Thursday, August 12, 2010

Why The Bible Forbids Drunkenness
Scripture does not forbid Christians from drinking beer, wine, or any other drink containing alcohol. Alcohol is not, in and of itself, tainted by sin. It is drunkenness and addiction to alcohol that a Christian must absolutely refrain from (Ephesians 5:18 (TMB)18-20 Don't drink too much wine. That cheapens your life. Drink the Spirit of God, huge draughts of him. Sing hymns instead of drinking songs! Sing songs from your heart to Christ. Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 6:12)(TMB) 12Just because something is technically legal doesn't mean that it's spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I'd be a slave to my whims. The Bible makes it plain that drunkenness is inappropriate, and not the sort of activity we're meant to pursue with our bodies. Instead of losing ourselves in worldly pursuits, we are to focus on God. 1 Corinthians 5:11(TMB) I wrote you in my earlier letter that you shouldn't make yourselves at home among the sexually promiscuous. I didn't mean that you should have nothing at all to do with outsiders of that sort. Or with crooks, whether blue or white-collar. Or with spiritual phonies, for that matter. You'd have to leave the world entirely to do that! But I am saying that you shouldn't act as if everything is just fine when a friend who claims to be a Christian is promiscuous or crooked, is flip with God or rude to friends, gets drunk or becomes greedy and predatory. You can't just go along with this, treating it as acceptable behavior. I'm not responsible for what the outsiders do, but don't we have some responsibility for those within our community of believers? God decides on the outsiders, but we need to decide when our brothers and sisters are out of line and, if necessary, clean house. Alcohol, consumed in small quantities, is neither harmful nor addictive. In fact, some doctors advocate drinking small amounts of red wine for its health benefits, especially for the heart. Consumption of small quantities of alcohol is a matter of Christian freedom. Drunkenness and addiction are sin. However, due to the biblical concerns regarding alcohol and its effects, due to the easy temptation to consume alcohol in excess, and due to the possibility of causing offense and/or stumbling of others, it is usually best for a Christian to abstain entirely from drinking alcohol.



Scripture In the Old Testament, the Bible says:
Proverbs chapter 20 (CEV)
1It isn't smart to get drunk!
Drinking makes a fool of you
and leads to fights.
Hosea chapter 4 (TEV)
11 The Lord says, "Wine, both old and new, is robbing my people of their senses!"
Proverbs chapter 23 (TEV)
19 Listen, my child, be wise and give serious thought to the way you live. 20 Don't associate with people who drink too much wine or stuff themselves with food. 21 Drunkards and gluttons will be reduced to poverty. If all you do is eat and sleep, you will soon be wearing rags.
29 Show me people who drink too much, who have to try out fancy drinks, and I will show you people who are miserable and sorry for themselves, always causing trouble and always complaining. Their eyes are bloodshot, and they have bruises that could have been avoided.
31 Don't let wine tempt you, even though it is rich red, and it sparkles in the cup, and it goes down smoothly. 32 The next morning you will feel as if you had been bitten by a poisonous snake. 33 Weird sights will appear before your eyes, and you will not be able to think or speak clearly. 34 You will feel as if you were out on the ocean, seasick, swinging high up in the rigging of a tossing ship. 35 "I must have been hit," you will say; "I must have been beaten up, but I don't remember it. Why can't I wake up? I need another drink."
(The passages from the Book of Proverbs are, as the title of the book indicates, proverbial, and thus are meant as wise sayings, sometimes generalizations perhaps, but not meant to be taken as absolute truth.)
A prophet of ancient Israel said:
Isaiah chapter 28 (NLT)
1 Destruction is certain for the city of Samaria - the pride and joy of the drunkards of Israel! 7 Israel is being led by drunks! The priests and prophets reel and stagger from beer and wine. They make stupid mistakes as they carry out their responsibilities.
In the Book of Proverbs, the Bible says:
Proverbs chapter 31 (TEV)
1 These are the solemn words which King Lemuel's mother said to him:
2 "You are my own dear son, the answer to my prayers. What shall I tell you?
4 Listen, Lemuel. Kings should not drink wine or have a craving for alcohol. 5 When they drink, they forget the laws and ignore the rights of people in need.
6 Alcohol is for people who are dying, for those who are in misery. 7 Let them drink and forget their poverty and unhappiness."

