What We Believe

The following are the core beliefs of The Jesus Family Ministries based on the foundational truths taught in the Bible. All of our teaching and ministry are rooted in and flow out of these biblical doctrines.

There is one eternally existing God, who has three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is Spirit, the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God. He is the creator of all that exists, both visible and invisible, and is therefore worthy of all glory and praise.  God is perfect in love, power, holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom,  justice, and mercy. He is unchangeable and therefore is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

God is the Eternal King - this is His primary identity. His purpose is to establish a kingdom composed of spiritual and physical realms, populated by beings with free will, who love Him, rule and work with Him, and participate in His kingdom purposes.

God's kingdom purpose was disrupted by the rebellion of angels and the Fall. There are now 3 enemies of the kingdom of God (Satan, sin, and death), and a kingdom of darkness opposed to God's kingdom of light. God is unfolding a plan to reclaim His usurped kingdom and to redeem humans and creation from their bondage to sin, death and decay.

God first created angels, powerful heavenly beings, who were given free will. They were created to serve God and his kingdom. A high ranking angel called Lucifer made a choice to rebel against God. He influenced other angels to join him in his rebellion. They set up a counterkingdom of darkness to oppose God and his purpose.

Creation, or the physical universe, is God's invention, design, and masterpiece. Creation displays God's wisdom, power, and glory. God is Spirit and his realm is the spiritual realm. Creation is the physical realm of God's kingdom. God will redeem creation from its bondage to death and decay caused by the Fall.

Humans, both male and female, were created in God's image for His glory, for relationship with Him, and to rule with Him in His kingdom. The first humans, Adam and Eve, were created with free will, without sin, and appointed to rule as stewards of God's creation. They were commanded to multiply, fill the earth, and build a civilization that loves God and participates in His purpose.

When Adam and Eve chose not to obey God, they ceased to be what they were made to be and became distorted images of God. This caused them to fall out of fellowship with God, and fractured all of creation ever since that time. The Fall brought in 3 enemies of God's kingdom - Satan, sin, and death - into the physical universe. The kingdom of darkness captured the physical realm of God's kingdom. Satan is now the prince of the power of the air. Sin and death rule in the universe. Death and decay are now principles in the universe; the universe runs on death and decay.

Sin has created a gap between God and man. Humankind died spiritually and became alienated from God. Revelation became necessary for humankind to know God and be reconciled back to Him. God has revealed Himself to us through His son, Jesus Christ, who is the visible image of the invisible God, the Holy Scriptures, and through all of creation itself. Through the Scriptures God has progressively revealed His plan to reclaim His usurped kingdom and His plan to redeem creation and humankind.

Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all Old Testament types and foreshadowing of God's plan to reclaim His usurped kingdom and His plan to redeem creation and humankind. Jesus' coming brought the kingdom of God prophesied by the prophets. His death and resurrection conquered the 3 enemies of God's kingdom and brought in a new age and a New Creation. Everyone who believes in Christ are rescued from the kingdom of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of light.

Christ's sacrifice fulfilled all OT sacrifices and effectively reconciles us to God. His ascension to heaven as the Vassal King (God the Father being the Suzerain), High Priest, and Advocate in the order of Melchizedek, saves humankind and creation completely. God raised Christ from the dead and now, by grace, offers eternal life as a free gift to all who believe the Gospel and follow Him by faith, as their Lord and Savior. Salvation can be found in Christ alone.

We are saved to serve. Paul said we are re-created in Christ to do those good works prepared in advance for us to do. We are given new lives in Christ, and become God's kingdom people, so we can serve God and His kingdom purpose for our lives.

The OT prophets prophesied about the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said the Holy Spirit was promised by the Father and that the apostles were to wait for His coming. The Holy Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost to make us God's kingdom people - a New Creation. He empowers all of us, disciples of Christ, as we go into all the world to obey His commission to preach the Gospel and to make disciples of all nations. He is now the anointing that empowers all believers to fulfill the task God has given them. The Holy Spirit now distributes supernatural gifts to all believers. Paul describes the Holy Spirit as the seal of ownership God set on us. He is also the deposit God placed in our heart, guaranteeing our heavenly inheritance.

The Church is God's kingdom people, a New Creation, called to participate in His kingdom agenda. The Church, as the agent of the kingdom of God, is to declare and demonstrate its presence through preaching the Gospel and doing supernatural works in the name of Christ.

The Church is God's temple, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and meant to be the visible body and presence of Christ on the earth, sent into the world to glorify God, do good works, and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All believers are to participate in the task of building and disciplining the Church.

What is the Christian life in This Age all about? The Christian journey is primarily about testing, maturing, and preparation for the Age to Come. The OT typology for this are 1) Israel's Exodus from Egypt and Wilderness Journey towards the Promised Land, Canaan, and 2) Israel's Exile in Babylon. In this life and in this Age, followers of Christ are foreigners and pilgrims by faith, and journeying towards our true Promised Land, the kingdom of God. In this Age followers of Christ are exiles in a foreign land who long for their return to their homeland, but are instructed to live peaceful and productive lives here in the meanwhile.  The Christian life in this Age is not primarily about success, triumphalism, and happiness; it is about faithfulness, stewardship, and joy.

Paul said the resurrection is our hope for entering the kingdom of God. Christ's sinless life and sacrifice on the cross conquered Satan and sin. But Christ's resurrection conquered death. Just as Adam brought sin and death into the world, Christ brought righteousness and resurrection into the world. By His atoning death and resurrection, Jesus effectively and completely reversed the destructive effects of the Fall and brought a glorious prospect of future reconciliation and restoration for all things, both in heaven and on earth. Jesus is the "firstfruits" of those who resurrect from the dead, guaranteeing the resurrection of those who believe and give their lives to Him. Our resurrection will take place when Jesus returns to usher in the fullness of God's kingdom on earth.

The Scriptures talk about events at the end of this Age, the Last Things. There will be a final conflict between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light. An unholy trinity of Satan, the antichrist, and the false prophet will come on the earth and oppose God's people, and even overpower them. They will be destroyed by Jesus Christ at His return. There will be end-time judgments - the Great White Throne Judgment, the Judgment Seat of Christ, and the judgment of angels. Satan, sin, death, and Hell will be thrown into the Lake of Fire. All the enemies of God's kingdom will be finally destroyed.

Christ and the apostles said that there will be rewards for God's faithful people. God will reward those who are faithful in their stewardship, diligent in their labors in the Lord, who overcome temptations, who preach the Gospel and bring souls to the kingdom, who are faithful witnesses of Christ even to the point of death, who faithfully serve and please God secretly, and who are faithful to the call they received from the Lord.

Our destination is the kingdom of God in the New Heaven and New Earth - God's world! There will be a great Feast in the Kingdom where Christ will once again eat bread and drink the fruit of the vine with us. The original kingdom situation in Eden will be restored. Jesus Christ will be the husband and the Church will be His wife. The Tree of Life will be there. We will co-labor with Christ in kingdom works in the ages to come, doing those good works He prepared in advance for us to do.

What might God’s world look like?
The kingdom of God will be the most beautiful, peaceful, just, creative, innovative, artistic, and (probably) the most technologically advanced society and civilization that will ever come upon the earth!