I cannot count the many times as a Christian that I have heard both Christians and non-Christians make statements of emotionalism instead of faith. Emotionalism is regarding things emotionally. For example: "I feel that it is OK to drink alcohol on a social basis".

Faith is defined in the scriptures: Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Faith ONLY comes from the word of God (Romans 10:17). Which is the once delivered truth (Jude 3 and John 17:17). Let's examine our example of emotionalism.

If I am an emotionalist I will use terms like "I feel" or "I cannot prove it, but I just know". I might use our example and say: "well, I feel that God will not judge the occasional drinker". I might even use some scripture in which my emotions will play part of making them say things they do not say. They might go to John 2:1-11 and say: "see Jesus made water into wine therefore I know it is OK to drink wine, but not to become drunken because that is sin". Some searching of the scriptures will show that it was IMPOSSIBLE for Jesus to have made alcohol and still be called sinless as he was (Hebrews 4:14-15). For instance, Habakkuk wrote by inspiration a "WOE" to he who would give his neighbor alcohol. (Habakkuk 2:15) "Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!" Now, can we honestly say that Jesus would have been OK by giving alcohol to those mentioned in John 2:1-11.

Now, if I am a person that wants to study the word of God as we are commanded to (II Timothy 2:15 and John 5:39), I will look at the terms. For instance, I would notice that not all times in the scriptures does the word "wine" mean alcohol. The following text is an example where grapes in a bunch were called wine, surely we can know that in a bunch they are grapes and not fermented. (Isaiah 65:8) "Thus saith the Lord, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all." Then of course we can find scripture in which we see that dried up grapes were called wine. (Joel 1:10) "The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth."

Again, as we would continue to study the subject (if we wanted faith and not be dependent on the "I feel"), we would find that God views drinking as unwise. (Proverbs 20:1) "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." You know, one drink is one drink drunk. I saw alcoholism as a child. God said exactly what that is like. (Proverbs 23:29-35) "Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again." The simple truth is, there is no place in the Bible in which God said it is good to drink socially. Are we not supposed to be able to prove all things? (I Thessalonians 5:21) "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." Our feelings will not get us into heaven, but only obedience to the word of God (II Thessalonians 1:8-9).

Finally, let us think about a passage. (I Corinthians 10:31) "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Can a Christian give glory to God, if they are doing something he has not approved, but has in fact stated it as sin? A drunkard will not have a place in Heaven (I Corinthians 6:9-10). We are to do all things with God's approval (Colossians 3:17). If we decline the word of our Lord we will be judged (John 12:48). The bad thing about feelings is that they are not always right. Do you think we should count on "I feel's", opposed to the "I know's" (II Peter 1:3)? Think on this passage: (Proverbs 14:12) "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." - B.A.Y.

Brethren, we are in a fight against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:11 and I Peter 5:8). It is from other members of the body of Christ that we draw our edification [building up] (Ephesians 4:16). When Christians fail to attend they do three bad things.

1. They fail to be built up (I Thessalonians 5:11).

2. They fail to build someone else up by being a bad example (Romans 14:13).

3. Most importantly we fail to obey God’s command (Hebrews 10:22-26). "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins." If you have been forsaking, forsake no more! - B.A.Y

The term "restoration" means "a bringing back to a former position or condition". Many schools, preachers, and Christians are under the impression and are teaching that the church of Christ was restored by Thomas Campbell, Alexander Campbell, and other "Restoration Leaders". Is this true? The Bible teaches that the Kingdom, which is the church, is an everlasting Kingdom (Daniel 7:14, I Peter 2:11, and Hebrews 12:28). While there were times in History in which the church did not have many members, the church still did exist.

Keith Sisman is a preacher in England who has done research on the history of the church of Christ in Europe. Here are a couple of quotes from his research:

• "During the years 1157 and 1166, first thirty and than eighty men and women came to Oxford where they established a congregation. They were brought before Henry the second at Oxford (where parliament was sitting). They used this opportunity to proclaim the Gospel to king and parliament."
• "The First congregation or ‘church of Christ’ in Britain has been dated to be meeting in Oxford in 1157, elsehere 1390 in Hill Cliff, Wales, another in 1417. Here we look at the CHESTERTOWN (modern Chesterton), Cambridge congregation. It was located in what is now a suburb of Cambridge. Being a few minutes walk from the town centre. Like the Hillcliffe and Oxford congregations, they are interesting on six accounts;

• 1/ They were autonomous.

• 2/ They practised baptism by immersion for remission of sins.

• 3/ They met prior to the continental Anabaptists who date their appearance to January 21, 1525.

• 4/ They were pre-Reformation 1517.

• 5/ They were pre-English separation (1596).

• 6/ They saw themseves as the true Church of Christ, not a denomination."

The truth about the matter is that men today want to praise men of yesterday. Christ established the church (Matthew 16:18). He purchased it with His own blood (Acts 20:28). This was done on the day of Pentecost (Matthew 3:2, Mark 9:1, Acts 1:8, and Acts 2:1-4). We should not be saying that the church did not exist for a period of time and then was restored, we should be saying the church always has been since AD 33 and will be on this earth untill the Lord claims it (I Corinthians 15:24). - B.A.Y.

Many today, both Christians and non-Christians, seem not to realize the great power that is in the blood of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches us without a doubt that it is the blood of Christ that removes our sins. (I John 1:7) "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (Emphasis added by B.A.Y.)

To claim that the blood of Christ does not cleanse us is to deny the teachings of the New Testament. The Bible clearly teaches that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). The reason Christ shed His blood was for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:28) "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." Now there is a tie that must be made. We obtain the remission of sins through baptism (Acts 2:38). It is the blood of Christ that washes away our sins (Revelation 1:5). So, when do we contact the blood of Christ? To contact something is to "to enter or be in contact with". Notice some other passages here. When one is baptized they are baptized into the death of Christ. (Romans 6:3) "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?" Why is this significant? It is significant simply because it shows that we contact the blood of Christ and we are washed by it in baptism. Just as Paul says this is the purpose of baptism, to be washed. (Acts 22:16) "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Have you been in washed in the blood of the Lamb? (I Peter 1:18-19) "18. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19. But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

In the Old Testament is was written that a child would be born of a virgin and His name would be Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14).  Notice what was written in the New Testament about this.  (Matthew 1:21-23) “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.  Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”  Did you get that?  God with us!

The Bible teaches us without a doubt that Christ was Diety on earth.  (I Timothy 3:16) “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”  (John 1:1-4;14) "1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2. The same was in the beginning with God. 3. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 14. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

To teach that Christ was not God is to be a false teacher.  The Bible clearly teaches that Christ is/was God! -B.A.Y.