Welcome to the Family of Praise. I am glad that you have chosen to spend a few moments to visit our website. The church exists for the express purpose to glorify God as a worshipping community of Christ's followers who make disciples of all the nations. In response to someone who asked Jesus what the most important commandment in the Bible was, Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-40:
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
"Ask 10 people to describe God and you will get 10 different answers. If you really want to truly know God, you need to know what He says about Himself. We can know God because we know where to find information about Him."
II Timothy 3:16-17 states:
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
II Peter 1:21
"For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."The Bible was written by men, but these were men who wrote down the very words of God through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if the words of the Bible are the very words of God, it makes sense for one who would like to know about God to consult the Bible. In the Bible we learn five essential truths about God.
Genesis 1:1
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."God created every galaxy, star, planet, continent, and living creature. In fact, he created you. To bring this point home, let's say that you painted a lovely self portrait. You spend hundreds of painstaking hours, pouring over every inch of your masterpiece, until you develop what you believe as the perfect painting. Then a friend of yours comes over, dips his finger in black ink and gives it a mustache. Naturally you would be upset, because your friend had no right to do so. You made the painting, so naturally it's your property. In the same way, since God made you, you are His property. The following fact about God begins to explain what God expects out of His property.
Isaiah 6:3 states,
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."To be holy means to be set apart from all that is sinful, dirty, and unclean. Every thought, characteristic, and action of God is perfect.
Therefore, what does this perfect God demand out of His creation?
Leviticus 19:2
"Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy."God's creatures must match their creator's character in every aspect of life. To demand anything less, would make God less than Holy. As God's creation does your life match up with God's Holy character? Here is a quick test: Have you ever acted selfishly (Philippians 2:3)? Therefore, the following attribute of God relates to you.
Deuteronomy 32:4 states:
"He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He."God always does the right thing as His righteousness is perfect. He rewards good and punishes evil. This would be good news if we were all good, but the Bible says differently.
Romans 3:23
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"At some point in your life you have failed to comply with the laws of God. According to the Bible if you have ever been angry, in God's eyes you have committed murder (Matthew 5:21-26). If you have ever lusted, you have committed adultery (Matthew 5:27-30). Sin is the failure to uphold God's holy and righteous standards and results in guilt before God and divine punishment as we see in the following verse.
Romans 6:23,
"For the wages of sin is death,"By death, the Bible means eternal death in Hell where all who have sinned will pay the penalty of their sin forever (Revelation 20:14-15).
Let's say that a judge tried 100 murderers, found all of them guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt, and then sent 99 of them to prison but let one go free, would he be perfectly righteous? Of course not! He would be generally righteous but not perfectly.
Similarly, God would not be perfect unless he punished all sin. Therefore, everyone deserves to be punished for their sin, even you. That is the bad news, but the good news is that ...
Knowing our plight, God the Father lovingly sent His Son, Jesus Christ (who is also God (John 1:1 and John 10:30)), to the world to save you from the consequences of your sin, and allow you the privilege of spending eternity with Him in heaven.
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."Jesus Christ came to earth, and lived the perfect life which we should have lived. Furthermore, he suffered the punishment for our sin by being crucified on the cross and enduring the wrath of God, which we deserved. We know that the punishment Christ received satisfied God's justice for God raised Christ from the dead to validate it and give us hope (I Corinthians 15:3-7).
Romans 5:8 tells of God's love when it reads
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."There is a story of two best friends who grew up together. One grew up to become a banker and the other became a lawyer and eventually a judge. The banker was caught red handed for embezzling millions of Naira. When he was sent to trial, it just so happened that his best friend was presiding over the case. Onlookers, marveled wondering if the Judge would act justly and give him what he deserved or if the judge would play the role of a friend and let the banker off the hook. The trial came and went and the judge found his best friend guilty and sentenced him to pay the harshest fine you could possibly pay. Beyond a shadow of a doubt the judge was just. Then the judge adjourned the court, took off his robe and told his friend, "I have sold off everything that I have and I am going to pay this fine for you." Similarly, even though our crimes against God incur His abundant wrath, He sent His precious Son to pay the penalty in our place.
