Is The Bible True 1?

This is a question that has been asked for hundreds of years.  Is the Bible made up to fool people into believing in God?  Is the Bible written to control peoples natural self expression? Is the Bible the tool of enslavement? In a court of law it is essential that the accused be allowed to speak in order to establish the grounds on which the case is being brought, that way it can be discovered whether or not what is being said makes sense, even whether it is true or false! In II Timothy 3:16 the Bible says about itself: "Every Scripture is God inspired and is profitable for instruction, for correction and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, and for training in right living in conformity to God's will purpose and action"
Now this is a tall order to for any witness to make especially if it cannot be backed up!  Now, it has been documented there are two ways of looking at it, it is either true or it is false.  The Bible states that it is from God, and that it has a right to set principles which are to be followed.

Although the term "the Bible says"  does not appear in the news paper every time someone is murdered, raped, mugged, defrauded of their money, there is little doubt that people feel that something ill has gone on.  Someone has crossed the line!  Who put the line there in the first place? Western society has been founded on Biblical Ethics (Big word- moral values).  The values are so deeply etched in our society we rely on them to keep us safe as a society and deliver justice.  Words flow out of people’s mouths that come from the Bible without them even knowing it.  Imagine you hit your finger with a hammer.  What do you say apart from !!!!&&*****.  "Oh Jesus Christ" "Crikey/Christ", "Gosh/God" "Oh my giddy aunt/substitute for oh may God" The Bible has influenced us more that we think "For peace sake".  So it is evident that a scripture from the Bible has set principles for life that we all depend on.  So is it from God?


New Testament Church of God (Handsworth)
244 Lozells Road
Handsworth
Birmingham
B19 1NP
0121 554 1358
www.ntcg-handsworth.org.uk/

What is Baptism About?

When two Bs get together what happens? Bread and Butter, Bed and Breakfast and Believing and Baptism. Acts 18:8 in the Bible says those that heard the gospel and believed it were baptized.  Sometimes people say:
"Well I believe in Christ, but I will not get baptized"
In Biblical thought though, those that believe will be baptized!  So what is baptism?  Baptism comes from a word that means to immerse in water.  In Matthew 3:13 Jesus himself turns up at a baptism service at the river Jordon and asks to be baptized.  The person most surprised by this is John the baptizer, no says John, you should be baptizing me. Imagine that, Jesus shows up for baptism and is refused on the grounds that he is over qualified.  Jesus however, insists saying: "John you must allow this to happen, because this is the way to fulfill righteousness".  Jesus publicly endorses baptism by insisting that John baptize him.  Jesus himself was immersed in water and therefore sets the example for those who would be Christ followers.

There is a deeper significance to baptism, and that is written about in Romans 6:1-9.  The act of baptism is a sign that a person believes, but it is also a demonstration that someone is identifying with the death and resurrection of Christ.  In other words they are leaving the old life of sin behind and starting a new way of life known as being a Christian.  Baptisms are carried out by church ministers in Christian churches and those that are interested need to speak to a pastor or leader initially.

New Testament Church of God (Handsworth)
244 Lozells Road
Handsworth
Birmingham
B19 1NP
0121 554 1358
www.ntcg-handsworth.org.uk/

What is a Christian?

Some things are just like the wallpaper, once it is up, people pay it little or no attention, but it is always there underpinning everything.  The word Christian is like this in many ways,  but what does the word Christian mean, and how does a person become a Christian?  It may surprise you realize that the name started as a nickname at a place called Antioch, shortly after the death of Christ citizens of Antioch where watching those who had spent time with Jesus.  These people displayed behaviours and attitudes that reminded onlookers, of the crucified preacher and healer, so they branded these people with the name Christian Acts 11:19, 20 Bible.  The saying is true, if you throw enough mud some of it will stick, and stick it has for over 2000 years.  So there it is Christian means Christ follower or Christ like.

So how do people become followers of Christ today?  The Bible instructs in Romans 10:9 Bible that in order to become a Christian a person needs to:

• Believe that Jesus is the Son of God
• Confess openly that they are Christian

Following believing and confessing comes that act of baptism Acts 18:8 Bible.  This is an extension of a verbal confession because it is a public declaration of a persons faith with a symbolic act.  More on Baptism later.

New Testament Church of God (Handsworth)
244 Lozells Road
Handsworth
Birmingham
B19 1NP
0121 554 1358
www.ntcg-handsworth.org.uk/

What is the church for 2?

If you visit a church and it is your first time there you may not be able to tell what is going on.  In this blog there is a basic guide as to what they do in churches.  The basic structure of all activity in church stems from Acts 2:42:"They (the early Christians) devoted themselves to the teaching and fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer".  Well there you have it the basic recipe for what happens it churches.

• Teaching.  This is centered on the Christian holy book called the Bible.  Teaching takes place in several ways.  The main sermon or homily, the speech on Sunday morning is one of the ways that teaching is carried out in churches.  Teaching is also carried out in Sunday Schools and Bible Studies
• Fellowship. A word not used a lot in day to day speech, all it means though is living together in a Christian community in which a common life is shared beyond the Sunday service.  The interaction of fellowship is governed by what is taught in scripture.  So example the Bible says that if during our fellowship we have a disagreement, that disagreement needs to be sorted out following the guidelines of scripture.
• Breaking Bread.  This is also a practical thing, eating bread together is an indication of a community.  Eating with people that you do not get along with is a chore.  Eating where there is a common link is much better. Also, When Christians break bread together it is alluding to the communion or the last supper,  a symbol which Jesus said was a picture of his death and ressurrection.
• Prayer.  The church is a living organism because it is connected to God.  One of the main ways in which this is shown is that christians may talk to God.  This is called prayer.  Jesus taught the disciples to pray when he was on earth, so prayer is a central part of church life.  Christians pray at any time sometimes it is in church, but Jesus says that there is a special blessing for those who pray in private because God will reward in a public way.

These four elements represent the foundation blocks of what happens in church.  One word that covers these units is the word worship.  It means that God is worthy of all the effort made to remain connected to him.  This word comes from a root word which means to "kiss the feet of" and pictures a servant kissing the feet of the master.  In many churches Gods worthiness is expressed in the songs that are sung by the people who gather together.

If you are not sure what to do next time you visit, just ask the person next to you, in most cases they will be only too pleased to help.

New Testament Church of God (Handsworth)
244 Lozells Road
Handsworth
Birmingham
B19 1NP
0121 554 1358
www.ntcg-handsworth.org.uk/

What happens when we die?

The subject of what happens when we die is something that has occupied the minds of generations of people.  There are cultures and traditions all around the world which address this subject in their own way.  Hinduism for instance speaks about reincarnation which is the rebirth after death in a different form.  For Hindu the cycle is potentially endless.  Jesus answered the whole life after death emphatically by being killed on a cross and appearing 3 days later to more than 500 people at one time.  This is what we celebrate this easter time:Christs death, Christ ressurection from the dead, and Christ offering of eternal life to those who believe in him and follow him.  While Christ hung on the cross he said to one of the thieves that was crucified that day "...today you will be with me in paradise".  Christ offered that dying man eternal life there and then.  For those who believe in Jesus Christ, life goes on after death.  Christ return from death answers the question, Jesus knows the way out of death in much the same way that a guide knows the way when there is no  street map.  If you want to know the way out of death follow the guide who has been through it.

New Testament Church of God (Handsworth)
244 Lozells Road
Handsworth
Birmingham
B19 1NP
0121 554 1358
www.ntcg-handsworth.org.uk/