1. God, One entity yet three distinct persons (The Divine Godhead) is; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. At creation God said, “Let us make man in our own image”. Jesus prayed to the Father; Jesus had the power to forgive sin; Jesus said the Father would send the Holy Spirit, “In His name” after His death, burial, and resurrection. The work, action, and operation of God in through three distinct personalities are what we believe, what we see, and what we teach from the Bible.
2. Original Sin, doubt, and the depravity of man; We acknowledge the fact that without an understanding of what man really is there is no need for a Savior’s Love and mercy for humanity through His suffering and death on the cross. At the first sin of humanity God made a promise to the serpent that deceived Eve, that He would send a Savior to redeem man from what Adam lost; Second, God’s curse upon humanity said all men born after Adam would be born with a sinful nature in a fallen state of being. Because of this inherited depravity man naturally doubts or rejects the truth about God in Christ. We believe as the Bible teaches that man can be forgiven from sinful acts and likewise be delivered from a sinful nature through faith in the redemptive work of Christ.
3. The true Gospel according to the Prophets is Our Church foundation; The true Gospel was Prophetic utterance by the Old Testament Prophets that said a Saviour would suffer, die by crucifixion, resurrect from the grave, and thus send the Holy Spirit down from heaven . Christ preached the first Gospel message to His disciples after the ressurection. The true Gospel in this present “Church Age” is confirmed through the New Testament records of the Bible. This Biblical truth by the work of the Holy Spirit sets the standard within our local body.
4. Repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit in the human soul. Repentance is the process of a changed mind or turn that men and women make when they accept Christ into their hearts for the forgiveness of sins. Godly sorrow works enough repentance into the human soul that “fallen man” can accept Christ. The Gospel we preach by the goodness of God leads men and women to repentance.
5. Divine Grace: We believe Divine Grace (a gift from God) is the greatest blessing any man can receive . Divine Grace is what keeps the Holy Spirit present in our lives . Divine Grace saves the soul from sin and initiates holiness of heart and conduct through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Only by Grace can a sinner become a child of God..
6. Faith: We believe as the Bible teaches that men and women can “keep” faith or “lose” faith. Faith comes to man by hearing the Word of God. Faith is grown and can be added to. Faith is consent of the human will. A faithful man will stay focused on things that concern Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection. By faith man will accept Christ for the forgiveness of sins and desire a renunciation from all wrongdoing. Faith does require obedience.
7. Justification by Faith: We believe Justification is God’s hand of mercy extended to a penitent sinner “when” he believes. It is a pardon from God that places a fallen man into right-standing with God. Justification from God declares fallen man to be “not guilty” because of his trust alone in a Savior’s death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. Justification by faith is what allows a penitent man to approach God for the fullness of Salvation and Sanctification through the Spirit.
8. Regeneration: Regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit within the human soul that comes through the “New Birth”. Regeneration provides fallen man with a new nature. Regeneration allows the Holy Spirit to testify Christ to the heart of a believer. It is the beginning of Salvation where a new desire is given to the believer to “stop” practicing sin.
9. Holiness of heart and conduct: We believe a life of holiness begins at the New Birth by the work of the Holy Spirit “upon” and “within” the soul of a believer. When the heart of penitent sinner is cleansed from sin this individual thus becomes a child of God through regeneration of the Spirit. Belief in the truth and the work of the Holy Spirit within the soul, allows a believer in Christ to maintain holy conduct throughout life because of his “God given desire” to obey the truth.
10. Sanctification through the Spirit: We believe sanctification through the Spirit severs man from the world and his unholy state of being. As the Gospel message ministers to soul of man by the work of the Holy Spirit, God’s saving power begins at the conviction of a sinner and thus leads to repentance. In the New Birth the Holy Spirit regenerates the soul of a believer and provides him with a new nature. After the new nature is given to man the work of the Holy Spirit reveals “death to the Old man” or “simply a crucifixion of self”. When self is “put off” a believer is then able to receive the fullness of Salvation by the “Baptism with the Holy Ghost”. This final work of the Holy Spirit through a Baptism with the Holy Ghost cleanses the heart of a believer from the conflicting and inherited carnal nature. This final work of the Spirit of God in the heart of a believer is called “Entire Sanctification”.
11. Doctrine of Baptisms: We believe two Baptisms are prevalent regarding Salvation to the human soul. The Holy Spirit under the Saving Grace of God performs both baptisms. The initial baptism is the Spirit’s baptism into the body of Christ. This baptism puts the believer into Christ at the New Birth where a new nature is received. The second baptism is the Baptism with the Holy Ghost that follows the new birth and deals specifically with the conflict between the carnal and divine nature. This subsequent baptism deals only with a selfish part of a believer that only the Spirit of God can remove from the soul of man. The inner evidence of the second baptism is a cleansed heart from the carnal nature. The outer evidence of this baptism is speaking in unknown tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. Water Baptism performed by a preacher is not necessary for salvation of the human soul.
12. Christian Perfection: Christian perfection is the work of God in the heart and life of a believer. Christian perfection is not based on the works of man. Perfection deals specifically with what God does “in” man; not what man does to reach God. Man in no way is perfect on his own accord. The words Perfect, perfected, and perfection used 120 times in the King James Version of the Bible. Perfection deals specifically with the “complete or completed” work of God in the soul of a believer.
