MESSAGE AND BELIEFS

In Simple Terms:

My primary message is that of the Gospel: forgiveness, repentance, healing, and deliverance through Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit — all because the Father loves you! This Gospel results in genuine transformation as we receive a new nature and a new identity as partners with Christ, united with Him in Spirit.

My secondary message is that of equipping the Church to proclaim and demonstrate this Gospel as representatives of Jesus — expressing His love, righteousness, mercy, joy, compassion, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

In Detail:

As a credentialed minister with the Assemblies of God fellowship, I adhere to the 16 Fundamental Truths of the Assemblies of God.

While this is my doctrinal foundation, it is very broad in scope and therefore does not adequately define the heartbeat of my typical messages. Furthermore, I know there are other denominations who might be interested in having me come minister, and such people might be wondering what I am likely to talk about. While I am a registered evangelist with the A/G, and while I could teach any of their doctrines, I do not come to churches representing the A/G. I come representing Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.

Therefore, to give you a better idea of my standard “life-message,” here are the points I most commonly convey from a Biblical and practical perspective:

If the Bible Says It, I Believe It. 100%. I arrived at this conclusion after questioning the Bible and scrutinizing it — comparing Jesus to various world religions. What I found is that the Christian Bible is completely accurate and trustworthy. I may not understand everything, and I may still have questions, but none of these things are deal-breakers. The Word of God is perfectly infallible and has been proven over and over throughout the centuries, whether I understand everything or not. Every word contained therein is relevant for today in some form.
Jesus Christ: My Everything. As the Son of God — one with the Father — Jesus came to earth to destroy the devil’s work as a perfect representation of the Father’s heart. (See 1 John 3:8 and Hebrews 1:3.) Philippians 2:5-8 tells us that Jesus did not consider His equality with the Father something to use to His own advantage but humbled Himself and came to earth as an ordinary human being. (See also Hebrews 2:17 and John 5:19.) In this way, He could show us how to live as redeemed humans. Jesus therefore demonstrated what is possible through a sinless life lived in right-relationship with Father God. Our lives should look like His. (See 1 John 2:6 and 4:17.)
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is for Everyone. Throughout the book of Acts, we learn about believers having a secondary experience to that of salvation (“salvation” being when the Holy Spirit comes to live within the believer for personal transformation). Beginning at the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit began clothing the Church with power. This same Holy Spirit still saturates people today in order to empower us for the ministry to which we’ve been called. I like to say that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is not what gets you into heaven (salvation did that), but it sure does make you more effective at bringing others with you!
God is Good. (Period.) Everything God does is good, and every truly “good” thing we experience comes from Him. Goodness is His very nature and cannot be separated from His identity. This means that His will is also good. (See Romans 12:2.) But along with this premise comes the realization that God’s will is not always done. For example, 2 Peter 3:9 is clear that God does not want anyone to perish in hell; and yet people go to hell. Another example is death; if death were always the Father’s will, then Jesus would have been betraying the Father to raise the dead. Jesus would not have taught His disciples to pray “Thy will, be done…” if God’s will would already be done. As Christians — ambassadors and representatives of Christ — God has given us the responsibility to carry out the Father’s will in the earth through love and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. We evangelize the lost, minister healing and deliverance, give to the poor, care for widows and orphans, and so forth. We become expressions of His goodness.
Healing and Miracles Confirm the Gospel. Jesus said in John 10:37-38, “Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” Jesus pointed to miracles as validation for His ministry. (See also John 14:8-11.) Admittedly, He also talked later about false prophets who would perform lying signs and wonders. How do we come to terms with this? Simple: If a person performs miracles, it is not automatic proof that they are preaching the true word of God. However, if a person’s life exhibits no miracle-working power at all, then we have reason to question their message. Do they have the Holy Spirit or don’t they? Jesus said in Mark 16:17, “These signs will accompany those who believe…” In other words, if these signs do not accompany you, then you have reason to reevaluate and challenge what you believe. Jesus is not a powerless person; He is the all-powerful King of Kings and Lord of Lords. While I would never imply that my theology is perfect or that I have God all figured out, I do expect miracles and healings to take place whenever I minister. If they don’t, then there’s a problem of some sort that I have to take to the Lord and sort out.
When Jesus Said “Greater Works,” He Meant It! In John 14:12, Jesus told His disciples that they would do the same miracles He had been doing — including greater ones. As an example, Acts 5:15 tells us about Peter’s shadow healing the sick, and Acts 19:12 tells us about handkerchiefs and aprons that touched Paul’s body being capable of healing the sick and casting out demons. Jesus didn’t do those things during His earthly ministry, but Peter and Paul did (or, rather, Jesus did through them). I don’t teach that these two specific works from Acts 19 must happen; I simply want Christians to expect more in Christ than they have ever yet experienced. When walking within the constraints of obedience to God and love for others, the sky is the limit. Anything is possible. We have biblical reason to see God do things that aren’t even mentioned in the Bible. As Psalm 115:3 says, God does whatever He pleases!
Grace Truly is Amazing. Nothing good that we receive is deserved. Every blessing we receive is purely the result of God’s grace. When we enter into Christ, Jesus reaps everything we have sown, and we reap everything He has sown. Every sin I’ve committed, He reaped at the cross. Every good work I carry out, He reaps the glory. The opposite is also true — that we reap what Jesus has sown — and we have the joy of knowing that Jesus has never sinned. The only things we reap from Him are blessings. Salvation cannot be earned. Healing cannot be earned. Gifts of the Holy Spirit cannot be earned. Blessings of any kind cannot be earned. All we need to do is wholeheartedly trust God, which produces transformed lives, loving action, and miraculous results.
The Holy Spirit Empowers Every Believer to Minister — Not Merely “The Person on Stage.” Ephesians 4:11-13 tells us that the reason Jesus gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to the Church is not so that these ministers can rule the people or merely lead organizations. Rather, the purpose is “to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” In other words, my role is not to come put on a show. My role is to train and equip the believers to know and represent Jesus in His fullness. A central theme of my message is “Spiritual Gifts,” including how to practice them with the love and character of Jesus. Everything I teach comes with the expectation of strengthening the ministries of every believer around me.
Jesus is Coming Back Soon. While I adhere to the Assemblies of God stance on the end times, I am also aware that there is much debate throughout the Body of Christ as to matters such as the rapture and so forth. For this reason, I do not make Eschatology a focal point of my ministry. Nevertheless, I do not apologize for the fact that Jesus is indeed coming back soon. The return of Christ, however, is not a rescue mission but rather a wedding-call. While sin in the world may be growing darker, the Church is growing brighter, which will produce exciting results in the days ahead. (See Isaiah 60:1-3.) Until Jesus returns for His Bride, we have the responsibility and the mission to save as many people as possible. We must proclaim and demonstrate the Gospel accurately throughout the entire earth. God wants everyone to be saved, and that is why He has commissioned us to go!