We Believe

The Scriptures

The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are verbally and plenarily inspired Word of God. The Bible is God-breathed, inerrant, and infallible (2 Tim. 3:16). God the Holy Spirit used holy men through the process of inspiration to write every word (2 Pet. 1:20- 21, Matt. 4:4). The Bible is our sole and final authority.

God gave His Word with the promise to preserve it for every generation (Ps. 12:6-7, Is. 40:8). We believe the King James Bible is the Word of God for the English-speaking people. The Bible is just as true, relevant, and profitable today as it was when it was written in the original manuscripts.

God

We believe there is one true God. God reigns supreme in heaven and earth. God consists of three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These three form the Godhead. Each person is equal yet different in their works. Though differing in works, their goal of redemption remains the same (Ex. 20:2-3, 1 Cor. 8:6, II Cor. 13:14, Rev. 4:11).

The Person and Work of Christ

Jesus Christ left Heaven to become a man yet, never ceased to be God. Christ was miraculously conceived in the virgin Mary by the Holy Ghost. Christ gave up His place in Heaven to pay sins penalty for all mankind in all times (John 1:1-2, Luke 1:35, Isaiah 9:6, I Peter 1:3-5). After three days in the grave, Christ arose and ascended into Heaven. Back in Heaven, Christ sits at the right hand of God as man's Intercessor (Acts 1:9-10, Hebrews 9:24).

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Ghost was sent to man after the ascension of Christ. The Holy Ghost was sent to be Comforter (John 14:26), One Who reproves (John 16:7-8), One which dwells in the Believer (I Corinthians 3:16), a Guide to all truth (John 16:13), and giver of spiritual gifts (I Corinthians 12:7-11).

Salvation & Security of the Believer

Salvation from eternal punishment is only received one way, through Jesus Christ (John.14:6). A person must recognize that he is a sinner, repent of his sins, realize that Christ died to pay his payment on the cross, and must ask God to forgive him of his sins and be his Savior. A person must trust Christ, and Christ alone, for his salvation, He is the only way (Acts 4:12).

No one must “get their life right” before approaching God for salvation. Man needs a Savior because man cannot get their lives right by themselves. However, when one does receive Christ, their life (works) should change (Ephesians 2:8-10). Salvation is repentance from sin and faith towards God (1 Thessalonians 1:9, Acts 20:21). Repentance is visible because the change on the inside will lead to a change on the outside. It is not the prayer that saves the sinner, it is the repentance of the heart for wrong done towards God and accepting God’s plan for salvation as the only way to Heaven. Once salvation is received, it cannot be lost (John 10:28).

Sin

Sin entered the world when Lucifer refused God as the One, True God and convinced Eve to sin (Isaiah 14:12-15; Genesis 3:1-6). The introduction of sin to the human race led all to be born with a sin nature in need of a Savior to gain access to Heaven (Romans 5:12-18).

The Church

The New Testament church is a local assembly of baptized believers who have voluntarily joined themselves together to carry out the Great Commission. The Lord’s work is being accomplished through the congregates of the local church. The establishment of the New Testament Church and its continuing in our day is taught in Scripture (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Tit. 1:5-11).

We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control. Christ is the only head of the church (Acts 13:1-4, 20:28; Rom. 16:1, 4; I Pet. 5:1-4).

Ordinances of the Local Church

We recognize the ordinances of baptism by immersion in water and the Lord’s Supper as a Scriptural means of testimony for local churches in this age (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42, 18:18; I Cor. 11:23-26).

Personality of Satan

Satan was banished from heaven upon his thinking he was as good or better than Almighty God (Isaiah 14:13-15). Upon his banishment from heaven, he has sought to hunt down and destroy those willing to give their life to Christ (I Peter 5:8). While smart and able to attack us at our greatest weaknesses (James 1:13-15), Satan must give way when God is called (Romans 8:31). Satan will continually (until God permanently deals with him) attempt to ruin the lives of Christians, restrain sinners from receiving Christ, and offer false doctrines to those looking for answers.

The Eternal State

Every man will spend eternity in Heaven or Hell (Matthew 25:46).

Those who have repented of their sin and called upon Christ as Savior will enjoy Heaven with God for all eternity (II Corinthians 5:8, John 3:16, Titus 2:11).

Those who have refused Christ's finished work on the cross and payment for sin, will suffer in a Godless Hell in payment for their own sins (Revelation 20:15, Matthew 7:21-23).

The Second Coming of Christ

Christ will return at a time and place we will not know (Mark 13:32).

His return will be premillennial and pre-tribulation. His return will be bodily, personally, and visibly, "this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:7-11).

Christ will rapture His church before the seven years of tribulation. At the end of the tribulation period, Christ will return with those who have received Him to begin His thousand-year reign on earth (I Thessalonians 4:13-17, Titus 2:13, Revelation 3:10).

The Millennium

Concluding the Great Tribulation will be the triumphant return of Christ with His saints, beginning His thousand-year reign on earth. God will cast Satan into a bottomless pit for this reign. After this thousand-year period, Satan will be loosed for "...a little season." During the Millennial reign of Christ, those who had died with Christ will live again to reign with Christ. Those who died without Christ will not live again until after the Millennial reign is finished, where they will stand before the great white throne judgment (Revelation 20:1-15).

The Great Commission

(Matthew 28:16-20) The Great Commission is to all and for all believers of Jesus Christ. As it is impossible for one person to tell the whole world the Gospel, we must all do our part of the commission.

1. We are commanded to "go" - We as individuals are commanded to go to where the lost are whether across the street or across the world. - We as a church are commanded to go where the lost are by sending others in our stead where we cannot go.

2. We are commanded to "preach" - We have a mandate to preach the Gospel. Not our own gospel, not our own version of the Gospel, but the unchanging story of Jesus Christ's sacrifice for all sin. - We have a mandate to give the Gospel to every person. We are not to be selective to whom we give the Gospel. Meaning, we do not withhold knowledge of the Gospel due to personal preference, peer pressure, political powers, or any other reason.

Angels

Angels were created by God (Col. 1:16). They are obedient to God (Matt. 6:10). Though they have great power (Rev. 18:1,21), their power comes from the Creator. Angels were created higher than man yet lower than God (Heb. 2:7-9). Angels differ from man in that they never needed forgiveness from sins. While they celebrate when one receives Christ as Savior, they will never know the joy of being redeemed.