IWA1-1DW-LR-DB Invitation to walk in Agape-Love
(Mat. 24:13) in every City (Jerusalem , Ephesus , Montréal, Longueuil, Laval ,
every City of Crete
IWA1-1DW-LR-DB
Invitation de marcher en Agape-Charité (Mat. 24 :13) dans chaque Ville
(Jerusalem, Ephesus, Montréal, Longueuil, Laval, chaque ville sur Crete, Tite
1 :1-12)
Beliefs & Practices of the local
Church in every City (Titus 1:1-10)
In 1978 the co-workers in the local churches published a
booklet entitled The Beliefs and Practices of the Local Churches. This booklet
is reproduced below in its entirety. It also was published in Dr. J. Gordon
Melton's Encyclopedia of American Religions: Religious Creeds in 1988
Our Beliefs
The local churches
believe that the Holy Bible is the complete divine revelation verbally inspired
by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21, 2 Tim. 6:12). The local churches believe that
God is the only one Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit—co-existing
equally from eternity to eternity (1 Tim. …
Our Standing
The local churches stand
on the Holy Scriptures, not according to any traditional interpretation, but
according to the pure Word of God. The local churches stand on Christ, the
living rock, the foundation stone, the Head of the Body, and the life and reality
of the church. The local churches stand …
Our Mission
The local churches
preach the gospel of grace and of the kingdom to sinners that they may be
saved. The local churches minister the life supply to believers that they may
grow in Christ. The local churches establish the church in each city that the
believers may become a local corporate …
Our Hope
The local churches hope
that as many as are ordained by God to eternal life will believe in the Lord
Jesus. The local churches hope that all regenerated Christians will seek the
growth in life, not the mere increase of knowledge. The local churches hope
that all seeking Christians will see the …
Concerning the
Recovery
The word “recover” means
to obtain again something that has been lost, or to return something to a
normal condition. "Recovery" means the restoration or return to a
normal condition after a damage or a loss has been incurred. To say that God is
recovering certain matters means that in …
Concerning
Salvation
In Christ God has
provided for man a full and complete salvation. This full salvation includes
our whole being: spirit, soul, and body. In God’s salvation, man’s spirit is
regenerated, his soul is being transformed, and his body will be transfigured.
In order to be saved, one must have a living …
Concerning the
Christian Life
REGENERATION - The
Christian life begins with regeneration. To be regenerated is to be born of the
Spirit in our spirit (John 3:6) through the redemption of Christ and thereby to
have the life and nature of God imparted into our spirit. This makes our spirit
alive with the very life of God …
Concerning the
Church Life
By its very nature the
Christian life, which is the living out of Christ as life from within us, is a
corporate life. Many expressions in the New Testament confirm this: we are
sheep in God’s flock, we are living stones in God’s building, we are branches
in the vine, we are members of the Body of …
Our Beliefs
·
The local churches believe that the Holy Bible is the complete
divine revelation verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21, 2 Tim.
6:12).
·
The local churches believe that God is the only one Triune God—the
Father, the Son, and the Spirit—co-existing equally from eternity to eternity
(1 Tim. 2:5a, Matt. 28:19).
·
The local churches believe that the Son of God, even God Himself,
became incarnated to be a man by the name of Jesus, born of the virgin Mary,
that He might be our Redeemer and Savior (Jn. 1:1, 1:14, Matt. 1:23).
·
The local churches believe that Jesus, a genuine man, lived on
this earth for thirty-three and a half years to make God the Father known to
men (Jn. 1:18).
·
The local churches believe that Jesus, the Christ anointed by God
with His Holy Spirit, died on the cross for our sins and shed His blood for the
accomplishment of our redemption (Matt. 3:16, 1 Pet. 2:24, Eph. 1:7a).
·
The local churches believe that Jesus Christ, after being buried
for three days, resurrected from the dead physically and spiritually and that,
in resurrection, He has become the life-giving Spirit to impart Himself into us
as our life and our everything (Acts 10:40, 1 Cor. 15:4, 1 Cor. 15:45b).
