Metamorphoo-Transforming Power Ministries, Inc.

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METAMORPHOO - TRANSFORMING POWER MINISTRIES, INC.

PO Box 17, Willingboro, New Jersey 08046-0017

www.metamorphooministries.com

                                                                   

 

STATEMENT OF FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS

 

The statements below are simply a basis of some of the biblical truths we believe:

 

1.   THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

We believe the scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, were written by holy men divinelyinspired by God, to instruct us concerning our faith and conduct.  We read this in the following New Testament verses:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 New Living Translation (NLT) - ¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. ¹⁷ God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

2 Peter 1:20-21 King James Version (KJV) - ²⁰ Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.  ²¹ For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

 

2.   THE GODHEAD

The Word of God tells us that there is but one true God, eternally existent in three (3) persons known as the Godhead: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit.  We see this in the following New Testament verses:

Matthew 28:19 Amplified Bible (AMP) - Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

2 Corinthians 13:14 Amplified Bible (AMP) - The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

 

3.   THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD

We believe Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God who was born of a virgin, He lived a sinless life and performed many miracles. Jesus Christ bleed and died on the cross for our sins and was buried.  The third day, He arose from the grave and is presently seated at the right hand of God the Father, making intercession on behalf of all those who come to accept Him as their Lord and Savior.  We read this in the following scriptures:

Luke 1:26-37 New Living Translation (NLT) - ²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. ²⁸ Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”  ²⁹ Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. ³⁰ “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. ³² He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³ And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”  ³⁴ Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”  ³⁵ The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. ³⁷ For the word of God will never fail.

Acts 2:29-33 New Living Translation (NLT) - ²⁹ “Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn’t referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. ³⁰ But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne. ³¹ David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave. ³² “God raised Jesus from the dead,  and we are all witnesses of this. ³³ Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand.  And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today.

Acts 10:38-41 New Living Translation (NLT) - ³⁸ And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. ³⁹ “And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a cross, ⁴⁰ but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear, ⁴¹ not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 New Living Translation (NLT) - ³ I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. ⁴ He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.

1 Peter 2:21-25 Amplified Bible (AMP) - ²¹ For [as a believer] you have been called for this purpose, since Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you may follow in His footsteps. ²² He committed no sin, nor was deceit ever found in His mouth. ²³ While being reviled and insulted, He did not revile or insult in return; while suffering, He made no threats [of vengeance], but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges fairly. ²⁴ He personally carried    our sins in His body on the cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been healed. ²⁵ For you were continually wandering like [so many] sheep, but now you have come back to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

 

4.   SALVATION

a.   Salvation – We believe salvation can only be obtained through Jesus Christ.  It is only through His shed blood that we can have forgiveness from our sins.  Through the Grace of God (His unmerited favor towards us), salvation is a free gift to all who accept the Lord Jesus Christ into their hearts and make Him the Lord of their lives and seek to turn from their life of sin. We read of this in the following verses:

Ephesians 2:8-9 Amplified Bible (AMP) - ⁸ For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation].

Titus 2:11-14 Amplified Bible (AMP) - ¹¹ For the [remarkable, undeserved] grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. ¹² It teaches us to reject ungodliness and worldly (immoral) desires, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives [lives with a purpose that reflect spiritual maturity] in this present age, ¹³ awaiting and confidently expecting the [fulfillment of our] blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, ¹⁴ who [willingly] gave Himself [to be crucified] on our behalf to redeem us and                purchase our freedom from all wickedness, and to purify for Himself a chosen and very special people to be His own possession, who are enthusiastic for doing what is good.

 

To receive God’s gift of salvation, look at what we are told in: 

Romans 10:9-10 New Living Translation (NLT) - ⁹ If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

Now all you need to do is to open your mouth and pray this prayer out loud to the Lord Jesus Christ:

“Lord Jesus, this day I openly confess you as my Lord and Savior.  I openly declare that you are Lord and that God the Father raised you from the dead.  By faith in your Word, I receive and thank you for saving me!”

After praying this prayer, you are now saved and your new life in Jesus Christ has begun as seen in the following scripture:

Romans 10:13 Amplified Bible (AMP) - For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord [in prayer] will be saved.”

 

b.   The Baptism of the Holy Spirit – It is the Lord’s desire to give all believers the power to endure in this evil time.  This power comes by being filled and baptized by the Holy Spirit.  To receive the power that our Heavenly Father wishes to give us, open your mouth and pray this prayer out loud:

My Father in Heaven, I need Your power to live in this life.  Please fill me with your Holy Spirit.  By faith, I now receive and thank you for baptizing me.  Holy Spirit, I welcome you into my life.

 

As you continue praying, some syllables from a language not familiar to you will rise up from your heart to your mouth.  We read this in:

1 Corinthians 14:14 Amplified Bible (AMP) - For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unproductive [because it does not understand what my spirit is praying].

 

This is known as speaking in tongues.  Look at how this is explained in the Word:

1 Corinthians 14:4 New Living Translation (NLT) - A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.

 

If you pray and do not speak in tongues, do not become discouraged.  Sometimes, this will come in progression.  Remember what the Word of God tells us:

Mark 11:24 Amplified Bible (AMP) - For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you.

 

c.   Sanctification -- We believe sanctification is the process by which God works salvation within us so that our character becomes more like Jesus Christ and the fruit of the Spirit is able to spring up in us. Whereas our initial salvation sometimes feels more like an event, sanctification is clearly a progressive process accomplished over time.

