The origin of the earth has always been a mystery to scientists. They say Creationism is improbable, but seem willing to accept evolution or almost any other alternative as fact, with no tangible proof to back it up.
Many people feel uncomfortable with the thought of a Creator, somewhere out in the heavens, judging them and holding them to His standards. Our rebellious human nature feels more at ease with the belief that humans as no different than animals or bacteria. And that are here by accident, live as we please, die and return to nothing. They believe we will one day solve that ‘death’ thing, also
Evolution is taught as fact, even though it fails on so many fronts. Still, science continues to research other possible answers to our origin. The scientific community will glom on to almost any theory rather than accept the presence of an all-knowing Creator.
Polls show that a majority (although a shrinking majority) of us still believe in divine creation. 58% of the respondents to a recent web poll believe that some unnamed ‘intelligent entity’ created us. 17% of those polled believed the earth was created when a comet (s) struck the earth; 15% believe life crawled out of an ancient lake, and the remaining 10% believe aliens from outer space brought life to earth.
The “Big Bang” theory, which has been widely held b many scientists, was not mentioned in the poll. One Christian writer once wrote that this may be the closest theory to reality, opining that, “God spoke, and ‘Bang!’, all creation came into existence.
The obvious, almost elementary response to anti-Creation theories is, “Who created the ‘ancient’ lake, or the aliens, and who set the comet into motion? Each theory raises more questions than answers as to who designed the whole process. Science can explain things like the changing of the seasons; the earth, moon and sun and their paths; how birds know to migrate, etc. If all these things were the result of a ‘mistake’, then why doesn’t the sun rise from a different direction each morning, and why do the seasons rotate in order, and why does the moon go through the same phases each time; why not eight phases one month, then 12 phases, etc?
And why does only mankind have the ability to reason, to solve problems and to build relationships and communicate verbally? Animals operate from instinct, which is a code placed in their genetics. Every member of one kind of animal family will operate exactly the same as another. They cannot use reason to operate outside of their genetic limits. Although they can be taught tricks, and the semblance of mathematical reasoning, it is only possible through repetition and a simple ‘carrot/stick’ reward/punishment process.
It seems that God, in creating the Universe, deliberately left many questions unanswered. Perhaps he knew that he had endowed us with inquisitive minds, and therefore left many questions for us to discern. For centuries, many people worshipped the moon, believing that ‘the man in the moon’ watched over us. Over the years, mankind figured out that the moon had a distinct effect upon ocean tides and other atmospheric conditions.
People believed that the moon was made of green cheese. When we landed on the moon, we found absolutely nothing to explain the moon’s effect on the earth. Perhaps the most explanation for the moon, the stars, the sun, and the whole universe including life on earth can only be realized through faith.
I would rather depend upon fact than theory. Our origin is clearly stated in the Bible, “In the Beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…”
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Guard Your Heart!
GUARD YOUR HEART
By: James J. Jackson
Jordan, my little four-year-old grandson sat in our family room one Sunday afternoon, playing with a toy and singing a song, “...Don’t let the devil steal your joy.…” The song went on to express how you should ask Jesus for His joy, and you will be happy in the joy of the Lord. After listening for a while, I asked him what the song meant.
He responded that in Sunday school, he learned that the devil wants to make him sad, but that Jesus wants him to be happy. It was amazing to me that a simple little child’s song could carry such a profound message for Christians today. I thought about the fact that many Christians today seem to have no little or no joy in their lives. People often talk about casting their worries and cares upon the Lord, but then continue to carry the weight of those worries on their own shoulders.
When we dwell on our worries and sorrows, rather than giving them to the One who can remove them, we ask to be weighed down by them, and that weight shows on our faces and can affect every area of our lives. It is extremely difficult to be a good witness to others, or to speak of the joy of the Lord, when we reflect that we have no joy in our heart. Whomever we are trying to witness to will think, “Why do I want the kind of joy (or lack thereof) that shows in this Christian’s life?” Few people would want to share in a type of joy that leaves the person sad, and even angry. But, if they witness you living a truly joyous life, in spite of challenges and problems, they will be more likely to want what you have.
