I. The Holy Scriptures: The Word of God
A. We believe the Bible to be the inspired Word of God (2 Tim 3:16); The author is the Holy Spirit, who used chosen men as His instruments: it is Jewish in origin and by ordination (2 Peter ; Romans 9-12) The bible is clearly inerrant, as its Author cannot lie. (Psalms 19:7; 119:142; Mt 5:18) God promised to and has preserved His Word (Psalm 2:6-7; 119;89) The Bible is the authority for the Christian and others. Our lives are to be guided by it and we are to fill our hearts with it.( Deuteronomy 6:6; Romans 15:4, 1; Corinthians 10:11). I believe the King James Bible, the Authorized Version 1611 to be God's Word preserved perfectly and without error or flaw in English; without the need for further translation.
b) We believe God reveals his truth to us through the Scriptures (Psalms 19:8; II Peter 1:19) The Bible is complete and applicable to every area of our lives.
c) The Holy Scriptures were clearly intended "To the Jew first.." The promises, covenants, oracles, Messiah , Salvation, Redemption and Sanctification belong first to the Jew (Romans 8-11). In the Book of Acts this is exactly the obedience and surrender shown by the Apostle Paul of Tarsus and the other apostles consistently.
II.
Characteristics of God
III
.Christ: The Messiah made Manifest
A. Incarnation: Christ was God-made-Man, God manifest in the flesh, not half-man; half God, but fully God and fully Man in Mystery. (I Tim 3: 1?) He was born of a Virgin through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit in the Will of God and fulfilled every prophecy (Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 53; Gn 49:10 etc) (See Messianic Prophecies)
B. Atonement: He was Crucified and gave His blood as payment of ALL sin; ordained since the foundation of the World, promised since the Fall of Man. ( John 19: 17-18)
C. As our High Priest, He took His blood to the mercy Seat in Heaven to make the final atonement (Hebrews 9:24-28); He was High Priest and remains so in the Order of Melchisedek.
D. He was the sacrificial Lamb of God (Hebrews 9:11-12; Jn 1:29).
E. Resurrection " After a horrifying death on a Roman Cross, in three days time, Jesus Christ rose from from the Dead according to the will and word of His Father. (Ps 16:10), he could not see corruption.
F. Christ as Mediator: He now sits on the right hand of the Father and intercedes for believers (Heb7:25)
G. Unity of the Godhead: Christ and His Father are One (Jn 17)
H.Christ is The Light & The Life:True life is found only in Him. (John 6, 11:35)
(See Names and Offices of Christ)
IV.The Holy Spirit:
A. "For there are three that bear record in heaven: the Father, the
Word and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one. (1 John 5:7) [The
Third Person of the Trinity]
"But God hath revealed them unto us
by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of
God. (1 Cor 2:10) [Searches & Reveals; Makes known God's
Word/will.]
II Peter 1:11 "searching where or what manner of
time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify when it testified
at hand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow."[
Lifts up and points to Christ: Makes His Suffering and Resurrection Power
Known.]
"The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the
Almightly hath given me life."[Creative agent of Life]
"And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of the Waters." [Creative Agent of
the Earth/Universe]
While there is disagreement in the body of Christ about the workings of the Holy Spirit, there is absolute admonition to "Quench not the Holy Spirit" and "Forbid not to Speak in Tongues" in the Inerrant Word. The Holy Spirit is the manifest Power of God and may never be called unholy (xxxxx) or blasphemed. We believe in the gifts, the power, the leading, the calling and the fruits of the Holy Spirit as outlined in Scripture. We believe that careful discernment is called for in this Day and time regarding the Workings of the Holy Spirit as there are many emulations; but that an equal error to dismiss the power and Holiness of God as for another time (Joel 2; Hebrews : xxx) We ascribe to the admonition in scripture to let all things be done decently and in order; and that all manifestations of the Holy Spirit are to be done in agreement with the Word of God which does not change.
Tongues & Gifts
This area of Scripture is highly
divisive but would not be if scripture was strictly adhered to and if Man
kept personal carnal doctrines and traditions apart. We believe that Jesus
Christ is the Same, yesterday, today and tommorrow and that His Holy
Spirit, the Comforter is the manifestation of Emmanuel, God with Us: the
Glory of God tabernacling in and with us. A God without power was never a
dispensational age. Likewise, the Word of God was not for a season: there
are no post-biblical revelations which would in any way depart from or add
to scripture, and this is a most serious point. We maintain that the work
of the Holy Spirit for the unbeliever, is draw him to Jesus Christ, the
ensign of Salvation (John 16:8). It is the Holy Spirit that convicts all
of sin and points the unsaved to the Cross (John 16:13) The Holy Spirit
has many different offices for the Christian. Among them are The Comforter
(John 14:26); the Power to Witness(Acts 1:8), the Anointer (I John xx);
the One who brings to remembrance all Jesus said (John 14:26); and the
Healing and Power in Prayer, Praise Thanksgiving and unifying of the Body
of Christ. One of the main Characteristics of the Holy Spirit is that He
will ALWAYS glorify Jesus Christ, not himself (John 16:13-14)
V.
