GOLDEN GLORY

     By the wayside a small grey wattle stoops
        featureless, unnoticed, indistinguishable,
            forgotten in death - like sleep.
     The Son stoops low and with Love
          kisses the lifeless form.
     Warmth and life flow and light begins
         to glow and blaze, transforming the tree.
     Glory shines in a grey and miserable corner,
     Now the tree is beautiful, impacting for Heaven
     In a grey, lost, despairing world,
             descending into deep darkness.
     Now it is a winter herald of the spring
                 of Jesus' return - 
     Scattering the Jewels of Jesus,
         the "treasures of darkness" (Isaiah 45:1-3)

     "They that turn many to righteousness shall shine
       as stars forever." (Daniel 12:3)

     Tongues of fire come down
     God breaks the branches
     And they become
     Flaming torches sent out to the world.

                                                                          - Tessa 

Evolution or Creation   

 My wife and I do not watch a lot of TV. We rarely watch the news, unless there is something of major significance at a local, national or international level, so Telstra may regret giving us a T Box as part of our NBN connection, as we will not be renting heaps of Big Pond movies or subscribing to Foxtel.
    But, we do borrow DVD's regularly from the local library for free. Over the years, we have watched many nature videos such as those presented by David Attenborough for the BBC, and just recently an excellently produced series from National Geographic called The Untamed Americas. Some of the photography in these programs is truly amazing.The amount of painstaking work in capturing some of the images of animals, plants and various events in nature are nothing short of incredible.
    However, we are constantly verbally assaulted and insulted on the vast majority of these video presentations by repeated statements presented as FACTS concerning the evolution of animal and plant species, to the point of apparently accurately defining the age frame of the evolutionary processes of such species. For example, a particular animal or insect or bird may be said to have evolved certain body characteristics over so many millions of years in order to survive or to successfully catch their prey or whatever. We do wonder how they managed to survive and to live productive lives during this process, WHILE they were evolving.
    Those who staunchly defend the theory of evolution to support the notion that we humans evolved from apes produce scientific evidence such as the fact that we share somewhere between 93 % and 98.5 % of our DNA with chimpanzees, and maybe gorillas. INTERESTINGLY, however, did you know that we also share about 50% of our DNA with BANANAS? It's true. Maybe that explains why some of us have a certain bent!!
    In Genesis Chapter 1, in the very first book of the Bible, we see God's Creation plan for planet Earth taking shape. The Word of God says that the plants - vegetation, seed bearing plants and trees, living sea creatures, winged birds, land animals, livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals were created - EACH ACCORDING TO ITS KIND!! God uniquely designed and created every plant, tree, fish, bird, insect and animal to be able to live and multiply in its given environment.
    God's crowning glory of creation was to create MAN or MANKIND, beings with similarities to many animals in physical structure, for example, we share many of the same kinds of body organs as many animals.              HOWEVER, Genesis 1:26 reads: 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.
Evolutionary scientists, and atheists are often mocking of Christians and Jews for believing literally the Bible account of Creation. Creationists and so-called Intelligent Design proponents are derided as presenting arguments which fly in the face of scientific evidence. How much of that EVIDENCE is really proven fact or just the product of a very clever ongoing campaign to keep the Creator God out of the picture? After all, if evolutionary supporters were to remotely consider the thought of a Creator God, they might have to also consider the fact that they are individually accountable to such a Creator.
Romans 1:18-20 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood by what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Thought you might like this video song by Geoff Moore and the Distance relating to this blog topic. The song is called Evolution Redefined.

To Be Continued

The following is an email which arrived in my Inbox yesterday. Although it only applies to those reading this in Tasmania, or Tasmanians currently out of the state but who normally live here, in terms of encouraging direct ACTION, the issue addressed is one which is affecting many women, unborn children and their families nation wide and around the world. This email came from
                                                                                                  Terri M Kelleher
                                                                                                  Victorian President
                                                                                                   Australian Family Association

I would like to quote the email message verbatim, as follows:

URGENT - ACTION ALERT - URGENT

Tasmanian Reproductive Health (Access to Abortion) Bill 2013 will probably be introduced into the Upper House next Tuesday or Wednesday, 11 or 12 June.

ACTION:

It is urgent that you write or email your Upper House member asking him/ her to vote against the bill which will allow abortion to birth without any requirement to inform the woman of all health risks and will deny doctors freedom of conscience and deny the right to free speech to anyone who would express any opposition.

I would urge you to follow up your letter or email by ringing your member. The personal connection is very important as MP's are getting so many emails the impact can be diminished. You can use or adapt the following points for your letter/email/phone call:

-The Reproductive Health (Access to Abortion) Bill 2013 does not just decriminalise abortion. Abortion is already legal under Section 164 of the Criminal Code if two doctors certify that the continuation of the pregnancy would involve greater risk to the physical or mental health of the woman than continuing the pregnancy. And there is no realistic threat of prosecution.

- This bill is a complete liberalisation of the abortion law so that there are no protections for the woman. There is no requirement for a woman to be given full information about the medical risks of abortion nor about pregnancy options.

- Up to 16 weeks "informed consent" is not required. (Proposed Section 4)

- Proposed Section 7(2) would require a doctor with a conscientious objection to abortion to refer a woman seeking an abortion or "pregnancy options advice" to another doctor who the first doctor reasonably believes has no such objection. This denies the doctor the right to freedom of conscience and restricts a woman's "choice"as the doctor, even if he/she is a woman's GP, would be legally required to refer the woman to another doctor.

- Proposed Section 7(3) would further deny a woman the freedom to decide what advice she wants and where to seek such advice by requiring a counsellor with a conscientious objection to abortion to refer a woman to a counsellor who has no such objection.

Regards,

Terri M Kelleher,

Victorian President,

Australian Family Association.

After reading the above, you may wonder why a woman from Victoria is actively urging Tasmanians to act concerning Abortion law reforms in Tasmania. The fact is that since the Abortion Law reforms in Victoria were legislated in 2008, Victoria has some of the most permissive abortion laws in the world, with abortions being allowed up until full term.
In June 2011, Seven News reported that full term abortions at the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne had increased by 600%.

It appears that Tasmania is seeking to change the law relating to abortion using the Victorian experience as a model.

As well as responding to the above by contacting your Upper House members, there is an online Legislative Council petition against the proposed law changes, which can be accessed on the ACL website (Australian Christian Lobby)