The folk in Christian Brethren
churches are big on the 'KISS' principle - Keep
It Simple Saint!
(Link Disclaimer:
Caution should be exercised - all points should be checked
back to the truth of God's Word. No one gets it all right all the
time. No one! If you feel that a link is not in
keeping with the beliefs of CB, please
email us your concerns and the link will be reviewed and
possibly removed. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and needed
in this.)
The Church
& the Meeting Place
_______________________________
Whenever the church is mentioned in the Bible it never
refers to a building - it is always talking about a group
of believers who meet together in a particular place. The church
is the people that meet in a building, not the building itself. In
reality though, we often find ourselves reflecting what the wider
community terms as the 'church', the building down the road. Thus
the terms 'Assembly Hall', 'Chapel', 'Fellowship' and 'Christian
Community' are often used to indicate a meeting complex within CB
circles.
You
will not find the Christian Brethren meeting in huge fancy cathedrals, with gold
fixtures and stained-glass everything. Far better to put the money
to work in spreading the good news of Jesus Christ, in supporting
workers who devote their time to ministry and in publication and
distribution of the Word of God. Modest buildings are needed only
as support for ministry, but should never be temples to man's
vanity. Better to lay up your treasure in heaven. God's Temple is
in the heart of the believer through the in-dwelling Holy Spirit.
Local & Denominational Leadership
_____________________________________________________________
The
final and God-appointed leadership of a local church is NOT in the
hands of an appointed Priest, Pastor/s, Minister or a democracy of
the congregation. The Scriptural pattern is a small group of
faithful men, not young in the faith, etc., according to 1
Timothy 3:1-7 & Titus 1:5-9, who form the Eldership.
When
properly implemented, biblical eldership allows the church to be
what God designed it to be, fosters the spiritual development of
the leading men within the church family, and honours the teaching
of God’s precious Word.
Leadership at state, national and international level is not that
of a governing body in any way, shape or form for the Christian
Brethren. It is simply a voluntary structure where all
individual assemblies are encouraged to participate for common
tasks. At a state level in Western Australia, this is
achieved via the 'Combined Elders Meetings', where the Elders and
others in leadership positions in local assemblies are encouraged
to meet together on a regular bases and conduct such business that
relates to the CB denomination as a whole. This also give
opportunity to organise inter-church activities, and plan support
for existing churches and the planting of new ones within the
state. This is likewise done at a national level for all states of
Australia and internationally as well.
Contact details for
the WA CB Combined Elders Meetings will be posted soon.
For further study on this subject:
http://www.exchangedlife.com/vision/elders.htm
- A well set out little article on the
subject.
http://www.peacemakers.net/resources/strauch/biblicaleldership.htm
- A somewhat exhaustive article by Alexander Strauch.
http://www.bible.ca/ntx-elders-pastors-bishops.htm
- A
no-holes-bared look at the subject.
Communion
______________________________________________________________________________________
Other
names commonly used for Communion are 'Breaking of Bread' and
'Lord's Supper', and this is another area where CB take a very
simple approach. Just before his crucifixion, Jesus met
with his disciples and instituted a memorial with
simple
bread and wine, and said, "Do this in remembrance of me" (see 1
Corinthians 11: 23-34). This is usually conducted each Sunday
and may be represented as a simple loaf of bread that is broken or
a type of unleavened bread or biscuit or something similar. The cup
may be a single cup of wine or grape juice, but for health reasons
in this day and age, separate little cups are most commonly used.
Partaking in communion at a CB assembly is only for those who love
the Lord Jesus and have submitted to Him. The Christian Brethren,
as do all other Protestant denominations, see the claims of the
Roman Church that the elements of communion, namely the bread and
the wine, actually turn into the real blood and flesh of Jesus
when their 'priest' performs the sacrament, is total scriptural
heresy and abhorrent to all Bible-believing Christians.
Church
Membership
_____________________________________________________________________________
Membership in a local Christian Brethren
(CB) church is relatively simple, but may
differ a little from one assembly to another. Most would require a
person to be baptised as a believer by the full-immersion water
method as indicated in Scripture, being of sufficient age to have made a personal conversion
to Christ in repentance of sin and heart commitment to follow Him
for life. Some churches may require a time for this to be
demonstrated in ones life in some cases. Generally there is no
signing of any form, just a warm welcome announcement to the
congregation. You will find little privilege associated to
membership, but rather responsibility. In membership one commits
to financially supporting the Lord's work through their local
church, to getting their hands dirty in ministry, to supporting
one another and to use the gifts of the Holy Spirit to edify one
another. You don't need to take up official membership to be an
active, vital part of a local church family - membership is an
open, firm commitment of your support and willingness to take on
personal responsibility for your brothers and sisters in Christ in
that place.
Water
Baptism
___________________________________________________________________________________
The
only physical baptism recognised among the Christian Brethren (CB) is 'full-immersion
believers baptism'. Water baptism is a symbolic burial, by which
the new Christian publicly declares they have died, and are now
beginning a new life in Christ. The word, 'Baptize', is the English form of a
Greek word which means to immerse: to place something into
something else. In Christian water baptism, the believer is put
completely under water, then immediately raised out of the water.
