Keystone Church

This past Sunday, we worshiped at Keystone Church, RLA Learning and Conference Center, 850 Cranberry Woods Drive, Cranberry Twp., PA 16066, 724.201.1035, www.keystonechurchpa.com, Lorin Foster, Pastor.

 

Scripture – James 5:12-20 (NIV)

Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

 

Bob’s thoughts:

It has been a while since we have had such an uplifting worship experience. There was no question that God led us to worship here.

I was surprised how quickly He put down preconceived notions I wasn’t even aware of. I expected loud and somewhat rowdy music, I guess because that is what we experienced the last time we were at this venue. I was sure God was sending us here to pray over someone; I barely got to do so but instead we were lifted in prayer ourselves by church members.

We were thankful for a great cup of coffee before the service and to be greeted by a brother in Christ from Zambia. He shared knowledge of Malawi and it was wonderful to again hear some phrases in Chichewa. I was overjoyed to spend some time with this incredible missionary bringing Jesus Christ to Pennsylvania.

Sometimes I feel like I did great at prayer and at times more like “Father Jesus”, as mentioned by the pastor in the message. At times I was upset when the answer to prayer for healing didn’t go the way I thought it should, but I came to realize the outcome isn’t up to me and to keep praying. I have been party to some awesome healing prayers.

I have some bullet holes and scars and Agent Orange has eaten some parts, but I am alive and able and overwhelmingly blessed. When prayer doesn’t bring the result I hoped for, I leave it in God’s capable hands and keep praying.

We were pleased to have a few minutes to talk with the pastor after the service and pray over him.

 

Jan’s thoughts:

We saw signs for this church by the road in Cranberry Twp. and opted to worship here on Sunday. I didn’t realize God was orchestrating something special for us.

A gentleman saw us approaching the doors and pressed the switch to open them for us. As we entered, we noticed a large prayer circle, so we stepped aside and had some coffee and conversation with a member. We then found a couch to rest for a moment where two more members stopped to chat.

By then it seemed like time to find a seat for the service, and as we entered the worship area we were greeted by a gentleman at the door. The instant he spoke, I recognized his accent so I asked him where he was from and he responded that he was from Zambia. We proceeded to enjoy a heartfelt conversation about Africa in general and about Zambia and Malawi, and even exchanged a few words of Chichewa. Such a joy!

We sat in the back, expecting the music to be much louder than it was, which was fine. However we both stayed seated due to some discomfort, which meant we were unable to see the words on the screens.

The pastor announced that following the message there would be dedicated prayer time for members to pray with and for others if they wished.

The message was called “The Power of Prayer” and was part of a series on the book of James. The pastor was open about his personal challenges with prayer, which I found encouraging. I appreciated his statement that prayer “requires time and an unhurried soul”. I tend to pray more bullet prayers than perhaps I should, so I heard this as a reminder to be still sometimes when I pray.

The pastor said our prayers identify our dependence on God and we should also pray when we are happy. He said prayer activates our faith, which I took to mean it reminds us of who God is and that He is worthy of our trust. He also stated that confession of our sins is vital to our relationship with God and that unconfessed sin can take a physical toll on us. When we’re weak we must not let the Enemy convince us of anything contrary to what God has told us. We must hang on to our faith in God and wait to see His purpose unfold if and when He wishes to allow that.

When the dedicated prayer time began, we were prepared to sit quietly and pray without disturbing those around us, but when I felt a hand on my shoulder, those intentions fell by the wayside. A kind woman behind us asked, almost as if she knew the answer, if she could pray for us. She offered a beautiful prayer for Bob and me, after which our friend from Zambia joined us and prayed as well. As the prayer time ended we all praised God for each other and for this time.

I was so grateful for the time of prayer as well as conversation following worship with the pastor, his wife, and our new friends.

 

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we are so pleased that Your church is a praying church. We pray Your Spirit will encourage them to hold tight to their faith in You. Amen.