Vignettes from Vietnam
Heard, Understood, Acknowledge 
  
Author: Ron McCants

The review of this book and description is by Hugh H. Morgan, Editor of Hugh's News.

The Vietnam war was an unpopular war. The men who fought in that war were some of America’s finest youth who fought to defend the people in South Vietnam.

One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. 58,148 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.7 million who served. Although the percent that died is similar to other wars, amputations or crippling wounds were 300 percent higher than in World War II. 75,000 Vietnam veterans are severely disabled.

Ron McCants in this book, Vignettes from Vietnam, gives a firsthand view of a man who served our country in the rice fields and jungles of this horrible war. His memory of the events, soldiers, and circumstances is incredible. He is a gifted writer who makes the story come alive in the printed pages of this book.  It was written to help all those who would like to know what this war was like for an Army infantry soldier. He is an excellent teacher, and defines military terms as the story unfolds, and he includes a glossary of terms and acronyms near the end of the book.

Ron was not a Christian although he grew up in a Christian home and his parents were members of the Pentecostal Holiness Church; however, he discovered that God was real and that he needed Him in his life to protect him in some of the most challenging and difficult times in his life. In the midst of it all, he found purpose and meaning of his life, and the future God had planned for him.

It is interesting to learn that Ron is a graduate of Holmes Bible College. He is an ordained minister of the Pentecostal Holiness Church and has served a number of our churches as pastor and who became the superintendent of East Tennessee Conference. He has served as Ministry Ambassador in Dr. Charles Stanley’s In Touch Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia. However, he as a new assignment at In Touch Ministries in Global Communications as Director of Life Principles Training - training and resourcing pastors primarily in underdeveloped nations.

Two years ago, Ron was elected president of his battalion association - 5th Battalion/60th Infantry of the 9th Infantry Division.
​
Ron is married to the love of his life, the former Miss Barbara Taylor. They were married in 1971.  They have a daughter, Stephanie, who is married to Kirk McConnell who is on staff at Emmanuel College.  Stephanie is a teacher at the Royston Elementary School. They have a son, Will.

No doubt many of you have loved ones and friends who fought in this war. Ron McCants hopes what he has written will help you to relate to them in more meaningful ways by listening to their stories.

I recommend that you consider purchasing it.

Ron McCants’ book, Vignettes from Vietnam, may be ordered at his website: www.ronmccants.com

[Editor’s Comment: I was asked by Steve Spillman, the owner and CEO of True Potential, Inc. Reach the World Publishers in Travelers Rest, SC to promote Ron McCants’ book. I knew the name but could not remember where and when I had met him. I was interested in reading the book for my own personal benefit, but I knew I could not promote it without knowing him personally. So, I contacted Ron via email with several questions to which he promptly responded. I discovered that our paths crossed several times when I was an Air Force chaplain and director/endorser of Chaplains Ministries, IPHC. In the opening chapter of this book, Ron describes taking off from McChord AFB after his Basic Training (Boot Camp) and AIT (Advanced Infantry Training) at Fort Lewis, Washington on his way with other soldiers to Vietnam. My first active duty assignment was at McChord AFB, and our daughter, Stephanie, was born at Madigan Army General Hospital at Fort Lewis. Today, this Army Post and Air Force Base are merged to be the Joint Base Lewis-McChord with some 70,000 acres of land.]

 At the Celebration of Life service I used Bro. Willard’s name as an acronym to honor his life and legacy.

W - Welcoming (He never met a stranger in Asia, Africa or America)
I - Inspirational (He “stirred up the gifts” in a younger generation of Pastors and missionaries, myself included!)
L - Love God (Willard really loved the Lord!)
L - Love People (Willard knew and followed the 1st and 2nd commandment!)
A - Action (Willard had great faith and also took great action!)
R - Ready (Willard was ready to to serve, ready to share his faith and also ready to go!)
D - Disciple-maker (Willard made disciples in the Philippines, Africa and the USA!)
We truly mourn the early loss but are at peace with heaven's gain of Bishop Mike, Bro. Willard Wagner and other dear friends.
-
This week we are in NC, October 31 we will be in VA, the 1st week of November we travel to Alabama and then back To NC. We are truly on the road - working hard to get back to Asia in His perfect timing!
We nave traveled well over 30k miles since being in the USA and have a few more miles yet to travel!
Pray with us that we raise our full support quickly so we can return to a very soon to open Asia.
-
To partner with us financially in our personal and ministry support, please visit https://give.iphc.org/missionary/al-and-coli-argo or send your check (earmarked with 28061-S) to World Missions Ministries, PO Box 270420, Oklahoma City, OK 73137.

Thank you for all you do for our family and World Missions in Asia and around the world.
With great love! ,
Al, Coli, Alex, Chan Argo
Serving Asia
World Missions Ministries
910-379-6023  
​
[Editor's Comment: Willard Wagner was my roommate for one year at Holmes Bible College. We sang in a quartet and preached together. Melvine sang in their wedding. We help to support them for many years. We always enjoyed visiting in their home when they lived in Franklin Springs, Georgia. Yvonne was an excellent cook and home maker. We were with them in Hong Kong and in Beijing, China in 2015 for the 5th IPHC Global Summit. We flew from Hong Kong to Seattle together and then to Atlanta.]
​

​1 Corinthians 13  Called the Love Chapter of the Bible
 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 
NIV

You Can Bless The Faculty & Staff of Holmes Bible College

You and I can bless the Faculty & Staff of Holmes Bible College at this Advent and Christmas season.

According to Rev. W. A. Mills, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Holmes Bible College, this Bible college "has been training champions for Christ for 123 years, preparing pastors, missionaries, preachers and teachers to hold forth 'the Word of life' (Philippians 2:16) into a world which desperately needs the light of the Gospel."

The remuneration for the teaching services of the faculty and staff is limited and these people who serve the students are there because they believe God has called them to work in this faith Bible college.

