Our Beliefs
We Believe
- The Bible is the infallible inerrant word of God
- God is the Only Supreme Being
- There is only One God in three persons: The Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- Jesus Christ is God incarnate in the flesh of man, born of the virgin Mary
- We are saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ only, not works
- Christ was crucified for our sins and on the third day was resurrected
- Christ will return – the 2nd Coming!
We DON’T Believe
- That there are many ways to God – Christ is the only name by which man can be saved
- In abortion
- In ANY sexual relationship outside of a marriage between a man and a woman
- In divorce for any reason other than adultery
- In married mothers working away from their homes when children are not in school (any age)
- In daycare, after school care or Nannies. Mothers raise their own children (if married).
- In tithing (we give according to how the Holy Spirit leads us – not a strict 10%)
- Tongue speaking that’s not a recognizable language
- Tongue speaking as a private prayer language (I pray with the understanding)
- Being slain in the spirit
- Being baptized in the spirit by seeking it or asking for it (already baptized the moment of belief in Christ)
- Water baptism for salvation (only as a sacrament)
- In Women Pastors – men should be in authority as pastor/teachers in the church
- In Kwanzaa
- In Black Liberation Theology
- In Afrocentric Ideology
- In Black History as a means of self-esteem (we only need Christ for God esteem)
- That White man (as entire group) is the oppressor of Black people (our oppression is from SIN)
Carlotta
Phil
Neil
Kevin Kaatz
July 20th 2008 on 8:18 pm
Hi Carlotta,
Yesterday, I saw Jesus Camp (a 2006 film) and I totally dislike the speaking in tongues bit. I felt totally uncomfortable. You make a good point that speaking in tongues should be a recognizable language.
Afrocentric Ideology. Amen to that. All things should point to Christ.
Twitter: christocentric
July 20th 2008 on 8:34 pm
Hey Edgar, thanks!
Not as humorous as yours (I love the mini-skirt part), but I love your idea. I think perhaps you’ll be starting a new revolution in statements of faith!
I’m uncomfortable anywhere and anyplace where folks are going crazy with tongues. They just don’t realize they are doing exactly as Paul said not to do in 1 Corinthians 14, not to have unbelievers thinking you’re going mad! Hey, we believers believe the same when they do that!
I had heard about the Jesus Camp movie, but hadn’t seen it. Thanks for the forewarning!
July 29th 2008 on 10:25 am
And what do you say of the billions of other people in the world who worship other manifestations of God. Is the Western man’s God, the only legitimate God? Isn’t that a bit Euro centric? Isn’t God, God, as manifested in so many different ways by the different peoples around the Globe.
Why must Christ be the only Answer? Based on historical depictions of Christ and his world, then I guess you believe that Europeans are the only God-like people, even though we know that Jesus was born at the crossroads of Africa and Asia, i.e the Middle East. Not likely to produce blond hair, blue eyes, and pale skin as Jesus has so overwhelmingly been depicted. Haven’t you given this any thought, and the conscious and subliminal effect it must have on non-European peoples.
Twitter: christocentric
July 29th 2008 on 10:47 am
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Michael, Christ is the only way because HE says so. We Christians are only the messengers carrying the message of Christ. Christ came so that we ALL can believe in Him which makes the gospel available to all and no one is without excuse. God created us, so God can make the rules by which He wants man to come to Him.
Now Jesus may be painted and drawn many different ways by different people, but that doesn’t change the essence of whom He is. Blacks make black Jesus’, Whites make White Jesus’ and so on and so on. I don’t care what color anyone makes Jesus, as long as His character and deity is not changed. I personally believe that the bible teaches that Jesus is Jewish, and his physical description should match the Jewish people’s bodily appearance.
Jesus never places the importance on his ethnicity, but on whom He is: He says,
“I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.” – John 8:24
So any other type of god that people place their trust in, will be met with judgment by God. Jesus is the only way to God and He died and rose again for us all!
August 8th 2008 on 3:08 pm
I noticed you don’t believe in tithing? Why?
Twitter: christocentric
August 8th 2008 on 5:16 pm
Hi Roger, thanks for stopping by!
I don’t do the 10% tithe because I believe it’s a teaching that belonged strictly to the Jewish people in the Old Testament. I do give to the church and that’s always according to how I feel led by the Spirit to do so. Sometimes above 10%, sometimes below.
