And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)  And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him.  For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” – Mark 7:18-23

For millennia people have sought ways to be ceremonially pure. Their conscience has burned and caused distress because they know that they do not match up with the Divine ideal.  God, through The Law of Moses, helped them to search out this tendency – and find that mankind is incapable of attaining purity by elimination of externals.  The Lord spoke to His people and told them that He was fed up with their ceremonies and celebrations and fasts – that He wanted a people who sought after justice and mercy rather than being obsesses with sacrifices.

The key to all this?  Man is not defiled by that which he eats or drinks, he is defiled by that which comes out from within him.  When his thoughts lead him to do that which is against God’s nature – that is what defiles him.  Even today people search ways to eliminate externals.  “If there is no opportunity to sin there will be no sin” is the rationale.  But sin does not come from opportunity, it comes from desire.

Mankind finds it easier to ban things than to teach right thinking.  It is when we think properly that we live properly.  Two different people can pass through identical situations.  One will sin, the other will not.  Why?  Because one has not allowed that particular set of stimuli to become an influence in their mind but the other person did.  Objects and substances are not in and of themselves “sinful” or “evil”.  Objects and substances are essentially neutral.  They require an active agent in order to perform any task.  That is why a knife in one hand will take a life, but in another hand will save a life.  That is why a certain plant in one hand is medicine which treats certain medical problems whil in another hand it becomes an all encompassing search for fleeting pleasure that over time becomes a haunting need that destroys. So what is evil?  It is not the substance or the object – they will not move nor act unless they are caused to act by a force outside themselves – it is the mind, the way of thinking of the individual that chooses to use them – or not.

That is why the apostle Paul wrote, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. “ – Romans 12:1-2 Our “spiritual worship” therefore is to live according to God’s will, not our own.  It is a matter of learning to think like God thinks, to prioritize life like He does.  It means focusing less on our desires and whims in order to focus on His directives, guidance and Will.

That which defiles us comes from within.  BUT we CAN change with the help of the Holy Spirit so that we no longer desire to live in sin but according to God’s plan for our lives.  Sometimes we have to separate ourselves from externals in order to put our selves in order on the inside.  But it is not because the externals in and of themselves are evil and wrong, but rather because we have given them a place in our life that does not correspond to their proper place. Living holy before God is a matter of changing our minds, because that is what will change our actions and bring us into compliance with His plan for us and His church.

I got to thinking about this because of some recent discussions (arguments?) I’ve observed about the existence of God.  Seeing folks talk about the issue got my thinker to thinking.  One thing that I’ve long contemplated is, what is so great about unbelief?  What if the atheist could prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no god and managed to convince every single person on earth of that truth?  What would change about the world we know? How would the world be a better place?  Imagine seven billion people who suddenly, unanimously began to act as though they were mere accidents of chance and circumstance and impersonal forces that coincided to cause them to exist meaninglessly at a certain time and a certain place in a universe devoid of design or meaning? What would the result be? What would restrain certain people from imposing their will upon others by brute force?  We would indeed be living “the law of the jungle”.  Each person would suddenly realize that all they can hope for is whatever they can get during the fleeting moments of their pointless life.  They would realize that there IS no meaning, no point, no reason for being other than to obtain whatever they could obtain for whatever reason they should wish to do so.

On the other hand, what if you were to be able to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that God DOES exist and that He DOES care about us and is active in the world today?  What if you could convince people to obey Him and follow His design in their life?  What would the world look like then?  Imagine a world where every one treated each other in the manner in which they wished to be treated.  Imagine a world where serving each other as service to the Creator was a manner of life.  Imagine a world where people began to use the talents and resources that they had at their disposal to create a better world around themselves.

I still see nothing attractive about unbelief.  Under such a belief system life would be but a useless, pointless striving – to what end?  Knowing that all there was to life was 70 years or so of existing while waiting for the lights to go out would point me towards a dark depression – and who knows what else the dark recesses of my being would conjure up.  But as I look around at the hand of God manifested in His creation and see Him active in my own life and the lives of others it is with joy that His plan is contemplated and His will sought.  What joy to know that as we teach people to not only know that God exists but that He is active in the world today and He is eager and willing to help them to live a fuller life , their lives change for the better and they find true joy and happiness.  Lives are turned from darkness to light, homes are restored, children are given a frame work within which they can grow and mature, individuals find a real purpose for their life and God is served by people serving others in His Name.  That is the attraction of belief in God – seeing the results of that belief lived out not only in my own life but also in the lives of those whom God has allowed and helped me to influence.

