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What is
SOTERIA?
The
word Soteria is from the New Testament Greek meaning
"salvation, healing, and deliverance". We
need to understand there is more to salvation than just
getting "saved". We are supposed to conquer evil and
bring the Kingdom of God to Earth in Jesus' name! In order to do
this we must be equipped with the tools Christ and the Holy Spirit
gave us and we must know how to use them.
Our
Vision initially was to acquire a large building (81 N. Broadway)
in downtown Asheville to actuate all the following concepts. This
building would have housed:
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a coffee shop |
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internet
cafe |
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training
rooms |
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a small
gym |
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a nursing
center |
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an incubator
restaurant |
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a small laundromat |
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book
store |
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non-profit incubation executive
suites |
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prayer/counseling/healing
rooms |
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a nightly worship/performing arts
center |
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a cultural diversity center allowing artisans to display and sell
their
wares |
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church |
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and much more....... |
We
were in the building for twelve weeks in 2003 (see
History) but had to leave when we prayed the nightclub we were
sharing the building with closed. We still believe God is
providing us with the facilities to impart the vision. How and
when He does this we are walking out on a daily basis. We do need
a facility to utilize all the training, equipping, and ministry
that is available for anyone. And, we need committed Saints to
support this outreach on a consistent basis.
THE
LORD HAS ALSO GIVEN A VISION CALLED
"BEAUTY
FOR ASHEVILLE"
(click
here to read)
STATEMENT
OF FAITH - WHAT WE BELIEVE:
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 We
believe the Scriptures to be the inspired and inerrant Word of
God, and as such, they are revelation from God to man, the
infallible rule of faith and conduct. [l Tim. 3:16; I Peter
2:2]
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We
believe in the Trinity of one God, eternal and self-existent,
self-revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. [Deut. 6:4; Mark
12:29; Is.43:10-11; Matt. 28:19.]
We
believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having
been conceived of the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin, Mary.
[John 1:1,14; Mat. 1:18; Luke 1:26-27; Luke 2:7;
I Tim. 2:5.]
We
believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross and shed His blood
as a sacrifice for our sins; He arose bodily from the dead,
ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the
Majesty on High. [l Pet. 2:24; Heb. 9:11-14; I Cor. 15:3-8;
Acts 2:32-36; Heb. 10:12.]
We
believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit to glorify Christ,
to convict men of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to
empower the believer. [John 15:26, John 16:8, 14;
Acts 1 :8.]
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We
believe that man was created in the image of God, but fell
into sin. [Gen. 1:26-31;
Gen. 3:1-7;
Rom.
5:12-21.]
We
believe that man can be justified only by grace through
personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. [Eph. 4:11-12;
Rom. 3:24-28.]
We
believe that water baptism identifies us with the death and
burial of Christ, and that we should arise to walk in newness
of life. [Rom.6:3-9; I Pet. 3:21.]
We
believe that the true Church is composed of such persons who,
through saving faith in Jesus Christ, have been regenerated by
the Holy Spirit. [l Pet.2.4-5; Eph.2:19-22.]
We
believe in the personal, literal, second coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ to judge both the quick and the dead.
[Thess. 4:16; Heb 9:27; I Cor. 15:51-52; Rev. 20:11-15; Acts
24:15.]
We
believe in the bodily resurrection of all the dead. [Acts
24:15; I Cor. 15:3544; Rev.20:11-15.]
We
believe in everlasting blessedness for the believer, with
judgment and everlasting punishment for the unbeliever. [Matt.
7:21-23; Rev. 20:11-15; John 5:29.]
We
believe that Christ wants the members of His Church to carry
the Gospel into all the world. [Matt. 28:18-20;
Acts 1:8.]
We
believe that the Holy Spirit is at work today within the
Church through His gifts, fruit, and anointed ministers.
[Acts 2:39;
Rom.
12:6-8; I Cor. 12;1-11; Gal. 5:22-23; Eph. 4:11; I Cor.
12:28.]
We
believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to every
believer and need to be activated and exercised to fulfill
their divine purpose of blessing the Body of Christ. [Acts
2:39;
Rom.
12:6-8; I Cor. 12:1-11; Gal. 5:22-23; Eph. 4:11;
I Cor. 12:28.]
We
believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit wherein the Spirit
is sent to gift each believer with their own private
prayer/praise language used to edify themselves, and that such
a baptism empowers the believer to be effective for Christ.
[Acts 1 :8; Acts 2:39; I Cor. 14:2; Jude 20; I Cor. 14:18;
Acts19:1-6.]