Therefore, you can escape the consequences of your sin by trusting in Jesus' death on the cross in your place. This is wholly the work of God, not a result of anything which you do.
Ephesians 2:8-9
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast."Subsequently, you can either pay for your own sin, or have Christ pay for your sin. There is no other way.
John 14:6 Jesus answered,
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."Now that you know the truth about God, you must know how to respond.
It's not enough to know all of these facts about God. To really know Him, you must repent and believe.
Isaiah 55:7
"Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon."To repent means to turn away from sin. You must renounce your sinful ways and seek the Lord and His ways instead. It is done out of a sincere heart, remorseful over sin. To believe is to place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
Romans 10:9
"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."Salvation results in you becoming a new creation (II Corinthians 5:17). You begin to love God and hate sin. You may still sin, but someone who truly knows God will hate sin since Christ suffered and died to take it away. This new life will be reflected in a changed life characterized by increasing obedience to Christ (Acts 26:20).
If you have never repented and placed your faith in Christ, you are in sin as God commands all men to repent.
Acts 17:30
"In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent."If you are sorrowful for your sin and genuinely want to be forgiven, you can express it through prayer. Ultimately, words don't save you as God looks at your heart. But if you believe that you are ready to repent and accept what Christ did for you, you can express it through the following prayer.
God, I acknowledge that I have sinned before you and have acted wickedly. I repent of my sins and ask you to forgive them. Thank you for sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. Now, I renounce my life of sin and ask you to enter my life and take control and help me love and obey you. Amen.
We at Praise Baptist Church exist to:
Evangelize the lost by proclaiming the Gospel of Christ both privately and publicly, in all the world (2 Corinthians 5:18-21; 2 Timothy 4:5)
Make disciples through Teaching and Nurturing of New Converts for God's glory (Ephesians 3:21; 1 Peter 4:10-11)
Meet with God Anywhere, Anytime in Worship.
Edify the believers by teaching and shepherding them with the whole counsel of God in love, so that they can live and minister in the likeness of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-16)
We are here to minister to you and meet your genuine spiritual needs then your physical needs. Our aim is to provide a diversity of classes and programs to meet the variety of needs you might have.
We at Praise Baptist Church exhibit the following statement of faith:
We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, sufficient and authoritative for all matters of faith, life, and godliness.
We believe there is only one God, eternally existing in three distinct persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
We believe Jesus Christ is fully man and fully God, lived a perfect life, died a substitutionary death on the cross for the sins of the world, was buried and after three days rose from the dead, conquering death, and is now seated at the right hand of God.
We believe all men are sinners, falling short of the glory of God, and are in need of salvation from sin and its consequences.
We believe that salvation is by God's grace, mercy, and faith alone, through the preaching of the gospel, repentance, and the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.
We believe every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and is able and expected to walk in the newness of the Spirit by obeying God and growing in Christ likeness.
We believe that salvation includes regeneration which produces increasing obedience and transformation into the image of Christ.
We believe in the future resurrection of those who have died, the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to eternal punishment.
We believe in the universal church whereby all true believers are united through faith in Christ according to the truth of God's Word.
We believe in the second bodily coming of Jesus Christ to set up a literal kingdom on earth which will last one thousand years and will be followed by the eternal state and the new heavens and earth.