We electors have an important constitutional power placed in our hands: we have a check upon two branches of the legislature, as each branch has upon the other two; the power I mean of electing at stated periods, one branch, which branch has the power of electing another. It becomes necessary to every subject then, to be in some degree a statesman: and to examine and judge for himself of the tendencies of political principles and measures.

[John Adams, The Papers of John Adams, Robert J. Taylor, ed. (Cambridge: Belknap Press, 1977), Vol. 1, p. 81, from "'U' to the Boston Gazette" written on August 29, 1763.]

Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual – or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.

[Samuel Adams, The Writings of Samuel Adams, Harry Alonzo Cushing, editor (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1907), Vol. IV, p. 256, in the Boston Gazette on April 16, 1781.]

Nothing is more essential to the establishment of manners in a State than that all persons employed in places of power and trust be men of unexceptionable characters. The public cannot be too curious concerning the character of public men.

[Samuel Adams, The Writings of Samuel Adams, Harry Alonzo Cushing, editor (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1907), Vol. III, p. 236-237, to James Warren on November 4, 1775.]

Consider well the important trust . . . which God . . . [has] put into your hands. . . . To God and posterity you are accountable for [your rights and your rulers]. . . . Let not your children have reason to curse you for giving up those rights and prostrating those institutions which your fathers delivered to you. . . . [L]ook well to the characters and qualifications of those you elect and raise to office and places of trust. . . . Think not that your interests will be safe in the hands of the weak and ignorant; or faithfully managed by the impious, the dissolute and the immoral. Think not that men who acknowledge not the providence of God nor regard His laws will be uncorrupt in office, firm in defense of the righteous cause against the oppressor, or resolutly oppose the torrent of iniquity. . . . Watch over your liberties and privileges – civil and religious – with a careful eye.

[Matthias Burnett, Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Norwalk, An Election Sermon, Preached at Hartford, on the Day of the Anniversary Election, May 12, 1803 (Hartford: Printed by Hudson & Goodwin, 1803), pp. 27-28.]

I have one great political idea. . . . That idea is an old one. It is widely and generally assented to; nevertheless, it is very generally trampled upon and disregarded. The best expression of it, I have found in the Bible. It is in substance, “Righteousness exalteth a nation; sin is a reproach to any people” [Proverbs 14:34]. This constitutes my politics – the negative and positive of my politics, and the whole of my politics. . . . I feel it my duty to do all in my power to infuse this idea into the public mind, that it may speedily be recognized and practiced upon by our people.

[Frederick Douglass, The Frederick Douglass Papers, John Blassingame, editor (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1982), Vol. 2, p. 397, from a speech delivered at Ithaca, New York, October 14th, 1852.]

[T]he time has come that Christians must vote for honest men and take consistent ground in politics or the Lord will curse them. . . . Christians have been exceedingly guilty in this matter. But the time has come when they must act differently. . . . Christians seem to act as if they thought God did not see what they do in politics. But I tell you He does see it – and He will bless or curse this nation according to the course they [Christians] take [in politics].

[Charles G. Finney, Lectures on Revivals of Religion (New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1868), Lecture XV, pp. 281-282.]

Now more than ever the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature. . . . [I]f the next centennial does not find us a great nation . . . it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces.

[James A. Garfield, The Works of James Abram Garfield, Burke Hinsdale, editor (Boston: James R. Osgood and Company, 1883), Vol. II, pp. 486, 489, "A Century of Congress," July, 1877.]

If the time ever comes when we shall go to pieces, it will . . . be . . . from inward corruption – from the disregard of right principles . . . from losing sight of the fact that “Righteousness exalteth a nation, but that sin is a reproach to any people” [Proverbs 14:34]. . . .[T]he secession of the Southern States in 1860 was a small matter with the secession of the Union itself from the great principles enunciated in the Declaration of Independence, in the Golden Rule, in the Ten Commandments, in the Sermon on the Mount. Unless we hold, and hold firmly to these great fundamental principles of righteousness, . . . our Union . . . will be “only a covenant with death and an agreement with hell.”

