What We Believe

	August 28, 2008:New Orleans and the Hand of God	Just a few more weary days and then... I'll fly away... And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
	August 10, 2008:NCHS Class of 1978 Revisited
	March 20, 2008:Traditions
	December 29, 2007:New Year's 2008

What We Believe
William H. Haller

We believe the Holy Bible is verbally inspired, is infallible, and is the final authority for all matters of faith and conduct. [2 Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 4:12; 2 Pet. 1:20-21; John 5:39, 46-47; Matt. 5:17-19; 1 Cor. 2:13]

We believe in one God. We believe that He is eternally existing and has revealed Himself to us in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three members of the Trinity are distinguishable, but operate perfectly in harmony and character as one Godhead. [Deut. 6:4-5; John 14:8-10, 16-17; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14]

We believe...

in the deity of Jesus Christ our Lord. [John 1:1-2; Isaiah 9:6-7]
that He is true God and true man. [Matt. 3:16-17; John 1:32-34, 5:16-18]
in His virgin birth. This allowed Him to start His life free of the basic sin nature everyone else has started with since Adam sinned. [Luke 1:26-37, 2:1-20; Rom. 5:12-21; 1 Cor. 15:22]
He lived His entire life without committing sin. [Luke 19:9-10; Matt. 20:27-28, 27:19-25]
in His atoning death on the cross, by which He obtained an eternal redemption for us. [John 3:14-36; 1 Pet. 1:10-11; John 17:2-4; Mark 15:36-38; Rom. 5:6-11; Eph. 1:6-8]
in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord Jesus Christ. [Luke 24:1-9; Mark 16:5-7]
in His appearance to many after His death. [Mark 16:12-14; John 20:24-28; Acts 1:3; 1 Cor. 15:1-8]
in His ascension into heaven. [Acts 1:9-11; Mark 16:19-20; Eph. 4:8-10]
in His present life as our high priest and advocate. [Heb. 8:1; 1 John 2:1-2]
that He is coming in the clouds once again to take His church to heaven. His church are all those who have accepted Him as Saviour, regardless of denominational affiliation or church membership. This rapture of the church will be without preliminary signs or warnings. [1 Thess. 4:13-17, 5:1-11, 23; 1 Cor. 15:51-58; Titus 2:11-13; 2 Thess. 2:1-10; James 5:7-8]
that there will be a time of tribulation after His church is removed. [Rev. 4:1-4;1 Cor. 1:7; 1 Thess. 1:9-10; Rev. 6:1-18:24]
that everyone's work will be judged. [Matt. 6:2, 5, 16, 16:27; Rom. 14:10-12; 2 Cor. 5:9-11]
in His future second coming. [Dan. 2:34-35; Matt. 13:40-42, 24:1-51; Jude 1:14,15; Rev. 19:11-21]
that He will reign on Earth for a millennial period. [Jer. 3:17; Mic. 4:7-8; Hos. 2:18-19; Isa. 2:3-5; Zech. 14:8-9; Rev. 20:1-10]

We believe...

in the total sinful nature of mankind that separates us from God and for which we deserve everlasting punishment. [Gen. 3:7-19; Rom. 3:9-19]
in the necessity for salvation and restoration of mankind by grace. [Rom. 5:19-21, 8:19-23]
that all must have faith in the perfect and complete work of Christ on the cross as the only means of salvation. [Heb. 9:12, 22; Rom. 3:24,25, 5:1-11; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:8-9]
that all must acknowledge and repent of their sin. [Matt. 4:17; Mark 1:5; Luke 13:1-5; Rom. 10:9-10; 1 John 1:9]

We believe in the...

work of the Holy Spirit at the time of salvation to give a new heart to know and obey the Lord. [John 1:12, 14:15-17, 26-27; 1 Cor. 6:11; 1 Pet. 1:2; Eph. 1:13-14; Phil. 3:12-14; Heb. 12:13-15]
baptism in the Holy Spirit after salvation as an endowment of power and super natural gifts for the equipping of His Church. [Joel 2:28-29; Acts 1:4-5, 8, 2:1-4, 11:15-17; Rom. 8:15-17; Gal. 3:14-15; Eph. 5:17-20]
operation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit as manifested in the Holy Bible. [Acts 2:5-11, 19:1-7; 1 Cor. 12:1-31; Mark 16:20; Heb. 2:4; Rom. 12:3-8]
ability of God to minister divine healing in its varied aspects as practiced in the Early Church. [Luke 4:18-19; Matt. 8:15-17; Mark 16:17-18; Acts 4:30; Rom. 8:11; James 5:14]

We believe that...

God has called His people to love Him with their whole heart and live as servants of the Holy Lord. [Rom. 12:1-2; Heb 13:15-16; John 4:23-24; 2 Cor. 6:14]
there is one Church made up of believers who serve God through the local churches around the world. These local churches should be under the sovereign authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, exercising autonomous government under Him, administering all their local affairs and ministries for the spreading of the Gospel. [Eph. 1:21-23, 3:20-21; Heb. 12:22-24; John 17:21-23]
we are called to be a people belonging to one another as the Body of Christ, that our citizenship is in heaven, and that one day we shall be joined to our Saviour and made like Him as our final reward as sons and daughters of God, to live with Him for all eternity. [Luke 21:35-36; Rev. 3:10-11; 1 Thess. 4:15-17; 1 Cor. 15:51-53; 2 Thess. 2:1-2; Rev. 22:12-13]

We believe in...

the practice of water baptism in the name of the Godhead as a believer's witness to the world. [Acts 8:36-38; John 3:22-23; Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12-13; Matt. 28:18-20]
the practice of sharing Communion as a covenant relationship with the Lord Jesus and with one another in the Body of Christ. [Matt. 26:27-29; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-32; John 6:32-35, 53-58]
the laying on of hands. [Mark 6:2, 16:18; Acts 5:12, 8:17-24, 19:11; 1 Tim. 4:14; James 5:13-14]
fasting. [Matt. 17:21; Acts 14:23; 1 Cor. 7:5]

For more detailed information about correct Bible doctrinal positions, I recommend Bible Doctrines by P.C. Nelson. It provides a well organized volume with lots of scriptures backing up each doctrinal statement.