Bibliology
The Bible is God- breathed, inerrant, infallible, and it is as it claims to be, the Word of God (2 Tim.3:16). God the Holy Spirit used holy men through the process of inspiration to move them to write not just thoughts, but every word (2 Pt.1:21)(Mt.4:4). This “moving” of the Holy Spirit was not the same as the moving or inspiration that a poet feels as he writes, but more of carrying them to write.
God not only gave His Word, but He promised to preserve it for every generation (Psalm 12:6-7) (Is.40:8). As a result, the Word of God is preserved by following a strict translation method and is as literal as possible. We only use certain translations that follow this accurate method of translating in a formal equivalence, historically and grammatically accurate method.
A formal equivalence method used will ensure that a word for word rendering of the original language is translated from the original languages of Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. Some translations use what is known as the "dynamic equivalence" or also known as the "functional equivalence" We do not accept these paraphrase type Bibles. Here is a simple list of the main Bible translations we use in English. KJV, NKJV, NASB and the ESV
We also accept other languages besides English as long as they were translated by the "formal equivalence" method of translating. An example of this is what I use in Chinese Mandarin. I use the Union Chinese Bible which is translated using the "formal equivalence" method of translating from the original languages.
The Bible is just as true, relevant and profitable today as it was when it was written in the original manuscripts (Hebrew 4:12). According to 2 Tim. 3:16, the Bible is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.
Theology Proper
There is one God and supreme being that is holy, ever existent, all powerful, all knowing and ever present in the affairs of man today (Deut.6:4, Lk.1:37, Is.40). God is a triune God, but manifests Himself as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, forming the Trinity. God is then three Persons in one Essence, not three distinct gods (1 Jn.5:7). God is a loving God and at the same time a holy God, therefore, though He loves man, He hates sin. Because of the sin of man, the world today has rejected God and His Word. As a result, God required death as a payment for the sin of man and sent His Son to pay that price. (Rom.6:23, Jn.3:16, 2 Cor.5:21).
Jesus the Son of God
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and at the same time God the Son. Christ was not created, but the relationship between Jesus' humanity and deity can be seen in the hypostatic union (100% God and 100% man) (Jn.10:30, Jn.8:58, Jn.1:1,14). Since Jesus is God in the flesh, He possesses all of the attributes of God the Father (Mk.2, Jn.1:3, Col.1:16-18; 2:9).
Jesus Christ was born of a virgin by the Holy Spirit and lived a perfect life while on earth(Lk.1:34-35). The purpose of His coming was to pay the price of sin on the cross, and therefore provide a way for man to receive the forgiveness of sins (Lk.19:10, Jn.3:16). Without this sacrifice, man would have no hope of ever receiving eternal life.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit has both a ministry to the world of the unsaved by way of reproving the world of sin, righteousness and judgement and also of comforting, teaching and strengthening us as believers. (Jn.16:8)
The Holy Spirit also has many other ministries which I can only summarize here.
Only God could do all of this and praise God, He has given us of His Spirit to teach, convict of sin, comfort, guide and lead us in this life and unto the life to come. The single most important aspect of God's Spirit living in us, is for the purpose of holiness, hence He is known as the Holy Spirit. (Isaiah 57:15)
Eternal Security
When a person receives Jesus Christ as Savior, he also receives the eternal life that He gives (1 Jn.5:11-13). Once a person receives eternal life, he cannot lose it. Because a person cannot receive eternal life by his works, it is impossible that his eternal life be taken away because of works. Moreover, there is no man that can take it away from him, not even himself (Jn.10:27-29, Rom.8). If this were the case, eternal life would not be eternal, but temporal. It is God that saves, not the person; therefore, it is God who keeps one saved, and not the person.
Man
God made man in His Own image, when Adam and Eve were created, they both were in a perfect state, with no sin. God gave man the freedom to choose to obey or disobey. Adam and Eve were responsible for their thoughts, words and actions and were to obey all the commands of God. Adam and Eve both rebelled against God's clear commands and they both died spiritually in their sin, because Adam sinned in the garden, every man born after Adam would be born in sin and with a sin nature. (Romans 3:10, 3:23, Romans 5:12) A man is not a sinner because he sins, but he sins because he is born into sin. (Psalm 51:5)
Salvation
Salvation from eternal punishment is only received one way, through Jesus Christ (Jn.14:6). A person must recognize that he is a sinner, repent of his sins, realize that Christ died to pay his payment for his personal sins on the cross, and must ask Him to forgive him of his sins and be his Savior. A person must trust Christ and Christ alone for his salvation, for Jesus is the only way (Acts 4:12, John 14:6)
A person does not need to “get his life right” with God before he can approach Him. The whole reason why man needs a Savior is because he cannot “get his life right” enough to find favor in God’s eyes, so he must let God do the work in him. On the other hand, when a person is saved, his works will change (Eph.2:8-10). A true believer in Jesus Christ WILL bear fruit and produce good works, if God began the work, He will continue it until death. (Philippians 1:6). If they are saved by God then God will continue the good work in that person. (Philippians 1:6) Salvation is repentance from sin and faith towards God, if God saved someone, there will be fruit unto that salvation. A true believer will bear fruit and that will be good works because God saved him for that purpose. (Ephesians 2:10, Philippians 1:6). Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a changed life. It is not the prayer that saves someone, but the decision of repentance and accepting God’s terms through Jesus Christ for salvation. As God saved us to bear fruit, we will bear fruit, how much though will depend on how submissive the Christian is to God's word and God's will.
Election and Predestination
Paul taught election and predestination very clearly in Ephesians chapter 1 and Romans chapter 8. If you believe in Christ, you should believe the Bible. If you believe the Bible, you should believe in election and predestination. These two topics require a lengthy explanation and our doctrinal statement is only to declare that these issues are taught in the Bible and yet we also know that man is responsible for his sins and sinfulness.
