WHAT WE BELIEVE
The Scriptures.
The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God, presenting to us the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men, and constituting the Divine and only rule of Christian faith, practice, discipline, and government.
The Godhead.
We believe there is but one true and living God, who has revealed Himself as the “I AM,” who is everlasting, infinite in power, wisdom and goodness; that He is the Creator of all things, visible and invisible, and Preserver of all things. In the unity of this Godhead, there are three persons of one individual essence, who are co-equal, co-existent and co-eternal; namely, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
The Lord Jesus Christ.
We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His sinless life, who is the eternally begotten of the Father, who accepted earthly limitations for the purpose of incarnation, being true God and true man; conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary. He died upon the cross, the just for the unjust as a substitutionary sacrifice, and all who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood. He arose from the dead according to the Scriptures. He is now at the right hand of the Majesty on High as our great High Priest, and He will return again personally to establish His Kingdom of righteousness and justice in power and glory.
The Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, Executive of the Godhead on earth, the Comforter sent by the Lord Jesus Christ to exalt Jesus, to indwell the believer, to regenerate hearts, to lead, guide, and teach the believer the truth, to empower us for spiritual life, and to convince the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment.
Creation.
We believe the triune God created the universe apart from pre-existing materials and without any evolutionary process. We believe in the historicity of the first eleven chapters of Genesis
Satan.
We believe that Satan was originally created a perfect being. He rebelled against God. As a result, he became depraved, the devil and adversary of God and His people, the leader of a host of angels who fell with him. Satan has been judged and defeated at the cross and awaits his ultimate doom at the conclusion of the Millennial Reign which takes place after the Second Advent of Jesus Christ
The Fall Of Man.
Man is a created being, made in the likeness and the image of God, but through Adam’s voluntary transgression and fall, sin came into the world and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was manifested to undo the work of the devil, and gave His life and shed His blood to redeem and restore man to God.
Salvation.
Salvation is made possible through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and through Holy Spirit conviction. Godly sorrow works repentance and makes possible the experience of the new birth, and Christ formed within us is the gift of eternal life.
Salvation is the gift of God to man, separate from works and the Law, and is made operative by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, producing works acceptable to God.
Condition of Salvation
Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God according to the hope of eternal life
The Evidence of Salvation
The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit. The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness.
Man is a free moral agent and can at any time after the new birth experience, turn away from God, be lost, and if one doesn’t repent and dies in a state of sin, will perish in hell.
The Blood Of Jesus.
The Blood that Jesus Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary was sinless and is 100% sufficient to cleanse mankind of all sin. Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and our sins, enabling all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death.
The Church.
The true Church, built upon the Foundation of Jesus Christ, is the Body of our Lord; Christ being the Head. Its earthly constituents are all true believers, born again of the Spirit and of the Word, who are living an overcoming Christian life.
The church is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, that has been given the divine appointment to fulfill the great commission of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. The church has been commanded to preach the gospel to all creation, make disciples of all nations, and love the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind and love our neighbor as ourselves. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the church, the body of Christ.
To the church, through its members, is delegated the various gifts and offices of the Holy Spirit which are necessary for the successful evangelization of the world and the perfecting of the Body of Christ.
This universal, invisible, sanctified Church is the chaste virgin Bride of Christ. It is this Bride for whom Jesus Christ returns, just prior to the Great Tribulation, to catch her away and take her to heaven.
The Ministry Of The Church.
God, through the Holy Spirit, definitely calls such as He desires to serve as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, and specifically endues the one called with the talents and gifts peculiar to that office or offices. Under no circumstances should anyone be ordained or set apart to any such office unless the calling is distinct and evident.
The ministry of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers is for equipping, building, attaining unity, imparting knowledge, growing, and maturing believers to the stature and fullness of Jesus Christ.
Water Baptism.
Baptism in water is by immersion, a direct commandment of our Lord, and is for believers only. All who repent and believe on Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. The ordinance is a symbol of the Christian’s identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. Thus, they declare to the world that they died with Christ and that they also have been raised with Him to walk in the newness of life.
The following recommendation regarding the water baptism formula is adopted, “On the confession of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, and by His authority, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”
The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit.
All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, which is a gift from God, as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ to all believers in this dispensation, and is received subsequent to the new birth experience. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is accompanied by the speaking in other tongues as the Holy Spirit Himself gives utterance as the initial physical sign and evidence.
With the baptism of the Holy Spirit comes such experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit, a deepened reverence for God, and a more active love for Christ, for His Word, and for the lost.
Spiritual Gifts.
The Holy Spirit distributes to the believer Spiritual Gifts as He wills. These gifts differ according to the grace given to us. As members of the Body of Christ we should work together using the manifestation of the Spirit through those different gifts for the common good.
Sanctification.