There are also Bible quotations in the New Testament warning Christians not to get drunk. The whole frame of mind of a Christian should be one in which we don't want to be controlled by some substance that might make us do unchristian things.
The Bible advises Christians:
Ephesians chapter 5 (NLT)
18 Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life.
Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you.
The Bible says the Holy Spirit is a part of God who will be given to true Christians and will live in them to make them better people.
One of the writers of the letters that were put in the Bible, Paul, instructed and warned groups of Christians:
Galatians chapter 5 (NLT)
16 I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict. ....
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20 idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin.
Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us:
love,
joy,
peace,
patience,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
23 gentleness,
and self-control....
1 Thessalonians chapter 5 (NLT)
6 ... Stay alert and be sober. 7 Night is the time for sleep and the time when people get drunk. 8 But let us ... think clearly, protected by the body armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. 9 For God decided to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10 He died for us so that we can live with him forever, whether we are dead or alive at the time of his return.

Some people justify drinking by saying that Jesus turned water into wine so it must be all right. But some understanding of the cultural background/customs of the time and in the area where the miracle happened shows that this was not just a simple case of Jesus encouraging people to enjoy boozing. To run out of wine at a wedding was not a matter of life and death, but it was a major social faux-pas and would subject the family to social disgrace that would long be remembered. Apparently it might even be cause for a lawsuit by a disgruntled guest if he didn't get hospitality appropriate to the value of his wedding gift.
From some cause, perhaps from a larger number of guests than was expected, the wine gave out.
"None but those who know how sacred in the East is the duty of lavish hospitality, and how passionately the obligation to exercise to the utmost it is felt, can realize the gloom which this incident would have thrown over the occasion, or the misery and mortification it would have caused to the wedded pair. They would have felt it to be, as in the East it is still felt to be, an indelible disgrace."--Farrar.
The Bible commentary also discusses the strength of the alcohol content of the wine in Jesus' day:
It must be borne in mind that among the Greeks and Romans and in Palestine there were three kinds of wine: 1. Fermented wines, which, however, were very unlike our fiery liquors, and contained only a small per cent of alcohol. These were mixed with two or three parts of water. The laws of Zaleucus, the Locrian, put to death anyone who drank unmixed wine, except as medicine. The fermented wine, at first mild, and then diluted with water, was [46] a drink as used, that had no intoxicating power unless used in enormous quantities. 2. New wine, the fresh juice of the grape, like our new cider, not intoxicating. 3. Wines in which, by boiling the unfermented juice of the grape, or by the addition of certain drugs, the process of fermentation was stopped, and which had no intoxicating properties. We cannot surely determine which kind the Savior made here, but we agree with Whedon, who says: "We see no reason for supposing that the wine of the present occasion was that upon which Scripture places its strongest interdict, (Proverbs 20:1; 23:31; Isaiah 22:13,) rather than that eulogized as a blessing (Psalms 104:15; Isaiah 55:1)." Even adopting the view that it was fermented wine, it was totally unlike the fiery and undiluted drinks sold as wines in saloons, used in many families, offered at hotels and wine parties, and even poured out at communion tables.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Light Up the Dark by The Washington Projects



Jesus is the light of world and he tells us in John chapter 8 that whoever follows him will have the light of life. He says that they won't walk in the darkness like they used to. It's a wonderful promise of the direction that Jesus gives to the lives of any who follow him.

Jesus' followers are described as the "light of the world." Just as it would be pointless to turn on a light and then cover it up, it would be foolish if we accepted Christ and then made no effort to do his work in the world. Christians are to spread the light of truth on the world around them.

Salt and Light
13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-15

God is a God of light--of illumination, wisdom, and other characteristics we associate with light and daytime. By contrast, sin is usually represented as spiritual darkness and blindness


How can we be content to spend all our time with the already rescued when we are living surrounded by a sea of dying people? How can we say that we're following the One who came, as He said, to "seek and save what was lost" and not be doing that with all our heart? If you're following Jesus, I'll tell you where He's going. He's always headed for a sea of lost people. Turn on your light and let it shine bright to lead the blind into salvation Christ saves and he needs our help. Christians are called to stand out from the world with their love, and with their message--to be a light to the dark world around them.

If we stand together as Christ believers, Who can be against us!!!!!!

