About Gods
Scripture tells us there are many gods; some named, some not. There are lower gods of various nations, there is the higher god (the Satan) that rules over the lower gods, and there is the supreme creator God. Yahweh is the creator of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God. The triune God also created other lesser gods, who fell into rebellion and rule over regions, nations, and peoples. The Son, Jesus Christ, came to earth, became a human, and was crowned King in order to take creation back from the lesser gods.
Genesis 1:1, 26, 27; 3:22; Exodus 20:3; Psalm 82:1, 86:8, 90:2, 95:3, 96:4, 97:9, 136:2; Deuteronomy 10:17; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14
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Why the World is Wicked ...and how Jesus declared war with it. - It is widely believed that the primary reason for the evil in the world is the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden, as depicted in Genesis 3. While this is the dominant belief among most Christians today, this wasn't the case for the ancient Hebrews, the New Testament writers, Jesus, the disciples, or… … What God Actually Looks Like How the cross changes the Old Testament. - What is God like? Most Christians will point you to the Bible in order to answer that question. They wouldn't be incorrect, but have you actually read the Bible? The Bible has all sorts of different depictions of God; some are spectacularly wonderful and some are abhorrently disgusting. Despite what your pastor may have told… … What’s the Deal with the Devil? How the god of this world deceives. - A theme that underlies Jesus' entire ministry is the assumption that a cosmic force has seized creation and that God is now battling this force to rescue it. The assumption is evident in almost everything Jesus says and does. If Jesus was serious about this, so should we. The reason the Son of God appeared was… … The god of America How all world leaders are servants of Satan. - In America's pledge of allegiance to its flag, you'll hear "One Nation Under God." On all of America's currency, you'll read "In God We Trust". The latter is the official motto of the United States. So who is this god that America speaks of? After all, "god" is not a name, it is a title.… …
About Humans
Humans are made in the image of God and are called to be like him in character. Humankind is the supreme object of God’s creative work in the world. People were created to be co-rulers with God over creation. Although people have tremendous potential for good, we are constantly tempted to participate in destructive sinful ways of evil and, therefore, disobedience toward God. Because of the unsurpassable price Jesus paid on the cross, unsurpassable worth has been ascribed to all people; past, present, and future.
Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1; John 3:16
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So You Think You’re Pro-Life? You're probably more pro-choice than you think. - You would be hard-pressed to find anyone, Christian or not, who is for abortion. That is why the opposing view to what is typically called "pro-life" is called "pro-choice." Someone who is pro-choice believes that a woman has the right to choose whether or not an unborn baby gets to live or die. Opponents of the pro-choice view say… … The True Enemy Flesh and blood are never our struggle. - In his longest recorded sermon, Jesus makes the incredibly difficult command to love our enemies. This command was and still is a complete game-changer for how followers of Jesus are to live and think. Christians are not only to love friends, family, and neighbors; they are to show love to those who want us dead.… … How To Respond To Terrorists A Guide For Christians. - Christians have a unique calling in the world to display the character of Jesus in what they say and do. Most of the time, this is a challenging proposition. It is, perhaps, never more challenging than how we respond to terrorists with our thoughts, words, and actions. Americans have had many enemies throughout the decades:… … Original Sin is Not a Thing At least not in the Bible. - "Original Sin" is a belief that sin and its guilt are something we all possess in God’s eyes as a direct result of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden, namely the sin of disobedience in consuming the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In this belief, not only… …
About the Word of God
The one and only Word of God is Jesus Christ. He is part of the triune God. He is the exact representation of God’s very essence. No one has seen God except for Jesus, who makes him known. The Christian’s life should be modeled after the teachings and example of Jesus. Christ bore our sin on the cross and defeated the powers of darkness that enslave humanity. Through his defeat of death, he demonstrated the first fruits of the coming resurrection.