Water baptism is a statement of faith: my old life is behind me -
I am a new person, with a new life. Water baptism is a sign of
repentance - repentance means change - a change so drastic that
the old person is "buried." It does not make you acceptable to
God. As a work of righteousness, trying to obtain a good standing
with God, it is worthless. Water baptism is a way of giving
testimony to what has happened inwardly, and a clear commitment to
turn from the old life.
For further study on this subject:
http://www.believers.org/believe/bel190.htm
- A fuller explanation with scriptural references.
Baptism
in the Spirit
_____________________________________________________________________________
Christian Brethren
(CB)
adhere to the traditional view that upon true repentance of sin,
personal acceptance of Jesus' atoning sacrifice on the cross and a
heart-changing commitment of ones life to God, that the Holy
Spirit takes up residence in your heart at the moment of
conversion - you become a 'new-creation', a child of God, born
again, etc.. You become 'the temple of the Holy Spirit', and it's
no weekend residence, he is with you 24/7. Let the scripture
speak: "But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if
indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Now if anyone does not
have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His." Rom 8:9. But
many get confused as to how this plays out on a daily bases for
the believer. Many christians look for MORE in their life - seeking
more of the Spirit, seeking a more deeper spiritual experience and
more of God's power in their ministry.
Well
the solution to the problem, according to scripture, is not
MORE but LESS. You grieve and
smother the Holy Spirit when you do things your own way, do not
turn away from sin, make your own plans instead of following what
God has clearly laid out in His Word, chase after worldly gain,
and look for 'silver bullets' (like the so-called 'second
blessing' or 'baptism' of the Holy Spirit) to fix your life, when what you
should be doing is getting rid of the worldly rubbish in your life and sin that
so easily besets us. As John the Baptiser said about Jesus, "He
should increase, and I should decrease". It is impossible to
know the fullness of the Holy Spirit when your life and mind has
so much of self, the world and its desires. So this is a daily,
minute by minute battle to yield one's self to Christ and live in
the Spirit, not in the ways of human reasoning and self-centeredness. God has given you all the instructions
you will require already, in his written Word, the Bible. There
are no shortcuts - read and study your
Bible for yourself. Draw closer to God and He will draw closer
to you.
For further study on this subject:
http://www.graceonlinelibrary.org/etc/printer-friendly.asp?ID=583
- A weighty article "Holy Spirit Baptism: Seven Easy Steps?".
http://www.newtestamentpattern.net/biblestudy/baptismintheholyspirit/introduction.htm
- A well grounded, somewhat exhaustive study.
http://biblefreedom.com/baptisminspirit.htm - This article
brings out the "once only'" aspect of the Spirits baptism.
Christmas - Santa Claus
_________________________________________________________________________
Questions To Parents... When did you decide to lie to your
children? Can your children really trust you to give them
the honest truth? It is a sad situation that even some
christian parents find themselves in. If you think these are awful
questions, your answers could be purely frightening. Jesus said to
his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to
come, but woe to that person through whom they come.
It
would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone
tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these
little ones to sin." Luke 171-2. Some time ago I watched a
videoed interview that Dr. James Dodson did with one of Americas
worst convicted serial killers, Ted Bundy, and have never
forgotten one statement he made. Dodson asked Bundy how the
downwards spiral all started for him. Bundy replied something
like, "It was when as a child I found out that my parents had lied
to me about Santa Claus, I never trusted them again!' Is Santa
worth lying to your children over. Has God granted an
exception for us to tell lies to children about Santa and will not
hold us accountable? Sorry, He hasn't. If you find yourself in
this situation, then confess it to God and your children, and
explain that Santa is not the father of Christmas, but that God in
heaven is the true father of Christmas when he gave His one and
only son as a gift for us, so that whoever believes in Him might
be saved.
So what
is it about Santa that is so disturbing for the Christian? The
myth (made-up story) of Santa is partly built on a guy in the 4th
century who gave gifts to the poor - but that is where the truth
ends. The myth developed differently in various countries, but
seems to have had similar pagan god roots from which sprung the
things we often associate with Christmas today, such as: stockings
or socks to be filled; Santa coming down the chimney; elves and
imps (demons in mythology); Yule; giving candy; etc.. Who knows
when your good or bad? God in heaven, and Santa. Who can be
everywhere at the same time? God in heaven, and Santa. Who gives
gifts? God in heaven (he gave us His son), and Santa. Who is the
father of Christmas? God in heaven, and the usurper - Santa Claus.
Santa is not just a "feel good" jolly guy to have a bit of fun for
the kids. Santa stands in place of the One True God to the
world, and he should be despised for that. He should have no place
in the Christian home or the church. What should you be
telling your children about Santa?
For further study on this subject:
www.Wikipedia/santa
-
Every christian should read this truly shocking, eye-opening
history of the myth of Santa
Easter
- Eggs & Bunnies?