2 Corinthians 3:18 Amplified Bible (AMP) - And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.

Ephesians 4:12-16 King James Version (KJV) - ¹² For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:  ¹³ Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:  ¹⁴ That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; ¹⁵ But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: ¹⁶ From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 New Living Translation (NLT) - ³ God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. ⁴ Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor

2 Timothy 2:21 New Living Translation (NLT) -  If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.

 

Sanctification is continuing on to perfection the work begun within us through our regeneration, and it extends to the whole person.

Romans 6:13 New Living Translation (NLT) - Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 4:6 Amplified Bible (AMP) - For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give us the Light of the knowledge of the glory and  majesty of God [clearly revealed] in the face of Christ.

Colossians 3:1-10 New Living Translation (NLT) -  ¹ Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. ² Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. ³ For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ And   when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. ⁵ So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. ⁶ Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. ⁷ You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. ⁸ But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. ⁹ Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. ¹⁰ Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

1 John 4:7 Amplified Bible (AMP) - Beloved, let us [unselfishly]  love and seek the best for one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves [others] is born of God and knows God [through personal experience].

1 Corinthians 6:19 Amplified Bible (AMP) - Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from God, and that you are not your own [property]?

 

d.   The Blessed Hope – We believe in the Blessed Hope [the catching away of all true believers of Jesus Christ at the time appointed and only known by God the Father].

Matthew 24:30-31 Amplified Bible (AMP) - ³⁰ And at that time the sign of the Son of Man  [coming in His glory] will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth [and especially Israel] will mourn [regretting their rebellion and rejection of the Messiah], and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory [in brilliance and splendor]. ³¹ And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet and they will gather together His elect (God’s chosen ones) from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to    the other.

John 5:24 Amplified Bible (AMP) - “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, the person who hears My word [the one who heeds My message], and believes and trusts in Him who sent Me, has (possesses now) eternal life [that is, eternal life actually begins—the believer is transformed], and does not come into judgment and condemnation, but has passed [over]  from death into life.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 New Living Translation (NLT) - ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves.  ¹⁷ Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.

 

We also believe in Jesus Christ’s personal return to this earth in power and glory to reign and rule a thousand years.

Revelation 20:4 New Living Translation (NLT) - Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

 

5.   ORDINANCES

a.   Water Baptism – We believe in baptizing by immersion, all those who have accepted Jesus Christ into their heart and life, as commanded in God’s Holy Scriptures.  It is important that all candidates for baptism understand that Baptism is simply an outward expression to others of the inward spiritual change which has taken place within them when they accepted the Lord Jesus Christ into their heart and life.  By doing this, they are proclaiming to the world how they have died to self and are now raised in newness of life with Christ.

Acts 2:38 New Living Translation (NLT) - Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 6:3-11 New Living Translation (NLT) - ³ Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? ⁴ For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.  ⁵ Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. ⁶ We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to     sin. ⁷ For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. ⁸ And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. ⁹ We  are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. ¹⁰ When he died, he died once     to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. ¹¹ So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

Colossians 2:12-14 New Living Translation (NLT) - ¹² For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. ¹³ You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut   away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. ¹⁴ He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to   the cross.

 

b.   Holy Communion – We believe that in partaking of the Lord’s Supper – Unleavened Bread and the unfermented Fruit of the Vine – we hold in remembrance Jesus Christ’s suffering, death, resurrection from the grave and His promised return for all true believers.

1 Corinthians 11:23-27 New Living Translation (NLT) - ²³ For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread ²⁴ and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” ²⁶ For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again. ²⁷ So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.

 

c.   Fasting – We believe in the benefits of fasting (the abstaining from food) when it is done in accordance with God’s Holy Word and not to persuade God to honor personal desires.

Isaiah 58:4-6 New Living Translation (NLT) - ⁴ What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me.  ⁵ You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes.  Is this what you call fasting?  Do you really think this will please the Lord?  ⁶ “No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you.  Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. 

Matthew 6:16-18 New Living Translation (NLT) - 16"And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting.  I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.  17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.  18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private.  And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

 

d.   Fellowship – We believe in the importance of regular Christian fellowship.

Hebrews 10:24-25 Amplified Bible (AAMP) - 24 and let us consider [thoughtfully] how we may encourage one another to love and to do good deeds, 25 not forsaking our meeting together [as believers for worship and instruction], as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ's return] approaching. 

 

e.   Praise - We believe in the acknowledgment of God’s continual kindness and faithfulness towards us by praising Him at all times.

 Psalm 81:1-3 King James Version (KJV) - ¹Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.² Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery. ³ Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

Psalm 100 New Living Translation (NLT) - 1 Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth!  2 Worship the LORD with gladness.  Come before him, singing with joy. 3 Acknowledge that the LORD is God!  He made us, and we are his.  We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise.  Give thanks to him and praise his name.  5 For the LORD is good.  His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

 

f.   Prayer – We believe in the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous being pleasing to God.

Luke 18:1 Amplified Bible (AMP) - Now Jesus was telling the disciples a parable to make the point that at all times they ought to pray and not give up and lose heart,

James 5:16 New Living Translation (NLT) - Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

 

g.   Tithing – We believe in tithing (the tenth of our income) to where we are being taught the true Word of God.

Malachi 3:8-12 Amplified Bible (AMP) - ⁸ “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings [you have withheld]. ⁹ You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, this whole nation! ¹⁰ Bring all the tithes (the tenth) into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you [so great] a blessing until there is no more room to receive it. ¹¹ Then I will rebuke the devourer (insects, plague) for your sake and he will not destroy the fruits of the ground, nor will your vine in the field drop its grapes [before harvest],” says the Lord of hosts. ¹² “All nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight,” says the Lord of hosts.

 

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