THE GREATEST AWAKENINGIS / REVIVAL

THE GREATEST AWAKENINGIS 

 Since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost there havebeen many great awakenings or revivals in many parts of the world.Revival is defined as “God pouring Himself out on His people”. Modern theologians have identified ten of the greatest revivals. They are: 
(1) The 1904 Revival, Beginning in Wales Evan Roberts, Korea, 
      Moravian, Azusa Street. 
(2) The First Great Awakening,1727-1750 Zinzendorf, Wesley, 
      Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards. 
(3) The Second Great Awakening 1780-1810 Cane Ridge. 
(4) The General Awakening 1830-1840 Charles Finney, Hawaii, Jamaica. 
(5) The Layman’s Revival 1857-1861 Phoebe Palmer, Lanphier, D. L. Moody. 
(6) The World War II Revival 1935-1950 Billy Graham, 
      Duncan Campbell, New Zealand. 
(7) The Baby Boomer Revival 1965-1970 The Jesus People, 
      The Prairie Revival, Asbury. 
(8) The Reformation, 1517 Martin Luther, John Calvin, Zwingli, Knox. 
(9) The Pre-Reformation Revival 1300-1500 Lollards, Wycliffe, Hus, Savonarola. (10) the revival that birthed the Christian Church at Pentecost 30 A.D.
       
WHY DO WE NEED REVIVAL? 
                We must have revival or we will perish! One only needs to survey the Old Testament to find out what God does when God gives revelation to people and they reject Him, despise His Word, scoff at His messengers, and refuse to repent. The inevitable result is divine doom and devastating destruction. 
               We must have revival. And yet, we fully embrace the biblical theme that pervades all of Scripture, namely, the absolute sovereignty of God. God alone revives His people. God alone regenerates the rebellious. 
              Revival is primarily a work of God the Spirit. So, as we look around us in our 21st century society, we know that God alone is the One who can bring revival and yet we still must ask, ‘why do we need revival?’ To answer this, I’ll provide a handful of reasons. 
1. For the sake of GOD. We earnestly seek a revival first and foremost for the sake of our God. That means we long for God’s name to be displayed most magnificently and supremely. We want His fame to spread across communities, and cities and countries! We long for nations to worship the one, true and living God! We long for revival so that God receives the glory in reviving His people and regenerating the wayward. 
2. For the sake of the CHURCH.Second, we need a revival for the sake of Christ’s church. To revive something, by definition, means that there is some measure of life that existed previously. 
              For God to revive us means that we are alive spiritually. Thus, a true revival is when God promotes holiness and a zeal for His glory that permeates the hearts of God’s people and propels them to live in holiness and fervent prayer married together with fervent evangelism. We long for God’s Spirit to rekindle the love for Christ and revive us by His Word! 
               3. For the sake of the LOST.Third, we desperately need revival for the sake of the lost. Millions around us are perishing! Unless God sovereignly saves sinners, they are all headed to everlasting burnings in hellfire under the almighty and unresting wrath of God. We need revival and we beg for revival so that the mighty working of God may shine forth and that the unstoppable power of God may be manifested in the saving of souls! We hunger for revival because we have an intolerable burden for perishing sinners all around us! 
                4. For the sake of the GOSPEL.Fourth, we need revival and we pray earnestly for it for the sake of the gospel. God has so put it in our hearts to see the the power of the gospel’s message demonstrated! Indeed, it is the gospel message that is the power of God! It is the power of this message to save. And we want this good news to travel far and wide and to convict men of sin and to bring them to deep repentance. And we long for this good news to show them Christ’s remedy and the absolute freeness of divine grace through repentance and faith. 5. For the sake of ETERNITY.
                      Finally, we desperately need revival because eternity is right around the corner. It’s near! Eternity is soon coming! We thirst for souls to be won to the kingdom in droves and to escape hellfire! Every living person will live eternally in either the bliss of heaven enjoying the beauty of Christ forevermore or the punishment of hell suffering under the unbridled wrath of God! May the Lord stir us to pray much and tirelessly, persistently and biblically, trusting that God will save His elect. So may we evangelize and pursue the lost so they may be won to Christ for all eternity! 

We need Personal Revival 

We need Revival in the Home 

We need Revival in the Church 

We need Revival in the Community 

We need Revival in the Country 

We need Revival on the Continent and World It is time for Revival. 

The time is right. Are you ready?

The Ancient City , Name & The Current Location

The Ancient Country or People Vs The Current Name or Region

Ammon, Moab and Edom = ( Jordan ) 

Arabia =( Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and some of Iraq and Jordan) 

Aram = ( Syria) 

Assyria = ( Iraq) 

Canaan= (Northern Israel and Southern Lebanon)

 Cush =(Ethiopia and some of Sudan, Somalia and 

Yemen Decapolis =(Northwestern Jordan and a small part of Israel)

 Dedan and Sheba =(Saudi Arabia) 

Gomer=( Ukraine) 

Magog, =(Rus and Rosh Russia) 

Meshech and Tubal = (Turkey) 

Midian =(Western Saudi Arabia and Southern Jordan) 

Mizraim =(Egypt) 

Philistia = (Palestine) 

Phoenicia = (Lebanon) 

Persia =(Iran and some of Iraq) 

Phut/Put =( Libya and some of Egypt and North Africa) 

Scythia =(Southern Russia) 

Togarmah =(Parts of Turkey, Turkomen, Turkestan and Armenia) 

Tarshish =(Carthage (and possibly even Great Britain) 

 The Ancient City The Current Location 

Alexandria =Mediterranean coast of Egypt 

Antioch =Northwest Syria (Coastal) - present day "Hatay"