Tithing is very legalistic the way it’s used by our churches today. Although I belong to a tithing church, I don’t have a huge problem with the way the money’s being used. If my pastor was riding around in privately owned jet planes, driving Bentleys and wearing more gold than the rappers while members went hungry, then I would have a huge problem with his tithing teaching .
But our pastor appears to have a huge heart for winning our youth to Christ, and he has built a very youth-friendly looking church to draw them. He’s sound in his preaching of salvation and is great in building the church up and unabashedly shameless when it comes to telling the truth about sin.
So in other words, I tolerate the tithing teaching at my church – for now.
August 10th 2008 on 11:30 am
I’d say to Michael that Jesus isn’t “a western god”. European indigenous peoples worship a multitude of idols. The misconception that Christianity is a western construct is prevalent due to many historical and sociological reasons.
The true Jesus of the Bible is the only true and living God.
Carlotta – wow what a clear statement of faith! Regarding number 5: “In daycare, after school care or Nannies. Mothers raise their own children (if married).” How do you feel about the extended family – grandma, aunts and so on? I was with my mother and father most of my childhood, but having older loving people I can count of was the source of many wonderful memories
I think that having a good family network can ease some of the pressures of raising children.
August 10th 2008 on 4:01 pm
oh ok. thanks for the clarification Carlotta!
So you attend the Rock Church in San Diego? Pastor Miles used to come and teach at our church back in the day… I attend CC Downey btw. How are things going over there?
Roger
Twitter: christocentric
August 10th 2008 on 6:58 pm
naturalsystah: How do you feel about the extended family – grandma, aunts and so on?
The extended family is great as a support to the mother and father of children. I had that support, especially after my divorce. But I made it a point that no one was raising my children other than me, and that the extended were the family the kids visited!
But I loved it when the kids got out of line and Grandpa whipped their butts if I wasn’t around! Kids need to know that no one is going to take their mess but that they would also be loved!
I’m saddened now because the extended family is so far apart. Aunts and Uncles in one place, grandparents in another, cousins not around and etc. It used to be family was all in one city, but now folks have to plan vacations to see one another, or worse, not see anyone until funerals!
Good question you posed!
Twitter: christocentric
August 10th 2008 on 7:07 pm
Roger, yes I do belong to the Rock Church. It is growing so fast its unbelievable! Pastor Miles holds five services each Sunday, serving over 12,000 people.
Just over four years ago we were borrowing San Diego State’s campus for our services. On the 24th of this month, we will be celebrating our 1 year anniversary of our new building.
It is a megachurch now but the small groups are its heart and soul! If I didn’t belong to small groups, I would feel completely lost in this church. But that’s one of the reasons Pastor Miles urges people to quickly find a small group to belong to.
Pastor Miles is a Product of the Calvary Church system. Most of our pastors here in San Diego that have the thriving churches come from some of the Calvary Church offshoots.
September 7th 2009 on 9:49 pm
Carlotta,
I noticed you didnt make any mention of women preachers/pastors. What is your belief of this? My beliefs line up with yours listed so far.
Twitter: christocentric
September 7th 2009 on 9:58 pm
You just gave me something new to add to this list: I DON’T believe in women pastoring churches or leading bible studies that have men involved. As strong-minded and independent of a woman that I am, I trust the scriptures when it says that women should not be in authority over men.
Are we still in agreement?
September 7th 2009 on 10:04 pm
Carlotta,
Amen!! Praise the Lord. It is so refreshing to find Christians who really value the Bible and live by it. I look forward to follwoing your blog. I will request friendship on facebook now. I really don’t understand how the church overlook so many things from the Word. It is as if they are completely blinded. I really have a special heart for married women raising their own children. I have been sole caretaker for my children with much sacrifice, and I would do it again. I also believe that after school your children should be with the mother (this is when a lot of mischief takes place).
Twitter: christocentric
September 7th 2009 on 10:19 pm
South, it sure IS refreshing to find like-minded fellow believers! I am very happy to hear that you are sacrificing for your children, something that I try encouraging all young mothers to do. Mine are all adults now but I can see the fruit of my labor in them. Sure, they aren’t perfect but the compliments I get regarding my children are well worth the sacrifice. The greatest joy is knowing that they all profess a belief in Christ – my number one objective as a mother!
My facebook is quite private, but you are quite welcomed to do a friend request. Christocentric is my FB name you can find me under.