Israel
We believe that Israel is God’s chosen national people (Gen. 28:13). In God’s sovereign will, Israel serves as a channel of His blessing to the entire world (Gen. 12:3) for His glory (Isa. 43:7), and His witness to the nations (Isa. 43:10). God’s election of Israel for this unique relationship is irrevocable (Romans 11:28-29). This does not guarantee that "all Jews are saved and are in the family of God". In the Church Age every individual must repent of their sins and trust personally in Jesus Christ as Savior, this includes the Jewish people. Although God has promises that relate to Israel and the Jewish people, they must have a saving knowledge of Christ the Messiah in order to have a right standing with God. There is a future salvation for many Jews who will be saved during the 7 year Tribulation, for some, they will be sealed to be witnesses during those judgement days of "Jacob's Trouble", there will also be two "Witnesses" (Revelation 11:3) who will function just as Old Testament prophets with miracles and works of power. With 144,000 Jewish sealed from each of the Jewish Tribes (Revelation 7) these saved servants during the 7 years of Tribulation will preach the gospel to the extent that both Jews and Gentiles will still be saved although they will be martyred. Toward the end of the 7 years, ALL Israel will be saved, we understand this to mean that the remaining Jews who "survived the onslaught" of the tribulation days, will recognize Jesus as Messiah and all of that remnant of Jewish people will trust in Jesus. (Revelation chapter 7 and chapter 14) Joel 2:28-29, Romans 11:25
The Church
We believe that the true Church is a universal, invisible, living organism and that it is the “body of Christ” and that Christ is the head of this body. The universal Church is made up of truly born again spiritual believers only (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:22–23; 5:23; Col. 1:18, John 3:3,7)
We believe that the Church began on the day of Pentecost; that every believer was indwelt/baptized by the Holy Spirit into the one body of Christ, which is the Universal Church (Jn. 14:16–17; Acts 1:4–5; 2:1–4; 1 Cor. 12:13).
We believe that the Scriptures teach that there are to be local churches. These churches are to be the visible representation of the body of Christ in the local community. Local churches are to observe the ordinances of Christ and seek to do the will of God (Mt. 28:19–20; Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 1:2; 11:23–28).
We believe that the local church should be totally committed to the edifying (developing to maturity) of the believers and also should have an active outreach in evangelism (1 Cor. 14; Eph. 4:11–16). Edification carries the ideal of an act of building a building which is the body of Christ in the local church. It is also called to exhortation which is a calling to one's aid and encouragement. The local church is also for the purpose of consolation which is to comfort all members of the body of Christ. All this is done under the leadership of an overseer who is the pastor and shepherd of the local body of believers. I Corinthians 14:3 "But the one who prophesies speaks to people for edification, exhortation, and consolation."
The English word "church" in the Bible is the word ecclesia in the Greek. This is a compound word that uses the words ek and kalew. The word ek means out of, and the word kalew means to call. The word ecclesia then by definition is a called out assembly. But not every called out assembly is a church, for the Bible clearly teaches that only those that have accepted Christ as their Savior are part of the church (Acts 2:47). The Bible frequently refers to the church as the Bride of Christ, Christ himself being the Bridegroom. Another name in the Bible for the church is the body of Christ, and specifically names Christ the Head of the church (Col.1:18). The church in the Bible is very significant, for Ephesians 5:25 says that Christ gave himself for it. The Bible teaches that even though the church is significant, no one can receive salvation by means of a church, for it is only Christ that can forgive sins (Mk.2:7, Jn.14:6, Acts 4:12). As a distinctive characteristic of ACTS churches, we do not desire to invest in buildings and real-estate but rather use our house buildings for places of worship, prayer and missionary support.
Prayer and Praise
There is no better example in the Bible of how and when to pray than Jesus Himself. In Luke 5:16 we read, " But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray."
Prayer is so important in the Bible that I believe it must be mentioned in a doctrinal statement and yet quite often it is missing completely in most ministries' Statement of Faith.
For the sake of time in this short statement on praise and prayer, I will choose just a few of the thousands of examples of praise and prayer in the Bible to show it's importance.
Hebrews 13:15 "Through Him then, let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips praising His name." For both prayer and praise, we are told to "continually" be active in these all important aspects of worshipping our God.
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 "Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
In short, we are to be completely immersed in praising our God and in praying to Him constantly, like breathing which is done constantly for life and health, we need to be continually in active prayer and praise.
Music and Singing
I believe we must begin with Ephesians 5:19 to make our statement on the purpose and meaning of music and singing in the Church of Jesus Christ.
"speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord;"
Psalms is the psalmós – a psalm ("Scripture set to music"). Originally, a psalm (5568 /psalmós) was sung and accompanied by a plucked musical instrument (typically a harp), especially the OT Psalms.
hýmnos (from hydeō, "to celebrate") – a song that gives honor, praise, or thanksgiving (transliterated into English as "hymn"). hýmnos ("hymn") in antiquity was a song celebrating (praising) pagan gods, heroes, and conquerors, now as we look at the New Testament usage we see that it is only of praising the true and only triune God, manifested in the flesh in Jesus Christ, the God-man. It occurs twice in the NT (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16), pointing to well-known songs of praise to God that became established hymns for the early Christians.
And then finally the word "songs" is used in Ephesians 5:19 where we see a song. 5603 (ōdḗ) is used in the NT of spontaneous, impromptu (unrehearsed) melodies of praise – not merely sung about (for) God but to God from a Spirit-filled heart. Spirit-inspired songs minister to God and exhort others, giving testimony about the living God to other worshipers.
In all these different ways to praise God through music and singing, there must be sound doctrine, in our world today there is so much false teaching, erroneous emotionally charged noise with loud instruments that has nothing to do with sound teaching, sound praise nor can it really be considered worshipful.
There is much more to say about how music is to be conducted in the church and in a believer's life but Ephesians 5:19 at least gives us a good understanding of how a proper Biblically sound music program should be conducted in the local New Testament Church of Jesus Christ.
Finances and Giving
As is the case with so many parts of a doctrinal statement, there is so much more to say and yet I believe I can summarize this section to say clearly what our position is for finances and giving. Christians want to know that their financial giving is going toward Christian ministries both in the local church and to reach the lost both locally and and the needy worldwide.
A thorough study of 2 Corinthians 8 will show very clearly how a godly faithful Christian sees the true Biblical meaning of giving. In short, we should FIRST give of ourselves to the Lord and then give as the Lord leads, even in poverty, Christians can give generously. This is the heart and soul of giving.
As to why we give money to the local church and ministries, here is a brief Biblical account of what God says in His word.
