Patriotism and Idolatry

Patriotism is idolatry. Here are Christ's words concerning patriotism and pledging allegiance to the flag and any and all such idols. If we really mean what we say when we pledge allegiance, we of necessity place an idol between us and our God to who we truly owe our allegiance:

Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

There is simply no way to obey Christ's command to love your enemy and at the same time blow the man away. You cannot say you love Christ and His word while you utterly despise His words to Peter:

Matthew 26:52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

Matthew 26:53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

Matthew 26:54 But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?

Orthodox Christianity despises these words of our Lord. I just this week heard a nationally known minister state that the Christian has "dual citizenship." As always, the scripture used to justify this double talk is Romans thirteen.

Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Romans 13:2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

These first two verses are emphasized to the exclusion of their stated purpose:

Romans 13:6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

Romans 13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

But even when verses 6 and 7 are read, they are read as if the main point of all scripture is "be subject unto the higher [earthly] power."

The word 'earthly,' of course, is not to be found in this admonition. And of course Peter made it clear that whenever there is a conflict between the earthly powers and the word of God that "we ought to obey God rather than men."

Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the [other] apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

I would strongly advise you to prepare yourself for rejection if you insist on being faithful to theses words of scripture.

John 15:18 If the [church] world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

John 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

John 15:21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.

When Christ speaks of 'the world,' He is speaking of 'the world [of the] synagogues and the temple.'

John 18:19 The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.

John 18:20 Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.

John 18:21 Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.

John 18:22 And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?

Remember, If they have persecuted me [Christ], they will also persecute you;

Do you think you are up to this 'baptism?'

Matthew 20:20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.

Matthew 20:21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.

Matthew 20:22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.

Matthew 20:23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

This is all written for our admonition.

Christianity as the Best Explanation

By Melinda L. Penner

Christianity can be seen as an explanatory hypothesis to account for certain phenomena we observe in the world: the origin of the universe, the design of the universe, and the universality of morality. The explanations that Christianity provides to this empirical data provide a cumulative case for the rationality of Christianity, and in fact, the superiority of Christianity to other belief systems. Monotheistic religions (namely Judaism, Islam, and Christianity) enjoy a special rational advantage over other kinds of religious beliefs in their explanatory power, but, as will be shown, Christianity is the most rationally satisfying. Three criteria can be applied to developing the positive case for Christianity and simultaneously the negative case against other religious belief claims: logical consistency, empirical adequacy, and existential viability.

Logical consistency seems to be more "cut and dry" than the other two criteria. Logic is a natural function of human minds and is universally practiced. In fact, the universality of logic itself needs to be explained in a religious worldview. Many religious beliefs can be dismissed at the outset because they fail this first criterion, for example eastern religions that deny rationality and logic. They not only cannot account for logic, they fail the test of rationality since they hold contradictory beliefs.

Christianity is sometimes accused of being illogical, but on closer inspection is rigorously logical. The doctrine of the Trinity is often dismissed as illogical, but is only done so because it is misunderstood or mis-defined (sometimes by ill-equipped Christians). The charge that the Trinity entails a contradiction fails from a category fallacy because the doctrine is sometimes defined as "three gods and one god," or more simply "three in one." The doctrine of the Trinity was carefully and meticulously formulated by the early church with great attention to the laws of logic and metaphysical categories. In fact, much of the first 1500 years of the history of Christianity was marked by great intellects who recognized that, if God created the world, then rationality was one of the features of the creation and it must be brought to bear on the development of doctrine.

Monotheistic religious beliefs also explain the existence of rationality and logic. The laws of logic seem to have a different feature than the laws of nature. The laws of nature are a posteriori inductive observations about how the world functions. There does not seem to be an necessity to them though they are regular, nor is the violation of them in a supernatural act really the same as if the laws of logic were violated. In fact, it is impossible to imagine a real world scenario where the laws of logic could be violated. The laws of logic are discovered a priori, they are features of the mind that bear on our thinking before it even begins. There is an incumbency to them that we cannot escape. The best explanation for this seems to be a rational Designer of the universe Whose own rationality is reflected in the operation of our minds.

