WHAT WE BELIEVE

Out of the Desert Ministries believe:

That  true ministry comes from His (Agape) love, without which we have no  right to claim ourselves a Christian. That ministry should be directed  by the Holy Spirit, therefore: we remain flexible and yielded to the  Holy Spirit to direct our ministry.

That the Bible is God's Holy  Word, verbally and fully inspired and that it is the supreme authority  in all matters of faith and conduct.

That there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

In  God the Father, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, measureless in  power. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of  men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that:

God saves from  sin and death all who come to Him through Christ.  Salvation is a Free  Gift given to man by Faith and is Eternal because salvation is of God,  not man.

In Jesus Christ, the divine, eternal and only begotten  Son of God. We believe that in His earthly life He was conceived of the  Holy Spirit, born of the virgin and lived a sinless life. 

In His  vicarious and atoning death for the sins of the world. We believe in  His bodily resurrection from the dead, His ascension to the right hand  of the Father to make intercession for the saints, and in His personal,  visible return to the world in power and glory.

In the Holy  Spirit, in His personality and deity, that He was sent forth from the  Father. We believe that He is come to indwell, sanctify, instruct and  comfort the saints.

That all men are, by nature, sinners,  destitute of all power to save themselves. We believe, therefore, that  the only means of salvation of sinful men is through the grace of Jesus  Christ.

That all Christians are to be witnesses by the Holy  Spirit to spread the Gospel of Christ, which is the Power of God unto  salvation.

IN DEPTH
We  believe the Bible to be our sole, all-encompassing guide and rule for  both faith and practice. Therefore, all branches of Out of the Desert  Ministries, adhere to and believe the following tenets...

THE SCRIPTURES

The  Bible is the inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are the divine  revelations given from God and received by Man, and as such, are the  only such revelations that are inspired and infallible. The Bible is the  supreme authority in all matters of faith and morals. The Word of God  is the direct revelation of the will of God for all men and for all  time. The Scriptures were plenary-verbally inspired, that is the Holy  Spirit breathed upon men the very words and thoughts He wanted in  conjunction with the writers personalities, traits and emotions. The  Holy Spirit guarded and preserved each thought, phrase and word from any  error, omission or inaccuracy.

II Timothy 3:16-17 
Hebrews 4:12 
Exodus 24:4 
II Peter 3:2

THE ONE TRUE GOD

Our  God is revealed in Scriptures as the eternal Godhead, the Trinity, who  has shown Himself as one God, existing in three persons - The Father,  The Son, and The Holy Spirit. The Godhead is distinguishable but  indivisible in essence; co-eternal, co-existent, co-equal in nature,  attributes, power and glory. God is one undivided and invisible essence,  yet with three eternal distinctions: God the Father, God the Son, and  God the Holy Spirit.

Deuteronomy 6:4 
Isaiah 48:16 
Matthew 28:19 
Ephesians 4:4-6

THE DEITY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

The  Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, the 2nd member of the  Godhead, who pre-existed with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Through  the Incarnation and Virgin Birth, Jesus took upon Himself the form of  Man, thus revealing Himself as the God-Man. Jesus Christ was sinless,  perfect, crucified, buried, resurrected, ascended, glorified and He will  come again to earth a second time. He is the perfect Mediator between  God and Man because in the person of Christ is the fully divine and the  fully human. Of the same substance with the Father as to His divinity,  yet of the same substance with us as to His humanity. Perfect in deity,  perfect in humanity.

Colossians 1:15-19 
Philippians 2:5-8 
I Timothy 2:5-6 
John 1:1-3, 14-18

THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HIS BAPTISM [The Baptism With the Holy Spirit] 

The  Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. He is co-equal,  co-eternal and co-existent with the Father and with the Son. His  ministry upon the earth is to convict and covert man as well as be the  great paraclete (comforter, counselor, helper, intercessor, advocate,  strengthener and standby) to the Church. The baptism of the Holy Spirit  and Fire is a gift from God as promised by the Lord Jesus to all  believers and is received subsequent to and in addition to the New  Birth. The initial evidence of speaking with other tongues, as well as  other manifestations described in Acts 2, accompanies this experience.  Whereas there is one initial baptism, there are many subsequent  infillings of the Spirit. The purpose of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit  is so that we, the believers, may have power to be witnesses.

Matthew 3:11 
John 14:16-17 
Acts 1:8 
Acts 2

THE REDEMPTION OF MAN

Man  is a created being and was made in the likeness and image of God (both  male and female). But, through Adam's transgression and fall, sin came  into the world and passed upon all men. Jesus Christ, the Son of God,  was manifested to undo the work of the devil and gave His life and shed  His blood to redeem and restore man back to God. Salvation is the free  gift of God to Man, separate from works and the Law, and is made  operative by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, producing works  acceptable to God. This salvation experience occurs when an individual  confesses with his mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in his heart  that God has raised Him from the dead.  Salvation is by God and kept by  God unto eternal life.  Jesus promised those who come to him and receive  Him would never perish but have eternal life.  Jesus did promise all  who believe and receive that he would Never forsake them or cast them  out, but that He would raise all the saved, whom he has given  salvation. 