1. We first give because we are commanded to give. 1 Corinthians 16:2 tells us very clearly that "On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save as he may prosper, so that no collections need to be made when I come. "
2. We also give because we want to care for our pastor (1 Timothy 5:17,180 and reach the lost for Christ. ( 1 Corinthians 9:14) The local church has expenses, especially the salary of the pastor and the outreach expenses of preaching the gospel. The local church supports works from the local assembly as well as support of missionaries and caring for the poor and needy both within the church itself and outside the church. There are too many verses to cover in this short statement, but simply said, we meet needs with our finances both within the local assembly as well as outside the local assembly. When I say church, I am only talking about people's expenses seeing we will NOT have a church building but rather use houses chosen for worship. The expenses of the houses will be covered by the owner of the house and no church monies will be used to maintain the expenses of the house used for worship.
3. Another very neglected area of giving, especially for sound Bible believing local assemblies, is in the area of meeting pressing needs and giving to the poor. Quite often the "liberal" churches spend a great deal of money on these types of ministries and the "sound" Bible teaching churches shun from this type of giving. See Hebrews 13:6, Titus 3:14 and Acts 4:34 for just a few verses
4. 16 out of 38 of Jesus’ parables deal with money and possessions and from this we can see how careful we need to be with finances. we know that "...the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil. 1 Timothy 6:10 and that we need to be "rich toward God" instead of just simply rich in this world. (Luke 12:21) in closing comments on giving and finances, 2 Corinthians 9:7 "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." MAY WE MAKE GOD PLEASED WITH ALL THE WAYS WE GIVE.
Baptism and Communion
Both the immersion of a true believer under the waters of baptism and the eating of the "Lord's table" are symbols of something much greater. In the case of baptism, it symbolizes the actual work of the Holy Spirit in cleansing us of our sins and washing all our sins away. It also symbolizes that we are spiritually buried with Christ and in coming up out of the waters, we are risen in the newness of life. Saved Chrsitians should do it publicly to demonstrate they are serious about following Jesus Christ and have a desire to identify with the church, in order to truly symbolize the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and what He did for us as believers, it should ONLY be done once and by immersion and NOT several times nor with some sort of sprinkling of water.
Communion is to be conducted at local churches by true born again believers who have already followed through in baptism and are part of a local assembly of Christians, in the early church, it was done EVERY Sunday which we could do as well, but in order to maintain a sober and contemplative remembrance, our local churches will do it once a month. The eating of the wafer of unleavened bread is a symbol of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ and the "fruit of the vine" (grape juice) should be taken as a remembrance of His blood sacrifice for our sins. All this is symbolic and only serves as a serious reminder of what Christ did for us on the cross to take away our sins. Because there is always the likelihood that Communion is "done in an unworthy manner", Christians need to take it very seriously. 1 Corinthians 11:30 makes it clear that some Christians became weak, sick and even died as a result of abusing the ordinance of Communion. If taken seriously and with a humble heart, it can be a beautiful refreshing experience of restoring a close fellowship with God.
Church Leadership
Pastor and Deacons constitute the leadership of each local assembly. We do not agree with so called Eldership rule or accept divorced pastors. Deacons should also be held to a similar standard as pastors, they must be good family men and are not qualified to become deacons if they have been divorced.
1 Timothy 3:1-7
It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil."
These qualifications guide a local church in choosing a pastor.
As for deacons, 1 Timothy 3:8-13 have clear qualifications for those who serve as a deacon in the local church.
Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain,
but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. These qualifications pertain to both the deacon and also his wife as she is one with her husband in marriage and the deacon qualifications include how his wife meets a Biblical standard. It does not pertain to "woman deacons" but rather the wife of a deacon.
Child Rearing
Although there is much to say about this particular issue, I will summarize by quoting a few key verses in the Bible and comment on each verse. Proverbs 22:6 NASB "Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he grows older he will not abandon it."
As a father who raised 16 Chinese children in Beijing China, I know all too well the importance of teaching the Bible all throughout the day. Every day I would start our day in God's word and finish the day the same way. We all loved to study God's word and I also did homeschooling with Christian teaching materials. All of this played a huge role in producing godly young adults today who both love Jesus Christ and these kids love the Bible.
Deuteronomy 6:6,7 "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. And you shall repeat them diligently to your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, and when you get up."
We, as a family, took these verses literally and spent quality time in God's word each day from start to finish. God saved these kids at an early age and they continue to serve the Lord Jesus Christ today. The word of God is important to all of us to every aspect of our lives.
In closing, I quote Ephesians 6:4 "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." All the instructions must be based on the Bible and what better way than to use the Bible throughout the day to instruct children. This ensures that they know they are sinners, they learn they can be saved and they accept Jesus as Savior at an early age and grow in the grace and knowledge of God through His word the Bible.
Qualifications and Church Discipline
Within the local church there is to be one pastor and several deacons, who are to meet qualifications as mentioned in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1:5 through 9. Both the position of pastor and of deacons are to meet Biblical qualifications as prescribed in God's holy word. The entire church, including the leadership, have a responsibility to hold up an "above reproach" standard and if in the case of blatant violations of these standards, it is the responsibility of all church members to approach each other with the proper Biblical method as discussed in Matthew 18:15 through 17 "15 “Now if your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that on the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be confirmed. 17 And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, he is to be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."
Church members must first approach the individual to rebuke them privately, only if the violator refuses to listen is there a need to get anyone else involved. The process is clear in Matthew 18:15 through 17. Only in the case of an older saint is there a deviation from this rebuking process. 1 Timothy 5:1 "Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, and to the younger men as brothers," The entire process of rebuking is not meant to be disrespectful, but rather to build up the church members into a unified body all pleasing to God and glorifying Jesus Christ. The last thing a local church needs is to compromise doctrine or holy living by ignoring blatant violations of either qualifications or Biblical standards clearly written in Scripture. It is a safeguard for church members to be accountable to each other and be humbly approachable and this includes the pastor and the deacons. One final thought, there may also be a need for a person to be removed from the local church because they refuse to repent and turn from their sin. Once again, Matthew 18:17 is clear that the unrepentant church member is to be removed to maintain holiness in the Church of Jesus Christ. A proper rebuke process and a strict adherence to Biblical standards actually produces a much more loving and effective local church.
Sign Gifts of the Early Church
First Corinthians 13:8-10
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail, whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. These verses teach that prophecy, tongues, and knowledge will someday cease. The question is: When will this occur? Those who believe the sign gifts are not for today argue that they ceased of themselves at the end of the apostolic period.