·
The local churches believe that after His resurrection Christ
ascended to the heavens and that God has made Him the Lord of all (Acts 2:33,
2:36).
·
The local churches believe that after His ascension Christ poured
down the Spirit of God to baptize His chosen members into one Body and that the
Spirit of God, who is also the Spirit of Christ, is moving on this earth today
to convict sinners, to regenerate God’s chosen people, to dwell in the members
of Christ for their growth in life, and to build up the Body of Christ for His
full expression (Acts 1:8, 1 Cor. 12:13, Rom 8:9, Jn. 16:8, Titus 3:5, Eph.
4:16).
·
The local churches believe that at the end of this age Christ will
come back to take up His members, to judge the world, to take possession of the
earth, and to establish His eternal kingdom (1 Thes. 2:19).
·
The local churches believe that the overcoming saints will reign
with Christ in the millennium and that all the believers in Christ will
participate in the divine blessings in the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and
new earth for eternity (Rev. 20:6, 21:2).
Our
Standing
·
The local churches stand on the Holy Scriptures, not according to
any traditional interpretation, but according to the pure Word of God.
·
The local churches stand on Christ, the living rock, the
foundation stone, the Head of the Body, and the life and reality of the church.
·
The local churches stand on the genuine unity of the Body of
Christ. We are not sectarian, nor denominational, nor nondenominational, nor
interdenominational.
·
The local churches stand on the ground of the oneness of all
believers in each locality; we recognize all the blood-redeemed and
Spirit-regenerated believers in Christ as members of the one church in each
city.
Our Mission
·
The local churches preach the gospel of grace and of the kingdom
to sinners that they may be saved.
·
The local churches minister the life supply to believers that they
may grow in Christ.
·
The local churches establish the church in each city that the
believers may become a local corporate expression of Christ in practicality.
·
The local churches release the living and rich word of God from
the Holy Scriptures that the believers may be nourished to grow and mature.
·
The local churches build up the Body of Christ so that the Bride
may be prepared for the coming back of Christ as the Bridegroom.
Our Hope
·
The local churches hope that as many as are ordained by God to
eternal life will believe in the Lord Jesus.
·
The local churches hope that all regenerated Christians will seek
the growth in life, not the mere increase of knowledge.
·
The local churches hope that all seeking Christians will see the
vision of the church and come into the practical church life in their locality.
·
The local churches hope that the Lord will have a remnant of
overcomers that His Bride may be prepared.
·
The local churches hope that the coming back of the Lord will be
hastened by our growth and that we may participate in the blessed rapture and
in His coming kingdom.
Concerning
the Recovery
·
The word “recover” means to obtain again something that has been
lost, or to return something to a normal condition. "Recovery" means
the restoration or return to a normal condition after a damage or a loss has
been incurred. To say that God is recovering certain matters means that in the
course of church history they have been lost, misused, or corrupted and that
God is restoring them to their original state or condition.
·
Because the church has become degraded through the many centuries
of its history, it needs to be restored according to God’s original intention.
Concerning the church, our vision is governed not by the present situation nor
by traditional practice, but by God’s original intention and by His unchanging
standard as revealed in His Word. We regard the New Testament revelation of the
church not merely as a historical antecedent, but as the norm for church
practice in the present day.
·
God’s recovery did not begin in the twentieth century. Although it
is difficult to fix an exact date for its beginning, it is convenient to set it
at the time of the Reformation. The recovery has gone through several stages
since the Reformation, passing through the partial recovery of the church life
in Bohemia
·
In His recovery today the Lord is doing two things. He is
recovering the experience of the riches of Christ—that is, the enjoyment of
Christ as our life and our everything—and He is recovering the practice of the
church life. These two matters go hand in hand, for the practical church life
is the issue of the enjoyment of the riches of Christ. We in the Lord’s
recovery today testify that Christ is unsearchably rich, that He is the
all-inclusive One for our enjoyment. Furthermore, we testify that the Lord has
burdened us for the practice of the church life according to the revelation of
the pure Word of God.
Concerning
Salvation
·
In Christ God has provided for man a full and complete salvation.
