Church of the Nazarene

The Church of the Nazarene is located in every state in the U.S. and in over 157 world areas. It has a very strong emphasis on missions, with over 600 missionaries worldwide. Church of the Nazarene emerged from the Pentecostal and Methodist faith, with a belief in Entire Sanctification. It a protestant church of the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition that was founded in 1907 as the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene. The church dropped the name 'Pentecostal' due to "the modern Pentecostal tongues movement."

Holiday Park Church of the Nazarene calls itself a Life-Saving Station. Their mission states they, "pull men and women from the wreckage of sin and offer them new life and hope through Jesus Christ."

I attended the Holiday Park Church's 10:45 am Sunday service. They have a substantial group of Pakistani congregants, so they also have an Urdu Service at 7 pm on Sunday Evenings.

They started out with musical worship, then Pastor Michael Johnson gave his sermon. He referred to the members as Beloveds. The sermon was about Solomon and his fall from Wisdom to Folly. The minister gave congregants a Formula to Avoid Disaster:

A. Don't allow a little Wiggle Room 1 Kings 3:1-3
    There is no such thing as partial commitment. Bolster your Humility and Banish your Arrogance. 
B. Don't ever think that you can be the exception Deuteronomy 17:14-20
    Keep a close relationship with God. Do not take liberties in God's love. 

The Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” Deuteronomy 17:14

C. Deal with your weaknesses 1 Kings 11:1-8 
    Deal with the issues of your own lives, so that you do not perpetuate them on the generations to come. Glorify and be content with the Blessings you receive, do not always crave fro more or greater ones. 
D. Embrace correction 1 Kings 9:1-9
    Have a heart open to correction. 

"THERE ARE NO EXCEPTION CLAUSES IN DEVOTION"

Afterwards, they passed out communion to everyone as they remained seated. The bread appeared to be flatbread or Naan. There was a group prayer and then people took the sacraments. The services concluded with a send off prayer.

Several people greeted and welcomed me. 

THANK YOU Holiday Park Church of the Nazarene for sharing your service with me. 

7th Day Adventist

Seventh-Day Adventist emerged from the "Millerite movement," which centered on the belief that Jesus would return on October 22, 1844. This day came and went without the return of Christ and led many followers to leave the movement en masse in what is now termed "The Great Disappointment." The Seventh-day Adventist denomination was founded by those who left and has two main distinctions: Sabbath observance on the seventh day (Saturday) and living a life with the expectation of the awaited return of Jesus.

Adventists hold 28 fundamental beliefs including holding the Sabbath on Saturday and treating their body with divine respect, including not consuming some or all meats or intoxicants. Seventh-day Adventists only practice communion four times a year. The communion is open to members and non-members and includes - Foot washing, which symbolizes the commitment to love others as Jesus loves us, and the partaking of Bread and Wine or grape juice. 


Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food."
                                                                           Genesis 1:29

I visited Albuquerque Heights Seventh-day Adventist at their 11 am Saturday service. 

♥SOMEWHERE SOMEBODY NEEDS YOUR LOVE TODAY♥

They started out with prayers and their covenant. They had a children's story. I think it is wonderful when churches do that, always reminds me of Jesus and the children in the bible. (Mark 10) Pastor David Merling had everyone in the congregation greet each other and he referred to them as family. It was a large group but most everyone greeted and hugged each other. The greeting they use is, "Happy Sabbath." Pastor Merling offered to pray for people and about a third of the congregation went up front for prayers.  

The Sermon was called "Why Does Jesus Sleep While We Drown" and based on Matthew 8. 

Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?"                                                            ~ Matthew 8:26-27

Pastor Merling spoke about how sometimes we think Jesus is asleep and not there for us, but in reality, he is waiting for us to call him so he can carry us. He told us to cast off the "weights of the world so that we do not drown." He shared that we cannot depend on anything of the world, but we can count on Jesus. 

After services the pastor and members spoke to me and welcomed me to visit again. I found the people to be very personable and I loved that the group was wonderfully diverse. 

THANK YOU Heights Seventh-day Adventist church for welcoming me into your family.