13. Distinction between Law and Grace: We believe that right division of God’s Word is essential for all students of the Bible. The distinction between the Law of Moses given to Israel and Grace given to the Church under New Testament teaching is made within our ministry. This distinction beautifully allows us to teach the proper context of Old Testament prophecy, Christ’s earthly ministry from the Gospels, and New Testament doctrine since the death of a Savior. This right division has enabled us to bring clarification to topics like the Jew and Gentile and the distinction between the Church and Israel. The foundation of this distinction has become a great blessing for our Church and toward our discipleship.
14. Distinction between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven: We believe that within the four Gospels, during the earthly ministry of Our Lord, two Kingdoms were mentioned and confirmed by Christ. These were the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of Heaven is a promised earthly and visible Kingdom where Christ will rule tangible earth from the Throne of His father David in Jerusalem. The Kingdom of God is a heavenly and invisible Kingdom that governs the hearts of believers in Christ by the Holy Spirit. In the present Kingdom of God, Christ seated in the Throneroom awaits His future return to earth to set up His visible Kingdom in Israel.
15. The Rapture: We believe that Christ is coming back to take the Church, the Spiritual body of Christ out of this present world. This “calling out of the saints” to meet with Christ in the air is the Prelude to the Great Tribulation spoken of in the Revelation of John. The Rapture is a New Testament truth that awaits Christ’s return and will happen in the blink of an eye. Preparation for the Rapture is a clean heart provided by the truth of the Gospel message through the forgiveness of sins.
16. The Great Tribulation: We believe the Great Tribulation is a seven-year period without the mercy of God that takes place “after” the Rapture of the Church. The Great Tribulation is a prophetic truth spoken of and confirmed in Daniel’s 70-week prophecy as the last week where the Anti-Christ will confirm the covenant. The Great Tribulation was called “a time of sorrow” for Israel and spoken of by Jesus in Matthews Gospel. In the Book of Revelation the Great Tribulation is broken into (two) three and one half year time frames. During this seven-year period without God’s mercy it will be a time of sorrow that no man has ever known in the history of humanity. At that time through God’s extended plan of redemption Israel that is gathered from the four corners of the earth will accept Christ as the Promised Messiah.
17. The second coming of Christ: We believe that during the Tribulation period Christ returns in Divine Judgment to minister wrath upon the earth before the promised restoration of all things. The Bible calls this End time event the “Wrath of the Lamb”. At the end of the seven-year tribulation Satan’s Kingdom will also fall. A bodily resurrection will occur and those that rise with will visibly reign with Christ in Jerusalem as kings and priests for a thousand years. At that time the Kingdom of Heaven promised from the foundation of the world will be established as Christ visibly rules from the Throne of His father David in Israel.
18. Eternal Judgment seat of God: We believe in Heaven and Hell as Jesus himself taught and the Bible teaches. The saved and unsaved souls of men and women are rewarded or punished according to God’s Divine Judgment. Eternal rewards and eternal damnation are two subjects taught within the context of the Bible. Bodily resurrection in regards to Judgment will occur at the Rapture, the beginning of the millennial reign of Christ, and at the Great White Throne Judgment. At the end of the 1000 year reign of Christ death , hell, and the Devil himself will be cast into the sea of fire for Eternity.
19. New Testament Church structure: We believe in New Testament church structure the same as in the first century. The office of an Apostle is the same today as in the records of the New Testament after the death of a Savior. The Eldership, ordination of elders, and order in the local Church is the same today as in the early church (bishops, deacons, etc). The gifts of the Spirit operate today the same as in the early Church because Christ is still alive in the Throneroom. Speaking in tongues did not cease at the early Church because it’s the same Holy Spirit in the same body of Christ today where Christ governs from the Throneroom. According to the Bible Spiritual gifts and God given appointments concerning Church government still exist today. No records of the Bible say otherwise.
20. Fivefold ministry: Our mission to a lost world is a Spirit led mission where Christ governs from the Throneroom. A clean heart, subjection to Christ as head of the Church and obedience to the truth of the Bible allows our local body to operate under Christ’s Divine authority. Christ “gives” gifts unto men for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry. These said gifts by Divine appointment are Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, pastors, and teachers.
21. Divine Healing: Divine healing is the will of God for all humanity based on the suffering and death of a Savior. Divine Healing did not cease at the first Century Church. Christ instructed the disciples that in His name these signs shall follow. Greater works than these are done now by Christ from the Throneroom. Isaiah prophesied Divine Healing in the Old Testament records. The miracle of healing is blessing from God and only received by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
22. Truth of the Holy Scriptures: We believe the Bible is our textbook and guide within God’s ownership. Bible truth through the Gospel message is what we preach. Truth changes hearts and lives and that is our mission. The moral truth of the New Testament is a present tense truth passed down from holy men of God 2000 years ago. Prophetic truth about a Savior that stems back to God’s promise to the serpent in the Garden, Noah’s Ark and the Flood, Abraham’s promised seed, Moses and the giving of Law, etc. actually confirmed the coming Messiah and His death, burial, and resurrection. In the four Gospels Jesus quoted and confirmed Holy Scripture from the Old Testament records. Scripture has confirmed scripture through the pages of history. Many New Testament verses were quoted by the Apostles from the Old Testament. Many Prophecies concerning Christ have already been fulfilled however many prophecies concerning His Kingdom to come are still yet “unfulfilled”.
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