Statement of Faith

OUR STATEMENT OF FAITH:

The sole basis of our beliefs is the Bible, God’s infallible written Word. We believe that it was uniquely, verbally and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit and that it was written without error in the original manuscripts. It is the supreme and final authority in all matters on which it speaks.

We accept those areas of doctrinal teaching on which, historically, there has been general agreement among all true Christians. Because of the specialized calling of our ministry, we desire to allow for freedom of conviction on other doctrinal matters, provided that any interpretation is based upon the Bible alone, and that no such interpretation shall become an issue which hinders the ministry to which God has called us.

There is one true God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – each of whom possesses equally all the attributes of Deity and the characteristics of personality.

Jesus Christ is God, the living Word, who became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. Hence, He is perfect Deity and true humanity united in one person forever.

He lived a sinless life and voluntarily atoned for the sins of men by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone.

He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died.

He ascended bodily into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, where He, the only mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own.

Man was originally created in the image of God. He sinned by disobeying God; thus, he was alienated from his Creator. That historic fall brought all mankind under divine condemnation.

Man’s nature is corrupted, and he is thus totally unable to please God. Every man is in need of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

The salvation of man is wholly a work of God’s free grace and is not the work, in whole or in part, of human works or goodness or religious ceremony. God imputes His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, and thereby justified them in His sight.

It is the privilege of all who are born again of the Spirit to be assured of their salvation from the very moment in which they trust Christ as their Savior. This assurance is not based upon any kind of human merit, but is produced by the witness of the Holy Spirit, who confirms in the believer the testimony of God in His written word.

The Holy Spirit has come into the world to reveal and glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to men. He convicts and draws sinners to Christ, imparts new life to them, continually indwells them from the moment of spiritual birth and seals them until the day of redemption. His fullness, power and control are appropriated in the believer’s life by faith.

Every believer is called to live so in the power of the indwelling Spirit that he will not fulfill the lust of the flesh but will bear fruit to the glory of God.

Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, His Body, which is composed of all men and women, living and dead, who have been joined to Him through saving faith.

God admonishes His people to assemble together regularly for worship, for participation in ordinances, for edification through the Scriptures and for mutual encouragement.

At physical death the believer enters immediately into eternal, conscious fellowship with the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his body to everlasting glory and blessing.

At physical death the unbeliever enters immediately into eternal, conscious separation from the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his body to everlasting judgment and condemnation.

Jesus Christ will come again to the earth – personally, visibly and bodily – to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.

The Lord Jesus Christ commanded all believers to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and to disciple men of every nation. The fulfillment of that Great Commission requires that all worldly and personal ambitions be subordinated to a total commitment to “Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.”

TENANTS OF OUR FAITH:

These are the core beliefs of Sweet Song Ministries:

I. About God

God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God. (Genesis 1:1, 26: Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; I Peter 1:2)

II. About Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the one and only Son of God. He lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on the cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and is coming again soon as King of Kings and Lord of Lords to redeem His bride, the church. (Matthew 1:22,23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Hebrew 4:14, 15; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Romans 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; I Timothy 6:14,15; Titus 2:13)

III. About the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son. He is present in the world to make man aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with the power for living, enables understanding of Biblical truth, and guides them in righteous living. He provides every Christian with spiritual gifts for service at the moment of salvation. We seek to live under His control and guidance daily. (2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:17-17; Acts 1:8; I Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:18)

IV. About the Word of God

We believe that the Bible is the inerrant revelation of God’s nature, God’s vision, God’s purposes, God’s judgment, and God’s good news to humanity. We believe that God continues to progressively manifest his nature, vision, purpose, judgment, and good news to humanity, by pouring out his Spirit upon all flesh; Our sons and our daughters shall prophesy, our old men shall dream dreams, our young men shall see visions. Through the work of His Spirit, the servants, the handmaids, laypersons and those incardinated, or ordained, will be not merely hearers of the Word, but doers also. We believe the confirmation of the Holy Spirit within the believer and the Church is paramount in the revelation and discernment of God’s Word. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Numbers 22:28; Psalm 119:150, 160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5; Joel 2:28)