We at Praise Baptist Church exhibit the following doctirnal statement:
The 66 books of the Bible are literally the Word of God, written down by men of God, who were moved by the Holy Spirit and spoke from God (2 Samuel 23:1-3; 2 Peter 1:20-21). We believe in verbal plenary inspiration which means that all of the Bible, in its original documents, both in part and in whole, is inerrant, infallible, the very word of God (Psalm 119:160). The Scriptures are the only authoritative and sufficient standard for all matters of godliness, faith, practice, and doctrine through all generations (Psalm 19:7-11; Zechariah 7:12; Matthew 24:35; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3-4, 19). The Bible is also the only source of objective truth from God (John 5:39; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11; Hebrews 1:1; Jude 3; Revelation 1:19). God's Word stands in authority over all creation, men, and the church and is what all men will be judged by on the last day (John 12:48; Romans 2:16; 1 Timothy 3:15). Because the Bible is the Word of God we are under obligation before God to handle it accurately when we interpret it (2 Timothy 2:15). We believe in the literal-historical-grammatical method of interpretation, which means the Bible is to be interpreted literally, taking into account the historical context in which it was written, and by submitting to the original languages and proper rules of grammar and sentence structure. We believe the interpretation of any given text of the Bible is one, though the principles and applications taken from the one interpretation may be one or many.
There is one God (Deuteronomy 4:35; 6:4; Isaiah 44:5-8), perfect and infinite in all of His attributes, who has chosen to reveal Himself in three distinct persons i.e., the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All three persons have existed from eternity and are separate in their identity and function but one in purpose and substance, all three together being the one eternal God, worthy of worship, praise, and obedience (Genesis 1:26; 3:22; Psalm 2:7; Isaiah 48:16; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Titus 3:4-7). God created everything in heaven and on earth, out of nothing, in six literal twenty-four hour periods or days, by His spoken Word (Genesis 1:1-31; Exodus 20:11; Psalm 148:1-5;Ephesians 3:9; Hebrews 11:3).
God the Father is the initiator, planner, and organizer of all things, being sovereign over all of His creation (Job 38-41;Isaiah 14:24, 27; 37:26; Acts 4:27-28; Romans 8:29-30; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:5, 11; 2:10).
Jesus Christ is God incarnate, which means that He is God become man in the flesh, fully God and fully man (Isaiah 9:6;Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:23; John 1:1, 14, 18; Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 1:8). He was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14;Matthew 1:23) and conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). He is the one and only Mediator between God and man and lives as an advocate for the saints (1 Timothy 2:5;1 John 2:1). He is the Redeemer (Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 3:18-19), Judge (John 5:22-23; Acts 17:31), Priest (Hebrews 2:17; 3:1; 4:14-15; 5:10; 7:1, 3, 15, 21), Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18; John 6:14; Acts 3:22-26; 7:37), King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15;Revelation 19:16), and the channel of creation (John 1:3;Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:2). He lived a perfect life here on earth (1 Peter 1:19; Hebrews 2:10; 4:15; 5:9; 7:28), died a vicarious or substitutionary death for the sins of men (Isaiah 53:4-6; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 Corinthians 15:3), and was the perfect Lamb of God (John 1:29, 36). He was buried and rose again bodily on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:4), conquering death (Colossians 2:13-14), and having ascended He is now seated at the right hand of God (Acts 1:9-11; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 10:12), having received all power, authority and dominion in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18). He lives as an advocate for the saints (I John 2:1) and He will come again to set up an earthly kingdom (Luke 22:28-30; Revelation 20:1-6), followed by an eternal kingdom where He will rule and reign forever (2 Peter 1:10-11; Revelation 21-22).
The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the godhead being fully God in every way (Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 12:11,18; 2 Corinthians 3:18). The Holy Spirit assisted in creation (Genesis 1:2), was the agent of the virgin birth (Luke 1:35), and is the divine agent of the inspired revelation of God (Zechariah 7:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21). The Holy Spirit is active in convicting the world of sin and judgment (John 16:8), and regenerating and empowering those who are saved (Ezekiel 36:27; John 3:5-8; 2 Corinthians 12:1-7; Galatians 5:16; Titus 3:5). The Holy Spirit enables men, through His illuminating work, to understand the written revelation of God (1 Corinthians 2:10-16; 1 John 2:20,27). The Holy Spirit permanently indwells, and enables believers in the process of sanctification (1 Corinthians 12:13; Romans 8:13-14;Ephesians 1:15-18; 3:14-21; 2 Thessalonians 2:13). He is the pledge and guarantee of our future inheritance (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30).
