Core Commitments

encounterGOD ministries is committed to...

• Seeking intimacy with the Lord through prayer and fasting - Experiencing intimacy with God's heart should be the primary pursuit of every believer, and the key to this intimacy is found in the place of prayer. It is only in prayer that we receive revelation concerning God's emotions, desires, and plans for our lives and for the world around us. Also, prayer allows us to actively partner with God through intercession, and it is the basis for prophecy, healing, and the releasing of God's power on the earth. We also believe that prayer should be accompanied by fasting, in the spirit of Joel 2:12-17.
  
  
• Embracing and calling others to embrace Jesus' primary commandments - In Matthew 22:34-40, we learn from Jesus' encounter with a teacher of the Law that there are two critical commandments that are closest to God's heart: "Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'" It is our desire to live lives marked by radical obedience to these commandments in order to bless the Lord's heart. We are committed to calling others to do the same.
  
  
• Embracing and calling others to embrace the Great Commission - In addition to the two primary commandments discussed above, Jesus also commands His disciples to reach out to the world around us with His love in order to make disciples and build His Kingdom: "Then Jesus came to [the disciples] and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age'" (Matthew 28:18-20). We are committed to doing our part to fulfill the Great Commission and to calling others to do the same.
  
  
• Serving as a forerunner for the return of Jesus Christ - Jesus has made it very clear that He is returning to the earth as a Bridegroom who is committed to claiming for Himself a Bride "without spot or wrinkle" (Ephesians 5:27). We believe that the time of Jesus' return is much sooner than many realize. As we look at the world around us, we can clearly see many of the "signs of the times" that Jesus said would immediately precede His return to the earth. Part of our calling is to help prepare the Church as a victorious Bride for the end times that are quickly approaching. We are committed to doing this through fasting, prayer, boldly teaching God's Word, and proclaiming Jesus and His Kingdom to all we encounter.

We believe that these are the core commitments that God has established for our ministry, and we are dedicated to pursuing them with intensity, both personally and in the context of ministry.

Core Beliefs

The following are core beliefs held by those associated with encounterGOD ministries:

• God - We believe that there is one true, holy 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. In the beginning, God created the world and all the things therein out of nothing, thus manifesting the glory of His power, wisdom and goodness. By His sovereign power God continues to sustain His creation. By His providence He is operating throughout history to fulfill His redemptive purposes. (John 1:1-5 & 14; Acts 17:24-28)
  
  
• Jesus - Jesus Christ is the eternal second Person of the Trinity Who was united with a true human nature by a miraculous conception and virgin birth. He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of all by dying on the cross as our substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. He rose from the dead in a glorified body, appeared to His disciples, ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father. He now serves as the only Mediator between God and man, continually making intercession for His Bride (the Church). He shall come again to earth, personally and visibly, to judge the Earth and receive unto Himself a Bride without spot or blemish. (Acts 2:22-36; 1 Timothy 2:5-6)
  
  
• The Holy Spirit / The Christian Life - The essential accompaniment of a genuine saving relationship with Jesus Christ is a life of holiness and obedience, evidenced in believers as they submit to the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. He was sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply to mankind the saving work of Jesus. He enlightens the minds of sinners, awakens in them a recognition of their need of a Savior and regenerates them. At the point of salvation He indwells every believer to become the source of life, assurance, strength and wisdom, and uniquely endows each believer with gifts for the edification of the Church. The Holy Spirit guides believers in understanding and applying the Scripture. His power and control are appropriated by faith, making it possible for the believer to lead a life of Christ-like character and to bear fruit to the glory of the Father. (Acts 1:4-8; Galatians 5:22-23)
  
  
• The Bible - The sole basis of our belief is the Bible, composed of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe that Scripture in its entirety originated with God, and that it was given through the instrumentality of chosen men. Scripture thus at one and the same time speaks with the authority of God and reflects the backgrounds, styles and vocabularies of the human authors. It is the unique, full and final authority on all matters of faith and practice. We believe fully that God still actively leads believers through the direction of the Holy Spirit, but that leading will never stand in contradiction to the Scriptures. (2 Timothy 3: 16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
  
  
• Salvation - The central purpose of God’s revelation in Scripture is to call all people into fellowship with Himself. Originally created to have fellowship with God, man defied God, choosing to go his independent way, and was thus alienated from God and suffered the corruption of his nature, rendering him unable to please God. The salvation of mankind is, then, wholly a work of God’s free grace, not the result, in whole or in part, of human works or goodness, and must be personally appropriated by repentance and faith. (Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 1:6)
  
  
• The Church - The result of union with Jesus Christ is that all believers become members of His body, the Church. There is one true Church universal, comprised of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Forgiver and Leader. The Scriptures command believers to gather together to devote themselves to worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, observance of baptism and communion as the ordinance established by Jesus Christ, fellowship, service to the body through the development and use of talents and gifts, and outreach to the world. Wherever God’s people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the Church. (Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:23-25)
  
  
• Faith & Practice - Scripture is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. No man or woman is able to bind the conscience of another believer in areas where the Scriptures are silent. Rather, each believer is to be led in those areas by the Lord, to whom he or she alone is ultimately responsible. (1 Corinthians 10:23-32)

Although this list is by no means an exhaustive description of our beliefs concerning God and ministry, it outlines the major tenets of our faith and belief. We welcome all discussion concerning these and other beliefs of those associated with encounterGOD ministries.