Spiritual gifts for Church Age Today
Romans 12:7-11: Ephesians 4:11-13 The 7 spiritual gifts
• Prophecy: Reveals truth by exposing sin, so that fellowship with God can be restored and/or maintained
• Serving: Demonstrates love by meeting practical needs, usually through tangible work
• Teaching: Discovers and validates truth so that the Church maintains accuracy
• Exhorting: Encourages Christians to grow spiritually by discipling, teaching, and counseling others
• Giving: Conserves and shares resources in order to meet needs
• Organizing: Carries out projects by recruiting workers, organizing tasks, or delegating responsibilities
• Mercy: Demonstrates God’s love and compassion by responding to hurt
The End Times
The world today is in its last days, and we can see the signs leading up to the end of times. Christ said that some signs would be wars and rumors of wars, nations against nations, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, etc (Mt.24:6-7).
The next point on the calendar of God’s program is the rapture of the church (1 Thes.4:18). The Bible teaches that the rapture is imminent, therefore no other event needs to happen before the rapture of the church. The works of the believer will then be judged at the judgment seat of Christ (1 Cor.3:13, 2 Cor.5:10). Not for salvation, but for recompense and rewards which we will be able to cast back at the feet of Jesus. The believers will then enjoy what the Bible calls the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev.19:9-10).
On earth the seven year tribulation will begin after the rapture. At this time, the anti- Christ will make himself known to the world as one that brings peace and stability to the world (2 Thes. 2:6-12). This time is referred by the Bible as the beginning of sorrows (Mt.24, Dan.9). Half way through the tribulation (3 ½ years into it), the anti- Christ will sit in the temple of God in the place of God, committing what the Bible calls the abomination of desolations spoken of by Daniel (Dan.9). At this point, the great tribulation will begin, making the second half of the tribulation worse than the first.
At the end of the seven years, the second coming of Christ will take place, in which all His children will descend with Christ as our Conqueror and King. The saints will be robed in white riding a white horse right behind Christ (Rev.19:11-16). At this point, the nations will try to unite and fight against Christ. This battle is called the battle of Armageddon (Rev.19:19-21). The battle will really be no battle at all, for Christ will speak and with His voice will He defeat the nations (Rev.19:21). Immediately following will be the Millennial Reign of Christ, and during those 1,000 years, Satan will be bound. At the end of those 1,000 years, Satan will be loosed again for his final attempt to defeat Christ. The earth will be then destroyed (2 Pt.3:9-10). Satan will then be cast into the Lake of Fire, death and hell will also be cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev.20:8-10). At that time, God will make a new heaven and a new earth and in it will be the New Jerusalem, where the saints will forever abide with Christ (Rev.21:1-7).
Marriage and Divorce
To begin with God's perfect standard as it relates to the picture of marriage between one man and one woman, we must go to Ephesians 5:32 "This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church."
This verse makes it clear that a man and a woman in holy matrimony are NEVER to be divorced, we teach that once a person becomes a child of God, he or she can NEVER be lost nor lose their salvation. This is Paul's point with marriage being a picture of Christ and His bride. We are inseparable and only death can separate a husband and a wife, to be divorced is sinful and to remarry would be adultery. As for Matthew 5 and Matthew 19, those passages are in the Jewish context of Matthew's teaching in Matthew chapter 1 that in the case of betrothal under Jewish tradition, "And her husband Joseph, since he was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. So in Matthew 1:19 One might ask, what constitutes marriage? In Joseph's case, Roman marital laws determined legal marriage, NOT a Jewish customary betrothal. It was both right and proper for Joseph to "send Mary away" because he knew he was not legally married yet and he thought she had committed fornication. This is why the angel tells Joseph in a dream "“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife;" Matthew 1:20b We also learn from both Luke and Mark that in ALL cases, divorce is wrong and remarriage while one party is still living, is to commit adultery. Mark 10:11,12 "And He *said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.” Many churches and denominations have both bad and even strange teaching when it comes to marriage, divorce, remarriage and now homosexual unions, all of these are contrary to God's sound teaching on marriage. The Bible teaches THERE ARE NO GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE. We know from Malachi 2:16 "“For I hate divorce,” says the LORD.." and HE could never approve of something HE hates.
We also learn from Paul's teaching to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 7:39 " A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. " So in short, this section of our doctrinal statement is clearly teaching that we NEVER accept divorce as a "good" nor "acceptable" thing, anyone who teaches "exceptions" are misguided on what God has said through Old Testament to New Testament times. We know that divorce is rampant, just like any other sin is rampant, all sin must be acknowledged to be forgiven and there must NOT be teaching to accommodate any sin, God is the Author and finisher of our faith and His word is clear. The message being taught today when marriages are struggling and even "on the rocks" is that we as Christians should teach reconciliation and confession of sin from both the husband and wife in the case of animosity between spouses. I often say to married couples when they "argue for an innocent party", there is ONLY one innocent party in a marriage between a man and a woman and His Name is JESUS. What God has joined together, let NO MAN SEPARATE. All of us are sinners and in need of forgiveness, grace and reconciliation, in the case of formerly divorced brothers and sisters, there still needs to be an acknowledgement of the former sin and they must have a proper understanding of how they are forgiven. Just imagine for a second just how many adulterers there are in the churches of the world, simply because of bad teaching and then we wonder why so many people seem to be living under judgement. I praise God for those Christians who have been faithful in their marriages and even celebrated 50, 60 and even 70 years of marriage. I also praise God for those who have seperated and even "divorced" but later reconciled with each other and then lived a happily to death depart. We MUST stand on God's ideals and not succumb to the whims and waves of false teaching.
Missions
The Mordecai and Esther Foundation desires to support missionaries through prayer, financial contributions as well as providing homes in the US to serve as their home bases and communications centers for the most effective outreach of both lost souls and fruitful discipleship programs of God’s people.
We take very seriously 3 John 1:5-8
5 Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and [b]especially when they are strangers; 6 and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.
It will be our pleasure to support in anyway those who are like-minded in doctrine and purpose with the Mordecai and Esther Foundation. Those who desire “to go out for the sake of the Name” we will prayerfully consider supporting them and providing their every need. In this way we fulfill our “ought duty” to be fellow workers in the truth.
May God richly bless the Mordecai and Esther Foundation in this glorious effort.
The Bible is God- breathed, inerrant, infallible, and it is as it claims to be, the Word of God (2 Tim.3:16). God the Holy Spirit used holy men through the process of inspiration to move them to write not just thoughts, but every word (2 Pt.1:21)(Mt.4:4). This “moving” of the Holy Spirit was not the same as the moving or inspiration that a poet feels as he writes, but more of carrying them to write.
