Here is an alphabetically ordered, by topic, list of our specific doctrines. We welcome any comments or questions and are prepared to provide answers according to God's Word.

Abortion : Alcohol : Authority : Baptism : Bible : Capital Punishment : Child Care : Contributions : Creation : Disciplines : Divorce : Education : Eschatology : Gifts : Government : Heaven : Hell : Hermeneutics : Holidays : Israel : Jesus : Jewish : Law : Man's Nature : Marriage : Parenting : Priesthood : Prophecy : Sabbath : Sacraments : saints : Salvation : Sexuality : Sin : Solas : Stewardship : Tithe : Tongues : Trinity : Worldview

• Abortion
  Life begins at conception. Any attempt to end that life (e.g., abortion, many types of "birth control")--double effect notwithstanding--is an attempt to murder the most helpless and innocent.
• Alcohol
  The Scriptures are full of examples of Godly people consuming alcohol. Some of those examples demonstrate an excess, which is forbidden, and these same passages demonstrate consequences for this sin. However, the mere consumption of alcohol is not sinful at all, nor can any perverted definition of "wine" (e.g., suggesting wine was not really fermented) make alcohol inherently sinful. Moderation is key, as is maintaining self-control. Having said this, if alcohol is a sin for you, specifically, it is indeed best avoided.
• Authority
  All authority is from the Lord and His Word. We place great value upon traditions, but they do not carry the authority of the written and living Word. Likewise, earthly authorities (e.g., pastors) are just that, earthly; they too are subject to the authority of the Lord. It is He whom we obey first and foremost. Insofar as earthly authorities do not contradict God's, we obey them as well.
• Baptism
  Baptism is considered one of the first acts of obedience following a choice to accept salvation and symbolizes the washing away of sin, emerging clean. We recommend immersion, because this follows the Jewish pattern of the mikvah, practiced for millennia to symbolize the same thing, albeit in a more ceremonial fashion. Baptism being symbolic, we are not dogmatic on the observance. We are dogmatic, though, that baptism is not itself a saving act.

  Another form of baptism is in the Holy Spirit. This is a continual refilling, if you will, of and by the Holy Spirit, renewing and recharging our discipleship, obedience, and even our gifts.

  Still another baptism is by fire. Also done by the Holy Spirit, this is a purging of our sin and iniquity, often by trial.

• Bible
  The Bible, the 66-book canon, as interpreted by the Holy Spirit, is the inerrant, infalliable Word of God. The Bible is true in all respects, including historically and scientifically.
• Capital Punishment
  The Word plainly prescribes the death penalty for many infractions of the Law. In theory, the State has the God-given authority to do likewise, insofar as man's law aligns with God's Law. In practice, though, the justice system is very poor at determining guilt or innocence or providing appropriate sentences. If justice could be carried out in a Godly fashion, the death penalty would be acceptable. Until then, it is not.
• Child Care
  Day-cares, after-school care, nannies, nurseries (yes, even at church), preschools, even frequent babysitting (that is, leaving one's child with someone other than nuturing family members), and all other forms of neglect we find to be in gross violation of God's will in numerous ways, not the least of which is dereliction of parental duty. We are horrified how parents so easily abandon their children to others, often strangers, in order to "escape" them.
• Contributions
  Freewill contributions are given cheerfully, even if sacrificially. Support of local congregations, missionaries, charities, and other ministries is encouraged--but never out of guilt or obligation. All we have is given to us by the Lord. All of it is His anyway. Cheerfully use what you will in His service.
• Creation
  Creation of the universe occurred just as described in Genesis 1. It took six days, a total of 144 normal hours. The best creationist theory to date is by Russell Humphreys, who uses nothing more than General Relativity to explain a six-day creation. The observable universe supports this theory well thus far, and there is no conflict with the Word of God.

  This is a sticky point with many today, due to the social pressure to accept an atheist view of evolution and the big bang, or to compromise with this view. As a scientist, I can assure you the Bible is true, especially about creation. I welcome any queries you may have on the matter.

