The Inspired Holy Scriptures
We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, it is God’s revealed will for all of mankind, and is true, absolute, infallible, unchangeable, dependable, and trustworthy. The Word of God reveals God’s will for our faith and life resulting in a life lived out of love for God and man. (Matthew 22:37-40; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
The Eternal One True God
We believe in the eternal triune God existing in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, who are equal in divine perfection. (Matthew 3:13-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Luke 3:22; 1 Corinthians 12:3-6; Galatians 4:4-7; Ephesians 1:3, 13, 4:1-6; Hebrews 9:14; 1 John 5:7)
The Fall of Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God. However, through man’s willful disobedience man fell experiencing both physical and spiritual death resulting in eternal separation from God. All of mankind has inherited this sin nature and are spiritually dead in our sins and stand before God guilty and in need of redemption. (Genesis 1:27; Romans 3:23, 5:12-14)
The Plan of Salvation
We believe while we were still dead in our sins and in need of salvation God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on upon a cross and shed His sinless blood for our sins, resulting in justification of life for all those who believe in Him. (John 3:16; Acts 4:10-12; Romans 5:18; 2 Timothy 3:15; Titus 1:2, 2:14; Hebrews 5:9, 9:11-15)
Salvation by Grace Alone
We believe the free gift of salvation is by grace alone through faith, and that there is no amount of keeping the law, works of righteousness, or human self effort that can earn salvation. We must not allow the rules, regulations, and legalism of outward observance to take away our freedom in Christ, since He abolished the law, in His death, as a way of being justified. The Lord judges us according to our motives, the internal condition of our heart, and the intentions of our heart. Therefore, we must avoid “going through the motions” of outward observances by keeping our hearts right with Him. (Acts 15:22-29, 21:15-25, 28-29; Romans 6:23; Galatians 2:16-21; Ephesians 2:8; Colossians 2:11-23; 1 Timothy 4:1-5; Titus 2:11, 3:7; Hebrews 7:5, 12, 18-19, 22, 8:6-13, 9:15, 10:14-22, 12:22-24)
Receiving Salvation through Faith
We believe through sincere repentance toward God and sincere faith in Jesus Christ, we are justified by His grace through the redemption that is in Him alone, and that experiencing salvation results in the inward witness of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 13:38-39; Romans 1:16, 3:21-26, 4:16, 8:16, 10:6-10; Galatians 3:24, 5:4; Ephesians 1:13; Titus 3:4-7 Hebrews 11:6; 1 John 5:10)
The Salvation Experience
We believe that when we experience salvation we become new creations, no longer under the dominion of the old lifestyle of sin. We have been set free from the power and controlling influence of sin in our lives and are to walk in newness of life in obedience to Him. (Romans 6:1-23; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:27-28)
Water Baptism
We believe those who accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized in water by immersion in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in obedience to Jesus’ command. Through water baptism we declare we have been buried with Christ into His death and have been raised with Christ to walk in the newness of life. (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Romans 6:4)
The Lord’s Supper
We believe in observing the Lord’s Supper receiving both the bread and the fruit of the vine in faith and love. We partake in Christ’s life through the Spirit as we celebrate His death, His victory through the Cross, and His second coming. (Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:14-23; 1 Corinthians 11:24-26)
Evangelism
We believe it is every believer’s responsibility to share the good news of Jesus Christ and how He has change and transformed their lives with unbelievers we come into contact with as we are led by the Holy Spirit. We can do this by both sharing our testimony with those who are unsaved and through our conduct, which is godly behavior, as we live a righteous life around those who are unsaved. (Acts 8:1-8, 8:12-17; 1 Corinthians 1:4-9, 2:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:10; 2 Timothy 1:8; 1 Peter 3:1-2, 3:15-17; Revelation 12:11)
The Necessity of Making Disciples
We believe making disciples is the believers’ primary responsibility, commission and calling as Jesus said “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”. We believe Jesus wanted disciples who would count the cost of following Him and be committed, loyal, faithful followers. Jesus said, “…whoever of you does not forsake all that He has cannot be my disciple”. Jesus focused His attention on the few rather than the multitudes, He chose quality over quantity. Therefore we believe we as the church should be rising up radical disciples who are sold out, have committed their whole hearts, and have forsaken all to follow Him. (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 4:13-20; Luke 14:25-33; John 6:66; Romans 1:5, 16:26)
The Importance of Being a Disciple and Discipleship