_______________________________________________________________________
What is the origin of
the Easter bunny? Like the origin of Christmas, the origin of the
Easter Bunny has roots that go back to pre-Christian, Anglo-Saxon
history. The holiday was originally a pagan celebration that
worshipped the goddess Eastre. She was the goddess of fertility
and springtime and her earthly symbol was the rabbit and eggs.
Thus the pre-Christian Anglo-Saxons worshipped the rabbit
believing it to be Eastre's earthly incarnation. When the
Anglo-Saxons were converted to Christianity, the pagan holiday,
which occurred around the same time as the Christian memorial of
Jesus' resurrection from the dead, was combined with the Christian
celebration and given the name Easter. Originally, there were some
very pagan practices that went along with the Easter celebration.
Today, Easter is often commercialized, with all the focus on eggs,
the Easter bunny, etc.. Because of this, many churches are
starting to refer to 'Easter' as Resurrection Day. This is
to reject the pagan-origins and the trappings that have become the
commercial backstay of cards and chocolates. So let us not get
sidetracked away from the death and resurrection of Jesus at this
time of year. Can we celebrate 'Easter' as the world sees it -
probably can. But should we - probably NOT. "So let no one judge
you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or
sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance
is of Christ." Colossians 2:16-17.
Bible
Versions tested for accuracy
______________________________________________________________
The
majority of new Bible versions being produced today are what the
Bible societies call “CLT’s,” for Common Language Translations.
Such versions are all translated using dynamic equivalency
techniques. “Dynamic equivalency” means that the Bible is
translated thought-for-thought rather than word-for-word. This is
opposed to “Formal Equivalency,” in which the Bible is
translated word-for-word with minimal repositioning of
words to clarify understanding. On a short test, the
Contemporary English Version, a “CLT,” tested only 25% accurate to
the original text of the Bible. This is alarming! Deuteronomy 4:2
says, “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor
take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your
God which I command you” (NKJV). If you are having
trouble keeping the commandments of God, could it be related to
the Bible in your hands, which adds to or diminishes from the Word
of God? We recommend Bibles based on Formal Equivalency, not
only because they are truer to the original words of God, but also
because they are better for you, so you may be more completely
fulfilled in doing God’s will. To know God's will, you need
to be able to read what God ACTUALLY said, not what men THINK
He was saying, which leaves little opportunity for the Holy
Spirit's leading.
At some
point we need to decide what we want to read, the Word of God or
the approximations of translators who carelessly reword His
thoughts, sometimes tainting the word with the imaginations of
their hearts and rabid doctrinal bias. It is inescapable that a
dynamic equivalency version or a paraphrase is hardly even a
representation of the Word of God; it is really only a
representation of the biases and thoughts of the translators. The
fact is, thought for thought translation is rendered doctrinally
unacceptable and even heretical by one Bible verse for a start, Isaiah 55:9
which says, " For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So
are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your
thoughts" (NKJV). It is a total impossibility that man can
replace God’s thoughts with his own thoughts and call it a
translation. The thought that one could do so is to either elevate
man to God’s level or bring God
down to man’s level, and that is absolutely contrary to Scripture.
**
Reliability Comparison via selected passages of Scripture -
results in Alphabetical Order :
American Standard Version - Score: 100%
Analytical-Literal Translation - Score: 100%
Bible in Basic English - Score: 30%
Contemporary English Version - Score: 20%
Douay-Rheims - Score: 80%
Holman Christian Standard Bible - Score: 90%
King James Version - Score: 100%
Literal Version - Score: 100%
The
Message - Score: 30%
New American Bible - Score: 60%
(Not
to be confused with the New American Standard Bible)
New
American Standard Bible - Score: 100%
New International Version - Score: 90%
(Ed. Highly
recommended.)
New King James Version - Score: 100%
(Ed.
Highly recommended - my personal choice.)
New Living Translation - Score: 60%
New Revised Standard Version - Score: 50%
New World Translation - Score: 10%
Today's English Version - Score: 30%
World English Bible - Score: 100%
(Ed. Highly
recommended new un-copyrighted version for the world. Try
it.)
