Raised in a Christian home from birth, I experienced conversion and was born-again at age 10. I was baptized as a witness of my conversion to others. I now belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.
I believe in the trinity “Father-God, Son of God, and Holy Spirit”. Jesus is God’s son whom He sent as “the lamb without blemish” to die for my sins so that I will not have to. Jesus is the only way to salvation, Heaven, and eternity.
I believe that the Bible is God’s Inspired Word given as a guide for living according to His will and plan, as well as to show His great love, forgiveness, mercy and grace. We are all a work in progress to becoming more like Jesus. None of us are perfect, we keep striving to do the best we can while holding God’s hand.
It is my desire to let this site be a witness to others of our wonderful, loving God. I also believe that Christians have a duty to take a stand for truth, especially God’s truths. I cannot sit idly by and ignore tolerance of evil and injustice.
It is my prayer that I will be lead by the Holy Spirit in Divine Guidance to accomplish God’s will for His glory and honor and His kingdom to come.
Doctrine:
The Way
If I asked you, “If you were to die tomorrow, do you know for certain, without a doubt, that you would go to Heaven?” would you know the answer without hesitation?
As Christians, we must be sure that Heaven is our final destination. The following is the simple way to be absolutely confident. (All scripture is taken from the NKJV.)
We are all sinners: Romans 3:23: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” There is a high price for sin: Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death,…” God looks at our sin as ‘rebellion’, but He loves us in spite of it:
Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” We must turn to God and repent to have our sins completely taken away: Acts 3:19: “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,” By God’s grace (generosity), we receive His free gift (eternal life) through faith which is also from God: Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God,”
We must confess Jesus and believe that He was raised from the dead by God: Romans 10: 9-10, v.9: “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” v.10: “For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.”
Finally, we must call on (pray to) the Lord and be saved: Romans10:13: “For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” This simply means that if you pray and ask Jesus to come into your life, He will.”
If you hesitated or could not answer the question at the top of the page, you can be sure right now and Jesus will save you and live in you, RIGHT NOW.
PRAY: “Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I need your forgiveness. I know that you died on the cross for me. I now turn from my sins and ask you to forgive me. I invite you into my heart and my life. I now trust you as my Savior, and I follow you as my Lord. Thank you for saving me. Amen.”
Be sure to read your Bible each and obey what you read. God loves you and will not forsake you. John 14:21: “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
Baptism
Does the Act of Baptism Save Us?
The word baptism comes from the Greek word “Baptizo”. It means to dip or immerse, put completely under the water and raise up again. It illustrates the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we are baptized, we are saying, “I believe Jesus died and paid for my sins. He was raised up on the third day showing He was without sin, that He arose in His glorified body and ascended back to Heaven.”
When we go down into the water, we are showing that we are crucified with Him, and we are burying the old man and the old life — we are rising to walk in the newness of life, to live and serve Jesus as a Christian. (See Romans 6:4-6)
Baptism is also the public declaration that we are Christians. It pictures that we are going to follow Him. For instance, when a young man joins the military, he raises his hand and pledges his allegiance to his country and he becomes a soldier. He is in the military, but he declares which branch of the military he is in when he puts on his uniform, OR, a young woman says, “I do,” and she is married. The wedding ring declares that she is married.
So, when we accept Jesus as our Saviour, Baptism is the public declaration — the uniform, the wedding ring — the obedient act declaring that we are Christians. It is the outward testimony of our inner faith.
Jesus established the order of spiritual growth when he said in Matthew 28:19-20(NKJV): v.19-”Go ye therefore and make disciples of all the nations (make disciples or get them saved), baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” v.20-”teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Note the Order: SALVATION, BAPTISM, TEACH THEM TO OBSERVE…
It is not the act of baptism that saves us from our sins. Jesus is the only way, truth, and life.
Gift of Tongues
Some years ago, my parents moved to Arkansas, where my father’s family was from. My mother was looking for a church home and decided to try the church my grandmother attended. Mom was raised a Baptist in Colorado, so this was a totally new type of church for her. She was told she was not considered a saved person until she spoke in tongues. She did find a small Baptist church nearby and was more at home there.
Following is just some of what 1 Corinthians tells us about speaking in tongues. Nowhere does it say it is the way to salvation. Jesus is the only way. Speaking in tongues is a beautiful gift and a sign of salvation. It can also be very euphoric, but it is more for the edification of the church.
1 Corinthians, chapter 12 includes ‘tongues and interpretation of tongues’ as a spiritual gift. Not everyone is blessed with the same gift. Some were given the ability to speak and interpret languages that were unknown to the speaker or the interpreter. These gifts were necessary before the Word of God was written.
1 Corinthians 12:11 says, “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.” Therefore it is not up to the individual if they have one of the spiritual gifts, it is God’s for the giving.
1 Corinthians 14:4-7: “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification. But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching? Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played?”
Verse 13: “Therefore, let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.” If some are willy-nilly speaking in tongues, with no interpreter, and a stranger/unbeliever comes in the door without understanding, will he not turn and leave?
Verses 27-28: “If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.”
So, only two or three should speak in tongues in a service; never at the same time, but in turn; and not at all if no interpreter is present.
NOTHING THERE ABOUT SPEAKING IN TONGUES AS A WAY TO OR A STIPULATION OF SALVATION.
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