In a few weeks our thirteen-year old son will be taking the United States Constitution test.  He must pass it in order to move to eighth grade, so over lunch we studied flashcards to prepare.  One question dealt with ‘unalienable rights.’  In the Declaration of Independence these well-known words are penned, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”[1]    
     A few flashcards later the question was posed, “Did the Constitution abolish slavery?”  He quickly said “no,” which was the correct answer.  So much in our human existence consists of juxtaposition.  Our worldviews don’t always line up logically or morally.  The stark contrast of the founding fathers allowing slavery while eloquently stating mankind’s equality is as glaringly opposed as darkness is to light. 
     Just as Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes, “there is nothing new under the sun,” our sinful condition is evident in all periods of time in human history, even now.  Slavery did not begin in the United States.  The first account of harsh bondage of one group to another is described in the book of Exodus when the Egyptians were enslaving the Israelites.  Yet, racism and slavery are grievously unmistakable in our country’s history. 
Slavery, in what became the United States, most likely is traced to the arrival of approximately twenty enslaved Africans to the British colony of Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619. It ended legally when the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified in 1865.[2]  Some slave buyers, transporters and owners tragically used erroneous “Biblical theology,” designated ‘the curse of Ham,’ to rationalize their heinous deeds. 
     Thousands of years ago, shortly after the global flood, Noah’s youngest son, Ham, sinned against him.  After the incident, described in Genesis 9, Noah cursed Canaan (who was Ham’s youngest son.)  Noah said, “Cursed be Canaan, a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren,” In Exodus 9:25. 
     Why did God curse his grandson Canaan if it was Ham that sinned against him?  Biblical scholars disagree on this topic.  Professor James J.S. Johnson theorizes that Canaan may have been to blame for the sinful act, and therefore received the punishment.[3]  Dr. Jonathan Sarfati proposes several possible reasons why Canaan was cursed instead of Ham.  One, God already blessed Noah’s three sons, so Noah couldn’t counteract God’s blessing with a curse.  Two, since Ham sinned as the youngest son, he would be punished with a curse on his own youngest son.  Three, Canaan may have been the perpetrator of the sinful act.  Four, it was an act of mercy, because only one of Ham’s sons was affected.  Five, Noah discerned that the evil that appeared in Ham had developed to a greater degree in Canaan.[4]
     Regardless of the reason, Canaan received the curse.  Why then did people cite the ‘curse of Ham’ when they justified enslaving African-Americans?  David Goldberg, a historian, states that errors were made when interpreting the Hebrew word ‘Ham’ to mean ‘dark,’ ‘black’ or ‘heat.’[5]   The descendants of Ham included the Sumerians, the Egyptians, the Ethiopians, and there is a good possibility it included some of the Asiatic nations of the present as well.[6]   Although not all of these people groups have black skin, (the Canaanites were painted in Egyptian murals to have olive skin), misguided individuals proclaimed that dark-skinned people were doomed to be slaves because of the prophecy given to them from Noah.[7]
     As Tony Evans states, when addressing this issue, “This process is known as sacralization, the development of theological and religious beliefs to serve the interest of a particular ethnic or racial group.”[8]Slave owners dolefully used twisted beliefs to give themselves ‘permission’ to treat others in ways God would not approve.  God is clear in His Word when He tells us the entire law is fulfilled when you love others as you would love yourself.  He does not advocate, anywhere in His Word or express in His character, that slavery is acceptable.  In fact, anyone caught kidnapping a person and keeps or sells him, is to be put to death, God says in Exodus 21:16.  God’s two greatest desires are that we love Him and that we love others.  Anyone striving to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ would honor what He asks us to do.  When Abraham Lincoln said, “slavery is founded in the selfishness of man’s nature,”[9]  he rightfully identified selfishness, and not the curse of Ham, was the root of slavery in America.
 