(**
Comparison by Reece Currie... I have selected for comparison
verses that are usually attacked on the grounds of the personal
theologies of the translators. To keep the test quick for you to
use on your own, I have limited it to twelve passages of
Scripture: John 1:1-4, Zechariah 12:10, John 14:26 and
Genesis 1:2 are verses most frequently mistranslated in an attempt
to obscure the Trinity doctrine. John 1:1-4 identifies the Son
(the Word) as being God and being present from the beginning with
the Father. Zechariah 12:10 identifies God Himself as being
pierced; this verse is related to the Son in John 19:37. Zechariah
12:10 further describes God’s gift of the Holy Spirit at
Pentecost. John 14:26 refers to the Holy Spirit as a Person and
Genesis 1:2 refers to the Holy Spirit hovering above the waters
during the creation. I also want to know that all facets of
repentance are covered. First, that repentance was the message
that Jesus preached (Mark 1:15), second, that this is the message
Jesus commanded the disciples to preach (Luke 24:45-47), and
finally, that repentance is granted by God and is a necessary
precursor to belief (Matthew 21:32, 2 Timothy 2:25). Next, I am
concerned that the Bible version does not impose the theological
viewpoint that baptism is necessary for salvation. In Acts 2:38,
the Bible says, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost” (KJV). This is a difficult passage to reconcile with the
many verses that say repentance alone is necessary to receive the
forgiveness of sins. The reconciliation is found in the
interpretation of the word “for.” If “for” is interpreted as “to
obtain,” we have an immediate inconsistency with the verses
claiming only repentance is necessary to obtain forgiveness. But
if “for” is interpreted as “because of,” there is no conundrum
here at all. The King James Version quoted above, while written by
supporters of baptismal regeneration from the Church of England,
nevertheless places a comma after the word “repent,” preserving
the possibility of the correct interpretation. In many modern
versions, we are not so lucky. I have included Acts 2:38 and Mark
1:4 in this comparison to see if baptismal regeneration is imposed
by the translation.)
For further study on this subject:
http://www.compassdistributors.ca/topics/nkjv.htm - The
Reliability of the New King James Version by Reese Currie
http://www.compassdistributors.ca/topics/compare.htm -
Comparing Bible Versions by Reese Currie
http://www.compassdistributors.ca/topics/dynamic.htm -
Dynamic Equivalency Examined by Reese Currie
Creation in 6 Days Vs. Evolution
________________________________________________________________
Excerpt: "The
Answer Book - Did God create everything in 6 days" by
Ken Ham
...Does It Really
Matter? - Yes, it does matter what a Christian believes
concerning the days of creation in Genesis 1. Most importantly,
all schemes which insert eons of time into, or before, creation
undermine the gospel by putting death, bloodshed, disease, thorns,
and suffering before sin and the Fall, as explained above (see
answer to Objection 1). Here are two more reasons: 1. It is
really a matter of how one approaches the Bible, in principle. If
we do not allow the language to speak to us in context, but try to
make the text fit ideas outside of Scripture, then ultimately the
meaning of any word in any part of the Bible depends on man’s
interpretation, which can change according to whatever outside
ideas are in vogue. 2. If one allows science (which has
wrongly become synonymous with evolution and materialism) to
determine our understanding of Scripture, then this can lead to a
slippery slope of unbelief through the rest of Scripture. For
instance, science would proclaim that a person cannot be raised
from the dead. Does this mean we should interpret the Resurrection
of Christ to reflect this? Sadly, some do just this, saying that
the Resurrection simply means that Jesus’ teachings live on in His
followers. When people accept at face value what Genesis is
teaching and accept the days as ordinary days, they will have no
problem accepting and making sense of the rest of the Bible.
Martin Luther once said: "I have often said that whoever would
study Holy Scripture should be sure to see to it that he stays
with the simple words as long as he can and by no means departs
from them unless an article of faith compels him to understand
them differently. For of this we must be certain: no clearer
speech has been heard on Earth than what God has spoken."
Pure Words - God’s people need to realize that the Word of
God is something very special. It is not just the words of men. As
Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 2:13, “You received it not as the
word of men, but as it is, truly the word of God.” Proverbs
30:5–6 states that “every word of God is pure... Do not add
to His words, lest He reprove you and you be found a liar.” The
Bible cannot be treated as just some great literary work. We need
to “tremble at his word” (Isaiah 6:5) and not forget: All
Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly
equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16–17). In the original
autographs, every word and letter in the Bible is there because
God put it there. Let us listen to God speaking to us through His
Word and not arrogantly think we can tell God what He really
means!
...read full article here.
For further study on this subject:
http://www.answersingenesis.org/
-
Study many articles including science-backed examination for
creation in 6 days
Prophets Today -
no 'good' - just plain bad & ugly
______________________________________________
It has
has been said that the biggest threat to the church today is the
Prophetic Ministries that abound, because through this false,
"Thus says the Lord...", Satan can introduce any false doctrines
he likes and lead believers away from the Truth of God's Word, the
Bible, that was "once and for all delivered to the saints".
Once someone is hooked into these false prophets, they are taken
further and further away from God's completed revelation in Jesus
Christ and often finish up believing some pretty ridicules
things as is evidenced in the hyper-charismatic movements around
today. People who sit under the teaching of these charlatans
rarely open their Bible to see if what they are hearing is
correct, yet the scripture says, "Be diligent to present yourself
approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth". 2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV.
