True Jesus Church

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The True Jesus Church was born from the first Pentecostal wave of Christianity that arrived from North America to China during the early 20th century.

Currently their churches are found in forty two countries and six continents with at least one and a half million members. The church neither celebrates Easter nor Christmas due to their pagan origins.

Contents 1 The basic bible doctrines of the church 1.1 Baptism 1.2 Feet washing 1.3 Holy Communion 1.4 Holy Spirit 1.5 Holy Sabbath (Saturday) 1.6 The Church 2 Background and origins

[edit] The basic bible doctrines of the church

[edit] Baptism

• Significance:

1. Remission of sins (Acts 2:38)
2. To be born again (John 3:5; Titus 3:5; Romans 6:3-4)
3. Put on Christ (Galatians 3:27, Rom. 6:3)
4. Regain sonship (Gal. 4:4-5; Matthew 3:16-17)

Note: The blood of Jesus cleanses sins (Hebrews 9:22; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 John 5:5-6).

• Method:

1. Full immersion (Mark1:9-10; John 3:23; Acts 8:36-39)
2. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 8:16; 10:43,48)
3. Head facing downwards (Rom. 6:5; John 19:30; Psalms 40:12)
4. Natural living water (Matt. 3:16; Zech. 13:1; Jeremiah 2:13)
5. The baptist must have the Holy Spirit (John 20:21-22; 1 Cor. 6:11)

• Note:The church believes that the correct mode of baptism is essential (Acts 19:1-7)

• Requirements:

1. Faith (Mark 16:6; Acts 18:8)
2. Repentance (Acts 2:38)
3. Determination (Heb. 6:4-8; 10:26-31)

• Note:Only once in a lifetime (Ephesians 4:5)

[edit] Feet washing

• Significance:

1. The Love of Jesus (John 13:1)
2. Live in Holiness (Jn 13:10-11)
3. Serve one another in Humility (Jn 13:12-14; Mark 10:42-45)
4. Have part with Jesus (Jn 13:8)

[edit] Holy Communion

• Significance:

1. Receive the blood and body of Christ (Luke 22:19-21)
2. Commemorate Jesus' death (1 Corinthians 11:24-26)
3. Be united as one in Christ. (1 Cor. 10:16-17)
4. To have life of Jesus (John. 6:53)
5. Have hope of resurrection (John. 6:54)

[edit] Holy Spirit

• What is the Holy Spirit?

1. Spirit of God (Matt. 3:16; Isaiah 11:2)
2. Spirit of Christ (Acts 16:7; Romans 8:9)

• Why do we need the Holy Spirit?

1. Guarantee of heavenly inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14)
2. Witness of sonship (Romans 8:16)
3. Sanctification (Rom. 15:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Titus 3:5)
4. Bestows spiritual gift (1 Cor. 12:4-11)
5. Helps us bear fruit (Galatians 5:22-23)
6. Reveals the Truth (Jn. 14:17,26; 16:13)

• How to receive the Holy Spirit?

1. Believe (Gal. 3:14; Mark 11:24)
2. Be Holy (Acts 2:38; John 9:31)
3. Pray with importunity (Luke 11:8-13; James 4:2)

• Evidence of speaking in tongues:

1. The church believes that the person must speak in tongues (Acts 2:1-4; 10:44-46; 19:6-7)
2. Can be seen and heard (Acts 2:33; 8:17-19)

[edit] Holy Sabbath (Saturday)

• The origin of the Sabbath:

1. God established the Sabbath (Genesis 1:1; 2:1-3)
2. God blessed and sanctified the seventh day (Genesis 2:3)
3. God commanded his people to observe the Sabbath (Exodus 16:21-30)
4. God included the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11)
5. Jesus, Paul observed the Sabbath (Luke 4:16-31; Acts 17:1-2)

• Significance:

1. To rest spiritually and physically (Exodus 23:12; Deuteronomy 5:14)
2. Remembrance of God's creation and Salvation (Exodus 20:11; Deuteronomy 5:15)
3. Prefiguration of eternal rest in heaven (Hebrews 4:1-11)

• The Sabbath under grace:

1. Freedom from the bondage and punishments of the laws of Moses (Romans 6:14; Exodus 35:1-3; Numbers 15:32-36)
2. Good deeds were done by Jesus on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:9-12; Mark 3:4; Luke 13:10-17)
3. Pursue no material gain or worldly pleasure (Isaiah 58:13-14)

• Background to Sunday observances:

1. The Roman Emperor Constantine proclaimed Sunday as the day of rest in 321 A.D.
2. The Roman Catholics confirmed Sabbath worship on Sundays at the Council of Laodicea in 336 A.D.

[edit] The Church

• How the church is related to Salvation:

1. The Church (ie. believers) is the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:15)
2. Believers are members of the Body (Eph. 4:11-12; 1 Cor. 12:28-31)\
3. Redeemed through the blood of Christ (Acts 20:38)
4. The foundation of the church is the Truth (Eph. 2:19-21)

• A True Church must:

1. Have the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:23; Rom. 8:9; Revelations 22:17)
2. Preach according to the Bible (2 John 9:11; Gal. 1:6-9)
3. Be confirmed by God with signs and miracles (Mk. 16:17-30; Heb. 2:1-4)
4. Magnify the name of Jesus (Matt. 18:20; 2 Chronicles 6:33).

[edit] Background and origins

• 1900: In the American states of Kansas, North Dakota and Oklahoma, a group of reverent people were praying. Suddenly they miraculously received the Holy Spirit and began speaking in tongues.

• 1906: In Los Angeles, California, while a small group of Christians were worshipping, the holy spirit suddenly descended onto them like fire. From that time onwards many people volunteered to preach the good news of the Holy Spirit overseas.

• 1907: The news reached China and Christians such as Paul Wei, Ling-Sheng Zhang, and later Barnabas Zhang, were influenced by American pastors such as Fendelson and joined in the new Pentecostal churches.

• 1917: The early founders, Paul and Ling decided to establish this independent church in Beijing, China. Their aims were to spread the gospel to the whole world before Jesus’"Second Coming". Not long afterwards, the gospel had spread to other parts of Asia.

• 1958:The True Jesus Church and all other christian churches in China were forced by the Communist government to join the “Three-Self Patriotic Church” or else they were declared to be illegal and banned.

• 1966-1976: During the Cultural Revolution period, all Chinese churches were closed down. Christians were persecuted, Bibles were burnt and church leaders were arrested and put in prison.

• 1980:The True Jesus Church in China was allowed to reopen and since then, the church is established in every Chinese province. Their members also include Tibetans and Uyghurs and Mongolians.