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile Romans 1:15-17. We are the gentile and have been adopted into the family of God, we are gods creation ,but we were not his children until we were born again…We need to resemble God so, we have to start to act like Jesus…You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.Ephesians 4:23-25 we need to commit and be Steadfast to our family there isn’t any half stepping when it comes to the faith. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:9-11 Know that for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:22-24 we are far from perfect. There is a law and standard of life we must uphold as women of God , we as Christians are accountable for our sins, and we as fellow believers should hold each other accountable this is how we keep each other on the straight and narrow path of righteousness.


That not to hide sin from each other to avoid accountability because God knows what it is that we do in the dark and it will come to the light because sin in not a secret it shows like a red stain on a white T shirt we can‘t hide it. If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Genesis 4:6-8 “Rebuke” We usually think of a rebuke as a bad thing, but when it's used in love to put somebody on the correct path, it can be a blessing to them. Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 2 Timothy 4:1-3 We shouldn’t be ashamed because its apart of human nature we have a sinful nature we are born into a sinful world, For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. Romans 7:4-6


We have the choice to be against sin we need be haters of sin and live as righteous people because Jesus paid the wage which is death for our sins at the cross. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed 1 Peter 2:23-25. We must repent and ask for forgiveness and turn away from our sin and we shall be forgiven. This is our family!!! We need to take a stand on the word and represent our family with no exception to the word for worldly ways… we are holy and righteous people we live by the word and we die by the word we shall become the word in likeness of Jesus. To claim to be apart of the family ,but don’t act like a member of God’s family outside the presents of fellow believers you are a perpetrator portraying to be something your not and you will have to make a choice. There is no such thing as one foot in the world and the other in the word it is ALL!!! or nothing at ALL!!!!!. It is possible for one to be a Christian but yet still an instrument of the devil used to cause strife, chaos and confusion because of their spiritual laziness and unwillingness to grow in the wisdom, knowledge and power of the LORD which keeps one weak and spiritually childish because in GOD growth isn't automatic but it's a choice.


Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded James 4:7-9. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. James 1:7-9 What is it that you will stand for???.. God’s umbrella of protection and a fulfilling and enjoyable life or the lies of a wicked and deceitful world. We as children of God’s kingdom should at all times stay prayerful in all occasions for all people worship and read our bible and meditate on his word .We as children of the most high God have been redeemed from the curse that the bible speak of… Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."Galatians 3:13 because Jesus is our redeemer and for that he is our master we are in relationship with him and through him a relationship with the father, so this makes Jesus our brother on high at the right hand of our father and we as his children shall inherit the kingdom of god." Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. Matthew 25:33-35 …Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? James 2:4-6


We live by kingdom principle and that is the word and the laws of god. It is said that god made us for relationship with him and fellowship with each other… to Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Simply put, love God with all that you are How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! Psalm 133:1-3 We live and are led by the spirit of god, who is called the holy spirit the spirit lives inside of us and when we do are think sin the spirit convicts us this the feeling of… I know better and I know I’m wrong for this and I need to make it rite. The spirit also helps us by interceding for us it tell us how to pray when we are in prayer. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will Romans 8:25-27.


The spirit is God!!!! and is knowledge!!! when Jesus left this earth the Holy spirit is who he sent in his place the spirit is a gift from God he is apart of us forever more and we should acknowledge his presents in us and know that we are holy and pure. The holy spirit is the power source he is the anointing.. there is power living on the inside of us the power to be successful in all thing we do. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. Romans 8:4-6 We need to exchange our thoughts for God’s thoughts and promises we need to think like God thinks.. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world , but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.Romans 12:1 for your life.


We need to be informed and spiritually intelligent Christian...Continually being transformed into the image of Christ. We are not of the world.. we live in it.. but we don’t do things by worldly standards we are made new creatures in Christ when we are born again we don’t talk like the world.. nor do we think like the world. I urge you, sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. Lay down our will and allow God’s will for our lives’ God want us to become selfless " The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector ] To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable. Luke 18:8-10 And whatever we do good deeds and all we are to do it in the name of Jesus to honor our Father. We are sisters from different Mother but of the same Father, we must uplift and encourage each other stay prayerful for one another and love each other this is pleasing to our Father in heaven and he shall bless our union together. So whatever we do in his name he will bless and whatever we touch shall be blessed, and when we aspire and, set out to do something in his name it will be done. Jesus said in his word "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."


know that when we come together for our fathers will… the enemy is furious and in rage with us and he will seek with all he has to come against us to steal kill and destroy us with a vengeance John 10:10 . He will attack our mind and entice our flesh to go against our spirit in which we are guided by. But remember fear not For God did not give us a spirit of Fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline. 2 Timothy 1:6-8 we are strong in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us… Jesus Christ!!!!! Romans 8:36-38 and we have the power to rebuke him in Jesus name" Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."Mark 8:32 34 we are covered by the blood of Jesus, we are protect by god and his angels, Believe because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:3-5 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:30-32 .