Hebrews
chapter 1 makes it clear about the prophets words in the past, and
the Son speaking to us today by the record of the apostles. As
Heb.1 tells us, there were many prophets sent in successive
periods, these were in contrast to the Son who came one time
with a completed message. The Son being not only a prophet but
our priest and king. None of the former prophets possessed the
Spirit continually, He would come upon them for a message, but not
necessarily abide with them. So the prophets were all partial in
the revelations, incomplete. All of these are eclipsed by Jesus
Christ as the final revelator of Scripture. As John the last
apostle living wrote the Revelation of Jesus Christ (Rev.1:1) that
focuses on prophetic events. Paul wrote to Titus (1:9) to “hold
firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that
you can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who
oppose it.” Doctrine is our scripture, the only true measure of
truth.
As established from God, prophecy is always 100% accurate or it is
not from God. Yet Rick Joyner who is considered a prophet and
visionary says “There is a prophet named Bob Jones who was told
that the general level of prophetic revelation in the church was
about 65% accurate at this time. Some are only about 10% accurate,
a very few of the most mature prophets are approaching 85% to 95%
accuracy. Prophecy is increasing in purity, but there is a still a
long way to go for those who walk in this ministry” (The Prophetic
Ministry, Rick Joyner- Morningstar Prophetic Newsletter. Vol. 3,
No. 2, p. 2).
Does this sound like the biblical prophets from the Bible. Does
this sound like “...I am the Lord, who has made all things, who
alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by
myself, who foils the signs of false prophets ... who carries out
the words of his servants and fulfils the predictions of his
messengers” (Isaiah 44:24-26). Ezek 12:25 “For I am the
LORD. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass; it
will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I
will say the word and perform it,” says the Lord GOD.”‘ Therefore
any prophetic gift they are exercising that is not accurate 100%
of the time is not the same one God gave to the prophets of old.
Can
one actually be considered a “prophet” with an accuracy level of
about 65 percent, or even those who are better at it getting a
somewhat higher rating? We don’t rate them for their effort
and ask them to go home and practice and come back again when they
improve. God is not training His prophetic mouthpieces on
improving in their accuracy! God always rebuked those inaccurate
prophets by calling them "FALSE". It is no different today. We
often hear the excuse, "Well if someone had to think they were to
be 100% accurate they may not try to prophecy". Good! Because it
is a most fearful thing to say, "Thus saith the Lord". And there
are too many people who have practiced this gift as if it is like
teaching. The Bible makes it clear God only gives a true prophet
one kind of prophecy, correct prophecy; 100% of the time.
This is because if ones doctrine is off it will lead to their
prophecy being false. Once their prophesy is wrong, they no
longer speak for God. This is why we are always to test a
prophecy by the prophet’s statements; we are to judge and discern
what is said. What do all false prophets have in common? A hope of
not being tested for what they said! They count on the people not
to test their statements by putting guilt and fear in those that
would dare to question the “anointed ones”, telling the people not
to judge. Time is the enemy of a false prophet, and a bad memory
is their ally. You will find very few people waiting to see if
what was said will come to pass. A true prophet will not avoid
being tested but encourage it.
For further study on this subject:
http://www.letusreason.org/Latrain23.htm
- When a PROPHET SPEAKS and his words
DO NOT come to pass - Let Us Reason Ministries
http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue66.htm - Apostles
and Prophets and the Foundation of the Church - by Bob DeWaay
Why so
many Christian Churches
_______________________________________________________________
Now here is the big picture that you need to grasp! For the most part,
there are only TWO main branches of
Christianity in our Australian culture. In
days of old, the Church of Rome had things pretty well sown up and
dictated to all and sundry the way things in the church would
operate, and woe-be-tide anyone who disagreed. Torture and death
was often the fate of the uncooperative. But as the Bible became
more accessible, people began to question what the Roman Church
was saying and doing. People began to PROTEST against the
unscriptural stuff being forced on them. These protesters became
known as 'PROTESTANTS'. So there you have it, the two main streams
of western Christianity - the Church of Rome (Roman Catholics) and
the New Testament based Protestant Church. The Church of Rome has
an 'earth-based' governing head and bureaucracy that lords it over
its followers with rules and decrees (dogmas) that are not from
the Bible, and which hold people in fear of the consequences if
they do not obey them. Because of this, there is little freedom of
variation within the Catholic Church and it is easy to recognise
who and where they are.
OK,
but why are there so many 'Protestant' type churches? Firstly
you need to keep in mind that all the Protestant churches are
basically the same in that they reject most of the core teachings
of the Church of Rome in favour of following the clear church
model given us in the New Testament. Here is how Wikipedia
explains all this: "Protestantism is a branch within
Christianity, containing many denominations with some differing
practices and doctrines, that principally originated in the
sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be
one of the major divisions within Christianity... As such, the term Protestantism is often
used loosely to denote all non-Roman Catholic varieties of Western
Christianity...
Protestantism is associated with the doctrine of sola scriptura,
which maintains that the Bible (rather than church tradition or
ecclesiastical interpretations of the Bible) is the final source
of authority for all Christians. Another distinctive Protestant
doctrine is that of sola fide, which holds that faith alone,
rather than good works, is sufficient for the salvation of the
believer."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestantism
Why
so many Protestant churches? Well, because we can!