Morality is the same kind of case. There is an advance incumbency to morality that is not just an a posteriori observation about how humans tend to function. There is an obligation feature to morality that cannot be reduced or explained away by naturalistic theories. Other religions than Christianity, and even atheists, can offer explanations for morality, but none seem to capture our true experience of morality as monotheistic religions do. Morality cannot be explained adequately in functional or reductionistic terms because they omit a central feature of morality, namely the obligation and quality of morality. Naturalist explanations for morality have a much less satisfying explanation of the grounding requirement of obligation. Obligation seems best understood in terms of minds and persons. A "thick" naturalism, as Plato’s, may be able to account for non-physical features of the universe, such as morality, but the obligation feature is still troublesome. Obligation seems to beg for another person to be obligated to. Morality may be a natural feature like health, but it is normative in a different kind of way than mere observation of proper functioning. The obligation is best understood in terms of persons, which narrows the field of religions that can account for this feature.

Empirical adequacy is a second criterion that should guide the evaluation of possible religious explanations. Science is a deprived discipline without the possibility of theistic explanations. There are good scientific and philosophical reasons to believe that the universe had a beginning and that that cause was personal. Clearly this would rule out natural explanations for the origin of the universe. This also rules out some religious beliefs that maintain that the universe is infinite. The personal cause must be adequate for the origination of the universe, and the monotheistic religions describe this kind of God. The God of monotheism is the best explanation for certain features of design we encounter in the universe. Rationality and logic, morality, regular laws of nature all seems to suggest a Designer of a certain kind: one who reflects these kinds of features.

Existential viability is the final criterion and the most subjective. This criterion is not about the most convenient or appealing religion to live out. It is the most deeply satisfying in a way that is incongruent with the modern notion if satisfaction or happiness; it is a teleological notion. It deals with deep, fundamental issues human beings question. Christianity best answers the challenge of evil in the world. Not only does Christianity explain the origin and redeeming purpose of evil, it gives it a rational basis in that it is the deviation of the good that was innate in creation as God made it. Thus far, Islam and Judaism fare well in their explanation. However, Christianity offers a rational and satisfying solution to evil with the final judgment and the offer of forgiveness for the evil we perpetrate. Christianity does not deny the reality of evil or make it a necessary part of the universe; it presents it as an aberration that will be corrected on a cosmic and personal level. Eastern religions and New Age variations do not account for the real experience of evil, nor do they offer a satisfying solution.

Monotheistic religious beliefs offer existential satisfaction in offering a relationship with a personal God. The universe is real and our desire for relationship with a Person is real. The goal of Christianity is not to deny the reality of the world or our personal identity, as some religious beliefs offer, but to satisfy our deepest longings.

Much of the evidence thus far is congenial to three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. How can Christianity be demonstrated to be rationally superior to these other viable options? First, Jesus made substantive authority claims that were uniquely affirmed by His acts, including the resurrection, and contemporary testimony. The Bible offers historical evidences that can be verified that do not stop in the Old Testament, but continue in the New Testament and the coming of the Messiah. Jesus grounds His authority in His miraculous works and the resurrection, which are all testified to by eyewitnesses. He is the promised Messiah of the Old Testament and the most superior Prophet sent by God. The New Testament offers fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and makes a more substantive authority claim than the Koran. Jesus is not only a prophet, but God Himself; and Jesus validates His identity claim with His deeds, including the resurrection. It also offers further information that solves Old Testament problems, such as the hints of the Trinity. The New Testament also offers a New Covenant that is superior to the promises and relationship that Judaism and Islam offer. Christianity is the fulfillment of Judaism and God’s plan in the Old Testament.

Christianity offers the most rational satisfaction of the three criteria. It best incorporates and explains our experience of the world and our own existential experience. Christianity takes logic seriously, and, indeed, grounds logic. Christianity is the most rational of religions, and therefore it can be recommended as superior to all other religious beliefs.

What is a Christian?

What is a Christian?  Many think they are Christians because they claim to believe in Jesus.  But, believing in Jesus often means nothing, or anything, particularly here in America where pluralism and relativism are rampant.  Intolerance is the only thing not tolerated by the postmodernist who says, "My truth is different than your truth, so don't judge me with your outdated morals."  Such commentary by the non-thinking and spiritually dead is all too common.  But it doesn't change the true meaning of what it means to be a follower of Christ.  So, what does it mean to be a Christian?

