Although not an exhaustive list, the following articles of faith are the core of my foundational beliefs. These declarations of faith are inspired by the written and spoken Word of God, my personal and ever-growing relationship experience with Jesus Christ, and a combination of the articles of faith presented within the Judeo-Christian Pentecostal church, citing some specific wording within multi-denominations.

The Holy Trinity

There is only one true and living God and He has always existed in three persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Ghost (His Spirit which dwells within us) (Genesis 1:1-27; Matthew 28:19; 1 John 5:7).

The Holy Bible

The Holy Bible is the living and active Word of God. It is the infallible standard for all truth. (Proverbs 4:20-22; John 1:1; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

Jesus Christ: The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Jesus Christ is God who was made manifest in the flesh, to take away the sins of the world through his death, burial, and resurrection. His free gift of eternal life is available to anyone who will confess Him as Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead (John 3:16, 14:6; Romans 10:9-10).

Emphasis on Serving Others

Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. To be Christlike is to love God and love others. These are the two greatest commandments (Matthew 20:28, Mark 12:30-31, John 15:13).

Salvation and Sanctification by Grace Through Faith and Not Works

We are saved, justified and sanctified by grace through faith, apart from works, when we repent of our sins and believe in the atoning blood Jesus Christ. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9; Joshua 7:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; John 15:2, 17:17-19; Acts 13:38-39; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 5:26; Hebrews 13:12; 1 John 1:9).

Good Works as an Expression of Faith

A transformed life through Jesus will display good works, evidenced by the manifestation of the Fruits of the Spirt (Matthew 7:15-23; John 13:35; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Baptism of the Holy Spirit

The baptism of the Holy Spirit with heavenly fire is an endowment of the Holy Spirit whereby He gives utterances to the child of God in a heavenly language. Heavenly languages are the spoken Word of God, but in a language only God and His heavenly host can understand. Therefore, it is considered a “sign” of the Holy Spirit rather than a “message” to be interpreted. It is a powerful weapon against the spiritual forces of darkness. It is available to all born again children of God who believe they can have it and ask for it from the Holy Spirit. (Act 1:8, 2:4, 10:44-46, 19:6).

Divine Healing

Jesus has the power, authority, and prerogative to heal anyone at any time through any means that is consistent with His Word. We should practice all due diligence to steward the physical vessels he has given us because our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost. The Bible does not condemn medical science (Acts 3:2-12, 9:32-43, 5:15-16, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; James 5:14).

Merits of the Atonement

Every blessing we receive from God, including divine healing, comes through the merits of the atonement of Christ. The word atonement can be understood as being “at onement” with God. The merits of atonement are salvation for the soul, healing of the body, restoration of the mind, and ultimately oneness with the Father (Romans 5:11; James 1:16-17).

Nine Gifts of the Spirit

We believe in the operation of the nine gifts of the Spirit, which are for the church today, always pointing to Christ, for the common good of the church, distributed as the Holy Spirit wills, and are varied (Mark 16:20; John 14:12, 15:26, 16:13; I Corinthians 12:1-12).

REVELATION GIFTS

  • Gift of the Word of Wisdom: This manifestation of the Holy Spirit is the supernatural ability to apply truths or knowledge to the needs, problems, and situations of life. It can involve being given a sense of divine direction as one is led by the Holy Spirit to act appropriately, and within the confines of scripture, when inspired to do so (Acts 6:1-5; Acts 15:28).
  • Gift of the Word of Knowledge: This gift involves the supernatural revelation of God’s divine will or plan (Acts 5:1-12, 14:9,10). “The gift of the word of knowledge is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit in which God the Holy Spirit imparts to a human being, for a specific purpose, on a particular occasion, information or facts which only God may know, in order to supernaturally assist the church in her ministry” (Underwood, Gift of the Spirit).
  • Gift of Discerning of Spirits: This is supernatural insight into the spiritual realm enabling a person to distinguish between the spirit of light and the spirit of darkness; the spirit of truth and the spirit of error; the Holy Spirit, the human spirit, and the evil spirits (Acts 8:20-23).

POWER GIFTS

  • Gift of Faith: Through grace, God gives each a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). However, the Gift of Faith is a supernatural ability to believe God without doubt. It is the unwavering confidence that God will intervene in the believer’s behalf regardless of the seemingly impossible circumstances. It is a supernatural faith given to a particular person at a particular time for a particular need (Acts 27:22,25).
  • Gift of Miracles: It is the supernatural intervention and display of God’s power to do that which is seemingly impossible according to the man-made laws of science. The gift of miracles is used to authenticate the preaching of God’s Word and is displayed powerfully in the Book of Acts (Acts 6:7,8; 8:5-7; 19:10,11). It should be noted that the gift of miracles is closely associated with the gifts of faith and healing.
  • Gifts of Healings: This is the supernatural healing of diseases, illnesses, infirmities, and weaknesses of the body, soul, and spirit to restore health and wholeness. The words gifts and healings are both plural in the original Greek, referring to the varied giftings endowed by the Holy Spirit to individuals within the Body of Christ and the varied healings one can experience through the atonement of Jesus Christ that accomplishes total wholeness in all areas – physical, spiritual, and mental (Psalm 103:3, Isaiah 53:4,5).

