OUR CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION
- The Trinity. This consists of the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the bible. His only begotten son God, Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. The three are co-equal and co-eternal. (John 14:9-11, 15-21, 25-26)
- The Bible is the Inerrant Word of God. The bible was verbally inspired Word of God and without mistakes as originally written. It is the road map for life and the only unfailing rule of faith and practice for Christian life. (II Timothy 3:16-17)
- Jesus Christ. The Way, the Truth and the Life. The only way to God is through His son Jesus Christ. When you see the Son, you see the Father. We believe in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, His teachings, His sin free life, His death on the cross and subsequent bodily resurrection. We believe in his ascension into heaven to the right hand of the Father and His imminent return to judge the living and the dead. (John 14:1-14; Matthew 1:20-25, 27:50, 28:1-10, 24:26-35; Mark 16:19; II Timothy 4:1)
- The Command. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second being- Love your neighbor as yourself. There are no greater commands than these. All the law and the Prophets hang on these two commands. (Mark 12:30-31; Matthew 22:37-40)
- Salvation by Grace through Faith. Our belief is that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven to judge the living and the dead. All who believe in Him are declared righteous because of His death and resurrection. This belief is a gift of God, for it is by grace that we are saved through faith and not from ourselves or by our own works. (Ephesians 1:4-9)
- Unity. We are all members of one body, Christ’s body the church, meaning all those who believe in salvation through Jesus Christ. We are God’s children made righteous and co-heirs with Chris set free and apart from the law of sin and death; and we will have eternal life. (Ephesians 5:29,30; Romans 8:2, 8:15-17; I Corinthians 1:30, II Timothy 2:10)
- The Great Commission. We believe in the standing orders of the last words of Jesus Christ before His departure from earth and ascension into heaven. That is, The Great Commission which Jesus said to his disciples to spread the Good News to all nations – baptizing new believers and teaching them to obey everything He commanded. (Matthew 28:18-20)
- The Beatitudes. From the Sermon on the Mount, Christ gave us eight directives leading us on our journey through life. These statements have never rang truer than in our own times.
THE BEATITUDES
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:1-12
Spiritual Warfare
If the fight is NOT with flesh and blood, then understanding spiritual warfare requires effective prayer in continual dialogue with God through the power of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is the greatest gift God has given His children to overcome and take back all the enemy has stolen.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6: 10-20
Our Divine Assignment
The Great Commission
These were Jesus’ last words before his departure from earth and ascension into heaven. This has been His standing orders found in the Bible- Matthew 28: 16-20 a commission to his disciples to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ – baptizing new believers and teaching them to obey everything he commanded. The Bible is the source of our Good News Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Disciples of Jesus Christ
Throughout the ages, this mandate has stood and withstood the test of time for all nations. For the gift of salvation never ceases. As current day Disciples of Jesus Christ it continues to be our assignment and purpose in life. For these words came before our existence and will continue after our existence on earth. Any true believer who grasps what the Christian life is really all about desires to fulfill God’s plan for their life. And all followers are assigned the task of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Each of us have been bestowed with certain gifts and talents, and as we continue on our journey as believers our purpose in His plan becomes more clearly defined. We are called to be set apart and we belong to Jesus Christ.
Our Mandate
Requires Surrender
If you are a believer who belongs to Jesus Christ and surrenders to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, then you are a true disciple of Christ. True disciples allow Christ to live His life through them. Christ warned us that this is a costly position and to consider ahead of time what is involved. It becomes a matter of surrender to the love of our Heavenly Father. This is a surrender that surpasses all other relationships in our lives, all other needs and desires. A complete surrender of our life. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brother and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26 (NIV) “Hate” is a strong word; the Greek bible translation actually means “to love less.” What all this means is that in order to be true disciples of Jesus Christ our love for Him surpasses our attachments to the most precious things in our life and we obey Him even at the cost of being misunderstood. This complete surrender is faith in His will for our lives here and in eternity and our reward is greater than we can possibly imagine.
Requires Service
It is not about “me,” it is about something far greater than myself, it is about my obedience to God and His Master Plan. God will never ask us to do something contrary to scripture or inconsistent with Jesus’ life. The assignment He gives us may be misunderstood by the eyes of the world, but if Holy Spirit led it will be compatible with biblical teaching and God’s will. We are to ask ourselves, “To what am I attached?” There is nothing wrong with enjoying relationships or belongings as long as possessions and emotional attachment do not supersede our Heavenly Father in importance. The question is, “Are we led by our material needs and desires or are we led by our divine Creator?” We are Disciples for Christ and in this Commission we must be available to do whatever God says and to go wherever He directs, regardless of what His choice may be. Detached from the world and attached to Christ – not to possessions, ideologies, or relationships.
