MISSION STATEMENT
The Church of Jesus Christ endeavors to
provide a place of worship and fellowship for those of like
precious faith,
to train and ordain ministers to carry on
the work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
to help those
who stand in need, and to reach the lost.
ARTICLES OF FAITH OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS
CHRIST APOSTOLIC
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
ARTICLES OF FAITH
PREFACE
On the day
of Pentecost in the year 33 A.D., a great revival burst
forth in the city of Jerusalem at which time, the waiting
disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak
with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. With
this beginning, and through the preaching of the Apostle
Peter, the Name and Deity of Jesus Christ became the
foundation of true Christian belief.
In the
intervening years, the gifts and manifestations of the
Apostolic Church were greatly evidenced in the worship of
the many companies (Acts 4:23 And being let go, they went to
their own company, and reported all that the chief priests
and elders had said unto them) formed as the revival spirit
burned throughout the land.
In Kansas,
in the year 1901, the experience of those on the Day of
Pentecost became a reality to a number of ministers and
missionaries who had assembled for the express purpose of a
greater consecration. From here, the revival moved southward
into Texas, and overflowed into California during the year
1906, when Los Angeles became the center of the spreading
gospel which has entered into nearly every nation under
Heaven, penetration the heathen darkness of India, China,
Africa and the "Isles of the Sea," thus, fulfilling the
commission of our Lord: "Go ye into all the world and preach
the Gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15-20; Matthew
28:19; Luke 24:47-49; Acts 1:4-11 and 2:38) and also
proclaiming the soon coming of the Lord.
So great was
the awakening that in a few years, in nearly every town and
village, there were witnesses to the Pentecostal outpouring
of the Spirit (Luke 24:48; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:4) followed in
many localities where believers were in sufficient number,
by the establishing of places of worship, in which the Gifts
of the Spirit were manifested by those disciples who had
repented, been baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins, and had received the Gift of the Holy
Ghost. (Acts2:38).
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INTRODUCTION
We believe
the Bible to be the direct and absolute word of God. (II
Tim. 3:16) given to us by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost
as it moved upon the tongues and pens of men who had
received special anointing of God for this express purpose.
(II Peter 1:21) "For the prophecy came not in old time by
the will of man: But Holy men of God spoke as they were
moved by the Holy Ghost" We believe the Bible to be God's
means of doctrine, instruction, and comfort to the church
today, infallible in its authority, singular in
interpretation, and man's only avenue of access to God.
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ARTICLES OF FAITH
"THE ONE TRUE GOD"
We believe in the one ever living,
eternal God; infinite in power, Holy in nature, attributes
and purpose; and possessing absolute, indivisible deity.
This one true God has revealed Himself as Father in
creation; through His Son in redemption; and as the Holy
Spirit, by animation. (I Cor. 8:6; Eph. 4:6; II Cor. 5:19;
JoeI2:28). The scripture does more than attempt to prove the
existence of God; it asserts, assumes and declares that the
knowledge of God is universal. (Romans 1:19, 21, 28,32,2:15)
God is invisible, incorporeal, without parts, without body
and there-fore free from all limitations. He is Spirit (John
4:24), and "a spirit hath not flesh and bones ...” (Luke
24:39).
" ... The first of all the commandments
is, Hear, 0 Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord" (Mark
12:29; Deut 6:4) "One God and Father of All, who is above
all, and through all and in you all" (Eph. 4:6).
This one true God manifested Himself in
the Old Testament in divers ways; in the Son while He walked
among men; as the Holy Spirit after the ascension
THE SON OF GOD
The one true God, the Jehovah of the
Old Testament, took upon Himself the form of man, and as the
son of man, was born of the virgin Mary. As Paul says, "And
without controversy great is the mystery of Godliness; God
was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of
angels, preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world,
received up into Glory" (I Timothy 3:16; John 1:10).
"He came unto His own, and His own
received Him not" (John 1:11). This one true God was
manifest in the flesh, that is, in His Son Jesus Christ "
... God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself,
not imputing their trespasses unto them: " (II Cor. 5:19).
We believe that, " in Him (Jesus)
dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; (Col. 2:9).
