Heavenward Ministries

Turning hearts toward Heaven, one soul at a time.

Partners
Volunteer
Donations

Ministry News

Statement of Faith

What we believe

The Bible is the inspired Word of God; it is infallible truth; the unmitigated law of faith and conduct; surpassing the conscience and the mind; superior to the word of angels; recorded by men who were moved by the Holy Ghost (2 Timothy 3:15-16; Psalm 19:7; John 17:17; Luke 16:17; Roman 3:4; 1 Peter 2:2; Galations 1:8; 2Peter 1:21).

God is a triune being, possessing a body, Jesus Christ; a soul, the Father; and a spirit, the Holy Spirit; yet the three are one God; man likewise, being created in the image of God, is a trinity, bring comprised of a body, a soul and a spirit, yet the three are one man (1Thessalonians 5:23; Genesis 1:27; Luke 11:13; John 10:30; Matthew 28:19; Mark 12:29).

God the Father is eternal, immortal, invisible, without beginning or end, possessor of heaven and earth, of and in whom are all things; distinguished in the old covenant as "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob", and now distinguished in the new covenant by his Son, "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1Timothy 1:17; Deutoronomy 32:40; Genesis 14:19; 1Corinthians 8:6; Exodus 3:6; Romans 15:6).

Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of the Father, whose coming was the manifestation of God's love toward us; who lives forever, the glory of the Father, equal to and one with the Father, the only way to the Father, the express image of his person; the reconciler of all things, the heir of all things, by whom all things were made, who upholds all things by the word of his power; our soon-coming King, our advocate, our saviour, our redeemer and our Lord; worthy of our worship and adoration (1John 4:9; Hebrews 1:3, 7:25; 1Timothy 3:16; John 10:30, 14:6; Colossians 1:20; Colossians 1:20; John 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17; Revelation 1:7; 1John 2:1; John 3:17; Galations 3:13; John 13:13; Matthew 28:9).

Jesus Christ came after this mannor: he was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, being made in the likeness of man, he lived a sinless life, yet suffered volunteerily under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he decended into the heart of the earth and preached to the spirits in prison; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; and, from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead (Matthew 1:20, Philipians 2:7; Hebrews 4:15; John 10:17-18; Matthew 27:2, 27:35, 27:50; Mark 15:46; Matthew 12:40; Ephesians 4:9; 1Peter 3:19; Acts 10:40; Mark 16:19; 2Timothy 4:1).

Jesus Christ is the sum total of all the law and the prophets, fulfilled. Insomuch that all those things are completed in him. We therefore put our faith in him, and his righteousness is imputed to us, so that we are no more called law breakers (speaking of the law of Moses), but rather we are called law keepers, not that we of ourselves keep the law, but that we keep Jesus Christ, the fulfiller of the law and of the prophets, in our hearts by faith (Colossians 1:19-22; Matthew 5:17; Romans 8:1-4; Acts 13:39; Romans 3:31, 8:4, 10:3-11; Galations 3:2-3, 3:24, 5:4; Philipians 3:9; Hebrews 7:12, 8:6).

Man was created good and upright, but by voluntary disobedience, fell, and can only be saved by grace through God's free gift of faith in Jesus Christ; not by his own works, but according to the mercy of God, by the washing of regeneration by the water of the word, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, which was made possible by the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross; and, being justified by grace through faith, he becomes an heir of God according to the hope of eternal life (Genesis 1:26-31: 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21; Ephesians 2:8-9; Luke 23:47; Titus 3:5-7; Ephesians 5:26).

Those whom God foreknew he predestined to adoption as sons, to be conformed to the image of his son; called with an holy calling according to his own purpose and grace; chosen in Him, justified and glorified, and promised the hope of eternal life from before the world began; through the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, who verily was thus foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for us; forasmuch as God, who has power over us as clay, to make of the same lump one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour, will harden whom he will, and will show compassion and mercy upon whom he will; so that therefore it is not of man that wills, nor of man that runs, but of God that shows mercy, that he might make known the riches of his glory on those which he had afore prepared unto glory (Romans. 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:5; 2Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2; 1Peter 1:19-20; Romans 9:10-23).

The ordinance of baptism with water, as a symbol of burial with Christ, should be observed as commanded in the Scriptures, by all who have repented and in their hearts have truly believed in Christ as Savior and Lord. In so doing, they have the body washed in pure water as an outward symbol of cleansing, while their heart has already been sprinkled with the blood of Christ as an inner cleansing. Thus, they declare to the world that they have died with Jesus and that they have also been raised with Him to walk in newness of life (Matthew 28:19; Acts 10:47-48; Romans 6:4; Acts 20:21; Hebrews 10:22).

The Lord's Supper, consisting of the elements, bread and the fruit of the vine, is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ, and is a memorial of His suffering and death; it is enjoined on all believers until He comes (2 Peter 1:4; 1 Corinthians 11:26).