God not only gave His Word, but He promised to preserve it for every generation (Psalm 12:6-7) (Is.40:8). As a result, the Word of God is preserved by following a strict translation method and is as literal as possible. We only use certain translations that follow this accurate method of translating in a formal equivalence, historically and grammatically accurate method.
A formal equivalence method used will ensure that a word for word rendering of the original language is translated from the original languages of Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. Some translations use what is known as the "dynamic equivalence" or also known as the "functional equivalence" We do not accept these paraphrase type Bibles. Here is a simple list of the main Bible translations we use in English. KJV, NKJV, NASB and the ESV
We also accept other languages besides English as long as they were translated by the "formal equivalence" method of translating. An example of this is what I use in Chinese Mandarin. I use the Union Chinese Bible which is translated using the "formal equivalence" method of translating from the original languages.
The Bible is just as true, relevant and profitable today as it was when it was written in the original manuscripts (Hebrew 4:12). According to 2 Tim. 3:16, the Bible is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.
Theology Proper
There is one God and supreme being that is holy, ever existent, all powerful, all knowing and ever present in the affairs of man today (Deut.6:4, Lk.1:37, Is.40). God is a triune God, but manifests Himself as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, forming the Trinity. God is then three Persons in one Essence, not three distinct gods (1 Jn.5:7). God is a loving God and at the same time a holy God, therefore, though He loves man, He hates sin. Because of the sin of man, the world today has rejected God and His Word. As a result, God required death as a payment for the sin of man and sent His Son to pay that price. (Rom.6:23, Jn.3:16, 2 Cor.5:21).
Jesus the Son of God
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and at the same time God the Son. Christ was not created, but the relationship between Jesus' humanity and deity can be seen in the hypostatic union (100% God and 100% man) (Jn.10:30, Jn.8:58, Jn.1:1,14). Since Jesus is God in the flesh, He possesses all of the attributes of God the Father (Mk.2, Jn.1:3, Col.1:16-18; 2:9).
Jesus Christ was born of a virgin by the Holy Spirit and lived a perfect life while on earth(Lk.1:34-35). The purpose of His coming was to pay the price of sin on the cross, and therefore provide a way for man to receive the forgiveness of sins (Lk.19:10, Jn.3:16). Without this sacrifice, man would have no hope of ever receiving eternal life.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit has both a ministry to the world of the unsaved by way of reproving the world of sin, righteousness and judgement and also of comforting, teaching and strengthening us as believers. (Jn.16:8)
The Holy Spirit also has many other ministries which I can only summarize here.
- Will Draw the Unsaved Sinner to Jesus
- Will Convict Both Unbelievers and Believers
- Will Regenerate Our Human Spirits
- Will Draw Us Closer to the Lord
- Will Sanctify Us in the Lord
- Will Help Us With Our Prayer Life
- Will Guide Us Into All Truth
- Will Teach Us All Things
- Will Anoint Us With His Divine Power
- Will Be Our Helper and Comforter in This Life
- The 9 Gifts of the Holy Spirit
- The 9 Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Only God could do all of this and praise God, He has given us of His Spirit to teach, convict of sin, comfort, guide and lead us in this life and unto the life to come. The single most important aspect of God's Spirit living in us, is for the purpose of holiness, hence He is known as the Holy Spirit. (Isaiah 57:15)
Eternal Security
When a person receives Jesus Christ as Savior, he also receives the eternal life that He gives (1 Jn.5:11-13). Once a person receives eternal life, he cannot lose it. Because a person cannot receive eternal life by his works, it is impossible that his eternal life be taken away because of works. Moreover, there is no man that can take it away from him, not even himself (Jn.10:27-29, Rom.8). If this were the case, eternal life would not be eternal, but temporal. It is God that saves, not the person; therefore, it is God who keeps one saved, and not the person.
Man
God made man in His Own image, when Adam and Eve were created, they both were in a perfect state, with no sin. God gave man the freedom to choose to obey or disobey. Adam and Eve were responsible for their thoughts, words and actions and were to obey all the commands of God. Adam and Eve both rebelled against God's clear commands and they both died spiritually in their sin, because Adam sinned in the garden, every man born after Adam would be born in sin and with a sin nature. (Romans 3:10, 3:23, Romans 5:12) A man is not a sinner because he sins, but he sins because he is born into sin. (Psalm 51:5)
Salvation
Salvation from eternal punishment is only received one way, through Jesus Christ (Jn.14:6). A person must recognize that he is a sinner, repent of his sins, realize that Christ died to pay his payment for his personal sins on the cross, and must ask Him to forgive him of his sins and be his Savior. A person must trust Christ and Christ alone for his salvation, for Jesus is the only way (Acts 4:12, John 14:6)
A person does not need to “get his life right” with God before he can approach Him. The whole reason why man needs a Savior is because he cannot “get his life right” enough to find favor in God’s eyes, so he must let God do the work in him. On the other hand, when a person is saved, his works will change (Eph.2:8-10). A true believer in Jesus Christ WILL bear fruit and produce good works, if God began the work, He will continue it until death. (Philippians 1:6). If they are saved by God then God will continue the good work in that person. (Philippians 1:6) Salvation is repentance from sin and faith towards God, if God saved someone, there will be fruit unto that salvation. A true believer will bear fruit and that will be good works because God saved him for that purpose. (Ephesians 2:10, Philippians 1:6). Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a changed life. It is not the prayer that saves someone, but the decision of repentance and accepting God’s terms through Jesus Christ for salvation. As God saved us to bear fruit, we will bear fruit, how much though will depend on how submissive the Christian is to God's word and God's will.
Election and Predestination
Paul taught election and predestination very clearly in Ephesians chapter 1 and Romans chapter 8. If you believe in Christ, you should believe the Bible. If you believe the Bible, you should believe in election and predestination. These two topics require a lengthy explanation and our doctrinal statement is only to declare that these issues are taught in the Bible and yet we also know that man is responsible for his sins and sinfulness.