• Disciplines
  Spiritual disciplines are important aids in sanctification (the ever growing holiness) of the believer. These disciplines are to be practiced often, but always in obedience to the Lord and for His purposes.
• Divorce
  Divorce is not the will of God. It was never meant to be. Jesus made an exception for divorce because of our sinful nature (in the case of infidelity), as did the Lord through Moses, but it is still not justified. It may simply be the lesser of two sins. Having said this, there is no condemnation in the Lord with repentance and acceptance of His forgiveness, nor should there be condemnation from those of us who are not the Judge.
• Education
  Parents, specifically fathers, are to train up their children in the ways of the Lord. Parental ownership of their children's education is necessary. As such, Godly homeschooling is the best form of education, and often the only structure within which parents may truly guide their children's education in Godly directions. Christian, private education is an inferior method of education, but still meets the minimum Biblical standard (if parental involvement and monitoring is also Godly). Government education is no longer anywhere near acceptable to any Biblical standard, given government's hostility toward the Lord, the Bible, and the Truth. Such an abomination should be avoided, and its victims prayed for and ministered to whenever possible.
• Eschatology
  Premillennial. The millennial (1000 year) kingdom will be real, physical, here on earth--a straightforward fulfillment of prophecy just as the 500 or so fulfilled prophecies were fulfilled. The Lord Jesus will return before this 1000 year time of peace to judge the "sheep and goats", believers and unbelievers, and usher the sheep into the kingdom.
• Gifts
  The gifts of the Holy Spirit are alive and well and in full use today. They were not dispensed for a time and then taken back. All the gifts are available to the church today, as the Lord sees fit to grant them. These gifts include:
  • Discernment
  • Healing
  • Interpretation of tongues
  • Knowlege
  • Miracles
  • Pastoring
  • Prophecy
  • Teaching
  • Tongues
  • Wisdom
  • ...and many more
• Government
  As noted in Authority above, we are to submit to the authority of government, insofar as it does not violate God's will and Law, in which case civil disobedience is justified. Having said this, the Bible's description of the best government is no government at all--just the leadership of the Lord. Second to this, given our failings and tendencies toward corruption, is a very limited government, only protecting the rights of those who cannot do so otherwise.
• Heaven
  Heaven is real. Prior to Jesus' resurrection, heaven was "Abraham's bosom", a portion of Sheol (the place of the dead) for those with the Lord's favor. After the resurrection, Sheol is emptied of the saints, who are now with the Lord in heaven, awaiting the end of this age. After the millennial kingdom (see Eschatology), heaven joins earth, as the spiritual and the physical are finally restored for eternity.
• Hell
  Like heaven, hell is a portion of Sheol reserved for those who forsook the Lord. Unlike heaven, it is a place of great torment. After the millennial kingdom, those in Sheol will be raised for judgment, and then sentenced to the lake of fire for eternity.
• Hermeneutics
  The only correct way to interpret the Scriptures is by Divine inspiriation; that is, by the Holy Spirit's interpretation. It is not in the Lord's nature to contradict Himself (nor need He), so any proper interpretation will at least be consistent with the entire Word of God, which is itself internally consistent.

  The proper way to interpret the Word is in a straightforward manner. When the Word uses a metaphor, the context makes this clear. When the Word is to be understood literally, again the context makes this easily known. The context is first the surrounding and whole of Scripture, secondly the historical and cultural context within which the Word was recorded.

• Holidays
  The Word describes seven high holy feasts, holy days. These include:
  • Passover
  • Unleavened
  • Firstfruits
  • Weeks
  • Trumpets
  • Atonement
  • Booths

  And two minor feasts, Dedication and Purim.

  When the Lord gave these holidays to His people, He told them their observance was a perpetual statute. We celebrate these holidays even now.

  Each feast has a memorial perspective (looking back) as well as a prophetic one (looking forward). The first four, spring feasts were prophetically fulfilled in the first coming of the Messiah Jesus, and the three fall feasts will be fulfilled in the second coming of the Messiah.