 Athens, Berea, Corinth, Philippi and Thessalonica =Greece 

Babylon = Iraq 

Cyrene =Northwest Libya 

Damascus =Syria 

Ephesus, Pergamum and Smyrna =Western 

Turkey Haran and Padan-aram =Eastern 

Syria Iconium and Lystra =Central Turkey 

Shinar = Iraq - Ancient Babel and present day "Babylon" 

Sidon and Tyre =Western  

Lebanon (Coastal) Tarsus = Eastern Turkey 

Ur = Southeastern Iraq)

|| Reject the Trinity ( 9 Faith Groups ) ||

1//-Mormonism - Latter-day Saints  
(By: Joseph Smith, Jr., 1830)
Mormons believe that God has a physical, flesh and bones, eternal, perfect body. Men have the potential to become gods as well. Jesus is God's literal son, a separate being from God the Father and the "elder brother" of men. The Holy Spirit is also a separate being from God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit is regarded as an impersonal power or spirit being. These three separate beings are "one" only in their purpose, and they make up the Godhead. 

2//-Jehovah's Witnesses  
(Founded By:Charles Taze Russell1879.)
(Succeeded byJoseph F.Rutherford, 1917.) 
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that God is one person, Jehovah. Jesus was Jehovah's first creation. Jesus is not God, nor part of the Godhead. He is higher than the angels but inferior to God. Jehovah used Jesus to create the rest of the universe. Before Jesus came to earth, he was known as the archangel Michael. The Holy Spirit is an impersonal force from Jehovah, but not God. 

3//-Christian Science  
(Founded By: Mary Baker Eddy, 1879.) Christian Scientists believe the Trinity is life, truth, and love. As an impersonal principle, God is the only thing that truly exists. Everything else (matter) is an illusion. Jesus, though not God, is the Son of God. He was the promised Messiah but was not a deity. The Holy Spirit is divine science in the teachings of Christian Science. 

4//-Armstrongism 
  (Philadelphia Church of God, Global Church of God, United Church of God) Founded By: Herbert W. Armstrong, 1934.) Traditional Armstrongism denies a Trinity, defining God as "a family of individuals." Original teachings say Jesus did not have a physical resurrection and the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force. 

5//-Christadelphians Founded  
(By: Dr. John Thomas, 1864.) Christadelphians believe God is one indivisible unity, not three distinct persons existing in one God. They deny the divinity of Jesus, believing he is fully human and separate from God. They do not believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, but merely a force—the "unseen power" from God.

6//-Oneness Pentecostals Founded  
(By: Frank Ewart, 1913.) Oneness Pentecostals believe that there is one God and God is one. Throughout time God manifested himself in three ways or "forms" (not persons), as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Oneness Pentecostals take issue with the Trinity doctrine chiefly for its use of the term "person." They believe God cannot be three distinct persons, but only one being who has revealed himself in three different modes. It is important to note that Oneness Pentecostals do affirm the deity of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

7//- Unification Church Founded  
(By: Sun Myung Moon, 1954.) Unification adherents believe that God is positive and negative, male and female. The universe is God's body, made by him. Jesus was not God, but a man. He did not experience a physical resurrection. In fact, his mission on earth failed and will be fulfilled through Sun Myung Moon, who is greater than Jesus. The Holy Spirit is feminine in nature. She collaborates with Jesus in the spirit realm to draw people to Sun Myung Moon.

 8//-Unity School of Christianity Founded By:  
(Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, 1889). Similar to Christian Science, Unity adherents believe God is an unseen, impersonal principle, not a person. God is a force within everyone and everything. Jesus was only a man, not the Christ. He merely realized his spiritual identity as the Christ by practicing his potential for perfection. This is something all men can achieve. Jesus did not resurrect from the dead, but rather, he reincarnated. The Holy Spirit is the active expression of God's law. Only the spirit part of us is real; matter is not real.  

9//-Scientology -
  By: L. Ron Hubbard, 1954. Scientology defines God as Dynamic Infinity. Jesus is not God, Savior, or Creator, nor does he have control of supernatural powers. He is usually overlooked in Dianetics. The Holy Spirit is absent from this belief system as well. Men are "thetan" - immortal, spiritual beings with limitless capabilities and powers, though often they are unaware of this potential. Scientology teaches men how to achieve "higher states of awareness and ability" through practicing Dianetics. 
Sources: • Kenneth Boa. Cults, World Religions and the Occult. 
• Rose Publishing.Christianity, Cults & Religions (Chart). 
• Cross, F. L. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford University Press. 2005. 
• Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry. Trinity Chart. https://carm.org/trinity

UK Christian Churches:::?

 An international think tank warned in a report that multiculturalism is 
feeding radical Islam in the U.K., pointing out that in the past couple of 
decades close to 500 Christian churches have closed in London 
alone while 423 mosques were built. "
British multiculturalists are feeding 
Islamic fundamentalism. 

 Above all, Londonistan, with its new 423 mosques, is built on the 
sad ruins of English Christianity," the Gatestone Institute argued
 in a report released Sunday. It pointed out that since 2001, 
as many as 500 churches in London of all denominations have 
been turned into private homes.
  At the same time, the number of Muslims has grown
 by almost a million. Statistics from the NatCen Social Research 
Institute showed that between 2012 and 2014, the number of 
Britons identifying as Anglicans fell from 21 to 17 percent of 
the population, representing a decrease of 1.7 million people. 

Data from British Social Attitudes surveys also showed that those 
without a religion in England and Wales now outnumber Christians. 
With the decline of Christianity, Britain has been "acquiring an increasingly 
Islamic face," the Gatestone institute warned as it looking at cities such 
as Birmingham, Bradford, Derby, Dewsbury, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, 
Luton, Manchester, Sheffield, Waltham Forest and Tower Hamlets. 