Here is where you and I can fill in the gap, and make up the hedge in showing our deep appreciation for their labor of love.

W.A. Mills said in his letter, "Let's close this challenging year with the best offering yet for these extraordinary and deserving servants of Christ and their families, helping to lighten their load as they continue giving of themselves in the spirit of our founders, N. N. and Lucy Holmes.

Join me in giving to the Faculty and Staff Christmas Fund. You may go online to give by going to www.holmes.edu or sending your check to Holmes Bible College at the address below:

Holmes Bible College
P. O. Box 14188
Greenville, SC 29610-4188

May God richly reward you for your giving. 

Your friend in all seasons,

Hugh H. Morgan, Editor of Hugh's News, Inc.

​Passing the Baton

Author: Anne Graham Lotz

"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32, NKJV).

Winning a relay race depends not only on the speed of the runners but also on their skillful ability to transfer the baton. If the baton is dropped, precious seconds are wasted, and the race may be lost. If the runner fails to pass the baton, he is disqualified from the race altogether.

In the race of life, the “baton” is the truth that leads to personal faith in God. Each generation receives the “baton” from the previous generation, runs the race to the best of its ability, then passes the “baton” smoothly and securely to the next generation.

Every day we see advances in our civilization bringing better health care, longer life spans, and ever-expanding knowledge. But underneath all the progress and sophistication, our civilization is experiencing a bankruptcy of moral and spiritual values that threatens to erode our very existence. In the midst of wickedness and waste, we must strive to relay the baton of truth that leads to personal faith in God that has been handed down to generation after generation since Creation.

Blessings,

Anne Graham Lotz

Copyright © 2021 Anne Graham Lotz (AnGeL Ministries) Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved www.annegrahamlotz.org.                                                                                                          

​President's Prayer Group

Author: Ron White

In an effort to continue daily prayers for Emmanuel College and at the same time reduce the amount of mail going to the inboxes of our prayer partners, the Pray For Emmanuel prayer blog is moving to a weekly format as of today. There are any number of ways to use the prayer blog. Hold this email in your inbox for the entire week and pray over the needs. Copy and paste it into your prayer lists or into your phone's notes app or into your tasks list. Regardless of how you manage the prayer blog, please keep Emmanuel College in your prayers. Thank you for praying.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV)

Please pray for Emmanuel College this week, October 24-30, 2021.

Sunday – for EC Serve to be fully functional in the spring semester including domestic and international mission trips.

Monday – for the eradication of the corona virus on our campus, in our nation, and around the world, and pray for safe and effective operations for Emmanuel College this academic year. 

Tuesday – for our student leaders to be effective in engaging our student body in faith, learning, and living.

Wednesday – for chapel services this week, for our speakers to share a word from the Lord, for our students, staff, and faculty to be receptive.

Thursday – for donors to continue giving generously to the Now More Than Ever fundraising campaign.

Friday – for individuals and ministry groups that travel this weekend sharing the Gospel and promoting the College.

Saturday – for future students who God is calling to Emmanuel to hear clearly from the Lord and to obey.

Thank you for praying. 

Ron White, Ed.D.
President
Emmanuel College
181 Spring Street
Franklin Springs, GA 30639
706-245-2803

Colossians 1:15-20  God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him. 
 He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 
NIV

It's Time To Sing

Here is a favorite song I love to sing or hear sung. It is "'Till the Storm Passes Over."

Recently, I have been thinking about a song my pastor, O. N. Todd, Jr. used to sing when I was growing up in our church in Birmingham, Alabama, "'Till the Storm Passes Over." Some time ago I was called upon to stand with a family I dearly love as they were in the midst of a storm in their lives. It may be that you, too, are going through a storm in your life that is engulfing you this very hour. I pray that this song will bring hope to you and help you get through this storm you are facing. 

Storms come to all of us at one time or another. The God Who allows you to go into a storm will surely be with you and bring you out. Jesus cares for you and He is every mindful of what you are experiencing. 

You may choose to listen to Vestal Goodman as she sings this Gospel song on a YouTube video as you read the lyrics below:

Lyrics:

'Till the Storm Passes Over

In the dark of the midnight,
Have I oft hid my face;
While the storm howls above me,
And there's no hiding place;
'Mid the crash of the thunder,
Precious Lord, hear my cry;
"Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by."

'Till the storm passes over,
'Till the thunder sounds no more;
'Till the clouds roll forever from the sky,
Hold me fast, let me stand,
In the hollow of Thy hand;
Keep me safe 'till the storm passes by.

Many times Satan whispers,
"There is no need to try;
For there's no end of sorrow,
There's no hope by and by";
But I know Thou art with me,
And tomorrow I'll rise;
Where the storms never darken the skies.

'Till the storm passes over,
'Till the thunder sounds no more;
'Till the clouds roll forever from the sky,
Hold me fast, let me stand,
In the hollow of Thy hand;
Keep me safe 'till the storm passes by.

When the long night has ended,
And the storms come no more,
Let me stand in Thy presence.
On that bright, peaceful shore.
In that land where the tempest
Never comes, Lord may I
Dwell with Thee when the storm passes by.

'Till the storm passes over,
'Till the thunder sounds no more;
'Till the clouds roll forever from the sky,
Hold me fast, let me stand,
In the hollow of Thy hand;
Keep me safe 'till the storm passes by.

Hold me fast, Let me stand,
In the hollow of Thy hand;
Keep me safe 'till the storm passes by.
'Till the storm passes by.

2021 Advent Series Begins November 28
​
Advent 2021
​
We prepare our hearts as Christmas is just a few months out. Dr. Beacham will bring us into the spirit while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas. Keep your eye out for the first episode on November 28th. You can keep up with new episodes and Advent studies on our following channels: Instagram, Facebook, Webpage and YouTube.

General Conference 2022 in Jacksonville, Florida

​We're less than one year away from our 29th General Conference in Jacksonville! We'll gather to worship God, celebrate the Kingdom, enjoy fellowship, and do the business of the IPHC. More details--including speakers, events, and registration--coming soon!