The Bible teaches that without holiness no man can see the Lord. We believe in the doctrine of sanctification as a definite, yet progressive, work of grace, commencing at the time of regeneration and continuing until the consummation of salvation.
The Lord’s Supper.
The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper is a commandment of our Savior; and being a memorial to His death and resurrection, is strictly limited to Christian believers. The time and frequency of its observance is left to the discretion of each congregation.
The Lord's Supper, consisting of the elements - bread and fruit of the vine – is also the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ, a memorial of His suffering and death, and a prophecy of His second coming and is enjoined on all believers "until He comes!"
Foot Washing.
Foot washing is recognized among many believers as a Christian practice, and the time, manner and frequency of its observance is left to the discretion of the church.
Child Dedication.
Since water baptism is an outward expression of an inward work of grace, we do not practice infant baptism. However, we do encourage presenting our children to the Lord in child dedication and blessing until they are old enough to make their own choice and decision to make Jesus their personal Lord and Savior.
Divine Healing.
Healing is for the physical ills of the human body and is wrought by the power of God, through the prayer of faith, and by the laying on of hands. It is provided for in the atonement of Christ and is available to all who truly believe.
Deliverance.
We believe that deliverance from demonic spirits was practiced in the ministry of Jesus, is to be continued by the church through the power of the Holy Spirit and by the name of Jesus, is one of the signs (proof, evidence) that one is a true believer, that believers have been given power over all the power of the enemy, and that the kingdom of Satan (principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in heavenly places) has been completely disarmed by the finished work of Jesus on the cross, and that believers are no longer fighting for victory, but from the victory already achieved by Jesus dying on the cross and rising from the grave, and that the church has been given the commission to enforce the victory of Jesus in the lives of others and in the world.
We believe that deliverance is not something we have to seek out but is something that will naturally happen as true Spirit-filled believers preach the Gospel and demonstrate the Kingdom of God.
We further believe that the ministry of deliverance looks different for both the unbeliever and the believer. We recognize that for the unbeliever demons may need to be cast out, since the unbeliever is under the power and sway of the prince of the power of the air, Satan, so they might be turned from the power of Satan unto the power of God, and for the believer mental strongholds may need to be cast down, such as, imaginations, reasonings, mindsets, residual memories of the past, and thoughts that are contrary to the Word of God. We also hold to the truth of scripture that if one who has truly been born again and filled with the Holy Spirit cannot be demon possessed, for he is already possessed by God, nor have a demon residing on the inside of them. Believers can and may be attacked, harassed, oppressed, and vexed by demonic forces, but never have a demon on the inside. Complete victory in spirit, soul, and body is the will of God for every true believer.
Marriage.
We believe marriage is defined in the Bible as a covenant, a sacred bond between one man and one woman, instituted by and publicly entered before God.
God’s Will For Provision.
It is the Father’s will for believers to become whole, healthy, and successful in all areas of life. But because of the fall, many may not receive the full benefits of God’s will while on earth. That fact, though, should never prevent all believers from seeking the full benefits of Christ’s provision in order to better serve others.
Heaven And Hell.
God made people to live forever! We will either be eternally with God in Heaven through forgiveness and salvation in Jesus Christ or we will be eternally separated from God in Hell because of our sins and rejection of Jesus Christ. God gives each person choice or free will to decide. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal physical existence. The Bible teaches that for the Christian, to be absent from the body is to be present with Christ! Heaven is a place of no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain. Hell is a place of continual torment with fire, originally designed for Satan and his Fallen Angels.
The Coming Of The Lord.
The Bible promises, “This same Jesus shall so come in like manner.” His coming is imminent; when He comes, “The dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air”. Following the tribulation, He shall return to earth as King of kings and Lord of lords, and together with His saints, who shall be kings and priests, He shall reign a thousand years.
We believe the Bible presents the coming of Christ as personal, imminent, pre-tribulation and pre-millennial. We further contend that this position alone admonishes watchfulness, incites holy living, prevents spiritual declension, and provides maximum incentive and motive for urgency and zeal in evangelizing the unsaved.
The Millennial Reign Of Christ.
The Word of God promises the catching away of the prepared and waiting saints, followed by the great tribulation, and then the return of our Lord with His saints and holy angels in power and great glory to reign on earth a thousand years. This millennial reign will bring the salvation of national Israel and the establishment of universal peace.
The Final Judgment.
There will be a final judgment at which all men will be judged and the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, and the beast and false prophet, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
Tithes, Offerings, And Alms.
We recognize the scriptural duty of all believers, to pay tithes and offerings as unto the Lord.
Tithes should be used for the support of the active ministry of the church and for the propagation of the Gospel and work of the Lord in general and not given to charity or used for other purposes.
The needs of the New Testament Church, its varied ministries along with its God ordained leadership are to be met by the tithes and offerings of the believers.
Christians are also admonished to attend to the poor and needy met through Alms. This includes not just the poor in the Body of Christ but those in the local community.