PITTSFORD Home Bible Study 1st & 3rd Thursday at 7:00 pm Contact: Dave & Carol Hoppe 385-3610 Ladies’ Prayer 2nd & 4th Friday at 9:30 am Contact: Carol Hoppe 385-3610 Home Bible Study Every Friday at 7:30 pm Contact: Ben & Teresa Hiwale 425-2534
ROCHESTER Men's Prayer Wednesday at 5:30 am Contact: Dana Colbert 654-8608 Adult Bible Study 1st & 3rd Friday at 7:00 pm Contact: Dana & Joy Colbert 654-8608
Interested in Attending a Home Fellowship?
Pray and ask the Lord which Home Fellowship He wants you to attend.
Call the contact person of that Fellowship for directions.
Interested in Leading a Home Fellowship?
If the Lord puts it on your heart to open up your home for a Bible Study or Prayer Group, contact Dave & Carol Hoppe at 385-3610 or [email protected].
Psalm 86:13 “For great is Your mercy toward me,
and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.”
The Lord loves us because of who He is, not because of who we are. There is nothing that we can do, or have to do, to earn His love. He just loves us, because God is love, as John wrote in 1 John 4:16: “And we have
known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” This love that the Lord has for us is agape love. It is love that is self-sacrificing, love that gives in the service of others, and is not self-serving. This agape love is the love that Jesus demonstrated to us, as recorded by Paul
in Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” It is the love that the Father displayed to us, as John wrote in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life.” And because of this love, we are called the children of
God, rather than the children of disobedience. We who are unholy can have a child-Father relationship with a Holy God. We who are wicked can have a child-Father relationship with a righteous God. We who are selfish
can have a child-Father relationship with a self-sacrificing and giving God. How glorious is that! How awesome is that! We can have a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe, the One who holds the universe together. That is just so amazing! And the most amazing thing about all of this is that in order for us to become the children of God, the Father
and the Son have already done everything for us! We know this because as we read in Ephesians 2:4 - 8: “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead
in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show
the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God”. We don't have to do good works to become the children of God. We can’t earn the right to be children of God. We don't have to follow a certain set of rules
and regulations to become children of God. No, all we have to do is to recognize that we are sinners, accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our sins, and then ask our Lord Jesus to forgive us. We must turn from our wicked ways, and live our lives for Him and Him alone. And once we do that, then we will be children of God, as
John wrote in John 1:12: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” Then we will
spend eternity with our Lord and Savior, praising and worshipping Him. Praise the Lord! Let's always remember the One who gave His all for us.
The One who loved us so much that He died on the cross for our sins. Let's remember what He did so that we could become the children of God and spend eternity with Him. And as we remember this, let's purpose in our hearts to live for Him and Him alone. Let's love others with an agape love, a self-sacrificing love, and as Paul exhorts us in 1 Corinthians 16:14, “Let all that you do
be done with love.” God bless you! In awe of Him, Dave & Carol
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Kerusso Psalm 107:6 “Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and He delivered them out of their distresses.”
What’s going on in the
Youth Ministry? by Pastor Jaimie Cole
or email us at: [email protected] Find us on the web at: www.koinoniateens.com or on
Vision Connecting a changing generation
with an unchanging message.
Mission Teach, demonstrate, and experience
what it means to follow Christ.
Youth Group meets every Wednesday
7:30-9:00pm in the Agape Hall for ages 13-18
WEEK #2 WEEK #3 WEEK #4
During Sunday evening service (6:30-8:00pm), Battalion and Challengers meet upstairs.
BATTALION BOYS meet in Room #1;
Challenger girls meet in Room #6.
WEEK #1
Student-Led Night
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Kerusso Psalm 107:20 “He sent His word and healed them,
and delivered them from their destructions.”
PHOTO GALLERY
Holiday Week – Game Night
Street Evangelism Team
Battalion Group – preparing for Winter Camp-o-Rama
Page 8
Kerusso Isaiah 49:25 “But thus says the LORD: „Even the captives of the mighty shall
be taken away, and the prey of the terrible be delivered;
FEBRUARY Bible Memory…
WONDER CLASSES
PRESCHOOL-FIRST GRADE
“Jesus answered… Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.” John 14:9b (NIrV)
STORY CLASSES
ELEMENTARY
“I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really knew Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him” John 14:6-7
Sunday Evenings © 6:30 PM
In the Agape Hall
Kids Time is our Sunday evening class for children 5 to
12 years old. The children typically meet in the Agape Hall for Bible study, games, movies, skits, crafts, and
much more. In the warmer weather we may go outside
part of the night for games or to play on the playground.
