THE POWER OF OUR WORDS

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

                                I can remember the experience like it was yesterday. I was a first grader at Chester Elementary School and I was eager to please my teacher. I was full of energy and excitement; so much so that it was hard for me to contain it. So, every time the teacher would ask a question of the class, I would blurt out an answer. I wouldn’t raise my hand, or wait to be called on, I would just speak up. Patiently the teacher would remind me to raise my hand and wait to be called upon, but I just didn’t get the message. One day, she had had enough. After another outburst of enthusiasm from me, I found myself sitting out in the hallway. I was ashamed and humiliated. Something changed within me at that moment and I stopped volunteering answers. I stopped raising my hand. I answered the teacher only if I was specifically called upon to do so. In essence, I retreated into a shell. I didn’t risk volunteering an answer again until I was in college. The power of that teacher’s words stayed with me for a very long time.

                It wasn’t until many years later that I came to grips with what had happened in me. I went from being eager and ready to engage to a person who timidly waited for permission from others before I acted. It is a trait that I still fight against today. The approval or disapproval of others can be a powerful motivator in our lives.

                When I was thirteen, I went to Christian Service Brigade summer camp for the first time. Each night we would gather around the large campfire circle. We would sing songs and listen to a devotional talk from one of the leaders. On Wednesday of that week, the speaker talked about being sure of our salvation. Something powerful stirred within me and I stayed after the campfire to talk with the leader. He prayed with me and an overpowering sense of relief and assurance flooded my soul. I determined right there that I would come back the next summer, not as a camper, but as a worker.

                When the time came, I signed up to work in the kitchen for the five weeks of Brigade camp that next summer. I was instructed to come a week early for staff training, so with a fair measure of fear and apprehension, I showed up at camp. The director, Charlie Steward, greeted me as I arrived and informed me that I had not been assigned to work in the kitchen, but that I had been assigned to be a junior counselor in a cabin. I was shocked, but being the compliant that I am, I accepted my new assignment. That experience launched me into an amazing adventure that lasted all the way into my college years. It was during that time that I clearly heard God’s call on my life; all because Charlie said that I had more to offer than washing dishes in the dining hall.

                I sat in the coffee shop at Bethel Seminary across the table from Janette Bakke and Dan Erwin. I had enrolled at Bethel in the Master of Christian Education track. My intention was to be a medical missionary, working as a Medical Technologist in a hospital in Haiti, and working with children. Being an introvert, I thought that this was the best way for me to serve God and still stay in the shadows. Janette was one of my Christian Education professors and Dan was one of the preaching professors. On that occasion, they both told me that I should explore more preaching. They were challenging me to move from Christian Education into pastoral ministry. That made me very uncomfortable, but I felt God’s tug on my heart, and I made the switch. That conversation changed the direction of my life in profound ways.

                We don’t always realize the power of our words. At the moment our words may seem insignificant to us, yet might make a profound difference in someone else’s life. Our words have the power to discourage a person and send them into a defensive shell. Our words have the power to encourage someone to break out of their defensive shell. Our words have the power to challenge someone to take a God-sized risk.

                I attended a reunion of the summer staff from Stony Glen Camp after I was already in full-time ministry. A young man came up to me and told me that I had been his junior counselor when he had attended camp as a young boy. Then he thanked me for my encouraging words to him. Because of what I had said to him, he had decided to pursue full-time ministry. I didn’t remember the conversation he referred to, but he did, and it made a profound difference in his life.

                Three times in the New Testament we are specifically instructed to encourage one another.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

    Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

 Hebrews 3:13

    But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

Hebrews 10:25

    Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

                The focus of each of these passages is to intentionally strengthen the faith of others. There are so many things in our world that discourage us and tear us down. As followers of Christ, we need to actively build one another up, in the Lord. This is not artificially boosting someone’s ego, but genuinely building up their confidence in Christ. This concept of encouraging others is emphasized in several other passages as well. The point is brought home clearly in Ephesians 4:29. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

                Andy Stanley, in his book “Visioneering”, reminds us that we have the power to cast a vision in the lives of others with our words. We can cast a negative vision that can cripple a person or we can cast a positive vision that will empower a person. Our words are powerful. We need to use them wisely, carefully, and intentionally.     

