God
1. We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.

The Bible
2. We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.

The Human Condition
3. We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled, and renewed.

Jesus Christ
4. We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus — Israel’s promised Messiah — was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.

The Work of Christ
5. We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.

The Holy Spirit
6. We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips, and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.

The Church
7. We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose true membership is composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus commanded Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though not a means of salvation apart from faith in Christ, they confirm God’s covenant promises and nourish the faith of believers.

Christian Living
8. We believe that God’s justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially. Guided by His Word, God calls us to live out our faith by obeying His commandments, caring for one another, showing compassion for the poor, and seeking justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in both word and deed.

Christ’s Return
9. We believe in the personal, bodily, and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service, and energetic mission.

Response and Eternal Destiny
10. We believe that God desires everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal punishment, and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heavens and the new earth, all to the praise of His glorious grace.

Sanctity of Human Life
11. We believe that human life is a creation of God and that every human life is precious to God, for God created man in His own image, and that, except in the cases of punishing evildoers and waging just wars or taking just actions to protect life and property, God has reserved for Himself the right to end or destroy a human life. Therefore, we regard the practice of murder, unjust wars, abortion, euthanasia, self-inflicted death (suicide), and other unjustified taking of human life to be sin.

Dear Children,

How can I begin to prepare you for the dangers that you will face in this sinful world? It frightens me to think of the suffering and heartache you will likely bear during your lifetime.

This is the result of sin in the world — the result of Adam’s fall — and not the fault of God. God created all things beautiful and without sin, but man changed all that by his disobedience and rebellion against God. Now, instead of loving God and desiring to please Him and do His holy will, people love themselves and seek to gratify their own sinful and selfish ambitions.

The most important advice I can give you is to follow Christ and continue in His Word. Nothing in this life compares to the riches and the joy which come from knowing Jesus Christ, His forgiveness, and the hope of everlasting life with Him in heaven! He shed His holy and precious blood to redeem you from all sin and give you the eternal joys of heaven. Do not forsake Him! Trust in Him! He is the giver of life, and in His Word, you will find strength and guidance to live your life for Him.

Secondly, I offer advice on dating and marriage. I know that you have a desire and need to be loved, but learn what true love is. True love does not take advantage of others and seek to gratify itself. True love considers first what is in the best interest of others.

Daughters, if a man loves you, he will respect you and not seek to abuse you for the gratification of his own sexual desire. He will be willing to wait for a sexual relationship until you have committed yourselves to each other in marriage.

Sons, remember that the girl you date is a creature of God who has been redeemed by Christ. God did not create woman for you to use, but to love and cherish. Treat every woman you date with the honor and respect that you would want shown to your mother, your sister, or your future wife.

Though much could be said about dating and marriage, the most important advice I can give regarding dating and choosing a life’s mate is to date and marry a devoted Christian. Only then will you know the true joy and companionship God intended for marriage. Then you will be able to serve our God together and bring up your children to know and serve Him too. If you ignore this advice and marry one who is not a believer and follower of Christ, you may expect great difficulty and sorrow in life!

I know well the temptations placed before you by the devil, the world, and your sinful human nature. Do not give in to them, but follow Christ! Stay away from alcohol, drugs, pornography, wild parties, sinful music, evil friends, etc. These will only lead to your ruin.

Instead, follow Christ, read His Word, pray, and join together with fellow believers in church services and Bible study. Remember who you are: a child of God, created and redeemed by Him!

Finally, dear children, know this. Your earthly father is here for you now to help and guide you. He loves you and will be praying for you as long as he lives. Your Heavenly Father will be there for you always. He will uphold you and keep you forever!

Love, Dad

Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:38-39 (Read Acts 2)

How is it that one can receive the gift of the Holy Spirit? How can one “be filled with the Spirit,” as the Apostle Paul commands us in Ephesians 5:18?

Peter, in his Pentecost sermon, gives us the answer: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ”

To be filled and led by the Spirit of God does not require any great work on our part. It does not require a specific prayer or living a holy and sinless life before the Holy Spirit enters into us.

Through the good news of Christ’s innocent sufferings and death for the sins of the world, God graciously calls us sinners to turn from our sins to faith in Christ Jesus for forgiveness and life everlasting (cf. 2 Thess. 2:13-14).

The Holy Spirit reveals our sinfulness and utter failure to live up to the demands of God’s perfect law (cf. Rom. 3:9-20), but then comforts us with the promise of sins forgiven and an eternal inheritance in heaven when we place our faith in Jesus Christ and His blood shed for us on the cross (cf. Rom. 3:21-26; John 3:14ff.; Ps. 51:1ff.).

When, by the grace of God, we believe this and trust in Christ as our Savior, being baptized in His name and according to His command for the forgiveness of our sins (Matt. 28:19; Acts 22:16), we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit. He takes up residence in our hearts, teaches us of Jesus from God’s Word, and strengthens and keeps us in the true and saving faith (cf. John 14:16-18, 26; 16:13-15).

And the Bible tells us that “He who began a good work in” us will dwell in us and “perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, our risen and ascended Savior, we thank You for granting to us the gift of the Holy Spirit — for moving us to turn from our sins to You for forgiveness and to be baptized in Your name, and for dwelling in us by Your Holy Spirit that we might be kept and preserved in the true and saving faith unto life everlasting. For the sake of Your bitter sufferings and death in our stead, we pray. Amen.

[Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.]

Since many people I meet show little interest in heaven and express little desire to go there, I thought I’d provide a few instructions on how to go to hell instead. Following are just a few surefire courses of action to be damned and arrive in eternal hellfire and brimstone:

• Ignore the whole issue of heaven and hell and put off all thoughts of God and eternity for another day.
• Avoid, as much as possible, reading the Bible or attending churches where the Bible is read and taught. After all, the Bible is so narrow in its views regarding life, God’s judgment, and the age to come.
• Hope that God grades on a curve and will not condemn you if you have lived as well as the next guy.
• Believe that you can escape the fires of hell and obtain eternal life in heaven by doing good deeds.
• Live for now and indulge in all your desires because life is short.
• Give no heed to preachers who call upon all to repent and look to Christ Jesus for mercy and forgiveness.
• Treat the blood of Jesus shed for the sins of all as a worthless thing by continuing on in your sinful ways.
• Ignore Jesus and His pleas for you to repent and trust in Him for pardon, forgiveness and life everlasting in heaven.

Yes, I could go on listing ways to be sure of hell; but wouldn’t you rather be sure of heaven?

It’s simple: Acknowledge and repent of your sinfulness and shortcomings and place your faith and hope in Christ Jesus and His innocent sufferings and death for all sins.

In Jesus, heaven is sure! Why? Because Jesus kept all of God’s commandments perfectly in your stead and then suffered and died on the cross for your sins (and the sins of all), rose again, and ascended into the glories of heaven to prepare a place for all who repent of their sinful ways and believe God’s offer and promise of forgiveness and life through faith in Christ Jesus! All who look to Jesus in faith will be spared the fires of hell and receive, instead, the eternal glories of heaven!

God’s Word says, “ Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31 KJV).

Some Bible proof passages: Romans 3:9-26; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; John 3:14-18, 36; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-47; John 14:1-6; Acts 1:9-11; 2:37-40; 3:19; 4:12; Ephesians 1 and 2; 1 John 1:8-9; 2:1-2.

“And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:9-11 (Read 1-11)

In the Apostles’ Creed, we confess of Jesus Christ, our Lord, that “He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.”

And Thursday was Ascension Day, a Christian festival now often forgotten by churches. It is the day we remember Jesus’ ascension into heaven and the fact that He now rules over and fills all things (Eph. 1:15-23), intercedes for us (1 John 2:1-2; Rom. 8:34), pours out His Holy Spirit in our hearts (John 16:7), sends forth men to preach the Gospel and creates faith through the hearing of God’s Word (Eph. 4:8-16; Rom. 10:17), and will soon return to judge the living and the dead and establish His everlasting kingdom (Matt. 25:31ff.; Dan. 7:13-14; Rev. 11:15; 20:11ff.).

Today, we consider the words of the angels to Jesus’ disciples when Jesus was taken up into heaven: “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

This Word of God, which was spoken by angels to the disciples who had just witnessed Jesus’ ascension into heaven, teaches us that Jesus Christ will return visibly in the clouds of glory on the Last Day. The Bible also says this in Revelation 1:7: “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” (Cf. Matt. 24:29-31).

Paul wrote to the believers in Thessalonica that “… the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day” (2 Thess. 1:7-10).

As Jesus ascended into heaven, so He shall also return on the Last Day, the Day of Judgment. He will come again in clouds of glory with His holy angels. Every eye will see Him! His return will be no secret rapture — both the believer and the unbeliever will see Him coming in glory!

The true question for us is this: “Are you ready for His return and judgment? Are you prepared to meet Him?”

Those who do not trust in Him for salvation will wail in sorrow at His return because they stand condemned for not trusting in the only begotten Son of God (John 3:18; 2 Thess. 1:6-10). As Jesus said, they remain in their sins and, thus, face God’s judgment in the filthy garments of the flesh (cf. John 8:24; Isa. 64:6; Matt. 22:11-14).

But those who do trust in Christ Jesus as their Savior — trusting that they have pardon for their sins and peace with God for the sake of Christ’s innocent sufferings and death in their stead — will rejoice at His return because He comes to take them to be with Him forever in the mansions of heaven (cf. Luke 21:27-28; Heb. 9:27-28; John 14:1-3; 1 Thess. 4:13-18).

And so, I ask you: “Do you acknowledge your sins and look to Christ and His cross for mercy and forgiveness?” If not, the day of His return will be for you a day of sorrow and mourning as you face His eternal judgment and condemnation!

But, if you, by the grace of God, agree with God about your sins and trust in Christ and the atonement He made for the sins of the world when He died on the cross, that day will be a day of joy and gladness as you receive His mercy, His pardon, and life eternal in His glorious kingdom! (Cf. 1 John 1:7-2:2; 5:11-12; Mark 16:15-16.)

We will then see Him face to face and be transformed into his image (cf. Psalm 17:15; 1 John 3:2; Phil. 3:20-21). And, we will partake of the pleasures of His everlasting kingdom (John 14:2-3; Psalm 16:11).

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, as You have ascended up into heaven to the right hand of God the Father, so come again and take us to be with You forever. Graciously keep us in the true and saving faith so that, on that Day, we may greet You with joy and not with sorrow. Grant this to us for the sake of Your holy life and bitter sufferings and death on the cross in our stead. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]