First of all, to be a Christian, you must first know who Christ is.  Biblically, He is God in flesh, second person of the Trinity (John 1:1,14; Col. 2:9).  He is the great "I AM" (Exodus 3:14; John 8:58).  He is the savior who was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), who died, was buried, and rose from the dead (1 Cor. 15:1-4), physically (John 2:19-21).  He alone is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).  Only by the name of Jesus may a person be saved (Acts 4:12) and all who do not trust in Him alone for the forgiveness of their sins will be judged (Matt. 25:41) accordingly.  Jesus is both God and man (Col. 2:9; 1 Tim. 2:5; Phil. 2:5-8).  He is our eternal intercessor (Heb. 7:25) who mediates our salvation to the Father (1 Tim. 2:5).  To Him be the glory.

It is not merely some man who was wise (Secularism).  He was not the product of sexual relations between a god and goddess from another world (Mormonism).  He is not a man in tune with the divine consciousness (Christian Science).  He is not the first created thing in the universe (Jehovah's Witnesses).  He is not the harmonious, really-neat-teacher (New Age).  He is the creator of all things (Col. 1:16-17; Isaiah 44:24).  He is Lord!

Once you know who Jesus is, you must trust Him to forgive you of your sins.  Ask Him to forgive you.  He will.  Then, once you are saved, you are a Christian.  But, you are not a trophy to be placed on a shelf and left alone.  You are more like a pair of sneakers to be used.  That is what it means to be a Christian.  It means you have found the true Savior, not a false one of the cults.  It means you have been saved by God's grace, through faith (Eph. 2:8) and are now seeking to please Him in your life by following His commands (1 John 2:4).  Such obedience does not save you nor contribute to your salvation.  This obedience is motivated by love and thankfulness and is a response of being saved.

So, being a Christian means knowing the true Christ and following Him in truth.

However, in America, apostasy has reared its ugly head in the church.  There are those who do not hold Christ in the highest of regard, as God in flesh, and because they fail to do that, they fail to understand the gospel, they fail to become saved, and they fail to understand what it means to be a Christian.  Take the following quote as an example (Note I am not suggesting all Methodist churches are like this):

"Glide Memorial Methodist Church in San Francisco has this Call to Worship in their printed bulletin on Sunday and recited by the leader:  "We are all of us Christians, Jews, liberals, Bolsheviks, anarchists, socialists, Communists, Keynesians, Democrats, Civil Righters, Beatniks, ministers, moderate Republicans, pacifists, teachers, doctors, scientists, professors, Latin Americans, New Africans, Common Marketers, even Mao Tse-Tung. Doubtless. From Lyndon Johnson to Mao Tse-Tung, we are all Christians."   This church once preached the Gospel and from which, several decades ago, a most powerful evangelistic note was sounded.  Today, many of its services are performed in the mode of the modern dance. Suggestive gyrations are indulged in and the church has become a haven for dope addicts, hippies, homosexuals, and sex-pots."  (Tan, Paul Lee, Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations, (Garland, Texas: Bible Communications, Inc.) 1996.)

There is nothing wrong with ministering to the lost, but it is all for nothing if a false Christ and false hope of what it means to be a Christian is presented.  So, I ask you, are you a Christian?  Do you follow the true and living God the Son?  Do you trust in Him alone for the forgiveness of your sins?  Examine yourselves as the scripture says and lean in Christ alone for the salvation that is freely offered (Rom. 6:23).

 As God created us, we all have to some degree the power to imagine. That imagination is of great value in the service of God may be denied by some persons who have erroneously confused the word "imagination" with the word "imaginary." The gospel of Jesus Christ has no truck with things imaginary. The most realistic book in the world is the Bible. God is real. Men are real and so is sin and so are death and hell! The presence of God is not imaginary; neither is prayer the indulgence of a delightful fancy. The value of the cleansed imagination in the sphere of religion lies in its power to perceive in natural things shadows of things spiritual. A purified and Spirit-controlled imagination is the sacred gift of seeing; the ability to peer beyond the veil and gaze with astonished wonder upon the beauties and mysteries of things holy and eternal. The stodgy pedestrian mind does no credit to Christianity!

What we believe

WELCOME TO ECCLESIA MINISTRIES INDIA

STATEMENT OF FAITH

We consider it an honour to share our Statement of Faith. It is necessary because the more assaults there are against the faith, the more precise we need to be. The following SOF is good! It is biblically sound, very orthodox, and yet fair enough to allow differences of opinion on debatable issues yet still retain orthodoxy.