Man was created to give glory to God (Isaiah 43:7; Colossians 1:16-18). Man was created perfect and without sin on the sixth day of creation. Man was formed by God out of the dust of the ground and God breathed into man the breath of life and man became a living being (Genesis 2:7). Man is unlike the animals being created in the image of God to rule over the earth and all living creatures (Genesis 1:24-31; Ecclesiastes 7:29; 1 Corinthians 15:39). Shortly after man was created Eve was deceived by Satan into eating the forbidden fruit (2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 2:14) and Adam ate the forbidden fruit willingly (Genesis 3:17; Hosea 6:7). As a result of their sin both died spiritually (Ephesians 2:1-2; Colossians 2:13) and later physically because the wages of sin is death (Genesis 5:5; Romans 6:23;Hebrews 9:27). Adam was the representative head of the human race and when he sinned the entire human race fell in him. Adam's sin is imputed to all of his descendants (Romans 5:12-14; 1 Corinthians 15:22), hence all men are totally corrupt being conceived in sin (Psalm 51:5), born sinners (Genesis 8:21; Psalm 58:3), and sin because they are sinners (Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:21-23; Romans 3:10-18, 23; Ephesians 2:1-3). All men suppress the truth in unrighteousness and are sinners by nature and choice (Genesis 6:5; Romans 1:18-25; Titus 1:15). The consequences of sin have made man unable to understand the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:14), unable to please God (Romans 8:5-8), and unwilling to seek Him (John 3:19-21; 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).
Unrepentant sinners have God's wrath abiding on them and hence all men are in need of salvation from sin and its consequences (John 3:36; Romans 3:23-24; 6:23;Ephesians 2:3). The ultimate consequence of sin is to suffer the holy wrath of God's justice for eternity in the lake of fire (Nahum 1:3; Revelation 20:14-15).
God chose and predestined some to be saved from before the foundation of the world (Romans 8:29-30). All men are called to repent and believe in Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 17:30), but only the elect who are predestined to salvation believe and are saved (Matthew 22:14; Acts 13:48; Ephesians 1:4-5).
God's only provision for salvation is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the promised Seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15), the Redeemer (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 1:18-19), and Savior of all those who believe in Him for eternal life (John 3:16). The Lord Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one can come to the Father but through Him, and there is no other name under heaven by which men must be saved (Matthew 11:27; John 14:6; Acts 4:12).
The only way to be delivered from the wrath of God is by hearing and believing in the gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of God for all who believe (Romans 1:16; 10:14-17; 1 Corinthians 1:18-24). The essence of the gospel is that Jesus Christ, out of love for us, died for our sins on the cross as our substitute, was buried, and rose again on the third day conquering death (Acts 2:22-32; Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 1 Peter 3:18). The gospel message is a call to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (Matthew 3:1-2; 4:17; 11:20; Acts 2:38; 3:19-21; 17:30-31; 20:21; 26:19-20; Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:9-10).
Salvation is not a result of works but it is an undeserved, unearned gift, received by God's grace and mercy, through the faith which God supplies to the elect (Galatians 5:4;Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5). Saving faith is not only an intellectual assent to the facts of the gospel (James 2:19) but a volitional heart commitment to trust in the gospel (Luke 9:23; Luke 14:26) and a willingness to submit and obey the Lord of the gospel who is Jesus Christ (John 3:36; 1 John 2:3-5). Salvation is only appropriated through the ministry of the Holy Spirit whereby God draws the elect to His Son (John 3:5-8; 6:44). Men, apart from the grace of God, do not seek Him (Romans 3:10; John 3:19). God seeks men (Luke 5:31-32; 19:10) and men respond to the irresistible grace of God which draws them to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:27; 13:11;John 6:37; Acts 13:48; Philippians 1:29; 2 Timothy 2:25; 1 Corinthians 1:18). Repentance is to have a change of mind, to acknowledge one's sins, turn from them and to pursue righteousness and faith in Jesus Christ as God incarnate, Savior, and Lord (Isaiah 55:6-9; Joel 2:12-13; John 1:12; 8:24; Romans 14:8-9; 2 Corinthians 4:5).