The institute noted that Birmingham, the second-largest British city,
 has hosted several jihadists who have orchestrated attacks and 
there have been petitions asking that British mosques be allowed 
to use their loudspeakers to call Muslims to prayer three times a day.
 Last month, five people were killed in London by a suspected 
Islamic State-linked terrorist. London's Muslim mayor, Sadiq Khan, 
vowed that the city will not cower before terrorism. 

Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, meanwhile, suggested after 
the attack that multiculturalism is further dividing the U.K. 
instead of bringing it together. "The problem with multiculturalism is 
that it leads to divided communities. It's quite different to multi-racialism. 
That's fine, that can work very happily and extremely well. 

But we've finished up with very divided communities," he said. 
According to Gatestone, the number of Islamic sharia courts in 
London has been growing, with 100 of them now officially 
operating in the city. "
 These new courts are based on the rejection of the 
inviolability of human rights: the values of freedom and 
equality that are the basis of English Common Law," 
the think tank warned. 
It criticized figures such as Rowan Williams, 
the former Archbishop of Canterbury, and Chief Justice 
Lord Phillips, who have expressed sympathy toward such courts, 
by arguing that London's changing society is exposing 
people to greater terror dangers. "
The British cultural establishment is rapidly capitulating to 
Islamic fundamentalists in accepting their demands," it said. 
By Stoyan Zaimov, Christian Post Reporte

(Setting Goals for your Life )

Old Testament Bible Verses for Setting Goals 

“Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! 

Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm 

so that I will be free from pain.” ~ 1 Chronicles 4:10 

But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work 

will be rewarded. ~ 2 Chronicles 15:7 

May he give you the desire of your heart and make all 

your plans succeed. ~ Psalm 20:4 

But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of 

his heart through all generations. ~ Psalm 33:11 

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires 

of your heart. ~ Psalm 37:4 

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust

 in humans. ~ Psalm 118:8 

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders 

labor in vain. ~ Psalm 127:1 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your 

own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, 

And He will make your paths straight. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6 

Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many c

ounselors they succeed. ~ Proverbs 15:22 

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will 

establish your plans. ~ Proverbs 16:3 

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD 

establishes their steps. ~ Proverbs 16:9 

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s 

purpose that prevails. ~ Proverbs 19:21 

The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance.

 ~ Proverbs 21:5 

Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, 

But happy is he who keeps the law. ~ Proverbs 29:18

 But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds 

they stand. ~ Isaiah 32:8 

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength;

 they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, 

and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, a

nd not faint. ~ Isaiah 40:31 

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not 

perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams 

in the wasteland. ~ Isaiah 43:19 

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways 

higher than your ways and my thoughts than 

your thoughts. ~ Isaiah 55:9 

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, 

whose confidence is in him. ~ Jeremiah 17:7 

What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, 

and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with 

your God? ~ Micah 6:8

 And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; 

make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. 

For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to 

the end it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely 

come; it will not delay. ~ Habakkuk 2:2-3 

New Testament Bible Verses for Setting Goals 

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and 

rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 

but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, 

where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves 

do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, 

there your heart will be also. ~ Matthew 6:19-21 

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, 

and all these things will be added to you. ~ Matthew 6:33 

Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, 

you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will 

move. Nothing will be impossible for you. ~ Matthew 17:20 

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible,

 but with God all things are possible. ~ Matthew 19:26 

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, 

if you have faith. ~ Matthew 21:22 

Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing 

the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him 

who sent me and to accomplish his work. ~ John 4:34 

And we know that for those who love God all things work 

together for good, for those who are called according 

to his purpose. ~ Romans 8:28 

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed 

by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern 

what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable 

and perfect. ~ Romans 12:2 

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all 

that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 

to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all 

generations forever and ever. Amen. ~ Ephesians 3:20-21 

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 

~ Philippians 4:13 

Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of 

God in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 3:13-14 

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God,

 you will receive what he has promised. ~ Hebrews 10:35-36 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, 

let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,

 and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 

looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, 

who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, 

despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of 

the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners 

such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow 

weary or fainthearted. ~ Hebrews 12:1-3 

You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. 

What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little 

while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 

‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’

 ~ James 4:13-15

ကယ္တင္ျခင္းရဖုိ.ယံုၾကည္ျခင္းျဖင္.သာ Are We Saved By Faith Only?

Most denominations falsely teach that we are saved by “faith only”.

But what does the Bible say? “But do you want to know, 

O foolish man, that faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). 

One is foolish and is fooling himself if he thinks he can 

please God with a dead faith. Only an active living faith will save.

 “You see then that a man is justified by works, 

and not by faith only” (James 2:24). 

                        This is the only place in the Bible that mentions “faith only” and here it condemns it as a false doctrine. We are only justified, which results in our being saved, by an active faith which is demonstrated by our works and not by a dead faith of “faith only”. Satan says we are justified and saved by “faith only”, but God says we are not justified and saved by “faith only”. 

                          God has not promised to save anyone who has a dead faith. “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26). A dead faith will not do any good, but only cause one to be eternally lost. Are people saved when they believe? What does the Bible say? In John 12:42-43 we read, “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed on Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” Were these people saved? They believed. 

                    Then we also read in James 2:19, “You believe there is one God. You do well, even the devils believe and tremble.” Are the devils going to go to heaven because they believe and even tremble? I think not. If this is all that is required to be saved, then the devils are saved and will be in heaven also. We must do all of what God has commanded us. Our Lord says in Matthew 28:20, “Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” We cannot pick and choose and take a verse out of context but we must take all of what the Bible says. 

