____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ August 21, 1994 ____________________________________________________ The Warfare by Jefferson David Tant In our previous article, we tried to ``paint the picture'' so people could at least get a glimpse of the warfare in which we are engaged. In this concluding article, we want to continue with more evidence, as well as make some comments about the situation. Columnist Suzanne Fields: ``In a very short time our society has moved from taking pride in appeals to moral righteousness to disdain for anyone who espouses virtue; from believing that public figures ought to display good judgment in public to `rights' for public figures no matter what character qualities they display.'' We have schools that teach 6th graders how to use condoms, that homosexuality is acceptable, that will arrest you if you bring a Bible to class. We have a culture that once was shocked at a mild (by today's standards) curse word uttered by Clark Gable in ``Gone With the Wind'' in 1939, that shamed Ingrid Bergman after she bore an illegitimate child in the `50s, but that today glories in the adulteries and perversions of such high-profile people, even to the point of the Atlanta newspapers running a ``Name the Baby'' contest to pick a name for the illegitimate child from the adulterous union of Donald Trump and home-wrecker Marla Maples. Has our nation really changed, or is it just that sin is more open now? Maybe both. But here are some statistical facts to consider. In the past 30 years, violent crime has increased over 500%; out-of-wedlock births up 400%; divorces up 400%; children living in single-parent homes have increased 300%; child abuse--up 340% since 1976; teenage suicide has risen 200%; and SAT scores have dropped about 80 points. Is this the new and better world the liberals tell us about? Is this our national legacy since we have taken the Bible and prayer and moral values out of the schools? The media/entertainment industry certainly has some blame for this crisis. I do not have the figures before me, but I have read surveys of the Hollywood powers, and it is astounding to see the number of atheists and non-religious people that control what America sees. It has been determined that the media is the #1 influence on our young people. And what do they see? The average 16-year-old sees 200,000 acts of violence and 33,000 murders on TV yearly. The average 10-year-old sees 9,230 acts of sex, alleged acts or sexual innuendoes every year on just three networks, and 81% of these are outside of any type of commitment, let alone marriage. Does anybody believe in virginity or abstinence any more? I don't watch many of the series on TV any more since they took Gunsmoke off, but from what I read, there is hardly a regular program that has not had the stars, young or old, in bed with someone not their spouse. And the talk shows? Do they pay people to sit up all night to see who can come up with the weirdest and most perverse topic? Donahue makes big bucks, and the American Family Association mailed something to me recently detailing show topics in `92. ``4/9/92: A married man with three children discusses having anonymous sex with other men. He says, `I see it almost as a gift, because I can experience the good of both worlds.' 4/16: A mother has an affair with her teen daughter's boy-friend. 4/22: My husband gave me permission to have sex with other men as an anniversary present. 8/17: Guests included parents who encourage children to have their friends over for sex in their own home.'' That's a small sample, and much of it I would not care to print. Is it any wonder we have 1.6 million abortions each year, or that by some estimates we have 20,000,000 new cases of STD's each year? Brethren, we are at war! There must be a commitment on our part to instill spiritual values in our children. All our support systems are gone, and we must teach our children to stand, and stand alone if they must. We must be careful lest we let even the good things in the secular world occupy their time and interest so much that the spiritual is crowded out. If anything, we need to focus more on the spiritual, because we are standing so much alone now. ``For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds); casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ'' (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). -- Via With All Boldness, February 1994, Volume 4, No. 2. ___________________________________________ Evolution Is Unbiblical by Wayne S. Walker Previous articles in this column ``Evidences For Faith'' have examined the general theory of evolution and have found it to be unscientific in many respects and unreasonable in asking us to accept it as the only explanation of how things came to be as they are. In this article, we shall affirm that as it is commonly believed and taught evolution is unbiblical. The scriptures claim to be inspired of God (2 Timothy 3:16). This simply means that they originated with God, not man, and are thus a revelation of God's word and will to mankind. The evidences supporting this claim, which will be presented in later articles in this column, have never been overthrown. Therefore, to the true Bible-believer, anything that stands in contradiction to what the Bible says must be false. This is true of modern evolutionary theory. Since all scripture is inspired of God, the Genesis account of creation written by Moses is inspired by God. It is presented not as myth or legend, but as an historic event. NO man who is alive today or who has left a written record was present to see evolution occur. But God was present at creation and through Moses left us His own record as to what took place. Furthermore, Jesus, the divine Son of God Himself, accepted this account as true. In Matthew 19:4 Jesus indicated His belief that humankind was created at the beginning both male and female, not evolved over a long period of time. If evolution were true, then we can have absolutely no confidence whatever in anything that Jesus said. The main assumption upon which evolutionists work is uniformitarianism, the theory that natural processes occurring over long periods of time can account for all geological and zoological changes. They affirm that the present is the key to the past in that minute processes observable today can be extrapolated through past eons to explain the present condition of the earth and life on it. This theory is set in contrast to catastrophism which argues that major changes could have occurred during short periods of time due to huge catastrophes, such as the world-wide flood of Genesis. The Bible predicts such an attitude. In 2 Peter 3:4 Peter referred to some who would say, ``For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning...'' and then goes on to use the flood as proof to deny their assertion. Yet, it is not in harmony with what the scriptures plainly teach. If evolution were true, it would ultimately deny the truth that, ``In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth'' (Genesis 1:1). The whole reason for the promotion of evolution by some was to have a system whereby the universe could be explained without God. It would also deny the uniqueness of man as a being created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). If there were no God, man is left as merely a higher form of naturally evolved animal. Then it would deny the divinity of Christ, that, ``In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God'' (John 1:1). Jesus could not be the son of a non-existent God but would be just another evolved human being. And it would deny the need for revelation, that ''...Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit'' (2 Peter 1:21). There would be no God to reveal Himself and no supernatural guidance by which to do so. The ``theological'' consequences of evolution are clearly antagonistic to the Bible. In contrast to the entirely naturalistic view of general evolution, there are still many who believe, based upon the reasonableness of the evidence presented, that there is a God who created the universe, the world, life on earth, and in particular mankind. If this is true, then man is responsible to God and must obey what He has commanded through His Son in His word. If this is not the case, then we are no worse off for believing it because most of the progress made in this world has been promoted by those who were God-fearing Bible-believers. In our next article, we shall pass on to examine another line of evidence for God related to His natural attributes. -- Via With All Boldness, February 1994, Volume 4, No. 2. ___________________________________________ "And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:18-20). ___________________________________________ His Love and Grace We look with wonder in our eyes At hills and skies-- In rose of dawn, in sunset-flame, God writes His name; He fills the starlit nights, The Father of all lights; The stormy billows shout that He Is mightier than any sea; And something in each flower face Tells to the heart His love and grace. -- Selected ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________