July 27-29,2022
Hyatt Regency Riverfront

You and I can bless the Faculty & Staff of Holmes Bible College at this Advent and Christmas season.

According to Rev. W. A. Mills, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Holmes Bible College, this Bible college "has been training champions for Christ for 123 years, preparing pastors, missionaries, preachers and teachers to hold forth 'the Word of life' (Philippians 2:16) into a world which desperately needs the light of the Gospel."

The remuneration for the teaching services of the faculty and staff is limited and these people who serve the students are there because they believe God has called them to work in this faith Bible college.

Here is where you and I can fill in the gap, and make up the hedge in showing our deep appreciation for their labor of love.

W.A. Mills said in his letter, "Let's close this challenging year with the best offering yet for these extraordinary and deserving servants of Christ and their families, helping to lighten their load as they continue giving of themselves in the spirit of our founders, N. N. and Lucy Holmes.

Join me in giving to the Faculty and Staff Christmas Fund. You may go online to give by going to www.holmes.edu or sending your check to Holmes Bible College at the address below:

Holmes Bible College
P. O. Box 14188
Greenville, SC 29610-4188

May God richly reward you for your giving. 

Your friend in all seasons,

Hugh H. Morgan, Editor of Hugh's News, Inc.

Vignettes from Vietnam
Heard, Understood, Acknowledge 
  
Author: Ron McCants

The review of this book and description is by Hugh H. Morgan, Editor of Hugh's News.

The Vietnam war was an unpopular war. The men who fought in that war were some of America’s finest youth who fought to defend the people in South Vietnam.

One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. 58,148 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.7 million who served. Although the percent that died is similar to other wars, amputations or crippling wounds were 300 percent higher than in World War II. 75,000 Vietnam veterans are severely disabled.

Ron McCants in this book, Vignettes from Vietnam, gives a firsthand view of a man who served our country in the rice fields and jungles of this horrible war. His memory of the events, soldiers, and circumstances is incredible. He is a gifted writer who makes the story come alive in the printed pages of this book.  It was written to help all those who would like to know what this war was like for an Army infantry soldier. He is an excellent teacher, and defines military terms as the story unfolds, and he includes a glossary of terms and acronyms near the end of the book.

Ron was not a Christian although he grew up in a Christian home and his parents were members of the Pentecostal Holiness Church; however, he discovered that God was real and that he needed Him in his life to protect him in some of the most challenging and difficult times in his life. In the midst of it all, he found purpose and meaning of his life, and the future God had planned for him.

It is interesting to learn that Ron is a graduate of Holmes Bible College. He is an ordained minister of the Pentecostal Holiness Church and has served a number of our churches as pastor and who became the superintendent of East Tennessee Conference. He has served as Ministry Ambassador in Dr. Charles Stanley’s In Touch Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia. However, he as a new assignment at In Touch Ministries in Global Communications as Director of Life Principles Training - training and resourcing pastors primarily in underdeveloped nations.

Two years ago, Ron was elected president of his battalion association - 5th Battalion/60th Infantry of the 9th Infantry Division.
​
Ron is married to the love of his life, the former Miss Barbara Taylor. They were married in 1971.  They have a daughter, Stephanie, who is married to Kirk McConnell who is on staff at Emmanuel College.  Stephanie is a teacher at the Royston Elementary School. They have a son, Will.

No doubt many of you have loved ones and friends who fought in this war. Ron McCants hopes what he has written will help you to relate to them in more meaningful ways by listening to their stories.

I recommend that you consider purchasing it.

Ron McCants’ book, Vignettes from Vietnam, may be ordered at his website: www.ronmccants.com

[Editor’s Comment: I was asked by Steve Spillman, the owner and CEO of True Potential, Inc. Reach the World Publishers in Travelers Rest, SC to promote Ron McCants’ book. I knew the name but could not remember where and when I had met him. I was interested in reading the book for my own personal benefit, but I knew I could not promote it without knowing him personally. So, I contacted Ron via email with several questions to which he promptly responded. I discovered that our paths crossed several times when I was an Air Force chaplain and director/endorser of Chaplains Ministries, IPHC. In the opening chapter of this book, Ron describes taking off from McChord AFB after his Basic Training (Boot Camp) and AIT (Advanced Infantry Training) at Fort Lewis, Washington on his way with other soldiers to Vietnam. My first active duty assignment was at McChord AFB, and our daughter, Stephanie, was born at Madigan Army General Hospital at Fort Lewis. Today, this Army Post and Air Force Base are merged to be the Joint Base Lewis-McChord with some 70,000 acres of land.]

Articles of Faith of the IPHC - Amplification by Bishop Joseph A. Synan 

Introduction – Historical
The first four paragraphs in our “Articles of Faith” together with number 6 as it now appears in the present arrangement were incorporated into our Discipline (Manual) in 1929 under the above title. The remaining paragraphs of our present Articles of Faith were then carried under the title “Basis of Union,” and constituted our statement of faith in 1911, upon the mutual acceptance of which the Fire-Baptized and Pentecostal Holiness Churches consolidated in that year.

In the 1941 General Conference, steps were initiated calling for a vote of the local churches authorizing the grouping of the Articles of Faith and Basis of Union under one heading as “Articles of Faith,” with a renumbering of the section accordingly and the removal from it of any item not specifically an article of faith. The vote was duly taken as provided in “Changes in Articles of Faith,” and at the 1945 General Conference the said changes were incorporated into the Discipline.

The first four of these Articles are the same in substance as the first four “Articles of Religion” (of which there are twenty-five) of the Methodist Church, which are, in turn, substantially the same as those adopted, with slight variations, by John Wesley from the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England.