                We cannot be pleasing to God by dreaming up our own plan of how God is going to save us. We must follow His plan and only His plan if we expect Him to save us. Our salvation in heaven is too great to loose, because if we don’t go to heaven we will spend forever and ever in a burning Hell. Many people don’t really believe this, but they all will one day. God is a loving God. He loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die for us (John 3:16). Why did Jesus have to die? Because God is not only a loving God but he is also just. 

 Justice demands punishment for the guilty. 

                    God has specified in the Bible how He will erase anyone’s guilt. But we must obey God’s instructions. Those who continue to be guilty are those who have not obeyed what God has said. At the end of time when Christ comes back 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 says that He will come “In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” God is not only a loving God but He will also take vengeance on those who do not obey His will. 

                  Also we read in Hebrews 10:30-31, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay says the Lord. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” We must do His will, not our will. We read in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but He who does the will of My Father in heaven.” We cannot go to heaven by just calling Jesus, Lord, Lord. In order to go to heaven we must do the will of God. 

                        Those who have not done the will of the Father cannot go to heaven. This may sound harsh, but eternal punishment will be harsh beyond description. Also we read in Hebrews 5:9 in speaking of Christ, “He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” If a person has not obeyed the will of God as clearly stated in the Bible, Christ is not the author of their eternal salvation and they are lost. Baptism is connected with sinners. Most denominational churches encourage people to be baptized BECAUSE they have ALREADY been saved from sins. I cannot think of a more flagrant crime against both God and Man than to teach lost sinners, who are wanting to be saved, something different than what God says in the Bible. 

                      To make an impression on them that they are already saved when God has not promised it is grievously wrong. But Ananias told Saul of Tarsus to "arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16). In Acts 2:37, it was SINNERS, not Christians, who cried out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" The apostle Peter answered in verse 38, "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." Baptism is for SINNERS because it is for the forgiveness of their sins. Many good people erroneously think they are saved when they “accept Christ as their personal saviour” and say the sinner’s prayer. 

                  But where do you find these instructions in the Bible? They are not there. This is something man has dreamed up. Then two or three weeks later they are baptized, but they are not baptized for the purpose of the forgiveness of their sins and to be saved because they thought their sins were forgiven and they were saved earlier. In this case their sins were not forgiven and they were not saved because their baptism was not for this purpose. 

                       They still have every sin they have ever committed and are still lost. Many good people in this situation are still lost because they have believed a lie. As we read in 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12, “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth.” Jesus says in Mark 16:16, "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved". There is nothing hard to understand about this. 

                        Until people do what Jesus says that one must do to be saved then they are still lost. God has no non-essential commands. When we fail to obey a command of God, we have just broken it. We must obey God by doing what God says to do, when God says to do it, how God says to do it, and for the reason God says to do it. Nothing is more important than pleasing God by doing His will so that we can go to Heaven.

                     We are saved by the unmerited favor of God through our “obedience to the faith” (Romans 16:26). There is no way that anyone could ever be good enough to go to heaven, because “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23). There is no way we could earn or merit heaven, because heaven will be a gift of God (Romans 6:23) for those who obey Him (Matthew 7:21). To have faith in God is to believe, trust, and do all He says. Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 

                            Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’”. Why? Why will those be told to depart into Hell? They had not done the will of the Father. Just professing that we believe in Jesus is not enough. Jesus says we must do “the will of My Father in heaven”, if we expect to go to heaven. Our faith must be an obedient faith by doing the will of God if it is to be a saving faith; otherwise it is not a saving faith.

                         Faith without obedience is a dead and useless faith, which will cause one to be lost. “By faith Noah, being divinely warned…prepared an ark for the saving of his household” (Hebrews 11:7). Noah and his household were not saved by “faith only”, but by an active obedient faith. If Noah had a “faith only” faith he would have perished. “Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18). When one really believes God, he will do anything and everything God says and thus has a living and saving faith. “You believe that there is one God. You do well. 

Even the demons believe and tremble” (James 2:19). One is no better than the demons with a “faith only” faith. To those who claim to be “saved by faith only” the Lord says, “But why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). Jesus is “the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9). He has only promised to save those who obey Him; not those who say they have faith and do not obey Him. The only way we can show our faith in Christ is if we are willing to accept and obey all of what He says. 

We are only saved through faith when our faith has produced our obedience. If we really have faith in Christ, then we will do anything and everything He tells us, and only then will our faith save us. At the end of time the Lord will come “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:8). Who are those who do not know God? “He who says ‘I know Him’, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in Him” (1 John 2:4). 

 One is only lying to himself and everyone else if he says he is saved and knows God, but does not keep God’s commandments. The lie of Satan says that there is nothing that we must do to qualify for the salvation that God wants to give us, except to have a dead faith. Those who do not know God and end up being lost are those who do not obey God by keeping His commandments. “But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18 KJV). It is only when we have obeyed God’s instructions from the heart that we are made free from sin and become servants of righteousness; not before. God’s word says, “you have purified your souls in obeying the truth” (1 Peter 1:22). We do not purify our souls with a dead faith of non-obedience. It is absolutely necessary that we obey God in order to be saved. Paul asks the question, “Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth?” (Galatians 3:1). 

Satan is the one who bewitches people into not obeying the truth of God’s word so they can be saved. Those who think they can obtain God’s blessing of salvation contrary to what God tells us in His word are only fooling themselves. We are saved only by an obedient faith. If one chooses not to obey all the Lord says, he has chosen not to be saved. 

If one claims to have faith, but does not obey, really he has no faith at all. If one has faith in God and His word, he will do all that God says, the way God says, and for the reason God says; and only then will his faith save him. The only kind of faith that can save us is “faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6). We are not saved by the salvation-robbing doctrine of “faith only”. A dead faith will do us no good on Judgment Day.