[1] www.usconstitution.net/declar.html.  Accessed February 10, 2019.
[2] www.nationalgeographic.com/interactive/slavery-united-states.  Accessed February 10, 2019.
[3] Johnson, James J.S..  “Mankind’s Social Dynamics After Eden.”  Institute for Creation Research. 2011.  Page 12-14.
[4] Sarfati, Dr. Jonathan D..  “The Genesis Account.”  Creation Book Publishers.  2015.  Page 621
[5] Lee, Felicia R..  “From Noah’s Curse to Slavery’s Rationale.”  www.nytimes.com/2003/11/01/arts/from-noah-s-curse-to-slavery-s-rationale.html.  2003.  Accessed February 14, 2019.
[6] Morris, Henry M.  “The Genesis Record.”  Baker Books.  2009.  Page 238.
[7] Sarfait, Dr. Jonathan D.  “The Genesis Account.”  Creation Book Publishers.  2015.  Page 623
[8] Evans, Tony.  “Are Black People Cursed?  The Curse of Ham.”  www.epm.org/resources/2010/Jan/18/are-black-people-cursed-curse-Ham.  January 18, 2010.  Accessed February 15, 2019.
[9] www.brainyquote.com/topics/slavery

     One of the things that I remember growing up and going to school was the teaching of evolutionary theory.  We were taught that there were different races of people and some were just better than others.  Fortunately for me, the humanistic philosophy of evolution taught in schools never became racism.  I never really thought much about people being of other races, and I treated them all the same. When my parents were working, a Japanese couple on the Air Force base we lived on took care of me as if I was one of their own.  I’m told they loved me very much.
 
     In high school I was chosen to be my school’s representative at a weeklong cultural diversity camp called “Anytown Arizona”.  At the student union in college, I lunched every day with Asians, Blacks and people from the Middle East.  I ignored “racial divisions” as best I could.  Sometime after my college years I had a deal with a neighborhood friend from my elementary years that if neither of us were married by a certain age we would get married.  Her black skin didn’t hinder me from strongly caring for her.  But there was still a very ugly world out there whose history came directly out of the “scientific” notions of Charles Darwin. 

     According to the book, Darwin’s Plantation, “Biological arguments for racism may have been common before 1850 but they increased by orders of magnitude following the acceptance of evolutionary theory.”[1]  Darwin did more than anybody to give people an excuse for racism based upon physical differences through his books “On the Origin of Species and The Descent of Man.[2]  Because he “proved” that humans descended from apes it was natural for scientists to theorize that some races had descended further than others.[3]  In his opinion, some races (i.e. the white ones) had left the others far behind.  Particularly pygmy people, according to evolutionary thought, had hardly matured at all.[4]

      Of course, we know sin is the ultimate cause of racism. But Darwin’s theories gave people scientific “proof” that some people were just inferior to others.  Darwinian scientists have been trying to place some races closer to apes and others higher on the evolutionary scale since its inception.  The justifications are formed solely on outward appearance, even though modern genetics have clearly proven our slight differences are no deeper than our skin color.

     Humanistic ideas are most dangerous when put into practice.  The concepts of evolution were put into a social framework by Friedrich Nietzsche, who strongly believed in the “science” and the concept of a “master race.”[5] Sound familiar?  Well, it should.  Adolf Hitler was an ardent evolutionist, as were Stalin and Mao.  Sir Arthur Keith, one of the twentieth centuries premier evolutionary anthropologist’s, said, “The German Fuhrer…has consciously sought to make the practice of Germany conform to the theory of evolution.”[6]  I won’t go into great detail of Hitler’s genocide against the Jews, Gypsies and others who he saw as inferior.  He was just following Darwin’s so called “science” of evolution and putting it into practice for his own gain.  While Darwin saw darker skinned people as inferior, Hitler expanded the concept to other Europeans.  Evil knows no bounds and will use any intellectual concept of man to further its agenda of serving the “god of this world.”

