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IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS
LIFE CHANGERS... |
 Life Changers Church of God in
Christ, Inc. is a ministry currently located at
601 Miccosukee Road, in Tallahassee Florida.
Our church was born out of a vision from and a
love for God, and a desire to bring great change
in our society by bringing about an
unquestionable and permanent change in people’s
lives. Incepted December 14, 1994 under the
pastorate of Gerald Matthew Mandrell, the church
began with a small congregation of twelve.
Pastor Gerald and his wife
Co-Pastor Judy were faithful, respectful
ministry associates for 18 years at Watson
Temple Institutional COGIC, prior to starting
Life Changers. They were consistent in pouring
their lives into the gamut of services offered
by the Watson Temple Church. Gerald and Judy
Mandrell had trained young ministers, taught
Sunday School classes, served musically,
supervised collegiate ministries, and used every
available door to share the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. Most appropriately, when Life Changers
Church started, because of her years of
experience in Christian service, Mrs. Judy
Mandrell was appointed as the First
Administrative Assistant. Life Changers now
impacts the lives of hundreds through the local
church assembly, a thriving radio ministry, and
various evangelistic outreach efforts.
Our Bible studies and worship
services are held weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays
and Sundays. Members are encouraged to support
the churches effort through regular attendance,
tithes and offerings. We believe that tithing
is an act of worship and that the first ten
percent (10%) of our gross income should be
presented to the Lord. Accordingly, tithe and
offerings are received during each worship
service (Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday).
STATEMENT OF FAITH
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We
believe the Bible to be the inspired
and only infallible Word of God.
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We
believe that there is One God
Eternally existent in Three Persons:
God the Father, God the Son and God
the Holy Spirit.
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We
believe in the Blessed Hope, which
is in the rapture of the Church of
God, which is in Christ at His
return.
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We
believe that the only means of being
cleansed from sin is through
repentance and faith in the precious
blood of Jesus Christ.
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We
believe that regeneration by the
Holy Ghost is absolutely essential
for personal salvation.
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We
believe that the redemptive work of
Christ on the cross provides healing
for the human body in answer to
believing in prayer.
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We
believe that the Baptism of the Holy
Ghost, according to
Acts 2:4,
is given to believers who ask for
it.
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We
believe in the sanctifying power of
the Holy Ghost by whose indwelling
the Christian is enabled to live a
holy and separated life in this
present world.
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It
is generally admitted that for an ordinance
to be valid, it must have been instituted by
Christ. When we speak of ordinances of the
Church, we are speaking of those instituted
by Christ, in which by sensible signs the
grace of God in Christ, and the benefits of
the covenant of grace are represented,
sealed, and applied to believers, and these
in turn give expression to their faith and
allegiance to God. The Church of God in
Christ then recognizes only three ordinances
as having been instituted by Christ Himself
and therefore, binding upon the Church
practice.
A.
THE LORD’S SUPPER (HOLY
COMMUNION)
The Lord’s Supper symbolizes
the Lord’s death and suffering of the
benefit and in the place of His people. It
also symbolizes the believers participation
in Crucified Christ. It represents the
death of Christ as the object of faith which
unites the believers to Christ, buy also the
effect of this act as giving life, strength,
and joy to the Soul. The communicant by
faith enters into a special spiritual union
of His soul with the glorified Christ.
B.
FEET WASHING
Feet
washing is practiced and recognized as an
ordinance in our Church because Christ, by
His example, showed that humility
characterized greatness in the Kingdom of
God, and that service, rendered to others
gave evidence that humility, motivated by
Love, exists. These services are held
subsequent to the Lord’s Supper, however,
its regularity is left to the discretion of
the Pastor in charge.
C.
water baptism
We believe that Water Baptism
is necessary as instructed by Christ in St.
John 3:5 “Unless man be born again of water
and of the Spirit....” However, we do not
believe that Water Baptism alone is a means
of salvation, but as an outward
demonstration that one has already had a
conversion experience and has accepted
Christ as His personal Saviour. As
Pentecostals, we practice immersion in
preference to “Sprinkling,” because
immersion corresponds more closely to the
Death, Burial, and Resurrection of our Lord
(Col 2:12). It also symbolizes regeneration
and purification more than any other mode.
Therefore, we practice immersion as our mode
of Baptism. Baptism Formula. We believe
that we should use the Formula given us by
Christ for all BAPTISM: ...”IN THE NAME OF
THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY
GHOST...” (St. Matthew 28:19).
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We believe that the Bible is the
Word of God and contains one harmonious and
sufficiently complete system of doctrine. We
believe in the full inspiration of the Word of
God. We hold the Word of God to be the only
authority in all matters and assert that no
doctrine can be true or essential, if it does
not find a place in this Word.