ေက်းဇူးေတာ္ကု္ိ ဆံုးရွံုးနုိင္သလား

Can We Fall From God’s Grace And Be Lost? Can a Christian fall from God’s grace and be eternally lost? Let us see what God has said about this in the Bible. Let’s let the Bible answer this question. 

1) 1 Corinthians 10:12 “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” Why such a warning if it is impossible to fall from grace? 

2) Galatians 5:4 “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” Isn’t it strange, that people who say they believe the Bible also say that we cannot fall from grace, when the Bible so plainly says that we can fall from grace? Who should we believe, man or God? How much clearer could the Bible have said this? 

3) Romans 8:12-13 “Therefore, brethern, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Paul is talking to Christians and tells them if they live according to the flesh you will die spiritually. In other words you will be lost. 

4) James 5:19-20 “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” The Bible here says that a believer can wander from the truth and be lost. But also one who wanders from the truth can be won back.

 5) 1 Corinthians 9:27 “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” Even the apostle Paul knew it was possible for him to become a castaway and be lost even after he had preached to others. 

6) 2 Peter 2:20-22 “For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the later end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: a dog returns to his own vomit and a sow, having been washed, to her wallowing in the mire.” Can one turn from the way of righteousness after they have escaped the pollutions of the world? The Bible says so. Will this cause them to be lost? Yes. This is a description of the pitiful state of one who turns away from God after they have been saved. In other words they have become lost after they were saved. 

7) 1 Corinthians 8:11 “And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died.” The Bible says that a weak brother can perish. 

8) Revelations 2:10 “Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life.” Eternal life is conditional on one remaining faithful. What will happen if one does not remain faithful until death? 

9) 1 Corinthians 15:2 “By which you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.” Will you be saved if you do not hold fast to the word of God? One’s salvation is conditioned on “if you hold fast”. 

10) 2 Peter 1:10 “Therefore brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble.” A Christian’s election is not a sure thing or such a command would not have been given in the Bible. 

11) Hebrews 3:12 “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.” So the Bible says that a Christian can depart and leave God if he develops an evil heart of unbelief. 

12) Luke 8:13 Jesus says “But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.” The Bible says that believers can fall away, but some men say differently. Who are we going to believe: men or God? 

13) 1 Timothy 4:1 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.” The Bible says we can depart from the faith. What happens when we depart from the faith in God? We are lost. 

14) 1 Timothy 5:12 “Having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith.” They were once saved but are now condemned. Why were they now condemned and lost? Because they had cast off their first faith. The false doctrine, that a child of God cannot so sin as to fall from God's grace and be eternally lost, is a lie of Satan. This same lie was told by Satan in the Garden of Eden to Eve, when he said "You will not surely die" (Genesis 3:4). 

Satan told Eve that disobedience to God would not result in death, but it did. This false doctrine is also referred to as “once saved, always saved” or “the impossibility of apostasy”. This is one of the many lies Satan tells today to cause many people to be eternally lost. Satan wants us to be complacent and not be concerned about being lost. When Satan accomplishes this he has the battle won with us.

Good question! ( Where did Baptists come from?)

 Not from John the Baptist, although some people may be 

really disappointed to hear this. 

The people we know today as Baptists, the largest Protestant grouping in the world, trace their origins to the early 1600s.Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603), in an attempt to unify religiously-divided England, had parliament legislate for a religious “middle way” between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. 

She hoped that most people in England would be satisfied with the terms of this religious settlement, and on the whole her hopes were realised. But there were minorities on both ends of the Roman Catholic/Protestant spectrum who regarded Elizabeth’s mediating Church of England as an ugly compromise.On the Protestant side, the Puritans (so-called because they wanted to “purify” the Church of England from all vestiges of Roman Catholicism) continued to agitate for further reform of the Church of England in a Protestant direction. 

Most Puritans remained faithful o the Church of England, hoping to reform the church from within. Some concluded, however, that the only way they would be able to worship freely in the way they believed God approved and Scripture required was to separate from the Church of England (an illegal and treasonable move in those days). From these “separatists” the first Baptists emerged, although the name “Baptist” only came later.The story of Baptists begins with John Smyth (1570-1612), a Cambridge university lecturer and Church of England preacher of the city of Lincoln. 

A contemporary described him as “a learned man, and of good ability, but of an unsettled head”. In October 1602 he was deposed from his position as preacher for “personal preaching” (!), an apparent reference to his rather reckless habit of rebuking prominent leaders for their sins from the pulpit. By about 1605 Smyth was beginning to have serious doubts about the Church of England, and attached himself to an (illegal) separatist congregation in the town of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.

When part of this congregation left England for the comparative religious freedom of the new world in 1606, Smyth became the leader of the Gainsborough congregation. The dangers for separatists continued to increase, however, with the new King James I (1603-1625) threatening to “harrie them out of the land”. In early 1608 conditions were so hazardous that Smyth and about forty of his congregation left to go to Amsterdam, a haven of religious tolerance at the time. 

Bradford, a leader of the Gainsborough congregation, described their action as follows: “They shooke of this yoake of antichristian bondage, and as the Lord’s free people, joined them selves (by a covenant of the Lord) into a church estate, in the fellowship of the gospel, to walke in all his wayes, made known, or to be made known unto them, according to their best endeavours, whatsoever it should cost them, the Lord assisting them.” True worship, 

Smyth insisted, must come “from the hart”, and thus “reading out of a booke” (a reference to The Book of Common Prayer) “is no part of spiritual worship, but rather the invention of the man of synne.”By 1609, Smyth was convinced that the New Testament did not teach infant baptism and had become aware of the need for believers’ baptism which, he argued, constitutes the basis of the church. 

