We Believe

While the Covenant Apostolic Congregations International maintain an open creed, these statements preserve its theological heritage, and present its latest and best understanding of Scripture. CACI FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS​ THE HOLY BIBLE The Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, is God’s inspired Word. Inerrant in its original writing, the Bible is the only authoritative and infallible rule of faith and conduct for humanity. ​ ONE GOD The sovereign deity of the universe is YHWH the "I AM", who is to be worshiped in spirit and in truth. He is the eternal, infinite, holy, self-existent Spirit who created, sustains, rules, redeems, and judges His creation. He is one in nature, essence and being. God, who is one in person, has manifested (or made Himself known) in Scripture as Father in creation, as Son in redemption, and as Holy Spirit in emanation.​ God the Father... God the Father of whom are all things, whom no one has seen nor can see, reigns in the heavens and transcends our complete knowing. He is revealed as our loving heavenly Father. Ultimately, God the Father will restore perfect harmony to all creation through Messiah and reign eternally over the redeemed. ​Jesus the Son... Jesus Christ is declared by the Angel Gabriel to be Emmanuel - “God With Us”, and by the Apostle Paul to be "God manifested in the flesh" (I Tim 3:16). According to John the Apostle, Jesus was the "WORD (Logos) made flesh" who in the beginning was with God, and was God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. Born of the virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit of God, He became the only "begotten" Son. In His Son-ship He "took on the seed of Abraham" and was "made like unto his brethren". In that God is not a man, the scripture declares that God was "in Christ" reconciling the world unto Himself. As the Son, He humbled Himself to be subordinate to the Father and, obedient unto death. He lived without sin, died as an atoning sacrifice for our sin and not His own, was entombed for three full days and three full nights, resurrected Himself bodily, ascended to the glory He had before, reigns as Lord in heaven, and will return to earth as judge and King. The Holy Spirit... The Holy Spirit is the promised divine helper. The Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) literally translated is "Holy Breath" and is God’s presence and power in the world indwelling believers. Thus the Holy Spirit is not a seperate eternal person “IN” the Godhead, but is rather the Spirit of God Himself. By His Holy Spirit, God inspired and illuminates the Scriptures; convicts and regenerates sinners; sanctifies, teaches, comforts, guides, and preserves believers; and empowers them for service. ​ HUMANITY, SATAN, SIN, & DEATH Humanity was created in the image of God: sinless, though not naturally immortal. Through Adam and Eve’s disobedience, all human beings became sinners by nature and by choice. The penalty for our sin is alienation from God, physical death (without consciousness) and, ultimately eternal death for those who do not receive the salvation offered by Messiah. It was Satan, the adversary of God, who tempted our first parents in the garden. The Devil is still capable of transforming himself into an angel of light but will finally be destroyed in the lake of fire. ​ HUMANITY, MESSIAH, SALVATION, & LIFE Sinful humanity may be saved from the penalty of eternal death and receive eternal life instead. Atonement for sins, with its attendant promise of eternal life, comes through Messiah’s death, burial, and resurrection on our behalf.  We are able to connect to these three elements through… The Death – Repentance: We believe that repentance is initiated through Godly sorrow, and is a call to turn from sin and mortify the deeds of the flesh. The Burial - Water Baptism: We believe Scriptural water baptism to be sacramental for the "remission of sins" and is commanded in the scriptures to be done in the singular "Name" of the Messiah, rather than the nameless trinitarian titles. The Resurrection – Infilling of the Holy Spirit: We believe that true believers are filled by the Holy Spirit in the same way as the first Believers in Acts. Thus, evidenced by the supernatural gifts of the Spirit. (Acts 10:44-46)​ ​ THE CONGREGATION The Congregation in Scripture is a spiritual body of believers who hold the faith of Jesus and keep the commandments of God. Under the lordship of Messiah and the authority of His Word, the Congregation is His Government of Kings and Priests, and exists universally and locally for purposes of worshiping God, preaching the Kingdom, nurturing believers, and serving humanity. All Saints should participate in this mission by service to others and fellowship with believers. THE TORAH Torah means "instructions". As such, God's Torah (Genesis - Deuteronomy) contains both the 10 Commandment Law of God as well as the Scrolls of the Book of the Law that was added. These timeless, divine lessons for victorious living express the beautiful Law and Culture of God’s Kingdom to His Covenant People. HOW IS GOD'S TORAH CONSTRUCTED The Torah is perfectly built from two (2) major components; "God's Law of Ten Commandments" ~AND~ the added “Book of the Law of Moses”. 2 Chronicles 33:8 Take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law ~AND~ the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses. These two components are essential to understanding Torah's application under the New Covenant. To distinguish God's 10 Commandments from the Book of the Law is NOT to diminish the value of the Torah in the life of the believer, but rather to distinguish that which is the "eternally unalterable law" (10 Commandments) from that which contained "shadows, penalties, and symbolisms" which would be elevated as spiritual applications in the New Covenant (ie Levitical Sacrifices, Literal Circumcision, Etc.). THE GIVING OF TORAH Many believers are unaware that the Torah was given in two separate stages. This knowledge parallels its application in the New Covenant. That which was given first (The 10 Commandments) remains the foundation of God's Moral Code, and that which was added later to address transgression (The Book of the Law) prophetically shadows the redemptive work of Messiah and reveals the beautiful culture of His