V. About Salvation

Salvation is by grace through faith alone; and is God’s free gift to us. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement; or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ in his or her life by faith. (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1; Romans 10: 9-10)

VI. About Eternity

Heaven is a literal place where God will wipe away every tear and there will be no more death, mourning, crying or pain. Believers will live forever in God’s presence. We also believe in a literal hell, which is a place of physical and spiritual torment, experienced as a result of eternal separation from God. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (John 3:16; John 14:7; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:17-18; Revelation 20:15, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

VII. About the Church

We believe that the true church is composed of all who have been saved through faith in Jesus Christ. We also believe members of the true Church, which is the Bride of Christ, are fully eligible for membership in the local church. God primarily ministers on earth through the local church. Christ is the head of the church, not any person, group, or religious organization. While recognizing the value of associating and cooperating with other groups of Christians, we believe that the local church should be independent, self-governing, and free from most associational and/or denominational control. (Matthew 16:18; I Corinthians 12:12-14; Hebrews 10:25; Colossians 1:18)

VIII. About the Christian Home

We believe that marriage consists of one man and one woman under God. That it is a great sacrament blessed by God. It is “honorable” (Heb 13.4). It is a “great mystery” (Eph 5.32) Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. (Genesis 5:2) We believe that God has given parents the responsibility to bring their children up in the nurture and discipline of the Lord. We believe that it is the parents responsibility to educate and disciple their children in the truth of God. We believe that the church must work to compliment the parent’s efforts and facilitate Godly living within the home. (Ephesians 6:4; Proverbs 22:6; Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Joshua 24:15)

IX. About Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

Jesus instructed His disciples to remember His death and resurrection. He gave the Church two visible symbols (called “ordinances”) as reminders. These two ordinances are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We respect all acts of baptism performed in spiritual obedience to the Lord as a one-time act of identification with Jesus Christ as one’s personal Lord and Savior. The Lord’s Supper is an ongoing symbol remembering our Lords death, burial, resurrection, and promised return. Each individual must decide their own participation in these ordinances. Regardless, we do not regard anyone’s participation in these practices as a means of salvation. (Matthew 28-18-20; 26:26-29; I Corinthians 11:23-32, Colossians 2:12)

X. About the Christian Life

We believe that God calls us with a holy calling to walk not after the desires and influences of the world, but after the Spirit. God wants us to live in the power of His Holy Spirit within us. We believe that the fallen, Adamic nature of the flesh is ever-present in this life. Therefore, keeping ourselves constantly in subjection to Christ, we must allow God’s Holy Spirit to live through us in a daily walk of faith. We believe God is gathering His children to Himself, and He desires for His house to be full. We believe that the redemption of the believer is wholly the work of God, who first calls the believer, inspires the believer to repent (turn away) from their damaging, sinful past, then grants full mercy and pardon to the believer through faith alone in Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the only Son of God, and continues His good work within each of us through the Holy Spirit which resides within the believer from the moment of salvation. No man can earn salvation, or live a redeemed, Christ-honoring life without the direction and work of God and the Holy Spirit. It is the responsibility and privilege of every Christian to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and to seek and to make growing disciples. We believe and uphold the priesthood of all believers, and believe that each child of God has a specific purpose and calling for ministry in this life. (Luke 14:12-24; Leviticus 26:30; Philippians 2:13; Ephesians 5:18; I Peter 3:15; Galatians 5:16; Matthew 28)

OUR BELIEFS CONCERNING MARRIAGE

In connection with the Supreme Court's Ruling concerning Marriage, our stand on this issue remains the same as it always has been.