He thus persuaded his followers to disband and to reconstitute their congregation on the basis of believers’ baptism: “They dissolved their church ... and Mr. Smyth being the Pastor thereof, gave over his office, as did also the Deacons, and devised to enter a new communion by renouncing their former baptism, and taking upon them another.... Mr. Smyth, Mr. Helwisse, and the rest, having utterly dissolved and disclaimed their former church state and ministry, came together to erect a new church by baptism.” Thus, the first “Baptist” church came into being, four hundred years ago this year.John Robinson, pastor of another English separatist church in Holland and an eye-witness of this event, wrote that “Mr Smyth baptised first himself, and next Mr Helwisse.” The other forty members of the congregation were then baptised in turn. 

These baptisms were by affusion (pouring); but the important point is that Smyth and his followers had come to the conclusion that the proper subject of baptism is the believer. As Smyth explained in his book, The Character of the Beast (1609), “This therefor is the question: whither the baptisme of infants be lawful, yea or nay: & whither persons baptised being infants must not renounce that false baptisme, and assume the true baptisme of Chr[ist]: which is to be administered uppon persons confessing their faith & their sinnes.... Infant baptism has been an error], a cheef point of Antichristianisme, and the very essence and constitution of the false Church, as is cleerly discovered in this treatise.” 

Believers’ baptism was obviously of enormous importance to Smyth; even more important, however, was his conviction that this was what the New Testament taught.Early Baptist convictions were thus shaped by a firm belief that the word of Christ in the Scriptures is the final authority for both belief and practice. (So committed was Smyth to this principle that preachers should not even read from an English translation which might have been subject to “official” manipulation – the person doing the preaching should bring a Hebrew or Greek Bible into the pulpit and provide a free verbal translation on the spot!)

 Among other practices clearly taught in Scripture, as far as Smyth and his followers were concerned, was the baptism of believers, not infants. Following such convictions would inevitably bring religious dissenters such as these into conflict with the secular authorities, and raise acutely the question of how to respond when the law of Christ and the law of the land came into conflict. Wrestling with that question will comprise the next instalment of the Baptist story.

ခေလးမ်ား ေရနွစ္ျခင္းခံဖုိ. လုိသလား?

The Bible clearly states that we do not inherit sin as children. 

In Ezekiel 18:20 we read, “The son shall not bear the iniquity of 

the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son.”

This verse tells us that we are not responsible for any of our ancestors’ sins, even all the way back to Adam. What is sin? In 1 John 3:4 we read “For sin is the transgression of the law." One has got to transgress God’s law before he can sin. This is how the Bible defines sin. 

Infants cannot transgress God’s law and thus have not sinned. Infants are not suitable candidates for baptism, since they cannot believe. Our Lord says in Mark 16:16, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved." Here one of the prerequisites of being saved is to believe, which is impossible for an infant to do. 

 In Acts 8:36-37 the question was asked, "'See here is water; what hinders me from being baptized? And Philip said, if you believe with all your heart you may.' Here again we see the condition that must be met before a person can be baptized is you must “believe with all your heart”. 

Can an infant do this? No. Also one of the prerequisites of being baptized is one must repent. The apostle Peter told a group of people to “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins” (Acts 2:38). Can an infant repent? 

It would be absurd to think an infant could believe or repent, but it is just as absurd to think an innocent infant, who is without sin, must be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, which he does not have. In Acts 8:12 we read, “But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized”. Notice it says “men and women were baptized”, not children. 

Satan has many ways in fooling people into being lost. The lie that Satan tells here to people who have become accountable is that since you were baptized as an infant, you do not need to be baptized for the remission of your sins now that you have become accountable and responsible. 

Satan knows that infant baptism accomplishes nothing. He also knows, when people who were baptized as an infant become accountable, that at that time they are lost. Many souls of those who follow Satan will be lost. Satan has fooled people into baptizing their babies, giving them a false sense of security. Jesus says in Mark 16:16, “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved.

What is the New Covenant?

The New Covenant (or New Testament) is the promise that 

God makes with humanity that He will forgive sin and 

restore fellowship with those whose hearts are turned toward Him. 

Jesus Christ is the mediator of the New Covenant, and His death on the cross is the basis of the promise (Luke 22:20). The New Covenant was predicted while the Old Covenant was still in effect—the prophets Moses, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel all allude to the New Covenant. 

The Old Covenant that God had established with His people required strict obedience to the Mosaic Law. Because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), the Law required that Israel perform daily sacrifices in order to atone for sin. But Moses, through whom God established the Old Covenant, also anticipated the New Covenant. In one of his final addresses to the nation of Israel, Moses looks forward to a time when Israel would be given “a heart to understand” (Deuteronomy 29:4, ESV). Moses predicts that Israel would fail in keeping the Old Covenant (verses 22–28), but he then sees a time of restoration (30:1–5). 

At that time, Moses says, “The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live” (verse 6). The New Covenant involves a total change of heart so that God’s people are naturally pleasing to Him. The prophet Jeremiah also predicted the New Covenant. “‘The day will come,’ says the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. . . . But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,’ says the Lord. ‘I will put my law in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people’” (Jeremiah 31:31, 33). 

Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Law of Moses (Matthew 5:17) and to establish the New Covenant between God and His people. The Old Covenant was written in stone, but the New Covenant is written on our hearts. Entering the New Covenant is made possible only by faith in Christ, who shed His blood to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Luke 22:20 relates how Jesus, at the Last Supper, takes the cup and says, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (ESV). 

The New Covenant is also mentioned in Ezekiel 36:26–27, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Ezekiel lists several aspects of the New Covenant here: a new heart, a new spirit, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and true holiness. The Mosaic Law could provide none of these things (see Romans 3:20). The New Covenant was originally given to Israel and includes a promise of fruitfulness, blessing, and a peaceful existence in the Promised Land. In Ezekiel 36:28–30 God says, “Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. . . . I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. 