Introduction	ECCLESIA is a conservative Christian Ministry based on the teachings of the Bible (66 books, excluding the Apocrypha).
Bible	The Bible is the Word of God, and that its original manuscripts are free from errors and contradictions. It is the one and only infallible, authoritative, and trustworthy rule for faith and life. (2 Peter. 1:21, 2 Tim. 3:16). The Roman Catholic Apocrypha is not inspired scripture and is not part of the canon of scripture. The Bible is to be taken as literally as possible except where obviously figurative. Genesis, for example, is literal, and Adam and Eve were actual people.
God	God is the only Supreme Being with no gods created before or after Him in all of existence, in all places, in all time (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6; 44:8; 1 Tim. 1:17). He has always been God and was never anything else (Psalm 90:2). He is Holy (Rev. 4:8), Eternal (Isaiah 57:15), Omnipotent (Jer. 32:17,27), Omnipresent (Psalm 139:7), Omniscient (1 John 3:20); etc. He is Love (1 John 4:8, 16); Light (1 John 1:5); Spirit (John 4:24); Truth (Psalm 117:2); Creator (Isaiah 40:12,22,26), etc. He is to be worshiped (Gen. 24:26; Ex. 4:31; 2 Chron. 29:28; 1 Cor. 14:25;Rev. 7:11). He is to be served (Matt. 4:10;1 Cor. 6:19; Phil. 3:7; 1 Thess. 1:9; Heb. 9:14). He is to be proclaimed (Matt. 28:19f.; John 14:15f.; Acts 1:8).
Trinity	There is one God in whom are three eternal, distinct, simultaneous persons -- the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. All three are the one God, coeternal, coequal, etc., yet there is only one God, not three gods, and not one person who took three modes, offices, or forms. (Isaiah 44:6,8; 45:5; Gen. 1:26-27; 3:22; Matt. 3:17; 28:19; Luke 9:35; 2 Cor. 13:14). See also, The Trinity
Jesus	Jesus Christ is the Word (God) who became a man. He added human nature to His divine nature. He is both human and divine, and, therefore, has two natures. Yet, He is one person, not two. He is not part God and part man. He is presently a man, one person, with two natures where one nature is wholly God and the other wholly man. (Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 2:9; 1 Tim. 3:16;Heb. 1:5-13; John 1:1-3,14). Jesus will eternally remain as a man and intercedes for us eternally as a high priest after the order of Melchezedek (Heb. 6:20; 7:25).
Virgin Birth	Jesus Christ was miraculously conceived and born of the virgin Mary, (Luke 1:42). Mary ceased to be a virgin after the birth of Jesus (Matt. 1:25).
Resurrection	Jesus Christ rose from the dead in the same body He died in after being in the grave for three days. He was raised in a glorified, physical body (still retaining his crucifixion wounds). He ascended bodily into heaven, sits at the right hand of the Father, and rules heaven and earth. (John 2:19; 1 Cor. 15; Luke 24:39). Likewise, we Christians will be raised bodily from the dead and spend eternity with the Lord.
Substitutionary Atonement	God the Father so loved us that He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. Jesus, the Word, became man, bore our sins in His body on the cross (1 Peter. 2:24), and died in our place, suffering the consequences of the breaking the Law (1 John 3:4), which is physical death (Rom. 6:23) and spiritual death (Isa. 59:2), that was due us (Isaiah 53:4-6). He became sin on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:21). His sacrifice was a legal substitution for us (1 John 2:2; John 19:30; 1 Pet. 2:24). It was legal since sin is breaking God's Law (1 John 3:4) and substitutionary since Christ took our punishment (Isaiah 53:4-6) and tasted death for everyone (Heb. 2:9).  As a result, God's justice was satisfied, Christian believers are released from eternal punishment (1 Pet. 3:18; Matt. 1:21; 25:46; Rom. 5; 1 John 2:2), and their debt that our sin brings against us has been cancelled (Col. 2:14).
Baptism	Baptism is an important action of obedience for a Christian and signifies a person's identification with Christ. Baptism is not necessary for salvation. It is an outward manifestation of an inward reality of trust in the sacrifice for Christ, of conversion, and of identification with Christ. The act of water baptism does not save anyone. We are made right before God by faith, not by faith and baptism (Rom. 3:28-30; 4:3,5; 5:1; Gal. 2:16, 21; Phil. 3:9; see also Acts 10:44-48).
