Blessed Assurance By The Foster Triplets
My Soul Says Yes, Says Yes To Your Will By Sonnie Badu
He Got The Whole World In His Hands By the African Children Choir
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No, Never Alone By Izora Hollingsworth
Sermon: Who is on the Lord's Side? or (Who's Side Are You Leaning On)
Anchoring Hope doctrine is based on the Bible. What is the purpose of the Bible? Salvation is the first purpose (2 Timothy 3:15). The doctrine also includes holy living. The word is profitable for teaching (doctrine), conviction (reproof), setting right (correction), and discipline (instruction). It enables a child of God to become a man or woman of God, matured in the things of the Lord.
True preaching or teaching is the explanation and application of Bible doctrine. Anything else is just religious speech making.
The Scriptures are profitable (2 Timothy 3:16) for doctrine (what is right), for reproof (what is not right), for correction (how to get right), and for instruction in righteousness (how to stay right). The person who studies the Bible and applies what he learns will grow in holiness and avoid many pitfalls in this world.
The One True God
We believe in the One everlasting, eternal God; Infinite in power, Holy in nature, attributes and purpose, possessing absolute indivisible Deity. The One True God has revealed Himself as Father in creation; through His Son in redemption and as the Holy Spirit in manifesting power and authority.
(I Cor. 8:6; Eph. 4:6; II Cor. 6:10; Joel 2:28)
The Word of God
The Holy Scriptures, Old and New Testaments are the written Word of God, given by divine inspiration through holy men of God who spoke and wrote as the Holy Sprit moved them. In this Word, God has committed to man the knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures is the standards of character, the test of experience, the authoritative revealer of doctrines, and the trustworthy record of God’s acts in history.
Authorship of the Scriptures
Faith in God originated the Bibles’ authority. The writers viewed the Bible as distinct from other literature. They referred to it as “Holy Scriptures” (Romans1:2), “sacred writing” (2 Timothy 3:15, RSV), and the “Word of God” (Romans 3:3; Hebrews 5:12).
The uniqueness of the Scriptures is based on their origin and source. The Bible writers claimed they did not originate their messages, but received them from divine sources. It was through divine revelation that they were able “to see” the truths they passed on (Isaiah 1:1; Micah 1:1; Habakkuk 1:1; Jeremiah 38:21).
The New Testament recognized the role of the Holy Spirit in the production of the Old Testament. Jesus said, “David was inspired by the Holy Spirit” (Mark 12:36). Paul believed the Holy Spirit spoke “through Isaiah (Acts 28:25). Peter revealed that the Holy Spirit guided all the prophets, not just a few (I Peter 1:10- 11; 2 Peter 1:21). At times the writer faded completely into the background, and only the real author “The Holy Spirit” was acknowledged. “The Holy Spirit says”, (Hebrews 3:7 RSV) and “By this the Holy Spirit indicates” (Hebrews 9:8, RSV).
Inspiration of the Scriptures
“All Scripture,” Paul says, “Is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). The word, translated as “inspiration,” literally means, “God-breathed.” God “breathed” truth into men’s minds. They expressed it in the words found in the Scriptures. Inspiration is the process through which God communicates His eternal truth.
Salvation and Baptism of the Holy Ghost
All persons need salvation to restore their relationship with God. Persons are separated; alienated from God because of their sin. Sin has affected all persons, but there is nothing one can do to overcome it or to merit salvation. An important teaching here is that persons are hopeless until they realize their need for redemption.
Salvation is a process with three stages. The first stage is repentance and salvation. In essence, this is the experience of new birth Jesus referred to in his conversation with Nicodemus (St John 3). The new birth occurs when a person realizes his sinfulness, repents of his sin and accepts Jesus Christ as Savior. According to Romans 10:9-10, the person has met this requirement; he is a born-again child of God.
The next stage of Salvation is Believers sanctity, or the second blessing of the Holy Spirit. This stage involves the responsibility of the coveted person to live a Believers life. God’s standard is a life of holiness (Leviticus 19:2). In the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the evidence of a holy life was often seen to be a person’s ability to give up the habits of alcohol and tobacco. If God expects a life of holiness from the Believers, it follows that he provides the power for such living through the Holy Spirit.
The third and crowning step in the process of salvation is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is considered the third blessing of the Spirit and is evidenced by speaking in tongues. We Pentecostals look to such passages as Acts 2:1-4; 10:44-48; and 19:1-6 as a basis for our belief in the doctrine of tongues. We contend that these passages, and also others, indicate that the anointing of the Spirit occurs after both the new birth and the experience of sanctification.