Romans 5:12-21 
Romans 10:9-10 
John 3:16-17

John 6:37-40
I John 3:8

ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH

The  Lord Jesus Christ, Head of the Church, established two ordinances for  the Church to follow: Water Baptism and Communion. Baptism in water, by  full immersion, is a direct commandment of our Lord. While it is not  necessary for salvation, it is for all believers. This ordinance is an  outward sign of an inward work. It symbolizes a believer's  identification with Jesus in His death, burial and resurrection.   All  new Believers should be Baptized preferably the same day they professed  their faith, as much as possible.  Those who refuse to be baptized will  not be blessed fully.

The ordinance of Communion is also a  commandment of the Lord Jesus that must be received consistently until  His return. Only believers can come to the Table of the Lord, which  consists of the bread and the cup. The bread speaks of His body, which  was broken for us. The cup speaks of His blood that was shed for us.  Both elements are witnesses of the New Covenant believers now enjoy  while prophetically declaring His soon return.

Matthew 28:19 
I Peter 3:21 
Luke 22:7-20 
I Corinthians 11:17-30

FURTHER WORKS OF REDEMPTION

The  death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ not only  secured the eternal redemption from sin, but also redemption from  sickness and disease.  Divine Healing has been provided for by the  Atonement. It is for the physical ills of the human body and is wrought  by the power of God through various methods and means detailed within  the Word.   The Lord Jesus did promise to his believers, all spiritual  blessings in heavenly places.  God did command the principle of tithes  and offerings, sowing and reaping and numerous stewardship truths found  throughout the Word.

Isaiah 53:4-5 
I Peter 2:24 
I John 2 
II Corinthians 8:9

SANCTIFICATION

The  Bible teaches that without holiness no man can see the Lord. We believe  in the Doctrine of Sanctification as a definite, yet progressive work  of grace, commencing at the time of regeneration and continuing until  the consummation of salvation at Christ's return.

I Thessalonians 5:23 
II Corinthians 3:18 
Philippians 3:12-14 
I Corinthians 1:30

THE END OF ALL THINGS

Jesus  promised to return literally and physically to the Earth.   Scriptures  tell us He will return after the seven year Tribulation. and catch away  all of his Church into the clouds to meet him at His Second Coming.  The  dead in Christ shall rise first; then we, which are alive and remain,  shall be changed [given heavenly bodies] and caught up together with  them.   Jesus and his Saints will return to Earth where He will set up  His Earthly Kingdom.  Jesus [in person and body] shall reign with His  Saints on the earth [over the remaining nations left] for another  thousand years.  He will be King on Earth and Reign from Jerusalem.   Those who will be on Earth over which Jesus and his Saints reign will  be separated from all the  wicked remaining on Earth at the Judgment of  the Nations, and the saved nation of Israel.  All Nations will be  gathered to that judgment and be judged to see who enters into the 1000  year Kingdom.  (See Matthew 25:32-46)  

Satan  will be bound at the beginning of the 1000 year Kingdom in the  bottomless pit.  After this 1,000-year period, Satan will be loosed for a  short time to once again go out to deceive men in that Kingdom.   Satan's deception will finally end in his eternal torment in the lake  of fire.   Following the judgment of Satan, all the wicked will be  judged at the Great White Throne by their works and thrown physically  into the Lake of Fire where they will be forever punished. 

Following  the Great White Throne Judgment the new heavens and the new earth will  be revealed and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Matthew 24:29-31 (clearly states the Second Coming follows the Tribulation)

Matthew 25:32-46
I Thessalonians 4:16-17 
I Corinthians 15:51, 52 
Revelation 20 
Revelation 21

HELL AND ETERNAL RETRIBUTION

The  one who physically dies in his sins without accepting Christ is  hopelessly and eternally lost in the Lake of Fire and therefore has no  further opportunity of hearing the Gospel or repenting. The Lake of Fire  is literal. The terms "eternal" and "everlasting" used in describing  the duration of the punishment of the damned in the Lake of Fire, carry  the same thought and meaning of endless existence as used in denoting  the duration of joy and ecstasy of saints in the presence of God.

Hebrews 9:27 
Matthew 25:31-46 
Mark 9:43-48 
Mark 16:15-16

Revelation 20:10 (Day and Night - For ever and ever, KJV)

Revelation 20:15 (Whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire!)