This full salvation includes our whole being: spirit, soul, and body. In God’s
salvation, man’s spirit is regenerated, his soul is being transformed, and his
body will be transfigured.
·
In order to be saved, one must have a living faith in the Person
and work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Every genuinely saved one has what
the Bible calls the “common faith” (Titus 1:4), which includes what we must
believe in order to be saved: we must believe that the Bible is the complete
divine revelation wholly inspired by God; that there is a unique Triune God,
the Father, the Son, and the Spirit; that Jesus Christ is the Son of God
incarnated to be a man; that Christ died on the cross for our sins, shedding
His blood for our redemption; that on the third day He was bodily raised from
the dead; that He has been exalted to the right hand of God and made the Lord
of all; and that He is coming again for His own and to set up His kingdom on
earth.
·
Eternal salvation is by grace through faith, not by our works.
·
In order to be saved, one must have a living contact with Jesus
Christ. Therefore, in bringing unbelievers to salvation, we emphasize prayer
and calling on the name of the Lord. According to Romans 10:9 and 10, if a man
is to be saved, he must believe in his heart and confess with his mouth.
·
Once a person has been saved, he may have both the assurance of
salvation and the security of salvation. Once we are saved, we are saved
forever.
Concerning
the Christian Life
REGENERATION
The Christian life begins with regeneration. To be regenerated is to be born of the Spirit in our spirit (John 3:6) through the redemption of Christ and thereby to have the life and nature of God imparted into our spirit. This makes our spirit alive with the very life of God.
The Christian life begins with regeneration. To be regenerated is to be born of the Spirit in our spirit (John 3:6) through the redemption of Christ and thereby to have the life and nature of God imparted into our spirit. This makes our spirit alive with the very life of God.
SEPARATION
The true Christian life requires a proper separation from this corrupt and evil world. This separation is not according to legalistic, man-made rules; it is according to the life and nature of the holy One who dwells within us. We are separated unto God by the redeeming blood of Christ, by the Holy Spirit, and in the name of the Lord Jesus. In order to live a proper Christian life, we must maintain such a separated position. Although we are not of the world, we nevertheless live a godly life in the world.
The true Christian life requires a proper separation from this corrupt and evil world. This separation is not according to legalistic, man-made rules; it is according to the life and nature of the holy One who dwells within us. We are separated unto God by the redeeming blood of Christ, by the Holy Spirit, and in the name of the Lord Jesus. In order to live a proper Christian life, we must maintain such a separated position. Although we are not of the world, we nevertheless live a godly life in the world.
CONSECRATION
The Christian life is a life of consecration. To be consecrated to the Lord means that we are utterly given to the Lord, not to do something for Him nor to become something, but to make ourselves available to Him as a living sacrifice so that He may work on us and in us according to His good pleasure. We consecrate to the Lord because we love Him and delight to belong to Him. We also recognize that we already belong to Him because He has purchased us with His precious blood. We in the local churches are living not for ourselves, but for God and for the fulfillment of His eternal purpose.
The Christian life is a life of consecration. To be consecrated to the Lord means that we are utterly given to the Lord, not to do something for Him nor to become something, but to make ourselves available to Him as a living sacrifice so that He may work on us and in us according to His good pleasure. We consecrate to the Lord because we love Him and delight to belong to Him. We also recognize that we already belong to Him because He has purchased us with His precious blood. We in the local churches are living not for ourselves, but for God and for the fulfillment of His eternal purpose.
LOVING
THE LORD
In our Christian life we emphasize loving the Lord. Above all else, God desires that we love Him. We testify that our Lord Jesus Christ is the altogether lovely One, that He has won our hearts, and that we love Him, not with a love of our own, but with the very love with which He first loved us.
In our Christian life we emphasize loving the Lord. Above all else, God desires that we love Him. We testify that our Lord Jesus Christ is the altogether lovely One, that He has won our hearts, and that we love Him, not with a love of our own, but with the very love with which He first loved us.
