What We Believe
What We Believe as Spirit-Filled Christians
Inspiration of Scriptures
We believe in the verbal inspiration of the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments. (II Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 4:12, I Peter 1:19-21)
God
We believe in one God revealed in three persons: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost. (Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; John 17)
Man
We believe that man in his natural state is a sinner, lost, undone, without hope, and without God. (Ephesians 2:1-12; Romans 3:19-23; Galatians 3:22)
Divinity and Humanity of Christ Jesus
We believe that Jesus is God, come in the flesh, and that He is both Divine and human. (Acts 2:36, 3:14-15; Luke 1:26-38; Philippians 2:5-12)
Blood Atonement
We believe in the saving power of the blood of Jesus and His imputed righteousness. (Ephesians 1:13-15; Romans 5:1-11, 4:1-9)
Separated Life
We believe that Christians should seek, as the early disciples did, to practice the separated life from the world and unto Christ, and set standards of conduct which will exalt our Lord and His church. (Colossians 3:17; Romans 12:1-3; II Corinthians 6:17; Ephesians 5:11;)
Heaven and Hell
We believe the Scriptures clearly set forth the doctrines of eternal punishment for the lost and eternal bliss and service for the saved – hell for the unsaved and heaven for the saved. (John 14:1-3; Matthew 25:34, Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:11-15)
The Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit to be the third person of the Trinity whose purpose in the redemption of man is to convict men of sin. Regenerate the penitent believer, guide the believer in all truth, indwell and give gifts to believers as He wills that they may minister as Christ would to men. We believe that the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, recorded in I Corinthians 12:8-11, will operate in present-day churches which yield to the Lord. (Luke 11:13, John 14:16-17; 16:7-14; 7:37-39) We believe that the Baptism in the Holy Ghost, with the evidence of other tongues as the Spirit, gives utterance, is for all believers as promised by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:11) and Jesus (Acts 1:4-5, 8) and Peter (Acts 2:38-41) was witnessed by the early disciples of Christ (Acts 2:14, 10:44-47; 19:1-6) and is evidenced by many present-day disciples of the Lord Jesus.
Divine Healing
Divine healing is provided for in the atonement of Calvary (Isaiah 53:5) and may be appropriated by the laying on of hands by believers and church elders (Mark 16:18; James 5:14-16) by the use of anointed prayer cloths (Acts 19:11-12) by prayers of an anointed person gifted by the Holy Ghost for healing the sick (I Corinthians 12:9) or by a direct act of faith on the part of the believers in the receiving this provision. (Mark 11:23)
Priesthood of Believers
We believe that each believer is a priest of the Lord (Revelation 1:6) and has direct access to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Each person must believe for himself, be baptized for himself, obey for himself, answer to his Creator for himself.
Government of the Church
We believe that the New Testament Church should be apostolic in nature and is governed by delegated authorities. When it is best deemed for the life of the Church and the testimony of the Lord, these authorities may discipline, in the spirit of love, (Matthew 18:15-17; I Corinthians 5:3-7) any member who errors in doctrines set forth in the word of God, or whose conduct is contrary to the practice of the body of Christ. Discipline shall also include any church leadership who violates the principles of God’s Word. (I Timothy 5:19-22)
Bodily Resurrection
We believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Luke 24:39-43; John 20:24-29)
Ascension
We believe Christ Jesus ascended to the Father and is presently seated at His right hand and interceding for the saints. (John 14:1-6; Romans 8:34)
Rapture
We believe in the visible, bodily return of Christ Jesus to this earth to rapture His Church,(the Bride) and judge the world (Acts 1:10-11; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; II Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 1:7)
Salvation
We believe that the terms of salvation are repentance towards God for sin, and personal heartfelt faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did at the cross which results in the regeneration of the person. This salvation is entirely by the grace of our Lord and not by any works man may do. Works are excluded except as fruit of salvation.
(Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 4:1-5; Acts 3:19-20)
Local Church
We believe in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a body of believers, who assemble to worship faithfully and read God's word, who carry out the great commission and minister as the Holy Ghost leads.
(Matthew 16:18; 28:19-20; Acts 20:28; Acts 2:40-47; I Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 10:25)
Ordinances
We believe that the two ordinances of the church are water baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
(1) Baptism: Immersion in water in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Matthew 3:15-16; 28:19-20; Romans 6:1-4; Acts 2:38) An identification with Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. The water does not save!
(2) The Lord’s Supper: A memorial of what our Lord Jesus Christ did for us at the Cross. (Luke 22:13-20)
Ordained Officers
The ordained officers of the church are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, local elders, deacons, and deaconesses. (I Timothy 3; Titus 1:5-9; Ephesians 4:13) Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers will not necessarily all function in one local church, although they may. However, it is believed that all of these officers should function under the covering of a local church and that local elders are under the five-fold ministry listed in
Ephesians 4:11. (Acts 15; I Timothy 5:17-21; Titus 1:5-9)
Tithes and Offerings
We believe the tithe of our earnings is holy unto God and is the offering up by faith of the first fruits of our increase. Tithing and the giving of offerings are to be practiced continually by all believers and are outward expressions of the unity of the church, the Body of Christ, as it joins together in the support of the work of the Lord. We believe the tithe (The first 10%) belongs to the Lord and is given directly to the storehouse, the church, for local support. Offerings are after the tithe and the amount is between you and God. (Genesis 14:20; Leviticus 27:30-32; Numbers 18:26; Malachi 3:8-10; Matthew 23:23; Romans 12:8; I Corinthians 9:7-14, 16:1-3; Hebrews 7:4-10)