We are currently studying The Chronicles of Narnia and how it relates to our faith in Christ.
Also consider spending Memorial Day weekend or
Independence Day weekend at Camp! Check it out on their website!
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Kerusso
for I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will save your children.‟ ”
We have a great time each Wednesday nights with our boys and girls clubs!
The boys through CSB (Christian Service Brigade) enjoy great camp stories, games at the gym or outside, object lessons and bible studies to challenge their faith. All boys 4 and up will love these club meetings!
Pioneer Clubs are where our girls clubs grow and learn together how to serve the Lord and grow to be godly young women. The girls are discipled by older women in the church and they learn through badges and projects how to grown in their knowledge of God’s word and how to hone new skills with crafts, cooking projects and more.
Come check us out if you haven’t joined us already!
A Note from Pastor Casey…
Parents and Kids!
Can you figure out what this is a picture of… what are they putting inside the plane?
I couldn’t believe it when I saw it. If you look closely inside the box is a large cylinder. It is the very first computer hard drive made by IBM from around 1956. It held a whopping 5 megabytes of data… and they’re hoisting it onto the plane. Many of us have iPods and other MP3 players with 30 Giga-bytes or more of storage. We don’t even think about how technology has changed so much over the years. Look on our web site for this picture and another that is more of a close up. You know with computers, storage is so important. We need to store music, photos, documents, and back them up so we don’t loose those memories or important information. The Bible says that we are storage containers. But we have been created to hold the Divine, the Spirit of God. In 2nd Corinthians 4:7 we read: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” We have the Spirit of God in us ready for us to shine our light to a dark world. This is similar to how the computer which is filled with all sorts of programs and information can help the user who unlocks what is in it. Earlier in the passage in 2nd Corinthians 4:4 - 6 it says: “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach our-selves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of Christ.”
WEDNESDAY CLUB NIGHT
When we follow our programming, as a working computer, we are going to shine this light because that is what we are designed to do. Shining out light helps each of those who are blinded by the god of this world. The light of God’s truth will break through the blinders that the devil has placed on those people giving them hope and truth to believe in. So don’t tell people about yourself or what you have accom-plished, but boast in the Lord Jesus. He is the One who has done anything worthy of praise and glory. When Jesus is lifted up, He will draw all men to Himself.
Keep praying, keep reading the Word and keep looking up!
If you have more questions feel free to check out our web site: www.koinoniakids.com, send me an email or give me a call. I would love to talk with you more about it.
God bless you. Pastor Casey [email protected]
Page 10
Kerusso Proverbs 11:21 “Though they join forces, the wicked will not go unpunished;
but the posterity of the righteous will be delivered.”
Forever in Awe!
If our “familiarity” with Christ causes
us to be critical, complaining, or
comfortable Christians, then we
have lost the awe of what Christ has
done and who He is. We need to ask
Jesus to perform heart surgery on
us, and turn to Him in repentance,
Proverbs 1:23. If this condition of
the soul is left unchecked, spiritual
petrifaction will set in
and we will be no
different than the
scribes and Pharisees
of Jesus' day. Mere
information without
application or adora-
tion is the recipe to
become a dead
religionist! Matthew 15:8-9
Our weekly gatherings are not “pep
rallies”; they are opportunities to
bless our God and bless one another
with the gifts and graces God has
given us. The Psalmist was “glad”
when he went into the house of the
Lord, Psalm 122:1. It wasn’t bad
and he wasn’t mad; he was “glad”!
As we gather in His Name, there is
revelation, Psalm 73:17, edification,
1 Timothy 4:13, and adoration,
Psalm 95:1.
The joy and refreshment of fellow-
ship with the saints is something
that should never get old because
the eternal, ever-glorious King of
Peace is in our midst, King Jesus!
May God by His grace touch us with
fresh fire and fresh wind from His
Spirit, to never lose the wonder of
salvation or communion with Him as
we gather in His Name.
For His Glory,
St. Patrick
\o/\o/\o/ Him!
There is a song, whose chorus goes
like this: “May I never lose the
wonder, the wonder of the cross.
May I see it like the first time,
standing as a sinner lost. Undone
by mercy and left speechless,
watching wide-eyed at the cost.
May I never lose the wonder, the
wonder of the cross.” This is an
amazing prayer
and song to bring
to the Lord.
