Statement of Faith
Scripture
* The King James Bible is Scripture and is our final authority as it is the inspired, infallible Book of God: made up of 39 individual Books in the Old Testament and 27 individual Books in the New Testament. Scripture refers to words, not to thoughts and/or concepts. These words were originally given in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek and have been preserved for us in the Masoretic Hebrew Old Testament text and the Textus Receptus Greek New Testament text underlying the Authorized King James Bible which is a perfect translation and without error. (Deuteronomy 8:3, Psalm 12:6-7, II Tim. 3:16, II Peter 1:20-21) * All new versions are based upon the corrupt Vatican text (Codex Vaticanus). As such, the new versions are condemned by God (2 Corinthians 2:17) and those promoting the new versions face the judgment of God (Revelation 22:18-19). The copyright and ownership of these new versions (Proverbs 23:23, 1 Thessalonians 2:13) is a sin against the Author and a crime against the body of Christ and the entire lost human race. (Proverbs 30:6) * The Scriptures are to be rightly divided (2 Timothy 2:15), taking the context into consideration in light of the historical setting (Isaiah 28:10-13, Nehemiah 8:8) and the intent of the Author (Mark 12:13, 2 Peter 3:16). This is the Dispensational method of Biblical interpretation.
Theology
* There is one true God Who is revealed in Scripture as three eternal persons in one godhead – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There are not three “gods” but one God in three persons. (Matt. 28:19, II Cor. 13:14, 1 John 5:7)
* In Adam mankind fell into sin. All are born in sin and all have committed sin and are condemned as sinners, with the single exception of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, Romans 5:12, 1 Corinthians 15:22)
* The Law cannot save but is given as a schoolmaster to teach us of our need of salvation. Therefore, all men being sinners and lost must be born again in order to be saved and have everlasting life. (Exodus 20:1-17, Galatians 3:24-25, John 3:3-7)
* Salvation is by grace through faith alone in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Works cannot save us, cannot assist in our salvation and cannot help to keep us saved. We are kept saved by the power God. (John 3:16, Romans 6:23, Romans 8:33-34, Romans 5:8-9, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Ephesians 2:8-10, I Tim. 2:5, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 1:5)
* The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation. Faith is the gift of God and comes by hearing the word of God which regenerates the sinner at the very moment he or she willfully believes the Gospel. (Romans 1:16, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Hebrews 12:4, James 1:21, Revelation 22:17)
The Church
* All those who have repented, having truly believed the Gospel of Jesus Christ for eternal salvation, are eternally saved and shall never perish. (John 10:27-30, Romans 8:1)
* Once saved, believers are commanded to join a local, autonomous body of born again Christians for fellowship, prayer, edification, collections of tithes and offerings, mutual love, singing of songs, hymns and spiritual songs and Bible study. Believers are to meet each Sunday and on as many other occasions as there is opportunity for fellowship and ministry. (John 20:19, Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2, Hebrews 10:25)
* Jesus Christ instituted two ordinances for local churches: baptism and Lord’s Supper (communion). (Matthew 26:26-28, Matthew 28:19)
* Baptism is for believers only and is to be by immersion picturing the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and proclaiming the death of the old man being raised to new life in Christ. Baptism does not save the individual except in the sense of which Peter speaks in that it saves us figuratively as it speaks outwardly of the inward change we experience in the new birth. (Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10, John 3:23, Acts 8:36-39, Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12)
* The Lord’s Supper (communion) is a memorial as the bread remains bread and the wine remains wine when consumed by the believer. The Lord’s Supper is observed in remembrance of the broken body of Jesus Christ on the Cross and His shed bled. Jesus used unleavened bread depicting His sinless life as the spotless Lamb of God. Jesus used the wine of the Passover meal and in fulfillment of the Old Testament drink offering, picturing His pure blood to be shed at Calvary, for the life is in the blood. Each local body of believers is at liberty to celebrate the Lord’s Supper during regular services or during meals (love feasts) and as often as the Lord leads, with no Biblical mandate for weekly Communion or any other set calendar for the observance of this memorial. We do not use sugary, sweet grape juice, which destroys the picture presented in communion. Our communion wine is non-alcoholic and our bread is the unleavened matzah, pierced and baked. (Exodus 12:1-20, Leviticus 17:11, Matthew 26:17, Mark 14:1-2, 12-17 & 22-26, 1 Corinthians 5:7, 1 Corinthians 11:26)