Hence, it will be seen that in the great, basic fundamentals of our faith, we stand upon common ground with a vast element of the Christian Church. In fact, our teachings about God; Christ; the Holy Spirit; about sin and the atonement; the birth, death and resurrection, ascension and coming again of Christ are in line with the great stream of doctrine and theology as stated in the various creeds and articles of faith of the evangelical Christian Church through the ages, embodying as they do the great doctrinal statements that issued from the Protestant Reformation and the Wesleyan revival. In fact, some of our Articles are similar in thought, and in some instances identical in word, with certain sections of the historic Augsburg Confession. This is particularly true of the first and second Articles.
​
Moreover, they expand and elucidate the doctrinal tenets as set forth in the Apostles’ Creed. This statement is particularly applicable to the first four of our Articles. It is in the next nine that our doctrinal distinctives appear more definitely.
We shall comment upon our Articles of Faith by paragraph as they are numbered in the Manual. Please read carefully all Scripture references in the order given.
1. God and the Trinity
We are Trinitarian, as opposed to Unitarian, in our faith. We do not believe in “three Gods” as the Unitarian, or “Jesus only,” teaching maintains that we do; but we believe there are “three persons, of one substance, of eternal being, and equal in holiness, justice, wisdom, power, and dignity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.” Not three Gods, but one God, subsisting in three persons, the Trinity in unity (Matthew 3:16, 17; 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 John 5:7).
2. Christ
We believe in the incarnation of Christ through the virgin birth, which we hold without question, as written in the Word of God (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:26-35). We believe He was a perfect, sinless human being in whom dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9), that He was very God and perfect man. We believe He lived a sinless life and died upon the cross as an all-sufficient atonement for our sins, for our personal transgressions and also for original sin.
3. Christ’s Resurrection
We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ, in His triumphant ascension into heaven, and that He (in His glorified body, as a complete human being, with all things appertaining to the perfections of man’s nature) now sits at the right hand of heaven’s Majesty until He shall return to judge the world at the last day. Perfect, sinless humanity is at the heart of the moral universe, participating in the government of creation and interceding for His saints, until He shall come to judge the living and the dead in the end of the age (Luke 24:1-7; Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:12-19).
4. The Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty and glory with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God. We believe the Holy Ghost – or Holy Spirit – is a person and that He is the executive agent of the Godhead in the dispensation of grace; that He anoints the preaching of the Word, convicts of sin, and applies the benefits of the atonement; that He is our Teacher, Comforter, and Guide, taking the things of Christ and revealing them to us, glorifying Christ, guiding us into all truth, and showing us things to come; that all of these ministries are based on and function in accordance with the written Word of God (John 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-11, 13-15).
5. The Holy Scriptures
The International Pentecostal Holiness Church has from its inception believed the Bible to be the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; John 10:35). For many years we carried a statement respecting the Bible in our General Rules. Then, in 1965, the Fifteenth General Conference voted to include the language of paragraph 5 in our Articles of Faith. This action was duly ratified by our local churches.
6. The Future of Believers and Unbelievers
We believe we have eternal life through faith in Christ (John 3:14-16, 36); and that Christ has prepared a place for His own in Heaven (John 14:1-3). This is a “portion of the reward of the righteous,” though “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Dreadful as this truth may seem, we believe, and must so believe because of the consistent teaching of God’s Word, that “everlasting banishment from the presence of the Lord and unending torture (or punishment) in hell is the wages of the persistently wicked” (Psalm 9:17; Matthew 5:22, 29, 30; 18:9; 23:33; 25:41, 46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:23-25; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9; Revelation 14:9-11; 20:11-15; 21:7, 8).
7. The Efficacy of the Blood of Jesus
We believe in the efficacy and sufficiency of the shed blood of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins committed in the past: for the regeneration, or new birth from above, of penitent sinners, and for salvation or deliverance from sin and sinning (Matthew 26:28; Luke 22:20; Acts 20:28; Romans 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; 2:13; Colossians 1:14, 20; 1 Peter 1:18, 19; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5; 5:9; 1 John 2:1; 3:5-10; 5:18; Romans 6:22; 7:24, 25; 8:1-4).
8. Justification by Faith
We believe, teach and firmly maintain the scriptural doctrine of justification by faith alone (Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:4-7). We do not believe that any sort or degree of good works can procure or contribute toward our justification or salvation. This is accomplished solely and exclusively on the basis of our faith in the shed blood, the resurrection, and the justifying righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 4:23-25; 5:1-11, 20; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
But we do believe in good works as a fruit or product of salvation. We are not saved by, but unto, good works (Ephesians 2:10). When we believe on Jesus Christ as our Savior, our sins are pardoned, we are justified, and we enter a state of righteousness, not our own, but His, both imputed and imparted (Romans 4:22, 25; 8:1-4).
9. Cleansing
We believe Jesus Christ shed His blood, not alone for our justification and the forgiveness of actual transgressions, but also for the complete cleansing of the justified believer from all indwelling sin and from its pollution, and this transaction takes place subsequent to (or after) regeneration (the new birth) (Acts 26:18; Ephesians 5:25-27; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 9:13, 14; 10:10, 14-22; 13:11, 12; 1 John 1:7, 9). This is the negative side of sanctification – the cleansing or taking away of the sin principle – the circumcision of the heart to make it possible for us to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul (Deuteronomy 30:6). It is the crucifixion of the “old man” (Romans 6:6; Ephesians 4:22-24; Galatians 2:20), the destruction of the “carnal mind” (Romans 8:5-10), the purging of the fruitbearing branch so “it may bring forth more fruit” (John 15:2). It is the “cleansing from all sin” – “from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:7, 9).
10. Sanctification
Sanctification in the sense of the above cleansing, and in the sense of a complete dedication to God, including a full and unreserved “setting apart” or “consecration” of the life to God, is a definite, instantaneous work of grace, obtainable by faith on the part of the justified believer. (See Romans 5:1, 2: “... justified by faith ... peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice....” Also see 1 John 1:9: “... to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Note also Titus 2:14: “... redeem from all iniquity and purify...” and Acts 26:18: “... forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified.” Also refer to the following Scriptures for those who “are sanctified”: Acts 20:32; 26:18; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 6-10; Hebrews 2:11; 10:14; Jude 1).