     One of the great, but lesser known, atrocities of Darwin’s time was the genocide of the Aborigines who were “studied” with the desire of finding the “missing link” between apes and humans.[7]  As a side note, there has never been a verified “missing link” anywhere along the evolutionary tree.  Skeletal remains of perhaps ten-thousand Aborigines were sent to British museums as evolutionary “scientists” engaged in a feeding frenzy of study.  The Smithsonian Institute in America holds over fifteen-thousand remains.   Unfortunately, grave robbing did not satisfy these evolutionists.  Edward Ramsay, who was curator of the Australian Museum beginning in 1874, not only put out a pamphlet on grave robbing but also described how “…to plug bullet wounds from freshly killed ‘specimens’”. Ken Ham further describes in his book Darwin’s Plantation that at Ramsay’s request a scientist sent him the skulls of the last two members of the Bungee Blacks tribe that he had shot. [8]

     Unfortunately, there are many more horrible examples of evolutionary racism in action.  Ota Benga, a Pygmy from Africa, was put on display at the 1904 St. Louis World’s fair after his family was slaughtered. [9]   This despite evidence that pygmies were actually very intelligent and monotheistic.  Those facts, among others, didn’t suit the evolutionary dogma.  Racism continued strongly in practice with groups like the Ku Klux Klan and policies like “Separate but Equal.”  It continues now in the hearts and minds of individuals because no law can convince them that “… all men are created equal, that they are all endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…”

     So, why didn’t I go down the path of racism since I was a person who really enjoyed science and was taught evolution? I would have to say it had a lot to do with my parents, who were Christians, Jesus who is my Savior, and His word.  God’s word contains no reference or support for racism.  What it says is exactly the opposite, “…there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all…”.  Romans 10:12

     Tragically, some people with racist philosophy have tried to use scripture to support their arguments.  Genesis 4:3-8 is misinterpreted to be the curse of Ham, which some have used to justify slavery, and we will address this in a separate blog.  Instead, the Bible talks about “nations, peoples and languages” in scriptures like Revelation 7:9 and Genesis 10:5 showing us that God created many different people groups.  Modern science shows there is little difference between any two people genetically, perhaps 0.1 percent.  Only a fraction of that percentage deals with racial differences.[10]  Of course, God created language divisions, Genesis 11:9, at the “Tower of Babel”.  But the intent wasn’t to discriminate but instead to get people to obey his command to “fill the earth” in Genesis 9:1.
​   
     The Bible’s intent is born out in the New Testament in the book of Acts which says, “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings”[11].  The language of the Bible is one of love, hope and promise for all people.  The only real division in the Bible is between those who know Him and those who don’t.  Let’s live as a people not divided, but united, through the one blood of Christ.

[1] Ham, Ken and Ware, Charles A.  Darwin’s Plantation.  Master Books.  2007, p. 91. 
[2] Ibid, pp. 90-91.
[3] Ibid, p. 91.
[4] Ibid, pp. 16-21.
[5] Morris, Dr. Henry M.  “Evolution and Modern Racism.”  www.icr.org/article/evolution-modern-racism.  Accessed January 21, 2019.
[6] Morris, Dr. Henry M.  “Evolution and Modern Racism.”  www.icr.org/article/evolution-modern-racism.  Accessed January 21, 2019.
[7] Ham, op. cit. p.  91.
[8] Ibid, pp. 24-25. 
[9] Ibid, pp. 16-21.
[10] Ham, Ken.  “There’s Only One Race.”  www.answersingenesis.org/media/audio/answers-with-ken-ham/volume-129/only-one-race.  Accessed January 21, 2019.
[11] The New King James Version. (1982). (Acts 17:26). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