John 1:1-5, 10-14; Revelation 19:13; Matthew 28:18; John 14:6, 9; Hebrews 1:1-3; Matthew 11:27; 1 John 3:16
About the Bible
The Bible is a library of writings that are both divine and human. Together they tell a unified story that leads us to Jesus. The Bible consists of a varying amount of books (depending on the tradition) from the time before Christ’s incarnation, called the Old Testament, and a collection of biographies and letters written in the first century that form the New Testament. All scripture is “inspired by God.” The Bible is not a rulebook. It is the narrative of God’s redemptive work in creation. The Bible infallibly leads us to the source of life and truth: Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105,160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5
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About Salvation
Salvation is much less about the afterlife than it is about the present life. Salvation is a rescue from the world, not the planet, which is the systems of evil set up by dark spiritual forces. Salvation is the freedom from the bondage of sin found in the Kingdom of God. Salvation is citizenship in Christ’s nation that has no end.
Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8, 9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1
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What Is Salvation? How did Jesus save us and from what? - Most Christians don't feel like they need an answer to the question, "what is salvation?" For them, the answer is simple: getting to go to heaven instead of hell when they die. Yet, despite this being the common and majority view in modern western Evangelicalism, it isn't true at all. Salvation never involves going to… … You Aren’t Saved By Faith Salvation is by allegiance alone. - Words like 'faith' and 'believe' are said to be the catalyst of Christian salvation. Ephesians says, "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith," and John says, "whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." No one will deny that the Scriptures are clear that faith and belief provide salvation… … We Are Saved By Works Allegiance to the King requires action. - Some Christians say that works have nothing to do with salvation. The doctrine of being saved by grace through faith instead of works is so prominent in our Western post-Reformation theology that it seems almost blasphemous or heretical to question it. We are saved by the grace of God; everyone can agree with this, but where… … Exit the World The systems of Satan are the enemies of God. - There is a lot of confusion around what the world is. Is it an evil place that we must escape from? Is it a system to commandeer and use for God? The "world" is a theme we can find all over the pages of the Bible so let's explore it. What is the World? The… … How To Be An Unsaved Christian When secret prayers don't cut it. - Are you "saved"? Understanding the concept and getting saved is really quite simple: You’re a sinner headed for hell, Jesus died to take your punishment, and if you “ask him into your heart” you’ll go to heaven instead of hell. Right? The only problem is, almost none of that is true. Salvation, as understood this way,… … How The Cross Saves Us The true meaning of the ultimate torture device. - The ancient world of Greece and Rome was filled with stories of people who were sacrificed, or sacrificed themselves, to secure blessings or turn away divine wrath. As Jewish leaders were plotting Jesus’ death, the high priest Caiaphas argued that it was better that one man die for the people so the nation might be… …
About the Church
Jesus Christ established the church to be God’s new community, which has its roots in the people of God in the Old Testament and testifies to the presence of the Kingdom of God on earth. Jesus Christ is the Church’s authority. The Church consists of all those who trust Jesus as Savior, give him total allegiance as King, and follow him as Master. The Church is Israel, God’s children, God’s covenant partner, and citizens of Christ’s Kingdom. The Church is an apprentice to Jesus, an ambassador of heaven, and a foreigner to the pagan nations. The Church is the archetype of a new humanity that carries out God’s will.
Matthew 5:13-16; 18:15-35; 20:26-28; 28:20; John 1:12-13; Acts 2:41-47; Romans 1:16; 2 Corinthians 2:5-11; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:19, 22; Philippians 2:2-16; Colossians 1:18; 2 Timothy 2:2; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 John 3:16-19
About Baptism
The baptism of believers is a public witness that they have received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and are becoming part of the community of faith. Baptism by immersion symbolizes the believer’s submission to Jesus Christ and identification with his death and resurrection. By passing through water, Baptism represents the escape from oppressive empire into the promised land of the Kingdom of God.
Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38-39; Romans 6:3-6; 1 Peter 3:21
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About the Kingdom
The center of the Bible, what Jesus talked about more than anything else, and the focus of human existence, is the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is what the Gospel is all about. God’s Kingdom is Christ’s nation, here on earth, where Jesus rules and his will is done. The arrival of the Kingdom is the good news, the Gospel that the Church spreads to the nations who are enslaved. The people of God, living in the Kingdom, are called to be a redemptive influence in the world, confronting corporate sin and seeking to overcome evil with good. They are to be a voice for righteousness, peace, and justice.