This is purity and dedication; it is not maturity, but the crisis experience that marks the beginning of the sanctified life, in which there is certainly room for development, progress, and growth in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). But remember we must get into this grace before we can grow in it.
It is not absolute perfection, not angelic perfection; not “sinless perfection,” if the term is used to imply the impossibility of a sanctified person’s falling into sin. We do not believe it is impossible for the sanctified to commit sin; but we do believe it is possible for a sanctified person not to commit sin (Luke 1:73-75; Titus 2:11, 12; 1 John 1:7; 2:1, 6; 3:5-10; 5:18). We are aware of John’s statement in 1 John 1:8, but these words apply to those who deny the need for cleansing, not to those who have experienced it and are living the sanctified life.
This is Christian perfection – in which we love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:29-31); in which we love Christ and keep His commandments (John 14:15), among which is this, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not” (1 John 2:1).
The sanctified life is one of separation from the world, a selfless life, a life of devotion to all the will of God, a life of holiness in accordance with Romans 6:22; 12:1, 2; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; 5:23; Hebrews 12:14; James 1:27; and 1 Peter 1:15, 16. It is a life controlled by “perfect love” which “casteth out fear” (1 John 4:16-21).
11. The Baptism With the Holy Ghost and Speaking With Other Tongues
We believe the Pentecostal baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire is obtainable by a definite act of appropriating faith on the part of the fully cleansed believer (Luke 11:13; 24:49; Acts 1:5, 8; 2:38, 39).
We believe this great blessing, which provides the enduement of power to witness for Christ, is available to all believers whose hearts are cleansed from sin by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Since the Bible teaches that our bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20) – and that the temple of God is holy, which temple ye (believers) are (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17) – we do not believe God will fill an unclean temple or vessel with His Holy Spirit. In other words, we believe, because the Bible teaches and requires it, that to receive the baptism with the Holy Ghost, a person must have a clean heart and life as a prerequisite for this great blessing. Remember, the blood of cleansing must first be applied, then the oil, which is a type of the Holy Spirit (Leviticus 14:14, 17).
Moreover, we believe that to live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s power and possession, one must continue to live a clean and consecrated life, free from sin, strife, worldliness, and pride, and must avoid attitudes and actions that tend to “grieve” or “quench” the Holy Spirit of God (Ephesians 4:29-32; 1 Thessalonians 5:19).
We believe the “initial” (or first) evidence of the reception of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance (John 15:26, 27; Acts 2:1-4; 8:17, 18; 10:44-46; 19:6; 1 Corinthians 12:7). We do not believe this is the only evidence of the Spirit’s baptism, but it is the initial evidence, just as it occurred in the repeated accounts of the Spirit’s outpouring in the Acts of the Apostles. But other evidences will be spelled out in our lives – the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23), power to witness for Christ, power to endure the testings of faith and the oppositions of the world. We believe the initial evidence of speaking with tongues is for everyone who receives the Pentecostal baptism with the Holy Spirit, and we distinguish between this initial manifestation and the gift of tongues, which is not given to every Spirit-filled believer.
The International Pentecostal Holiness Church believes in the gifts of the Spirit as set forth by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12, 13 and 14. We believe these gifts are “set in the Church” by the Holy Spirit; He retains custody and control of said gifts or “enablements,” distributing or operating them “severally as He will.” And we desire that our people may so live under the control of the Holy Spirit that these gifts may be manifested or used through consecrated individuals in the worship services where, when, and as they are needed, but all to the glory of God and the edifying of the body of Christ, and in accordance with the directions and decorum set forth in the chapters referred to above.
12. Divine Healing
We believe provision was made in the atonement for the healing of our bodies as set forth in the following Scriptures: Isaiah 53:4, 5; Matthew 8:16, 17; Mark 16:15-18; James 5:14-16; Exodus 15:26; to which we would also add Romans 8:26-28. And, while we do not condemn the use of medical means in the treatment of physical disease, we do believe in, practice, and commend to our people the laying on of hands by the elders or leaders of the church, the anointing with oil in the name of the Lord, and the offering of prayers for the healing of the sick.
13. The Second Coming of Jesus
We believe in the imminent, personal, premillennial second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The word imminent means the second coming of Christ is near; it is impending, likely to occur at any moment (Matthew 25:29-44; Mark 13:32-37; Titus 2:13).
The word personal means “the Lord himself” shall return (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18); the “same Jesus” who was “taken up into heaven shall so come in like manner” as He was seen to “go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).
The word premillennial means He will come before the millennium during which the “blessed and holy” of the “first resurrection” will live and reign with Christ “a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4-6).
The second coming of Christ will occur in two stages; the first for the purpose of catching away His saints who are prepared for the Rapture before the Great Tribulation period (Matthew 24:40-44; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10, 11; 4:1, 2); and the second at the end of the Great Tribulation, when He shall come back with His saints to destroy the armies of the Antichrist, to judge the nations of the world, and to inaugurate the millennial reign (Matthew 25:31-33; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 19:11-21; 20:1-6).
The proper attitude of Christians toward the coming of Christ should be to love His appearing (2 Timothy 4:8), watch and pray always to be accounted worthy to escape the things that will come upon the earth during the Great Tribulation (Luke 21:36), pray for His coming (Matthew 6:10; Revelation 22:20), and faithfully “occupy” until He comes (Luke 19:13).
Many signs point to the soon coming of Jesus. The following Scriptures set forth several of these signs: Ezekiel 36 (the return of Israel to her land, etc.); Daniel 12:4; Nahum 2:3, 4; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21:25-36; 1 Timothy 4:1-5; 2 Timothy 3:1-8, 13; 4:3, 4; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; 2 Peter 2 and 3; and the Epistle of Jude.
14. The Great Commission
The first thirteen of our Articles of Faith state what we believe as a church. Article 14 defines for us “what we are to do about it.” Our Lord’s last command on earth was to charge every believer with the responsibility of taking the gospel to all nations. We can never be content just experiencing God in Christ for ourselves. We must also be actively involved in spreading the gospel to others – to the ends of the earth.
– by Bishop Joseph A. Synan