Satan can steal your joy if you dwell on all that is wrong and all of the challenges you face. The Lord wants you to bring your worries to Him in prayer. When we do this in earnest, He removes the weight of those worries and gives us both peace and endurance to stand up under the effects of whatever problems we are dealing with. When we dwell on our worries, we become ineffective as tools for furthering God’s kingdom. A poor witness can be counter-productive, and a turn-off to those you are trying to tell about our loving Savior.
When we allow our joy to be stolen by the devil, we become like the seed in Jesus’ parable in Luke 8, “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature…” Don’t let the devil hinder your Christian maturity. Guard your heart against the danger of allowing the devil to steal your joy. Take your worries and cares to the Lord in prayer, trusting that He can heal all, fix all and put eternal joy in your heart.
That joy comes from knowing that a loving God knew our dilemma of inherited sin and our inability to be good enough to save ourselves. His eternal joy comes in the fact that He sent his only son to live a perfect life and become the perfect sacrifice for all sin. Joy comes in knowing that our sins are paid for and Heaven is offered as a free gift-not because of what we have done, but because of what Jesus has done. Joy comes from knowing that we don’t have to carry the weight of our sin or our worries, because our debt has been paid. Now, that’s something to sing about!
By: James J. Jackson
Jordan, my little four-year-old grandson sat in our family room one Sunday afternoon, playing with a toy and singing a song, “...Don’t let the devil steal your joy.…” The song went on to express how you should ask Jesus for His joy, and you will be happy in the joy of the Lord. After listening for a while, I asked him what the song meant.
He responded that in Sunday school, he learned that the devil wants to make him sad, but that Jesus wants him to be happy. It was amazing to me that a simple little child’s song could carry such a profound message for Christians today. I thought about the fact that many Christians today seem to have no little or no joy in their lives. People often talk about casting their worries and cares upon the Lord, but then continue to carry the weight of those worries on their own shoulders.
When we dwell on our worries and sorrows, rather than giving them to the One who can remove them, we ask to be weighed down by them, and that weight shows on our faces and can affect every area of our lives. It is extremely difficult to be a good witness to others, or to speak of the joy of the Lord, when we reflect that we have no joy in our heart. Whomever we are trying to witness to will think, “Why do I want the kind of joy (or lack thereof) that shows in this Christian’s life?” Few people would want to share in a type of joy that leaves the person sad, and even angry. But, if they witness you living a truly joyous life, in spite of challenges and problems, they will be more likely to want what you have.
Satan can steal your joy if you dwell on all that is wrong and all of the challenges you face. The Lord wants you to bring your worries to Him in prayer. When we do this in earnest, He removes the weight of those worries and gives us both peace and endurance to stand up under the effects of whatever problems we are dealing with. When we dwell on our worries, we become ineffective as tools for furthering God’s kingdom. A poor witness can be counter-productive, and a turn-off to those you are trying to tell about our loving Savior.
When we allow our joy to be stolen by the devil, we become like the seed in Jesus’ parable in Luke 8, “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature…” Don’t let the devil hinder your Christian maturity. Guard your heart against the danger of allowing the devil to steal your joy. Take your worries and cares to the Lord in prayer, trusting that He can heal all, fix all and put eternal joy in your heart.
That joy comes from knowing that a loving God knew our dilemma of inherited sin and our inability to be good enough to save ourselves. His eternal joy comes in the fact that He sent his only son to live a perfect life and become the perfect sacrifice for all sin. Joy comes in knowing that our sins are paid for and Heaven is offered as a free gift-not because of what we have done, but because of what Jesus has done. Joy comes from knowing that we don’t have to carry the weight of our sin or our worries, because our debt has been paid. Now, that’s something to sing about!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Exciting Newly Published Book, "In All Things..."