We
believe in divine healing of the body as part of the atoning
work of Jesus Christ. This healing can be received and also
ministered to others by various gifts. [l Cor 12:8-10;
Matt.8:16-17; I Pet. 2:24]
We
believe in perfecting and equipping the saints so they can
enter in the full functions of the fivefold ministry which
were given into the work of their ministry thereby edifying
the whole Body of Christ. [Eph.4:11-16; I Cor 12:28.]
We
believe in the present-day ministries of the apostles and
prophets which Christ has set in the Church as foundational
and revelational ministries. We believe these two ministries
will be restored to function in full power and authority
before the literal second coming of Christ. [Eph. 2:20, Acts
3:21.]
We
believe that the
Church
of
Jesus Christ
is God’s instrument to establish and extend God’s Kingdom
until the literal coming of Christ to reign over all the
earth. [Rev. 11:15.]
We
believe in the full restoration of the corporate Body of
Christ. [Acts 3:21.] We believe in proclaiming present-truth
for the purpose of establishing dynamic, growing local
churches, building on the foundational ministries of the
apostles and prophets. We believe in the autonomy of each
local church and that itinerant ministries should be based out
of and related to a local church with accountability to a
senior minister. [Acts 13:1; Acts 15.]
We
believe that the Church is the Body of Christ expressed as the
church individual, the church local, and the church universal
and invisible. As such, we believe the Church to be more than
just a building or a gathering of people. It is a Body living
in relationship and harmony under direction of the Head, Jesus
Christ. [l Cor.6.15; ll Cor. 1:1;
Rom.
16:5; I Pet. 2:4-5, Eph.2:19-22, I Cor. 12:12-31
Rom.
12:4-5; Eph. 4:11-16.]
We
believe in church discipline administered within the
relational group in a spirit of meekness and confidentiality.
The purpose of such discipline is the restoration of the one
subject to the discipline and/or the purification of the
relational group. The steps of discipline are: one-on-one
private confrontation, private confrontation with witnesses,
and finally, exposure to the relational group for judgment
leading to restoration or separation. [Matt. 18: 15-20; Gal.
6: 1; Rom. 16:17; ll John 9-11; I Cor. 5; ll Cor. 2:6-8, I
Tim. 5:20.)
We
believe as members of the same Body of Christ, baptized by one
Spirit into one Body, that we must endeavor to keep the unity
of the Spirit in the bond of peace, and as such, that we
should not bring a lawsuit against another Christian
individual or ministry unless all scriptural principles have
been complied with thorough efforts of mediation. We believe
that all such disputes should be resolved within the Body of
Christ without taking them before unbelievers for judgment.
(l Cor. 6:1-8; Eph.4:36.]
We
believe that God speaks today. There are at least five avenues
of prophecy by which God speaks to His people. They are the
office of the prophet, prophetic preaching, prophetic
presbytery, the gift of prophecy, and the spirit of prophecy.
All five avenues are received and encouraged in this
association of churches. We believe that hearing from God,
both individually as members and corporately as a church and
association of churches, through prophecy or any other
biblical means chosen by God to communicate, is essential to
our faith and walk with God. Prophecy and prophetic utterance
is only one method of discerning God’s will and direction.
It is recognized that the methods or avenues of prophecy will
not always be 100 percent accurate. Actions should not be
taken on the basis of prophetic words alone without other
confirmation. We believe that prophetic presbytery serves the
purpose in the Body of Christ in activating, establishing,
releasing, commissioning, and ordaining gifts to their office,
function, and place of relationship and/or leadership. [l Cor.
14:3, Eph.4:11; Eph. 2:20; I Tim. 4:14; Acts 13:1-3; Titus 1
:5; Rom. 12:6; I Pet.4.10; I Cor. 14:39; I Cor. 14:1;
I Thess. 5:19-21; I Tim.5:22; ll Tim. 1:6.]
We
believe that in all matters concerning the Body of Christ, in
its direction, discipline, ministry, and functioning; that
specific guidance and instruction, revelation, and discernment
of truth from falsehood, is available by the leading of the
Holy Spirit, who enables us to know spiritual things by the
Spirit. [Acts 13:1-3; I Tim. 1:18; Rom. 8:14; I Tim. 5:22;
John 16:13-15; I cor. 5:3.]
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Blessings - Pastor Ernest H. Hays
Intercession -
| Hbr
7:25 |
Wherefore
he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come
unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make
intercession for them. |
Prophetic -
| Rev
19:10 |
And
I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me,
See [thou do it] not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy
brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God:
for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. |
 E-mail :
Pastor@soteriaministries.org
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