SPEAKING GIFTS

  • Gift of Tongues: This is a supernatural utterance in a heavenly or otherwise unknown language that is often called a “message in tongues.” Unlike the “sign of tongues” which accompanies the baptism of the Holy Spirit, a message in tongues is a divine means of communication whereby God gives a special word or message to a congregation of people at a particular time for a particular need. The gift of interpretation should always accompany the manifestation of the gift of tongues (I Corinthians 14:27).
  • Gift of Interpretation of Tongues: This is the supernatural revelation and speaking forth of the meaning of a “message in tongues.” This is not a direct translation, but a divine declaration of the meaning or explanation of that which has been spoken. The gift of interpretation of tongues should always accompany the gift of tongues. When a message in tongues has occurred, earnest prayer should be offered that the interpretation should be given. All manifestations of gifts should be done in a fitting and orderly manner, meaning the senior pastor always assumes the right and responsibility of interpreting a message in tongues, unless otherwise prompted by the Holy Spirit. (Acts 14: 27,28; I Corinthians 14:13). We are instructed to be eager to prophesy, and not to forbit speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:39).
  • Gift of Prophecy: This gift involves supernaturally speaking forth a prophetic word in one’s own language. It is a word or message from the Lord given with great clarity, anointing, and understanding. It can be uttered from any member of the body for the encouragement, edification, or exhortation of the church. The Holy Spirit is the exclusive author of authentic prophecy. An authentic prophecy is never the result of intellectual prowess.

There are two types of the manifestation of the gift of prophecy: forth telling and foretelling. Forth telling is a prophetic word or message from the Holy Spirit for edification, exhortation and comfort that is needed for a particular time, place, and circumstance (I Corinthians 14:3). Foretelling is a prophetic message that speaks of future events and occurrences (Acts 21:10,11). All prophetic utterances must be judged solely upon the Word of God.

Second Coming of Christ

Jesus will return in the same way He ascended into heaven and rapture His church, separating His children from the obdurate, as a shepherd divides His sheep from the goats. God the Father is the only one who knows when this will occur. (Matthew 24:36, 25:32; Acts 1:10-11; Romans 14:11; 1 Corinthians 15:52; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 1:7). The wise will keep watch with our lamps lit and carry extra oil (Matthew 25:1-13).

Eternal Security in Heaven

Eternal redemption belongs to those who love Jesus and are faithful to the end. He is our exceedingly great reward (Genesis 15:1; Matthew 24:13; Revelation 2:10). However, not everyone will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, so work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Matthew 7:13, 21-23; I Corinthians 10:12; Galatians 5:4; Philippians 2:12).

The Reality of Hell

All who die out of Christ will be subject to eternal punishment, but those who die in Him shall share His glory forever as an inheritance (Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:46; John 5:29; Jude 7).

The Bride of Christ

The Bride of Christ is composed of all born again believers, regardless of race, ethnicity, cultural background, or social status (John 3; I Corinthians 12:25; II Corinthians 11:2; Galatians 3:28-29; Ephesians 4:16; 5:23-33; Revelation 19:7-8).

Sacredness of Marriage

Marriage is a Biblical sacred union, authored by God, between one man and one woman (Ephesians 5:31-33; 6:1-4; Hebrews 13:4; Matthew 19:5; Leviticus 18:22; Genesis 2:24).

The Virgin Birth

Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of the Father, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:34-35).

Water Baptism

Water baptism is a rite of passage and a public profession and expression of faith in Jesus Christ. It represents partaking in His death, burial, and resurrection. All who repent and confess Jesus as Lord should be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:5; Luke 7:30; Acts 2:38, 22:16; Romans 6:1-4; James 4:17).

The Lord’s Supper and Feet Washing

Jesus said, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” He exemplified this commandment through the sharing of food elements with His disciples at the last supper as a memorial to His sacrifice of His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. Following the last supper, He set an example by washing the feet of His disciples and promised to bless all who do the same. (Matthew 26:26-30; John 6:53-58, 13:4-17).

The Pursuit of Holiness

God alone is holy. However, He wants us to conform to His likeness, which means we must pursue His standard of living through personal consecration (Leviticus 11:45; Joshua 7:13; Psalm 93:5; Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Hebrews 7:26, 12:14; 1 Peter 1:15-16; 2 Peter 1:3-4; Revelation 15:4). The words `holiness,’ `saints’ and `sanctification’ are all translated from the one Greek word, “Hagios.” The Old Testament equivalent Hebrew word is “Kadosh,” which means “to be set apart, separated and different from all others or things”. Anything that becomes associated with God is separated unto God in a very special sense and becomes different from all other things.

Stewardship

We should honor the Lord with the first fruits of our time, talent, and treasure. This includes but is not limited to tithing and serving at the local church. The Lord blesses those who are faithful and cheerful givers (Deuteronomy 8:18; Malachi 3:6-12; Luke 12:48; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7; Colossians 3:23; James 1:18).

The Sanctity of Life

We believe in protecting the sanctity of life by speaking out against abortion & euthanasia (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:5-7, 127:3-5, 139:13-16; Isaiah 49:15; Jeremiah 1:5).