You don’t appreci-
ate freedom until
its benefits start
to erode or are
taken away. The
blessing of fresh
air or sunshine is soon rekindled
when either is withheld for long
periods of time. We take so many
thing for granted as we walk this
earth that God has created, and as
believers the spiritual riches and
daily benefits Jesus loads upon us
can become “ordinary” or “wonder-
less.” For the forgiven, free, and
heaven-bound soul, this should not
be so! The instant availability of
biblical resources, Christian music,
and constant fellowship, should not
lessen our appreciation and adora-
tion of the Lord, but it should cause
us to fall on our knees in praise and
thanksgiving for the bountiful
supply of His grace to and through
our lives. (See Psalm 103.)
Jesus Christ was so “familiar” to His
family and community that they
were “offended by Him,” Mark 6:1-
5, as He ministered the word, and
they limited Him by their unbelief.
Do we roll our eyes when we hear
the word, or tuck our hands in our
pockets when we’ve heard a
particular worship song before, or
hear it more times than we care to?
The Music Ministry of the
Koinonia Praise Band w w w . k o i n o n i a p r a i s e b a n d . c o m
Praise & Worship Night!
February 27th
@ 6:30pm
with fellowship afterwards
in the Agape Hall.
Please bring a snack to share.
KPB Worship CD’s
available in the library!
February
2011
“Let all the
inhabitants of the
world stand in awe
of Him.”
Psalm 33:8b
www.koinoniapraiseband.com
DVD
Koinonia School of
Worship is in session.
See parlor
for detailed brochure.
Page 11
Kerusso Proverbs 28:26 “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,
but whoever walks wisely will be delivered.”
complete a questionnaire and learn that your love language is totally different from your future spouse. Then you are challenged to learn how to speak your future mate’s love language. This rounds out the evening session.
Saturday morning comes early, but you’re up in time to catch the continental breakfast before the first morning session begins. ―Resolving Conflict in a Biblical Manner‖ should be interesting, even though you and your fiancé almost never fight. You learn that conflict is a natural part of relationships and is used by God to shape you into a man/woman after God’s own heart. You learn how your willingness, anger, personalities, and communication filters affect conflict resolution, in addition to some techniques for maximizing your effectiveness as a listener and a speaker during conflicts. After a short break, you return to watch a ―Love & Respect‖ video. The presenter is a funny guy with a funny name. There’s a lot here to glean as you learn some basic God-created differences between men and women. Women are wired differently than men. So how they react is not wrong, just different from the way men would react and vice versa. This heightens your awareness of your fiancée’s unique design, which you talk about at lunch afterward. After a yummy lunch, you load up on cookies and coffee for the afternoon session. The discussion starts out focusing on
―Parents and In-laws,‖ giving you a heads-up on where they are coming from and the new role they should
play in your lives together. The marriage relationship always comes first, and you
even learn some how-tos for dealing with unwanted advice. You make a mental note of where this is located in your binder. ―Time/Money Management‖ is next, and you learn about keeping a family
calendar and joint bank accounts. The future husbands learn that they are
accountable to God for the family finances, but that wise men don’t exclude their wives from
financial decisions. You also receive a budget guide handout.
One more break and you’re back for the final push — the infamous ―Homework.‖ You get a chance to practice the unusual homework, which requires you to answer questions and then exchange papers with your betrothed to get his/her response to your answers. Any ―Difficult‖ or ―Impossible‖ issues
that come up during these exchanges need to be discussed. After going over the homework to make sure you have a handle on it, we turn you loose, unless you’re a remarried. You get to stay for one more session on ―Remarriage.‖ Once you have completed the class, you have a lot of homework to do. How quickly you get to work on it depends on how soon your wedding is after the class. Once it is completed, you call us and set up a date for the first counseling session, when we go over the homework. We focus on any issues that cropped up during your discussions to make sure they are resolved. Then you set a date two weeks before your wedding for the counseling session that will complete your pre-marital counseling. As you can see, a lot goes into the Pre-Marital process here at Koinonia. It’s a sort of ―basic training‖ for marriage. We strive to give couples a thorough understanding of and preparation for what they can expect in marriage, as well as to assure the marrying pastor that the couple is ready for marriage. One couple who went through this process referred to this class as, ―essential for protecting and blessing marriage. The tools we learned are very helpful and provide us with a biblical foundation for marital accountability.‖
As we enter the next Pre-Marital season, we appreciate your prayers for wisdom for the Marriage Ministry Team as we counsel couples planning to marry at Koinonia, as well as for the couples as they go through Pre-Marital Boot Camp.
