(Disclaimer: Some articles and links to articles published in this ezine may contain false doctrine. They are included due to some valuable content. The fact that they are printed here does not mean that we accept or endorse their doctrine. All writings of men, including ours, should be carefully compared to the New Testament writings.)




Visit the new Piedmont, Alabama church of Christ website at: www.piedmontcoc.org

We have a world, especially here in the U.S., that is going to pot. Some other countries are too, and some are even further gone already than we are. Then we have some which have been in the pot forever. But our nation has a huge amount of whiners who say that capital punishment is too cruel and should be done away with.

Strangely, a lot of the ones who object to this are professed "Christians". While a lot are evil and not religious at all. I suspect a lot of the latter, would like to see it stopped so they could get out and rape and kill, etc. without worrying about strong retaliation. And the "Christians" are no doubt honest in their objections since they always refer to Jesus who would even forgive those who crucified Him.

But there is much difference in legal punishment by the government of a nation, and that of a true Christian. The Bible has never condemned capital punishment. It was commanded under the Patriarchal and Mosaical laws (Genesis 9:6 above). There were 21 (according to scholars who have counted them) different offenses under the Mosaical law that carried the death sentence. Only three or four of them are capital offenses in the U.S. today, depending upon which state you are in.

Jesus didn't even speak out against capital punishment. When the woman caught in adultery was brought to Him, He did not criticize or condemn the law, but rather handled the situation to put her accusers to shame for their own trangressions. When He died on the cross, He was not critical of the law of the death penalty. What was wrong about it was the fact that He was innocent of any crime.

It is a truth that a Christian must not render judgement, vengeance, punishment, etc. upon any individual. God has ordained governments for that purpose. But for a government to punish wicked men is not only right, but it is their responsibility. (Romans 10:19) (John 19:11) (Romans 13:1-4) (1 Peter 2:13-14)

Many believe and teach that once an individual is saved he cannot be lost. However, the Scriptures clearly teach that a child of God can forfeit his salvation and be eternally lost. Many passages speak of the conditional nature of our future salvation. The apostle Paul reminded the Christians in Corinth of the gospel by which they were saved "if " they held fast to the word which was preached to them (1Cor. 15:2). The word "if" places a condition on salvation for the child of God. To the children of God in Galatia Paul wrote, "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Gal. 6:9). The word "if" here implies if we as children of God do lose heart we will not reap the reward. The writer of Hebrews declared we are of Christ's household "if we hold fast our confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end" (Heb. 3:6). Why do the Scriptures make these conditional statements about salvation if once we are saved we cannot be lost?

The Scriptures point out the conditional nature of our future salvation by giving solemn warnings against apostasy (falling away as to be lost). The apostle Paul in warning the Corinthians against apostasy realized he too could fall away and be lost. He said "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." (1Cor. 9:27).

Certainly, if there was a possibility for the apostle Paul to be rejected, then we too could be. Right after that statement he used the example of the Israelites who fell from God's favor by their disobedience and were not permitted to enter the promised land. Paul's conclusion was, "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1Cor. 10:12). The Hebrew writer declared, "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it" (Heb. 4:1). These are solemn warnings against falling away and being lost. Why give the warnings if once one is saved he is always saved?

The Scriptures also speak of examples of those who did fall away. Among some who became Christians at the preaching of Philip was a man by the name of Simon. When he later became covetous of the apostles' power, Peter told him, "Thy money perish with thee...for thy heart is not right in the sight of God...I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity" (Acts 8:12-24). Paul wrote to some who had at one time been faithful, but now had turned back to Judaism. He said "You have become estranged from Christ...you have fallen from grace" (Gal. 5:4)

These are but a few of the many passages where the Scriptures plainly teach that salvation is conditional based upon our faithful obedience. Only if we are faithful unto death will we receive a crown of life (Rev. 2:10).

(Reprinted from the Polk City Parchment archives, Polk City, Florida church of Christ.)

"Some shrink from the conclusion that the human species was not designed, has no purpose and is the product of mere mechanical mechanisms--But this seems to be the message of evolution"...Douglas Futuyma in Science on Trial: The Case for Evolution.

"If all of life is meaningless, and ultimately absurd, why bother to march straight forward, why stand in the queue as though life as a whole makes sense?"...Francis Schaeffer.

Clearwater, FL – 60% of U.S. Medical Doctors Doubt Macroevolutionary Theory. A recent poll indicated that 60 percent of the medical doctors in the US have serious doubts about the veracity of the macroevolutionary theory as taught in universities today. A new venue is available to give voice to this powerful flow of skeptical thought in the world of medicine, and to promote accurate knowledge and free exchange of ideas concerning the debate over Darwinism and alternative theories of origin: Physicians and Surgeons for Scientific Integrity.

New York, NY – Degree of Gene Complexity Not Anticipated. From a news feature in Nature for May 25, 2006: "Gene" was the only concept in evolutionary theory that seemed to have a clear definition (compare with species, speciation, selection, fitness, etc.). Now the definition is being attacked as "a crude approximation" and scientists say "The degree of complexity we've seen was not anticipated."

Seattle, WA – Over 600 Scientists Express Skepticism of Darwinian Evolution. As of June 2006 over 600 doctoral scientists from around the world have now signed a statement publicly expressing their skepticism about the contemporary theory of Darwinian evolution. The statement, located online at www.dissentfromdarwin.org, reads: “We are skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life. Careful examination of the evidence for Darwinian theory should be encouraged.”

Brussels, Belgium – Europeans Question the Value of Teaching Macroevolution. Polish member of the European Parliament, Maciej Giertych, retired head of the Genetics Department of the Polish Academy of Science, introduced a public seminar on the General Theory of Evolution to fellow MEP's in October. Professor Giertych questioned the value of teaching a continually falsified hypothesis - macroevolution - to students throughout Europe, as well as pointing out its lack of usefulness in regard to scientific endeavor.

( To read these and more go to Access Research Network)

Also take time to read Darwinism in doubt at: Discovery

I find it appalling that so many highly intelligent people have been duped into accepting the unproven and unprovable theory(?) of evolution. I read an article somewhere several years ago which said that many of them had accepted it ostentatiously because they felt they would be ridiculed and/or even persecuted if they did not. And it is apparent that this still goes on today. Perhaps even worse.

This subject does not even warrant the recognition of being a theory or a hypothesis. It is nothing more than a fantasy idea without any evidence to back it up whatsoever. Without even mentioning the solid evidence that there is no explanation possible for this universe to exist, accidentally, that matter can just happen to appear from nothing, and that life can accidentally appear from non-life, let's look at something else.

Of all their teaching of many millions of years of evolving, they have not ONE solitary piece of a partially evolved species to another. No evidence at all that macroevolution has EVER occurred. This is so frustrating to some of those who really believe this nonsense, that they will actually report false data to try and prove their point. Yet they have so successfully infiltrated our educational and political hierarchy, that it is being taught as scientific fact.

And the real problem is that we have many in the Lord's church who either believe this, pretend to believe it, or are at least sympathetic towards it and try to integrate it into biblical truths. It is not compatible with truth. False teachings are false, not truths.

Some say that many accept this for fear of appearing ignorant (non-intellectual). I ask what is so highly intellectual of saying the universe just happened to be here, that life just happened to appear from non-life and when you die, you are just dead? No answers, just happenings. God forgive them for they know not what they do...or what they say...or who they are...or what they are doing here!

There was this man who muttered a few words in the church and found himself married. A year later he muttered something in his sleep and found himself divorced.

There isn't any sense in being pessimistic; it probably wouldn't work anyway.