God calls all men everywhere to repent and believe in the gospel (Acts 17:30-31). God is not willing for any to perish (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9) and He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23; 33:11). Men are without excuse before God because creation, conscience, and the law of God written in men's hearts is enough to show them that God exists, yet all men suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18-20, 25; 2:14-16). Because all men suppress the natural revelation of God, the only way a person can be saved is by hearing and believing in special revelation, which is the Word of God, the gospel (Matthew 24:14; Romans 1:16-17; 10:8-17; 1 Corinthians 1:18).
Christ's sacrificial atonement is sufficient for all mankind but applied only to the elect who place their faith in the message of the gospel (Romans 5:6, 8; I John 2:2). The Lord caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Christ (Isaiah 53:6). Jesus shed His blood to redeem those who would be saved (Leviticus 17:11, 14; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19). He came to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29), died for the world of men (John 3:16-17; 1 John 4:14), is the Savior of all men (1 Timothy 4:10; Titus 2:11), tasted death for everyone (Hebrews 2:9), and is the sacrifice that satisfies the wrath of God (propitiation) not only for our sins but the sins of the whole world (I John 2:1-2).
Salvation includes total forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7;Colossians 2:13-14), adoption into the family of God (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:5-6), reconciliation to God (Romans 5:10-11; 11:15), declared righteousness through justification by God (Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16); propitiation before God (I John 2:2; Hebrews 2:17-18); eternal life with God (John 3:16, 36; 10:27-28); redemption from the curse of the law and slavery to sin and Satan (Galatians 3:13; Ephesians 2:1-9; Titus 2:14); sanctification (1 Corinthians 6:11; 1 Peter 1:14-16; I John 3:2-3); deliverance from the lake of fire (John 5:24;Romans 5:9), and glorification (Romans 8:29-30).
Salvation is the supernatural work of God in a person that manifests itself in a transformed life (2 Corinthians 5:17;Ephesians 4:24). All true believers will bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance and will be known by their fruit (Matthew 3:8-10; 7:16-23; 12:33-35; Luke 6:43-45). The kinds of fruit which salvation produces in the life of every believer is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25), a hunger for God's Word (1 Peter 2:2), a pursuit of righteousness (Proverbs 4:18), increased godliness and Christ likeness (Philippians 1:6; 2 Corinthians 3:18), a desire to be with the saints (Hebrews 10:24-27; 1 John 2:19), and a desire to obey God in everything (Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 5:9; 1 Peter 2:12).
We can know we are saved by the internal witness of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:16-17; 1 John 3:24; 4:12-13) and by the righteousness which true saving faith produces in the life of every believer who receives the truth of the gospel (John 17:17; Colossians 1:3-6; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 John 2:3-4). A person who practices sin and rebellion against God has no assurance of salvation (James 2:14-26; 1 John 2:29; 3:4-10; 5:2). Everyone should regularly examine themselves to see whether they be in the faith (Psalm 139:23-24; Lamentations 3:40; 1 Corinthians 11:28, 31; 2 Corinthians 13:5).
God saves men while they are enemies (Romans 5:8) and once a person is saved, their salvation can never be lost or rejected (John 6:37, 39; Romans 8:38-39). God seals all believers with the Holy Spirit who is given as a pledge of our future inheritance until the day of Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). God enables every believer to persevere unto the end (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24), and God loses none whom He has called (John 6:37, 39; 10:27-30). The saints persevere in their salvation not because of what they do but because of what God does for them (John 6:44, 65; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 1 Peter 5:10; Jude 1).
