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| myDevotion |
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A. Bible as our Sole Authority
| "Besides, you have known the Scriptures from childhood; they will give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, refuting error, for correcting and training in Christian life. Through Scripture the man of God is made expert and thoroughly equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 3:15-17 |
Since God's Word is the only complete reliable and truthful authority, we accept the Bible as our manual for living. Our first question when faced with a decision is "What the Bible say?" We practice daily Bible reading, Bible study, Bible verse memorization. The Bible is the basis for all we believed.
B. Priesthood of Every Believer
| "You are a chosen race, a community of priests-kings, a consecrated nation, a people God has made his own to proclaim his wonders." - 1 Peter 2:9 |
The Bible teaches that every Christian is called to "full time" Christian service, regardless of vocation. We practice the truth that every believer is a minister by encouraging every member to find a place of service and ministry. Every believer has direct access to God through prayer and Bible reading. As a priest we can come to God directly in prayer and we can also pray for other people whatever their needs. (Read Hebrews 4:16, Ephesians 3:11-12, 1 Timothy 2:1-4)
C. Intimate Worship
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"Bless the Lord, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name!"
- Psalm 103:1 |
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"And you shall love Yahweh, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." |
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"You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart."
- Jeremiah 29:13 |
Everything starts and ends in worship. This is the very thing that we are doing here on earth that we will continue doing in heaven. In private and corporate worship we encourage intimacy. This is a very close communion with the one we love. When we sing songs of praise and adoration we think of Him and address those songs to Him. Therefore intimate worship is not singing and declaring praises for Jesus but singing and declaring praises, gratitude, and worship to Jesus.
D. Prayer and Fasting
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"When you fast, do not put on a miserable face as do the hypocrites. They put on a gloomy face, so people can see they are fasting. I tell you this: they have been paid in full already. When you fast, wash your face and make yourself look cheerful, because you are not fasting for appearances or for people, but for your Father who sees beyond appearances.And your Father who sees what is kept secret will reward you."
- Matthew 6:16-18 |
| "When they were sick, I also felt afflicted; in sympathy, I wore sackcloth and fasted." - Psalm 35:13 |
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"Jesus answered them, "How can you expect wedding guests to mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? Time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, then they will fast."
- Matthew 9:15 |
At FMC we practice regular fasting and prayer once a month. We believe that fasting is an act of humble surrender to God. We don't fast to force God to do what we want but by fasting we draw near to God to know Him more and obey what he says. Every first Friday until Sunday we encourage people in our church to fast and pray. This practice is not mandatory for every member but being encouraged for this is a means of grace. But long fastings are not encouraged to the members who are not educated about fasting.
E. Tithing
| "One tenth of all the produce of the earth or the fruits of trees, belongs to Yahweh." - Leviticus 27:30 |
| "Cursed be you who cheat me! Cursed be all the nation! Turn over into the temple treasury the tenth part of all, that there may be food in my House. Then you may test me says yahweh of hosts, to see if I will not open the gates of heaven and bring blessed rain to you up to the last drop." - Malachi 3:10 |
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"As soon as the order had been published, the Israelites gathered in the first fruits of corn, wine, oil, honey, and all agricultural produce, and brought in a generous gift of everything. The Israelites and Judaeans living in the towns of Judah also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of the holy things dedicated to Yahweh their God, piling them up, heap after heap."
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| "Woe to you, teachers and of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You do not forget the mint, anise, and cummin seeds when you pay the tenth of everything, but then you forget what is the most fundamental of the Law: justice, mercy, and faith. These you must practice, without neglecting the others." - Matthew 23:23 |
At FMC we practice tithing for the support of Christ's body, the church, as God commands. we recognize that giving 10% of our income is the Biblical standard for giving. Through this act we acknowledged God's ownership of everything we have. By giving our tithe we recognized that he is the Provider of all that we possessed.
F. Spirit-led Living
| "I am the vine and you are the branches. As long as you remain in me and I in you, you bear much fruit; but apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:5 |
| "It is God who makes you not only wish but also carry out what pleases him." - Philippians 2:13 |
| "Do not get drunk: wine leads to levity; but be filled with the Holy Spirit." - Ephesians 5:18 |
We believe that the only possible way to live the Christian life is by God's power within us. So we seek to practice a daily dependence on God's Spirit to enable us to do what is right.
G. Telling Others About Jesus
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"...but bless the Lord in your hearts. Always have an answer ready when you are called upon to account for your hope, but give it simply and with respect." |
| "But Jesus sent him on his way, "Go back to your family and tell them how much God has done for you." So the man went away, proclaiming through the whole town how much Jesus had done for him." - Luke 8:39 |
| "At the same time those who were scattered went about preaching the word." - Acts 8:4 |
It is the responsibility of every Christian to share th egood news with those God brings us into contact with. We practice personal sharing about Christ and inviting friends to church.
