Our Beliefs

The Bible

The Bible is the inspired Word of God, infallible and authoritative in its writings and origin. The product of Holy men of old who spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. The New Covenant, as recorded in the New Testament, we accept as our infallible guide in matters pertaining to conduct and doctrine. It is a revelation from God to man and is superior to conscience and reason, but not contrary to reason. (2 Tim. 3:15-17; 1 Thess. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:21-25; Heb. 4:12)

The Trinity

God represents Himself to us in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These three have different functions, but are completely unified, fully divine, and make up one God, not three.
(Matthew 28:19, Luke 3:22, John 14:9, 16, John 17:3)

The Father

God the Father is in complete control of everything. He created and sustains all things, and the universe exists solely to bring Him glory. By His grace, He involves Himself in our lives and in our world, and He hears and answers our prayers, which we are able to bring to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. (Genesis 1:1, Isaiah 46:9-10, John 16:23-24, Galatians 2:4-8)

Jesus

Jesus is God. Jesus has no beginning and no end. He was there when the universe was created and will be there when it ends. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. When He came into this earth He was born to a virgin named Mary and lived a sinless life, though He was tempted in all the same ways we are. As born completely God and completely man, He willingly took the sin of the entire human race on Himself and died on a cross to free us from that sin. He was raised to life on the third day, and later ascended into Heaven where He now sits at the right hand of the Father supporting us.

(Psalms 90:2, Isaiah 43:10, Matthew 1:23, John 1:14, Acts 1:9-11, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Phillipians 2:13, Colossians 1:1-2, Hebrews 7:26, Hebrews 9:18)

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is God as Spirit. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit spoken of throughout the New Testament, beginning in Acts Chapter 2, is a gift for every Christian, and the initial evidence of receiving this baptism is speaking in tongues. In addition to this gift, the Holy Spirit works through believers in several other supernatural ways described in the Bible and called the "gift of the Spirit". (Joel 2:28, Matthew 28:19, Luke 24:29, John 14:16, Acts 1:4-8, Acts 2:4, Acts 13:1-2, Romans 8:14-16, 26-28, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, 1 Corinthians 14:26-40, 1 Corinthians 14:2,4,5,39).

Salvation-The New Birth

We have all sinned, and as sinners, we all deserve a sentence of death and eternity separated from God in Hell. But because of His love for us, Jesus came and took our punishment upon Himself, and now offers us salvation as a free gift! There is nothing we can do to earn this gift, but anyone can be saved by confessing their sins and believing in Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross and His resurrection. (Isaiah 53:1-10, Luke 8:6, John 3:16, John 10:10, Acts 4:12, Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:8-10, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 1 John 1:9)

The Church

The church is the family of God. All christians throughout the world are his sons and daughters, and together we serve as the body of Christ, both globally and locally. With Jesus leading His Church, we will glorify Him through our love for God, one another, and the world. (Luke 6:27-28, John 1:12-13, John 13:34-35, Romans 12:4-8, 1 Corinthians 12:27).

Water Baptism

Being baptized in water is a celebration of the salvation we have recieved from our Savior, Jesus, and a public ackowledgment of our commitment to serve Him with our lives. Baptism is practiced by being immersed in water, which symbolizes the death and burial of our selfish nature and our resurrection as a new creation in Christ. (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Romans 6:4-5, Colossians 2:12).

The Holy Spirit

Healing

God's desire is for all of us to be completely whole, in spirit, soul, and body. In Jesus' death on the cross, God defeated sin and death and made healing available to all believers. (Isaiah 53:4-5, Matthew 8:17, Acts 10:38, 1 Peter 2:24).

Communion- The Lord's Supper

In His last meal before His death, Jesus commanded us to remember His sacrifice by joining in the "Lord's Supper". We fulfill this command by taking the bread and the cup of communion, representing Christ's body and His blood, which He gave up for us. (Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 11:17-30, 2 Peter 1:4).

Hell and Eternal Retribution

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 the saints in the presence of God. (Hebrews 9:27 and Revelation 19:20).

Giving

In His faithfulness God gives each of us both finances and certain talents and abilities. In the Bible God commands us to give Him the first and best of all we have. The tithe, or first ten percent, is the Biblical way to allow the believer to give and to provide for the local church financially. In addition to giving financially, we are also called to use our strengths and our talents to support the work of God in the church. God promises that when we are faithful to give, He will always be faithful to provide for all our needs and to bless us in ways we could not even imagine. (Proverbs 3:9-10, Malachi 3:10-11, Matthew 23:23, Luke 11:42, Romans 12:4-8, Colossians 3:23-24, 1 Corinthians 10:1, 1 Corinthians 14:12).

Resurrection of the Just and the Return of our Lord

The angels said to the disciples of Jesus, "...the 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..." (Acts 1:11, 1 Thessalonians 3:16-17). Following the Tribulation, He shall return to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords together with His saints who shall be kings and priests and shall reign a thousands years. (Revelation 20:6)