Value #2 - We Honor The Word of God

“The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and He sustains everything by the mighty power of His command. When He had cleansed us from our sins, He sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in Heaven.” Hebrews 1:3 (New Living Translation)

“So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.: John 1:14 (New Living Translation)

“Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you.: 2 Thessalonians 3:1 (New Living Translation)

Whether I believe the Word of God (the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation) as inerrant is an intellectual decision. Whether I honor it is a spiritual decision. Believing is of very little worth; honoring and obeying the Word is everything. The Word is broken into two revelations: the Old Testament and the New Testament. As Believers, we are commanded to obey the New Testament, and to recognize that the Old Testament is the foundation of the New. In some ways, words can lose their impact and intent over the years, so it may be more helpful to think of “testament” as “promise.” The Old Promise was that if God’s people kept the law, He would bless them. The New Promise is that as God’s people live surrendered to Jesus Christ moment by moment, they will have the Holy Spirit to empower them now!

All of our partnering churches are to be committed to God’s Word in all things.

Value # 3- The Holy Spirit Is The Difference

“The palace and the city will be deserted, and busy towns will be empty…. until at last the Spirit is poured out on us from Heaven. Then the wilderness will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops.” Isaiah 32:14-15 (New Living Translation)

“Once when He was eating with them, He commanded them, ‘Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift He promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ “ Acts 1:4-5 (New Living Translation)

Why is the Holy Spirit so important to believers? He, and HIs gifts, are Heaven’s promise to the Lord’s people! Jesus died so that we would be vessels capable of housing His Spirit. When I surrender to the Lordship of Jesus, and honor the Word of God, an experience with the Spirit is the next logical step. This, too, is not possible intellectually but only spiritually.

This experience is described in Acts 10:44-46. “Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God.” (New Living Translation)

All of our partnering churches are to be Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered, and Spirit-led. They are to be places where sinners are converted with baptism in water and then empowered with the baptism in the Spirit.

Value #4 - We Expect The Return Of The Lord Jesus

“The servants who are ready and waiting for His return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, He Himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!” Luke 12:37 (New Living Translation)

“But we are citizens of Heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior.” Philippians 3:20 (New Living Translation)

“……we are already God’s children, but He has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like Him, for we shall see Him as He really is.” John 3:2 (New Living Translation)

The return is only possible because of the resurrection! The Lord Jesus has not yet finished His work. He has promised to come back for us. “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am.” John 14:3 (New Living Translation)

the Bible focuses on both the signs of the Lord’s return as well as His actual appearance. We are living in the age of many, many signs of His soon return. At Cry, we believe there is nothing waiting to be fulfilled before Jesus can return for the believers. We are looking for Him and Him alone. We are not looking for a false messiah, God’s wrath, a tribulation, an anti-christ, a global system of government, or anything else except our Savior.

All of our partnering churches will live in expectation of His soon return while understanding the privileges we have and the work to be done in this life until He does return.

Value #5 - We Cherish Church

“All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:27

“Christ is also the head of the church, which is His body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So He is first in everything.: Colossians 1:18

What is church? It is both the believers scattered and planted in life all over the world as well as some of those believers gathered together in one place worshiping the Lord Jesus. It is all of us and it is two or ore of us when we are together locally. Jesus describes the power and presence this way, “I also tell you this: if two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, My Father in Heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as My followers, I am there among them.” Matthew 18:19-20 (New Living Translation)

When are together, we have immense power in praying to Him and seeking His will. This is possible because when we are together we have His presence. 

All of our partnering churches will be places that depend upon the Lord’s presence for everything. When His presence comes, healing is available and deliverance is made possible. When His presence is with us, miracles happen, lives are transformed, and the Kingdom of God moves forward on earth!