Section 8 of the Tenants of Our Faith states:

"VIII. About the Christian Home

We believe that marriage* consists of one man and one woman under God. That it is a great sacrament blessed by God. It is "honorable" (Heb 13:4). It is a "great mystery" (Eph 5:32) Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. (Genesis 5:2) We believe that God has given parents the responsibility to bring their children up in the nurture and discipline of the Lord. We believe that it is the parents responsibility to educate and disciple their children in the truth of God. We believe that the church must work to compliment the parent's efforts and facilitate Godly living within the home. (Ephesians 6:4; Proverbs 22:6; Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Joshua 24:15)"

God inspired me to begin Sweet Song Ministries as a Ministry of Love and this is the premise upon which I base every aspect of the Ministry God gave me. Sweet Song Ministries is founded upon the unwavering belief that God's love should be extended to ALL people and that we should celebrate the precious gift He gives us to love and be loved by others. I believe God loves each and every one of us, regardless of who we are. The Bible tells me that He is no respecter of persons and that He extends His love and grace towards us, without exception. God's requirement of me as an individual, and more particularly as a Christian Minister of the Gospel, is that I extend that very same love and grace to others regardless of who they are, or what they believe. In His Word God states that He withholds the right of judgment for Himself and He has not, nor will He ever give me that authority. As such, I do not condemn those whose sexual orientation is different than my own and I do not bear any hate or animosity toward same-sex couples. I love them for who they are, God's children, and they are no less precious or valuable in His eyes than I. I have many friends who are of the same-sex orientation and I also know many whose Christian faith and beliefs are as strong as mine. I understand their desire to love and be loved as it is the human desire of each of us and I also understand their desire to be married and live out their life in a fulfilling, committed relationship.

However, as a Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I remain committed to my best understanding of what God intended from the very beginning, what Jesus affirmed, and what virtually all followers of Christ have understood almost universally until relatively recently. I believe and affirm that from the beginning of time God intended marriage to be composed of one man and one woman committing themselves to one another in a lifelong covenant of faithful love. In this union where two become flesh, God intends the reflection of His own self and His own image. In my heart I believe that God officiated the very first marriage ceremony when He created Eve from Adam's rib and then presented her to him as his wife. God reaffirmed His intent when He said, "For this reason a man should leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate. (Mark 10-9). Jesus later said: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away" (Mark 13:31). God's Word is unchanging and neither is He. As a Christian, I am committed to my Biblical faith and the ethics on which it stands; and as a Minister, I am committed to reflecting my faith and ethics in everything I say and do. As a result I stand on the authority of Scripture and affirm that God's Truth is central to my life. I believe that what the Bible says about marriage is clear, definitive and unchanging. I affirm Biblical, traditional, natural marriage as the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. The Scriptures' teaching on marriage is not negotiable and for me to officiate marriages outside the realm of God's authority would be a contradiction of those teachings.

The issue of same sex marriage is on the hearts of everyone, but in MY heart, I know that I have to remain true to myself and my faith because otherwise I would be in direct violation of everything I stand for and what I believe God instituted marriage to be. Weddings performed at my ministry facilities and home are Christian Worship services that reflect the beauty and sanctity of marriage as God intended it to be. As such, they are used for the edification of Jesus Christ and the Christian faith and will not be used for any other purpose. I am passionate about love and marriage and I believe there is no greater gift than the precious gift of love God gives us in a husband and wife relationship. I love working with and sharing my gift of love and ministry to couples but I stand firm on my beliefs concerning this issue and we at Sweet Song Ministries join together to support those who stand for natural marriage. Regardless of the Supreme Court ruling, and the opinion of those who would disagree with me, my first duty is to love and obey God and His commandments. Despite our differences or beliefs concerning this issue, we owe it to ourselves and our nation to treat everyone with the same dignity and respect that we would want for ourselves. We are all God's children, He loves us and there is no greater calling than to extend that love to others. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:13, "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. So faith, hope and love abide these three; but remember that the greatest of these is love." May God bless each and every one of you and may He keep us always in this wisdom.