1. GOD
 

2. BIBLE
 

The whole Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God, containing His plan of salvation, and the record of His participation in history. The Bible is many things, but most specifically it is God's revelation of certain knowledge and principles that man cannot discover for himself. It is the foundation of knowledge, and the guidebook of life. The Old and New Testaments comprise God's written Word, which forms the basis of Christianity as is taught by the church, and as is practiced by the Christian.

Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4; John 17:17; Romans 8:16; I Corinthians 2:7-11; II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20

3. JESUS CHRIST
 

Jesus of Nazareth is The Christ, The Son of God, and The Son of Man. He was the prophesied Messiah of the Old Testament, and is described in the New Testament as being fully human, and fully divine. As the second member of the God family, He has existed throughout eternity as “The Word." He was, by his own testimony, the Lord of the Old Testament, and also The One by whom God the Father created the physical universe. He divested Himself of this power and His majesty, and became a human being, to die for the sins of all mankind as our loving and merciful Savior. He was then resurrected, and ascended to heaven to become our High Priest. Jesus Christ shall return to establish the Kingdom of God on Earth, and rule as King of kings with His saints.

Deuteronomy 18:15; Matthew 17:15-17; John 1:1-14; 3:16; 8:58; Acts 2:32-33; Romans 5:8; Philippians 2:7; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:2; 4:14-15; Revelation 1:13-16

4. THE HOLY SPIRIT
 

The Holy Spirit is the essence, power, mind, and spiritual extension of God. God begets Christians as His sons and daughters through this Spirit. The Holy Spirit as described in the book of Acts has the  capacity to strengthen Christians spiritually, convert minds, and give an earnest of the guarantee of eternal life. This, as Paul explains in Galatians, is done by enabling both God the Father, and Jesus Christ to project themselves into us, including us in that unique relationship which we term the Family of God.

 
Acts 1:8; 2:38; Romans 8:9, 14; I Corinthians 2:16; Ephesians 1:13-14, Galatians 2:20

 5. TALENTS, FRUITS, AND GIFTS

 
The Bible clearly teaches that every person is given certain natural talents, which each of us is responsible to nurture and develop as opportunity affords. Much of our portion in eternity will hinge on how we handle this responsibility. In addition, upon receipt of the Holy Spirit, there are certain traits of character called fruits, which all Christians should expect to increasingly manifest. Finally there is given from time to time, as God allows, certain unique gifts. We recognize the presence of all three of these elements. In accordance with this recognition we encourage activities and study, which enhance the development of these talents, fruits, and gifts as a right objective. For the same reason we oppose all dysfunctional and destructive behaviors, which operate in opposition to such development.

 
Matthew 25:15-28; I Corinthians 3:11-14; 12:4-11; Galatians 5:22-23

6. MANKIND

 
Humans are physical beings with no inherent immortality, but are imbued with creative thinking, and choice making capacities. These capacities can be conveyed to, and shared with others, in a manner which is distinctly unique and different from creatures who are merely animalistic in nature. Further, humans can receive eternal life as a free gift from God. Humans were created by God to be wholly flesh and blood, yet in God's image, and with a spiritual component added to their brain to compose the human mind. All humans, regardless of race or sex, are equal in both ancestry and potential future, and there is no distinction between races or sexes, in the spiritual fellowship of the body of Christ.

 
Genesis 1:26-27; Job 32:8; I Corinthians 2:11; I John 5:11-13

7. ANGELIC REALM

God has created powerful spirit beings as His agents and messengers. Since man's creation, these spirit beings, characterized in the Bible as including angels, cherubim, and seraphim, have functioned as ministering spirits to help mankind attain salvation. Like man, angels have free moral agency. Although created to help God, some of them -- led by Satan the devil -- rebelled against God's government, thereby transforming themselves into demons.