* The Holy Spirit is active in the world today, as well as in the life of the believer, gifting and equipping the saints for their ministries. The Apostolic sign gifts ended with the death of the last Apostle. (John 14:16, Acts 1:8) The signs of an apostle (tongues, miracles, gift of healing, etc.) were given in the early church to confirm the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, to Israel. With Israel rejecting the Messiah and His Gospel, and having been temporarily set aside, the sign gifts no longer serve their Biblical purpose and apostolic office is no longer legitimately held, today. The unbiblical, counterfeit of the office of apostle and the apostolic sign gifts are used of Satan to deceive and will be counterfeited for that same purpose by the False Prophet ,during the coming time of great tribulation known as Daniel’s 70th Week, to cause the world to worship Antichrist and receive his mark. (Mark 16:17-20, 1 Corinthians 1:22 and 14:22, 2 Corinthians 12:12, 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12, Revelation 2:2, Revelation 13:11-16)
*God is still on the throne and prayer changes things, but His infallible Book (King James Version) remains the judge of all claims of “signs and wonders” and we reject the modern ecumenical Charismatic movement as a deception of Lucifer. Miracles still happen, God still heals according to His will and nothing is impossible for Him to do. But God is not taking orders from His children and cannot be manipulated by charlatan preachers. (Hebrews 13:8-9, 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12, James 5:15, 2 Peter 2:1-3)
Religious Liberty
*God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are contrary to His Word or not contained in it. Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by the state more than others. Civil government being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the revealed will of God. The church should not resort to the civil power to carry on its work. The gospel of Christ contemplates spiritual means alone for the pursuit of its ends. The state has no right to impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind. The state has no right to impose taxes for the support of any form of religion. A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies the right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all men, and the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by the civil power. (Genesis 1:27; 2:7; Matthew 6:6-7,24; 16:26; 22:21; John 8:36; Acts 4:19-20; Romans 6:1-2; 13:1-7; Galatians 5:1,13; Philippians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; James 4:12; 1 Peter 2:12-17; 3:11-17; 4:12-19.)
The Last Things
* All Christians, living or dead, will be glorified and translated (Raptured) into the presence of Jesus Christ and taken to Heaven before the Great Tribulation begins. (I Cor. 15:51-53, Col. 3:4, I Thessalonians 4:13-18, I Thessalonians 5:1-5, Revelation 4:1)
* The Time of Great Tribulation that follows the Rapture begins when Israel signs a World Peace Covenant (treaty) with Antichrist. This is the 70th week of Daniel, as prophesied in Daniel 9:25-27 and spoken of by Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:15. That “abomination of desolation” takes place 3 1/2 years into the Tribulation and at that mid-point of the seven years, Antichrist will enter into the Temple (rebuilt and offering blood sacrifice in continued rejection of the blood of Jesus Christ) and cause “the oblation to cease”, setting himself up as God in an ultimate act of blasphemy. God will pour out His wrath on the world and upon rebellious Israel and return at the end of seven years to save a remnant in Israel for His Kingdom. The Church is never mentioned during this time and is not appointed to this day of wrath. All who accept the mark of the Beast are eternally damned. (Isaiah 29:14-19, Daniel 9:25-27, Joel 3:1-2, Jeremiah 30:7, Matthew 24:21-31, Romans 11:25-27, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-5, Revelation 13:16-17, Revelation 14:9-11, Revelation 16:2)
* God’s promises to Israel will be fulfilled in the Millennium (Kingdom Age). (Ezekiel 36, Isaiah 2:1-4, Isaiah 11, Isaiah 55:12-13)
* Jesus Christ will reign from Jerusalem for one thousand years. This Millennial Kingdom will end with one final rebellion, after Satan is loosed and allowed to gather his own for final judgment. (Matt. 24:30, Rev. 20:1-6, Isa. 65:17-25, Revelation 20:1-3, Revelation 20:7-15)
* There is a literal eternal Heaven and a literal eternal Hell of very real flames and torment. At the end of the Great White Throne Judgment of unbelievers, Hell will be cast into the Lake of Fire where the wicked will suffer for ever. (John 14:2, Luke 16:19-31, II Cor. 5:1-10, Revelation 20:12-15)