The ultimate purpose of the church is to give glory to God (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14). The Church can only give glory to God by submitting to the Lord Jesus Christ out of love and by obeying His Word (John 14:15, 23-24; 1 John 5:3). The Church gives glory to God by worshiping Him (John 4:21-24;Romans 12:1-2), by evangelizing the lost (Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 24:46-48; Acts 1:8; Colossians 1:23), and by equipping the saints for work of service both now and in the age to come (Matthew 24:45-47; 25:21-23; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15; Ephesians 2:10; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 4:7-8; Titus 2:11-14).
There is a Universal Church comprised of all true believers everywhere, baptized by the Holy Spirit into the one body of Christ through faith upon conversion (1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 2:11-16; 4:4-6). The Universal Church age started at Pentecost and will end at the Rapture of the Church (Acts 2; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 5:13-18).
We believe in the existence and autonomy of the Local Church which is comprised of all those who profess faith in Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:1). In every Local Church there may be those who profess to be believers but are not (Matthew 7:21-22; Titus 1:15-16;Jude 1:4).
The Local Church is responsible to look after the spiritual welfare of any member and discipline those who continue in unrepentant sin according to the Scriptures (Matthew 18:15-20; Acts 5:1-11; Romans 16:17-18; 1 Corinthians 5;Galatians 6:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15; 1 Timothy 5:20; Titus 1:13; 3:10-11; Revelation 2:2, 14-15, 20).
Jesus Christ is the Head, King, and Lord of the Church (Acts 2:36; Ephesians 4:15-16; 5:23; Colossians 1:18) and believers are members of His spiritual body (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). Jesus guides the body through the Bible and under-shepherds who submit to the Bible. God's under-shepherds are the elders, pastors, or overseers who must possess certain spiritual qualifications (Acts 20:28; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-3). Leaders must be examples to the flock as those who will give an account (2 Timothy 2:24; Hebrews 13:17), showing others how to live as humble servants of the King (1 Peter 5:3). The church must also appoint faithful men who meet the qualification of deacon (1 Timothy 3:8-10, 12-13). Deacons are appointed to help meet the physical needs of the church and to assist the elders so the elders can focus on prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4; 1 Timothy 4:6, 10-13, 15-16).
The church has two ordinances: water baptism (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 8:38) and communion, or the Lord's supper (1 Corinthians 11:20-26; Matthew 26:26-29). Both water baptism and communion should be observed today in the local church by believers.
Water baptism is for believers who have placed their faith in Christ. It is not a means of salvation or grace but is an act of obedience whereby a believer makes a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38, 41). Baptism symbolizes the inward reality of being united with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3-6). Baptism is to be by immersion (Mark 1:10; John 3:23; Acts 8:39).
Communion is an act of obedience whereby a Christian remembers the sacrifice of Christ, proclaims the death of Christ, and anticipates the glories of Christ's kingdom to come (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24). Communion is not a means of salvation or grace. Communion is only for believers who are not living in unrepentant sin (1 Corinthians 11:17-34).
Angels are created spirit beings (Exodus 20:11; Job 38:4-7;Colossians 1:16). Angels were created to worship God and minister to believers (Hebrews 1:14; Revelation 7:11-12). All angels were at one time holy but when Satan rebelled a third of the angels fell with him (Revelation 12:3-4). Fallen angels are called demons or evil spirits and will be judged along with Satan and thrown into the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).
Israel has a distinct and special future in God's redemptive plan and the unconditional promises God made to the nation of Israel have not been nullified nor have they been transferred solely to the Church. The Abrahamic, Davidic, and New covenants will be fulfilled as promised to Israel (Genesis 15:1-21;17:4-8, 13, 19; 22:18; 1 Chronicles 17:1-15; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Romans 11).
