The Church I Was Born Into

Salvation makes people members of the church. Read Acts 2:47,John 10:9,I Corinthians 12:13

The scriptural name of the church that Christ built is"Church of God." Read Acts 20:28, I Corinthians 1:2-10:32-11:22, II Corinthians 1:1, Galatians 1:13, I Timothy 3:5-15.

The church is the body of Christ. Read Ephesians 1:22-23, Colossians 1:24

Christ is the head of the body. Read Colossians 1:18, Ephesians 4:15-16.

The names of members are written in Heaven. Read Luke 10:20, Philippians 4:3, Hebrews 12:23, Revelation 3:5-21:27.

The church is of the New Testament, Jesus organized it. Read Matthew 16:18.

The church is on a good foundation. Read Ephesians 2:20, I Corinthians 3:11

God admits members. Read Acts 2:47, I Corinthians 12:13

Christ governs it. Read Ephesians 1:22-23, Isaiah 9:6

Only the saved are members. Read John 15:2-6

Membership is offered to all. Read Revelation 22:17.

Membership is rewarded. Read Revelation 20:12-14-21:3-4-22:14

Bible Cardinal Principals of the Church

First, The inspiration of the Holy scriptures-the whole Bible as the inspired, only infallible, authoriative Word of God.

Second, One God, eternally existing in three persons-The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Third, We believe in the essential deity of Christ, the Virgin Birth, Jesus sinless life, Jesus miracles, Jesus vicarious and atoning death on the cross-through his shed blood, his bodily resurrection, his ascension to the right hand of the Father and his second coming in power and great glory. Read Matthew 24:30

Fourth, We believe in the forgiveness of sins and conversion, on repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Read Acts 2:38-3:19.

Fifth, Baptism by immersion. Read Romans 6:4

Sixth, We believe in entire sanctification, subsequent to forgiveness and conversion. Read Acts 2:38 & 8:14-17.

Seventh, We believe in one universal church-the church of God as set forth in the scriptures. Read Hebrews 12:22-23.

Eighth, We believe in the second coming of Christ for the church, His chosen bride.

Nineth, We believe in the resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust, the saved and the lost. Read Acts 24:15. The saved into life, the lost unto damnation. Read John 5:28-29.

Tenth, We believe in the unity of all true Christian believers in the one church, the body of Christ, as it was in the apostles days.

Eleventh, We believe in a general judgment day and the eternal rewards for saints and punishment of sinners in the world to come Heaven and Hell. Read Matthew 25:31-46.

Personal Revelation

Men can receive revelation. They can approach the throne of grace and receive answers to their prayers. But receiving revelation from God through prayer is something that must be worked at. It does not just automatically happen. It must be learned and it requires effort. But it can be done because man has received guidance and direction from God. And men right now are receiving guidance and direction from God. Your objective should be to seek to pray more effectively in order that you may develop a more meaningful relationship with your Father in Heaven. And learn to recognize answers to your prayers. Prayer is not simply audible sounds made with the mouth. A person must feel deeply the things he prays about or he may be sure that his prayer is not effective. If a man doesn't really care about the things in his prayers how can he expect that God will care? When you want to communicate with God, the words your mouth speaks are just the outward physical expression of what should be deep personal feelings. And when you listen for Gods answers to your prayers, you don't listen for audible sounds necessarily, but for feelings, impressions, or sudden bursts of thought. These are the manifestations of the Spirit of God by which spiritual men communicate with God. You may notice the first intimacy of the spirit of revelation when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you. Or a giving of sudden stokes of ideas. By learning the spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus.

Rites, Ordinances and Symbolisms

Symbolisms and performances of rites and ordinances of the gospel are done in such a way as to center the minds of the participants upon Christ. Sacrifices for instance were prominent among the ordinances of the Mosaic Law. They foreshadowed the coming sacrifice of the Son of God. In fact sacrifices began with Adam. And he taught it to his children. There was a similiar similitude in the brazen serpent that Moses raised before Israel. Speaking to Nicodemus our Lord said that as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life. Baptism is a sacrament by which the individual is welcomed into the membership of God's family. The rite indicates a cleansing from past life and resurrection to a new life. It symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord. And gives us our testimony that we believe to follow. Footwashing is exercised as a symbol of fellowship and a rememberance of Jesus Christ by many congregations either yearly or on a seldom reserved basis. This act is to show humility and humbleness represented by Christ himself. Communion of the Lords Supper is observed often by few and seldom by many. Of this sacrament Jesus said this do in rememberance of me. We partake of the communion as the common elements. We eat of the bread to remember Jesus broken body. And as we remember the blood shed on the cross for our sakes we partake the drink to represent this. It is a mystical experience for many as a soul searching event, a time to be inspired, a time of reverance, a time of humbleness, and a time of empowerment of the Holy Spirit for strength and growth

