Minister: Nathan Brown
Sunday Worship Services 10:30a.m.
The Salem Church was built in 1877. The first service was on Christmas Day 1877. 142 years old this year.
salem church of god
1970 Yucca Ave, Ainsworth, IA 52201
email: info@salemchurchiowa.org
My name is Nathan Brown and I am the lay minister for Salem Church of God. I also own a small construction business and a commercial cleaning business. My wife Stephanie and I are blessed to have six children with all unique personalities.
Ever since my calling as minister to Salem Church, I have longed to encourage the congregation in their walk with the Lord. I pray that everyone who walks through the doors of the church will feel Christ the King. There is a peace that dwells at Salem which is felt through a close church family atmosphere. We share openly what is on our hearts; sometimes we may laugh or cry together.
If you come to a service you will hear biblical centered preaching with a good amount of scripture being read aloud. We encourage sharing during the service; what you say could have an impact on another person in the congregation. Matthew 11:28-30 says - Then Jesus said, Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear and the burden I give you is light.
What do Christians believe about who Jesus is? How should they interact with those that come across their path? These are some pretty big questions. If you ask these questions to 100 different people that claim Christ as their savior, you will receive 100 different descriptions. This can become very confusing for someone who is searching for truth. Since I believe in the God of the Old and New Testament I will have to search for answers in the Bible. Trusting men and women for truth is a risky business as we are all fallen unless reborn. (Matthew 16:13-20)
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, [a]Elijah; but still others, [b]Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15 He *said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are [c]the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon [d]Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 I also say to you that you are [e]Peter, and upon this [f]rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth [g]shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth [h]shall have been loosed in heaven.” 20 Then He [i]warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was [j]the Christ.
When you read this passage you get to see the different names that are used to describe who Jesus is. The people of the time were thinking of those they knew in the Old Testament and compared Jesus to that. This can be a trap that can snare many Christians; we can fail to truly describe who Jesus is. There are over a hundred names in the bible and each describe a different attribute of God. I believe that the names to describe God are endless, as we can not completely fathom his greatness. In verse 16-17 you have a chance to see Jesus’s response to Peter’s answer. What stands out is where the truth comes from, not flesh and blood, but from the FATHER who is heaven. When we are faced with the question of “Who is Jesus?” - we will need to rely on the Holy Spirit to confess that He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The foundation of your faith is built on this one question. Once you have answered this question correctly a cornerstone will be set. On this cornerstone your relationship with Jesus will begin. (Isaiah 28:16) Out of this relationship the second question that was asked at the beginning of this will become clear. When we follow Jesus, we begin to see the world and the people in it differently. We find purpose for our lives.We understand that everything that happens is part of God’s larger plan-even difficult things. We desire to help people. We find peace about death. Our fear is minimized as we realize that God is in control. Our joy expands as we begin to produce the fruits of the Spirit in our lives. All of these things help us live life to the fullest. All the other hard questions you will encounter over your life time will be passed thru the Holy Spirit filter. Like Peter we can have the power to answer correctly.
Praise the Risen Lord,
Nathan