 
Psalm 91:11-12; Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 28; Ephesians 6:12; Hebrews 1:7

8. SALVATION

 
Salvation is the means by which God, through Christ, saves human kind from the death penalty of sin, and gives in its place eternal life. This process includes one's calling, repentance, baptism, justification, receiving of the Holy Spirit, life of faith and obedience, and final acceptance into God's Kingdom as a spirit being; through either change at Christ’s return, or the resurrection from the dead. Salvation is a freely given gift from God through grace, and cannot be taken away by others; it can, however, be lost by commission of sins from which the person is unwilling to turn.

 
Matthew 16:27; John 3:16-17; Romans 6:23; I Corinthians 15; Ephesians 2:8-9;

Hebrews 6:1-6

9. FAITH

Faith is an essential facet of human existence, without which no mathematical theorem, scientific finding, or activity of life can exist. In the religious arena faith is the sure knowledge that God exists, that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him, and that He will accomplish those things He has promised. Faith in Christ as God's Son and in His atoning sacrifice is necessary for salvation. The faith of Jesus Christ, operating within the converted mind, is an essential part of the Christian experience. The basic elements of expressing religious faith are courage, action, and risk.

 
Romans 1:17; 10:17; Ephesians 3:17; Hebrews 11:1-6; Galatians 2:20; James 2:22-24

10. REPENTANCE

Repentance is the act of acknowledging one's sins, resolving to turn from them, asking for forgiveness, and therefore, resolving to fully obey God in the future. It is a process of conscious, deliberate change from ways antagonistic to the will of God, to a willing, understanding conformity to His will. This process of repentance begins when God opens one's mind to see God's love, and the enormity of sin; which is the breaking of His law. True repentance is the first step toward reconciliation with God, and thereby is an essential step on the road toward ultimate salvation. As God through various means, continually shows us new areas of change, upon which we need to be acting. It is also an ongoing process.

Acts 2:38; 3:19-21; 8:22; I John 3:4; Mark 1:14-15; Isaiah. 55:6-8

11. BAPTISM

The sacrament of water baptism is performed by immersion, for the forgiveness of sins, upon true initial repentance and acceptance of Christ's sacrifice. It is an outward public expression of an inner transformation, called by some begettal and by others being “born again,” which has ideally already begun. The performance and methodology of this sacrament is not, therefore, critical to the end result. After this ceremony, and normally as a result, one receives the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. Baptism symbolizes the renunciation of the past sinful way of life, the burial of the old man in a watery grave, and the emergence of a new, Spirit-led man living with Christ's mind, and following in His footsteps.

Matthew 3:13-16; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-8; Colossians 2:12

12. LAYING ON OF HANDS

The laying on of hands is an act performed on special occasions, such as for the receiving of God's Holy Spirit after baptism, at occasions of ordination, anointing of the sick, or for other special purposes.  It is in some circumstances a symbolic recognition of what has already transpired on another plane, and a witness to all interested parties that a change has indeed occurred.

Matthew 19:13-15; Acts 6:5-6; 8:17-18; 13:3; I Timothy 4:14; Hebrews 6:2

13. KINGDOM OF GOD

The Kingdom of God is that over which God directly exercises governmental authority. It includes a future world-ruling government to be set up on earth by Christ at His return, with Jesus as King; and the resurrected or changed spirit-composed saints, in positions of co-rulership with Him. The Kingdom of God -- referred to in many Old Testament prophecies --- is also mentioned in the New Testament.  It was preached by John the Baptist and then by Jesus Christ.

Jesus explained the "good news" (or gospel) that the Kingdom was at hand in His own person. This illustrates that the Kingdom is to begin in pre-millennial times by the conquest of our human nature, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  This message was then preached by Christ's Apostles, and His church, for many years before being supplanted in some quarters by a message which is more focused on the person of Christ, and an emphasis on grace as the primary aspect of God’s plan.

