Overview of teaching articles
Today, there is lot of interest in ghosts. This is because people are reading about them and seeing them in films. There are also people who call themselves 'spiritual healers'. They say that God send ghosts or angels to help them to heal people. Some people claim they can cast out ghosts and they use all sorts of things to help them...things like candles, Bibles, bells and so on. They say a certain kind of poem and that is supposed to throw out the ghosts.
Nearly every church has got rid of its King James Bibles. The King James Bibles are the ones which are written in the old English language. A lot of people say it is very hard to read, because the language is hard to understand. This is not true.
When they get rid of the King James Bibles, most churches buy a Bible called the New International Version. (The New International Version is written in modern English). They say it is easier to read, but this is not right.
A lot of churches tell us that we cannot be healed by God today. But other churches tell us that we can be healed! So, who is right? Christians must always read the Bible to check if others are right. Let us see what the Bible says, in the book of James, chapter 5, verse 14. It says:
"Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. "
We shall look at each bit of this verse and see what God tells us.
Nearly all Christians go to church on Christmas Day. Do you? Well, I am a Christian pastor of a small church. But, I do not hold special services on Christmas Day. Is this wrong? No, it is not. Let me tell you why...
The idea of Christmas Day is not found in the Bible. The Bible does not tell us to keep Christmas Day holy. It was started about 300 years after the death of Jesus Christ. This shows that it could not be found in the Bible. It also shows that true Christians did not know about Christmas Day in the early days of the Church.
When you have read this article, read the article called 'Ecumenical Churches', too. In that article you will see what a Christian is and what a real church is. But let me say again what a real church is...
Every Christian must do good. He must say good things, think good things and do good things. We all know that is true. And even unsaved people know that Christians must do good. When we do good, we are showing God's love. But, did you know there are times when doing what we call ‘good’ is NOT good at all? In fact, it can be sin.
Many churches join together today. Even some signing churches join with other churches. Some Christian groups who help the deaf also join with other churches. When churches join together, it is usually called 'ecumenism'*. If your church joins with other churches, then your church is called 'ecumenical'. You will also be called 'ecumenical', because you agree with what is going on. Is ecumenism right or wrong? Sometimes it is and sometimes it is not. To find the answer we must first see what a Christian is and what a local church is...
Q: Can a person become a Christian by going to church all of the time?
A: No, he cannot.
Q: Can he become a Christian if he prays all of the time?
A: No, he cannot.
Q: Can he become a Christian because his parents are Christians?
A: No, he cannot.
Q: Can he become a Christian if he walks to the front of the church and says he accepts Christ?
A: No, he cannot.
In some churches, when members are kicked out, it is called 'excommunication'. Sometimes it is called 'disfellowship'. It means that the church does not want them to be members and they have got to leave. The Bible tells us that members can be kicked out, but it says that we must do it properly. Also, they must be kicked out for a good reason. Sadly, most people are not kicked out for a good reason. But, most Christians leave churches on their own. They are not kicked out. Why do they leave? They leave because they have got to! Let me give you some examples....
If a pastor teaches wrong things all the time, then someone must tell him to stop. If he does not stop and the other members will not tell him to go, then it is best for the person who told the pastor to stop, to leave that church. He can then try to find another one.
In most local churches, the preacher stands high up in a pulpit. Often, the deacons sit underneath or in the front, all together. Many churches also have another set of people, who are called elders. Members think that these are higher than deacons, but lower than the minister. Often, a deacon can be promoted to be an elder.
Usually, a minister must be ‘ordained’. That is, he must go to a Bible College and then be called ‘Reverend’. Then he looks for a local church who wants a minister and it pays him to preach. Here we have a problem, because everything I have said so far is NOT found in the Bible! That means it is all wrong.
Prayer is very important to all Christians, because it is the way we talk to God. Prayer cannot be used by unsaved people, because God does not listen to them. God only listens to people who are saved. He tells us this in the Bible.
Do you have regular prayer meetings in your church? Does everybody pray out loud? Or, if you attend deaf meetings, do you all sign so that everybody can see you? If everybody does it, then this is not what the Bible tells us to do. And if we have regular prayer meetings, it is wrong. The Bible tells us what to do.
What do you think about the Flood in the Bible? What do you think about the Ark which Noah built? Many people think they are just nice stories. What do YOU think? It is important to know the truth about it, because it is God's word. That means the Flood and the Ark were real and a part of the history of the world.
In the Book of Genesis, chapter 6, we are told that God said men were very wicked and that they did whatever they wanted to do. They forgot about God. So, God said He would destroy the earth and all the people.
A lot of people think that temptation* is sin and so they get very upset when they are tempted. Many think that because they are tempted so often, they must be very, very bad. But it is not true. Temptation is not sin...and everybody is tempted.
In Matthew chapter 6, verse 13, Jesus said in His prayer: "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." What did Jesus mean by that? The word for temptation has the same meaning everywhere in the New Testament. It means to test someone, to see if he will stay faithful. Two tempt us - one is Satan and the other one is God. God tests us to make us strong Christians. But Satan tempts us to see if he can make us do sin!
Teaching Articles