     One of my favorite things to do while I eat lunch is to play Classic Words on my Kindle.  It’s a game that resembles Scrabble, and it allows me to test my vocabulary prowess.  Today while I was playing, I formed a three-letter word, yom.  This Hebrew word was accepted by the computer, and it told me the definition of the submission was “day.” 
     When my husband, Dave, was first studying Biblical Creation I would often pepper him with questions.  One of which was, “How are you sure the days in the timeline of the beginning of the world aren’t long?”  I wasn’t convinced that God’s six days of work, outlined in Genesis, didn’t happen over lengthy periods of time.
     The tiny word yom was a cornerstone in the case.   In most of its uses in the Old Testament it means a literal, twenty-four-hour day; and when it doesn’t the context makes it clear. [1] In Genesis 1:5-2:2, the word yom is used in conjunction with a number (day one, day two, etc.). [2] In all these instances where yom and a number are used (four hundred and ten times in the Old Testament), the word means an ordinary day, a literal twenty-four-hour period.  [3]
     Another place in the Old Testament where the word yom is used is in Exodus 20:9-10.  “Six  days  you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day in a sabbath of the LORD your God.”  God is speaking directly to Moses in this passage.  As Terry Mortenson says, “If God meant that the Jews were to work six days because He created over six long periods of time, He could have used one of three indefinite Hebrew time words.  He chose the only word that means a literal day.”[4]
     For most of Christian history the literal six-day creation account was not questioned.  Some even wondered why the days would have to have been twenty-four hours.  This seemed too long!  Christians in Martin Luther’s time thought that God could have created everything instantly.[5]  Luther’s response was to stand behind the authority of scripture and not support creative notions of what God “could have done” but instead validate what God did.  Luther said:
“When Moses writes that God created heaven and earth and whatever is in them in six days, then let this period continue to have been six days, and do not venture to devise any comment according to which six days were one day. But if you cannot understand how this could have been done in six days, then grant the Holy Spirit the honor of being more learned than you are. For you are to deal with Scripture in such a way that you bear in mind that God Himself says what is written. But since God is speaking, it is not fitting for you wantonly to turn His Word in the direction you wish to go.” [6]
     The change in mindset to long periods of time was driven by hostility to the Christian religion and by extra-biblical influences (influences outside of the Bible) in the nineteenth century.[7] 
     When I heard the explanation of that tiny Hebrew word, I was convicted that yom meant a literal twenty-four-hour day, and that it could be trusted to mean God created all that we see and know in six literal days. The Genealogies in Genesis 5 and 11 give detailed chronological information that also confirms an approximately 6,000-year-old universe.[8] 
​     If you believe God is all-powerful and able to do things that are incomprehensible to our human minds, speaking the world into existence in a short period of time is only another miracle on His list of many.
 ________________________________________________________________________
[1] Mortenson, Terry.  (2006).  Why Shouldn’t Christians Accept Millions of Years.   In Ham, K. (ed).  The New Answers Book 1.  [pg. 26].  Green Forest: Masterbooks.
[2] Mortenson, Terry.  (2006). Why Shouldn’t Christians Accept Millions of Years.  In Ham, K (ed).  The New Answers Book 1.  [pg. 26] Green Forest: Master Books. 
[3] “Does Genesis Chapter 1 Mean Literal 24-hour days?” GotQuestions.Org. 
[4] Mortenson, Terry.  (2006) Why Shouldn’t Christians Accept Millions of Years.  In Ham, K (ed).  The New Answers Book 1. [pg. 27].  Green Forest: Master Books.
[5] Johnson, James J.S. “Luther The Reformation and Taking Creation Seriously.” Icr.org.  Sept. 29th, 2017. ICR.org/article/luther-reformation-taking-creation
[6] “Luther on the days of creation.”  Creation.com.  https://creation.com/luther-on-creation-days.
[7] Ham, Ken.  (2006).  Could God Really Have Created Everything in Six Days...  In Ham, K. (ed).  The New Answers Book 1.  [90].  Green Forest: Master Books.
[8] Mortenson, Terry.  (2006).  Why Shouldn’t Christians Accept Millions of Years.  In Ham, K (ed).  The New Answers Book 1.  [pg. 26].  Green Forest: Master Books.

Who Wrote the Book of Genesis? 

When I was in 4-H many years ago, I did a genealogy project where I traced my ancestral history and made a family tree.  Although I could only go back about four generations, it was a good research activity.   More recently, my mother in law gave our family the gift of tracing our roots, and I found out through a DNA testing company that I was more Danish than I thought, and less German than I had assumed.  It’s fascinating to discover pieces of information about my personal pedigree, but even more intriguing is the wonderment of the lineage of humankind.
 
All people need to know where they came from.  It’s natural to wonder about our history.  How did we get here?  Who were our ancestors?  History taught in elementary school doesn’t go back far enough to cover these details.  However, the Bible gives us a narrative about how humans were formed, and how we dispersed over the planet.  When I open my New International Version Bible on the first page, before each book, the author is listed on the side.  My NIV Bible states Moses is the author, not only of Genesis, but also the next four books as well.  Together, these five books are also known as the Pentateuch or the books of the law.  Bible studies and reading plans will often refer to the collection by these names.   But, how do we know Moses wrote Genesis?
   