We as a Church fellowship feel, that while both grace and the kingdom, are part of the Christian message, the expression of Christian love is the paramount element.  The Kingdom of God is presently composed of those over whom God, through Christ, as High Priest, exercises rulership today.  This Kingdom shall be expanded in scope, by the establishment on Earth, of a world-ruling theocratic civil government for a thousand years, following Christ's return. The ultimate manifestation of the Kingdom of God will occur when New Jerusalem and God the Father come down out of heaven to dwell on the New Earth.

Daniel. 2:44; Mark 1:14-15; Revelation 5:10; 20:4; 21:1-3, 7, 10

14. CIVIL AUTHORITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Christians are to be in the world but not of the world. We understand this to mean that we are to be avoiding being partakers of those activities, not in accordance with God's word. We understand that, like Paul, we enjoy dual citizenship, and should therefore act as good and obedient citizens, so long as this does not bring us into conflict with obedience to God's laws. It is, therefore, proper that we should as individuals, be prepared to vote on matters put before us, participate in discussions on public matters affecting us, and serve as opportunity presents itself in civil positions. It also means that as a congregation, we should assist the needy, and help in times of disaster as resources allow.

Matthew 5:14; John 17:8-17; Titus 3:1

15. GOSPEL

The gospel is the good news, preached by and about the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. It is to be heralded throughout the world as a witness to tell of salvation through Christ now, and about God's coming Kingdom, which is the restoration of His government on Earth; and how mankind can enter that Kingdom. It includes the message of what Jesus has done, is doing, and shall do. Ultimately it is the message of the entire Old and New Testaments. A primary purpose and commission of the church, is to share in this heralding process, as evidenced by Jesus Christ’s command to "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.''

Matthew 3:2; 24:14; 28:19-20; Mark 1:15; Luke 24:47; I Corinthians. 15:3-7

16. THE FLOCK

 
Concurrent with the responsibility to go into all the world, preaching the gospel; is the injunction not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, to be edified, and to grow in grace and knowledge. Christ instructed Peter to "feed the flock" and Paul emphasized the maintenance of strong and vigorous congregations. We are to be "lights to the world," which means that we must commit ourselves to programs and activities which will both edify, and strengthen the brethren, as well as serve our local communities and country

 
John 21:17; Romans 14:19; I Corinthians 12:8; I Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 10:25; II Peter 1:2-8; 3:18

17. RESURRECTIONS

The hope of all mankind and the promise to the Christian is the resurrection from the dead. The Bible refers to (1) the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the firstborn from the dead and the pioneer of our salvation; (2) the resurrection of the saints -- called the "first resurrection" -- at the return of Christ when the true believers shall become spirit-composed members of God's family; (3) the resurrection back to physical life of all who have ever died without having understood God's way, for their first opportunity for salvation; and (4) the resurrection of the incorrigibly wicked -- those who have refused to repent and have rejected God's way -- to be consumed in the lake of fire (called the "second death"). The Bible also chronicles the occurrences of the miraculous revivals to physical life, of individuals in the past, who were known to have died.

John 5:28-29; Acts 2:32; Romans 8:11; I Corinthians 15:20; I Thessalonians 4:13-17; Revelation 20:4-6, 13-14

18. JUDGMENT

The time of one's judgment is the time of one's opportunity for salvation: This time extends from one's calling by God, until his or her death (or the instantaneous change to spirit, at Christ's return). Those who shall qualify for God's Kingdom -- the overwhelming majority -- shall inherit eternal life, and those who deliberately reject God's way shall be consumed in the lake of fire.

Judgment is upon us now if we are converted. Our judgment should be principally of ourselves rather than of others, although there is a time when notorious problems must be dealt with, at an organizational level.  There are also times when, according to Biblical command, we should bring offenses and perceived problems to the attention of others.  Such occasions should be approached prayerfully and in a sprit of meekness, recognizing that we have problems of our own, and may not always be in possession of all the facts.  At all times judgments should be separated between actions, and individuals, and while specific instances of the former may be condemned with biblical authority, evaluative judgment with appropriate consequences mixed with mercy, should be the norm relative to fellow human beings.