Because we have freedom of expression in following scripture and
applying the New Testament (NT) church pattern to our cultural
setting and to our preferences. Christ is the head of a NT church,
not the Pope. The Holy Spirit is God's representative here on
earth, not the Pope. The Bible is our guide, not decrees from the
Vatican. Some Protestant denominations have a more organised
system than others, but this is only for mutual benefit and
support, not as strict governing bodies to rule the local church.
And there are many individual churches that are completely
autonomous. A NT church could consist of a small group of
believers meeting in a home or hired facilities, right through to
mega-churches. As families differ in the way they set up their
homes and in the way they raise their children etc., so NT
churches also reflect different expressions in their style of
worship and modus operandi. Different churches yes, but we are all
related by blood and have the same Father, and read from the same
book. This is why when christians travel they can visit a Baptist
church one week, then a Church of Christ another time, or Open
Brethren, Evangelical Anglican, Evangelical Uniting or Methodist,
or one of the many completely autonomous individual NT churches.
You are able to attend a local NT church and see if it is a
comfortable fit for you and your family. If things do not gel,
then you can try other NT churches in your area knowing that they
hold fast to the basic core principals of the Word of God.
Head
Coverings
and Hair Length
________________________________________________________________
It must be
stated clearly at the outset that by far most Christian Brethren
(CB) churches DO NOT have any mandates on head coverings for their
female members or visitors. In raising this issue, it is not
intended to argue the point one way or the other here, but simply
to inform
that
there are some churches associated with the CB that may prefer
their female attendees to wear a covering during the communion
service if you are visiting, but most Assemblies in Australia
consider this issue as not relevant to the Aussie cultural
setting, as do most other NT church based denominations, taking a view on this issue something like the following
excerpt:
"1 Corinthians 11 is a
record of the apostle Paul's teaching regarding the use of head
coverings and the length of hair to those who were in first
century Corinth. The text has been a source of confusion for many,
and has resulted in two general positions: 1) the instruction was
for the Corinthians alone, and we have no need to specifically
heed it, and 2) it is divine instruction, as applicable today as
it was in the day it was given. I am of the mind that the
instruction regarding hair length and head coverings given by the
apostle is cultural in nature, and that application of the same
today would likewise be on a cultural basis..."
Read the full here
article - Head Coverings and Hair Length
http://www.lookinguntojesus.net/20040104.htm
at
LookingUntoJesus.com.
For further study on this subject:
http://bible.org/article/what-head-covering-1-cor-112-16-and-does-it-apply-us-today
- What is Head Covering in 1 Cor?
Daniel B. Wallace
Tithes
and Offerings
_____________________________________________________________________________
In a country in the
midst of an economic downturn and where people are living pay-check
to pay-check, too often church tithes and offerings disappear from
the priority list. Church tithes and offerings are the lifeline of
the church and without consistent Godly financial stewardship
(management) of giving the church will
struggle. Tithes covers what you are expected to provide (owe) to
God's service and offerings are anything you present to God over
and above your tithes. It is you, the people of God, that provide
the resources to fund the nuts and bolts of the Kingdom of God on
earth. Now this is a big subject, so I will try to give some
'simple' outlines on this issue - you can look into the "further
study" notes at the end here if you want to go into it more
extensively. Does God's Kingdom need your
money - YES. Who pays your church buildings repairs and
maintenance? Who pays your pastor or other workers? Who sends out
missionaries and publications? The church's impact today is linked
to how our faith directs our personal finances!
Should God have your
money - YES. Every Christian is obliged to give to the
work of God's Kingdom here on earth. Giving to 'Green Peace' or to
'Save the Children's Fund' IS NOT part of giving to Kingdom
resources. These would be part of 'offerings', not 'tithes'. Do
you go to a New Testament church, then give to them or any other
truly committed active christian project.
Is 10% a good tithe
to give - YES. In the Old Testament times, the required
amount under the 'law' over a year was about 22.5% of income to the
temple, but they also used some of that in what we would call
'local government' control and services. A tithe (10%) is not
mentioned in the New Testament writings but is seen as a good
example to aim for. Then other items with time and finances can be
given above this as 'offerings' as the Lord leads you. 10% of your
gross amount would be the aim here.
No money equals no
tithe - Do I really care? You do NOT have to give money
to God's Kingdom as a Christian, but you should WANT to. The gift
of God's new life cannot be bought or payed for in any way, it is
through faith in Christ Jesus alone with no earthly payments or
indulgences ever required. Given that fact, many slide into the
old line of not having any real cash to give and 'the church'
misses out again this week as well. BUT WHY? If it is
because you are living beyond your means - big house, new or
second car and all the other worldly stuff of our neighbours -
then you are truly living the sinful life of the world and the
matter of not tithing is just a small part of your financial mess
that needs sorting out. Or perhaps not keeping a budget of
expenses is an issue with you. If this sounds like you, I suggest
a dose of reality from someone who has been there and has some
down-to-earth christian financial advise,
Dave Ramsey - the voice of financial wisdom. Should a
Christian be up to their hilt in financial struggle - NO is the
biblical answer. So do something about it now AND your financial
giving will sort itself out in Christ's Spirit in your life in
Him.