UNITY

Ephesians 4:1-6

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

                Unity is an essential part of every healthy church. Without unity a church cannot move forward in any meaningful or fruitful way. Unity is something everyone desires, but we do not always follow the path to genuine unity. Instead, we settle for something less that what God wants for us. There are two common paths that churches follow that give the impression of unity on the surface, but fall short of the reality of unity.

                The first is uniformity. Uniformity focuses on the externals. It is a form of unity without the substance. Uniformity requires everyone to conform to a specific pattern. This often comes out in the form of the way we dress, the way we speak, the way we act in public. A prime example of this is found in the Amish community. But many churches fall into this trap. Uniformity leads to a checklist faith that is more about following external rules than following Christ. The Pharisees were trapped in uniformity. Uniformity can hide the real condition of a person’s heart and lead to arrogance and self-righteousness. Uniformity makes no allowance for a difference of opinion or approach to life. There is no compromise in uniformity.

                The second is unity at all costs. This is where unity itself becomes the goal. It is not unity in Christ, it is unity in unity. Therefore, we have to lower our standards and find the lowest common denominator. Unity at all costs values the façade of unity over the real substance of unity. Unity at all costs always leads to compromise, usually in the area of faith, theology, and moral values. Unity at all costs takes a live and let live attitude. This is the kind of unity we see promoted in our world today. Let’s all just coexist and not make waves. Unity at all costs refuses to deal with difficult issues and is unwilling to confront others when they are engaging in inappropriate things.

                Paul gives us a snapshot of what genuine unity looks like. First and foremost, our unity is in Christ. We are the body of Christ and each of us has a place. Our unity must be centered on the truth of the Gospel. Genuine unity not only allows for diversity, but celebrates it in the right way. Each of us has been uniquely created and gifted by God. God wants to take all of our uniqueness and put us together as one body. Paul illustrated that in 1 Corinthians 12. The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12

                Genuine unity is practical not theoretical. Paul tells us to live a life worthy of our calling in Christ. Then he goes on to explain what he means. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Our lives should reflect the life of Christ within us. That means that we seek the best for one another, while at the same time we hold one another accountable for the way we live out our faith.

                Paul stresses that unity in the Spirit is an essential part of our life together as the body of Christ. The Human body is unified when each part is doing its job. The human body is diseased when the parts of the body start to fight one another. It is the same with the body of Christ. Our goal is to be unified in our faith and together to become mature followers of Jesus Christ. God uses our different gifts to bind us together under the headship of Christ. That is what genuine unity is all about.

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:11-16

STRAIGHT TALK

Matthew 5:37

Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

                Have you ever had a conversation with someone and, when you were done, you didn’t know what the other person was talking about? It is so easy for us to speak the same language and yet completely misunderstand one another. When I was in the Philippines, I discovered that “yes” doesn’t always mean “yes.” In fact, “yes” in the Philippines often means “I heard what you said,” not “I agree with you” or “I am going to do what you have asked of me.”

                Communication is such an essential component of every relationship, yet we so often get it wrong. One of my favorite quotes from Winston Churchill is, “America and Great Britain are two countries separated by a common language.” Just because we use the same words does not mean that we mean the same thing. What we call cookies the English call biscuits. What we call the trunk of the car they call the boot. What we call a sweater they call a jumper. You get the picture.

                Countries, companies, and couples often talk past one another rather than talk to one another. Both sides believe that they are being very clear, yet the other side does not understand what is really being said. This leads to misunderstanding and often conflict.

                Of course, there is a dark side to miscommunication. Today we call it spin. A person may say one thing but intentionally mean something quite different. A person can use language to manipulate, confuse, or mislead others. That is what Jesus was talking about in the Sermon on the Mount.  

    "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” Matthew 5:33-37

                Why do people make oaths? They do it usually to try to convince someone of their sincerity. They need to do this because, in some way, they have violated the trust of another or have a reputation of not keeping their word. “This time I really mean it! I swear!” Jesus made it perfectly clear that we should always speak honestly so that there would never be a need to swear an oath.

                Later in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus called the Pharisees onto the carpet for using oaths as a way to cloud the truth.

    "Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.' You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it.” Matthew 23:16-22

                It seems that the Pharisees had found a way to make promises without any intention of keeping them. They would give the impression of sincerity without the substance of it. It is like when a child promises something with their fingers crossed behind their back. “You promised!” “It didn’t count because I had my fingers crossed.”