 First, the Old Testament attributes authorship to Moses.   We can read in the Old Testament fourteen times where Moses is directed by God to write down things being spoken to Him.  Let’s look at Exodus 17:14a, “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure Joshua hears it.”  Another scripture from Exodus states, “Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said.” (Exodus 24:4a).  Other places Moses is given authorship are found in Exodus 34:27; Numbers 33:1-2; Deuteronomy 31:9-11; Joshua 1:8; 8:31-32; 1Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 14:6; 21:8; Ezra 6:18; Nehemiah 13:1; Daniel 9:11-13; and Malachi 4:4. [1]  How does this prove Moses wrote Genesis?  It can be inferred that Moses was given direct revelation from God on what to write throughout the first five books of the Bible.
   
 Second, the New Testament gives Moses credit.  We find fourteen references in the New Testament that refer to the Law of Moses, clearly stating that in the mind of the Jewish people the authorship was not in question, but rather presupposed as Moses.  When Jesus says in Mark 12:26, “Have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’” He is not questioning whether or not Moses wrote the book, but rather using it as a reference.  If Moses was not the inspired journalist wouldn’t Jesus have corrected the matter?  Instead, He affirms it.  Other New Testament scripture references can be found in Matthew 8:4; Luke 16:29; Luke 24:27; Luke 24:44; John 5:46; John 7:22; Acts 3:22; Acts 15:1; Acts 28:23; Romans 10:5; Romans 10:19; 1 Corinthians 9:9; and 2 Corinthians 3:15. [2]
 
 Third, Moses had a royal, Egyptian upbringing.  The privileges afforded to him growing up under the Pharaoh would have included a royal education.  In Acts 7:22 it states that “Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.”   He was an eyewitness to the events that occurred in Exodus to Deuteronomy, which include references to Egyptian gods, people, places, cultural factors, and idioms. [3]  He was qualified to write these historical books.
 
 Fourth, he was a prophet.   He was regarded as an inspired teacher and proclaimer of the will of God. [4]  On the mountain of Sinai he was given the ten commandments to share with the Israelites (Exodus 20:2-17).  He foretold that Israel would become a wasteland (Deut. 29:23), and he proclaimed that the Jewish people would never be completely destroyed (Lev. 26:32-33). [5]  Because Moses was used by God to tell future events, could we also imagine that God used him to pen past events as well? 
 
When we study the history of human kind, God told Moses to write down that we were formed out of the dust of the earth.  A man and woman, not a young boy or girl, were created as the first humans, and given the names Adam and Eve.  God explained to Moses (perhaps directly and/or through written accounts) that Adam and Eve had children, and they had children.  Eventually God causes them to disperse over the globe taking with them their unique languages and DNA that would form specific people groups.  In closing, God spoke to Moses face to face as a man, as one speaks to a friend (Exodus 33:11).  God really had a deep, personal, intimate relationship with his child, Moses, and wanted to use him to tell His story.   Moses was called a friend of God.  He gave Moses the amazing replay of the history of the first humans, and we can trust his account. 

Who wrote Genesis?  Logic and sound biblical interpretation say that Moses wrote the Book of Genesis.
 
[1] Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge, How Do We Know the Bible is True: Volume 1 (Master Books, 2011), p.89
[2] Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge, How Do We Know the Bible is True: Volume 1 (Master Books, 2011), p.90-93
[3] Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge, How Do We Know the Bible is True: Volume 1 (Master Books, 2011), p.94
[4] Oxford Dictionary, prophet, Bing Translator
[5] Aboutbibleprophecy.com, Moses’ prophecies

“Coffee,” “be you,” “be good to people,” “good vibes” read the shabby chic signs on the wall in the coffee shop where I sit. Attractive little things on the outside, but why be good to people? Why have good vibes? And isn’t it obvious that a person should be himself? Without truth behind words, they quickly lose their meaning. These phrases evoke emotions but dig no deeper than the surface and leave emptiness inside. Instead of finding fulfillment in truth, people grasp at food, sex, material belongings, and “spiritual” experiences in a desperate attempt to feel full. 