[Rev. Francis J. Grimke, from "Equality of Right for All Citizens, Black and White, Alike," March 7, 1909, published in Masterpieces of Negro Eloquence, Alice Moore Dunbar, editor (New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 2000), pp. 246-247.]

A share in the sovereignty of the state, which is exercised by the citizens at large, in voting at elections is one of the most important rights of the subject, and in a republic ought to stand foremost in the estimation of the law.

[Alexander Hamilton, The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, Harold C. Syrett, ed. (New York, Columbia University Press, 1962), Vol III, pp. 544-545.]

Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation, to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.

[John Jay, The Correspondence and Public Papers of John Jay, Henry P. Johnston, ed. (New York: G.P. Putnams Sons, 1890), Vol. IV, p. 365.]

The Americans are the first people whom Heaven has favored with an opportunity of deliberating upon and choosing the forms of government under which they should live.

[John Jay, The Correspondence and Public Papers of John Jay, Henry P. Johnston, ed. (New York: G.P. Putnams Sons, 1890), Vol. I, p. 161.]

The elective franchise, if guarded as the ark of our safety, will peaceably dissipate all combinations to subvert a Constitution, dictated by the wisdom, and resting on the will of the people.

[Thomas Jefferson, The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Albert Bergh, ed. (Washington: Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association, 1903), Vol. 10, p. 235.]

[T]he rational and peacable instrument of reform, the suffrage of the people.

[Thomas Jefferson, The Works of Thomas Jefferson, Paul Leicester Ford, ed. (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1905), Vol. 12, p. 136.]

[S]hould things go wrong at any time, the people will set them to rights by the peaceable exercise of their elective rights.

[Thomas Jefferson, The Works of Thomas Jefferson, Paul Leicester Ford, ed. (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1905), Vol. 10, p. 245.]

When the righteous rule, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.

[Supreme Court Justice William Paterson reminding his fellow justices of Proverbs 29:2. United States Oracle (Portsmouth, NH), May 24, 1800.]

Governments, like clocks, go from the motion men give them; and as governments are made and moved by men, so by them they are ruined too. Wherefore governments rather depend upon men than men upon governments. Let men be good and the government cannot be bad. . . . But if men be bad, let the government be never so good, they will endeavor to warp and spoil it to their turn. . . .[T]hough good laws do well, good men do better; for good laws may want [lack] good men and be abolished or invaded by ill men; but good men will never want good laws nor suffer [allow] ill ones.

[William Penn quoted from: Thomas Clarkson, Memoirs of the Private and Public Life of William Penn (London: Richard Taylor and Co., 1813) Vol. I, p.303.]

Impress upon children the truth that the exercise of the elective franchise is a social duty of as solemn a nature as man can be called to perform; that a man may not innocently trifle with his vote; that every elector is a trustee as well for others as himself and that every measure he supports has an important bearing on the interests of others as well as on his own.

[Daniel Webster, The Works of Daniel Webster (Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1853), Vol. II, p. 108, from remarks made at a public reception by the ladies of Richmond, Virginia, on October 5, 1840.]

In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate – look to his character. . . . When a citizen gives his suffrage to a man of known immorality he abuses his trust; he sacrifices not only his own interest, but that of his neighbor, he betrays the interest of his country.

[Noah Webster, Letters to a Young Gentleman Commencing His Education to which is subjoined a Brief History of the United States (New Haven: S. Converse, 1823), pp. 18, 19.]

When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers, “just men who will rule in the fear of God.” The preservation of government depends on the faithful discharge of this duty; if the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted; laws will be made, not for the public good so much as for selfish or local purposes; corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the laws; the public revenues will be sqandered on unworthy men; and the rights of the citizens will be violated or disregarded. If a republican government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws.

[Noah Webster, History of the United States (New Haven: Durrie & Peck, 1832), pp. 336-337, �49.]

Those who wish well to the State ought to choose to places of trust men of inward principle, justified by exemplary conversation. . . .[And t]he people in general ought to have regard to the moral character of those whom they invest with authority either in the legislative, executive, or judicial branches.

