† Jesus Christ
† Holy Spirit
† Spiritual Gifts
† Scriptures
† Man
† Salvation
† Resurrection
† Heaven, Hell and the Return of the Groom (Christ)
† Church
† Missions
† Para-Church Organizations
† Women in Leadership
We believe in the only true God (John 17:3), the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20). He created all things (Revelation 4:11) and upholds all things by the Word of His power (Hebrews 1:3). In Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). He is a God of truth and without iniquity (sin). He is just and right in all that He does (Deuteronomy 32:4), and He shall judge the world (Psalm 9:8).
We believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes and perfections, and are worthy of precisely the same honor, confidence, and obedience (Mark 12:29; John 1:1-4; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 4:3-4).
Jesus Christ
We believe in the total deity (God position) of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe He is the manifestation of God in the flesh. I believe He was conceived by the Holy Spirit by the direct orders of God, and born of the virgin Mary. We believe Him to be both true God and true man (John 1:1, 1:14, 1:18; John 14:8-9; 1 Timothy 3:16).
Holy Spirit
We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:14). The Holy Spirit regenerates the sinner upon belief & confession in Christ, baptizing the believer into one body, of which Christ is the head. The Holy Spirit indwells, guides, instructs, fills, comforts, and empowers the believer for godly & righteous living (Mark 13:11; John 14:26; John 16:13; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 3:16).
The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of God's righteousness and of coming judgment (John 16:8-11). While I believe that the Scriptures do not teach that certain gifts have ceased, they indicate that use of the gifts vary according to the need and movement of the Holy Spirit within each believer. We do NOT encourage the Body of Christ to focus upon the gifts, or their “manifestations,” but rather the Giver. Instead we teach and focus on the transformational life-principles of the indwelling life of Christ – which emphasizes the more excellent way of love as well as zeal (John 16:8; 13:15; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 1:22; 4:11-12; Romans 8:9-17; 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 12:4-5, 12:11-13, 12:19; Galatians 5:25; Hebrews 4:1-4; 2 Corinthians 12:12).
Scriptures
We believe the Scriptures of the Old Testament and New Testament are verbally inspired by God and inerrant (without error) in their original writings. We believe the 66 books of the Old Testament and the New Testament are God's complete and sufficient revelation and therefore carry God's authority for the total well-being spiritually, psychologically and physically of mankind. We also believe that the scriptures are to be used as the primary text of ALL teachings, guidance and corrections. (Psalm 119:97-104; Psalm 119:160; Matthew 5:18; John 5:46-47; John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:15-16).
Man
We believe man was created in innocence (without sin) under the law of his Maker, but by voluntarily transgressing (willful disobedience), fell from his sinless and perfect state. Consequently, all mankind is sinful due to his seed being infected by sin. All humans born from that day forward were born “into sin” – by way of sin being in the seed of man (Gen. 3:5; I Cor.15:22). Not only does mankind inherit a sinful nature by way of birth, but also by their inability to live righteously without a Savior (I Peter 1:23). Therefore, we believe all of mankind will go to Hell without accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior – thus embracing, without exception, every man and every woman is totally depraved and needs a Savior (Genesis 3:1-6; I John 3:9; Romans 3:10-19; Romans 1:18, Romans 1:32).
Salvation
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice. We believe that each person who by faith receives Him as personal Savior is justified (cleared of consequences) on the basis of Jesus Christ literally paying for our sins by shedding His blood (death) on the cross. Each person who receives Christ as personal Savior is born again of the Holy Spirit (indwelling the believer) and thereby becomes eternally secure as a child of God. We believe all humans are required to go through THREE baptisms – spirit (salvation), water (testimony) and fire (trials & persecutions). Due to this, we believe the Holy Spirit baptizes each believing person into the body of Christ at the moment of salvation and that there is no “second baptism” of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:37-39; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 12:13). Pray the prayer: click here
Resurrection
I believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord Jesus Christ, His ascension into heaven and His present life for us as High Priest and Advocate through the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 1:3; Acts 1:9; Hebrews 7:25-26).
Heaven, Hell, and the Return of Christ
We believe in the blessed hope: the personal, *dispensational premillennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ. His return has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). We believe in “life after death” of both the saved and the lost. The saved are raised to eternal, conscious bliss in heaven (Matthew 25:34; John 14:2; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Revelation 2:7). The lost are raised to eternal torment in hell in conscious separation from God (Matthew 8:12; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 13:49-50; Mark 9:47-48; Luke 12:5; Revelation 21:8).
Church
Upon accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, a believer becomes part of His body and thus becoming the literal Bride of Christ, which is the church. There is only ONE church and this eternal covenant marriage is composed of all those throughout the world who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The Scriptures command & support believers to gather in order to devote themselves to worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, observance of the ordinances (baptism and communion), fellowship, service to the body through the development and use of talents and gifts, and outreach to the world in fulfillment of the command of Christ to disciple all believers. There are NO scriptures commanding believers to form sects and denominations to group the body of Christ. Since the fears of man has resulted itself in forming over 3,000 different Christian governed sects and denominations world-wide, I believe true Christians need to respect and honor those existing authorities, and if a member of a particular local group, submit to their rules of engagement - as long as it does not provoke immoral, illegal or broken ordinances of God (Ephesians 5:23; Romans 12:1; Romans 13:1-7; Acts 2:42-46; 1 Corinthians 14:26; Matthew 28:18-20).
Wherever God's people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the church ¬under the oversight of elders and other supportive leadership. The church's members are to work together in love and unity, intent on the ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ (Ephesians 4:16).
Realizing that the cause of Christ extends beyond any one local fellowship, I commit myself, and my family, to an ongoing ministry of extending the call of Christ to make disciples around the world. We believe this starts with one’s own family. Once completing the mandate of caring for the family, move to community/neighbor, then to your employment, the state, nation and ultimately to the world (Matthew 28:19-20; I Timothy 5:8).
Para-Church Organizations
We believe that all non-profit ministries are to be considered an extension of the local church. We believe each Para Ministry should function as an outreach to the church as a whole, not as a replacement.
*Dispensational premillennialism is the belief that the Second Coming of Christ will precede the millennium and that God will still give the nation of Israel the land described in Genesis 15:18. This belief also treats the millennium as a literal, future event – which includes pre-tribulationalism (the Rapture – Christ suddenly removing the Bride of Christ).
Women in Leadership
IOM supports God’s role for women as defined by the Holy Scriptures. The Word clearly states that women are not to exercise authority over a man. We understand this view is not “popular” or “culturally” accepted but we hold to the scriptural guidelines stated for the role of men and women (1 Timothy 2:12; 1 Timothy 3:1-2; Titus 1:6-9). God created men and women equal but we accept the fact that He has clearly established a difference in the roles they are to carry out. We believe the primary role of women are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, sensible, pure workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the Word of God will not be dishonored (Titus 2:3-56).
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