Kingdom (festivals, celebrations, foods, & customs). Let us examine these unfolding stages... First... The 10 Commandments alone were spoken audibly by God, and the Bible says "And He added no more". These had been, and always will be, the eternal foundation of God's Moral Character and standard of righteousness. They have not been altered by Calvary. Then, while Moses was on the mountain receiving the written set of 10 Commandments, Israel transgressed and began worshiping idols of Golden Calves. This infuriated Moses and he threw down the two tables of stones shattering them. After this transgression of Israel, God called Moses back onto the mountain where he gave him a re-written set of His 10 Commandments, but this time God had Moses write onto scrolls a "Book of the Law" which was "added because of the transgression". (Gal 3:19). These "added" laws were beautifully constructed with symbolism that would reveal the work of the Messiah, and contain object lessons for righteous and spiritual living. These have been elevated by Calvary to reveal Messiah, and have taken on their "New and Living" application under the New Covenant. Understanding these two components allows the New Testament Believer to perfectly harmonize the writings of the Apostles concerning the Law. The Apostles without exception uphold the integrity and literal application of God's 10 Commandment Law as our Christian expression of love both toward God and Others. Thus, the New Covenant Disciple is taught to honor God's 10 Commandments as a RESULT not as a MEANS of Grace. 1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. At the same time, the Apostles do not abandon the Book of the Law of Moses, but rather from this portion of Torah they lift all of their spiritual lessons and allegories. They speak of "spiritual" circumcision, "spiritual" sacrifices, and a "spiritual" temple. These elements are not absent in the New Covenant, they are elevated and made spiritual and therefore are upheld in a superior way. 1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. ​ THE SABBATH The seventh-day Sabbath is God’s gift to humanity from creation, was written into the Ten Commandments by God’s own finger, kept and taught by Jesus, and observed by the early apostolic assemblies. A memorial of both creation and redemption, the Sabbath should be faithfully celebrated by believers now as a day of rest, worship, and well-doing. THE APPOINTED FESTIVALS (Moedim) The annual feasts of YHWH are moedim (divine appointments) throughout the year. They mark the prophetic sequence of specific events in God's redemptive plan, and stand in stark opposition to the pagan festivals of Mystery Babylon. They were observed by Apostolic example throughout the New Testament record. They will be observed in the coming millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ, and are celebrated by His faithful Congregation in the present era.  CHRISTIAN LIVING Christians are called to holiness in thought, word, and deed and to express faith in Christ through devotion to God and godly interaction with others. As a result — not a cause — of redemption, believers should ... 1) develop their relationship with God through Bible reading and study, prayer, fasting, worship, and obedience; 2) help relieve the physical and spiritual needs of humanity by compassionate social action and gospel witness; 3) oppose pride, envy, indolence, lust, covetousness, and other evils in the spirit; 4) refuse immoral amusements and practices such as pornography, sexual immorality, and homosexuality in the flesh;  6) maintain scriptural distinction between the male and female gender in appearance, apparel, and demeanor. 5) Observe these Bible principles: give tithe and freewill offerings for the support of the congregation and its gospel ministry; avoid intermixing Christianity with extra-biblical practices as in the common observances of Sunday, Christmas, Easter, Lent, and any other holidays which were originally celebrations to the pagan gods and therefore have no place in the culture of the Kingdom. As kings and priests in the coming Kingdom of Jesus Christ it is our place to teach the Biblical celebrations given in scripture. These Holy Days are understood in greater clarity in our covenant and rehearse God's great plan of Salvation. SACRAMENTS According to scripture, two NT sacraments are connected to the remission of sin. They are water baptism exclusively in the Name of the Messiah (as appropriately spoken in any language) and subsequently the Blood of the New Covenant which we celebrate through the cup which we bless. Both Sacraments are wrapped in the scriptural phrase “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38 & Mat 26:28). Thus, the Church has remission in the Water and in the Blood of the New Covenant (1 John 5:6). Initially through water baptism and subsequently through the cup. THE KINGDOM OF GOD The kingdom of God is realized in three phases: The Present Kingdom... The spiritual kingdom exists now as God rules in the hearts of obedient believers. This kingdom was announced and revealed through the prophets and the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. We surrender to this kingdom when we turn from sin to serve God through faith in Jesus Christ. Presently the Kingdom reigns in us though we do not yet reign in the Kingdom. The Millennial Kingdom... Jesus will return to earth in power and glory to resurrect the righteous dead in the first resurrection (immediately after the tribulation), bestow immortality and eternal life upon the resurrected and the living righteous.. This great Sabbath Rest of one thousand years will be a universal kingdom in which all principalities, powers, and enemies are overcome. During this age, the Messianic promises to Israel and the Oaths to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David will be fully realized. At the end of the thousand years, the rest of the dead will be resurrected, judged before the great white throne, and the wicked will suffer annihilation in the second death. The Eternal Kingdom... After the annihilation of the final rebellion, God’s eternal kingdom will last through ages without end. God will dwell with the redeemed in the heaven and earth made new where no disappointment, defilement, or death can enter and where righteousness and peace will prevail forever.