Israel
We believe that Israel is God’s chosen national people (Gen. 28:13). In God’s sovereign will, Israel serves as a channel of His blessing to the entire world (Gen. 12:3) for His glory (Isa. 43:7), and His witness to the nations (Isa. 43:10). God’s election of Israel for this unique relationship is irrevocable (Romans 11:28-29). This does not guarantee that "all Jews are saved and are in the family of God". In the Church Age every individual must repent of their sins and trust personally in Jesus Christ as Savior, this includes the Jewish people. Although God has promises that relate to Israel and the Jewish people, they must have a saving knowledge of Christ the Messiah in order to have a right standing with God. There is a future salvation for many Jews who will be saved during the 7 year Tribulation, for some, they will be sealed to be witnesses during those judgement days of "Jacob's Trouble", there will also be two "Witnesses" (Revelation 11:3) who will function just as Old Testament prophets with miracles and works of power. With 144,000 Jewish sealed from each of the Jewish Tribes (Revelation 7) these saved servants during the 7 years of Tribulation will preach the gospel to the extent that both Jews and Gentiles will still be saved although they will be martyred. Toward the end of the 7 years, ALL Israel will be saved, we understand this to mean that the remaining Jews who "survived the onslaught" of the tribulation days, will recognize Jesus as Messiah and all of that remnant of Jewish people will trust in Jesus. (Revelation chapter 7 and chapter 14) Joel 2:28-29, Romans 11:25
The Church
We believe that the true Church is a universal, invisible, living organism and that it is the “body of Christ” and that Christ is the head of this body. The universal Church is made up of truly born again spiritual believers only (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:22–23; 5:23; Col. 1:18, John 3:3,7)
We believe that the Church began on the day of Pentecost; that every believer was indwelt/baptized by the Holy Spirit into the one body of Christ, which is the Universal Church (Jn. 14:16–17; Acts 1:4–5; 2:1–4; 1 Cor. 12:13).
We believe that the Scriptures teach that there are to be local churches. These churches are to be the visible representation of the body of Christ in the local community. Local churches are to observe the ordinances of Christ and seek to do the will of God (Mt. 28:19–20; Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 1:2; 11:23–28).
We believe that the local church should be totally committed to the edifying (developing to maturity) of the believers and also should have an active outreach in evangelism (1 Cor. 14; Eph. 4:11–16). Edification carries the ideal of an act of building a building which is the body of Christ in the local church. It is also called to exhortation which is a calling to one's aid and encouragement. The local church is also for the purpose of consolation which is to comfort all members of the body of Christ. All this is done under the leadership of an overseer who is the pastor and shepherd of the local body of believers. I Corinthians 14:3 "But the one who prophesies speaks to people for edification, exhortation, and consolation."
The English word "church" in the Bible is the word ecclesia in the Greek. This is a compound word that uses the words ek and kalew. The word ek means out of, and the word kalew means to call. The word ecclesia then by definition is a called out assembly. But not every called out assembly is a church, for the Bible clearly teaches that only those that have accepted Christ as their Savior are part of the church (Acts 2:47). The Bible frequently refers to the church as the Bride of Christ, Christ himself being the Bridegroom. Another name in the Bible for the church is the body of Christ, and specifically names Christ the Head of the church (Col.1:18). The church in the Bible is very significant, for Ephesians 5:25 says that Christ gave himself for it. The Bible teaches that even though the church is significant, no one can receive salvation by means of a church, for it is only Christ that can forgive sins (Mk.2:7, Jn.14:6, Acts 4:12). As a distinctive characteristic of ACTS churches, we do not desire to invest in buildings and real-estate but rather use our house buildings for places of worship, prayer and missionary support.
Prayer and Praise
There is no better example in the Bible of how and when to pray than Jesus Himself. In Luke 5:16 we read, " But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray."
Prayer is so important in the Bible that I believe it must be mentioned in a doctrinal statement and yet quite often it is missing completely in most ministries' Statement of Faith.
For the sake of time in this short statement on praise and prayer, I will choose just a few of the thousands of examples of praise and prayer in the Bible to show it's importance.
Hebrews 13:15 "Through Him then, let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips praising His name." For both prayer and praise, we are told to "continually" be active in these all important aspects of worshipping our God.
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 "Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
In short, we are to be completely immersed in praising our God and in praying to Him constantly, like breathing which is done constantly for life and health, we need to be continually in active prayer and praise.
Music and Singing
I believe we must begin with Ephesians 5:19 to make our statement on the purpose and meaning of music and singing in the Church of Jesus Christ.
"speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord;"
Psalms is the psalmós – a psalm ("Scripture set to music"). Originally, a psalm (5568 /psalmós) was sung and accompanied by a plucked musical instrument (typically a harp), especially the OT Psalms.
hýmnos (from hydeō, "to celebrate") – a song that gives honor, praise, or thanksgiving (transliterated into English as "hymn"). hýmnos ("hymn") in antiquity was a song celebrating (praising) pagan gods, heroes, and conquerors, now as we look at the New Testament usage we see that it is only of praising the true and only triune God, manifested in the flesh in Jesus Christ, the God-man. It occurs twice in the NT (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16), pointing to well-known songs of praise to God that became established hymns for the early Christians.
And then finally the word "songs" is used in Ephesians 5:19 where we see a song. 5603 (ōdḗ) is used in the NT of spontaneous, impromptu (unrehearsed) melodies of praise – not merely sung about (for) God but to God from a Spirit-filled heart. Spirit-inspired songs minister to God and exhort others, giving testimony about the living God to other worshipers.
In all these different ways to praise God through music and singing, there must be sound doctrine, in our world today there is so much false teaching, erroneous emotionally charged noise with loud instruments that has nothing to do with sound teaching, sound praise nor can it really be considered worshipful.
There is much more to say about how music is to be conducted in the church and in a believer's life but Ephesians 5:19 at least gives us a good understanding of how a proper Biblically sound music program should be conducted in the local New Testament Church of Jesus Christ.
Finances and Giving
As is the case with so many parts of a doctrinal statement, there is so much more to say and yet I believe I can summarize this section to say clearly what our position is for finances and giving. Christians want to know that their financial giving is going toward Christian ministries both in the local church and to reach the lost both locally and and the needy worldwide.
A thorough study of 2 Corinthians 8 will show very clearly how a godly faithful Christian sees the true Biblical meaning of giving. In short, we should FIRST give of ourselves to the Lord and then give as the Lord leads, even in poverty, Christians can give generously. This is the heart and soul of giving.
As to why we give money to the local church and ministries, here is a brief Biblical account of what God says in His word.