THE
WORD OF GOD
The Bible occupies a very important place in our Christian life. All those in the local churches are encouraged to read the Word in a regular way, even to read it through once a year. We read the Word, we study the Word, and we take the Word by prayer as spiritual food. All teachings, inspirations, and guidance which claim the Holy Spirit as their source must be checked by God’s revelation in His Word. Although the Bible reveals the mind of God concerning so many matters, to us the Bible is not primarily a book of doctrine; instead, it is Homely a book of life. We come to the Word not merely for knowledge, but, through a prayerful reading of the Scripture, to contact the Lord Jesus, who is Himself the living Word.
The Bible occupies a very important place in our Christian life. All those in the local churches are encouraged to read the Word in a regular way, even to read it through once a year. We read the Word, we study the Word, and we take the Word by prayer as spiritual food. All teachings, inspirations, and guidance which claim the Holy Spirit as their source must be checked by God’s revelation in His Word. Although the Bible reveals the mind of God concerning so many matters, to us the Bible is not primarily a book of doctrine; instead, it is Homely a book of life. We come to the Word not merely for knowledge, but, through a prayerful reading of the Scripture, to contact the Lord Jesus, who is Himself the living Word.
PRAYER
The Christian life is also a life of prayer. In prayer we enjoy sweet, intimate personal communion with the Lord. By prayer we declare our dependence on God, our submission to Him, and our desire to cooperate with Him in the fulfillment of His purpose. All those in the local churches are encouraged to have a time of personal prayer every day.
The Christian life is also a life of prayer. In prayer we enjoy sweet, intimate personal communion with the Lord. By prayer we declare our dependence on God, our submission to Him, and our desire to cooperate with Him in the fulfillment of His purpose. All those in the local churches are encouraged to have a time of personal prayer every day.
THE
EXPERIENCE OF CHRIST
We have seen from God’s revelation in the Bible that the Christian life is actually Christ Himself living in us. For this reason, we lay great emphasis on the experience of Christ. According to the New Testament Epistles, Christ is revealed in us, is living in us, is being formed in us, is making His home in us, is being magnified in us, and is becoming all in all to us. Instead of imitating Christ according to an outward pattern, we seek to live out Christ and to live by Christ by allowing the indwelling Christ to occupy our whole inward being and to express Himself through us in our daily living.
We have seen from God’s revelation in the Bible that the Christian life is actually Christ Himself living in us. For this reason, we lay great emphasis on the experience of Christ. According to the New Testament Epistles, Christ is revealed in us, is living in us, is being formed in us, is making His home in us, is being magnified in us, and is becoming all in all to us. Instead of imitating Christ according to an outward pattern, we seek to live out Christ and to live by Christ by allowing the indwelling Christ to occupy our whole inward being and to express Himself through us in our daily living.
A
CRUCIFIED LIFE
As genuine Christians, we are to live a crucified life. We are not ashamed of the cross of Christ, and we do not shrink back from following the Lord along the narrow pathway of the cross. If we would truly experience Christ and live by Him, we need to experience daily the subjective work of the cross in our lives. We have seen something of the ugliness of man’s fallen flesh in the eyes of God, and we agree with God’s judgment upon it. Moreover, we have seen that both the self and the natural man are opposed to God. Therefore, we welcome the inward working of the death of Christ so that we may experience Christ and live by Him in the riches of His resurrection life.
As genuine Christians, we are to live a crucified life. We are not ashamed of the cross of Christ, and we do not shrink back from following the Lord along the narrow pathway of the cross. If we would truly experience Christ and live by Him, we need to experience daily the subjective work of the cross in our lives. We have seen something of the ugliness of man’s fallen flesh in the eyes of God, and we agree with God’s judgment upon it. Moreover, we have seen that both the self and the natural man are opposed to God. Therefore, we welcome the inward working of the death of Christ so that we may experience Christ and live by Him in the riches of His resurrection life.
NOURISHMENT
If we would live a normal Christian life, we need to be nourished daily with spiritual food and spiritual drink. For this reason, we emphasize the partaking of Christ as our spiritual food and drink. In the Spirit and through the Word, we enjoy Him as our life supply. As He Himself said, “He that eateth me, even he shall live by me” (John 6:57). The Lord is the living bread, the bread of life, and the bread of God who came down from heaven to give life to the world (John 6:33, 35, 51), and we are nourished by Him day by day.
