A BAD CHURCH VS LOVING CHURCH

There are some groups you need to watch out for:
1. Avoid groups that claim their particular group is the only group that will enter the Kingdom of God. They are often full of unsound teaching and manipulative practices.
2. Avoid groups that refuse to be upfront with you on the first meeting.
3. Avoid groups that are centered around a particular human leader who is often made out to be an infallible guide. Particularly if they ask for large sums of money.
4. Avoid groups that do not see Jesus as the only way to salvation or which mix together Christianity and other religions or which have “unique teachings” about Jesus.
5. Avoid groups that participate in the occult or which condone some forms of immorality.
6. Avoid groups that have “their own version” of the Scriptures or which add to the Bible.

Loving the Church
Once you have found a good church (there are no perfect churches) stick with it despite the ups and downs.
Churches are full of people like you who make mistakes, aren’t quite perfect and say things they do not really mean. One day someone may say or do something that really hurts you. Stick with it then – don’t get bitter towards all Christians because of a foolish one or two. Remember some people who attend church are not really born again. Some are still searching, some are pretending, but the vast majority are really nice people.
Here are three things you should take to church each Sunday.
• 1. Your heart to be filled with the Spirit. Go with an open and expectant attitude and you will receive.
• 2. Your eyes and your hands – to watch for the needs of the people of God and meet them in practical ways.
• 3. Your mind – to hear, understand and think about God’s word. Some Christians think that faith and their minds cannot mix. That is wrong. It is true that faith and a puffed up and arrogant mind cannot mix. But faith and an inquiring mind go hand in hand and create wisdom, knowledge grace and truth.

By John Edmiston
© Copyright , AIBI-International 2006,