1. We first give because we are commanded to give. 1 Corinthians 16:2 tells us very clearly that "On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save as he may prosper, so that no collections need to be made when I come. "
2. We also give because we want to care for our pastor (1 Timothy 5:17,180 and reach the lost for Christ. ( 1 Corinthians 9:14) The local church has expenses, especially the salary of the pastor and the outreach expenses of preaching the gospel. The local church supports works from the local assembly as well as support of missionaries and caring for the poor and needy both within the church itself and outside the church. There are too many verses to cover in this short statement, but simply said, we meet needs with our finances both within the local assembly as well as outside the local assembly. When I say church, I am only talking about people's expenses seeing we will NOT have a church building but rather use houses chosen for worship. The expenses of the houses will be covered by the owner of the house and no church monies will be used to maintain the expenses of the house used for worship.
3. Another very neglected area of giving, especially for sound Bible believing local assemblies, is in the area of meeting pressing needs and giving to the poor. Quite often the "liberal" churches spend a great deal of money on these types of ministries and the "sound" Bible teaching churches shun from this type of giving. See Hebrews 13:6, Titus 3:14 and Acts 4:34 for just a few verses
4. 16 out of 38 of Jesus’ parables deal with money and possessions and from this we can see how careful we need to be with finances. we know that "...the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil. 1 Timothy 6:10 and that we need to be "rich toward God" instead of just simply rich in this world. (Luke 12:21) in closing comments on giving and finances, 2 Corinthians 9:7 "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." MAY WE MAKE GOD PLEASED WITH ALL THE WAYS WE GIVE.
Baptism and Communion
Both the immersion of a true believer under the waters of baptism and the eating of the "Lord's table" are symbols of something much greater. In the case of baptism, it symbolizes the actual work of the Holy Spirit in cleansing us of our sins and washing all our sins away. It also symbolizes that we are spiritually buried with Christ and in coming up out of the waters, we are risen in the newness of life. Saved Chrsitians should do it publicly to demonstrate they are serious about following Jesus Christ and have a desire to identify with the church, in order to truly symbolize the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and what He did for us as believers, it should ONLY be done once and by immersion and NOT several times nor with some sort of sprinkling of water.
Communion is to be conducted at local churches by true born again believers who have already followed through in baptism and are part of a local assembly of Christians, in the early church, it was done EVERY Sunday which we could do as well, but in order to maintain a sober and contemplative remembrance, our local churches will do it once a month. The eating of the wafer of unleavened bread is a symbol of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ and the "fruit of the vine" (grape juice) should be taken as a remembrance of His blood sacrifice for our sins. All this is symbolic and only serves as a serious reminder of what Christ did for us on the cross to take away our sins. Because there is always the likelihood that Communion is "done in an unworthy manner", Christians need to take it very seriously. 1 Corinthians 11:30 makes it clear that some Christians became weak, sick and even died as a result of abusing the ordinance of Communion. If taken seriously and with a humble heart, it can be a beautiful refreshing experience of restoring a close fellowship with God.
Church Leadership
Pastor and Deacons constitute the leadership of each local assembly. We do not agree with so called Eldership rule or accept divorced pastors. Deacons should also be held to a similar standard as pastors, they must be good family men and are not qualified to become deacons if they have been divorced.
1 Timothy 3:1-7
It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil."
These qualifications guide a local church in choosing a pastor.
As for deacons, 1 Timothy 3:8-13 have clear qualifications for those who serve as a deacon in the local church.
Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain,
but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. These qualifications pertain to both the deacon and also his wife as she is one with her husband in marriage and the deacon qualifications include how his wife meets a Biblical standard. It does not pertain to "woman deacons" but rather the wife of a deacon.
Child Rearing
Although there is much to say about this particular issue, I will summarize by quoting a few key verses in the Bible and comment on each verse. Proverbs 22:6 NASB "Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he grows older he will not abandon it."
As a father who raised 16 Chinese children in Beijing China, I know all too well the importance of teaching the Bible all throughout the day. Every day I would start our day in God's word and finish the day the same way. We all loved to study God's word and I also did homeschooling with Christian teaching materials. All of this played a huge role in producing godly young adults today who both love Jesus Christ and these kids love the Bible.
Deuteronomy 6:6,7 "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. And you shall repeat them diligently to your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, and when you get up."
We, as a family, took these verses literally and spent quality time in God's word each day from start to finish. God saved these kids at an early age and they continue to serve the Lord Jesus Christ today. The word of God is important to all of us to every aspect of our lives.
In closing, I quote Ephesians 6:4 "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." All the instructions must be based on the Bible and what better way than to use the Bible throughout the day to instruct children. This ensures that they know they are sinners, they learn they can be saved and they accept Jesus as Savior at an early age and grow in the grace and knowledge of God through His word the Bible.
Qualifications and Church Discipline
Within the local church there is to be one pastor and several deacons, who are to meet qualifications as mentioned in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1:5 through 9. Both the position of pastor and of deacons are to meet Biblical qualifications as prescribed in God's holy word. The entire church, including the leadership, have a responsibility to hold up an "above reproach" standard and if in the case of blatant violations of these standards, it is the responsibility of all church members to approach each other with the proper Biblical method as discussed in Matthew 18:15 through 17 "15 “Now if your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that on the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be confirmed. 17 And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, he is to be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."
Church members must first approach the individual to rebuke them privately, only if the violator refuses to listen is there a need to get anyone else involved. The process is clear in Matthew 18:15 through 17. Only in the case of an older saint is there a deviation from this rebuking process. 1 Timothy 5:1 "Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, and to the younger men as brothers," The entire process of rebuking is not meant to be disrespectful, but rather to build up the church members into a unified body all pleasing to God and glorifying Jesus Christ. The last thing a local church needs is to compromise doctrine or holy living by ignoring blatant violations of either qualifications or Biblical standards clearly written in Scripture. It is a safeguard for church members to be accountable to each other and be humbly approachable and this includes the pastor and the deacons. One final thought, there may also be a need for a person to be removed from the local church because they refuse to repent and turn from their sin. Once again, Matthew 18:17 is clear that the unrepentant church member is to be removed to maintain holiness in the Church of Jesus Christ. A proper rebuke process and a strict adherence to Biblical standards actually produces a much more loving and effective local church.
Sign Gifts of the Early Church
First Corinthians 13:8-10
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail, whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. These verses teach that prophecy, tongues, and knowledge will someday cease. The question is: When will this occur? Those who believe the sign gifts are not for today argue that they ceased of themselves at the end of the apostolic period.