BASIC TRAINING FOR MARRIAGE
by Vince and Susan Santacesaria Have you seen this announcement slide or one similar? It’s designed to inform engaged couples of the first step in planning a wedding at Koinonia. Pre-Marital classes and counseling are a big part of the Marriage Ministry here as we endeavor to give couples a solid foundation on which to build their marriages. Because this will be a major fo-cus for us over the next couple of months, we decided to take you along on a Pre-Marital experience. This will give you an understanding of the process we follow, and show you how to better cover the ministry in prayer. He finally popped the question! She said, ―Yes!‖ Now there’s so much to do to get ready for your big day. If you’ve seen the slide, you know your first step to getting married at Koinonia is to contact Pastor Ben. After a brief meeting, he directs you to pick up a green Pre-Marital Packet from the church office, which you do, and excitedly read through it together, filling out the necessary forms. Next, you make an appointment to meet with Pastor Ben and Vince between services to discuss your applications and the pre-requisites for marriage. If there are no concerns, you are directed to sign up for the next available Pre-Marital Class. If there are concerns, follow-up counseling is provided to prepare you for the class. While you wait for the class to get here, you meet with the pastor you want to do your wedding to clear a tentative date. Then, you pick up a white Wedding Ceremony Packet from the office and start dreaming of your actual wedding day. You had no idea so much went into just the ceremony! Finally it’s time to attend the Pre-Marital Class. Friday night you get there about 6:55 and introduce yourselves to the other
couples and meet the teachers - us. After an initial overview of the weekend, we launch into the roles of husbands and wives. Through Ephesians 5:21-33 you learn about the responsibilities and accountability God places on the husband for his family and the responsibilities and calling God gives to the wife. The role of submission provokes some very lively discussion! During the second hour the focus turns to love languages. You discover the importance of knowing your intended’s love language before you get married. It helps you avoid the pitfall of showing your love in a manner that your spouse does not interpret as love, thus leaving your spouse feeling unloved, despite all you do to demonstrate your love for him/her. You
Pre-Marital classes are required in order to
marry at Koinonia.
The next class is Fri-Sat, April 1st - 2nd. Sign up sheet
will be available in March.
Please make an appt. to see
Pastor Ben to start the Pre-Marital process if you plan
to be married at Koinonia.
Page 12
Kerusso Psalm 116:8 “For You have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.”
(“Hebrews” - continued from page 3)
1. ―I’m a realist.‖ God puts something on your heart, but
that’s not good enough; so before you move on it, you
need all the facts. Because you’re a realist, you want
the facts, even though God doesn’t work that way.
―My wife, she’d give all we have away, trusting God all
the time. I have to be the one in our family to keep our
feet on the ground.‖
―She wants to tithe to the church, but we’ll tithe when
we have the money. I’m more realistic.‖
Well that’s never going to happen. God doesn’t line up
and take His turn in our lives. He gets first considera-
tion, and then things work out.
You can’t say you’re a realist because faith is a choice!
Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
We need to make a choice to trust God without all the
facts. We need to determine to trust God and see where
He leads.
John 20:29: “Jesus said to him, „Thomas, because you
have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those
who have not seen and yet have believed.‟ ” So if that’s
you, lose that kind of thinking. Forget about it!
2. Then there is the intellectual. ―I need to understand
things; I’ll do some research, check out the history.‖
There is a place for that. You don’t need to commit
intellectual suicide to follow Jesus. The truths of
Christianity have satisfied some of the greatest minds in
human history. But there are those who use their
intellect as a barrier to faith, and what they are really
doing is erecting obstacles. Instead, use that same mind
that God gave you and go search for answers. You’ll find
them because they are out there. And as you find those
answers they will stir faith in you. Faith is a choice!
The Word of God says this to the intellectual, Romans
10:17: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by
the word of God.” So why don’t you take your intellect
and plant it in God’s Word (this book) and see if God
won’t stir faith in you and challenge you.
3. ―I want to believe but I’m weak.‖ I was weak again this
week; in fact I’m weak a lot of weeks. Life is hard and
God seems so far away sometimes. But again, faith is a
choice. Jesus said in Mark 9:23-24: “If you can believe,
all things are possible to him who believes. Immediately
the father of the child cried out and said with tears,
„Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!‟ ” God will meet you
in that place if you really want to believe.
So let’s trash the Christian lingo and call unbelief what it
really is. It’s sin and it’s evil! When I make a choice that I’m
not going to trust God with my situation/circumstances, it is
evil, plain and simple. Yes, it really can be hard at times. We
all have our tough days, weeks, months, and even years. But
we can’t let those times get the best of us because if we do,
it can take us to a bad place. Instead we need to pray: ―Lord,
I don’t want to have an unbelieving heart. Lord, I want to
trust You; I have reason to trust You, You’ve been so faithful
in times past.‖ Pour your heart out to God: ―I don’t want to
be a person of anxiety, unbelief, etc. Forgive me, take that
out of my heart, and make me a believer who will follow you
faithfully.‖ God will never disappoint us at that time; never.
