Beliefs

Tenets of Faith

THE ONE TRUE GOD: The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent I AM THAT I AM, the creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of Mankind. He has further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT. (Deut. 6:4, Isaiah 43:10-11, Matt. 28:19, Luke 3:22).
JESUS CHRIST: We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The scripture declares His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His obedience, even to the cross, His bodily resurrection from the dead, and His exaltation to the right hand of the Father.

THE HOLY TRINITY: We believe in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit which makes up the Holy Trinity.
THE SCRIPTURES (BIBLE): We believe that all scriptures are inspired by God. We further believe that all scriptures are authoritative and infallible. (II Tim 3:15-17, I Thes. 2:13, II Peter 1:21.
CREATION: We believe that in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. We further believe that God is the creator of all living matter, including man, who was made in the image and likeness of God.

THE FALL OF MAN: Even though man was made in the image of God, his disobedience caused him to die both a physical and spiritual death which separated him from God.

SALVATION OF MAN: Man's only hope of salvation is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Salvation is received through repentance toward God and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It is through faith, not works, lest any man can boast! It is by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit , being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God according to the hope of eternal life (Luke 24:47, John 3:3, Rom. 10:13-14) The inward evidence of Salvation is the direct witness of the spirit (Rom. 8:16.) The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness (4:24; Titus 2:12).

CHURCH ORDINANCE: We believe that Christ left ordinances for the church; BAPTISM IN WATER AND HOLY COMMUNION. The ordinances of baptism by immersion is commanded in the Scriptures. All who repent and believe on Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. This identifies the believer with the death, burial , and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:29, Mark 16:16, Rom. 6:4). Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper, consisting of the elements bread and the fruit of the vine, is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Peter 1:14); a memorial of His suffering and death (I Cor. 11:26); and a prophecy of His second coming (I Cor. 11:26).

BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT: We believe that all born again believers should seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early church. With it comes the endurement of power for life and service, the receiving of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry (Luke 24:25, Acts 1:4, 8), I Cor. 12: 1-31). This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth (Acts 8:12-17, Acts 10:44-46, Acts 11:14-16, Acts 15:7-9). With the baptism in the Holy Spirit come such experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (John 7:37-39, Acts 4:8), a deepened reverence for God (Acts 2:43, Heb. 12:28), an intensified consecration of God and dedication to His Work (Acts 2:42), and a more active love for Christ for His Word, and for the lost (Mark 16:20).

THE INITIAL PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OF THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT: The baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance (Acts 2:4).

SANCTIFICATION: Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of dedication unto God (Rom. 12:1-2, I Thes, 5;23). Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by faith. Scriptures teach a life of "holiness without which no man can see the Lord" (Heb 12:14).

THE CHURCH AND ITS MISSION: The Church is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of the great commission. Each believer is an integral part of the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven (Eph. 1:22-23, Eph 2:22, Heb 12:23). Since God's purpose concerning man is to seek and to save that which is lost, to be worshipped by man, and to build a body of believers in the image of his Son, the primary reason for being in the Church: to be an agency of God for evangelizing the world (ACTS 1:8 Matt. 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-16); to be a corporate body in which man may worship God (1 Cor. 12:13); to be a channel of God's purpose to build a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son (Eph 4:11-16, 1 Cor. 12:28, I Cor 14:12). The Church exists expressly to give continuing emphasis to this reason for being in the New Testament pattern but teaching and encouraging believers to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.

THE MINISTRY: A divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been prepared by our Lord for the threefold purpose of leading the Church on Evangelization of the world, Worship of God, and Building a body of saints being perfected int he image of His Son.

DIVINE HEALING: Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel of deliverance from sickness, is provided for in the atonement, and is the privilege of all believers (Isaiah 53: 4-5, Matt. 8: 16-17, and James 5:14-15).

THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST: The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with his saints to reign on earth (Zech 14:5, Rev. 1:7, Rev. 19:11-14, Rev. 20: 1-6).

THE FINAL JUDGMENT: There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be assigned to everlasting punishment in the lake of fire, which is the second death (Matt 25:46, Mark 9:43-48, Rev. 19-20, Rev. 20:11-15, Rev. 21:8).

WOMEN IN THE MINISTRY: We believe that God has and does call women to minster in the body of Christ. In the Spirit, there is neither male nor female. This does not do away with the fact that God made man to be head (covering) of the woman/family. The woman can teach and minster and still be covered by the man, whether she is in the ministry or not. (Galatians 3: 26-29), (Romans 16:1).

GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT: We believe in the supernatural Gifts of the Holy Spirit. This includes Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Gifts of Healing, Gifts of Miracles, Prophecy, Discerning of Spirits, Gifts of Tongues, and the interpretation of Tongues (I Cor. 12:6-10). We also believe that God has set some in the Church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps government, diversities of tongues (I Cor. 12:28, Acts 21:9, Luke 2:36, Judges 4:4).

MUSIC: We believe that music itself is not sinful. However, the words accompanying the music are what make a particular music unholy. All music should glorify the Father. We that are born again believers should not purchase, participate in, or listen to music that does not edify the spirit of man. Ephesians 5:19, 2 Chronicles 5:13-14, Psalm 100:1-5