THE NAME
“... unto us a child is born, unto us a
son is given; ... and His name shall be called Wonderful,
counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The
Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). This prophecy of Isaiah was
fulfilled when the Son of God was named, "And she shall
bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: For
He shall save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).
Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none
other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be
saved. (Acts 4:12)
MAN AND HIS FALL
God created man in His own image (Gen.
1:26, 27), innocent, pure and holy. By transgression man
lost his standing. (Rom. 5:11; Eph. 2:3). Man needed a
redeemer which has been supplied in the seed of the woman,
which seed bruised the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15; Luke
2:10,11); that is: Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in whom
we have redemption, through his blood, even the forgiveness
of sins. (Eph.l:7; Rev. 1:5).
GRACE & TRUTH
"For the grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying
ungodliness and wordly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly in this present world." (Titus2:
11,12).
"For the law was given by Moses, but
grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).
A Christian, to keep saved, must walk
with God and keep himself in the love of God (Jude 21) and
in the grace of God. The word "Grace" means "favor". When a
person transgresses or sins against God He loses His favor.
If he continues to commit sin and does not repent, he will
eventually be lost and cast into the lake of fire. (Read
John 15:2; 6:2; II Peter 2:20,21,22). Jude speaks of those
that fall away of his day and their reward (And read Hebrews
6: 4-6).
"For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the Gift of God".
(Eph. 2:8) Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Truth is a
fact.
THE COMMUNION
Melchizedek, the Priest of the Most
High God, gave the first Communion to our Father Abraham,
consisting of bread and wine. (Gen. 14:18) Christ, being
"made a High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek"
evidently administered the same. (Heb. 7:21; Matthew
26:26-29;I Cor. 11:23-32).
On the night of our Lord's betrayal, He
ate the Passover Supper with His Apostles, after which He
instituted the sacrament "And He took bread, and gave
thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, this is my
body which is given for you: This do in remembrance of me.
Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the
new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." (Luke
22:19, 20)
Paul instructed the church how to
observe it: (I Cor. 11:23-24).
THE WASHING OF FEET
This ordinance is as much a divine
command as any other New Testament ordinance.
Jesus gave us an example that we do
even as He had done. He said that we ought to wash one
another's feet and again, "If ye know these things, happy
are ye if you do them." (John 13:4-17) There is scriptural
evidence that this was practiced by the Church in the days
of the Apostle Paul. (I Tim. 5: 10).
DIVINE HEALING
The physical suffering of the Lord
Jesus Christ purchased healing for our bodies, as His death,
burial and resurrection provided for the salvation of our
souls, for: ... "with His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah
53:5). Matthew 8:17 read, “... Himself took our infirmities,
and bore our sicknesses." (See also I Peter 2:24).
We see from this that healing for the
body is in the atonement. That being true, then it is for
all who believe. Jesus said of believers, “... they shall
lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Later James
wrote in his Epistle to all the churches: "Is any sick among
you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them
pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the
Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the
Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they
shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another,
and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The
effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
(James 5:14-16)
REPENTANCE AND REMISSION OF SIN
The only grounds upon which God will
accept a sinner is repentance, from the heart, for the sins
that he has committed. A broken and contrite heart, He will
not despise. (Psa. 51:17) John preached repentance, Jesus
proclaimed it, and before His ascension commanded that
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His
name, beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24:47). Peter obeyed this
command on the Day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:38).
WATER BAPTISM
The scriptural mode of baptism is
immersion, and is only for those who have fully repented,
having turned from their sins and a love of the world. It
should be administered by a duly authorized minister of the
Gospel in obedience to the Word of God, and in the name of
Jesus Christ, according to the Acts of the Apostles 2:38;
8:16; 10:48; 19:5; thus obeying and fulfilling Matthew
28:19.
HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM
John the Baptist, in Matthew 3:11,
said, “... He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and
with fire. "
Jesus, in Acts 1:5, said, “... ye shall
be baptized with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with
other tongues (Languages) as the Spirit gave them
utterance." The terms "Baptize with the Holy Ghost and
fire," "Filled with the Holy Ghost", and the "Gift of the
Holy Ghost" are synonymous terms used interchangeably in the
Bible.