That prayer and that time spent with God will be a turning
point for you.
Now notice in the last part of Hebrews 3 verse 12 the
consequences of an unbelieving heart if it persists: “Beware,
brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief
in departing from the living God”. (NASB: “... that falls
away from the living God.”) Departing/falls away - in the
Greek it’s less passive; it should be dessert or abandon. So it
could read, ―...an unbelieving heart leading you to dessert or
abandon God.‖
So what does it really mean to depart from or fall away
from the living God? First off, it DOES NOT MEAN you’ll lose
your salvation. You can’t lose your salvation, because once
God takes hold of a person He never let’s them go.
John 10:27-30: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know
them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and
they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out
of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater
than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's
hand. I and My Father are one."
Philippians 1:6: “being confident of this very thing, that
He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until
the day of Jesus Christ”.
So here’s my point and I think the point of Hebrews. We
don’t know whether we truly have it or not (salvation) apart
from our preserving faith and the fruit that it produces
(Hebrews 2:1-4). Time will tell. I’m not sure if you’re saved
or not, but time will tell. You can say the same thing to me;
time will tell.
Well, Dave we’re hoping that you’re saved! Look at what
the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:26-27: “Therefore I
run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who
beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into
subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself
should become disqualified.” Just because someone gives a
message, just because he says something Scriptural, doesn’t
prove anything. We all know people who have said a lot and
then ran off into the world. (I don’t think they were saved).
But what about when someone ―backslides‖? Yes we can
backslide, but when we do we are miserable and God will
bring us back via the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
Let me say it this way: If you die in the wilderness, you
never were saved. You may have been interested, you may
have hung around the church checking things out, but you
departed before you made that commitment.
The reoccurring theme throughout Hebrews is, ―Don’t stop
now‖ (when you received Jesus). You’ve made a profession,
now follow through with what Peter tells us to do in 2 Peter
1:10: “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make
your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will
never stumble.”
Philippians 2:12: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have
always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much
more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear
and trembling”.
“Beware, brethren...” How can we work on that? Glad you
asked! Look at Hebrews 3 verse 13: “but exhort one
another daily, while it is called „Today‟..." The word ―exhort‖
is used 109 times in the NT and it means to implore, beg,
comfort, cheer up; it means to come along side of someone
and say that I want to encourage you, implore you to keep
on going in the faith. We should love doing this. We are
called by God to do it. (We’re not called to do the opposite -
tear down people, judge them, etc.)
Look back at the text again. “...while it‟s called „TODAY,‟ ”
meaning the time will come when God won’t be speaking any
more. That’s why the exhortation: “Today, if you will hear His
voice, do not harden your heart” (verses 7,15)!!!
NEXT MONTH: The second question
Chapter 3 (continued)
Page 13
Kerusso Proverbs 11:8 “The righteous is delivered from trouble,
and it comes to the wicked instead.”
SINGLES MINISTRY NEWS
In January, the singles learned about another Mighty Man of God- Elisha. He was called while working in his father's fields, to become a great prophet. Next month, we will be looking at David. Upcoming events include the Strong Museum of Play on February 19th at 1pm (see below for details), Amerks hockey on March 25th at 7:05pm, and Dan Kulp the comedian on April 30th at 7pm. Mark your calendars! If you are a single adult, age 21-101, consider joining us the second Friday of each month for worship, the Word, and fellowship.
God bless- Doug and Dawn “…as for me, and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
Don’t forget! BIBLE STUDY at Koinonia:
S I N G L E S
2nd Friday monthly, 7-9pm
Light Blue at Boulder Coffee, Brooks Landing
on Saturday, February 26th at 8PM Boulder Coffee is at 955 Genesee Street in Rochester.
Light Blue is a gospel blues band with a Christian message and a heart for the lost. The musical stylings are blues... from delta blues to Chicago blues to British blues. Light Blue has performed at the NYS Corrections Facilities, Open Door Mission, festivals, benefits, bars, and coffee houses. The band members are Mike Caternolo, Bob Ludwig, Ken Stenzel, Kevin Dennis and Mike Spang. We would very
much appreciate your support and most of all your prayers!