THE FATHER
We believe in God, the Father
Almighty, the Author and Creator of all things.
The Old Testament reveals God in diverse
manners, by manifesting his nature, character,
and dominions. The Gospels in the New Testament
give us knowledge of God the “Father” or “My
Father,” showing the relationship of God to
Jesus as Father, or representing Him as the
Father in the God head, and Jesus himself
that son (St. John 15:8: 14:20). Jesus also
gives God the distinction of “Fatherhood” to
all believers when he explains God in the
light of “Your
Father’ or ‘Your Father in Heaven” (St. Matthew
11:25).
THE
SON
We believe that Jesus Christ is
the Son of God, the Second person in the God
head of the Trinity or Triune God head. We
believe that Jesus was and is eternal in his
person and nature as the Son of God who was with
God in the beginning of creation (St. John 1:1).
We believe that Jesus Christ was born of a
virgin called Mary according to the scripture
(St. Matthew 1:8), thus giving the rise to our
fundamental-belief‑ in the Virgin Birth and to
all of the miraculous events surrounding this
Phenomenon (St. Matthew 1:18‑25). ‘We believe
that Jesus Christ became the ‘suffering Servant”
to man; this suffering servant came seeking to
redeem man from sin and to reconcile, him back
to God, his Father (Romans 5:10). We believe
that Jesus Christ is standing now as mediator
between God and man (I Timothy 2:5).
THE
HOLY GHOST
We believe the Holy Ghost or Holy
Spirit is the third person of the Trinity,
proceeds from the Father and the Son, is of the
same substance, equal in power and glory, and
is, together with the Father and the Son, to be
believed in, obeyed, and worshipped. The Holy
Ghost is a gift bestowed upon the believer for
the purpose of equipping and empowering the
believer, making him a more effective witness
for service in the world. He teaches and guides
one in all truth (John 16:13; Acts 1:8; 8:39).
THE BAPTISM
OF THE HOLY GHOST
We believe that the Baptism of
the Holy Ghost is an experience subsequent to
conversion and sanctification and that
tongue‑speaking is the consequence of the
baptism of the Holy Ghost with the
manifestations of the fruit of the spirit
(Galatians 5:22‑23; Acts 10:46; 19:1‑6). We
believe that we are not baptized with the Holy
Ghost in order to be saved, but that we are
baptized with the Holy Ghost because we are
saved (Acts 19:1‑6: John 3:5). When one receives
a baptismal Holy Ghost experience, we believe
one will speak with a tongue unknown to ones
self according to the sovereign will of Christ.
To be filled with the spirit means to be
spirit‑controlled as expressed by Paul in
Ephesians 5:18‑19. Since the charismatic
demonstrations were necessary to help the early
church to be successful in implementing the
command of Christ, we therefore, believe that a
Holy Ghost experience is mandatory for all men
today.
MAN
We believe that man was created
holy by God, composed of body and soul. We
believe that man, by nature, is sinful and
unholy. Being born in sin he needs to be born
again, sanctified and cleansed from all sins by
the blood of Jesus. We believe that man is
saved by confession and forsaking his sins, and
believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, and that
having become a child of God, by being born
again and adopted into the family of God, he
may, and should, claim the inheritance of the
sons of God, namely the baptism of the Holy
Ghost.
SIN
Sin, the bible teaches, began
in the angelic world (Ezekiel 28:11-19; Isaiah
14:12:20) and is transmitted into the blood
of the human race through disobedience and
deception motivated by unbelief (I Timothy
2:14). Adam’s sin, committed by eating
of the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge
of good and evil, carried with it a permanent
solution or depraved human nature to all his
descendants. This is called “original
sin.”
Sin can now be defined as a volitional
transgression against God and a lack of
conformity to the will of God. We therefore,
conclude that man by nature, is sinful and that
he hath fallen from a glorious and righteous
state for which he was created, and has become
unrighteous and unholy. Man, therefore,
must be restored to his state of holiness from
which he has fallen by being born against (St.
John 3:7).
SALVATION
Salvation deals with the
application of the work of redemption to the
sinner with his restoration to divine favor
and communion with God. This redemptive
operation of the Holy Ghost upon sinners is
brought about by repentance toward and faith
toward our Lord Jesus Christ which brings about
conversion, faith, justification, regeneration,
sanctification, and the baptism of the Holy
Ghost. Repentance is the work of God which
results in a change of mind in respect of man’s
relationship to God. (St. Matthew 3:12;
4:17: Acts 20:21). Faith is a certain
conviction wrought in the heart by the Holy
Spirit, as to the truth of the Gospel and
heart trust in the promises of God in Christ
(Romans 1:17; 3:28; St. Matthew 9:22; Acts
26:18). Conversion is
that act of God whereby he causes the
regenerated sinner, in His conscious life, to
turn to him in repentance and faith (II Kings
5:15; II Chronicles 33:12, 13; St.