Man's Condition	Man is fallen, corrupt, and wicked. Man believes in God by God's grace through faith (John 6:28-29; 15:5; Phil. 1:29), is unable to come close to God through his own efforts (John 6:44;Rom. 3:10-12), nor is he born again of his own will (John 1:13), nor can he understand the spiritual things of God on his own (1 Cor. 2:14; Rom. 8:7), nor can he earn salvation by his attempt at good works (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 4:1-6), nor once saved does he maintain his salvation by his works (Gal. 3:1-3). Eternal punishment in hell and separation from the blessed presence of God are the consequences of the unregenerate person's sinfulness who has not trusted in the redemptive sacrificial work of Christ on the cross (Eph. 2:1-3; Rom. 6:23).
Divine Election	God elects/chooses people for salvation.  "But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth," (2 Thess. 2:13). And, "From all eternity God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will," (Eph. 1:4-5).  And, "So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy," (Rom. 9:16).
Salvation	Salvation is being saved from the righteous judgment of God upon the sinner. Salvation is obtained by grace alone, through faith alone, in the work of Christ alone (John 3:16) and not by our good works (Rom. 3:20; Eph. 2:8-9). We are chosen for salvation by God (2 Thess. 2:13).
Justification by Grace through Faith Alone	Justification is being declared legally righteous by God. This justification is received by faith alone without any ceremony/baptism (Rom. 4:1-6), in the work of Christ fulfilling the Law in his earthly ministry (1 Pet. 2:22), and his removing of sin by his sacrifice. Justification is a gift from God (Rom. 3:24) and is received apart from the works of the Law (Rom. 3:28; Gal. 2:21).
Regeneration	Regeneration is the work of God that  occurs with faith.  This regeneration means the person is made a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) and is then able to resist his sin and seek to increase in sanctification before the Lord. Those thus regenerated do not seek to abide in sin, though they do fall into it, but war against it and repent of sin before the Lord.
Eternal Security	"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand," (John 10:27-28). Christ has done all that is needed for our salvation and he says that those who have eternal life will never perish. Those who appeared to be Christian but fell away never were Christians to begin with (1 John 2:19). Eternal security does not mean that we have a license to sin (Rom. 5:21-6:2) and those who say it is a license to sin, do not understand eternal security and how God's ability to regenerate the sinner and turn his heart to repentance (2 Tim. 2:25). Because of the diversity of opinions on this issue, Ecclesia does not condemn or pass judgment upon those who believe it is possible to lose one's salvation. However, ECCLESIA opposes the position that a person's security before God is maintained through his good works since this would be works of righteousness.
Sanctification	Sanctification is the process by which the Holy Spirit makes us more like Christ in all that we do, think, and desire and increases our ability to repent from sin -- by God's grace, (1 Thess. 4:7; Eph. 2:10; 1 Tim. 4:4; 1 Peter. 3:15; 2 Tim. 2:25). This process continues all of the Christian's life and is the result of salvation, not a cause of it, nor a contributing factor to it. Furthermore, the effort of sanctification does not maintain the believer's salvation.
Christian Church	God calls Christians to his Church where the Word of God is preached, where baptism and the Lord's Supper (communion) are administered, where believers are discipled and disciplined, and where believers serve to build up one another (Matt. 16:18). There is no one true earthly ecclesiastical body that is 'the true church.' Rather, the True Church consists of all true believers wherever they might be.
Church Officers	God calls qualified Christians to be ordained and to serve Jesus Christ in special leadership capacities, i.e. Elders, Deacons, Ministers of the Word, and Evangelists. The office(s) of pastor and elder is limited to qualified men only who are called by God, recognized by the body, and who meet the biblical standard of eldership (Titus 1:5-9). Women are not to be pastors nor elders and are not to hold positions of authority in the Christian Church where that authority is exercised over men, (1 Tim. 2:11-15; 3:11-13; Titus 1:5-9).
Rapture	The event where, upon Jesus' return, those who have died in Christ and those Christians who are then alive will be physically caught up to the clouds and meet the Lord Jesus in the air. We will then forever be with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:16-5:2). Because of the diverse opinions among Christians regarding the rapture, ECCLESIA considers pre-trib rapture, mid-trib rapture, and post-trib rapture to be within the scope of Christian orthodoxy.
Second Coming	Jesus Christ will bodily and visibly return from heaven to earth with great glory and majesty.