The Church Stands For

A personal God-John 4:24

A divine Christ-John 1:1-14

An infallible Bible-II Timothy 3:16-17 & II Peter 1:20-21

Salvation from sin-Matthew 1:21

The new birth-John 3:3 & 5:7

Entire sanctification-I Thessalonians 5:23

A Holy life-Luke 1:73-75 & Titus 2:11-12

Unity of Gods people-John 17:21

Divine physical healing-James 5:14-15

The ordinances-Matthew 28:19-20 & John 13:4-17

Eternal punishment-Matthew 25:46 & Mark 9:43-46

On these and all other glorious principals set forth in Gods Word we stand. For them we pour out our energies. For their acceptance we fervertly pray, for we believe they point the way to Christian unity, the unity for which Christ prayed. Read John 17:17-21

You are welcome to join in our church group of Bible believers email christianoutreachassociation@hotmail.com

Annual observance in the early Church

The New Testament pictures Christians continuing to observe the annual festivals at the times commanded by God. As a youth, Christ kept the Passover annually on the specified day (Luke 2:41), and He continued the practice with His disciples. The early Church as well continued to observe the other Holy Days at their specified times. For example, Acts records that Jesus' followers met to observe the Feast of Pentecost: "Now when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place" (Acts 2:1).

Scripture gives no hint of the early Church adding to or changing the dates God ordained for His festivals. The phrase in 1 Corinthians 11:26—"for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup"—simply points out that, by observing the Passover each year on the appropriate day, members of the Church were proclaiming "the Lord's death till He comes."

The Bible specifies the yearly observance of the Passover, and history records its annual celebration as the practice of the early Church. Passover, as a memorial of Jesus' death, is to be observed annually rather than whenever or however often one chooses, just as all of the other annual festivals are to be kept once a year. Neither Jesus Christ nor the apostles indicated that we should change when or how often we observe any of God's festivals.

Following their example, today we should observe the Passover at the beginning of the evening of the 14th day of the first month (Abib, or Nisan) of the Hebrew calendar.

During His last Passover with His disciples, Jesus explained that this celebration has significant implications for the future as well. In Matthew 26:29 He told them, "I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."

Keeping the Passover each year reminds us that God is the forgiver of sin who grants us eternal life in His Kingdom through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our Passover. This observance is a memorial of our Creator's continuing role in humanity's salvation.

     

The meaning of the Passover wine

Why did Jesus command His disciples to drink wine as a symbol of His blood during the Passover service? What does this symbolize?

Notice Matthew's account: "Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom'" (Matthew 26:27-29).

What are we to learn from this symbol? First, Christ knew that drinking wine as a symbol of His shed blood would impress deeply on our minds that His death was for the forgiveness of our sins. "This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me" (1 Corinthians 11:25). Jesus "loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood" (Revelation 1:5). God forgives our sins through Jesus' shed blood (1 John 1:7).

Many people normally understand this tenet—that God forgives our sins through Jesus Christ's blood—but not everyone realizes how it occurs. Paul explained that "according to the Law ... all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness [of sin]" (Hebrews 9:22, New American Standard Bible).

The Old Testament records God instructing the priesthood to perform certain duties that included a system of cleansing and purification using the blood of sacrificed animals, thus foreshadowing the shedding of Christ's blood, the ultimate sacrifice for sin. He commanded the nation of Israel to follow this temporary system of the ritualistic cleansing of sin (Hebrews 9:9-10). Animal sacrifices served as a type of the one and only real and future sacrifice, Jesus Christ, who would pay the penalty for everyone's sins once and for all.

     

The bread: symbol of Christ's body

Later, while the disciples were eating, Jesus explained that one of them would soon betray Him (Matthew 26:21-25). But notice verse 26: "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.'"

Christ's body was to become a sacrificial offering for sin, for indeed "we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this man ... offered one sacrifice for sins forever ... For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified" (Hebrews 10:10-14). God forgives us through Jesus Christ's sacrifice, and He "sanctifies" us—sets us apart—for the holy purpose of obedience to Him.

Our decision to eat the Passover bread means we understand that Jesus Christ has "put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself" (Hebrews 9:26). He willingly consented to suffer an excruciating death for us. Christ bore in His body mental and physical suffering brought on by sin.