Repetition is a Hebrew tool for drawing attention to something. Allow me to repeat myself: Repetition is used in Hebrew for emphasis. There are two creation accounts in order to emphasize the place of mankind at the apex of God’s creative acts. Almighty God created a world and a perfect environment for mankind and then gave them dominion over it. He established order in that world but set boundaries. The focus of the Hebrew text is re-emphasizing how much the creative acts of God are focused on mankind. Instead of comparing the accounts to find where evolution fits, read it see how much delight God took in creating mankind, whom He called “very good”, and what he intended for them.
Dump evolution from your mind. It is a poison. Lies from the pit of hell. It is just not true and it is easy to refute. Some time when I have the time I will write out my favourite top 10 reasons why Evolution can’t be true.
Careless words can hurt people. Not only can they influence a person’s self-worth, they can actually shape that person’s destiny. If you doubt that, consider these two stories:
1) One day in a small country church an altar boy accidentally dropped the communion wine. The officiating priest slapped him and shouted, “Leave, and don’t come back!” That boy became General Tito, the brutal communist dictator who ruled the people of Yugoslavia for years.
2) In a big city cathedral another altar boy dropped the communion wine. His bishop turned to him and whispered reassuringly, “It’s okay, some day you’ll be a great priest.” That boy became Archbishop Fulton Sheen, whose sermons touched the hearts of millions on national television.
Every day I put love on the line. There’s nothing I am less good at. I am far better in competition than love; far better at responding to my instincts to get ahead, than at figuring out how to love another. I’m schooled and trained in getting my own way. And yet I decide every day to set aside what I do best, and attempt to do what I do very clumsily – open myself to the frustrations and failures of loving, daring to believe that failing in love is better than succeeding in pride.
Eugene Petersen
Your words either build people up or tear them down. Solomon said, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Proverbs 12:18
Here’s a truth we don’t like to acknowledge; what comes out of our lips reveals what’s in our heart.
Ian Vail
In a similar vein, even Hitler, after his mother’s death from breast cancer, was rejected twice by the Academy of Fine Art in Vienna where he had applied to study. This fomented a bitterness that drove him in the direction he eventually took – reminds me of Genesis 4:7 – if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door…