The pattern of receiving the Baptism of the Spirit is the same as that experienced in the New Testament church. First, the believer must yearn for a deeper experience with God. Next, the Book of Acts records two ways by which the sprit comes upon person. At Samaria, Damascus, and Ephesus, a person experienced the baptism of the Spirit when the apostles laid hands on them. In Jerusalem and Caesarea, the Holy Spirit fell upon Believers during a worship service.
The Baptism of the Spirit, however, is not an end in itself, but a means to an end. Early leaders in the Pentecostal movement were often heard to say that believers should always seek the giver of the gift of tongues and not merely the gift itself. The fact that many persons have gone from this experience into error or fanaticism does not deter Pentecostals from teaching the validity of the gift. When properly understood, the Baptism of the Spirit enables the Believer to be an effective witness for Christ. Spirit Baptism gives a person the nature of a witness. This means that the person is completely motivated by the will of God. In addition, this experience is considered to bring a depth of joy and spirituality otherwise unattainable.
Water Baptism
It is true that water itself does not contain any saving virtue, but God has chosen to include it in His plan of salvation.
Jesus commissioned the disciples to baptize new concerts (Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:16); therefore, water baptism is a sacred ordinance to be obeyed.
In line with biblical authority, Anchoring Hope Family Worship Center teaches that the only biblical mode of water baptism is by immersion, and we practice this ordinance accordingly. Persons are baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by a duly authorized minister of the Word of God, according to the Acts of the Apostles 2:38 obeying and fulfilling Matthew 28:19.
Anchoring Hope Family Worship Center does not practice infant baptism since believers’ baptism is taught. In addition, we do not feel that the child has willfully entered into sin, nor do we find scriptural basis for infant baptism. This practice is seen to be in keeping with Jesus’ treatment of a statement about children (Mark 10:14-16).
The Lord’s Supper and Foot Washing
Anchoring Hope accepts the Lord’s Supper as a command of Christ to be obeyed. The Lord’s Supper is taken in remembrance of Christ’s death and sacrifice on the cross. The elements are considered symbolic of the spilled blood and broken body of Christ.
The Lord’s Supper is also a time for individual examination. A service of dedication before the Lord’s Supper may be observed to emphasize the need for commitment to Christ’s commands. Observance of the Lord’s Supper varies among churches. Sometimes the practice of foot washing accompanies the observance of the Lord’s Supper. This observance is also an ordinance or command of Christ that symbolizes the Believer’s humility.
Stewardship
We are God’s stewards, entrusted by Him with time, opportunities, abilities, possessions, and the blessings of the earth and its resources. We are responsible to Him for their proper use. We acknowledge God’s ownership by faithful service to Him and our fellowmen, and by returning tithes and giving freewill or sacrificial offerings for the proclamation of His gospel and the support and growth of His church. Stewardship is a privilege given to us by God for nurture in love and the victory over selfishness and covetousness. The steward rejoices in the blessing that come to others because of his faithfulness.
What is stewardship? Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit . . . and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s (I Corinthians 6:19-20). At a high cost, we were purchased and redeemed. We belonged to Him from the beginning because “In the beginning God created . . .” (Genesis 1:1). The Scriptures clearly state, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). In its larger dimensions, stewardship “involves the wise and unselfish use of life. Life can be divided into four basic areas, each a gift from God. He gave us a body, abilities, time, and material possessions. In addition, we must care for the world around us, over which we were given dominion.
Stewardship of the Body
God’s people are stewards of themselves. We are to love God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our strength, and with our entire mind (Luke 10:27). Christians are privileged to develop their physical and mental power to the best of their ability and opportunities. In so doing, they bring honor to God and can prove a greater blessing to others.
Stewardship of Abilities
Each person has special aptitude. One may be talented in the musical realm, another in manual trades such as sewing or auto mechanics. Some may makes friends easily and mingle well with others, while others may naturally tend toward more solitary pursuits. We ought to cultivate the gifts the Holy Spirit gives each of us in order to multiply these gifts (Matthew 25). Good stewards use their gifts liberally to bring fuller benefit to their Master.