Matthew 4:17, 6:33, 16:19, 25:34; John 18:36; Luke 17:20-21; Mark 1:15; Daniel 2:44; Acts 28:31; Revelation 11:15
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What is the Kingdom? What Jesus talked about most. - What is the goal of Christianity? For many people, it is believed that the goal is going to heaven. If the goal of the gospel is simply to get people into heaven, as many believe, what is its relevance to daily life? The apostles did not preach the gospel the way many do today ("Pray… … What is the Gospel? It likely isn't what you think it is. - The word "gospel" comes from the old English word "gödspel" translated from the Greek word "euangelion" (εὐαγγέλιον) which literally means "good news." But what exactly is the news that is good? If you ask different people, you are going to get different answers because there are a lot of different ideas about what the Gospel… …
About Citizenship
The good news of the Gospel is that God’s nation has arrived on earth, and anyone can be a part of it. Becoming a citizen of Christ’s nation means giving up your citizenship in the pagan nation you were physically born into. Followers of Jesus are now foreigners, aliens, and strangers in worldly nations. Children of God are ambassadors of God’s Kingdom, stationed in hostile territories. Nationalism or patriotism for a pagan nation is the refutation of a Christian’s new citizenship, for total allegiance must be given to God’s Kingdom alone.
James 3:5-7; Philippians 3:20; Hebrews 11:13; 1 Peter 1:17, 2:11
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About the Government
Governments of the world are ordered in place by Yahweh, as he finds them, but are not created by him. God regards the nations of the world as less than nothing. Scripture tells us that the nations of the world are ruled by the lesser gods, with Satan in control. Because of this, the Church rejects any and all participation in human governments. As a foreigner in these nations, the Church is called to pray for those people in government that have taken authority over other people, asking God that they would recognize the true and rightful authority of Jesus.
Isaiah 40:15; 1 Samuel 8:7-8; Luke 4:5-8; John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11; Ephesians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 5:19
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About the Military
Since every person has unsurpassable worth, ascribed to them by their creator, killing is the chief sin and a total affront to God. The militaries of the world represent the apex of humankind’s rebellion and wickedness. The military works at a cross-purpose to Christ’s will on earth. The military carries out war, the undoing of creation, and therefore is completely forbidden for apprentices of Jesus. The role of the military is to undermine God’s will for people: to love their enemies, feed them, clothe them, pray for them, bless them, and never repay evil for evil.
Matthew 5:9, 11, 21-22, 38-39, 43-46; 10:22-23, 28; 16:24-25; Mark 10:19; Luke 6:27-28, 32-3, 46; John 13:34-35; 18:36; Philippians 2:5-7; 1 Peter 2:18-23, 3:15-16, I Corinthians 4:6; 11:1; Ephesians 5:1-2; Philippians 3:17; I Thessalonians 1:6; 2 Thessalonians 3:7; Colossians 2:6
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About the End Times
The Great Tribulation was prophesied by Jesus and was well documented as a historical event that took place between 66-70 AD. Because of the vast amount of evidence that the Tribulation took place, we can know with confidence that Jesus was correct and without error. Rival Nations rejects many of the Dispensational teachings regarding the End Times that were invented less than 200 years ago, including but not limited to the Rapture, the Antichrist, the Mark of the Beast, a conflict with Israel, and a third Temple.
Luke 10:19; Colossians 2:15; Matthew 6:10; Daniel 2:35, 7:13-14; Ephesians 5:25-27; Isaiah 9:67
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About Eternity
Humans were created as mortal beings, but God offers the gift of eternal life to whoever chooses to live under his rule in his Kingdom. Eternity has already started, and God’s gift of life is available now. Jesus tells us that life outside of his Kingdom leads to destruction. Scripture promises that God will reconcile all things to himself. All humankind awaits the future bodily resurrection of the dead on a renewed and restored earth.
John 3:16; 1 John 2:25; 1 John 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; Matthew 25:31-46
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