                As followers of Jesus Christ, we have an obligation to be straight forward in our speech. Words matter. They reveal our heart, our character, our soul. God will hold us accountable for how we have used our words. Jesus made that clear in Matthew 12:33-37.

    "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.”

                When we become careless with our words, not only do we damage our reputation, but we damage the reputation of Christ. Others will judge our faith by what we say and how we live. If we say one thing and live another, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is seriously called into question. Mahatma Gandhi rejected Christianity because people who called themselves Christians didn’t live up to what they preached. As followers of Jesus, we have been called to be straight talkers; people whose words ring true under the magnifying glass of public scrutiny.  

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Ephesians 4:29

   

STANDING IN YOUR OWN SHADOW

Matthew 22:16

    They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are.

1 Corinthians 4:3-4

I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.

                One of the things I have struggled with throughout my ministry life is the feeling of living in the shadows and being unrecognized. I have often felt that all of the recognition went to the pastors of large churches or to “successful” church planters who could boast of extraordinary growth. As the pastor of a mid-sized church that experienced moderate growth, I often felt ignored. I rarely saw pastors in my situation asked to speak at denominational conferences or pointed to as examples of faithful service. I often came away from conferences feeling beat up and more discouraged than when I arrived. Then one day, I realized that I was standing in a shadow of my own making.

                Pastors are notoriously susceptible to two major spiritual pitfalls; comparing themselves and their ministry to others, and feeling a lack of affirmation. I confess that I have fallen into both; and on more than one occasion. Pastoral ministry is demanding and often draining. There are so few tangible indicators of how we are doing that we grab ahold of whatever we can. That usually leads to an obsession with numbers. Worship attendance, number of baptisms, number of programs, number of hours spent in ministry all become focal points. Of course, numbers always lead to comparisons. How do my numbers stack up against other pastors’ numbers? A focus on numbers is a double-edged sword. Numbers are an important indicator of what is happening, but, given too high a priority, they lead us into the dangerous game of comparison and competition.

                The fuel that drives our competitive spirit is the desire for recognition and praise. Subtly we are looking for the praise of men to affirm our value and worth. Jesus made it very clear that when we seek the praise of men we are focused in the wrong direction. In the Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in Matthew 5-7, Jesus didn’t soften His words when it came to seeking the affirmation of others. "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1) Jesus made His point very clear as He went on to address the issues of giving, fasting, and praying. When we do these important acts with the intention of gaining the praise of people, we take away their real value.

                I have often heard it said that in our worship and in our acts of service we need to play to an audience of one. That one being Christ alone. Hebrews makes it clear that our focus needs to be squarely on Jesus. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2-3) This passage highlights one of the key issues related to our spiritual journey. If we focus on other people, we will grow weary and lose heart. I can attest to that from firsthand experience. If we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, we will not grow weary and lose heart.

                Weariness is a major issue for all Christians, but especially for pastors. Most often our progress seems slow and arduous. It is easy to become discouraged. The more that we succumb to the comparison game, the more discouraged we will become. To combat weariness, we need to keep the long view in mind. Just like to farmer who plants seeds in the ground and then has to wait for the harvest, so we need to cultivate spiritual patience.

                Genuine faithfulness will always be rewarded by God. Jesus made that clear in Matthew 24:45-47. "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.”

                In a past century, a faithful missionary couple returned home to America after a lifetime of service on the foreign field. As their ship docked and the gangplank was lowered to the platform, they watched as a brass band began to play, welcoming their arrival. Soon a group of prominent men descended the gangway to the cheers of an assembled crowd. As they made their way into the terminal, the platform emptied, leaving the missionary couple to disembark unnoticed. The husband turned to his wife very discouraged. “We have faithfully served our Lord most of our life. Yet, no one seems to notice or care.” The wife smiled at her husband. “Dear, that is because we are not yet home.”

                Many of us stand is a shadow of our own making. We desire affirmation and recognition, and when it does not come, we get discouraged. We need to remember that God is not ignorant of our service. We will reap our reward, if we remain faithful.

