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Faith Statement
- We believe the Scriptures to be the inspired
and inerrant word of God, and as such, they are revelation from God to man, the infallible
rule of faith and conduct. (1Tim. 3:16; 1 Peter 2:2.)
We believe in the Trinity of one God, eternal and self-existent, self-revealed as Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost. (Deut. 6:4; Mark 12:29; ls.43: 10-11; Matt. 28:19.) - We believe that Jesus Christ is true God and
true man, having been conceived of the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin, Mary. (John
1:1,14; Matt. 1: 18; Luke 1:26-27; Luke 2:7; 1Tim. 2:5.)
- We believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross
and shed His blood as a sacrifice for our sins; He arose bodily from the dead, ascended
into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on High. (1 Pet. 2:24; Heb.
9:11-14; 1 Cor. 15:3-8; Acts 2:32-36; Heb. 10:12.)
- We believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit
to glorify Christ, to convict men of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to empower the
believer. (John 15:26, John 16:8, 14; Acts 1 :8.)
- We believe that man was created in the image of
God, but fell into sin. (Gen. 1:26-31; Gen. 3:1-7, Rom. 5: 12-21.)
- We believe that man can be justified only by
grace through per personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph. 4:11-12; Rom. 3:24-28.)
- We believe that water baptism identifies us
with the death and burial of Christ, and that we should arise to walk in newness of life.
(Rom.6:3-9; 1Pet. 3:21.)
- We believe that the true Church is composed of
such persons who, through saving faith in Jesus Christ, have been regenerated by the Holy
Spirit. (1 Pet.2.4-5; Eph.2:19-22.)
- We believe in the personal, literal, second
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to judge both the quick and the dead. (Thess. 4:16; Heb
9:27; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; Rev. 20:11-15; Acts 24:15.)
- We believe in the bodily resurrection of all
the dead. (Acts 24:15; 1 Cor. 15:35-44; Rev.20:11-15.)
- We believe in everlasting blessedness for the
believer, with judgment and everlasting punishment for the unbeliever. (Matt. 7:21-23;
Rev. 20:11-15; John 5:29.)
- We believe that Christ wants the members of His
Church to carry the Gospel into all the world. (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8.)
- We believe that the Holy Spirit is at work
today within the Church through His gifts, fruit, and anointed ministers. (Acts 2:39; Rom.
12:6-8; I Cor. 12;1-11; Gal. 5:22-23; Eph. 4:11; I Cor. 12:28.)
- We believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit
are given to every believer and need to be activated and exercised to fulfill their Divine
purpose of blessing the Body of Christ. (Acts 2:39; Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:1-11; Gal.
5:22-23; Eph. 4:11; I Cor.12:28.)
- We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit
wherein the Spirit is sent to gift each believer with their own private prayer/ praise
language used to edify themselves, and that such a baptism empowers the believer to be
effective for Christ. (Acts 1:8; Acts 2:39; 1Cor. 14:2; Jude 20; 1Cor. 14:18; Acts
19:1-6.)
- We believe in Divine healing of the body as
part of the atoning work of Jesus Christ. This healing can be received and also ministered
to others by various gifts. (1 Cor 12:8-10; Matt.8:16-17; 1 Pet. 2:24)
- We believe in perfecting and equipping the
saints so they can enter in the functions of the fivefold ministry which were given into
the work of their ministry thereby edifying the whole Body of Christ. (Eph.4:11-16; I Cor
12:28.)
- We believe in the present-day ministries of the
apostles and prophets which Christ has set in the Church as foundational and revelational
ministries.
- We believe these two ministries will be
restored to function in full power and authority before the literal second coming of
Christ. (Eph. 2:20, Acts 3:2 1.)
- We believe that the Church of Jesus Christ is
God's instrument to establish and extend God's Kingdom until the literal coming of Christ
to reign over all the earth. (Rev.11:15.)
- We believe in the full restoration of the
corporate Body of Christ. (Acts 3:21)
- We believe in proclaiming present-truth for the
purpose of establishing dynamic, growing local churches, building on the foundational
ministries of the apostles and prophets.
- We believe in the autonomy of each local church
and that itinerant ministries should be based out of and related to a local church with
accountability to a senior minister. (Acts 13:1; Acts 15.)
- We believe that the Church is the Body of
Christ expressed as the church individual, the church local, and the church universal and
invisible. As such, we believe the Church to be more than just a building or a gathering
of people. It is a Body living in relationship and harmony under direction of the Head,
Jesus Christ. (1Cor.6.15; 11Cor. 1:1; Rom. 16:5, 1 Pet. 2:4-5, Eph.2:19-22, I Cor.
12:12-31 Rom. 12:4-5; Eph. 4:11-16.)
- We believe in church discipline administered
within the relational group in a spirit of meekness and confidentiality. The purpose of
such discipline is the restoration of the one subject to the discipline and/or the
purification of the relational group. The steps are: one on one private confrontation,
private confrontation with witnesses, and finally, exposure to the relational group for
judgment leading to restoration or separation. (Matt. 18:15-20; Gal. 6:1; ROM. 16:17; 11
John 9-11; I Cor. 5; 11Cor. 2:6-8, 1Tim. 5:20.)We believe as members of the same Body of
Christ, baptized by one Spirit into one Body, that we must endeavor to keep the unity of
the Spirit in the bond of peace, and as such, that we should not bring a lawsuit against
another Christian individual or ministry unless all scriptural principles have been
complied with thorough efforts of mediation.
- We believe that all such disputes should be
resolved within the Body of Christ without taking them before unbelievers for judgment. (I
Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:36.)
- We believe that God speaks today. There are at
least five avenues of prophecy by which God speaks to His people. They are the office of
the prophet, prophetic preaching, prophetic presbyters, the gift of prophecy, and the
spirit of prophecy. All five avenues are received and encouraged in this association of
churches.
- We believe that hearing from God, both
individually as members and corporately as a church and association of churches, through
prophecy or any other biblical means chosen by God to communicate, is essential to our
faith and walk with God. Prophecy and prophetic utterance is only one method of discerning
God's will and direction. It is recognized that the methods or avenues of prophecy will
not always be 100 percent accurate. Actions should not be taken on the basis of prophetic
words alone without other confirmation.
- We believe that prophetic presbytery serves the
purpose in the Body of Christ in activating, establishing, releasing, commissioning, and
ordaining gifts to their office, function, and place of relationship and/or leadership. (1
Cor. 14:3, Eph.4:11; Eph. 2:20; 1Tim. 4:14; Acts 13:1-3; Titus 1:5; Rom. 12:6; 1 Pet.4:10;
1 Cor. 14:39; 1 Cor. 14:1; 1 Thess. 5:19-21; 1Tim. 5:22; 11Tim. 1:6.)
- We believe that in all matters concerning the
Body of Christ, in its direction, discipline, ministry, and functioning; that specific
guidance and instruction, revelation, and discernment of truth from falsehood, is
available, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, who enables us to know spiritual things by
the Spirit. (Acts 13:1-3, 1 Tim. 1:18; Rom. 8:14; 1 Tim. 5: 22; John 16:13-15; 1Cor. 5:3)
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SHALOM Welcome to Joy Ministries Intl. School of Ministry & Glory Tabernacle~ Walking in the LIGHT in the REALMS of GODS~GLORY
PRAY FOR OUR
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