We believe being a disciple of Christ and the discipleship process is the key to experiencing the abundant life Jesus Christ promises to all believers. In order to be a disciple, we must be willing to forsake all to follow Jesus Christ; otherwise, we cannot be His disciple. Jesus Christ must have first place in our hearts above all else in our lives, and we must be willing to obey Him. We must be willing to surrender all to Him, and learn to yield our own will to Him and His will. This requires us to change our way of thinking, believing, behavior, and our traditions that do not align will His will and ways. A disciple of Christ is a disciple who follows Jesus Christ and not a particular denomination with its traditions and beliefs. As disciples of Christ we should contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints and seek to maintain unity in the faith among believers. Once the decision is made to become a disciple of Christ, the believer should seek the Lord until He baptizes them with the Holy Spirit. A disciple who is filled with the Holy Spirit and who follows the apostles’ faith, doctrine, and practices should result in an abundant life filled with love, peace, joy, and contentment. (Matthew 5:3, 6:10, 15:6; Mark 4:13-20; Luke 14:23-33; John 10:10; Romans 14:17; 1 Corinthians 3:1-17; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 1:27, 2:2, 4:11; 1 Timothy 6:6-8; Hebrews 13:5-6)
The Necessity of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit
We believe the baptism with the Holy Spirit is available to all believers and is absolutely essential for the believers’ empowerment for ministry. We believe every believer should sincerely and fervently seek after the promise of the Father until they receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit. The baptism with the Holy Spirit is received by faith the same way as salvation, healings, and miracles are received. Believers should expect the Holy Spirit to come upon them in the same manner as He came upon the believers in the Early Church. We believe in the one true gospel that the apostles’ preached to make all nations obedient to Jesus Christ and His gospel. We believe this is the gospel that was once and for all delivered to the saints for all time. We believe Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and His Word endures forever. Therefore, we believe His gospel of grace has not changed nor has any part of it passed away. The baptism with the Holy Spirit cannot be separated from the grace of Christ and no one should preach any other gospel. We believe those who choose to remove the baptism with the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the power of God demonstrated through healings and miracles are in danger of preaching another gospel. We believe those who speak against the baptism with the Holy Spirit and the gifts are in danger of the unpardonable sin of blasphemy against the Spirit. Jesus said in Matt 12:31-32, “…blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men… whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.” (Matthew 12:31-32; Mark 16:17-18; Luke 24:49; John 16:13-15; Acts 1: 5, 8, 2:4, 38-39, 8:12-17, 10:44-48, 11:14-16, 19:5-6; Romans 16:26; 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, 12-14; Galatians 1:6-10, 3:2, 5; Eph.1:13-14; Hebrews 6:2, 10:29, 13:8; 1 Peter 1:22-25; Jude 1:3, 20)
Intimate Relationship
We believe every believer should make knowing the Lord Jesus Christ their one thing, highest aim, main goal, their reason for living, and their best and closest friend. Every believer’s purpose in life should be to seek to develop an intimate relationship with the Lord that they may know Him, know His voice, and be led by the Holy Spirit everyday 24/7/365. (John 10:27; Romans 8:14; Galatians 5:16-18, 5:24-25; Ephesians1:17-19, 3:17-19; Philippians 3:7-11)
Living the Christian Life
We believe God’s grace teaches us to put on the new man created in true righteousness and holiness. As we seek to please the Lord through holiness of heart, it results in righteous, holy, and godly living lived out of love for God and others. However, those who fail to pursue a life of obedience and holiness of heart will not inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:6-10, 20; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 4:24, 5:1-7; Colossians 1:27-28; 2 Timothy 2:19-21; Titus 2:11-12; Hebrews 8:10-11, 12:14, 12:28; 2 Peter 1:3-11)
The Fruit and Gifts of the Holy Spirit
We believe the Spirit-filled life results in a life of obedience, righteousness, holiness, and godliness, which is characterized by godly character and the fruit of the Holy Spirit , namely love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance, in the lives of believers. The Holy Spirit empowers believers with spiritual gifts, distributing them to believers for ministry and service for the edifying of the Body of Christ. (Romans 12:3-8, 15:18-19; 1 Corinthians 1:7, 2:4-5, 4:19-20, 12-14; Galatians 5:22-25; 1 Thessalonians 5:20; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6; Hebrews 2:4; 12:14; 1 Peter 1:15-16, 4:10-11; 2 Peter 3:11)
The Holy Spirit Guidance