The Scriptures teach that there has always existed a universal kingdom of God, (Psalm 29:10; 74:12; 145:13), that there will be a literal, earthly, kingdom of Christ (Isaiah 2:2-4; 24:23; Daniel 2:44; Zechariah 14:9), and that believers are kingdom saints who now serve Christ, their King, as aliens, strangers, and ambassadors on this earth (2 Corinthians 5:17-21; 5:20; 1 Peter 1:1; 2:11).
We are living in the Church age, a time where God is offering the kingdom primarily to the Gentiles (Matthew 21:43; Romans 11:25-29). The Church age began at Pentecost (Acts 2) and will end at the rapture of the Church.
The rapture will occur unexpectedly, immediately preceding the seven year tribulation (pretribulation rapture). The rapture of the Church will occur at the end of the church age and all the saints, both dead and alive, will be caught up in the air to be forever with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52). Christ's coming to take His Church away at the rapture is imminent and will come like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2; Titus 2:13).
Before Christ comes to earth there will be a seven year period of tribulation (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24; Revelation 6-19) when God will primarily focus His attention on the ethnic nation of Israel, bringing many to faith in their previously rejected Messiah (Romans 11:25-27; Hosea 3:5). The tribulation period will close when Christ bodily returns to earth (Zechariah 14:4, 9; Acts 1:11), separating the Sheep from the Goats (Matthew 25:31-34), binding Satan (Revelation 20:1-2), and setting up His literal earthly kingdom.
We believe in a premillennial view of the kingdom which teaches that Jesus Christ will come back bodily to earth to set up a literal thousand year kingdom where He will rule from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:2-4; Zechariah 14:3-4; Acts 1:9-12; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:1-7).
During the millennial reign of Christ, the saints will rule and reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12), the curse will be partially lifted (Isaiah 11), and men will live extended lives as before the flood (Isaiah 65:20). At the end of the thousand years Satan will be loosed (Revelation 20:3), deceiving the nations, bringing God's final Great White Throne judgment (Revelation 20:7-9).
All mankind will end up in one of two eternal destinies - heaven or the lake of fire (Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:31-46;John 5:28-29). It is appointed for all men to die once and be judged (Hebrews 9:27). All unbelievers will appear before the Great White Throne to be judged according to their deeds (Revelation 20:11-15). Those who have repented of their sins and placed their faith in Jesus Christ will enjoy perfect happiness in heaven forever and receive rewards in accordance with their faithful service on earth (Matthew 24:45-47; 25:21-23; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15;Romans 8:18; 1 Corinthians 2:9; Revelation 22:5). Those who reject Christ and who will not submit to Him as both Lord and Savior will suffer conscious torment away from the presence of Christ in the lake of fire forever (Matthew 13:42; Mark 9:47-48; Luke 16:24; 12:5; 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10; Revelation 14:11; 20:10, 15).
At every level, our commitment is to bring the truth of God's Word to bear upon the lives of our hearers in a clear, practical, and relevant way. We believe this to be our highest privilege and most important priority on the pulpit, in the Sunday School, in discipleship, or whichever organization in the church.
Taken from Scripture, our mission as a church is summed up in these words:
We at Praise Baptist Church exist to:
Within the body of Praise, God has raised up, called, and gifted men who desire to lead. These men are identified as the Elders and are responsible for the oversight, direction, and decisions for the spiritual health of our church. They are scrutinized at the highest level in who they are as men of God, what they know as students of the Word of God, and what they do as servants of God.
Because we live in a broken and fallen world, we as a church see the need to come alongside those who want help in finding God's solutions to life's problems through Biblical Counseling. We are distinct in that we rely solely on the Scriptures in our counseling as the all-sufficient guide for "everything pertaining to life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3).
The most significant thing we have to offer is found in our message of hope for all the world. The Message is this: God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, came to earth in order to reconcile sinful man with the holy God through His death on the cross, whereby He absorbed the wrath meant for us because of our sin and provided complete righteousness and forgiveness to all who trust in Him alone for salvation. If this message is somewhat new to you, we are here to help you understand it as well.