For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." Deuteronomy 20:3-5 There is another thing we must deal with, we will be tried and tested by God he will test our faith in him "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."Exodus 20:19-21 but he will have compassion and mercy on us and give us the strength and the grace to over come the situation at hand but its only to make you stronger, we must stand with patients, endurance with perseverance this is how you get through trail in addition to faith, trust, prayer ,fasting and worship also meditating on his word. He has a good and perfect will for all of us, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully Colossians 1:10-12 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance... James 1:2-4 …. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.James 1:3-5... God will cut and prune us for his great purpose, we must depend on God during this time with clean hands a pure heart and righteousness on our part and know that when god is working in our lives "that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" Romans 8:27-29.


So, Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5. Know that we are brother and sister by the spirit now and we have each other backs against all things that oppose us we can relay on each other when we are weak and God shall make us strong and victorious together. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,
Romans 15:4-6. God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:7 9 be plentiful: to be present in large numbers or quantities be well supplied: to contain something in large numbers or amounts.

You may want to rethink that last bad thought!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Healthy Thoughts vs. Toxic Thoughts
By Dr.Caroline Leaf

"We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5b)

How many times have you replayed a conversation in your head until it stirred emotional pain or stress in your life? Did you know that stress is the reaction your body has to your thoughts?

Researchers say that 87% of the illnesses that plague us today are a direct result of our thought life. What we think affects us physically and emotionally. We are in an epidemic of toxic emotions and that is why I teach people about the anatomy of thought in my book Who Switched off My Brain?

Your brain speaks to your body and your body speaks to your brain. The mind-body link is an ongoing symphony of chemicals playing through your body 24 hours a day. And the way in which we think will affect the functioning of that whole electrical-chemical cycle.

God has built an incredible mechanism into our brain that gives us the free will to accept or reject information. We have the option to reject negative information from our thoughts before it gets the support of damaging attitudes and emotions.

There are two groups of emotions that are polar opposites: positive, faith-based emotions and negative, fear-based emotions. Each has its own set of molecules and performs as spiritual forces with chemical and electrical representation in the body.
Faith-based emotions are love, joy, peace, happiness, kindness, gentleness, self-control, forgiveness and patience. These produce good attitudes and thoughts.

Fear-based emotions include hate, anxiety, anger, hostility, resentment, frustration, impatience and irritation. These produce toxic attitudes and create a chemical reaction in the body that can alter behavior.

Fear is the root of stress. Scripture says, “God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7). Fear-based thinking blocks the flow of healthy chemicals and releases toxic chemicals that put you into stress.

When your thoughts move you into stress, your emotions attempt to rule. Emotional perceptions are designed to create alertness to guide but not rule, because they misinterpret truth. Stage one of stress is the protective alarm that guides and helps you deal with dangerous, threatening situations. It creates a sweaty palm, quickened heart rate, adrenaline rush and a fight-or-flight emotional and biological response.

Once the alert stressor is gone, your accelerated heart rate (through narrowing of the arteries and increased blood volume) begins to return to normal. However, if your body stays under the constant barrage of negative stimulation, toxic waste begins to build up. An uncontrolled thought life will create fear-based emotional and physical conditions for illness.

In the second stage you enter acute long-term stress. Your mind and body start feeling as if they belong to someone else. The chemicals pump at will and in sequence through your body, and the first area they attack is your cardiovascular system.

If the chaotic thoughts are not controlled at this point, your stress hormones and chemicals never stop reacting. They move to a cellular level where your body experiences tissue damage and system breakdown. Internalizing wounded emotions at this point will eventually create a volcanic buildup in your body allowing a seething mix of anger, hostility and resentment. Suppressed emotional pain can also cause lingering physical pain.

Hosea 4:6 demonstrates wisdom and insight about this toxic pathway. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” If you understand something, you can begin to control it instead of letting it control you. Knowledge and understanding give you the tools. With the Holy Spirit’s power to remind you of God’s truth, you can begin to consciously control your thought life and deal with harmful emotions.