Page 14
Kerusso
(“The Essentials of Prayer” - continued from page 1)
Of Ezra it is written, ―For he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.‖ So it is with every praying man in the Church when he has
eyes to see the transgression of evil doers in the Church,
who has a heart to grieve over them and who has a spirit in him so concerned about the Church that he prays about it.
Blessed is that Church who has praying leaders, who can see that which is disorderly in the Church, who are grieved about it, and who put forth their hands to
correct the evils which harm God’s cause as a weight to its progress. One point in the indictment against those ―Who are at ease in Zion,‖ referred to by Amos, is that ―they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.‖ And this same indictment could be brought against Church leaders of modern times. They are not grieved because the members are engulfed in a craze for worldly, carnal
things, nor when there are those in the Church walking
openly in disorder, whose lives scandalize religion. Of course such leaders do not pray over the matter, for praying would beget a spirit of solicitude in them for these evil doers, and would drive away the spirit of unconcern which possesses them. It would be well for prayerless Church leaders and
careless pastors to read the account of the ink horn man in Ezekiel, 9th chapter, where God instructed the prophet to send through the city certain men who would destroy those in the city because of the great evils found therein. But certain persons were to be spared. These were they who ―sigh and cry for all the abomina-
tions that be done in the midst of the city.‖ The man with the ink horn was to mark every one of these sighers and mourners so that they would escape the impending destruction. Please note that the instructions
were that the slaying of those who did not mourn and sigh should ―Begin at my sanctuary.‖ What a lesson for non-praying, unconcerned officials
of the modern Church! How few there are who ―sigh and cry‖ for present-day abominations in the land, and who are grieved over the desolations of Zion! What need for ―two or three to be gathered together‖ in a concert of prayer over these conditions, and in the secret place weep and pray for the sins in Zion! This concert of prayer, this agreement in praying,
taught by our Lord in the eighteenth chapter of Matthew, finds proof and illustration elsewhere. This was the kind of prayer which Paul referred to in his request to his
Romans 7:6 “But now we have been delivered from the law, ... so that we
should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.”
Roman brethren, recorded in Romans 15:30: “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ‟s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; that I may be
delivered from them that do not believe in Judea.” Here is unity in prayer, prayer by agreement, and prayer which drives directly at deliverance from unbelieving and evil men, the same kind of prayer urged by our Lord, and the end practically the same, deliverance from unbelieving men, that deliverance wrought either by bringing them to repentance or by
exclusion from the Church. The same idea is found in 2 Thessalonians 3:1: “Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified, even as it is with you; and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men.”
Here is united prayer requested by an Apostle, among other things, for deliverance from wicked men, that same that the Church of God needs in this day. By
joining their prayers to his, there was the desired end of riddance from men who were hurtful to the Church of God and who were a hindrance to the running of the Word of the Lord. Let us ask, are there not in the
present-day Church those who are a positive hindrance to the on-going of the Word of the Lord? What better course is there than to jointly pray over the question, at the same time using the Christ-given course of discipline first to save them, but failing in that course, to excise them from the body? Does that seem a harsh course? Then our Lord was
guilty of harshness Himself, for He ends these directions by saying, ―But if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.‖ No more is this harshness than is the act of the skillful surgeon, who sees the whole body and its
members endangered by a gangrenous limb, and severs
the limb from the body for the good of the whole. No more was it harshness in the captain and crew of the vessel on which Jonah was found, when the storm arose threatening destruction to all on board, to cast the fleeing prophet overboard. What seems harshness is obedience to God, is for the welfare of the Church, and is wise in the extreme.
NEXT MONTH: Chapter 12
THE UNIVERSALITY OF PRAYER
REVENUES:
India Ministry $ 9,088
All Designated Funds $ 11,816
Undesignated Funds $ 46,408
Interest Earned $ 1,535
TOTAL REVENUES $ 68,847
DISBURSEMENTS:
India, includes India Land Loan $ 23,469
Ministries, Missions and Activities $ 27,395
All “Fixed” Expenses (Payroll, Taxes, Medical,
Phone, Utilities) $ 36,059
All Other Operating Expenses $ 4,862
TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS $ 91,785
In the interests of transparency and accountability, the following statement is of the DECEMBER 2010 REVENUES
and DISBURSEMENTS for Koinonia Fellowship:
All are invited to attend the annual Koinonia Fellowship Financial Meeting at 1:30pm February 20th.
Page 15
Kerusso Romans 8:21 “because the creation itself also will be delivered
from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
THE FISHING NET by Domenic Danesi
“But Phillip was found at Azotus…” Acts 8:40
“Conversion and Discipleship”
The story of the Ethiopian eunuch is well known.