I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine.” Deuteronomy 30:1–5 contains similar promises related to Israel under the New Covenant. After the resurrection of Christ, Gentiles were brought into the blessing of the New Covenant, too (Acts 10; Ephesians 2:13–14). The fulfillment of the New Covenant will be seen in two places: on earth, during the Millennial Kingdom; and in heaven, for all eternity. We are no longer under the Law but under grace (Romans 6:14–15). The Old Covenant has served its purpose, and it has been replaced by “a better covenant” (Hebrews 7:22). 

“In fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises” (Hebrews 8:6). Under the New Covenant, we are given the opportunity to receive salvation as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8–9). Our responsibility is to exercise faith in Christ, the One who fulfilled the Law on our behalf and brought an end to the Law’s sacrifices through His own sacrificial death. Through the life-giving Holy Spirit who lives in all believers (Romans 8:9–11), we share in the inheritance of Christ and enjoy a permanent, unbroken relationship with God (Hebrews 9:15).

CHURCH Rules and Regulations !!

Rules and Regulations Section 
A. INTRODUCTION Section B. BASIS OF FAITH Section C. RULES AND REGULATIONS 1. Church Membership 
1.1 Biblical Basis for Church Membership 
1.2 Qualifications for Church Membership 
1.3 Requirement for Baptism 
1.4 Application for Membership 
1.5 Procedure at Church Members’ Meetings 
1.6 Transfers from Other Churches 
1.7 The Discipline of Church Members 
1.8 Termination of Church Membership 
2. Church Officers 
2.1 Elders 
2.2 Deacons 
2.3 Charity Trustees 
3. Church Ordinances 
3.1 Baptism 
3.2 The Lord’s Supper 
4. Church Members’ Meetings 
4.1 The Purpose of Church Members’ Meetings 
4.2 Ordinary and Special Church Members’ Meetings 
4.3 Convening Church Members’ Meetings 
4.4 The Conduct of Church Members’ Meetings 
4.5 Voting 
4.6 Minutes 
5. Power of Amendment 
5.1 Amendment Clause 

A. INTRODUCTION 
This local church exists in order to fulfil a threefold purpose: a) The worship of God in Spirit and Truth (John 4:23). b) The edification and encouragement of the body of believers (Ephesians 4:16, Hebrews 10:24-25). c) The fulfilment of the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). 
B. BASIS OF FAITH 
The Holy Scriptures contained in the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are the only rule or standard that God has given the churches to govern all matters of faith and practice. As its subordinate standard, the Church recognises the 1966 Baptist Affirmation of Faith, which is summarised below: 
1. The verbal inspiration of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and that they are the sole, supreme, and all-sufficient authority in every matter of Christian faith and practice. 
2. One living and only true God, subsisting in the Trinity of Three co-equal and co-eternal Persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; all infinite without beginning; the Father neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Spirit eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son. 
3. The Deity, eternal Sonship, and spotless humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ; His virgin birth, crucifixion, death, and burial; His physical resurrection, and ascension into heaven. 
4. The personal, eternal, and unconditional election of the Church in Christ unto everlasting salvation. 
5. The Fall of mankind in Adam their federal head whose transgression is imputed to them, and from whom they derive a corrupt nature, thereby rendering them both unable and unwilling to meet the claims of God's righteous and holy law. 
6. That though all men are rendered spiritually impotent by the Fall, they are none the less accountable to God for their sins, and they shall answer for the same in the day of judgement except they be granted repentance unto eternal life. 
7. The special, particular, and eternal redemption from all sin, and the penal consequence thereof, of all God's elect, through the substitutionary sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
8. The eternal and everlasting justification through faith of the elect and redeemed Church, by the blood and imputed righteousness of Christ, irrespective of any moral or spiritual works done by them either before or after regeneration. 
9. The effectual calling of all the redeemed by the invincible power and grace of the Holy Spirit, according to the counsel of God's will, involving their regeneration and sanctification by the direct agency of the Holy Spirit, through which the saints grow in grace perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. 
10. The grace of faith whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls is the gift of God, and the work of the Holy Spirit in their hearts, who convinces them of sin, works in them repentance unto life, and enables them to look to, receive, and rest upon the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation. 
11. The final perseverance in the ways of God of all those who have been chosen by the Father, redeemed by the Son, and regenerated by the Holy Spirit, so that they shall never perish, but have eternal life. 
12. The second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust, when the wicked will go away into everlasting punishment and the righteous into life eternal. 
13. The duty and privilege of all true believers to profess their repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, by being baptized, that is, immersed in water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, prior to becoming members of a Christian Church or partaking of the Lord's Supper. 
14. The preaching of the Gospel to every creature as a divine command and solemn duty. 
15. The necessity of a believer's life being consistent with the profession he makes. 
16. The congregational order of the churches. 

C. RULES AND REGULATIONS 
1 Church Membership 1.1 Biblical Basis for Church Membership According to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) there is an inseparable connection between making disciples, baptising them and teaching them. The apostles implemented this commission by gathering baptised believers into local churches teaching them all that Christ had commanded (Acts 2:38-42, Acts 20:20-21, 1 Corinthians 4:17). 
                       With the exceptions of the dying thief on the cross (Luke 23:42-43) and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:37-38), the New Testament records nothing of believing men and women who were not members of local churches. All believers are required by Christ to observe the Lord’s Supper which is clearly a local church ordinance (1 Corinthians 11 cf 1 Corinthians1:1-2).
                    It follows that all Bible believing Christians ought to belong to a visible local church to partake Biblically of the Lord’s Supper. 

