A little bit about what we believe

Christian theologian J.I. Packer once said, “If I were the devil, one of my first aims would be to stop folk from digging into the Bible… I should do all I could to surround it with the spiritual equivalent of pits, thorns, hedges, and man traps to frighten people off.”

I don't know if I ever really wrote a blog post defining clearly exactly what we believe as Bible believing Christians.

 The first and most important part of our faith is Jesus. 

Jesus is at the center of it all. 

We believe:

• Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Who came to earth to save the world. Look it up. It's in the Bible. 
• They will know us by our love. Love your neighbor. Love all you meet. I'm not going to list all the bible verses about LOVE go find them. They are wonderful. 
• Communion is done to remember what Jesus did on the cross. It is done so we can repent and set ourselves straight. It is between a person and God. 
• Free will is a leading roll in our faith in Christ. We choose to follow and we choose where we go to church. 
• 
  Worshipping The almighty God can be done in many ways. It can be done in reverence. Some things need quiet. I believe communion and remembering Jesus' sacrifice is one of those times.
  
  Worship can also be loud and crazy and fun. Dancing can occur and singing and playing instruments. All are acceptable. We raise our hands in church because we need more of God. Just as a child lifts his hands to be picked up by his father. We lift our hands so his can lift us up. Worship soothes the soul. Worship is our way of giving our minds to God. Setting aside our worries and negative things and focusing on what's important --God. 
• The Trinity is real. God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are three in one. Look it up in the Bible. 
• We are all born with a sinful nature. And only through the blood of Jesus are we saved from that sin. Look it up. 
• You can receive forgiveness for your sins by asking God for forgiveness. It is important to understand that you do not have to confess every sin out loud. But the Bible does say, confess your sins ONE to another (James 5:16). This is done out of freedom and love. No one requires or forces anyone to do this. If you feel comfortable with a Pastor or a friend, you can tell them your truth. But no one keeps track or insists you do this. It is essentially between YOU and GOD. 
• If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you are saved and will reside in Heaven with God when you die. And you will be at peace and be singing praises with the Angels (John 3:16).  
• Hell is real. We don't quite no what hell will be like. God has left that as a bit of a mystery. But it is eternal suffering and separation from Jesus/God.
• Satan was never a god. He once was an angel who thought he knew how to do things better than God. He essentially wanted to be God. And he was cast out of Heaven. Jesus said, 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) (1 Peter 5:8) (Ezekiel 28)
• Our good works will not get us to Heaven. Jesus paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross. It is simple and beautiful. There is no amount of good deeds we can do to make ourselves good enough. We simply have to lean on Jesus and remember that His grace is sufficient. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
• We can only choose salvation for ourselves. We cannot make that decision for anyone else. We are only responsible for our own choices. 
• Baptism is a choice we make at ANY age. We decide for ourselves that we want to follow in Christ's footsteps (Matthew 3:13-17). 
• Being baptized isn't a requirement for salvation. Being baptized is another step in faith to proclaim that you are following Christ. The Bible does not require it at a certain age. Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
  
  Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/15-bible-verses-about-baptism/#ixzz2q1wKp34s
• ANYONE can preach the gospel at any time. The Bible says, as you go, preach. (Matthew 10:7)
• "The Church" is the collective body of believers. ANYONE who believes Jesus Christ is the Son of God and died and was resurrected. 
• Jesus is a prophet. 351 prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. See for yourself HERE
• HERE are some amazing statistics about Jesus fulfilling over 300 prophecies. 
• ANYONE can be filled with the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues. (1 Corinthians 14) (Acts 2)
• We are ALL a royal priesthood. 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:5 You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ
• There is only one true word of God. THE BIBLE. Plain and simple. They have found translations of the Bible that date back to Jesus' time and they match with the translations we have today. The Dead Sea Scrolls prove it. I will not argue with that proof. I saw the scrolls in person 3 years ago! They are so beautiful and so moving. I could just imagine the people that wrote them and read them. The history is fascinating. 
• When we quote books or sermons, we do so freely. No one is telling us to. We decide for ourselves if the quotes and or teaching are solid. We do this by comparing what they say to the TRUTH in the BIBLE. I myself enjoy MANY different Pastor's sermons and teachings. I choose these by my own freedom. (Rebecca St. James, Mark Driscoll, Louie Giglio, CS Lewis, Rick Warren, Keith Kerstetter, Mike Bartz, The list could go on and on.)
• Jesus said that John the Baptist is the greatest prophet that ever lived. And today, there is no prophet. We do each hold the ability to prophecy and see truth. We gain this by listening to the Holy Spirit. Matthew 11:9-11 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. (10) This is the one about whom it is written: " 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' (11) I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
• If we are persecuted for Christ's name sake, we should be glad. 
  1 Peter 4:12-14 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

•ANYONE can lay hands on anyone else and pray and God hears your prayer. Men, women, children, can all pray to bless others. And they can pray for healing and anything else that comes up in life. God is always listening. And when our hearts desires are good and pure and we are seeking Christ, God wants to fulfill those desires. Clearly, God does not want to fulfill our sinful desires. Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

I cannot stress how the most important thing we believe is this:

Jesus came down to earth in the form of a human. He lived a sinless life because He is the earthly manifestation of God in a human being. Jesus was then persecuted and crucified. He died. Was buried. And resurrected 3 days later. All of this happened to prove to the world that we are all sinful and need a Savior. JESUS paid the penalty for our sins. We can rest in knowing that there is no need to be worried about our perfection here on earth. We can never be perfect. We can lean on God's grace and mercy. And continue to try our best but always remembering that our best is lame in comparison to God's glory. THAT is why we need Jesus' sacrifice. 

Unfortunately, many people have a false understanding of who God is and as a result, they live with a huge burden to be good enough and do enough, [so] that Jesus will save them 'after all they can do.' It's very sad, really. And I want to do my best to be sure I am clear as to what we believe. I could go on and on. But this is just the basics about our faith. 

There is freedom in the name of Jesus.

There is power in the name of Jesus. 

2 Corinthians 4:8-12 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

My prayer is that you are touched by things I post because Jesus has changed my life. And I pray He changes your life also. Truly. He is loving and kind and He paid the price for your sins. 

Through Jesus I pray. 

Amen