| Cheryl Birch Ministries, Inc & Friday Night Fellowship Statement of Faith Adopted September 2001, revised February 26, 2007 God is “Echad”, as declared in Deut 6:4, meaning “united one” or “compound unity” eternally existent in three persons The Bible, composed of both the Old & New Covenant (Old & New Testament) is powerful, living and the only infallible and authoritative Word of God. (1 Tim 3:16-17,Hebr 4:12) In the Deity of Yeshua Hamaschiach (Jesus Christ, the Messiah). That He is the eternal Son of God, the “Seed of the Woman” promised by God in Gen 3:15 & confirmed in John 14:6,7 & in Luke 22:70. In Jesus Christ’s virgin birth (Matt 1:23) sinless life (Hebr 7:26) miracles yesterday and today (Acts 2:22. His sacrificial death as our atonement upon the cross (1 Cor 15:3)burial and resurrection from the dead(Matt 28: 6,1 Cor 15:20-22) appearance thereafter in Jerusalem (1 Cor 15:4-5) His ascension into heaven where He is seated at the right hand of the Father (Phi 2:9-11)and His personal return (John 14:3, 1 Cor 15:24) The only means of being cleansed from sin is by grace, through the shed sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMaschiach,& that regeneration by the Spirit of God is absolutely essential for personal salvation. (Lev 17:11, Eph 2:8) That salvation is a free gift to all people who confess with their mouth & believe on Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, as their Lord & Savior. (John 3:16, Rom 10:9,10) In the present ministry of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) by whose indwelling the believer is enabled to live a godly life. That all believers are entitled to & should ardently expect & earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptisim in the Holy Spirit and fire, according to the command of Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus Christ. ( Luke 24:49, Act 2:4, Acts 8:12-17, 1 Cor 12:4-10,28) That the baptism of the believers in the Holy Spirit is evidenced by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues (heavenly language) as the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) gives them utterance. (Acts 2:4, Acts 19: 6, 1 Cor 14:39) And, that believers baptized in the Holy Spirit will be given the Gifts of the Spirit, to further the Kingdom of God, as the Spirit of God wills. (1 Cor 12: 1-11) That believers are endued with power through the Holy Spirit to be witnesses & have been given authority in the Name of Jesus Christ to rebuke demonic forces, to heal the sick & to raise the dead. (Luke 24:29, Titus 2: 15, Acts 1:7, Philippians 2:10, Acts 4:10, Acts 16:18, Luke 10:17,18)And,that believers can expect miracles, signs, and wonders to follow them in order to confirm the Word of God & give testimony to the fact that Yeshua HaMaschiach, Jesus Christ, is alive & working in the lives of people. (Mark 16:17,18 & Mark 16:20 ) In the delivering power of the Lord Jesus Christ through the working of His Spirit to set the believer free from every kind of sinful bondage &, the renewing of the believer’s mind through the Word of God, both for the purpose of making His people holy and humble servants of God. (Titus 2:13-14, Romans 12:2) The New Covenant (New Testament) body of the Lord is the Church, the Bride of Christ, which is composed of both Jews & Gentiles who have accepted Yeshua HaMaschiach, Jesus Christ, as the Promised Redeemer, their Lord & Savior, worshipping together in the House of God. (1 Cor 12:13,14, Hebr 10:25, Gal 3:28, 29, Eph 2:12-14) That God has established a specific timeline exemplified in the Hebrew year and calendar of feasts & that both the Jew, sons and daughters of Abraham, & the believing Gentiles, who are adopted sons & daughters of Abraham, are commanded to keep the feasts forever. (Leviticus 16:29-31, Psalm 112:119, 1 Corinthians 5:8, Leviticus 23:21,31,41) The Church (Body of Christ, Bride of Christ) is the habitation of God through the Holy Spirit & has divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission. (Eph 1:22,23,Eph 2:22,Hebr 12:23) In the partaking of the communal elements of the bread & the wine, as instituted by Yeshua HaMaschiach, Jesus Christ, at His last Passover Seder & that the elements are symbolic of the Lord’s death & His resurrection. (2 Pet1:4, 1 Cor 11:23-24) Just as was Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus Christ, dedicated as an infant & later was baptized by immersion, believers should bring infants & children to the House of God for dedication. And, upon their profession of Yeshua HaMaschiach, Jesus Christ, as Savior, a believer should be baptized by immersion. As commanded by scriptures, baptism by immersion is an outward sign of the inward experience of rebirth at salvation, symbolizing the death of the old way of life without Jesus Christ & the resurrection to the newness of life in Christ Jesus (Yeshua HaMaschiach). (Matt 3:16, 28:18-20, Mark 16:16) In the resurrection of those who have fallen asleep (died)in Christ (Yeshua HaMaschiach) and their translation together with those who are alive & remain unto the coming of the Lord (Yeshua HaMaschiach) is the imminent & blessed hope of the Church. (Titus 2:13, 1 Thess 4:16-18) In the final judgement when there will be a resurrection of the dead, both saved & lost, the first to eternal everlasting life & the latter to eternal separation from God in a state of everlasting punishment. (Dan 12:2; Matt 25:46) That according to His promise, we can look for new heavens & a new earth, wherein will dwell righteousness. (2 Pet 2:14, Rev 21, 22) Additionally we adhere to the following statement : The ethical standards of Cheryl Birch Ministries Inc and all outreaches of the ministry are guided by our understanding of the Holy Scripture and its authority regarding all matters of Christian faith and living. As Christians, we believe the opposite sex principal of marriage is founded on the biblical account of the creation of man and woman. Genesis 1 and 2 state that God created man and woman to fulfill their need of intimate partnership and to carry out the mandate given by God in Genesis 1:28: "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it." Jesus reiterated this understanding when He said, "Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning made them male and female, " and said, " For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." (Matthew 19:4-6) Therefore, marriage is a sacred, God-made union between a man and a woman, which is to be separated by no man. Furthermore, human sexuality is a great blessing created by God to be enjoyed within the context of a monogamous marriage between a man and a woman. Any sexual conduct outside the parameter of marriage is sin. Based on this scriptural Foundation, our understanding of a Christian sexual ethic reserves heterosexual union for marriage and insists on continence for the unmarried. Our understanding of a Christian sexual ethic is that marriage is between one man, who has been classified male physically at and from the time of birth, and one woman who has been classified female physically at and from the time of birth. We believe that any other forms of explicit sexual conduct to be inconsistent with the teaching of scripture. Consequently, we expect those working through Cheryl Birch Ministries, Inc and all outreaches whether an employee, team member or volunteer, to abstain from what we hold to be unbiblical sexual practices. If any member of the leadership team, employee or a volunteer is charged with failure to abide by this statement of sexual standards, Cheryl Birch Ministries, Inc will invoke procedures for investigation and discipline. |
| What We Believe |
 |  |  |  |  |