Phillip the Evangelist is sent from a revival in Samaria to a desert road in Gaza (Acts 8). Phillip is then led to an Ethiopian eunuch and explains Isaiah 53 to him (Acts 8:35); the eunuch believes and is immediately baptized. Then something very interesting happens. The Spirit of The Lord sends Phillip away to a new assignment in Azotus and the eunuch sees him no
more (Acts 8:40). Phillip completed his assignment; he did ―the work of an evangelist‖ (2 Timothy 4:5). When that work was done Phillip was sent to a new place (Azotus) for a new work. How would the Ethiopian Eunuch get discipled? “So
he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God
more accurately.” (Acts 18:26) Just as God used Priscilla and Aquila to disciple Apollos, he used some-one to disciple the Ethiopian eunuch, the difference being we don’t know who God used. God promises He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and we can fully trust that the eunuch was in some-way discipled as Apollos was. The lost need to be converted and then discipled (Matthew 28:19), but nowhere in scripture is there a
―syllabus‖ or ―outline‖ for how that process works. If we as believers each do what God has called us to do within the Body of Christ (Romans 12:4-8), the Holy
Spirit will use the Church to both convert a sinner and disciple the believer.
Full Proof Evangelism Fellowship meets quarterly at The East Avenue Inn, 384 East Avenue, Rochester. The next meeting is Saturday, February 19th from 9am - 2pm. For more information, contact
Domenic Danesi at 281-4208 or visit the website at www.fullproofevangelismfellowship.com.
Ciao! Here’s our latest update from Italy.
Going on Three
In six months we will have finished our initial three year commitment to serve in
Italy at Calvary Chapel of Treviso. As with
many milestones in life, we look back in
amazement at how quickly the time has past. James was right when he wrote that life is like a vapor, here for a moment and then
it disappears.
We’ve been asked by several friends what the future holds for us;
if the Lord has given us a vision for future direction. This is a
question that we’ve asked ourselves. The answer remains consis-tent, ”We don’t know” exactly. The bible tells us to trust in the Lord
with all your heart and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs
3:5-6). “Pray and wait” seems to be the predominant message we
are hearing. And so we wait until we get confirmation on next steps. To that end, please pray that we would truly wait on the
Lord and not make decisions based on our own reasoning.
One thing we do know is that the message of salvation through
grace is lacking here and we continue to look for those opportuni-
ties to share this wonderful truth with those who have “ears to
hear what the Spirit has to say”. Opportunities continue to open with friends, strangers and those to whom we teach English.
Please pray for each seed that has been planted, that it take root,
grow, and produce eternal fruit.
On Our Hearts Family and friends at home are often on our hearts. Technology
has helped us to keep in touch, but the challenge of living away
from family and friends can be difficult. At times we are torn
between remaining in the mission field and returning home; all the while desiring to be faithful to the Lord and to the calling He has
placed on our lives. Pray that we would remain faithful to God’s
leading in this area of our lives.
Spring and Summer Plans
Several activities are on the horizon for CC Treviso and for us personally this Spring and Summer. For the church, we will be
participating in an Italy-wide conference at the beginning of June
when all the CC’s in Italy will get together for a unified message given by Ken Ortiz. This has been an annual event and we are
looking forward to seeing many of our friends from Rome,
Montebelluna, Feltre, and Padova.
We are also praying for a team from our home church, Koinonia
Fellowship, who are planning to serve here this May in a variety of
outreach and in-reach activities. Shortly after these events, Lori and I will be packing our bags to visit family, friends and our
supporting churches during the summer. We will also be working
on our home, either moving things out because we sold it or get-ting it prepared for another year of rent. In all, we look forward to
seeing the Lord’s hand on all these events.
Thanks again for joining us in prayer and for all the practical ways
you have helped us to remain serving in Italy. We are grateful.
God bless you all.
Bob and Lori
If the work in Treviso is something you wish to support finan-cially, you may do so by writing a check to Koinonia Fellowship
with the specified memo designation, “Italy Missions - Scata”.
The Italy Ministry meets on the 4th Monday evening every
month at 7 o’clock at Koinonia Fellowship. If you are inter-
ested in the upcoming missions trip to Italy, contact Pastor
Dave: [email protected] or 385-0450.
Page 16
Kerusso Colossians 1:13 “He has delivered us from the power of darkness
and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love”.
WE BELIEVE that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three Persons, the Godhead, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory; that this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all. We believe in the distinctions within the Godhead, but that these Three are One.
WE BELIEVE in GOD THE FATHER, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. Jesus taught us to call God ―Our Father‖ (Luke 11:2), and we as His adopted children now call Him ―Abba‖ (Romans 8:15; Gal 4:6).