Galatians 6:9

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

   

DOES JESUS LIVE IN YOUR GUEST ROOM

Ephesians 3:16-17a

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

                This past weekend we stayed overnight with some friends in their guest room. I always feel a little self-conscious when we stay in someone else’s house. I am never quite sure how much liberty I can take. Can I hang my clothes in the closet or do I need to drape them over the chair? Which bathroom should I use? Will I disturb others if I get up in the middle of the night? How early can I get up and use the shower? Will I be in our host’s way in the morning? I always appreciate it when someone graciously allows us to stay with them, but it is not like being at home.

                Staying in someone’s guest room for a night or two is usually a positive experience. Living in someone’s guest room is a different matter. After a while, the dynamics in the house will begin to change. On one of our trips to Duluth, we visited Glensheen, an old stately house, which is open to the public. In the guest bedrooms there are carved pineapples on the corners of the headboards above the beds. In days gone by, pineapples were a sign of hospitality. If a guest overstayed their welcome, the pineapples would be removed from the headboard; a subtle hint that it was time for the guest to leave.

                On Sunday, I was reminded of a classic little book called “My Heart, Christ’s Home.” As the pastor was explaining the booklet, I began to wonder if we ask Jesus to live in the guest room of our heart. When we first encounter Jesus, we are excited to invite Him into our life. We are eager to get to know Jesus. But too often, we confine Jesus to the guest room of our life. That usually takes the form of Sunday morning worship. We are content to allow Jesus to live in that small space, but we are reluctant to allow Him access to the rest of our “house”.

                Revelation 3:20 is a classic passage that is often used to call people to faith in Christ. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. The irony of this passage is that it was written to believers; the church in Laodicea to be exact. When Jesus asks for entry into our life, He does is not asking to use our guest room. He is asking to take up residence in our life; our whole life.  He wants free access to our work life, our home life, our social life, our church life, our “private” life, our entire life. In Jesus day, to eat with someone was a very significant event. It represented acceptance and inclusion. You didn’t share a meal with a casual acquaintance. Jesus doesn’t want to be a guest in our life, He wants to be a regular part of our life. He is also inviting us to be a regular part of His life.

                We get the dynamics wrong when we think that we are inviting Jesus to become a part of our family. The reality is that He is inviting us to become a part of His family. He is the real host. In essence, He is inviting us to exchange our one room cabin for a place in His mansion. Instead of asking to temporarily use our guest room, Jesus is inviting us to sell our house and move in with Him.

                Does Jesus live in my guest room? It is a question each of us should carefully consider.

COMPETING WITH YOURSELF

Galatians 6:4-5

Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.

                For a number of years now I have been running in distance races; 5k, 10k, half-marathons. As I reentered the world of running, I came to grips with an obvious reality. I am at best an average runner, which means that I will not be the first one to cross the finish line. More times than not I will finish the race somewhere in the middle of the pack. That relates to the overall number of runners, as well as the runners in my particular age category. If my goal was to win every race that I entered, then I would end every race disappointed. But that has not been my goal. My goal has been to run the best race that I can, hopefully performing better than the last race. In distance races, progress is measured in seconds. For example: I finished the race 10 seconds faster that my last race.

                There is a life lesson to be learned from how we measure success in distance running. The only person we really need to compete against is ourselves. In our competitive world where we measure ourselves against others, we need to refocus our natural drive to compete. The wise person knows that the only competition that really matters is the one against yourself. Life is about being the best you that you can be. Seeking to be better than someone else will most often leave us far short of our real goal.

                Comparing ourselves to others in order to measure our success in life is a double-edged sword. On one side, it can lead us down the path of pride and an inflated ego. It is always possible for us to compare ourselves with those who are less successful. This can make us feel better than we should about where we are in life. It gives us a false sense of accomplishment. It also causes us to look down on others and feel superior to them. The other side of the equation is when we compare ourselves to those who are far out in front of us.  We live in a culture that artificially elevates prominent people. We are enthralled by the amazing “success stories” that popular media feed to us. As we compare our lives with the lives of the “truly successful” people, we find ourselves coming up short. This may be positive motivation for some, but it is discouraging for many. The gap is so great between where we are and where they are that we lose hope of bridging it. Their success becomes our failure and leads to discouragement.

                The Bible gives us a better way to measure our success. We are to measure ourselves against ourselves. As followers of Jesus Christ, we have been gifted and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Each one of us has a unique role to play in the overall Kingdom of God. The more that we understand how God has gifted us and how we can use those gifts for His glory, the more we will be able to accurately measure our progress.