APOSTOLIC DOCTRINE OF NEW BIRTH
The basic and fundamental doctrine of
Apostolics shall be the Bible standard of full salvation,
which is repentance, baptism in water by immersion in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and the
baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking with
other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. (Acts 2:4 and
2:38; John 3:5).
HOLINESS
We believe that godly living should
characterize the life and walk of all saints according to
the sign and example found in (I Peter 2:21; Titus 2:11; GaL
2:20; Heb. 12:14; I Peter 1:15-17).
We believe we are to cleanse ourselves
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting
holiness in the fear of God (II Cor. 7: 1), and to abstain
from all appearance of EVIL. (I Thes. 5:22) and to turn away
from those who have a form of godliness but deny the power
thereof. (II Tim. 3:5; I Cor. 11:6; I Tim. 2:9, 10; I Peter
2:3,4).
TITHING
We believe tithing is God's financial
plan to provide for His work, and has been since the days of
Abraham. Tithing came by faith under Abraham; Moses' law
enjoined it, and Israel practiced it when she was right with
God; Jesus endorsed it (Matt. 23:23); and Paul said to lay
by in store as God has prospered you. Do not rob God of His
portion, which is tithes and offerings. (Read Mal. 3).
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE
"Whosoever shall put away his wife,
except it be for fornication, and shall marry another,
committeth adultery." (Mat. 5:32 and 19:9)
In order to lift a higher standard in
the ministry, no minister, shall be accepted in this company
who has married for the second time, after his conversion,
unless the first marriage was terminated by a death
SECRET SOCIETIES, ETC.
According to the word of God we firmly
believe and hold that the people of God should have no
connection whatever with secret societies, or any other
organization or body wherin is a fellowship of unbelievers
bound by oath (James 5:3-7; II Cor. 6:14-18) We are exhorted
by the Word of God to "Be content with such things as we
have," and "be content with our wages." (I Tim. 6:8; Heb.
13:5; Luke 3:14).
THE RETURN OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
.• That the Lord Jesus Christ is to
come to earth in person is a doctrine clearly set forth in
apostolic times. Jesus taught it; the apostles preached it;
the saints expect it. (See Matt. 24:1 etc.; Acts
1:11,3:19-21; I Cor. 1:7-8; 11:26; Phil. 3:20-21; Titus
2:13).
TRANSLATION OF SAINTS
We Believe the catching away of the
church draweth nigh, and at that time all the dead in Christ
shall arise from their graves, and we that are alive and
remain shall be translated or "caught up" to meet the Lord
in the air. (Matt. 24:36-42; Luke 17:20-37; I Cor. 15:51;
Phil. 3:20-21; I Thes. 4:13-17).
Whereas, the Word of God teaches the
imminent second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; and that
there will be first an appearing or catching away of the
church (I Thes. 4:13) preceding His second coming back to
earth; and said first appearing we believe to be at hand and
likely to occur at any moment.
CONSCIENTIOUS SCRUPLES
We regret the false impression created
by some groups or so-called "cults to obey the Bible is to
have contempt for law or magistrates, to be disloyal to our
government and in sympathy with our enemies, or to be
unwilling to sacrifice for the preservation-of our
commonwealth. This attitude would be as contemptible to us
as to any patriot. The Word of God commands us to do
violence to no man. It also commands us that first of all we
are to pray for rulers of our country. We therefore, exhort
our members to freely and willingly respond to the call of
our Government, except in the matter of bearing arms. When
we say service-we mean service-no matter how hard or
dangerous. The true church has no more place for cowards
than has the nation. First of all, however, let us earnestly
pray that we will with honor be kept out of war.
CIVIL GOVERNMENT
All civil magistrates are ordained of
God for peace, safety and the welfare of all people (Rom
13:1-10; Titus 3: 1-2; I Peter 2: 13,14) therefore, it is
our duty to be in obedience to all requirements of the laws
that are not contrary to the Word of God, and that do not
force one to the violation of the sixth commandment, by
bearing arms. It is our duty to honor them, pay tribute, or
such taxation as may be required without murmuring (Matt.
17:24-27; 22:17-21), and show respect to them in all lawful
requirements of the civil government.
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