Announcing a new book by first-time author, James J. Jackson, 'In All Things...Moral reflections..'. Published by Tate Publishing (Oklahoma City, OK)
http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-60462-254-6 , is an entertaining and thought-provoking paperback, which deals with everyday life issues from a moral perspective. It includes short stories that ar on the lighter side, deal with social trends and issues, or with hard-hitting topics of interest. I will make you laugh, it will make you cry, but most of all, it will make you think. Now available through Amazon.Com: http://www.amazon.com/Things-Moral-Reflections-Decisions-Issues/dp/1604622547/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222433927&sr=1-1; Barnes & Noble.Com: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/In-All-Things-Moral-Reflections-and-Decisions-on-Life-Issues/James-J-Jackson/e/9781604622546/?itm=2 and many other fine book stores. A signed copy is available by emailing the author at jjaxcoj@aol.com. Sample Chapter titles: Recapturing our Culture; Looking Forward to my Permanent Teeth; A Permanent Solution to a Temporary Problem; Rememebr Youir Valentine, Plumbing, a Good Source of Humility; Worth the Paper it's writen On?; Honor theyFather and Modem; The tell-Tale Heart in the New Millinium; It Depends on What 'Truth' Is, and more (a total of 293 short essays). A great read!
http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-60462-254-6 , is an entertaining and thought-provoking paperback, which deals with everyday life issues from a moral perspective. It includes short stories that ar on the lighter side, deal with social trends and issues, or with hard-hitting topics of interest. I will make you laugh, it will make you cry, but most of all, it will make you think. Now available through Amazon.Com: http://www.amazon.com/Things-Moral-Reflections-Decisions-Issues/dp/1604622547/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222433927&sr=1-1; Barnes & Noble.Com: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/In-All-Things-Moral-Reflections-and-Decisions-on-Life-Issues/James-J-Jackson/e/9781604622546/?itm=2 and many other fine book stores. A signed copy is available by emailing the author at jjaxcoj@aol.com. Sample Chapter titles: Recapturing our Culture; Looking Forward to my Permanent Teeth; A Permanent Solution to a Temporary Problem; Rememebr Youir Valentine, Plumbing, a Good Source of Humility; Worth the Paper it's writen On?; Honor theyFather and Modem; The tell-Tale Heart in the New Millinium; It Depends on What 'Truth' Is, and more (a total of 293 short essays). A great read!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
An Open Letter to My America in a time of trouble.
God has truly placed His grace upon us as a nation.
One the most popular sports today is attacking America. Many people castigate the U.S. regularly, spewing hate-filled epithets about our nation. The problem is, the leading America-haters are American citizens. We have so much to be thankful for, yet so many of us strive to dwell upon the negative.
Many politicians say that America is hated around the world, but they are wrong. In spite of efforts to foster hatred for America in other nations, most people of the world still love America and long to live here in freedom. As one who travels regularly to foreign countries, I can state factually that nearly everyone I meet in foreign countries want to come to America. A few despotic leaders hate America, mostly out of envy, but most foreign people love the U.S.
When the tsunami hit Asia in 2005, many victims in nations such as Sri Lanka told me that they knew that America would be the first and foremost to come to their aid. Countries know that the nation most likely to free them from a dictatorial, evil regime without installing their own government, is America. When disaster strikes anywhere in the world, the victims can count on America responding first.
Some Americans accuse our soldiers of being as bad as terrorists who cut off the heads of innocent victims. They somehow believe that parading a prisoner on a leash or placing underwear on his head is the equivalent of beheading him. The renegade soldiers who perpetrated the acts are serving time in jail. Yet our enemies pick up the chant that our soldiers torture prisoners. Terrorist lies of U.S. guards flushing a Koran down the toilet in the Gitmo were exposed, yet many Americans still site it as factual proof of our abuse of prisoners.
America is filled with human beings who are sinful, but have a legacy of belief in the one true God, and, therefore, are forgiven human beings. We fail to love each other as we have been commanded, and we resort to all manner of evil as do all human beings. But, we believe that God has placed His providence upon this nation in ways never previously known to mankind.
Life in America is the desire of most people in the world because of our freedom and prosperity. Most of the major technological advances began or were greatly improved in America and by Americans. Most advances in medicine, industry, water and food quality, etc. can be attributed to Americans.
Many people label America as imperialist. America has never sought to build an empire. When we have conquered other nations (as we did Germany and Japan), we re-built them and handed them back to those whom we vanquished. America is the only super power in history to give foreign aid to nations that declare themselves our enemies.