Watch Dave Ramsey
share on christian giving - Life, Money, Hope - May 2009
on YouTube
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
For further study on this subject:
http://www.learnthebible.org/tithes-and-offerings-section-4-lesson-6.html
- Learn The Bible - Tithes & Offerings
http://www.wordlibrary.co.uk/article.php?id=305 - Should a
Christian pay tithes? - The Living Word Library
Priesthood of All Believers
______________________________________________________________________
When Jesus came on the
scene He proclaimed that the old system was being fulfilled and a
new system (covenant) was about to take over. This happened at
Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given into the life of the
believer upon conversion and stayed with him/her as a seal between
God and man. In the aspect of the old system that only a 'priest'
was able to come to God personally, now it was clearly open to all
through the matter of prayer and the presence of the 'comforter',
the Holy Spirit, in each believers heart that we are indeed
priests as of old and are fit and welcome into God's presence
anytime and anywhere.
A
priest served the people in offering their gifts before God - the
fathers did so in the Patriarchal age; the Levites did so in the
Jewish age, and all Christians today as priests offer to God gifts
and sacrifices. It can easily be proved from the New and the Old
Testaments that God has never allowed anyone to offer sacrifices
save a priest in any age. Every Christian today, as a priest
before God, brings his offerings and sacrifices before the Father.
So the Bible teaches plainly.
But what happened to
the church?? From the early apostasy (corruption) of the New Testament
church into the Greek and Roman Catholic churches came the
separation of Christians into clergy and laity. The apostolic (NT)
church did not believe nor practice such things. Certain ones
decided to marry the older Old Testament type of temple system
into the new system that Jesus introduced, making a separation of
the clergy that has lead us to the dogmas of the Roman Church and
others today. Then out of this overbearing legal system came the
refreshing teaching of the 'Protestant Movement', reaffirming the
scriptural principles that Jesus taught and committed to the
church universal today. Recalling that only priests can offer
sacrifices, the Bible implies necessarily that all believing
brethren (men and women) are priests and thus can obey this
command. Thank God daily that all believers are a priest and do
not have to go through any man on earth to contact God or to offer
your sacrifices, offerings and gifts unto the Father.
For further study on this subject:
http://www.thebible.net/introchurch/ch39.html
- She (the church) Practices The
Priesthood of All Believers by Hulen L. Jackson
http://www.gracevalley.org/articles/Priesthood.html - The
Priesthood of All Believers By P. G. Mathew
The 'MONEY' god! - the
wealth gospel examined ______________________________________________
The ATM God by
Anton Bosch
“God wants you to be rich, healthy and happy. If you have
financial problems just become a Christian and all your problems
will go away. Believers can get anything they wish from God by
planting seeds in the form of cash. Every dollar you give God, He
repays ten or a hundred fold,” so say the tele-sprookers.
As a result of this message, millions of people have converted to
Christianity and swelled the coffers of the
TV
stations, preachers and churches that preach this. But we must ask
a few questions: Are they following the God of the Bible, and
are those who teach and believe this message really Christians?
How dare we ask such questions? Well, how dare we not! It
all hinges on one question: Is the god of the prosperity message
the God of the Bible? That should not be hard to answer. All we
need to do is compare the god of the prosperity gospel with the
God of the Bible and it becomes clear that they are not the same.
The god of the health and wealth message can best be described as
the “money god” or the “ATM god.” “For the love of money is
a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the
faith in their greediness” (1Timothy 6:10). Yes, I know. it is the
love of money and not the money. But what exactly is it that the
money preachers are appealing to when they promise people that God
will make them rich? It is the love of money. It is not the
love of God. If that were the basis of their appeal they would
encourage people to just give their money to God and not expect
anything back. But they are expressly appealing to, and
encouraging, the love of money. So who promotes the love of money?
God or the Devil? God’s messengers, or the messengers of Satan?
Just think about it a moment before you reach for the mouse to
delete this message. Wait before you sit at the keyboard to fire
off a message telling me I am a heretic. Yes, I agree that God
blesses His children, meets their needs and teaches them to look
to Him for their daily bread. But there is a huge difference
between loving God and loving money.
Millions of people have become “Christians” because of the
promises of health, wealth and happiness. But I wonder if they
would have become Christians if God rather promised persecution,
hardship and problems. But wait! What does the Bible
promise?: “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will
suffer persecution” (2Timothy 3:12). “In this world you will have
trouble” (John 16:33 NIV). And “We must go through many hardships
to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). Not only do we have
promises
of
hardship as Christians, but the record of Scripture confirms that
to be the case. Jesus was never rich and had to be buried in a
borrowed tomb. Paul had a few seasons of abundance but mostly his
life was pretty miserable: “From the Jews five times I received
forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once
I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I
have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in
perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of
the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness,
in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness
and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting
often, in cold and nakedness” (2Corinthians 11:24-27).