The Apostles' Creed & The Articles of Faith of the IPHC
 
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord; which was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell [that is, the place of the departed righteous]; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic [universal] church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and life everlasting. Amen.

Articles of Faith
​1. We believe there is but one living and true God, everlasting, of infinite power, wisdom and goodness; Maker and Preserver of all things, both visible and invisible. And in the unity of this Godhead, there are three Persons of one substance of eternal being, and equal in holiness, justice, wisdom, power, and dignity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
2. We believe that the Son, who is the Word of the Father, the very and eternal God, of one substance with the Father, took man’s nature in the womb of the blessed virgin; so that two whole and perfect natures, that is to say, the Godhead and the manhood were joined together in one Person, never to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God and perfect man, who actually suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile the Father to us, and to make atonement, not only for our actual guilt, but also for original sin.
3. We believe that Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took again His body, with all things appertaining to the perfections of man’s nature, and ascended into heaven and there sits until He shall return to judge all men at the last day.
4. We believe the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty and glory with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God.
5. We believe in the verbal and plenary inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, known as the Bible, composed of sixty-six books and divided into two departments, Old and New Testaments. We believe the Bible is the Word of God, the full and complete revelation of the plan and history of redemption.
6. We believe that eternal life with God in heaven is a portion of the reward of the finally righteous; and that everlasting banishment from the presence of the Lord and unending torture in hell are the wages of the persistently wicked (Matthew 25:46; Psalm 9:17; Revelation 21:7, 8).
7. We believe that Jesus Christ shed His blood for the remission of sins that are past, for the regeneration of penitent sinners, and for salvation from sin and from sinning (Romans 3:25; 1 John 3:5-10; Ephesians 2:1-10).
8. We believe, teach and firmly maintain the scriptural doctrine of justification by faith alone (Romans 5:1).
9. We believe that Jesus Christ shed His blood for the complete cleansing of the justified believer from all indwelling sin and from its pollution, subsequent to regeneration (1 John 1:7-9).
10. We believe in sanctification. While sanctification is initiated in regeneration and consummated in glorification, we believe it includes a definite, instantaneous work of grace achieved by faith subsequent to regeneration (Acts 26:18; 1 John 1:9). Sanctification delivers from the power and dominion of sin. It is followed by lifelong growth in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:16; 2 Peter 3:18).
11. We believe that the Pentecostal baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire is obtainable by a definite act of appropriating faith on the part of the fully cleansed believer, and the initial evidence of the reception of this experience is speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance (Luke 11:13; Acts 1:5; 2:1-4; 8:17; 10:44-46; 19:6).
12. We believe in divine healing as in the atonement (Isaiah 53:4, 5; Matthew 8:16, 17; Mark 16:14-18; James 5:14-16; Exodus 15:26).
13. We believe in the imminent, personal, premillennial second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 3:10-14; Matthew 24:29-44), and love and wait for His appearing (2 Timothy 4:8).
14. We believe it is the responsibility of every believer to dedicate his life to carrying out the work of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-20; Acts 1:8).

President's Prayer Group

Author: Ron White

"I do not trust in my bow; I do not count on my sword to save me. You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies" (Psalm 44:6-7a, NLT).

Pray for the removal of obstacles and challenges that interfere with our mission to educate and to advance the principles of God's kingdom on earth. 
 
Pray every Saturday for the preservation of religious freedoms throughout our nation. Pray that no law, regulation, or court case will impede Christian colleges and universities in maintaining scriptural standards.
 
Pray daily for the eradication of the corona virus on our campus, in our nation, and around the world, and pray for safe and effective operations for Emmanuel College this semester. 
 
Thank you for praying. 

Ron White, Ed.D.
President
Emmanuel College
181 Spring Street
Franklin Springs, GA 30639
706-245-2803

Romans 10:8-13  The Gospel message for salvation. Call on Jesus, the Lord of all Who alone saves!
The Word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the Word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame."  12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile — the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved." 
NIV

Articles of Faith - Amplification by Bishop Joseph A. Synan 

Introduction – Historical
The first four paragraphs in our “Articles of Faith” together with number 6 as it now appears in the present arrangement were incorporated into our Discipline (Manual) in 1929 under the above title. The remaining paragraphs of our present Articles of Faith were then carried under the title “Basis of Union,” and constituted our statement of faith in 1911, upon the mutual acceptance of which the Fire-Baptized and Pentecostal Holiness Churches consolidated in that year.

In the 1941 General Conference, steps were initiated calling for a vote of the local churches authorizing the grouping of the Articles of Faith and Basis of Union under one heading as “Articles of Faith,” with a renumbering of the section accordingly and the removal from it of any item not specifically an article of faith. The vote was duly taken as provided in “Changes in Articles of Faith,” and at the 1945 General Conference the said changes were incorporated into the Discipline.

The first four of these Articles are the same in substance as the first four “Articles of Religion” (of which there are twenty-five) of the Methodist Church, which are, in turn, substantially the same as those adopted, with slight variations, by John Wesley from the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England.