These values are the most important elements of our church and we attempt to fulfill these priorities through the following ministries:
The Children's Ministries of Praise Baptist Church basically support and encourage parents by offering quality programs and various resources that will help their children to grow in their knowledge of, love for, and obedience to Jesus Christ. From the cradle to age 15, we offer Sunday morning service to help you meet the spiritual needs of your children. We also offer holiday bible school for the children during their period of holiday break. We also want to encourage families/parents to take time to participate in worshipping together with the children in their Church.
Meeting on Tuesday evenings, the Baptist Students Fellowship (BSF) assemble to learn how to have an intimate and reverent knowledge of God, how to understand and apply the doctrines of the faith, and be equipped for the Lord's service. We intend to achieve this through regular preaching and teaching of God's Word, on-going discipleship, accountability, continual prayer, and the modeling of godly character by the leadership.
Meeting Monday evenings, the Youths gather to help all youths become complete in Christ. Our ministry is designed to evangelize the lost, and to assist all youths to grow in their walk with God so that they become independently dependent on God in everything they emback to do in life.
The men of Praise Baptist Church assemble every Friday for the purpose of growing in faithfulness to their responsibilities as godly Christian men, husbands, fathers, servants in the church, employees, and citizens. This includes a variety of activities carried out by the men at their meetings.
Praise Baptist presents a number of opportunities for the women of the church to be involved in discipling relationships with other women. There are many options available to you, including mid-week Bible studies, a Bible study specifically for young mothers, bimonthly and annual fellowships, and small groups fellowship.
“Christ loved the church, and gave Himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25; cf. Acts 20:28). Christ died to save you, and when you believed in Christ for salvation, He placed you into the church, that is, He made you one of the people of God.
If you are in Christ, you belong to an eternal and universal body made up of true believers and nothing can remove you from it. This is what we would call the “Universal church.” In other words, no matter where you live you are a part of the church. On the other hand, this invisible and universal reality has a visible and local manifestation - the local church. God calls every Christian to be actively involved in a local gathering of believers.
Unfortunately, the consumer mentality has crept into the church and caused many Christians to falter in their commitment to the Lord's church. Christians many times look at the church in much the same way as people do a country club or a fitness center - they join, participate how, when, and where they want. Being a member means nothing more than you have the right to use the facilities however you please. Your involvement is arbitrary and unaccountable. It is not so in the Lord's church.
The following collection of Scripture will help you understand what the New Testament teaches about your responsibility to the church, and what we would expect of you if you choose to identify and belong to our church.
There are two ordinances outlined in the church that we are to perform in memory and obedience to Christ, until He comes:
Public Confession of Faith in Christ through baptism - the public declaration of commitment to Christ through testimony and water baptism to picture the death to sin and new life in Christ. Acts 8:30-38(Matthew 28:19-20)
Celebrating and Remembering the Lord's Death through communion - the broken bread and poured out wine symbolize the broken body and shed blood of Christ on our behalf, which is pictured in a memorial way to reflect together on the One whose death for us makes salvation possible. 1 Corinthians 11:23-29
If you become a part of our church, we would expect you to properly practice these as outlined in the Bible, and if you have not been baptized, you would seek to fulfill your obedient commitment as soon as possible.
If you become a part of our church, we would expect you to present a transfer letter of the former place of worship to the church pastor for you to be a full member of Praise Baptist Church and also to use your spiritual gifts for the mutual edification of the body.
If you become a part of our church, we would expect you to support and follow the direction, leadership, and teaching of the Elders, promising never to do anything that would fracture the unity of the church nor to teach others contrary to the doctrinal position of the church as described in the Doctrinal Statement.
What is described above is our direction and goal, which we hope to grow in, more faithfully through your faithful ministry and support, with God's help. We pray that God will lead you to identify and belong to His church, wherever it meets.
Want to be a member of Praise Baptist Church, click on the link below, fill up the form and submit.
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