Does that sound like the kind of life preachers are offering
today? Look at the wonderful “prosperous” life the heroes of faith
lived: “Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they
might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and
scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They
were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with
the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being
destitute, afflicted, tormented-- of whom the world was not
worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves
of the earth” (Hebrews 11:35-38). There are glaring differences
between the promises of the Bible and those of the prosperity
preachers. In fact, they are direct opposites. It is very obvious
that the god of the prosperity message is not the God of the
Bible, and that those who preach that message are not messengers
of God but of Satan. We must then ask whether their followers
are really Christians. If you have been following Jesus for
what He can give you, then you need to repent and turn to the real
Lord Jesus Christ who died for you on the cross. Ask Him right now
to forgive you for following Him for things, when He already gave
Himself as a sacrifice for your sins. God loved you so much
that He gave His only begotten Son; but would you really just have
money and stuff instead?!?
Read the full article
here at
http://herescope.blogspot.com/2010/08/money-god.html
- The Money god! - the ATM God by
Anton Bosch
For further study on this subject:
http://www.bereanradio.org/TNB_Newsletter_Vol_4.htm
-
“Sowing Your Faith Seed” or “Dialing For Dollars? ” –The TBN
Praise-A-Thon by Michael C. Gaudiosi - The Noble Berean
Speaking in Tongues ____________________________________________________________________________
Many people who speak
in "tongues" say that their experience confirms that it is the
Holy Spirit guiding them. Some say that you MUST speak in a tongue
after receiving Christ as saviour or you are NOT a christian at
all. But what does the Bible say about these things. A careful
study of the following will show that the gift of tongues has
indeed actually ceased. 1 Cor 13:8-10 says that tongues will
cease and that prophecy and knowledge will fade and disappear when
'that which is perfect' has come. The inspired writers of the
Bible were given futuristic prophecy and special knowledge.
Futuristic prophecy, such as Revelation, was given to these men to
foretell the things which God wanted to reveal to man.
Supernatural knowledge was needed to explain things like
redemption, Christian living, church guidelines etc. After these
things were recorded in Scripture, this type of prophecy and
knowledge ceased so Scripture cannot be added to
today.
Normal knowledge will never cease but will continue forever and
increase greatly after Jesus' return. Today, we are encouraged to
grow in biblical knowledge and to prophecy in the form of biblical
preaching, as in 1 Cor 14:24-25, which saves and edifies souls.
Tongues is nowhere
said in scripture to be a sign of a Christian being saved through receiving the
Holy Spirit, nor is it said to be either a Prayer Language, the
Baptism of the Holy Spirit or Tongues of Angels. These things can
only be read into the text. The Bible only says that tongues
was a sign to unbelieving Jews, nothing more. The first church
in Jerusalem was entirely Jewish and they badly needed convincing
that Gentiles were part of God's salvation plan as they were
fiercely, often violently, opposed to it. One example in Acts 11
shows this opposition and how tongues was used as a sign to verify
that the Gentiles were in God's plan. Today, we have the Bible to
explain the mystery of the church (Eph 3:1-6). Tongues, prophecy
and knowledge are grouped because they had a limited purpose and
when that purpose was served they were removed. In Mark 16:15-18,
Jesus said that tongues would be one of the signs to follow
evangelists as they preached the gospel. This did occur as Acts
shows. However, about 20 years after Jesus said this, 1
Corinthians was written stating that tongues would cease and this
occurred many years later, when the Bible was completed. The rules
of 1 Cor 14 were given because of the abuse of the gift and didn't
alter the fact that tongues, being just a sign, was to cease later
on. An unemotional study of the Bible will reveal that tongues has
ceased and should be renounced in the Lord's Name.
MP3
audio - listen to Stanley D Toussaint explain "Tongues
& Spirituality"
Read the full article
here at
http://www.christianissues.biz/tonguessummary.html -
Tongues Have Ceased - A Brief Summary by Mick Alexander
For further study on this subject:
http://www.ondoctrine.com/2gcc0201.htm
-
THE GIFT OF TONGUES - A GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH DISTINCTIVE
Healing
Ministries
Coming
soon!
Role of
Women in the Church
Coming
soon!
Gifts
for Everyone
Coming
soon!
Here
is an attempt to outline some of the common beliefs and practice of
those who make up a local church that has chosen to be associated
with the Christian Brethren (CB) movement / denomination. It seems
that within all denominations, the Assemblies included, there
is a growing ignorance of 'What' and 'Why' we believe the things we
do, the points of difference that our founders struggled for
and held with conviction before the Lord. Let us celebrate our
differences and rejoice in our commonality as the universal Body of
Christ. Some are arms, some are legs, etc.. If a leg has an
'identity crises', the whole body will suffer, so let us be strong
in our differences and strong in the things that unite us all.
The Human Race -
People are created in God's image, for
the purpose of fellowship with God. All people have sinned and are
separated from God. All are under God's condemnation and are
powerless to save themselves.