Matthew 13:49-50; 25:34; I Corinthians 5:12-13; I Peter 4:17; Revelation 20:15; 21:8

19. LAW OF GOD

The law of God as revealed in the Bible is based on love.  It is a good, right, and perfect system of eternal directives and principles, that reflects God's character and it serves as a means of expressing His love toward man. God's law teaches man how to properly worship God, how to love his fellowman, how to live life abundantly, and, at the same time, how to prepare for an eternal spiritual life in the family of God. The law of God is represented in both the Old and the New Testaments, and is expressed by both physical actions and spiritual motivations.

The law of God is to be seen as separate and distinct, from the ritual laws of the Levitical priesthood, which were added because of transgressions. These ritual laws have been suspended, upon the reemergence of the spiritual Melchisedek priesthood with Christ as high priest., along with the Levitical priesthood itself until the millennium. The exact role, if any, of the Levitical priesthood and attendant ritual system in the Millennium, is at this point not precisely definable, but will be according to scripture at Christ's return.

John 14:15, 21; Romans 7:12; Galatians 3:19; I John 5:2-3

20. BIBLICAL COVENANTS

Both testaments record that God made certain promises in the form of specific contracts or agreements with man. These are called "covenants," and define the terms of God's relationship with individuals or groups, in various circumstances and eras. Of these covenants, the best known are the covenant made with physical Israel, and the New Covenant which was established on "better promises." The latter will be fully confirmed with spiritual Israel, after the return of Jesus Christ.

The New Covenant, which applies specifically to the New Testament church, makes God's law even more relevant by expanding it to include one's mental attitude and spiritual intent.  Under it, God's law is to be written in our minds and heart. Unlike the ritual laws which were added to God's original law because of transgressions, God's law has not been, nor will ever be "done away." Additionally the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants, by showing God's ability to fulfill a promise over a span of millennia, confirm that the promises which have been made to us will also be fulfilled. The existence and fulfillment of these covenants do not, however, reflect any type of racial or national superiority, for we are all one in Christ.

Genesis 22: 17-18, 26:3-4, 35:11; II Samuel 7:10-17; Matthew 5:21-22; II Timothy 3:15-16; Hebrews 8:6-13

21. TEN COMMANDMENTS

The Ten Commandments, as revealed by God, codified by Moses, and ratified and magnified by Christ, are the perfect expression of God's love. They reflect the foundation of biblical teaching, showing man how to express love toward God and fellowman, and are consequently the focal point of Christian life. We recognize, that although they were included among the civil codes given to Israel, they were also known in principle to the Patriarchs. We regard them as being distinct from the ritual laws, which were added later and discarded upon suspension of the Levitical priesthood. We feel, therefore, that they are meant to be observed in their full intent today. We affirm Christ's teaching that He fulfilled them as an example, and that not one jot or tittle thereof shall pass away in our days.

Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5; Matthew 5:17-19; Romans 13:10; I Corinthians 7:19; Revelation 12:17; 22:14

22. SABBATH

The Sabbath is the seventh day of the week. We believe it is the day set aside for rest and worship of God. It cannot be properly observed by pursuing personal interests or occupations. The Sabbath is to be taught according to the standards of Jesus Christ when He said, "The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath."  Christians have special freedom and opportunity on the Sabbath to do good and serve their fellow humans, as well as to develop their relationship with God.

 
We believe that the first Sabbath occurred at creation and that a special covenant, including specific rules for its observance, was defined in the days of Moses that it might be a sign of God's chosen people, in the days of Israel. We believe that Jesus and His Apostles all observed the Sabbath, according to His instructions, and that the early New Testament Church held services on the seventh day. There is, however, no specific biblical guidance, on the manner of keeping the Sabbath in a Melchisdec priesthood, or in a non-theocratic social system. Neither is there any biblical precedent for treating any other day, as an occasion for regular weekly worship, nor is there a prohibition thereof.