[John Witherspoon, The Works of John Witherspoon Edinburgh: J. Ogle, 1815), Vol. IV, pp. 266, 277.]

Recently a fellow started posting there.  He goes by the name Charlie and builds guns for a hobby.  Now, a lot of folks do that anymore.  They’ll order up a bunch of parts from Brownells or Midway or one of a number of other places and put them together.  Some of the guns so produced are fairly easy to do.  Put everything in the right place and PRESTO! You’ve got a functional firearm.  Others are more demanding, requiring some filing or stoning of parts to get them to fit and function properly.  But all these have one thing in common – they rely on mass produced factory parts.  Not that I’m trying to take anything away from the folks who build a gun this way, not at all. I’m in the process of building up a Kentucky rifle from a poorly built kit that was given to me a couple years back.  It takes time and effort to get it right.

But Charlie does something a bit different.  He builds his guns from scratch – and makes his own scratch.  The rifle that is the subject of this little piece is his rendering of an old design.  The Volcanic was a weapon made by Smith and Wesson before they became Smith & Wesson. It was a lever action design that fired a “rocket ball” which was basically a hollow based lead bullet with a charge of powder and a primer in it. The ballistics left a lot to be desired but the design gradually evolved to become the Henry, then the Winchester ‘66, the Winchester 73 and eventually the Winchester ‘76.  The main problem with building a Volcanic today lays with the need to use an available cartridge.  The original design makes it impossible to chamber this rifle for anything much longer than a 22 short cartridge, although there’s enough room for the 41 rimfire.  So Charlie designed his own cartridge around the 40 S&W – by trimming it down, reaming it out and loading it with a pinch of powder.  My friend Hobie did a blog post on the building process of the Volcanic.

What I find interesting in this entire process is that Charlie basically came up with the idea, made some calculations, did some drawings and went to work.  The quality of his work has to be seen to be understood.  He is a careful craftsman who is very painstaking in his efforts.  AND – if he can build something like this, what could NOT be built?  All the efforts of the gun banning crowd are useless as long as people have the creativity and ability to design and build machines or tools according to their desire and inclination.  Many folks forget our past.  Bill Ruger started out designing a machine gun.  Can you imagine the trouble he would be in today for building such a tool in his garage or basement? J.M. Browning was constantly experimenting.  One time he even converted a Winchester leveraction to full automatic fire. Again, if you do that today you will be in a world of hurt if the authorities find out.  BUT IT IS STILL DOABLE. With the wide availability of machine tools in the US and the world as well as the skilled craftsmen who use them, it is impossible to prevent people from building any firearm they so desire.

So, what to do about violence and crime?  They do not stem from the availability of firearms.  They stem from a mindset that views others as less than one is and the desire of obtaining that which another worked for with as little effort as possible and the decision to impose one’s will upon others by violent means.  These things were going on LONG before the advent of firearms – and if by some miracle all firearms were to be destroyed overnight the violence and crime would continue because it stems from the heart, not the tools available.

In my library I have a few books that detail the building of firearms in primitive settings.  One is a Firefox book that shows how early settlers would smelt iron and then work it into usable form on the anvil and make some of the most beautiful and elegant firearms ever, the Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Kentucky “Mountain Rifles” or “Long Rifles”. Charlie holds my respect for building such an intricate design as the Volcanic.  And I extend to him my gratitude for sharing with us the process he followed.

Recently someone left a knife at our place.  It was in horrid condition and showed signs of abuse.  Since the same folks also caused stuff of our to no longer appear it wasn’t hard to convince myself to give the old abused cutlery a new lease on life.  So below is a photo essay on the process. Essentially it went kind of like this.  First, remove hollow plastic handle thingy.  Not too hard since one of the rivets was actually a melted lollipop stick. Then use a grinder to reshape the blade and angle the cutting edge. Use an orbital sander with coarse paper to give it a “matte” finish and then add a multilayered nylon rope/string/epoxy glue handle and sharpen the blade on a whet stone.  The abuse is still evident on one side of the blade, but it’s much more useful now. And then I finished it up by dipping the wrapped handle into liquid rubber to seal it from water and to give it a better non-slip grip surface.

