There are several elements to which Scripture ascribes saving power. Each of these contribute to the redemption of a soul: faith (Romans 5:1), repentance (Luke 13:3), confessing Christ (Romans 10:9-10), baptism (1 Peter 3:21), faithfulness (Revelation 2:10), obedience (Hebrews 5:8-9), the Gospel (Romans 1:16), hope (Romans 8:24), grace (Ephesians 2:8), mercy (Titus 3:5), calling on the name of the Lord (Romans 10:13), works (James 2:24), knowledge (2 Timothy 3:15), laying aside evil and receiving the Word in its place (James 1:21), preaching (1 Corinthians 1:18, 21), love (1 John 2:10) and the blood of Christ (Ephesians 1:7). These ARE NOT options from which one or more may be selected to the exclusion of the balance in this list; all the elements to which saving power is attributed work together to save a soul. Unlike some of these contributors to salvation, blood has been a part of God’s redemptive plan in each of the three periods of religious history or dispensations: Patriarchy (Genesis 4:3-5; 8:20-21), Judaism (Exodus 20:10; Numbers 18:17; Leviticus 3:1-17; 16:1-34; 17:11; Hebrews 9:7), and Christianity (Colossians 1:14; 1 Peter 1:18-20). Animal sacrifices under the two former periods typified (Hebrews 9:22-24) and were wholly dependent for their efficacious quality on the blood of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:15), which he shed in his death on Calvary’s center cross (John 19:34). Only the blood of Christ can cleanse the conscience from sin (Hebrews 10:1-4; 9:12-14). Application of the blood of Christ to lost souls is crucial to salvation. The blood of our Lord’s …

[The Forest Hill News, Vol. 25, No. 2, January 12, 1999, pp. 1, 4.] Like many others I read with interest a recent article (1/10/99) in The Commercial Appeal entitled, “Israel Prepares for Millennial Horde of Apocalyptic Pilgrims” by Dina Kraft. The article describes how the Israelis have created a special security force called the “millennium unit” to deal with an expected influx of doomsday cultists as the year 2000 approaches. According to Ms. Kraft the arrest in Jerusalem of fourteen members of a Denver-based cult on 1/3/99 “underscored the dangers of the coming year.” The Denver group, who call themselves Concerned Christians, are alleged to have been planning violent acts to hasten some sort of apocalypse.  The aforementioned article also stated that some four million “Christian pilgrims” are expected to visit Israel between mid-1999 and the end of 2000, about twice the usual number of such tourists. The director of Boston University’s Center for Millennium Studies, Richard Landes, reportedly believes that among the four million will be a “hard core” of tens of thousands who believe that Christ’s return to Jerusalem is imminent. Once such person, a retired school teacher from New York who has moved to an apartment on the Mount of Olives in hopes of a close-up view of Jesus’ return, is quoted as having said, “God’s headquarters will be in Jerusalem, and our coming is helping this be fulfilled.”  It seems clear that speculation about the year 2000 being the end of time will fuel a tourism boom …

[Therefore Stand, April 1999, Vol. 15, No. 5, pp. 25-26, 32.] We constantly read and hear of the coming millennium due to our calendar year soon to read 2000. We will hear this with greater emphasis until it comes and passes. It is referred to as “the millennium” and, at times, the references leave one thinking there never has been “a millennium.” But we know this is not true, as there have been other millenniums during the lifetime of humanity. The word “millennium” means “a period of 1000 years; . . . 1000 year anniversary or its celebration” (Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, II:1434). We realize that one of the present living human beings have ever experienced the ending of one millennium and the beginning of a new millennium. We also realize there are many who have lived and died that did not experience the changing of a millennium. The close and beginning of centuries and the close and beginning of the last millennium have been filled with confusion, contradiction and consternation in all areas of life and especially the fields of religion, politics and economics. They have a habit of blending and relating to each other. Religious thought during these times often looks toward the coming Antichrist, the second coming of Christ and the end of the world. We predict the tribe of soothsayers will increase measurably by the turn of 2000. Their rationale from twisting Scripture and their hyped writings will sweep up millions of innocent, well-meaning and …