Millennium	Because of the diverse opinions among Christians regarding the millennium ECCLESIA's position is that amillennialism, premillennialism, and post millennialism are within the scope of Christian orthodoxy. CARM rejects full preterism, the teaching that Jesus returned in 70 A.D., but affirms that partial preterism is within orthodoxy.
Spiritual Realm	There is a spiritual realm of angels and demons. Angels serve God and carry out his will. Demons are fallen angels (2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6) who war against God and who will ultimately face eternal punishment (Matt. 25:41; 2 Per. 2:4). Christians cannot be demon possessed.
Eternal Judgment	All who are not justified by faith in Christ and the blood of Christ will face eternal, conscious, and agonizing judgment away from the presence of God (Matt. 8:12; Luke 16:19-31; Rev. 20:14-15; 21:8)
Evangelism	Part of the purpose of ECCLESIA is to carry out the work of evangelism which means that we must teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to all people, in every nation (Matt. 28:19-20). Also, we are to refute false doctrines, false religions, and whatever else might contradict the word of God but we are to do this without insult (1 Pet. 3:15) if per chance God would grant them repentance (2 Tim. 2:25).
Kingdom Work	Part of being a Christian means to participate in expanding the Kingdom of God. Every Christian is to work for this end according to the gifts given him or her by the Lord (Matt. 28:18-20; Rom. 12). Not all are pastors, or evangelists, or teachers (Rom. 12), but each Christian is expected to do his or her part to promote the gospel whether it be by prayer and/or tithing, and/or teaching, and/or bearing and training children, and/or evangelism, etc.
Morality	Homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, pedophilia, bestiality, necrophilia, cross dressing, trans-genderism, lying, bearing false witness, adultery, wife-swapping, pornography, fornication, coveting, etc.,  are all sinful practices, against scriptural revelation, are contrary to proper living, and are not acceptable to the ECCLESIA ministry as normal or approved behaviors. Still, we do not hate or persecute those who practice these things but pray for their deliverance and salvation and expose their sins and call them to repentance.
Marriage	Marriage is between one man and one woman.
Heresy	Any doctrine that deviates from the historical, orthodox, and biblical position of the Christian Church, throughout Church history, as judged from a Protestant perspective. There are heresies that are damnable (denying the Deity of Christ, denying Christ's physical resurrection, denying justification by grace through faith, etc.). There are heresies that are not damnable (advocating women pastors; practicing polygamy, divorce for convenience sake, etc.) There are also teachings within Christianity that are debatable whereas differences of opinion are not heresy (eating or not eating meat, worship on Saturday or Sunday, etc.) See Rom. 14:1-12.
Living	Where possible, Christians are to live in peace with all men, suffering wrongs, false accusations, and misrepresentations with charity. However, Christians are free to defend themselves (Luke 22:36) and promote the truth of Christianity by correcting false teachings and refuting error (2 Tim. 2:25; 1 Pet. 3:15). They are free to use the political system and its laws in order to promote a more godly and moral society. Christians are to live in the world as examples of godliness and are not to participate in the sinful passions of the world.
Creation and Evolution	God created the universe and all that is in it by his creative effort.  God brought the universe into existence by the exertion of his will.  Within Christianity there is room for the interpretation of the six creation days (Genesis 1:1-31) to be literal seven 24 hour periods but also longer periods. Nevertheless, Adam and Eve were real people, created by God just as Genesis says. ECCLESIA MINISTRIES does not affirm macro evolution (the formation of life on earth from a single cell that evolved via natural selection over millions of years into the species all over the earth) or theistic evolution (that God guided macro evolution to bring humanity into existence).  Ecclesia Ministries denies them both. However, micro evolution, the modification of existing species with existing genetic information that allows species to adapt to environments, is within the realm of Christian orthodoxy.  We did not evolve from other species into our present condition.  God did not guide evolution of species by which humanity, the animal kingdom, or the plant kingdom was developed. The General theory of evolution is unscriptural and counter-factual.