According to the word of God, which is more accurate than medical science, controlling your thought life brings health to your body. You can live most of your life in a passive mental state or you can choose to battle for your mind. It seems like an unfair battle because you can’t see what’s happening, yet you can’t escape the battle. The frontline of the war is the toxic thought. It usually enters through the five senses and if it is unchecked, it can become a mental stronghold of the enemy. The finish line is the final battle cry of victory when you take captive and overturn your toxic thoughts.


Jesus knows your thoughts. “But Jesus, knowing (seeing) their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil and harbor malice in your hearts?” (Matt. 9:4, Amplified) Acknowledge what Jesus sees and renew your mind with God’s Truth as you bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. (2 Cor.10:5)

Changing Your Subconscious Mind

7 Things For The Renewing Of The Mind
Changing your Subconscious Mind


Renew:
To make new or as if new again; make young, fresh, or strong again; bring back into good condition.
Give new spiritual strength
To refill with a fresh supply

Change:
To cause to be different
To give a completely different form or appearance to; transform
A transformation or transition from one state, condition, or phase to another

Mind:
The human consciousness that originates in the brain and is manifested especially in thought, perception, emotion, will, memory, and imagination.
The collective conscious and unconscious processes in a sentient organism that direct and influence mental and physical behavior.
The principle of intelligence; the spirit of consciousness regarded as an aspect of reality.
The faculty of thinking, reasoning, and applying knowledge.

Transformed:
Change completely
Leave alone, preserve, stagnate
To change the nature, function, or condition of; convert.




1. Decide - Make a decision to change, just surrender and do it, make a choice

2. Desire - You must have a desire to change, make up your mind to do rite

3. Deepen - Your knowledge of the word of God.. Understanding , Awareness

4. Diligence - Change requires diligence, keep at it constantly and continually

5. Defend -Your mind from old thoughts and old ways

6. Disassociate - From some people and circumstances, people who will keep you in the same bad mind set , and things in your life that will enable you to think wrong

7. Depend - On God and his word for help, allow God to handle what you can’t

Verses from the bible, Why we believe!!!!!!!

Statement of Faith This is why we believe!!!!!!!
The Bible is the infallible Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and contains every answer to man's problems.
2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:20,21

There is one God, existing eternally in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
John 10:30; John 14:26; Philippians 2:5-7

God is Love and He loves all people. It is His desire to reach out to those who are poor, oppressed, widowed or orphaned, and to heal the brokenhearted.
Psalm 68:5,6; 1 John 4:16

Man is created in the image of God but separated from God by sin. Without Jesus we cannot have a relationship with God.
Genesis 1:26; 1 Timothy 2:5

We can have a personal relationship with God through salvation, God's free gift to man. It is not a result of what we do, but it is only available through God's unearned favor. By admitting we have sinned and believing in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, and accepting Him as Lord, we can spend eternity with God.
Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 5:1; Romans 3:24

We believe in water baptism, as taught and demonstrated by Jesus, as the way for believers to identify with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:4; Matthew 3:13-17

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a gift from God. He helps empower the believer to develop the character of Christ and live every day in God's will.
Matthew 3:11; Acts 2:4

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12 1:2

God gives all believers spiritual gifts. They are for the strengthening of God's people (the Church) and proof of God's existence and power to unbelievers. The gifts of the Spirit are active and relevant today.
1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 1 Peter 4:10

Sanctification is the ongoing process of allowing God's character to be developed in us.
Romans 6:19; Galatians 5:22-25

Divine healing is active in the lives of people today through Jesus, who is the Healer. Healing includes physical, mental, emotional and spiritual restoration.
Luke 9:11; Matthew 9:35; Acts 10:38; Matthew 10:1

The Bible describes hell as a real place. It is a place of suffering and a place of permanent separation from God for those who die without accepting Christ. God's desire is that no one be separated from Him for eternity, which is why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth.
Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:12-15; John 3:16-18

Jesus will return and take all those who have accepted Him as Savior to heaven for eternity.

Jesus said, "Simon, listen to me! Satan has demanded the right to test each one of you, as a farmer does when he separates wheat from the husks. But Simon, I have prayed that your faith will be strong. And when you have come back to me, help the others."
- Luke 22:31, 32