Origin of Race within the Human Species

In an online discussion following a post made by my friend, Michael, someone asked:

Hmmmm... I wonder who created the races! LOL



Although, he posted in jest, the post made me think hard about the answer.  The following is my answer:

The concept of race is the creation of man. Race is identified by an arbitrary set of physical characteristics: skin tone, straightness of hair, facial features, etc.  One can just as easily define race with a different set of physical characteristics. e.g., purely by height and body fat content.


His response:

Well, man created the "concept." But, who created the differences in human beings that are ultimately used to define race?



My answer:

Our differences are part of the beauty of God's creation. Division based on the differences is the result of man's fallen nature.


One does not fault God for creating a multitude of types of flowers.

Should Christians Vote for Donald Trump?

View Fox News Eric Metaxas Interview Video here.

Christian Radio host, Eric Metaxas, argues that if Hillary is elected, the "balance of power" within the U.S. Supreme Court will shift to the liberal side and that a change in the composition of the U.S. Supreme Court would result in a shift in the character of our country. Thus, voting a despicable man into office is a justifiable evil.

This view is shared by many Christian voters who are sticking by Donald Trump.

Have they truly thought this proposition over? Or have they been coasting on "Christian" hot button topics for too long?

This country's character has already shifted. Changing the composition of the U.S. Supreme Court is not going to shift the character of our country back.

Even if Republicans take over the White House, retain majority of Congress, and appoints conservative judges to the U.S. Supreme Court, is that really going to change the character of the country?

Millennials make up a third of the electorate and they lean towards the left. Forcing conservative views on them is just going to push them farther left.

The reason for the shift is due to American Christians not engaging in the lives of non-believers but instead cloistering themselves into "Christian" enclaves. If you are a Christian, ask yourselves this question: How much time in one week have you spent with non-Christian friends? How many non-Christian friends do you have?

Jesus came to write God's law onto hearts, not on tablets of stone.

Writing the law into hearts requires engagement and love, winning hearts, one person at a time.

Jesus walked, talked, and dined with Tax collectors and whores. And through this engagement, He built his church.

If we truly want to affect national morality, each of us need invest our lives in our neighbors, love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Relying on elections to steer our national morality runs counter to the example that Jesus set. Jesus did not come and topple the Roman government.

Yet, the American Church continues to insist on the legistlative approach to turning our country around.

Consider this: American Christians have invested enourmous sums of money and personal energy on "Christian" hot button issues for decades and what is the outcome? Has the Christian world view become more relevant to the average American?

Elections are for electing people who can effectively govern not about steering the national morality.

Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.

Elect the candidate who can best govern and invest our lives to loving the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind and loving our neighbor as ourselves so that their hearts may be opened.

What Does Life in Christ Look Like?

Having grown up within the evangelical Christian community, I've heard the gospel message presented more times than I can count. While I whole-heartedly believe in the Gospel message, I'm often troubled by the way it is presented.

Too often, the unbeliever/seeker is presented with the impression that if one accepts Jesus Christ as his/her Lord and Savior, all his/her woes will be gone and his/her life would be trouble-free.

While the immediate aftermath of the new believer's conversion is a sudden lifting of the guilt and shame of past and present sins, that sense of freedom is short-lived.  There will always be the new challenges of this new life in Christ.

When my friend Marc posted the following question, on-line, I saw it as an opportunity to start this discussion.

Here is what Marc posted:

Jesus followers -- what does being in a relationship with Him look like in your life today? BTW -- not a rhetorical question.

Here is my response:

If someone tells you that it's a trouble-free life and filled with the fragrant of roses, he/she has either just become a believer or he/she is shoveling out something more than just snow! This baby is about taking you out of you comfort zone and not about leaving you sitting nice and snug in your crib. This baby is about teaching you one lesson over and over and over again, each and every day for the rest of your life. That lesson being:

ΠΡΟΣ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΗΣΙΟΥΣ 4:13

πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντι με.

Philippians 4:13

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

And every day, He'll find a crevice of holdout in your heart where you'll need to learn this lesson.

So, brothers and sisters, hang on to your handle bars and wait for the roller coaster car to take you on one plunge after another. That handle bar being:

ΙΑΚΩΒΟΥ 1:2-4

Πᾶσαν χαρὰν ἡγήσασθε, ἀδελφοί μου, ὅταν πειρασμοῖς περιπέσητε ποικίλοις, γινώσκοντες ὅτι τὸ δοκίμιον ὑμῶν τῆς πίστεως κατεργάζεται ὑπομονήν. ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ ἔργον τέλειον ἐχέτω, ἵνα ἦτε τέλειοι καὶ ὁλόκληροι ἐν μηδενὶ λειπόμενοι.

James 1:2-4

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

You can consider it pure joy or you can consider it pure terror. Take your pick.

And if your cart ain't rocking, you better check to see who's driving the train (you or Him) or even if you are on the train.