What We Believe

 

The Bible

The Bible contains the inspired scriptures, giving a true history and testimony from God of the creation of heaven, earth, and humanity and containing a correct prophecy of the ages to come regarding heaven, earth, and the destiny of humanity. Moreover, there is no salvation outside of what is taught in its pages. The bible is also the written word of God, and as such, the holy scriptures are able to make one wise for salvation (2nd Timothy 3:14-17) but the scriptures themselves are not God and the bible should not be idolized or used as a weapon to subjugate followers of Jesus Christ. Jesus told the Jews in (John 5:39-40) "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life." Jesus also said “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4) And God still speaks audibly to His children through the Holy Spirit. (John 10:27) 

God

There is only one True God, the Most High God, and He is One (Deuteronomy 6:4). He is the creator of heaven and earth, and of all living beings. He has manifested or revealed Himself to humanity in three ways, as the Father (Creator), as the Son (Savior), and as the Holy Spirit (indwelling Spirit). (1st Timothy 3:16) God is not a trinity, consisting of three divine persons in one Godhead. 

The Father

God is Spirit (John 4:24). He is the Eternal One, the Creator of all things, and the Father of all humanity by creation. He is the First and the Last, and beside Him there is no God (Isaiah 44:6). There was no God formed before Him; neither shall there be any after Him (Isaiah 43:10).

The Son

Jesus is the Son of God according to the flesh (Romans 1:3) and the very God Himself according to the Spirit (Matthew 1:23). Jesus is the Christ (Matthew 16:16); the creator of all things (Colossians 1:16-17); God with us (Matthew 1:23); God made flesh (John 1:1-14); God manifested in the flesh (1st Timothy 3:16);He which was, which is, and which is to come, the Almighty (Revelation 1:8);the mighty God, everlasting Father, and Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus Himself testified of His identity as God when He said, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:7-11) and "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30). It took shedding of blood for the forgiveness of the sins of the world (Hebrews 9:22), but God the Father is Spirit and had no blood to shed. Thus He prepared a body of flesh and blood (Hebrews 10:5) and came to earth as a man in order to save us, for in (Isaiah 43:11) He said, "Beside me there is no Savior." When He came in flesh the angels sang, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11).

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is not a third person in the Godhead, but rather the Spirit of God (the Creator), the Spirit of the resurrected Christ. The Holy Spirit comes to dwell in the hearts and lives of everyone who believes and obeys the gospel, as the Comforter, Sustainer, and Helper (John 14:16-26); (Romans 8:9-11). Jesus told His disciples that He would not leave them orphans but would come to them after His ascension to Heaven. Now those in whom the Spirit of God indwells are the physical temple of God. (1st Corinthians 3:16-17)

Sin

Sin is the transgression of the law, or commandments of God (1st John 3:4). The guilt of sin has fallen upon all humanity from Adam until now (Romans 3:23). The wages of sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23); (Revelation 20:14) to all those who refuse to accept salvation as set forth in the holy scriptures contained in the bible.

Salvation

Salvation consists of deliverance from all sin, iniquity (immoral or grossly unfair behavior), evil spirits, demonic strongholds, purging of the conscious (mind) from dead works, a hardened heart and unrighteousness through the blood of Jesus Christ, the sanctification of the Spirit and the washing of the water of the word (truth). The New Testament experience of salvation also consists of repentance (changing your mind and stopping sinful acts of the flesh), water baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, after which the Christian is to live a godly life (Acts 2:36-41). 

Water Baptism

Water baptism is an essential part of conversion to Christ and New Testament salvation and not merely a symbolic ritual. It is an ordinance of God, a requirement and necessary to enter into the kingdom of God (God's church, the body of Christ), and therefore, it is not merely a symbolic act of an outward profession of your faith in Christ or a ceremonial act to become part of a local church membership. (See John 3:5; Galatians 3:27).

Mode of Baptism

Water baptism is to be administered only by immersion. Paul said, "We are buried with him [Jesus Christ] by baptism (Romans 6:4; see Colossians 2:12), Jesus came up "out of the water" (Mark 1:10), and Philip and the eunuch went down "into the water" and came up "out of the water" (Acts 8:38-39). Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection are applied to our lives when we experience New Testament salvation and we come into spiritual contact with the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sin. "Repent [Change your mind], and be baptized [burial] every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission or forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit [resurrection]." (See Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-7; 8:2). Sprinkling, pouring, or infant baptism of any kind cannot be substantiated by the word of God, but are only human traditions.