Spiritual gifts for Church Age Today
Romans 12:7-11: Ephesians 4:11-13 The 7 spiritual gifts
• Prophecy: Reveals truth by exposing sin, so that fellowship with God can be restored and/or maintained
• Serving: Demonstrates love by meeting practical needs, usually through tangible work
• Teaching: Discovers and validates truth so that the Church maintains accuracy
• Exhorting: Encourages Christians to grow spiritually by discipling, teaching, and counseling others
• Giving: Conserves and shares resources in order to meet needs
• Organizing: Carries out projects by recruiting workers, organizing tasks, or delegating responsibilities
• Mercy: Demonstrates God’s love and compassion by responding to hurt
The End Times
The world today is in its last days, and we can see the signs leading up to the end of times. Christ said that some signs would be wars and rumors of wars, nations against nations, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, etc (Mt.24:6-7).
The next point on the calendar of God’s program is the rapture of the church (1 Thes.4:18). The Bible teaches that the rapture is imminent, therefore no other event needs to happen before the rapture of the church. The works of the believer will then be judged at the judgment seat of Christ (1 Cor.3:13, 2 Cor.5:10). Not for salvation, but for recompense and rewards which we will be able to cast back at the feet of Jesus. The believers will then enjoy what the Bible calls the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev.19:9-10).
On earth the seven year tribulation will begin after the rapture. At this time, the anti- Christ will make himself known to the world as one that brings peace and stability to the world (2 Thes. 2:6-12). This time is referred by the Bible as the beginning of sorrows (Mt.24, Dan.9). Half way through the tribulation (3 ½ years into it), the anti- Christ will sit in the temple of God in the place of God, committing what the Bible calls the abomination of desolations spoken of by Daniel (Dan.9). At this point, the great tribulation will begin, making the second half of the tribulation worse than the first.
At the end of the seven years, the second coming of Christ will take place, in which all His children will descend with Christ as our Conqueror and King. The saints will be robed in white riding a white horse right behind Christ (Rev.19:11-16). At this point, the nations will try to unite and fight against Christ. This battle is called the battle of Armageddon (Rev.19:19-21). The battle will really be no battle at all, for Christ will speak and with His voice will He defeat the nations (Rev.19:21). Immediately following will be the Millennial Reign of Christ, and during those 1,000 years, Satan will be bound. At the end of those 1,000 years, Satan will be loosed again for his final attempt to defeat Christ. The earth will be then destroyed (2 Pt.3:9-10). Satan will then be cast into the Lake of Fire, death and hell will also be cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev.20:8-10). At that time, God will make a new heaven and a new earth and in it will be the New Jerusalem, where the saints will forever abide with Christ (Rev.21:1-7).
Marriage and Divorce
To begin with God's perfect standard as it relates to the picture of marriage between one man and one woman, we must go to Ephesians 5:32 "This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church."
This verse makes it clear that a man and a woman in holy matrimony are NEVER to be divorced, we teach that once a person becomes a child of God, he or she can NEVER be lost nor lose their salvation. This is Paul's point with marriage being a picture of Christ and His bride. We are inseparable and only death can separate a husband and a wife, to be divorced is sinful and to remarry would be adultery. As for Matthew 5 and Matthew 19, those passages are in the Jewish context of Matthew's teaching in Matthew chapter 1 that in the case of betrothal under Jewish tradition, "And her husband Joseph, since he was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. So in Matthew 1:19 One might ask, what constitutes marriage? In Joseph's case, Roman marital laws determined legal marriage, NOT a Jewish customary betrothal. It was both right and proper for Joseph to "send Mary away" because he knew he was not legally married yet and he thought she had committed fornication. This is why the angel tells Joseph in a dream "“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife;" Matthew 1:20b We also learn from both Luke and Mark that in ALL cases, divorce is wrong and remarriage while one party is still living, is to commit adultery. Mark 10:11,12 "And He *said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.” Many churches and denominations have both bad and even strange teaching when it comes to marriage, divorce, remarriage and now homosexual unions, all of these are contrary to God's sound teaching on marriage. The Bible teaches THERE ARE NO GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE. We know from Malachi 2:16 "“For I hate divorce,” says the LORD.." and HE could never approve of something HE hates.
We also learn from Paul's teaching to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 7:39 " A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. " So in short, this section of our doctrinal statement is clearly teaching that we NEVER accept divorce as a "good" nor "acceptable" thing, anyone who teaches "exceptions" are misguided on what God has said through Old Testament to New Testament times. We know that divorce is rampant, just like any other sin is rampant, all sin must be acknowledged to be forgiven and there must NOT be teaching to accommodate any sin, God is the Author and finisher of our faith and His word is clear. The message being taught today when marriages are struggling and even "on the rocks" is that we as Christians should teach reconciliation and confession of sin from both the husband and wife in the case of animosity between spouses. I often say to married couples when they "argue for an innocent party", there is ONLY one innocent party in a marriage between a man and a woman and His Name is JESUS. What God has joined together, let NO MAN SEPARATE. All of us are sinners and in need of forgiveness, grace and reconciliation, in the case of formerly divorced brothers and sisters, there still needs to be an acknowledgement of the former sin and they must have a proper understanding of how they are forgiven. Just imagine for a second just how many adulterers there are in the churches of the world, simply because of bad teaching and then we wonder why so many people seem to be living under judgement. I praise God for those Christians who have been faithful in their marriages and even celebrated 50, 60 and even 70 years of marriage. I also praise God for those who have seperated and even "divorced" but later reconciled with each other and then lived a happily to death depart. We MUST stand on God's ideals and not succumb to the whims and waves of false teaching.
Missions
The Mordecai and Esther Foundation desires to support missionaries through prayer, financial contributions as well as providing homes in the US to serve as their home bases and communications centers for the most effective outreach of both lost souls and fruitful discipleship programs of God’s people.
We take very seriously 3 John 1:5-8
5 Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and [b]especially when they are strangers; 6 and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.
It will be our pleasure to support in anyway those who are like-minded in doctrine and purpose with the Mordecai and Esther Foundation. Those who desire “to go out for the sake of the Name” we will prayerfully consider supporting them and providing their every need. In this way we fulfill our “ought duty” to be fellow workers in the truth.
May God richly bless the Mordecai and Esther Foundation in this glorious effort.