Luke 19:8,9; Acts 8:30). Regeneration
is that act of God by which the principle
of the new life is implanted in man, and
the governing disposition of soul is made
holy and the first holy exercise of the new
disposition is secured. Sanctification
is that gracious and continuous operation
of the Holy Ghost, by which He delivers
the justified sinner from the pollution
of sin, renews his whole nature in the
image of God and enables him to perform
good works (Romans 6:4,5,6’ Col. 2:12;
3:1).
ANGELS
The Bible uses the term “angel”
(a heavenly body) clearly and primarily to
denote messengers or ambassadors of God with
such scripture references as Revelation 4:5,
which indicates their duty in heaven to praise
God: (Psalms 103:20) to do God’s will; (St.
Matthew 18:10) to behold his face. But
since heaven must come down to earth, they
also have a mission to earth. The Bible
indicates that they accompanied God in the
creation, and also that they will accompany
Christ in his return in Glory.
DEMONS
Demons denote unclean or evil
spirits; they are sometimes called devils or
demoniac beings. They are evil spirits,
belonging to the unseen or spiritual realm,
embodied in human beings. The Old Testament
refers to the prince of demons sometimes called
Satan (Adversary) or Devil as having power
and wisdom, taking the habitation of other
forms such as the serpent (Gen. 3:1). The
New Testament speaks of the Devil as Tempter
(St. Matthew 4:3) and it goes on to tell the
works of Satan. The Devil, and Demons
are combating righteousness and good in any
form, proving to be an adversary to the saints. Their
chief power is exercised to destroy the mission
of Jesus Christ. It can well be said
that the Christian Church believes in Demons,
Satan, and Devils. We believe in their
power and purpose.
We believe they can be subdued and conquered
as in the commandment to the believer by Jesus
(St. Mark 16:17), “In my name they shall cast
out Satan and the works of the Devil and to
resist him and then he will flee (WITHDRAW)
from you.
THE CHURCH
The Church forms a spiritual
unity of which Christ is the divine head. It
is animated by one Spirit. The Spirit
of Christ: It professes one faith, shares our
hope, and serves one King. It is the citadel
of the truth rather than of knowledge. The
name of our Church “CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST,” is
supported by I Thess. 2:14 and other passages
in the Pauline Epistles. The word “CHURCH” OR
EKKLESIA, was first applied to the Christian
society by Jesus Christ in St. Matthew 16:18. The
occasion being that of his benediction of Peter
at Caesarea Phillippi.
THE SECOND
COMING OF CHRIST
We believe in the second coming
of Christ; that he shall come from heaven to
earth. Personally, Bodily, Visibly (Acts 1:11;
Titus 2:13, Matt. 16:27; 24:30; 25:30; Luke
21:27; John 1:14,17; Titus 2:11), and that the
Church, the bride, will be caught up to meet him
in the air (I Thess. 4:16-17). We admonish all
who have this hope to purify themselves as He is
pure.
DIVINE
HEALING
The Church of God in Christ
believes in and does practice Divine Healing. It
is a commandment of Jesus to the Apostles (St.
Mark 16:18). Jesus affirms his teaching
on healing by explaining to his disciples,
who were to be Apostles, that healing the Afflicted
is by faith (St. Luke (;40-41). Therefore,
we believe that healing by Faith in God has
scriptural support and ordained authority. St.
James' writings in his epistles encourage elders
to pray for the sick, lay hands upon them and
to anoint them with oil, and that prayers with
faith shall heal the sick and the Lord shall
raise them up. Healing is still practiced
widely and frequently in the Church of God
in Christ and testimonies to healing in our
Church testify to this fact.
MIRACLES
The Church of God in Christ
believes miracles occur to convince men that
the Bible is God’s Word. A miracle can
be defined as an extraordinary visible act of
Divine power, wrought by the efficient agency
of the will of God, which has its final cause
the vindication of the righteousness of God’s
Word. We believe
that the works of God, which were performed
during the beginning of Christianity do and will
occur even today where God is preached. Faith
in Christ is exercised. The Holy Ghost
is active, and the Gospel is Promulgated in
the truth (Acts 5:15, 6:8; 9:40; Luke 4:36;
7:14-15; 5:5-6; St. Mark 14:15).
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Sunday Morning Prayer