If we would live a normal Christian life, we need to be nourished daily with spiritual food and spiritual drink. For this reason, we emphasize the partaking of Christ as our spiritual food and drink. In the Spirit and through the Word, we enjoy Him as our life supply. As He Himself said, “He that eateth me, even he shall live by me” (John 6:57). The Lord is the living bread, the bread of life, and the bread of God who came down from heaven to give life to the world (John 6:33, 35, 51), and we are nourished by Him day by day.
THE
GROWTH IN LIFE
In the local churches we emphasize the fact that in the Christian life we should grow normally in life. We are not content to remain spiritual infants. The divine life, like the human life, must have a normal development leading to maturity. Therefore, as seekers of the Lord, we pursue the growth in life. We desire to be a full-grown man to express the Lord, to represent Him with His authority, and to engage in spiritual warfare to defeat His enemy.
In the local churches we emphasize the fact that in the Christian life we should grow normally in life. We are not content to remain spiritual infants. The divine life, like the human life, must have a normal development leading to maturity. Therefore, as seekers of the Lord, we pursue the growth in life. We desire to be a full-grown man to express the Lord, to represent Him with His authority, and to engage in spiritual warfare to defeat His enemy.
HUMAN
LIVING
As Christians, we also live a normal human life, free from extremes and balanced in every way. We desire that our entire being, spirit, soul, and body, be maintained for the glory of God. We seek to express the humanity of Jesus in all our relationships and bear a worthy testimony of Him in all walks of human life: at home, at school, in our neighborhoods, and at our places of employment. To us, the Christian life cannot be divorced from our daily human life. We find that the more we grow in Christ, the more truly human we become, and the more we enjoy in a practical way the uplifted, transformed humanity of Jesus.
As Christians, we also live a normal human life, free from extremes and balanced in every way. We desire that our entire being, spirit, soul, and body, be maintained for the glory of God. We seek to express the humanity of Jesus in all our relationships and bear a worthy testimony of Him in all walks of human life: at home, at school, in our neighborhoods, and at our places of employment. To us, the Christian life cannot be divorced from our daily human life. We find that the more we grow in Christ, the more truly human we become, and the more we enjoy in a practical way the uplifted, transformed humanity of Jesus.
THE
SPIRIT
The Christian life is a life of walking according to the Spirit. To walk in the Spirit is to have our living and our being according to the Spirit. Therefore, we need to set our mind on the Spirit and put to death the practices of the body (Rom.
The Christian life is a life of walking according to the Spirit. To walk in the Spirit is to have our living and our being according to the Spirit. Therefore, we need to set our mind on the Spirit and put to death the practices of the body (
TRANSFORMATION
Many Christians know of the regeneration of the spirit and the transfiguration of the body, but they neglect the crucial matter of the transformation of the soul. Nevertheless the Bible says, “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2). Therefore, we recognize the need to be dispositionally transformed in our souls by the inward working of the Spirit of life. As we are transformed, an inward change takes place in our very being. As our soul is permeated with the element of God, it is purified and sanctified. It can thereby fulfill its God-created function to express the Lord who dwells in our regenerated spirit. This transformation of the soul is intimately related to our readiness to meet the Lord at His coming. Those who would dwell in His holy and glorious presence must not merely be positionally sanctified, but be dispositionally transformed. This transformation requires the operation of the cross negatively and the working of the Spirit of life positively.
Many Christians know of the regeneration of the spirit and the transfiguration of the body, but they neglect the crucial matter of the transformation of the soul. Nevertheless the Bible says, “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2). Therefore, we recognize the need to be dispositionally transformed in our souls by the inward working of the Spirit of life. As we are transformed, an inward change takes place in our very being. As our soul is permeated with the element of God, it is purified and sanctified. It can thereby fulfill its God-created function to express the Lord who dwells in our regenerated spirit. This transformation of the soul is intimately related to our readiness to meet the Lord at His coming. Those who would dwell in His holy and glorious presence must not merely be positionally sanctified, but be dispositionally transformed. This transformation requires the operation of the cross negatively and the working of the Spirit of life positively.
