Statement of Faith

We Believe.. ….to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in

THE SCRIPTURES – The Old and New Testaments are the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God. We believe the Holy Spirit inspired only the 66 books of the Bible, making them therefore the inerrant Word of God. It is the Final Authority in governing the Church and in the life of the Believer. It is our infallible guide in matters pertaining to conduct and doctrine. We can be what it says we can be, We can do what it says we can do, We can have what it says we have.

Matthew 5:18; John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Peter 1:21

THE GODHEAD – Our God is One, the creator of all things, He is infinitely perfect and eternally existent in three persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, being One God, are equal in deity, power and glory. God didn’t just create the world and the universe; He also now upholds, sustains, governs and providentially directs all that exists. He will bring all things to their proper consummation in Christ Jesus to the glory of His Name.

Deuteronomy 6:4; John 1:1, John 1:14; John 1:18; John 14:16; John 14:28; John 15:26; John 16:28; Ephesians 1:9-12; Philippians 2:6

JESUS CHRIST (THE KING) – He is the union of God and man. He is true God and true man, conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He is the Word become flesh and has existed with the Father from the beginning. He lived a sinless life and died on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of all men. By the shedding of His Blood on the cross Jesus bought eternal redemption and eternal life for all who call on His Name. He was raised bodily on the third day and ascended to the right hand of the Father, there to intercede for the saints.

Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:1; John 1:18; John 1:14; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:1; Colossians 1:15-23

IN THE FALL AND REDEMPTION OF MAN – Man was created in the image of God, but through Adam’s treason, sin came into the world. The Bible says “….all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” and “…There is none righteous, no, not one.” Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was manifested to destroy the works of the devil and gave His life and shed His blood to redeem and restore man back to God. Only through regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained. The process of regeneration referred to in the Word as being “born again” takes place through a combination of Faith and Confession. Man's first step toward salvation is godly sorrow that works repentance. The new birth is necessary to all men, and when experienced, produces eternal life. As a person makes the decision to believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and confesses with his mouth the lordship of Jesus in his life, a miracle of regeneration by the Holy Spirit takes place. A new Christian is born into the kingdom of God. For him, old things are passed away and all things are new!

We believe that salvation is by grace alone, through faith in Christ alone. No ordinance, ritual, work or any other activity on the part of man is required in order to be saved. This saving grace of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, also sanctifies us by enabling us to do what is pleasing in God's sight in order that we might be progressively conformed to the image of Christ.

John 3:3-5; Romans 3:10; 3:23; Rom. 5:14; 2 Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 Peter 1: 1-2; 1 John 3:8; 1 John 5:12

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 at Christ's return.

1 Corinthian 1:30; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 3:12-14; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; Hebrews 12:14; 2 Peter 3:18

BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT - The Baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire 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. The present day ministry of the Holy Spirit is to comfort and guide the believer, with the final purpose of glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ in the earth. During this age, He indwells, guides, instructs, and empowers the believer for godly living and service. We also believe that signs and wonders, as well as all the gifts of the Spirit described in the New Testament, are operative today and are designed to testify to the presence of the kingdom and to empower and edify the church to fulfill its calling and mission. Every believer should be filled with the Holy Spirit, with speaking in tongues as the initial physical evidence. Every born again, spirit-filled believer should maintain a consistent prayer life by praying regularly with their understanding and in their heavenly language.

Matthew 3:1;Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:38,39; Acts 19:1-7; Acts 2:1-4; Galatians 3: 1-5

IN 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 the privilege of every member of the Church today.

Isaiah 53: 4,5; Matthew 8:17; Mark 16:18; James 5:14,15; 1 Peter 2:24

WATER BAPTISM - Baptism in water is by immersion, is a direct commandment of our Lord, and is for believers only. The ordinance is a symbol of the Christian's identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.

The following recommendation regarding the water baptismal 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 the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen."

Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12; Acts 8:36-39

THE LORDS SUPPER - The Lord's Supper Jesus, at his last Passover, instituted the Ordinance of the taking of the bread and the fruit of the vine as a memorial of His Atoning Death. It is an act of obedience to the Lord's command (It is a memorial to the Atoning Death and shed blood of Jesus). We remember the Lord and what he has done for us. We remember that he is our Passover lamb and that the spirit of death that touches every facet of this world has no right to pass the blood stained door posts of our hearts or homes. It is a proclamation. It is a statement of anticipation of the return of the Lord Jesus. It is an experience of communion with the Lord in which the participant receives, by faith, the strength and blessing from the savior. It is a communion of believers at the Lord's table. The element of the bread and wine is simply bread and wine and in no way is "The Physical" body of Jesus. We are convinced the elements are "Tokens" and when received, by Faith, real communion with the Lord is experienced and the benefits of that communion may be mediated. We reject the theory of "Transubstantiation." We hold that the elements of the Lord's Supper must be taken with reverence and respect. The Christian must observe the warning given in. Eating and drinking has to do with the MANNER of partaking; not the unworthiness of the persons. The bread must be unleavened and the drink can be wine or grape juice. We are convinced the Lord's Supper should be observed as much as possible. Luke. 22:1; Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 10:16 –17; 1 Corinthians 11: 23, 24,26, 27-29;

THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH - The Word tells us that the "just [those who have been justified by the blood of Jesus] shall live by faith." (Romans 1:17) "Without faith it is impossible to please God." (Hebrews 11:6) When Jesus returns He will be looking for faith. The redemptive work of Jesus not only provided salvation for the believer, but also healing and prosperity for our spiritual, soulish, and physical man. We are redeemed from the curse of the law - poverty, sickness, oppression, and any other thing that prevents us from fulfilling His plan. Our lives can be prosperous and healthy in every realm as we walk in the light of this redemption by faith in God's Word.

Romans 1:17; Hebrews 11:6

THE CHURCH – The true Church is composed of all those who are born again. Through the new birth, we are united together in the body of Christ. That every believer, whether Jew or Gentile, is baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit, and having thus become members of one another we are responsible to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, rising above all sectarian prejudices and denominational bigotry and loving one another with a pure heart fervently. Jesus Christ is the Lord and head of the church, and has provided leadership for the local church through the ministry gifts, which only He can give. Every local church has the right, under Christ, to decide and govern its own affairs.

God admonishes His people to assemble together regularly for worship, for participation in ordinances, for edification through the Scriptures and for mutual encouragement.

THE GREAT COMMISION - The Lord Jesus Christ commanded all believers to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and to disciple men of every nation. The fulfillment of that Great Commission requires that all worldly and personal ambitions be subordinated to a total commitment to "Him who loved us and gave Himself for us."

Matthew 18:14; Mark 16:15; 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19; RESURRECTION OF THE JUST AND THE RETURN OF OUR LORD - The angels said to Jesus' disciples, "...this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." 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 in prayer for a great End-Time Harvest of souls and the emergence of a victorious Church of unprecedented unity, purity and power in the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17; 2 Thessalonians 1:10 – 2:8; Revelations 5:10; 20:6

IN HEAVEN AND HELL – We believe in a very real Heaven and Hell, the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, the one to everlasting life, and the other to everlasting damnation. The one who physically dies in his sins without accepting Christ is hopelessly and eternally lost in the lake of fire and, therefore, has no further opportunity of hearing the Gospel or repenting. The lake of fire is literal. The terms "eternal" and "everlasting," used in describing the duration of the punishment of the damned in the lake of fire, carry the same thought and meaning of endless existence as used in denoting the duration of joy and ecstasy of saints in the Presence of God.

Psalm 16:11; Romans 6:23; 2 Corinthians 5: 4—10; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Hebrews 9:27; Revelations 19:20; Revelations 20:11-15

BELIEVERS ARE TO LIVE HOLY LIVES - That all believers in our Lord Jesus are called into a life of separation from worldly and sinful practices and should abstain from such amusements and habits as will cause others to stumble, or bring reproach upon the cross of Christ. Believers are created in Christ Jesus unto good works. "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith"

1 Corinthians 10:31; Romans 13:14; Romans 14:13; Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 2:10; 1 John 2:15, 16