WE BELIEVE in JESUS CHRIST, that He is God the Son, God's only begotten Son, fully God, fully man, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings, His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, per-petual intercession for His people as High Priest, Advocate, and Mediator. We believe in Christ’s personal, visible return to earth.
WE BELIEVE in the HOLY SPIRIT, Who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, seal, and empower for ministry all who believe in Christ. We believe the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ, and that He is an abiding Helper, Teacher and Guide. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the exercise of all the Biblical gifts of the Spirit.
WE BELIEVE that the GODHEAD as found in Genesis 1:1 is our CREATOR (Eccl 12:1; Isaiah 40:28; 1 Peter 4:19) who created
everything in six literal days. This creation is a visible display of His eternal power (Romans 1:20) and glory (Psalm 19:1-2).
Scriptures teach that God created out of nothing all that exists, including every animal according to its kind, apart from any form of evolution whatsoever. Male and
female, for example, were created just as they appear today, (Mark 10:6; Gen 1:27) and the flesh of animals and the flesh of man have always been as they were cre-ated (1 Cor 15:39). Mankind was created to bring our Creator pleasure (Rev 4:11), and our highest joy is found in knowing Him (John 17:3) personally through His Son Jesus Christ. The refusal to acknowl-edge God as Creator and Savior leads to reprobate thinking and living (Romans 1:18-32). When God fulfills His eternal purpose and final judgment (Rev 20), He will create a new heaven and earth (2 Peter 3:13; Rev 21:1), this first creation being destroyed (Heb 1:10,11; 2 Peter 3:10-12; Rev 21:1).
WE BELIEVE that the SCRIPTURES of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, fully inspired without error in the original manuscripts, and the infallible rule of faith and practice, to be interpreted in context and taken literally, unless written in obviously symbolic or apocalyptic fashion. Scripture interprets Scripture. Jesus Him-self said, ―It is written‖ (Matthew 4:4,7,10).
WE BELIEVE that all MEN after the fall are SINNERS by nature and choice, and, therefore, are under condemnation; that God regenerates by the Holy Spirit those who repent of their sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and are at that time baptized into the body of Christ. We do believe in the continual filling or refilling of The Spirit, and empowerment of The Spirit of God as we live lives of worship and walk in obedience to The Lord. We adhere firmly to the biblical teaching of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. We avoid any theological systems of belief that go beyond the written Word and thereby divide the body of Christ.
WE BELIEVE in the universal CHURCH, the body of The Lord Jesus Christ, of which Jesus is the Head, and all regenerated persons are members. Christ gave Himself for His Church, which is His bride. We are not a denominational church, nor are we opposed to denominations as such, only their over-emphasis of the doctrinal differ-ences on non-salvation, non-sin issues that have led to the division of the Body of Christ.
WE BELIEVE that the Lord Jesus Christ committed two ORDINANCES to the Church: 1) *water baptism and 2) the Lord’s Supper. We believe in baptism by immersion which follows conversion and faith in The Lord Jesus, and communion open to all believers. * We do not believe in baptismal regeneration. The clear teaching in the light of every scripture is that we are saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
WE BELIEVE also in the LAYING ON OF HANDS for the empowering of the Holy Spirit, for ordination of pastors, elders and deacons, and for receiving gifts of the Spirit or healing as led by The Spirit of God. We believe that God in His providence may impart this work to His people apart from the laying on of hands, should He so de-
sign it (Acts 2; Acts 10:44,45 for examples).
WE BELIEVE in the personal, visible RETURN OF CHRIST to earth and the establishment of His Kingdom, in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, and eternal blessing of the righteous and endless suffering of the wicked.
WE BELIEVE that there will be a time of great tribulation, known as Jacob’s trouble; we believe that this is the 70th week of Daniel (Daniel 9:26,27), and that it is during this time in which God will deal directly again with His chosen people, the nation Israel, and before which time the Church will be raptured. We do not believe in Replacement or Kingdom Theology, which states that the church has replaced Israel as God’s chosen people.
Note from
the Editor
Any information, poems, articles
that you would like to be
considered for publishing in the
Kerusso MUST be delivered to
the church office by the 20th of
the prior month. To e-mail:
If you have any questions,
please contact Lynn at
385-0450, or e-mail:
Thank you!
If you have lost something,
please check in our
Lost “n” Found box
in the parlor or Nursery areas.
After 30 days unclaimed items
will be given to those who
could use them, recycled, or
donated to an Outreach Ministry.