Unknown tongues, prophecy and knowledge will fail, cease and vanish away respectively, when the perfect comes, even when we see him face to face, and know even as we are known; which happens only after the new heavens and the new earth comes, and time is no longer; for without time or delay, prophecy will fail (become useless); and, when we "know even as we are known", tongues will cease itself, forasmuch as we can hear unknown tongues only while our understanding is unfruitful; and knowledge will vanish away, "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." (Revelation 22:4,10:6; 1Corinthians 14:14; Isaiah 65:17)

The great tribulation is called the great day of his wrath; and, the seven seals thereof, and the seven plagues thereof, along with the seven golden vials thereof, are the wrath of God it its fullness. Nevertheless, we his saints are not appointed unto wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Even as Christ's coming shall be as in the days of Noah, wherein destruction came suddenly, but not before the righteous were taken up, wherein Noah's ark is now a symbol of our redemption; likewise as in the days of Lot, wherein destruction came suddenly, nevertheless the angel said unto Lot, "I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither". For God did not slay Noah in the flood, nor did Lot perish in Sodom. Neither did Noah survive within the flood, but rose above; and Lot was not kept alive in Sodom, but was taken out before wrath came; so shall it be in that day for the church before God's wrath comes (Revelation 6:17, 15:1, 15:7; 1Thesselonians 5:9-11, 4:16-17; 1Corinthians 15:51-52; Matthew 24:40-42; Genesis 7:17-18, 19:16, 19:22).

Though the prophets were and prophecied until John, and though we know that in these last days the Father has spoken to us by his Son, yet because Jesus Christ dwells within every born-again believer, they may all prophecy, yet it is not they that speak, but the Spirit of God in them (Hebrews 1:1-2; Colossians1:27; 1Corinthians 14:31, 14:39; 1Peter 4:11; Matthew 10:20).

The Pentecostal outpouring of the Holy Spirit is that more expedient reason why Jesus went away. Not a going away for a few of days to die on the cross, nor a brief ascension, but rather his greater going away and ascension, even to leave this earth in his physical form, to ascend to heaven, to be with his Father as it is this day, that he might send unto us the promise of the Father. Therefore it behooves us to receive this pentecostal promise, lest Jesus in his physical form should have left us for nothing. And it further behooves us to not diminish the power of this promise, lest we fail to receive the full effect of what Jesus rightly said was even better for us than if Jesus had physically remained, though he is with us always in Spirit (John 16:7, 14:12; Matthew 28:20).

There are three scriptural levels of the Holy Spirit's involvement in our lives: with us, in us, and upon us. He is with us before salvation as part of our election and predestination; in us when we are saved as our seal of redemption, new birth experience, and ongoing sanctification; and comes upon us in the flesh as empowerment for the physical aspects of service. When he is in us, our spirit is being touched, transformed, and empowered. When he is upon us, our flesh is being touched, transformed, and empowered. Manifestations of the Spirit in the flesh are not unscriptural, for he said, "I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh". The desciples received the first two levels prior to Jesus' later ascension, and the third began at Pentecost (John 6:44; 2Corinthians 1:22; John 3:7, 3:6, 14:17, 20:22; Acts 1:8, 2:17).

The Scriptures teach a life of holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. By the power of the Holy Ghost we are able to obey the command, "Be ye holy, for I am holy." Entire sanctification is the will of God for all believers, and should be earnestly pursued by walking in obedience to God's Word (Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:15-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 1 John 2:6).

The church is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit with divine appointments for the fulfillment of the great commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven (Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:22; Hebrews 12:33).

A divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for a twofold purpose: The evangelization of the world, and the edifying of the Body of Christ (Mark 16:15-20; Ephesians 4:11-13).

Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement and is the privilege of all believers (Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:16-17).

The revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, the salvation of national Israel, and the Millennial reign of Christ on earth is the Scriptural promise and the world's hope (2 Thessalonians 1:17; Revelation 19:11-14; Romans 11:26-27; Revelation 20:1-7).

The devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, and whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, shall be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10-15).

The world is not our home, but we who are children of God are sojourners and pilgrims in the world, looking for a new heavens, and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness; not laying up treasures on the earth, but laying up treasures in heaven, for our citizenship is in heaven; not minding earthly things, nor walking in the flesh, but minding heavenly things, and walking in the Spirit; not rejoicing when our wealth is great in the things of this world, wherein all these things shall be dissolved, but redeeming the time, because the days are short; esteeming ourselves as possessing nothing of this world, for the fashion of this world passes away. And herein do we distinguish the world from the things of God, in that the world passes away, but the things of God abide forever. Therefore we are commanded to love not the world, nor anything that passes away, but to love God, and only those things of him which last forever (Hebrews 11:13-16; 2Peter 3:10-13; Matthew 6:19-21; Philippians 3:19-20; Romans 8:4-6; Job 31:25; Ephesians 5:16; 1Corinthians 7:29-31; 1John 2:15-17).