There must be something to fill that hole. There must be something so pure, so powerful, so satisfying that we will long for nothing else. Truth that conquers the lies of the world. But what if there was no hope of such? What if there was no knowledge of truth? Would I want to live in such a world? No, I think I would rather die. Where can thirst-quenching water and satisfying food be found?
  
The Bible makes 139 references to the word “truth.” I’d say that’s a good foundation. Some may quote the verse, “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” in John 8:32. But many may skip over the knowing part and just see the freedom promised. But if we back up, just one verse, we clearly see where the truth comes from. “So, Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”
  
First, Jesus said. We must believe in Him. Later in the book of John we read, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” The way, the truth, and the life. That is the complete package. For those wandering aimlessly, He is the way; for those hopelessly seeking, He is the truth; for those desperate to find meaning, He is life.
  
Second, we must abide in Him. In this place of intimacy, we find sustenance. We abide in him through knowing him through his word. In this world today, we have taken God and His Word out of schools, out of public places, and sometimes even out of our churches. If we have refused to accept the truth of Christ, it is no wonder we are in the jumbled mess we are in today.
  
His creation still cries out his name, but do we as Christians? Do Christians forget their citizenship in heaven and instead also get trapped seeking fulfillment on this earth? 1 Peter 4:17 says, “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”  We will be judged when Christ comes again. Let us live in the light of revealed truth. Let us not be afraid to stand firm and to share the truth in this broken world.  ​​

 
 Truth, Why Is It Important?  
Picture this scene. You are called to be a witness during a court trial. As you approach the bench, you are instructed by the judge to place your left hand on a Bible, raise your right hand and repeat the following: “I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God”. Apparently, telling the truth in court is of the utmost importance. After all, if you were a witness and someone’s future was determined by your account of what happened wouldn’t you want to give the most accurate (and truthful) account of the events? 
  
Our ministry’s name, “Truth of Genesis,” is a reflection regarding our commitment to being witnesses to the Truth… to the very Word of God. As Christians, we have an awesome and sober responsibility. Our witness could help determine someone’s future by our account of the truth regarding the Lord’s Word, His character, and His desire to have a relationship with the people He loves so dearly.  
 
How do we determine the meaning of truth? Webster’s dictionary defines truth this way:  
1. The body of real things, events, and facts  
2. The state of being the case  
3. A transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality  
4. Fidelity to an original or to a standard  
 
The Bible defines truth this way:  
1. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” Exodus 20:16  
2. “For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth” 2 Corinthians 13:8  
3. “Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth” John 17:17 (emphasis mine)  
4. “A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is deceitful.” Proverbs 14:25  
 
Regarding origins (the beginning of the universe), evolutionists have convinced many that their dating methods are sound and that the universe is billions of years old. But is this the truth? If we read Genesis Chapter 1, the Lord Himself has given us His own personal testimony (witness) of how long He took to create the universe. He’s also given us an ancestral timeline from Adam to Jesus, giving us a fairly accurate age for Creation.  
 
So, who’s telling the truth about the origins of the universe? Our perspectives could be, and often are, self-serving.  This is called relative truth and isn’t really truth but instead opinion.  There are people who willingly deceive others about the origins of the universe because they feel justified in not having to acknowledge the Lord. There is only one witness to how the universe formed (the Lord), which then leads to two choices. We either believe what the Lord says and embrace His Word as truth or reject what He says and thus reject the Lord Himself. 
  
Where do you stand? Do you acknowledge that the Lord created the universe in six days?  Do you believe in the fall of man into sin and separation from the Lord?  How about the gift of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus?  Perhaps you choose to embrace evolutionist theories creating a humanistic stronghold in your life.  The bible is clear on all these issues: creation, sin, salvation as well as eternity.  Remember, our witness could help determine someone’s future by our account of the truth in the court of public opinion regarding God’s Word.  We pray that the Lord has opened or will open your eyes to see His truth, and that the truth would set you free. John 8:32 ​

The spirit of Christmas is the Spirit of Christ living among us today, and the celebration of “THE” gift which is the only gift which can keep on giving, the love and the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

If you listen, really listen, to some of the best “religious” Christmas songs ever written they speak directly to the reason for Jesus being born and our need for a savior.  O Holy Night is such a song.  It begins…

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.  Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees!
 