1.2 Qualifications for Church Membership 
A person wishing to be a member of the Church must give a credible profession of faith in Christ and: 
• accept the beliefs of the Church, 
• meet the Church’s requirement for baptism, 
• be accepted as a member at the church members’ meeting, 
• acknowledge the responsibilities of a church member, 
• abide by the decisions of the church members’ meeting, and 
• be committed to serving Christ within the Church and beyond. 

1.3 Requirement for Baptism A person wishing to be a member of the Church must have been baptised in accordance with the requirements of clause 3.1. 1.4 Application for Membership A person wishing to become a church member shall apply to the elders who will arrange for the candidate to be interviewed by two spiritually mature church members. They must assess whether the applicant meets the Church’s criteria for membership and submit a report to the church members’ meeting at which the application is being considered. 

1.5 Procedure at Church Members’ Meetings 
Applicants for membership will normally be required to give testimony at an Ordinary Church Members’ Meeting. If accepted, the new member will normally be welcomed publicly. 
1.6 Transfers from Other Churches Where an applicant has previously been a member of another evangelical church a recommendation from that church will normally be required. 
1.7 The Discipline of Church Members The Church may discipline members whose standards of conduct fall short of those laid down for Christians in the New Testament. As a spiritual society, the Church may impose only spiritual penalties such as suspension of privileges, excommunication, and, in the last resort, expulsion from membership. 
                   The primary aim of discipline shall be the restoration of the offender and the matter shall not be brought before a church members’ meeting until private attempts have been made to bring about repentance. Examples of conduct justifying disciplinary action, all of which shall be deemed sufficient to justify expulsion from membership, are: 
• uncharitable conduct towards others 
• immorality 
• schism 
• heresy 
• unwillingness to submit to the legitimate authority of the Church 
• failure to attend the Lord’s Supper for 12 months, without good cause 1.8 Termination of Church Membership Church membership may be terminated in one of the following ways: 

1.8.1 Transfer If church members move away from the area they will be encouraged to attend a likeminded church and the elders will, if requested, write a letter of commendation to facilitate transfer of membership to the new church. Such a letter may also be provided, at the elders’ discretion, when a member transfers allegiance to another evangelical church within the neighbourhood. No letter of commendation will be written if disciplinary action is in force or anticipated against the member concerned. 

1.8.2 Withdrawal The Church prefers not to recognise the practice of resignation but it is legally possible for church members to resign their membership. Resignation also occurs when church members cease to attend the means of grace and, in effect, withdraw themselves from the fellowship of the Church without either transferring to another church or giving satisfactory reasons for their non-attendance. The Church will then withdraw from those members, recognising that they have already withdrawn from the Church. 
1.8.3 Death Church members 
who die are regarded as having transferred their membership from the church militant on earth to the church triumphant in heaven. 
1.8.4 Expulsion Where the conduct of a member is considered to be contrary to the purpose and beliefs of the Church or disruptive to relationships between members, the elders may recommend to an Ordinary Church Members’ Meeting that the membership of that person be reviewed. The meeting shall consider the allegations against the member who shall be given the opportunity to hear the allegations and to speak in his or her defence before withdrawing from the meeting. The meeting shall then decide whether to terminate the membership of the person concerned. A person whose membership has been so terminated shall be entitled, with the support of four other members, to appeal to a Special Church Members’Meeting. 
2. Church Officers This Church recognises two spiritual offices within the Church: elders and deacons, and one legal office: charity trustees.

2.1 Elders 
2.1.1 The Function of Elders The task of elders is to serve the Church through oversight, ruling and teaching. They are responsible for: 
• overseeing the conduct of public worship. 
• the administration of the ordinances of believers’ baptism and the Lord’s Supper. • preserving purity of doctrine and the maintenance of discipline among members. • supervising all meetings and organisations connected with the Church including the oversight of those responsible for any other ministries of the Church. 

2.1.2 Qualifications for Elders Only male members of the Church with the necessary qualifications as laid down in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 are eligible to serve as elders. In view of the responsibility the elders bear for the teaching ministry of the Church they must hold unreservedly to the Church’s Basis of Faith. 

2.1.3 Number of Elders The Church is responsible for recognising the men whom the Holy Spirit has endowed with the requisite graces and gifts. As the composition of the membership of the Church may change, the number of elders will not be fixed. 

2.1.4 Term of Office With the exception of a pastor (as defined in clause 2.1.5), elders shall retire from office after serving for a period of five years, but they shall be eligible for reappointment in accordance with the procedures set out in clause 

2.1.6. 2.1.5 Equality and Diversity of Elders All the elders are equal in office and authority but will vary in their gifts so as to complement one another. Some will be engaged in public preaching and teaching more than others. This Church recognises the Scriptural principle that at least one of the elders should be remunerated in order to enable him to devote himself more effectively to prayer and the ministry of the Word. Such an elder is referred to as a ‘pastor’, and is to be regarded as an Office Holder and not an employee.

Prospective pastors (whether members of this Church or of another church) shall be nominated by the eldership but church members may suggest candidates to the elders for consideration. If the elders are in agreement, the nomination shall be considered at a Special Church Members’ Meeting. If the elders do not agree, they shall explain their reasons to the member making the suggestion who (if supported by four other members) may require the matter to be considered at a Special Church Members’ Meeting. 
2.1.6 The Recognition of Elders Prospective elders shall be nominated by the eldership. Church members may suggest candidates to the elders for consideration and if the elders are in agreement, the nomination shall be considered at a Special Church Members’ Meeting. If the elders do not agree they shall explain their reasons to the member making the suggestion who (if supported by four other members) may require the matter to be considered at a Special Church Members’Meeting.