The apostle Peter once said to a lame man, “. . . Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6). Likewise, today there are many things for which the world seeks that the Lord’s church cannot offer. However, we do have a gift for the world from Jesus that is more precious than any earthly pursuit. The churches of Christ can offer to the world the priceless blood of Christ. It is the blood of Jesus by which sinners are reconciled (Colossians 1:20), brought nigh to God (Ephesians 2:13), purchased (Acts 10:28), washed from sins (Revelation 1:5), redeemed (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; 1 Peter 1:18-20; Hebrews 9:12; Revelation 5:9), made white (Revelation 7:14) and justified (Romans 5:9). The application of the blood of the Lord to our souls will permit us to boldly enter the eternal heaven (Hebrews 10:19). The blood of Christ also continues to cleanse souls who faithfully practice Christianity (1 John 1:7). The blood of Jesus Christ is superior to the blood of Old Testament sacrifices (Hebrews 10:1-4; 9:12-14). Our Lord’s blood also seals the New Testament (Hebrews 13:20; 10:29; 9:14-22). The kindest gift any Christian or congregation can possibly give is to tell someone how to receive the blood of Christ. The blood of Jesus, which he shed in his death (John 19:34), is applied to the souls of penitent believers when they are immersed into the death of Christ (Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12). “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ …

Nothing is more important to anyone than Christ’s being in his heart. Therefore nothing is more important to anyone than his understanding what the New Testament teaches on how one can have Jesus to dwell in his heart. Many Television Evangelists Many television evangelists tell lost people something like this. “Bow your head right where you are and repeat after me. Say, ‘Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner. I believe you died on Calvary for my sins. I repent of all my sins, and I am sorry for the sins I have committed. Please, Lord forgive me and come into my heart.’” Then these evangelists will say something like this. “Now that you have prayed; Jesus has forgiven you; you are saved; and Jesus has come into your heart.” My love for people compels me to say this is an awful deception, because there is absolutely no evidence in the Bible that this is the way for those not Christians to be forgiven and become Christians and have Jesus to come into their hearts. I am grieved and my heart aches because so many are deceived by this teaching on television and in other ways. Those who teach and practice such on television or anywhere else, may be completely sincere, and those who are deceived by such teaching and practice may be absolutely sincere. However, this does not mean they are right. Feeling And Faith One’s feelings come as a result of what he believes. If he believes …

I once knew a man whose philosophy in life was, “A squeaky wheel always gets oiled first.” Any good maintenance man will fix a squeak first, if for no other reason than to stop that irritating noise and feel that he has accomplished something. Just like that rattle in a new car! How many times did you take it back to the garage to get it fixed? There is no doubt that we spend a lot of time fixing squeaks and overlooking much larger problems that we have. This man has been known to complain about something for months to his foreman until something was done about it at his work place–just to keep him quiet and happy. There are also squeaky wheels in the church. They squeak over many things, and hinder the church from doing greater things for the Lord. Whether from a lack of faith or just plain laziness, one of the loudest squeaks is, “It just can’t be done.” Good faithful elders and many Gospel preachers listen for years to these squeaks and still try to keep a positive attitude toward the work of the church. I know of many elders and preachers who could write a book on this subject alone. It would surprise you how long the list of squeaks would be, and the sad part is that many times the church is split asunder. We cannot ignore this problem and must deal with it. When a right and prayerful decision has been made, …

n the April 8, 1998 issue of the widely circulated USA Today newspaper, an insert dedicated to Major League Baseball featured a cover report entitled, “Baseball’s Tobacco War.”  Inserted were two pictures of a former MLB player named Bill Tuttle, who was known to chew tobacco regularly.  One picture showed him in his prime, young and strong, in uniform, clasping a Louisville Slugger with a wad of tobacco bulging from his cheek.  The other picture showed him as he was in 1998, with face half eroded from cancer, and skin transplanted from his chest which stretched from his ear to his neck.  He has lost his senses of taste and hearing.  He can hardly speak, and sits in his Anoka, Minnesota home dying a slow and painful death.  The cancer originated in the cheek where Tuttle placed his chewing tobacco.  Similarly, many can share a story of a close relative or friend whose life has been negatively affected or cut short due to smoking tobacco. Despite warnings from the Surgeon General, thousands of habitual smokers pay a heavy price (not just monetarily) for their smoking each year, as they die from heart disease, lung cancer, emphysema and other respiratory ailments.  The moral issue about ‘chewing’ and smoking is not found in the question, “Is smoking or ‘chewing’ harmful to the body?” — for even the chewers and smokers will admit that the substances are harmful.  Rather, the question should be, “Is using tobacco in accordance with the Christian lifestyle?”  The Bible does …