It’s easy for us to get caught up in family, gifts and having a fun respite from work.  And there is nothing wrong with any of those things, I certainly love spending time with my family, both mine and my wife’s.  And one of my “love languages” is gifts so I love to give and receive thoughtful presents.

But what I want more than anything this Christmas, is the gift of each and every one of my friends and family coming to know Christ as their Lord and Savior, and for the ones who do know Him to have an even deeper and more profound relationship with Him.

Sharing Christ and affirming His Word is something that I, and most Christians, can get better at doing.  But there can be more to sharing Jesus than just wishing someone a “Merry Christmas”.  We need to also defend the truth of His deity and the authenticity of the biblical text.  Remember, Jesus is the Word.  All of the Word!

Truth of Genesis, and other biblical creation organizations, spend much time trying to help people see that perspective.  Through building on the foundation of the Gospel, Genesis, we hope that Christ may be glorified as Creator, Redeemer, Lord and Savior.  The goal is to show that real science and biblical interpretation confirm the accuracy of God’ word and therefore the Gospel of Christ.  As the song says,

Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
 
I’m greatly encouraged by people like Karen who is a friend of our ministry.  She takes the opportunity of Christmas to give out apologetic or Christ affirming gifts and notes to people she knows.  This year Karen gave out the DVD “God vs. Evolution”.  By giving out faith affirming material, and learning how to defend the truth ourselves, we can help people reduce some of the barriers the secular world has attempted to build between people and the life giving message Jesus’ birth.

As you sing hymns this Christmas season, think about what Jesus really did by coming to earth on Christmas day.  He brought the light of truth into a dark and dying world as “THE” perfect gift. 

Make it a point at Christmas and throughout the year to build up people’s faith and the authority of scripture.  Give some gifts and send some notes of encouragement that do just that.

O Holy Night concludes with:

With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
 
Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year from Truth of Genesis!
 

In all my years of celebrating Thanksgiving I had never heard of Sarah Joseph Hale.  Does that name sound familiar to you?

She is most known for being the author of the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” which was also part of the first recording on Thomas Edison’s invention of the phonograph.

But she is also probably the person most responsible for Thanksgiving being a federal holiday.
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Her series of editorials influenced President Lincoln to back legislation making Thanksgiving a national day of remembrance in 1863.  It was the culmination of 17 years of work pleading with five U.S. presidents before providence took hold in the middle of the civil war.

For the Christian, Lincoln’s action is the perfect example of giving thanks even during difficult times.  And the Civil War was one of the darkest hours in American history.  We are reminded in Thessalonians, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

This is important for me because I have a tendency to thank God only during times of plenty or opportunity.  But His grace and mercy abound in my life at all times, and Jesus’ sacrifice is an eternal gift.  I’ve already experienced the thing most desired in every human heart, real love and real peace.

If you’re a Christian, remembering this and letting its truth be something that we’re thankful for daily is part of our call.  If you’re not a Christian, it is part of the promise that God makes available to all who seek Him.

Lincoln “urged his countrymen to be mindful of their many blessings that are ‘the gracious gifts of the Most High God’ who ought to be thanked ‘with one heart and one voice, by the whole American People’.”1
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As Christians today we should be urgently sharing the truth of the gospel, upholding the authority of scripture and giving thanks daily for our personal relationship with our Lord Jesus above our material blessings.
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Sarah Joseph Hale and President Lincoln were instrumental in establishing Thanksgiving on our calendar each year.  Let’s not forget God’s Word calls us to give thanks in times of famine and in times of feast.    
 
References: 1. http://www.icr.org/article/thanksgiving-heritage
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/recon/jb_recon_phongrph_2.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States)
http://www.icr.org/article/9023
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Josepha_Hale