                A famous Rabbi once made the following observation. When I stand before God at the judgment, He will not ask me why I wasn’t Moses. He will ask me why I wasn’t me. We should pay attention to his warning. It is easy for us within the church to measure ourselves against the bright stars of the church. When we do that, we begin to pattern our lives after those bright stars. We try to act like them, talk like them, even dress like them. In the end, we are trying to be someone that we cannot be. When I stand before God at the judgment, He will not ask me why I didn’t measure up to Chuck Swindoll, or Bill Hybels, or Andy Stanley. He will ask me about what I did with the gifts and opportunities that He gave to me.

                Throughout the New Testament, the emphasis is not on emulating other people, but on being the best you that you can be. Peter addresses that in 1 Peter 4:10-11. 

    Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

                Paul challenged the idea of comparing ourselves with others in 1 Corinthians 12.

    Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.

    The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" (1 Corinthians 12:14-16, 21)

                Each of us has the responsibility to compete against ourselves. This is never an excuse for laziness or complacency, but a call to grow and mature in our faith. As Paul says in Philippians 3:12-14, Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

                In the race of life, there is only one person that we need to compete against; ourselves. Our progress may be measured in great achievements from time to time, but most of the time it will be measured in small incremental steps. Each step taking us closer to the ultimate goal of being all that God created us to be.

BREAKING THE SILENCE

                I have been fascinated with science from the time as I was a little boy. I remember being intrigued as I peered for the first time at the wing of a fly through the eyepiece of my microscope. I bought science equipment at our local drug store, with the desire to do experiments, even though I didn’t know what that really entailed.

                Those early interests in science blossomed into a degree in biology at college. I almost didn’t complete my degree because I took too many biology classes. During my time in college I was able to dig deeply into the realities of our world. One of my favorite classes was a class in endocrinology. During that class, I was able to observe the significant changes that happen in an animal when a specific hormone was removed. I was also fascinated by my class in genetics. Working with fruit flies, I saw firsthand how genetic characteristics are passed on from one generation to the next. I also saw the changes that can take place in a population over time.

                During my journey through my biology degree, I encountered the theory of evolution. I quickly became aware of two very different applications of this theory. The one application is what I will call micro-evolution. This is the gradual changes that take place within specific species. This is the type of evolution that Darwin observed during his monumental discoveries in the Galapagos Islands. Everyone who has studied populations can attest to this type of natural selection.

                The other type of evolution is what I am calling macro-evolution. This is the theory that the kind of evolution we can observe within species took place between species to create new species. This is the classic microbe to man theory of evolution. After observing micro-evolution, Darwin extrapolated the concept to explain how all life forme;, moving from single cell organisms to the enormous diversity we see today.

                 I have been reading a new book by F. LaGard Smith that has masterfully exposed some of the insurmountable obstacles to macro-evolution. The title of the book is Darwin’s Secret Sex Problem. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is willing to take an honest look at the now universally excepted theory of evolution. Smith affirms the truth of micro-evolution while raising serious questions about macro-evolution. At the heart of his thesis is the question, how did male/female sex come into being. This issue is referred to as the Queen of evolutionary problems by those who champion evolution as the answer to life’s existence. One of the major sticking points is how did the process of asexual reproduction called meiosis evolve into what we know as sexual reproduction called mitosis. In meiosis, cells divide producing an exact copy of themselves. In mitosis, two different sets of chromosomes are mixed to produce a different entity, related to the parents but distinct from them.

                The story of creation, as recorded in the book of Genesis, is not a scientific treatise on how God created the world, but a clear and powerful statement that He is the author of all that we know and don’t yet know. In simple, clear statements, Genesis outlines a systematic creation event. Although it does not go into detail about the mechanism of how God created the different components of creation, it does give us some very important clues to the boundaries that God set for creation. Particularly relevant to the argument in Smith’s book is Genesis 1:20-25.

                And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." And there was evening, and there was morning--the fifth day.

                And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

                Multiple times the story records that God created living creatures according to their kind. The same thing is said about plants. The apex of the creation story comes with the arrival of man in Genesis 1:26-28.  

  Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

                It is time for us to take another honest look at a “theory” that has been presented as an established “fact”. Dr. Smith’s book is a good place to start an honest dialog. The diversity and complexity of sexual reproduction throughout the world seriously weakens the idea that all life gradually developed from the same source, unless we recognize that that source was God.