We believe believers are to live a Spirit-filled and Spirit-led life, being sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit and His inward guidance throughout their daily lives in obedience to Him. As the Holy Spirit directs them, they should learn to respond in obedience to His instruction and direction for their lives. (John 14:26, 16:13-15; Acts 8:29, 10:19, 13:2, 15:28, 16:6-7, 21:11; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:30, 5:18-21; Philippians 2:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; Hebrews 8:10-11; 1 John 2:27)
The Prayer of Faith, Healing and Miracles
We believe healing is part of the atonement and it is available for all believers today, because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We believe the Lord heals those who are sick in answer to a believer’s prayer of faith. We also believe the Lord heals believers divinely as the Holy Spirit distributes the gifts of healing and miracles. We believe a believer must stand in faith, without doubt, and can expect the living God to show up in power to heal us according to our faith. (Psalm 66:18; Matthew 4:23, 8:5-13, 8:16-17, 9:22, 9:27-29, 9:35, 17:20, 21:21; Mark 5:34, 10:34, 16:17-18; Luke 9:11, 17:11-19; Acts 3:1-10; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:6-8, 4:3, 5:14-16; 1 Peter 3:7; 1 John 5:14-15)
We are the Temple of God
We believe, as disciples who have been baptized with the Holy Spirit, we are the temple of the living God. As individual members of the Body of Christ, as members of the Body of Christ locally, and as members of the universal or worldwide Body of Christ, we are the temple of God. As believers, we are the called out ones, the assembly, and the church; therefore, it is impossible to “go to church”. A building is not God’s house, nor is it the church; we are the church, the Body of Christ. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth; there is no longer any need to go to a special place or a certain building to worship the Lord. We can gather as the church wherever we choose to gather together as believers and worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. (John 4:19-24; 1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19; Eph. 2:20-21)
Meeting as the Church, the Priesthood of All Believers
We believe Spirit-filled disciples are to meet according to the apostles’ doctrine as Paul taught everywhere in every church, with every believer ministering to one another. The apostles were Spirit-filled believers and wrote to Spirit-filled believers. Therefore one should be filled with the Spirit to function in gifts of the Holy Spirit and ministry. We believe Jesus Christ baptized, still baptizes believers today with the Holy Spirit and restored the ministry of all believers in the Church, the Body of Christ. We are all brethren, equal in position in Christ, having different gifting and functions as members of the Body of Christ. We are the temple of God individually, locally in our area as the church, and universally as the Body of Christ as a whole. All believers have access to God and are to receive the promise of the Spirit and learn to be led by the Holy Spirit. As Spirit-filled believers, we are to learn to depend on the Holy Spirit’s leading, guidance, and direction for their lives and ministry. We believe every Spirit-filled believer has been empowered by the Holy Spirit to minister according to their gifting and function in the Body of Christ. Every member has received a gift and is to minister to one another for the growth of the Body and the edifying of Body of Christ. Believers are to share the gospel of Christ with unbelievers and teach, admonish, warn, correct, instruct, exhort, and comfort one another according to their gifting and function in the Body of Christ. (Matthew 23:8; Romans 8:14, 12:3-8, 13:8-10, 15:14; 1 Corinthians 14:23-33, 15:58; Galatians 3:26-28, 5:13-14, 6:2-4; Ephesians 4:6-7, 11-16, 5:19-21; Colossians 3:14-17; 1 Thessalonians 4:18, 5:11, 14; Hebrews 2:11, 3:13, 6:10-12, 8:10-11, 10:19-25; James 5:16, 19-20; 1 Peter 1:22, 2:4-5, 2:9-10, 3:8, 4:7-10; 1 John 2:27; Revelation 1:5-6)
House Church Meeting in Homes of Believers and Benefits
We believe Jesus Christ laid down the best pattern and most effective method believers were to meet. We believe Jesus set the example as He sent His out disciples in two’s to start churches in houses. The church could be as small as two or three and as large as could fit in a living room, usually somewhere around twenty or more. According to the history of the Church, believers met in houses for about the first 300 years of the existence of the Body of Christ, the Church. We believe meeting in believers’ homes, also referred to as “house church”, is the best way to meet due to the natural, normal, comfortable environment it provides. The church meeting in houses also provides relationships for accountability in the discipleship process for growth, maturity, and ministry. We believe meeting in houses in smaller numbers provides every believer equal opportunity to participate and function in their gifting in order to minister to one another and for mutual encouragement. Believers grow much faster due to their taking responsibility to hear from the Lord, study it out, apply it to their own lives, and be able to teach others. Meeting in houses as the early church did allows all believers to participate and function in