TRANSFIGURATION
Finally, at the culmination of the Christian experience in life, our body will be transfigured and made like the Lord’s glorious body (Phil. 3:21). In the Bible this is called the redemption of the body, the fullness of sonship. Therefore, the Christian life begins with regeneration, passes through transformation, and consummates with the transfiguration of the body.
Finally, at the culmination of the Christian experience in life, our body will be transfigured and made like the Lord’s glorious body (Phil. 3:21). In the Bible this is called the redemption of the body, the fullness of sonship. Therefore, the Christian life begins with regeneration, passes through transformation, and consummates with the transfiguration of the body.
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Editor’s Note: This is an excellent outline of Apostolic Doctrine (in which the
saints of Jerusalem persevered daily at the temple and from house to house,
Acts 2:41-47, Heb. 3:12-19, exhort one another daily while it is called To day
vs. departing from the living God). Tragically, it is corrupted by false
teaching (the false doctrine of John Calvin, once saved – always saved) which
takes away everything (Rev. 22:14-19, God shall take away his part out of the
book of life) from the Word of God that warns saints severely of sinning
wilfully (Heb. 10:26, Mat. 24:45-51, the lord shall cut him asunder, Mat.
25:14-30, weeping and gnashing of teeth, Mark 9:47, cast into the fire of hell,
Rom. 11:22, the gentile believers also cut off, James 5:20, saving the soul of
sinning saints from death, 1 Cor. 15:1, believed in vain, Gal. 1:8, cursed,
Rev. 3:1-6, the church of Sardis who had many saints which were dead, some that
were ready to die and only a few ready to walk in white with Jesus).
Bible Study Series Walking in Agape-Love
to the End (Mat. 24:13, saved)
Partage Biblique Marcher en
Agape-Charité jusqu’a la fin (Mat. 24:13, sauvé)
Montréal – Longueuil – Laval
BH1-5 BLESSED are the good and faithful (Rom.11:22) slaves (Luke
8:11-15)
B1-2
BLESSED are the good and faithful (Rom.11:22) slaves (Luke 8:11-15, the ones
that fell on the good ground who, having heard the word with a noble and good
heart, KEEP IT, 1 Cor. 15:1, as Paul preached it, and bear fruit with
patience).
His
good and faithful slaves (Luke 8:11-15) are in no wise like His wicked,
slothful, unprofitable (less than 30 fold increase in fruit, Mat. 24:51, cast
where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth) slaves, (Mark 4:20). He who
has an ear, let him HEAR what the Spirit says to the churches (Rev. 3:1-6,
22:14-19).
Billy
Graham : « Peut-on perdre son salut ? »
https://www.infochretienne.com/billy-graham-on-perdre-salut/
Peut-on perdre le
Salut ? C’est la question que se posent de nombreux chrétiens. Dans son
courrier des lecteurs du 3 août, l’évangéliste Billy Graham a partagé ses
réflexions sur cette question.
« L’une des plus vieilles ruses du diable est de nous faire croire que
Dieu se retournera contre nous et nous enlèvera notre salut si nous commettons
un autre péché. »
CE N’EST PAS SELON TOUT LE CONSEIL
DE DIEU (Actes 20 :25-32, JAQUES 5:20, l’égarement, Mort de l’ame, Héb.
3 :12--19, Détournement du Dieu vivant, Incrédulité, Rebellion)
Beliefs & Practices of the local
Church in every City (Titus 1:1-10)
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IWA1-1DW-LR-DB
Invitation to walk in Agape-Love (Mat. 24:13) in every City (Jerusalem , Ephesus ,
Montréal, Longueuil, Laval , every City of Crete
IWA1-1DW-LR-DB Invitation de marcher en Agape-Charité
(Mat. 24 :13) dans chaque Ville (Jerusalem, Ephesus, Montréal, Longueuil,
Laval, chaque ville sur Crete, Tite 1 :1-12)
Beliefs & Practices of the local Church in every City
(Titus 1:1-10)
4 Attachments