Eternal Security
When we sing , "Jesus Paid it All"; we have encapsulated the foundation and basis of our faith. We believe with Scripture that "all our good deeds are filthy rags" and that salvation is totally and completely by faith in what Jesus has done on Calvary, and that we are insufficient to in any way bring about our own salvation through works, deeds or words. We believe that Jesus did not just open up the possibility of Heaven where good works are also required, but that he opened Heaven for all time to the believer as the Great Deliverer. Only Jesus at the appointed time could reverse the Curse of the Fall of Man; only Jesus by His atonement could ever pay the full price for Sin. We believe that Works-Salvation, wherein one is posited to first believe and then keep 'being good' to get to heaven is heresy: that good works follow faith and belief, they do not bring about Salvation: we are only kept in fullness and in power by Christ through the Holy Spirit; and even our acts of obedience which follow do not 'buy' our salvation. The battle on this earth is not between good and evil, but between Belief and Unbelief.
VI. End Times
The Tribulation
At the end of time there will be a 7 year Great Tribulation which will exact upon the Earth the Day of Wrath prophesied in Scripture for the cruelty and Sin of the Earth, in those who reject Salvation and forgiveness.. At the end of this time, and a series of events, Christ will literally return, Satan will be bound, and Christ will set up a 1000 year (Millenial) Reign on this Earth, followed by a futile war and then a new Heavens and New Earth. (The New Jerusalem)The Millenial Reign of Christ
both Jew and Gentile believe in the Messiah and the Old and New Testament both explicate a 1000 year reign of the Messiah. (Christ is the word for Messiah in Greek)While there are views that we are beyond this period (post-millenialism) or that this period is either non-existent or metaphorical in which the Church takes the proxy for Christ on Earth (amillenialism); we hold to Pre-Millenialism: that the Word requires the perfect completion of prophesied events; that there will be a literal return of the Reigning, Powerful Messiah and that he will rule from David's Throne with a rod of [benevolent] iron. (Psalms, Revelation)
Pre-, Post, or Mid-Tribulation Rapture
One man when asked whether he was Pre-trib (belief that Christ will call his Church home before the 7 years) Post-Trib (at the end) or Mid-trib (in the Middle) said that he was "pan-trib". When asked what that position was he replied, I believe that there will be a tribulation, there will be a rapture, and that it will all pan out in the end." While we lean pre-trib, we do not believe it will be faith-shaking to find differently. Please don't write: we know the scriptures regarding this: we believe believers may cautiously discuss the timing without being heretical as long as they do not go beyond the limits of scripture; and that agape love allows us all to assess where we stand on this less-defined position. Part of the problem is in person's definitionof the Church: the visible Church is not the fullness of true believers, as we have all found out. There will no doubt be Sunday services during the tribulation.
VII.The Jews
The Jews of today are the direct descendants of the Hebrew Nation of Scripture; the Chosen People of God; set apart to bear His Glory (with or without their cooperation or belief), to inherit His Covenants and promises; to be the oracles of God (Preachers and Prophets); to inherit Salvation and the Messiah, and all the goodness of God. They are preserved of God. All come to Salvation alike , through belief in Messiah. The Jewish people because of hardness of heart are partially in slumber so that the fullness of the Gentiles may come to God, and they will be grafted in again in fullness; for now only a remnant. In the Mystery and timing of God all Israel shall be Saved. Our salvation is meant to provoke them to jealousy to take back what is rightfully theirs. We are admonished not to boast against them, for they are the root, we are merely grafted in . (Romans 9-12) We have an obligation and ministry to the Jewish People to show Mercy, Grace and Messiah, and to Protect what remains of Israel.
VIII. Heaven & Hell
We believe in a literal, not figurative Heaven and Hell. Heaven is the dwelling place of God; it is where we will spend eternity: it takes the characteristics described as the NEW JERUSALEM. While scriptures may explain heaven in terms we understand; i.e. 'many mansion's ; it is clear that it is a place of love, praise, thanks, perfection and the righting of every wrong. We will dwell there in the presence of God forever, in utter contentment and self-less love, known as we are known. (Isaiah xx; Revelation 19-22) We will be transfigured to become a partaker of the Divine nature [II Peter 1] in a manner fit for eternity.Hell is not the consequence of evil behavior only, it is the consequence of Choice. Earth is a place of trial and tribulation: there is a battle for the souls of man that has gone on since the beginning. We either look and believe in the salvation, or healing God has afforded us through Christ, or choose belief in anything else. When we make choices apart from God, we design our own fate. Hell is a place of torment [Mark 9:43] of suffering beyond measure and without end ['where the worm dieth not]; it is described in terms of fire, burning and brimstone [Revelation 14:10] and most critically, it is eternity without God {Luke 16:25] and without the ability to change that state. It is also eternal. The path away from Hell is described as narrow, that few find. [John 10] The natural mind dismisses concepts of Heaven and Hell and seeks carnal and superficial afterlife concepts in which all but the very evil end up in Heaven: this is a dangerous concept.