Hence, it will be seen that in the great, basic fundamentals of our faith, we stand upon common ground with a vast element of the Christian Church. In fact, our teachings about God; Christ; the Holy Spirit; about sin and the atonement; the birth, death and resurrection, ascension and coming again of Christ are in line with the great stream of doctrine and theology as stated in the various creeds and articles of faith of the evangelical Christian Church through the ages, embodying as they do the great doctrinal statements that issued from the Protestant Reformation and the Wesleyan revival. In fact, some of our Articles are similar in thought, and in some instances identical in word, with certain sections of the historic Augsburg Confession. This is particularly true of the first and second Articles.
​
Moreover, they expand and elucidate the doctrinal tenets as set forth in the Apostles’ Creed. This statement is particularly applicable to the first four of our Articles. It is in the next nine that our doctrinal distinctives appear more definitely.
We shall comment upon our Articles of Faith by paragraph as they are numbered in the Manual. Please read carefully all Scripture references in the order given.
1. God and the Trinity
We are Trinitarian, as opposed to Unitarian, in our faith. We do not believe in “three Gods” as the Unitarian, or “Jesus only,” teaching maintains that we do; but we believe there are “three persons, of one substance, of eternal being, and equal in holiness, justice, wisdom, power, and dignity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.” Not three Gods, but one God, subsisting in three persons, the Trinity in unity (Matthew 3:16, 17; 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 John 5:7).
2. Christ
We believe in the incarnation of Christ through the virgin birth, which we hold without question, as written in the Word of God (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:26-35). We believe He was a perfect, sinless human being in whom dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9), that He was very God and perfect man. We believe He lived a sinless life and died upon the cross as an all-sufficient atonement for our sins, for our personal transgressions and also for original sin.
3. Christ’s Resurrection
We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ, in His triumphant ascension into heaven, and that He (in His glorified body, as a complete human being, with all things appertaining to the perfections of man’s nature) now sits at the right hand of heaven’s Majesty until He shall return to judge the world at the last day. Perfect, sinless humanity is at the heart of the moral universe, participating in the government of creation and interceding for His saints, until He shall come to judge the living and the dead in the end of the age (Luke 24:1-7; Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:12-19).
4. The Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty and glory with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God. We believe the Holy Ghost – or Holy Spirit – is a person and that He is the executive agent of the Godhead in the dispensation of grace; that He anoints the preaching of the Word, convicts of sin, and applies the benefits of the atonement; that He is our Teacher, Comforter, and Guide, taking the things of Christ and revealing them to us, glorifying Christ, guiding us into all truth, and showing us things to come; that all of these ministries are based on and function in accordance with the written Word of God (John 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-11, 13-15).
5. The Holy Scriptures
The International Pentecostal Holiness Church has from its inception believed the Bible to be the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; John 10:35). For many years we carried a statement respecting the Bible in our General Rules. Then, in 1965, the Fifteenth General Conference voted to include the language of paragraph 5 in our Articles of Faith. This action was duly ratified by our local churches.
6. The Future of Believers and Unbelievers
We believe we have eternal life through faith in Christ (John 3:14-16, 36); and that Christ has prepared a place for His own in Heaven (John 14:1-3). This is a “portion of the reward of the righteous,” though “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Dreadful as this truth may seem, we believe, and must so believe because of the consistent teaching of God’s Word, that “everlasting banishment from the presence of the Lord and unending torture (or punishment) in hell is the wages of the persistently wicked” (Psalm 9:17; Matthew 5:22, 29, 30; 18:9; 23:33; 25:41, 46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:23-25; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9; Revelation 14:9-11; 20:11-15; 21:7, 8).
7. The Efficacy of the Blood of Jesus
We believe in the efficacy and sufficiency of the shed blood of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins committed in the past: for the regeneration, or new birth from above, of penitent sinners, and for salvation or deliverance from sin and sinning (Matthew 26:28; Luke 22:20; Acts 20:28; Romans 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; 2:13; Colossians 1:14, 20; 1 Peter 1:18, 19; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5; 5:9; 1 John 2:1; 3:5-10; 5:18; Romans 6:22; 7:24, 25; 8:1-4).
8. Justification by Faith
We believe, teach and firmly maintain the scriptural doctrine of justification by faith alone (Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:4-7). We do not believe that any sort or degree of good works can procure or contribute toward our justification or salvation. This is accomplished solely and exclusively on the basis of our faith in the shed blood, the resurrection, and the justifying righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 4:23-25; 5:1-11, 20; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
But we do believe in good works as a fruit or product of salvation. We are not saved by, but unto, good works (Ephesians 2:10). When we believe on Jesus Christ as our Savior, our sins are pardoned, we are justified, and we enter a state of righteousness, not our own, but His, both imputed and imparted (Romans 4:22, 25; 8:1-4).
9. Cleansing
We believe Jesus Christ shed His blood, not alone for our justification and the forgiveness of actual transgressions, but also for the complete cleansing of the justified believer from all indwelling sin and from its pollution, and this transaction takes place subsequent to (or after) regeneration (the new birth) (Acts 26:18; Ephesians 5:25-27; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 9:13, 14; 10:10, 14-22; 13:11, 12; 1 John 1:7, 9). This is the negative side of sanctification – the cleansing or taking away of the sin principle – the circumcision of the heart to make it possible for us to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul (Deuteronomy 30:6). It is the crucifixion of the “old man” (Romans 6:6; Ephesians 4:22-24; Galatians 2:20), the destruction of the “carnal mind” (Romans 8:5-10), the purging of the fruitbearing branch so “it may bring forth more fruit” (John 15:2). It is the “cleansing from all sin” – “from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:7, 9).
10. Sanctification
Sanctification in the sense of the above cleansing, and in the sense of a complete dedication to God, including a full and unreserved “setting apart” or “consecration” of the life to God, is a definite, instantaneous work of grace, obtainable by faith on the part of the justified believer. (See Romans 5:1, 2: “... justified by faith ... peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice....” Also see 1 John 1:9: “... to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Note also Titus 2:14: “... redeem from all iniquity and purify...” and Acts 26:18: “... forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified.” Also refer to the following Scriptures for those who “are sanctified”: Acts 20:32; 26:18; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 6-10; Hebrews 2:11; 10:14; Jude 1).
