‘Cleaning your house’ is of course used metaphorically, as an illustration of the need to rid both our physical and spiritual environments of all possible demonic strongholds or areas that may serve as ‘open doors’ to attacks by the enemy. Open doors may result from current unrepented sin, or from a past sin that that … Read more
The motivation for this series of teachings is to assist in the equipping of both the leaders and the members of each church to be able to more effectively fulfill their role in the great commission entrusted to the church of making disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19-20). This is the responsibility of the … Read more
Origin of Freemasons Freemasonry traces its origins back to the formation of the first Grand Lodge in London in 1717. However, Freemason societies have existed for much longer. The most popular theory is that Freemasonry emerged out of the stonemasonry guilds of the Middle Ages. These guilds were formed among the skilled craftsmen who built … Read more
Background Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion cantered on the Quran and the teachings of Muhammad, the religion’s founder. Adherents of Islam, called Muslims, number approximately 1.9 billion worldwide and are the world’s second-largest religious population after Christians. Due largely to a higher fertility rate than that of other religions, Islam is the world’s fastest-growing … Read more
Background Whilst the Catholic and Protestant churches agree on several key points, there are significant differences in what they believe. Both believe in the Holy Trinity, consisting of one God in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Both also believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the saviour … Read more
Some Early Religions Zoroastrianism This is considered the world’s oldest surviving monotheistic religion. The founder of Zoroastrianism is a prophetic figure known as Zarathushtra (or Zoroaster in Greek). He established the single divine authority of Ahura Mazda. The exact time of Zarathushtra’s life is not known, but it is believed to be around the late … Read more
Lutheran The Lutheran Church originated in the early 16th Century when Martin Luther, a German friar and theology professor, criticized the Roman Catholic Church’s use of indulgences by posting his Ninety-Five Theses, a list of complaints against the Catholic Church in 1517, resulting in his excommunication in 1521, and sparking the Protestant Reformation. This movement … Read more
Heresies A heresy is a doctrine or teaching that differs from orthodox or accepted Christian beliefs. Heresies often involve adding to or subtracting from Christianity and include beliefs that contradict the core tenets of Christianity in a way that destroys the truth of the message of the Gospel. Nicolaitans It appears that Nicolas had been … Read more
This Bible Study course follows on from “Foundations Bible Study”, which should be read first. Foundations Bible Study covered the basics of the Christin Faith, starting with an understanding of our salvation, the importance to every believer of studying the Bible, some keys to understanding the Bible, an outline of the church, and then on … Read more
The Bible The various denominations of the church today (excluding Roman Catholics) all accept that the Bible consists of 66 books, made up of 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 of the New Testament. Which books were to be included as part of the New Testament, and hence authoritative, was decided by the … Read more