Baptism of the Holy Spirit

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is being born from above (John 3:5). This spiritual baptism is necessary to put someone into the kingdom of God (God's church, the body of Christ) and is evidenced by speaking in other tongues (other languages) as the Spirit of God gives utterance. It was prophesied by Joel (Joel 2:28-29) and Isaiah (Isaiah 28:11), foretold by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:11), purchased by the blood of Jesus, and promised by Him to His disciples (John 14:26; 15:16). The Holy Spirit was first poured out on the Day of Pentecost upon the Jews (Acts 2:1-4), then upon the Samaritans (Acts 8:17), and later upon the Gentiles (Acts 10:44-46; 19:6). "The promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:39).

Tongues

Speaking in other tongues as the Spirit of God gives utterance is the initial evidence and manifestation God has given as the definite, indisputable, supernatural witness or sign that the Holy Spirit of God has entered into the soul of a believer (Acts 2:4; 10:46; 19:6). It was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah as the rest and the refreshing (Isaiah 28:11-12), foretold by Jesus as a sign that would follow believers of the gospel (Mark 16:17), and experienced by Jews and Gentiles alike.

The gift of "different kinds of tongues," mentioned by Paul in (1st Corinthians 12:1-12) and concerning which he gave regulations in (1st Corinthians 14:1-40), is for self-edification (1st Corinthians 14:4) and for the edification of the church (1st Corinthians 14:27-28). In church meetings the gift of tongues is used to give a public message, and it is to be interpreted. Since this gift can be misused in public, it needs proper regulation (1st Corinthians 14:23-28). Not all believers exercise the gift of tongues, which is different in function from tongues given by God as the initial witness of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Paul said, "Forbid not to speak with tongues" (1st Corinthians 14:39) and "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all" (1st Corinthians 14:8). 

Speaking in tongues means speaking miraculously in a language unknown to the speaker, as the Spirit gives utterance. Tongues can be classified in two ways, according to function: (1) speaking in other tongues as the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, commonly called a 'prayer language' that only God can understand (1st Corinthians 14:2) and (2) the gift of tongues, which is a known language of man that is unknown to the speaker but can be interpreted. (1st Corinthians 12:10)

Holiness

After we are saved from sin, we are commanded, "Go, and sin no more" (John 8:11).We are commanded to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world (Titus 2:12) and warned that without holiness no one shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).We must present ourselves as holy unto God (Romans 12:1), cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit (1st Corinthians 7:1), and separate ourselves from all worldliness (James 4:4). If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? (1st Peter 4:18). No one can live a holy life by his own power, but only through the power of the Holy Spirit. "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Divine Healing

God has made Himself known through the ages by miraculous healings and has made special provisions in the age of grace to heal all who will come to Him in faith and obedience. Divine healing was purchased for us by the blood of Jesus Christ, especially by His stripes (Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; 1st Peter 2:24). Jesus went everywhere healing those who were sick (Matthew 4:23-24), and He commanded His disciples to do the same (Matthew 10:8). He said concerning those who believe the gospel, "They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (Mark 16:18). Mighty healings and miracles followed the disciples wherever the gospel was preached.

There is no sickness or disease too hard for God. Any of us, our children, or our friends can be healed by the power of God. "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him , anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up: and if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for one another, that ye may be healed" (James 5:14-16).

Second Coming of Christ/1st Resurrection

Jesus Christ is coming back to earth with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30) He will raise up the dead and those who are left alive when He comes will be transformed and given a glorified body, we will be like the angels. (Matthew 22:30) "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1st Thessalonians 4:16-17)."One shall be taken and the other left" (Luke 17:36). Will we be ready? The signs of His coming are everywhere. The days of peril are here indeed, with forms of godliness void of the power of God; society and politics corrupted; and people's hearts filled with pride, blasphemies, unholiness, love of evil, and love of pleasures (2nd Timothy 3:1-13). These things, together with multitudes running to and fro, the increase of knowledge (Daniel 12:4), the persecution of the Jews and their return to Palestine (Luke 21:24), and scores of other things are starting signs that Jesus' coming is drawing near. Wars, rumors of wars, famines, pestilence, earthquakes, storms, floods, distress of nations, perplexity, and people's hearts failing them for fear are sounding the solemn alarm that Jesus' coming is at hand (Matthew 24:6; Luke 21:25-28)

Resurrection

There will be a resurrection of all the dead, both just and unjust. "Marvel not this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (John 5:28-29)."And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God . . . and the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them" (Revelation 20:12-13), (See also Daniel 12:2; 1st Corinthians 15:13-23.)

Judgment

"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). For this reason there will be a resurrection for everyone. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2nd Corinthians 5:10).

The eternal destiny of every soul shall be determined by a just God who knows the secrets of everyone's heart. "And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. . . .Then shall he also say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. . . . And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal" (Matthew 25:32-34, 41, 46).

In The Lords Army,

Tyrone & Cynthia Palmer