The tools I used were basic.  The skill level low.  All I had to do was remember to keep the steel cool so that it would not lose its temper.  It would be a matter of maybe two minutes to reshape one of those “stab proof” knives into something that could easily be used to stab.  What the presumably well intentioned folks who invented that knife don’t seem to understand, it’s not the tool – it’s the person who uses it.  And if one is intent on going around stabbing folks, nothing will stop them from obtaining or manufacturing the tool necessary for such activities.  The weapon does not cause one to use it inappropriately. Inappropriate behavior comes from inappropriate thought patterns and belief systems.

You can click on the images below for a larger version of them, then use your browser’s “Back” button to return to this page.

And it is interesting to hear folks talk on the ‘net.  Over the years it has been my pleasure to visit various internet friends in person.  And getting to talk with someone over a cup of coffee or a meal is a great way to get to know them a bit better.  Sometimes one forms an opinion about folks because of the way they “talk” on the internet. But once you get to know them personally you see a different face entirely.  And then there’s the voice.  Am I the only one who forms an “image” of what someone’s voice must sound like by reading what they write?  The first time I talked with various people was an experience – because they didn’t sound like I’d thought they would.  And what about SEEING them? That reminds me of my dad and a story he told about someone he used to talk with on the phone all the time.  He built up an image of the person based on their name and their voice. But when he met that person in person he was in for a surprise.  From physical stature to race – everything was different.

As a moderator on various forums I get to interact with folks all the time – but too often it is in situations where one would rather NOT have to deal with people.  My forum browsing time is limited so having to deal with people who insist on dragging bar room behavior into a respectable forum is not my favorite use of that time.  But someone has to to it. Lately I guess folks have been itching a lot due to the weather and the season.  And they seem to want to take it out on the world.  All to often they sink to using  ad hominem arguments.  It is so much easier to go after a person than it is to argue for or against an idea.  One area in particular is an area where I see a lot of heat generated – religious views.  It seems that folks too often believe something based on ??? instead of knowing the facts behind their beliefs.  And so when someone comes along with an argument they’ve never heard before they find it easier to be nasty than to do the work necessary to find the answers they need to substantiate their position – or to change their mind.

“Evidence That Demands A Verdict” was written by Josh McDowel. As I understand the story, Josh set out to prove Christianity was wrong and the Bible was a bunch of myths.  But he did the work.  He dug down and examined the evidence – and then wrote a book about it.  He was honest enough with himself and the evidence that he looked into the matter and changed his position.  But folks like Josh are few and far between.

About all I can add is that while I agree in principle with Brit Hume’s comments, I’d like to clarify that it’s not just the “Christian Faith” that Tiger Woods needs but rather a personal relationship with Jesus the Christ.  Such a relationship would allow him to become a greater person all around and to overcome the shadows that have fallen on his life.

We know that God lead us to our current place of residence and ministry.  We sought His face and His wisdom and His guidance – and He brought us here and has kept us here in the face of many trials and problems.  We also know that our enemy does not wish for us to be here.

Over the years my ideas on missions and new churches and older churches have changed.  When I was in college the idea of “getting in and out in three years, five years max” was all the rage.  We were told “If the Apostle Paul could establish a church in a matter of months then surely we can do as well in a matter of a couple years.”

It is undeniable that the Apostle Paul started churches quickly and quickly moved on.  The question is – with whom did he start them?  He was not starting churches with folks fresh from the idol temples.  The foundation for the churches he started was always found in the synagogues and amongst jewish people.  The reason being – they ALREADY knew the One True and Living God and were waiting for the advent of the Messiah. Most of what he had to do was show them that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah they had been looking for all these generations and then point them down The Way.

So, with whom do we work today?  At least in Latin America, we are NOT working with people who have been taught the basics of Judeo Christian principles.  We are working with people who have been taught a distorted world view in which “if you sin and pray you tie” (quien peca y reza empata). They have been brought up in a world where Mom is never wrong and is of greater value than God Almighty Himself and “men” can do whatever to whomever they please. Lying, cheating, bribing, fornicating and adultery are a way of life and the only way to get to God is through Mary and the “Saints”.

