Statement of Faith, and a few other tidbits for Raven Ministries:
The beliefs of Raven Ministries:
We believe in One God, present in Three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They operate as one in complete unity.
Jesus Christ is the only son of the Living God, who came to earth and was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life of powerful miracles, and suffered to his death at the hands of faithless men. He was fully man and fully God at the same time, not a hybrid or son of angels. Because His pure Blood was shed, the law was fulfilled, and our sins have been forgiven. He was resurrected on the third day after His death, paving the way for all of us to live a resurrected life in fellowship with the God who loves us. The power of the Gospel is in the cross of Christ. And the love of God can be present only in the personal relationship to Him in the life of the believer. He is the "second Adam", the restorer of all that was lost in the garden.
After preaching the Gospel to the lost souls in hell, Jesus ascended to Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, and sent His Holy Spirit to earth on the day of Pentecost. In the moment when the Spirit of the Living God baptizes the believer with the power of God, all of God's attributes, gifts, and Presence become available. There is a difference in "belief" with the mind and being truly converted or "born-again" in a life-changing encounter with the Living God. We believe that all nine gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in Scripture (1 Corinthians 12) operate today. We live in the days of Joel 2. We believe that the prophetic realms, from dreams to angelic encounters, are real and active today. We also stress that fellowship, a knowledge of God personally, and the fullness of His Word - the Bible- is the key to protection from deceptions.
We believe in the day when Jesus will once again return to the natural earth to claim His bride. Scripture says that a new heavens and new earth will result. We believe that the preparation of the heart for scrutiny by the Lord is of paramount importance, and that the exercise of faith is the antidote to fear. We also believe that as the world grows darker, we must grow closer to God and let His love shine through us. We do not believe that believers will escape the trials of living on the earth. It is our prayer that we will stand strong in the days of trial as a testimony to all who do not know Him.
We believe strongly that love is the greatest gift, and should transcend the doctrines of men. We believe in fellowship with one another, and encouragement of the brethren as we see the days approaching. Relationships within the Body of Christ should be strong and living, just as our relationships to God must be personal and unshakeable.
We believe in granting honor and respect to all members of society whether Christian or not. Winning their hearts for Christ can only be done through love and prayer, not judgment. We will, however, stand firm against practices which are in direct conflict with the Bible.
We believe in the sacraments of the church: marriage, communion, water baptism, foot washing, and dedication of children to the Lord.
We believe that "equipping of the saints" by the five-fold ministry is not about hierarchy and control. We endeavor to come along side men and women in the faith to help them stand strong and move into their callings. We believe that solid strong friendships, love, and exhortation bring about better fruit than controlling the thoughts or actions of a flock. We walk together, we stand together, yet we operate separately in our individual destinies.
We believe that the nation of Israel is still beloved of the Most High God, and that He is restoring them into His favor yet again. The Bible says that there is a time of the Gentiles (that's us), and when it is completed, all of Israel will know their Messiah who loves them. Together we are "the whole house of Israel." (Romans 11, Ezekiel 37). There truly is only ONE church.
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The denominational name of our "covering" church is the "Independent Episcopal Church of North America." The word "Episcopal" means "governed by a bishop." I am in ministry partnership with a bishop whose church is named "House of Prayer". We are not in any way connected to any other denomination in other than a friendship basis. We at Raven Ministries choose to be nondenominational, Pentecostal and openly prophetic in practice. There is friendship, accountability, and freedom in this group.
In Christ there is no slave nor free, male nor female, Jew nor Greek, but all are one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28).
D. F. Higbee