• Israel
  The modern state of Israel is a fulfillment of prophecy, a guide to the Lord's prophetic timepiece, and still the Lord's chosen people. This is not to say all Jews are saved just by being Jewish. They are indeed part of His earthly family, but the path to salvation is the same for Jew and Gentile. By the time the Lord Jesus returns on the Mount of Olives (after the tribulation, before the millennial kingdom), the bulk of Israel will be saved, believers in the Messiah Jesus.
• Jesus
  Jesus (ישוע (Jesus), in Hebrew, as His mother called Him), is the Son of God, one with the Father and Spirit. He is fully God and fully human. He was born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died on the cross in our stead, and physically rose again as the firstfruit of the resurrection. No one comes to the Father, except by His Son, Jesus.
• Jewish
  All believers are Biblically Jewish by adoption--that is, they're adopted into His earthly family. If they began as Gentile (non-Jewish), their choice to submit to the Savior led them to be grafted into the Jewish root. Being Jewish does not mean forsaking Gentile nature nor does it mean automatic salvation. It is a familial identity given by God--a people through whom His Word and His salvation are offered to all.
• Law
  God's Law, given in the Torah (most formally the first five books of the Bible but really the whole of Scripture) was given to God's people for their benefit. It was never a formula for salvation. This is a common strawman that is then torn down. The Law is not about eternity, per se, but about our lives here and now. The Law is used as an indicator of our disobedience to the Lord. The Law was never binding insofar as our eternal relationship with the Lord is concerned, but is merely temporal. Paul often wrote about freedom from this heresy of legalism; he did not mean we were free from obedience to the Lord, but free to obey the Lord.
  The word "law" is a translation of the Hebrew "torah". It may be better to understand this word as "teaching" than as "law". This puts the Biblical Teaching into a more proper light, knowing His Teachings are for our benefit, not our imprisonment. In His Spirit, we [imperfectly] follow the Lord's Torah, observing His commands for our welfare.
• Man's Nature
  The Word teaches a triune nature of man: soul, body, and spirit. This is in God's image (similar to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The soul is also triune: mind, will, and emotions.
• Marriage
  Marriage is between one man and one woman. She is to submit to his leadership of the family, just as he is to submit to the Lord's leadership of him (and through him, his family). They may be equal in value to God, but their roles are most certainly different. As believers, we are to marry only other sold-out believers.
• Parenting
  The only good reason to have children is to honor God. As stewards of God's smallest ones, we must raise them selflessly, not for our honor nor convenience. They are to be brought up in the Lord's ways, especially when the world's ways conflict. They are not a burden but a blessing from the Lord.
• Priesthood
  All disciples of Jesus are His priests. As such, we are authorized to be the Lord's representatives to the lost.
• Prophecy
  Properly, prophecy is merely the utterances of God through man. More commonly, though, prophecy is known to be the foretelling of future events. There are over 1000 prophecies recorded in the Bible. 500 of these have already been fulfilled in Biblical timeframes. They were fulfilled in a straightforward manner. The remaining 500 will also be fulfilled as in a straightforward interpretation.
• Sabbath
  A day of rest, the Sabbath has always been the seventh day of the week. Nothing in the Scripture moved the Sabbath to the first day (although the first day of the week is holy also, because of Jesus' resurrection on that day). As such, we are to rest on the Sabbath, refrain from work (best understood as whatever job occupies your normal workday), gather with other believers, and spend time with the Lord.
• Sacraments
  There is nothing in the Word defining a sacrament. Some recognize baptism (or infant dedication) and eucharist (communion) to be sacraments, while others also include confirmation (affirmation of baptism), reconciliation (i.e., confession), marriage, anointing of the sick (including last rites), and holy orders (ordination). By most any definition of sacraments, others should also be included: foot-washing, healing, feeding, and more. In summary, all things the Lord did, said, and commanded are good. We would do well to imitate, and better, obey Him.
• Saints
  All disciples of Jesus are saints, having been cleansed of their sins, washed clean. Prior to His first advent, the saints were those who lived lives of obedience, albeit imperfect, to the Lord, awaiting the coming Messiah in faith.
• Salvation
  We sin. The Lord is holy and cannot be in the presence of sin. For us to be with Him, He had to provide a way. He sent His only begotten, sinless Son to die in our stead, taking our punishment for sin upon Himself. Having been the perfect sacrifice, an atonement for all sins for all time, our Lord now has a way to redeem us. We need only accept His offer, repent of our sins, and receive eternal life with Him. There is catch, no action required--it is free.
• Sexuality
  Sex is a special gift the Lord gives only to married couples (see Marriage). Anything else is an abomination and a sign of great rebellion to the Lord.
• Sin
  Literally, sin is missing the mark. The Lord sets a standard for us. Our failure to meet this standard is sin. Our sinful nature is innate (see Original Sin), and we will inevitably sin. Knowing this, our Lord gave us a way to be with Him despite our sin (see Salvation). To practice a life of sin is inherently a rejection of His salvation and leads to eternal damnation. To practice a life of obedience, avoiding sin with His help, leads to holiness and His Presence.
• Solas
  sola scriptura ("by Scripture alone"), sola fide ("by faith alone"), sola gratia ("by grace alone"), solus Christus ("Christ alone"), soli Deo gloria ("glory to God alone"). See wikipedia for more description.
• Stewardship
  We are stewards of what the Lord gives us, our time, our talents and gifts, and our possessions. All are first His, given to us. We are responsible for using them for His glory, in obedience to Him, and in furtherance of the kingdom.
• Tithe
  Traits of a Biblical tithe:
  • 10% of only the increases, excluding lower/middle class workers.
  • Only food (crops and animals).
  • Given to Levites and priests.
  • Tithed meals shared among tithers and Levites and priests.
  • No tithes every seventh year.
  • Necessary for the economic support of Levites.
  • Delivered only to nationally designated storehouses, Levitcal towns.

  Most modern churches abuse tithing, misleading believers to think they must give 10% of their annual income to their church. There is no Biblical basis for this false doctrine. See Contributions.

• Tongues
  The gift of tongues is alive and well today. Tongues can be used to reach those who wouldn't otherwise know the local language, and they can be the utterances of the Lord in our private prayer time. When tongues are used publicly, though, interpretation must be provided as well, be they supernatural tongues or merely a foreign language.
• Trinity
  The Lord is a triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each is a separate Person, yet the Three are but One. There is only God, who is in three Persons. This paradox is foundational. Throughout the Word (yes, even in the "Old" Testament), the triune nature of God is revealed.
• Worldview
  There is only one, correct worldview (or religion, as some prefer, though this is not comprehensive enough, given people's tendency to compartmentalize): the Biblically Christian worldview. All others fail to represent reality accurately and are therefore wrong. Even though worldviews are a matter of choice, they are not all acceptable or valid; only one is wholly consistent with truth and reality.