The first order of business is often to teach people to trust in the Bible as God’s Word and to put its teaching into practice.  Besides the cultural bias against the Bible there is also the educational bias that has grown tremendously around the world – “post modernism”.  The idea that there is no absolute truth is deeply set in people’s minds.  The idea that “all roads lead to the same result” is also all pervasive.  So first we must win people to the idea that there IS truth in the world and that Jesus is the ONLY path to God.  This takes time and a great investment in personal relationships. Yes, I see people “starting churches” in a matter of weeks or months and then sending glowing reports about all the wonders God has wrought through their ministry.  And I’ve seen the leaders that are set up become petty tyrants and the churches become religiously distorted mirrors of the society around them.  It is no surprise that so many scandals break forth – God’s House has been turned over to the two year olds and they have no idea on how to care for themselves, much less how to lead others to a healthy relationship with Jesus the Christ.

And so we are digging in for the long haul.  Taking the idea of the church as being made up of individual “living stones” that are also God’s children, we are working to help those who come to Christ to grow strong and healthy through a balanced diet of His Word.  We are helping them to draw near to Christ and to allow Him to renew their minds so that they no longer conform themselves to the world around them but are transformed through the renewing of their minds.  And this takes time.  Our hope is not just in the current generation, but rather in helping them to pass the torch, as it were, to the generation that follows them – their own children and other youth.  Again, this takes time.

And so we find ourselves looking for more permanent arrangements.  We believe that it will take us at least another 15 to 20 years to help the church to grow up and become the strong, vibrant, self sustaining, self propagating Body that Christ envisioned. We’re looking around and asking the Lord’s direction.  We know that He has “just the place” for us to live.  We also trust that He will provide more permanent quarters for His Church here in Pereira. We don’t know the details, but we do know He will provide in His time.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Genesis Chapter 1 - English Standard Version

I’ve always loved the first part of Genesis.  There are so many beautiful phrases and words that help us to understand “how it all began”.  Some of my favorite passages from the Scripture above are as follow:

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

From the primordial chaos, God created heavens and earth.  It was not some mindless explosion but rather the careful planning and design of a wise and purposed Creator that brought forth the universe that we know.

And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

Even to this day, when we look at a globe or a map of the earth we can see how at one time the land formed a solid mass and the seas were gathered together around the land mass. This passage was written long before satellites and world maps as we know them – and yet the author knew about the ancient form of things.

And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

“Each according to its kind” – what wisdom there is in such words.  Even today we see how each and every species is special and grows “according to its kind”.  Some folks monkey with genetically altering species – but the results of their monkeying are usually sterile, unable to continue their altered state for long.  God created each species the way it should be and over the millenniums they have evolved – according to their kind/species.  The original species have not created new species but rather new variations according to their kinds.

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons,and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

The stars and heavenly bodies move with such precision that we can tell exactly when an eclipse will occur, or when certain celestial bodies will line up in certain ways.  They indeed are “signs for seasons, and for days and years“.

And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”

Again, “according to their kinds”.  To this day people marvel at the vast variety of birds and fish that fill our skies and waters.  And although there are huge numbers of species – each to this very day reproduces “according to its kind“.  Even the crazy cuckoo reproduces “according to its kind” – albeit utilizing the nests of other species to raise its young.

And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Once more we see “according to their kinds“. I find it amusing to hear folks wonder at the similarities between species – and yet they never comment on how all tires on wheeled vehicles are round.  Why do we not have square, hexagonal or octagonal wheels?  Because round works MUCH better.  In fact, the similarities show more support for the intelligent design theory than for the idea of evolution. They show the work of a marvelous creator who KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING.  The beauty of the creation lies in seeing how He designed things and built them in such a marvelous way – things that could not have happened by chance nor could they exist in partial state but rather they burst upon the scene by His Word.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

And so, in God’s own image He created man – a triune being.  Just as God has existed from before the beginning of what we call Time as Father, Son and Holy Spirit so has mankind existed from the beginning of time as Body, Soul and Spirit.  And God has given us dominion over His Creation and entrusted it to our care.  We are His Stewards and will one day have to answer to Him for our own use of His beautiful work.

The beauty of God’s design is not only in how He made us triune like Himself, but also in how He created us with yet another facet so that we could fulfill His desire for us.  He made us male and female – and both sexes bear His stamp, His image.  Neither man nor woman holds dominion over the other according to God’s design – we were created equal in value and worth.  Only in our functions and roles are we different, and not in worth but merely in the way in which we were designed.