The modern day observance of the Sabbath is therefore, not to be so much a physical act in the pattern practiced in physical Israel, but rather a spiritual practice, leading to weekly rejuvenation, growth, and commitment to God. We believe that symbolically it is both a memorial of creation, and a reminder of God's coming rulership upon earth. While the Sabbath is a day of rest, we do not teach or attempt to enforce any specific form or degree of observance of this rest, leaving to each member's conscience, the interpretation of the words "rest" and "work." We do, however, concur in following the biblical practice of partaking of  worship services on the Seventh Day, while at the same time, according to others, the right to worship, and develop their relationship with God, in accordance with their understanding.

Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 16; 20:8-11; 31:12-1 7; Mark 2:27-28; Luke 4:16

23. ANNUAL FESTIVALS

The seven annual festivals were given by God through Moses, distinct from the laws and rituals delivered at Sinai and thereafter. They were kept by the ancient Israelites, and were continued by the early New Testament Christians, less certain rituals which had been added, due to transgressions. These annual "appointed feasts" picture God's plan of salvation for man, and also commemorate certain historical and prophesied events. We observe these festivals in concert with others of similar understanding, and believe in the exposition of the meaning of each festival in its appointed time.

Leviticus 23; Zechariah 14:16; John 7:8-10 Acts 2:1; 12:3; 20:6, 16; 27:9; I Corinthians 5:8; 16:8

24. TITHING AND GIVING

    
Giving money, either in freewill offerings or in tithing a tenth of one's income or increase, to support the church's programs and furtherance of the gospel, is an act of worship. The giving of both offerings and tithes, are part of a pattern which is illustrated in the lives of the Patriarchs, and was codified civilly in the days of physical Israel, and continues in principle today. It will also be a part of the Kingdom of God.

 
We hold that there is no plain definition in scripture of how the giving of freewill offerings, and tithing is to be practiced in the present era, nor is there today, a biblical equivalent of the former temple and priesthood at Jerusalem. We do, however, hold that the giving of offerings and the practice of tithing provides the practical means by which formal organizations of believers within the larger spiritual body, that is the Church, may herald the gospel of Jesus Christ and proclaim it to the world; as well as to carry on programs on behalf of local congregation members, and associated communities.

In accordance with the forgoing, we do not organizationally "enforce" or "police" giving, or tithing; but simply teach those of our fellowship, their responsibility before God. The definition of increase and appropriate recipient(s) thereof, is deemed to be a private matter between each individual, and God. We do acknowledge and teach that each individual has the responsibility to, in some way, "honor the Lord with his substance, and with the first fruits of all his increase."

Malachi 3:8-10; Matthew 6:21; 23:23; II Corinthians 9:7

25. SIN

Sin is the transgression of God's law -- the falling short or missing the mark of following the character of Jesus Christ. Although the ultimate penalty for sin is death in the lake of fire: All sin can be completely forgiven by God, who desires that all men be saved. (The only unpardonable sin is a sin for which the sinner asks no pardon; all human beings shall have opportunity at some point to understand God's plan and make request for pardon.) God forgives sin upon the repentance of the individual who accepts the shed blood and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, as payment in full for the penalty of his sins. This forgiveness on the spiritual plane does not however, negate the need to address on the human plane, the consequences of sinful actions; and make appropriate restitution as it is possible.

Romans 6:23; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 1:14; I John 3:4

26. THE CHRISTIAN

A true Christian is one in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, and who is thus made holy (sanctified), and leads a life worthy of the calling of God. A true Christian follows Christ in accordance with information gleaned from the preaching of the word by others, personal study of the scriptures, and the guidance received through the indwelling Holy Spirit. In accordance with Biblical teaching, we encourage all to study the scriptures diligently as a guide to life, holding fast to that which is proven right and good, with each Christian working out his or her relationship with God, in respect and awe.

Acts 17:4; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:13; I Thessalonians 5:21; Philippians 2:12

27. THE CHRISTIAN FAMILY