This is purity and dedication; it is not maturity, but the crisis experience that marks the beginning of the sanctified life, in which there is certainly room for development, progress, and growth in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). But remember we must get into this grace before we can grow in it.
It is not absolute perfection, not angelic perfection; not “sinless perfection,” if the term is used to imply the impossibility of a sanctified person’s falling into sin. We do not believe it is impossible for the sanctified to commit sin; but we do believe it is possible for a sanctified person not to commit sin (Luke 1:73-75; Titus 2:11, 12; 1 John 1:7; 2:1, 6; 3:5-10; 5:18). We are aware of John’s statement in 1 John 1:8, but these words apply to those who deny the need for cleansing, not to those who have experienced it and are living the sanctified life.
This is Christian perfection – in which we love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:29-31); in which we love Christ and keep His commandments (John 14:15), among which is this, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not” (1 John 2:1).
The sanctified life is one of separation from the world, a selfless life, a life of devotion to all the will of God, a life of holiness in accordance with Romans 6:22; 12:1, 2; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; 5:23; Hebrews 12:14; James 1:27; and 1 Peter 1:15, 16. It is a life controlled by “perfect love” which “casteth out fear” (1 John 4:16-21).
11. The Baptism With the Holy Ghost and Speaking With Other Tongues
We believe the Pentecostal baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire is obtainable by a definite act of appropriating faith on the part of the fully cleansed believer (Luke 11:13; 24:49; Acts 1:5, 8; 2:38, 39).
We believe this great blessing, which provides the enduement of power to witness for Christ, is available to all believers whose hearts are cleansed from sin by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Since the Bible teaches that our bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20) – and that the temple of God is holy, which temple ye (believers) are (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17) – we do not believe God will fill an unclean temple or vessel with His Holy Spirit. In other words, we believe, because the Bible teaches and requires it, that to receive the baptism with the Holy Ghost, a person must have a clean heart and life as a prerequisite for this great blessing. Remember, the blood of cleansing must first be applied, then the oil, which is a type of the Holy Spirit (Leviticus 14:14, 17).
Moreover, we believe that to live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s power and possession, one must continue to live a clean and consecrated life, free from sin, strife, worldliness, and pride, and must avoid attitudes and actions that tend to “grieve” or “quench” the Holy Spirit of God (Ephesians 4:29-32; 1 Thessalonians 5:19).
We believe the “initial” (or first) evidence of the reception of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance (John 15:26, 27; Acts 2:1-4; 8:17, 18; 10:44-46; 19:6; 1 Corinthians 12:7). We do not believe this is the only evidence of the Spirit’s baptism, but it is the initial evidence, just as it occurred in the repeated accounts of the Spirit’s outpouring in the Acts of the Apostles. But other evidences will be spelled out in our lives – the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23), power to witness for Christ, power to endure the testings of faith and the oppositions of the world. We believe the initial evidence of speaking with tongues is for everyone who receives the Pentecostal baptism with the Holy Spirit, and we distinguish between this initial manifestation and the gift of tongues, which is not given to every Spirit-filled believer.
The International Pentecostal Holiness Church believes in the gifts of the Spirit as set forth by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12, 13 and 14. We believe these gifts are “set in the Church” by the Holy Spirit; He retains custody and control of said gifts or “enablements,” distributing or operating them “severally as He will.” And we desire that our people may so live under the control of the Holy Spirit that these gifts may be manifested or used through consecrated individuals in the worship services where, when, and as they are needed, but all to the glory of God and the edifying of the body of Christ, and in accordance with the directions and decorum set forth in the chapters referred to above.
12. Divine Healing
We believe provision was made in the atonement for the healing of our bodies as set forth in the following Scriptures: Isaiah 53:4, 5; Matthew 8:16, 17; Mark 16:15-18; James 5:14-16; Exodus 15:26; to which we would also add Romans 8:26-28. And, while we do not condemn the use of medical means in the treatment of physical disease, we do believe in, practice, and commend to our people the laying on of hands by the elders or leaders of the church, the anointing with oil in the name of the Lord, and the offering of prayers for the healing of the sick.
13. The Second Coming of Jesus
We believe in the imminent, personal, premillennial second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The word imminent means the second coming of Christ is near; it is impending, likely to occur at any moment (Matthew 25:29-44; Mark 13:32-37; Titus 2:13).
The word personal means “the Lord himself” shall return (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18); the “same Jesus” who was “taken up into heaven shall so come in like manner” as He was seen to “go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).
The word premillennial means He will come before the millennium during which the “blessed and holy” of the “first resurrection” will live and reign with Christ “a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4-6).
The second coming of Christ will occur in two stages; the first for the purpose of catching away His saints who are prepared for the Rapture before the Great Tribulation period (Matthew 24:40-44; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10, 11; 4:1, 2); and the second at the end of the Great Tribulation, when He shall come back with His saints to destroy the armies of the Antichrist, to judge the nations of the world, and to inaugurate the millennial reign (Matthew 25:31-33; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 19:11-21; 20:1-6).
The proper attitude of Christians toward the coming of Christ should be to love His appearing (2 Timothy 4:8), watch and pray always to be accounted worthy to escape the things that will come upon the earth during the Great Tribulation (Luke 21:36), pray for His coming (Matthew 6:10; Revelation 22:20), and faithfully “occupy” until He comes (Luke 19:13).
Many signs point to the soon coming of Jesus. The following Scriptures set forth several of these signs: Ezekiel 36 (the return of Israel to her land, etc.); Daniel 12:4; Nahum 2:3, 4; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21:25-36; 1 Timothy 4:1-5; 2 Timothy 3:1-8, 13; 4:3, 4; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; 2 Peter 2 and 3; and the Epistle of Jude.
14. The Great Commission
The first thirteen of our Articles of Faith state what we believe as a church. Article 14 defines for us “what we are to do about it.” Our Lord’s last command on earth was to charge every believer with the responsibility of taking the gospel to all nations. We can never be content just experiencing God in Christ for ourselves. We must also be actively involved in spreading the gospel to others – to the ends of the earth.
– by Bishop Joseph A. Synan