  There is some question as to exactly how many men bore the name James in the New Testament, but there were three who figured prominently in the ministry of Christ and the history of the early church.  They were James the son of Zebedee and brother of John and an apostle (Matthew 4:21; 10:2; Mark 1:19; Luke 5:10), James the Less, son of Alphaeus and also an apostle (Matthew 10:3; Acts 1:13) and James the brother of our Lord (Matthew 13:35; Mark 6:3; Galatians 1:18, 19).  Jesus had three other brothers in addition to James.  They were Joses, Simon and Judas (Matthew 13:55).  The Lord’s sisters are also mentioned, but not by name (Matthew 13:56).  We are not told how many sisters he may have had, but there must have been at least two.  Roman Catholics, because of their belief in the perpetual virginity of Mary, argue that those who are mentioned as the brothers and sisters of our Lord were his cousins, or stepbrothers and sisters, children of Joseph from a previous marriage.  There is absolutely no support for this idea in the Bible.     James, like the Lord’s other siblings, was not supportive of Jesus during his early ministry.  The apostle John makes the point that even his own brothers did not believe in him (John 7:5).  However, that was to change.  Among those disciples who were found with the apostles in Jerusalem following the Lord’s ascension were his brothers, which obviously included James, who was to later …

It takes more than a soft pillow to insure sound sleep. Americans live in gated communities, under radar surveillance, with patrolmen circling at all hours and still can’t sleep for fear. Ancient cities were encircled with impenetrable walls. The pioneers circled their wagons to protect themselves from surprise, dawn Indian attacks. Modern countries line their borders with nuclear arms. Today’s homes are equipped with alarms, motion sensors and sprinkler systems, but we still fear the worst. We are covered by life insurance, health insurance, disability insurance and fire insurance, but are still not too sure of the future. Even our pets reflect our fears. In 1975, cuddly poodles were the most popular purebred dog in America, with 139,750 registered. There were only 952 registered Rottweilers, a fierce breed often used as a guard dog. By 1994, the poodle population was cut in half to 61,775, while Rottweilers had increased 100 times to 102,596. (American Kennel Club. “To Verify,” Leadership Magazine.) A Christian’s best defense is none of these things. It’s a child-like trust in a Father-like God. “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7; cf. Isaiah 31:1). “And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, …

The January 18, 1999 issue of Time magazine sports on its cover the wording: The end of the world!?! Y2K insanity! Apocalypse Now! Will computers melt down? Will society? A guide to MILLENNIUM MADNESS. These words appear on a sandwich board worn by a barefoot figure clad in a white flowing gown. People cower on a city street as the prophetic or angelic caricature stands in traffic with up-stretched hands, one clasping a cross. Only time will tell how much “madness” prevails preceding and at the turn of the official millennium. As the magazine intimates, and aware of the nature of the human creature and some of his history, doubtless there will be ample “millennium madness” demonstrated. We look for it to affect society, religion, economics and probably politics. Only cultures devoid of 20th century consciousness and oblivious to the contemporary calendar are likely to escape the effect of the birth of the new millennium. Strangely, besides some unaccountable souls, there are still some peoples in the world who qualify for this innocence. For the rest of us, we will have to hold on the best we can, even should the ride turn turbulent. The word millennium is rapidly becoming a hot new flag in, at least, the English language for both selling old products with new flare and engendering great alarm. As such it is being used in the utmost positive way while at the same time representing some of the most violent fears of modern man. It will be curious to follow that saga …