What We Believe:

1. We believe in one God, manifesting Himself in three Persons as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
   • Gen 1:26; Deut. 6:4; 1 Kg. 8:60; Matt. 28:19; Mark 12:29; John 14:26; 15:26; Acts 2:33; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 1:3-14; 4:4-6; Jas. 2:19; 1 Pet. 1:2; 3:18; 1 John 5:7; Rev. 1:4-5.
2. We believe the Bible to be verbally inspired, the inerrant Word of God, and, when rightly interpreted by the Holy Spirit, to be the infallible rule of faith and practice
   • Psa. 45:1; Ezek. 1:3; Matt. 24:35; Luke 24:27; Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11; 1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21.
3. We believe in the creation and subsequent fall of man, with the result that he, without God, is in a state of total spiritual depravity, unable to attain to divine righteousness by means of his own wisdom and strength. Unregenerate man, with a beast nature, needs a Savior
   • Gen. 1-3; Rom. 3:23; 5:12-19; 6:23; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 2:1-3.
4. We believe the Lord Jesus Christ to be the only Savior of all men, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, very (fully) God and very (fully) man.
   • Gen. 3:15; Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18-25; John 10:1; 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Cor. 15:3-8; Gal. 3:13-14; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 4:14-16; 8:1-6; 10:12-13.
5. We believe in personal regeneration, that one must be born again to see and enter the Kingdom of God.
   • John 1:29; 3:1-8; 17:4; 19:30; Acts 13:38-39; Rom. 5:1-2; Eph. 2:8-9; Rev. 13:8.
6. We believe that this conversion experience should be followed with water baptism by immersion in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and the circumcision of the heart.
   • Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Rom. 2:28; 6:1-14; Col. 2:11-12; 1 John 5:8.
7. We believe in observing often the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper.
   • Matt. 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:17-20; 1 Cor. 10:16-17; 11:23-30.
8. We believe that sanctification is once and for all as well as progressive in nature: first, from the time of conversion, God Himself sets the believer apart by the blood of Jesus; then the believer separates himself unto a holy God by washing himself daily with the Word.
   • Matt. 5:48; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 6:11-7:1; Eph. 5:25-27; Col. 3:8-13; Heb. 9:12; 12:14; Jas. 1:27; 1 Pet. 1:15; 1 John 2:15-17.
9. We believe that healing for man’s spirit, mind, and body was provided for in the New Covenant when our Lord Jesus was beaten and striped in His death on the cross and rose again in the power of His resurrection.
   • Ex. 15:26; Isa. 53:5; Mark 7:26; 16:18; John 10:10; Acts 4:30; 10:38; Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 12:9; Gal. 3:13-14; Jas. 5:13-16; 1 Pet. 2:24.
10. We believe that the Pentecostal experience of the Holy Ghost Baptism is separate from and subsequent to conversion.
    • Mark 16:17; Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-4; 10:44-46; 19:6; Gal. 3:14-15; 4:6; Eph. 5:17-18; Col. 1:27; and Ex. 19:1 with Lev. 23:15-22.
11. We believe that the fruit of the Spirit is the divine nature and character of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Pattern Son for every believer.
    • Rom. 8:28-29; 2 Cor. 3:18; Gal. 5:22-23; 2 Pet. 1:3-4; 1 John 3:1-3.
12. We believe that the gifts or manifestations of the Holy Spirit are the supernatural ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that every member of the Body of Christ should flow in several of them.
    • Mark 16:15-20; Acts 1:8; 4:7-10, 29-31; 5:12; 8:5-13; 10:38; Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 4:20; 12:8-10; 14:1-40; Heb. 2:3-4; 1 Pet. 4:10-11.
13. We believe that the Bible defines marriage as the covenant relationship between a man and a woman. The importance of this union to society requires that we support and protect marriage as the Word of God does.
    • Matt 19:4-6; Pro 31:10; Eph 5:25-26; 1 Cor 7:2, Eph 5:31; Eph 5:28; Eph 5:33
14. We believe in continuous and continual, persistent and consistent Spirit-filled prayer and intercession, and that fasting (abstaining from food) intensifies prayer.
    • Job 1:7; 22:28; Matt. 4:2; 12:25-29; Mark 16:17; Luke 4:2; 10:17-20; 19:13; Acts 8:18-24; 13:6-12; 19:13-20; Rom. 4:17; 2 Cor. 2:11; 11:14, 27; Eph. 6:10-18; Heb. 2:14; Jas. 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8-9; 1 John 3:8.
15. We believe in the order of worship given by revelation in the Tabernacle of David and restored to the Church today.
    • This includes the voice (singing, shouting), the hands (clapping, raising, playing instruments), and the whole body (standing, bowing, kneeling, dancing)
    • 2 Sam. 6; 1 Chron. 13-16; Psa. 150; Acts 15:13-17; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16.
16. We believe that all authority centers in Jesus Christ and that He has delegated His jurisdiction into the home (domestically), the local church (ecclesiastically), and civil government.
    • We believe in theocratic (God-ruled) local church government and order (elders, deacons, and saints).
    • Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 13:1-2; 15:19; Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 1:20-23; Phil. 1:1; 2:5-11; 1 Tim. 3:1-13.
17. We believe in the full restoration of the five-fold ascension-gift ministries that Jesus Christ sent to equip and mature the Church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.
    • Rom. 8:19-23; 1 Cor. 13:8-13; Eph. 2:20; 3:1-5; 4:11-16; Col.1:25-29.
18. We believe that the Kingdom of God is a present reality and will expand until the knowledge of His Lordship covers the earth,
    • Gen. 1:26-28; Dan. 2:44-45; 7:27; Hab. 2:14; Mark 1:14-15; Rom 14:17; Eph. 3:21; Heb. 12:25-29; Rev. 1:6; 5:10; 11:15; 19:1-6.
19. We believe in  God’s judgments.
    • Gen. 18:25; Eccl. 12:14; Matt. 5:13-16; 12:20; John 5:22; Acts 17:31; Rom. 2:16; 14:10-12; 1 Cor. 6:1-3; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Thess. 2:7-10; Heb. 9:27; 12:23; Rev. 20:12.
20. We believe in the resurrection of the dead.
    • Job 14:14; Psa. 16:10; 17:15; John 5:24; 11:25; Rom. 8:11, 23; 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 15; 2 Cor. 3:18; 5:6-10; Col. 1:9-13; Phil. 3:11, 21; Rev. 20.
21. We believe in heaven and hell.
    • Rom 2:6-8, Rev 21:8, Matt 25:46, Rev 21:1-27, Rom 6:23, Rev 20:10, Heb 9:27, Matt 25:41, John 3:31, Luke 23:43.

Much of our vision and calling is defined in what we believe, for –

• We do what we ARE.
• We BECOME what we worship.

First there is a WORD, and then there is a WORK.

River of Life is called to be one of the many local expressions of the Kingdom of God in the Houston Metropolitan area. This Christ-centered calling is stated and revealed in a three-fold manner throughout the Bible

• Prov. 22:20; Ex. 25:8, 40; Deut. 16:16; John 14:6; 1 Cor. 10:1-4, 11; 13:8-13; 2 Cor. 1:10; Eph. 4:8-16; Heb. 6:19-20; 8:1-6; 1 John 2:12-24