America is powerful because we serve a powerful God who loves us in spite of our rebellion against Him. We have removed Him from the public place, yet our judicial halls adorned with His Ten Commandments, and we open sessions with prayer. God loves us, even in our confusion.
The Bible says, in Psalms 33:12, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…”. According to surveys, around 85% of Americans consider themselves to be Christians. Many of those in political positions declare their Christianity. I believe that, in His love for us, God continues to bless our nation.
The U.S.S.R., by contrast, took a national stance that embraced atheism, and declared that God was dead. The U.S.S.R. is no longer on the map, and has broken into many individual nation-states. Perhaps God decided to make a declaration of His own; that the U.S.S.R. is dead.
Michael Moore’s recent movie depicts Cuba’s nationalized health as superior to our system. It is not, but, even if it were, what good is free medical care if the people are not free? Americans are not heading out in rickety boats to get to Cuba. With all her faults, America is still the envy of all nations. As a Black American, I thank the Lord that He chose America as my birth place, and I shudder to think what my life would be like otherwise.
God has truly placed His grace upon us as a nation.
One the most popular sports today is attacking America. Many people castigate the U.S. regularly, spewing hate-filled epithets about our nation. The problem is, the leading America-haters are American citizens. We have so much to be thankful for, yet so many of us strive to dwell upon the negative.
Many politicians say that America is hated around the world, but they are wrong. In spite of efforts to foster hatred for America in other nations, most people of the world still love America and long to live here in freedom. As one who travels regularly to foreign countries, I can state factually that nearly everyone I meet in foreign countries want to come to America. A few despotic leaders hate America, mostly out of envy, but most foreign people love the U.S.
When the tsunami hit Asia in 2005, many victims in nations such as Sri Lanka told me that they knew that America would be the first and foremost to come to their aid. Countries know that the nation most likely to free them from a dictatorial, evil regime without installing their own government, is America. When disaster strikes anywhere in the world, the victims can count on America responding first.
Some Americans accuse our soldiers of being as bad as terrorists who cut off the heads of innocent victims. They somehow believe that parading a prisoner on a leash or placing underwear on his head is the equivalent of beheading him. The renegade soldiers who perpetrated the acts are serving time in jail. Yet our enemies pick up the chant that our soldiers torture prisoners. Terrorist lies of U.S. guards flushing a Koran down the toilet in the Gitmo were exposed, yet many Americans still site it as factual proof of our abuse of prisoners.
America is filled with human beings who are sinful, but have a legacy of belief in the one true God, and, therefore, are forgiven human beings. We fail to love each other as we have been commanded, and we resort to all manner of evil as do all human beings. But, we believe that God has placed His providence upon this nation in ways never previously known to mankind.
Life in America is the desire of most people in the world because of our freedom and prosperity. Most of the major technological advances began or were greatly improved in America and by Americans. Most advances in medicine, industry, water and food quality, etc. can be attributed to Americans.
Many people label America as imperialist. America has never sought to build an empire. When we have conquered other nations (as we did Germany and Japan), we re-built them and handed them back to those whom we vanquished. America is the only super power in history to give foreign aid to nations that declare themselves our enemies.
America is powerful because we serve a powerful God who loves us in spite of our rebellion against Him. We have removed Him from the public place, yet our judicial halls adorned with His Ten Commandments, and we open sessions with prayer. God loves us, even in our confusion.
The Bible says, in Psalms 33:12, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…”. According to surveys, around 85% of Americans consider themselves to be Christians. Many of those in political positions declare their Christianity. I believe that, in His love for us, God continues to bless our nation.
The U.S.S.R., by contrast, took a national stance that embraced atheism, and declared that God was dead. The U.S.S.R. is no longer on the map, and has broken into many individual nation-states. Perhaps God decided to make a declaration of His own; that the U.S.S.R. is dead.
Michael Moore’s recent movie depicts Cuba’s nationalized health as superior to our system. It is not, but, even if it were, what good is free medical care if the people are not free? Americans are not heading out in rickety boats to get to Cuba. With all her faults, America is still the envy of all nations. As a Black American, I thank the Lord that He chose America as my birth place, and I shudder to think what my life would be like otherwise.
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