WE BELIEVE
Doctrine & Beliefs
To be Apostolic Pentecostal can seem to be a mouthful! In fact, the words sound almost like something caught in the clothes dryer, but their meaning is much deeper, I assure you!
We are Apostolic. This means that we follow the Apostles' doctrine. The teachings found within the New Testament, including those in red letters, were recorded by the Apostles if Jesus Christ.
What is Apostolic Pentecostal?
We, as believers, are to be "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone" (Ephesians 2:20). We, as Christians, are a continuation of the New Testament church and must construct our lives with the same materials as the original builders for the structure to remain solvent.
We are Pentecostal. We experience the receiving of the Holy Ghost the same way the first saints did on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. What was required for salvation in that time is required today of us. If you've never experienced the power of a Pentecostal service, you've missed out! It's supernatural and electrifying! God has not changed!
There Is One God
"Here, O Israel: The Lord our God is One Lord" (Deut. 6:4). We believe and affirm that there is one God. God manifest Himself in the flesh to give His blood to redeem His people from their sins. There is no trinity--neither explicit nor implied--in the scriptures.
Salvation
"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). Jesus made this statement in response to Nicodemus, who wished to know how to be saved. Nicodemus did not understand the meaning of being born again, taking it as a literal rebirth from his mother's womb.
Acts 2:38 further reveals the meaning of being born of water and of spirit. In Acts 2, the Jews had gathered around Peter as he preached. They asked how they too might be saved; his answer parallels Jesus' answer to Nicodemus, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Salvation requires that the carnal man be born anew through baptism in water and the infilling of God's Spirit.
Repentance
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14). Throughout both the Old and New Testaments, repentance was required for man to communicate with God. To be forgiven for your sins, repent. Repentance not only means to feel remorse for transgressions but to turn and walk away from sin.
Repentance is, therefore, a decision and an action.
Baptism by Immersion in Jesus' Name
The next step is baptism. Baptism, according to Acts 2:38, remits your sin. To remit is more than mental forgiveness; it means to forgive a debt and to erase it. Your sins are erased through baptism in Jesus' name. A spoken prayer, such as the Sinner's Prayer, is a prayer of repentance.
It cannot cleanse nor save you. It is a step. Being baptized in Jesus' name 1) washes away your sins, 2) applies the name of Jesus to you as His own, and 3) evokes the blood He shed on Calvary. In the parable of the marriage supper, the master told those who were unclean to "depart from him."
We understand, then, that to gain entrance into His courts, we must be clean. We must be baptized to be saved. According to Jesus in Mark 16:16, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
Infilling of the Holy Ghost
Having been baptized in Jesus' name, it is now essential that you should receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. As John the Baptist said, men "indeed baptize you with water...but [Jesus] shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire" (Matthew 3:11).
The infilling of the Holy Ghost is evidenced by speaking in other tongues and by a completely new lifestyle. In fact, every instance in scripture where believers received the Holy Ghost, they spoke with other tongues as God's Spirit gave them the utterance.
Example: When the gospel was first preached to the Gentiles, the Jews were amazed that Gentiles were able to receive the Holy Ghost as well. How did they know they had received it? "And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished...because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them
speak with tongues, and magnify God" (Acts 10:45-46).
What is the Holy Ghost? The Holy Ghost is God's Spirit which dwells within those who have surrendered their lives and their wills to Him. In John 14, we learn that God sends a "Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost." Jesus said, "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you" (John 14:18). Essentially, it is God inside of you, giving you the power to an overcomer (John 1:12).
The Word of God is Right
We firmly believe that the Word of God is divinely inspired and relevant for every era, every culture, and every person. We also believe it is to be taken literally in all its tenets. While many have attempted to make a 'list of rules' to describe our beliefs, the summation of our lifestyle is that found within the Word of God.