ministry, rather than being a passive onlooker watching one individual ministering and watching the clock. Meeting in houses also puts the responsibility for the meeting upon every believer being prepared to minister and to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. There are also many benefits of meeting in the homes of believers. It is a cost effective way to meet with little overhead, saving believers’ money usually spent on land, development, buildings, electric bills, pastoral salaries, and maintenance. Giving would go to those in action planting churches and reaching the lost, for materials and training to help the Church reach the lost, and to meet the needs within the Church. (Matthew 23:8; Luke 10:1-12; John 4:19-24; Acts 2:46, 5:42, 20:20, 28:30; Romans 15:14, 16:5; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 4:16-17, 6:19, 14:23-33, 15:58, 16:19; Ephesians 2:20-21, 4:1-7, 16, 5:17-21; Colossians 3:16-17, 4:15; Philemon 1:2; Hebrews 6:9-12; James 5:19-20; 1 Peter 4:10-11)
New Testament Giving
We believe as believers we are now under the Headship of Jesus Christ and His grace and not under the Law of Moses. We believe giving is a gift of grace given to believers to meet the needs of others according to our ability. Our giving is to be done as we purpose in our hearts willingly, in freedom as cheerful givers, not grudgingly out of obligation, duty, or requirement as a matter of law. The purpose of our giving is so there may be equality among the believers that no one should suffer lack, not having enough to meet their needs. Due to being under grace, we should be generous in our giving and should give more than a tithe of ten percent, we should give all we can. In Christ, believers have been set free from the ritual observance of the Law of Moses with the rules and regulations. Therefore, we are not obligated to be circumcised, keep the Sabbath, to avoid unclean foods, or tithe. The Jewish Christians that the apostle Paul dealt with were teaching that Gentile Christians needed to be circumcised to be saved, and then be obligated to obey the whole law including tithing. However, Gentiles have never been under the Law of Moses at anytime and those of us who have accepted Christ are not obligated to tithe according to the Law of Moses, but are to give willingly according to grace. (Acts 15:22-29, 21:15-30; Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 16:1-3; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, 9:5-14; Galatians 5:1-6; Colossians 2:4-23)
The Hope of the Resurrection at Christ’s Second Coming
We believe no one knows the time of Jesus Christ’s second coming. He will descend from Heaven and the dead in Christ shall rise first, then all true believers who are alive and remain at His coming will be translated, caught up, rise, to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will be forever with our Lord. (Matthew 24:36-44; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:28)
The Judgment Seat of Christ
We believe all believers whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will receive everlasting life in heaven. Every believer will appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive reward or suffer loss for the good things or bad things done in our bodies while on earth. Every believer’s work will be tested and tried by fire, and only that which is done out of love in obedience to the Lord will stand the test and will receive reward. Those whose works are burnt up by fire will suffer loss of reward; however, all believers will reign with Jesus Christ for a thousand years and forever and ever. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:9-11; Revelation 20:4-6, 21:27, 22:3-5)
The Believers Reign with Jesus Christ 1000 Years
We believe after the believers are caught up in the air at Jesus Christ’s second coming with return to earth. Satan will be bound for a thousand years and the saints will live and reign with Jesus Christ for a thousand years. After the thousand years, Satan will be set free from prison to deceive the nations and will gather the nations against the saints. God with intervene with fire coming down from heaven and devour them. Satan, the devil, will be “cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast [or the antichrist] and false prophet are.” (Revelation 20:1-10)
The Great White Throne Judgment
We believe those who do not know God and those who do not obey the gospel, those who are unrepentant sinners or unbelievers, will be judged according to their works. Then death and hell will be thrown into the lake of fire and everyone whose name is not written in the Book of Life will be cast in the lake of fire, which was prepared for Satan and his angels and not man. The unsaved, those who rejected Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and be eternally separated from the Lord. (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10; Revelation 20:11-15, 21:8)
The New Heavens and New Earth
We believe according to the Scriptures the present earth will be burnt up with fire. According to His promise, we are to look for a new earth and new heavens, which is the eternal home of all who are saved, where only righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 7:14-17, 21:1-4, 24-27, 22:3-5)
