THE PRESENCE OF GOD
We Were Created For God’s Presence
His presence empowers us and changes us. He first created Adam and Eve in His presence for friendship and purpose. That is why life doesn’t make any sense apart from His presence (Genesis 3:8). We were never intended to live separate from God. He wants to infuse every area of our lives with His presence so we can know Him intimately and experience His favor in all we do.
The Holy Spirit
Christianity is not about willpower but Spirit power. It is about the Holy Spirit resting upon and filling up ordinary people, enabling them to do extraordinary things. The Bible says, “The kingdom of God is not in word but in power” (1 Corinthians 4:20). And, “The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). We believe the church is assigned to do the works of Jesus until He comes back and this is accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit. “And you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
The Word of God
The Bible is God’s perfect Word to us. It is heaven speaking to earth. Through the Bible God guides us, inspires us, and reveals Himself to us. We value the Word of God above everything else. “Heaven and earth will pass away by My words will by no means pass away.” Matthew 24:35
Worship
When we worship with our instruments and our hearts it brings the presence of God. That is why we begin every service with heartfelt, powerful worship. God created music and has given it to us to express our love for Him. When we play, His supernatural presence comes among us and does things that only God can do (Psalm 150).
Love
Nothing else matters. God tells us to love people, all people. Not just the people who are in the church, but people all around the world no matter what their background or station in life. We can have the greatest church in the world, but if we don’t have love, the Bible says we are nothing. Therefore love is what we do, expressed in a thousand different ways. “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).
The Church
The church is not a business. The Church is people. The Church is not the building we attend on Sunday mornings. It is not an abstract idea or a man-made concept. Jesus calls the Church His Bride. Jesus began the Church, died for the Church, is presently building His Church and will eventually come back for His Church. The Church is where you will find your deepest, most life-giving, eternal friendships. It is where you will find purpose and learn how to fulfill God’s plan for your life. The Church is Jesus’ instrument for overcoming evil in the world (Matthew 16:18, 19; Ephesians 3:10).
Serving
Jesus said, “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). You are never more like Jesus than when you are serving. As followers of Jesus we believe this life is not about us. Jesus saved us and has called us to serve, like he did, with our very lives. We are thankful. This is why we freely and joyfully give of ourselves: our time, energies, abilities and money, for the things that matter most to Him. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
The Kingdom of God
This is Jesus’ message. In fact His first sermon was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Jesus came to restore the kingdom of God back to man and it has suffered a violent attack ever since (Matthew 11:12). We are about establishing and expanding the kingdom of God in our city, nation and world.
Reaching Our World
Jesus told us to go into all the world with the Good News. That is why we support and send missionaries all over the world on short-term missions as well as supporting life-time missionaries and organizations. We share and show the gospel. We share the gospel by telling people about salvation through Jesus Christ. The Bible says that the message of the gospel, “…is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16). We show the gospel through countless acts of service locally and globally. “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40).
Prayer
Prayer changes things. In fact, none of the above happens without prayer, but all of it can happen through prayer! The kingdom of God is about spiritual warfare therefor we fight with spiritual weapons. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven suffers a violent attack and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12). That is why we are the only army that fights on our knees. “The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]” (James 5:16 Amp).
Mailing address: PO Box 1078 Poway, CA 92074