Stewardship of Time
As faithful stewards, we glorify God by a wise use of time. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24, NIV), The Bible admonishes us not to behave “as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16). Like Jesus, we must be about our Father’s business (Luke 2:49). Because time is God’s gift, each moment is precious. It is given to form character for eternal life. Faithful stewardship of our time means using it to get to know our Lord, to help our fellowmen, and to share the gospel.
Stewardship of Material Possessions
God gave our first parents the responsibility of subduing the earth, governing the animal kingdom, and caring for the Garden of Eden (Genesis 1:28, 2:15). All this was theirs not only to enjoy, but also to manage.
To remind us that He is the source of every blessing, God began a system of tithes and offerings.
1. Tithes – One tenth of all material things we get belongs to god. Scripture tells us that the tithe is “holy to the Lord,” symbolizing God’s ownership of everything (Leviticus 27:30-32; Malachi 3:8-10). It is to be returned to Him.
2. Offerings – Grateful Christians cannot limit their contributions to the church to tithes. In Israel the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, was built from freewill offerings”—offering given from willing hearts (Exodus 36:2-7; I Chronicles 29:14). Special offerings covered the maintenance expenses of these places of worship (Exodus 30:12-16; II Kings 12:4-5; II Chronicles 24:4-13; Nehemiah 1:32-33). Did the Israelites contributions lead to poverty? No, God promised to bless them in their faithfulness (Malachi 3:10-12).
MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY
Marriage was divinely established in Eden and affirmed by Jesus to be a lifelong union between a man and a woman in loving companionship. For the Christian, a marriage commitment is to God, as well as to the spouse, and should be entered into only between partners who share a common faith. Mutual love, honor, respect, and responsibility are the fabric of this relationship, which is to reflect the love, sanctity, closeness, and permanence of the relationship between Christ and His Church. Regarding divorce, Jesus taught that the person who divorces a spouse, except for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery. Although some family relationship may fall short of the ideal marriage partners, who fully commit themselves to each other in Christ, loving unity may still be achieved through the guidance of the Spirit and the nurture of the church.
The home is a primary setting for the restoration of the image of God in men and women. Within the family, father mother and the children can express themselves fully, meeting each other’s needs for belonging, love and intimacy. Here, identity is established and a felling of person’s worth is developed. The home is also the place where, by God’s grace, the principles of real Christianity are put into practice, and its values transmitted from one generation to the next.
The family can be a place of great happiness. It can also be the scene of terrible hurt. Harmonious family life demonstrates the principles of Christianity truly lived out, revealing the character of God. In forming the first family, Jesus established the basic social unity for humanity, giving them a sense of belonging and providing them with an opportunity to develop as well-rounded persons in service to God and others.
Marriage
From the diversity of male and female, God brought order and oneness. God performed the first marriage, joining these two, the epitome of His image, to make them one. Marriage has been the foundation of the family and society itself, every since its inception. Scripture describes marriage as a decisive act of both detachment and attachment: One shall “leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).
1. Leaving. Vital to the marriage relationship is a leaving behind of the former primary relationships. The marriage relationship is to supersede that of the parent and child. In this sense, “leaving” one’s parents for a single relationship allows one to “cleave” to another. Without this process, there is no firm foundation for marriage.2. Cleaving. The Hebrew term translated “cleave” comes from a word that means “to stick to, to fasten, to join, to hold onto.” As a noun, it can even be used for brazing and soldering (Isaiah 14:7). The closeness and strength of this bond illustrate the nature of the bond of marriage. Any attempt to break up this union would injure individuals bound this closely together. That this human bond is a close one is also emphasized by the words, “cleave, and swear by His name” (Deuteronomy 10:20).3. Covenanting. In Scripture this pledge, this promise by which married couples are bound together, is spoken of as a “covenant,” a term used for the most solemn and binding agreement known in God’ Word (Malachi 2:14, Proverb 2:16-17). The relationship between husband and wife is to be patterned after God’s everlasting covenant with His people, the Church (Ephesians 5:21-33). Their commitment to each other is to take on the faithfulness and endurance that characterize God’s covenant (Psalm 89:34, Lamentations 3:23).4. Becoming one flesh. The leaving and covenanting to cleave results in a union that is a mystery. In the full sense of oneness, the married couple walks together, stands together, and has a deep intimacy. At the outset, this oneness refers to the physical union of marriage. But beyond that, it also refers to the intimate bond of mind and emotions that under girds the physical side of the relationship.
So Many Times, The Lord Made A Way For Me By Debra Snipes