Today we
worshiped at Faith Journey Alliance Church, 1705 Beaver Grade Road, Moon
Township, PA 15108, 412.264.1725, www.faithjourneyac.org.
Scripture
– Leviticus 19:2 (NKJV)
“Speak
to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall
be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.'
Bob’s
thoughts:
We
were warmly welcomed to this small, friendly church.
I
meant to get a closer look at the interesting carved wooden cross up front with
flowers around it and what may have been Alpha and Omega on either side.
I sensed
some spiritual warfare going on and this was confirmed in talking with a member
after the service. They have had their problems and are without a pastor right
now but are fighting for Christ anyhow. I think there must be some committed
believers here to cause the devil such concern.
The
message was delivered via video and brought some good points that supported the
laity’s comments earlier. The sermon was titled “Return to Sanity.”
We
easily get caught up in the thought that we are good, but Christ tells us only
the Father is good. When we recognize God’s perfection, we see the sin within
us. We prove Christ right: He came sinless and we murdered Him.
The
world is teaching that God is evolving, that His Word, the Bible, is evolving,
but they won’t admit God is perfect or that they are not.
Many faithful
believers profess the need for God to evolve to meet what they think would be
fair and accommodating, but they are trying to placate man.
Didn’t
catch all of the line toward the end, but heard “beats the bejesus out of.”
I enjoyed
watching some cute children and talking with a few members.
Jan’s
thoughts:
This
is a fairly small and self-confessed “tight knit” faith community that was
still friendly enough for more than a few people to seek out visitors just to
extend a greeting. The gentleman serving as the unofficial greeter also made
sure we received invitations to next week’s picnic and knew there were coffee
and donuts available. Following the service he took time for an extended
conversation about the past and future plans of the church.
The
chairs in the sanctuary were comfortable and I was intrigued by the tables and
chairs set up on both sides of the room.
As
this church is currently without pastoral leadership, the message that was presented
on the screen was given by the pastor of the Allegheny Center Alliance Church,
Rev. Rock Dillaman, and was called “Return to Sanity.”
He
went into great depth in speaking of the “spiritual insanity” of sin and stated
clearly what is meant when Scripture states that God is holy. He said sin is
the result of our selfish decisions, it destroys harmony with God, and in order
to regain our spiritual sanity we must confess our sins to God and ask for His forgiveness.
He
also spoke of the sin of idolatry and how close it is to every person, urging
everyone to recognize and fight these dangerous lies.
I
believe these are some of the spiritual battles we all must face in this world,
and they are certainly constant.
Our
prayer for this church:
Lord,
we pray for Your continued presence and guidance for this church as they are
replenished through training. We trust You also are looking forward to the
things they will accomplish for You in Your Holy Name. Amen.
1 comment:
Dear Bob and Jan;
This is my former home church, Originally named West Hills Alliance Church. The history of this church since it's inception was clearly designed by the Father for young families to come together before Him in with Genuine Spirit Led Seeking. The church originally met at an Elementary School. A great deal of the growth of the congregation increased the need for a building of their own and God provided the perfect plot of land to begin the Building Process. The Lord was in it from the start and promised His protection and provision for any and every need. The day the foundation was poured was especially miraculous.
The congregation was faithful to the Lord's direction and He was Faithful to His Promises. Much of the growth was due to the discipleship program using the Navigators Col. 2:7 Series. As the membership grew so did their involvement in the community and the lives of numerous families and teens. Such growth occurred that multiple services were created for the growing congregation. Even a Christian band was formed by 5 youth members 3 from West Hills Alliance and 2 from other Alliance congregations.
West Hills Alliance was a haven for the walking wounded and the leadership was truly committed to the healing and restorative power of the Holy Spirit. Because of the level of ministry that had been given to this small body of believers the Lord gave a promise to continue His Blessing upon them if they were willing to step out in faith and place a vote to call a youth Pastor to handle the increase of teens being brought in by the Band and by the growing youth program. This promise was confirmed scripturally and the vote was taken.
The call of a youth Pastor was voted down and the promise was lifted.
Eventually, the congregation split and many originating families moved on to find their place in the body of Christ. Many of us still communicate and miss the Blessing of being a part of such an wonderous time as a young church family. I am forever grateful for my time at West Hills and I will probably always consider it my church home. As a ministry kid growing up in the South, my faith was an expectation not a choice. Until we came to that Small Church at 1705 Beaver Grade Rd. in Moon Twp, PA. I had never been exposed to such a group devoted believer's who were so willing to descipline so many.
Thank You For this Ministry, B. Squyres
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