In this day and age when our faith, and God's Word, are increasingly under attack, we had a most amazing and refreshing privilege over these last few days. Some friends of ours, Rick and Susan Oliver of Confound the Wise Ministries, came and stayed with us from Saturday until Tuesday. You can visit Rick's web site at www.confoundthewise.org, and you can read a post (Fossils, Fishing, and Faith) I made almost a year ago about their last visit at our home by clicking here.
Rick's testimony is amazing. In a nutshell, he has a PhD in Evolutionary Biology, plus Masters Degrees in both Geology and Education. He was once an avid, aggressive atheist and anti-Christian and Creation. His world got rocked at Mount St. Helens 30 years ago this May 18th when he was almost killed in the eruption and he saw, starting then and continuing for the next 7 years, things happening in minutes, hours, days, and months that he had been told and taught (and even taught himself) required millions and billions of years. The massive, instantaneous layers of sedimentation; the erosion of canyons; the fossilization and coalification of natural objects, the total inaccuracy of accepted dating methods; etc. all began for him a 7-year journey that led him to Christ. He struggled then, as a Christian, trying to match science and faith, beginning as a theistic evolutionist—one who believes God started it but then let evolution do the rest. Eventually he moved to the place where he is now—a young earth Creationist fully convinced of the truth of God's Word and of its literal account of a 6-day Creation.
Rick founded the Outdoor Science program at Mount Hermon, but a couple of years back felt God calling him and Susan to leave the comfort and stability of that job to travel and teach, as a scientist, about the FULL evidence we must examine if we are to accurately decide if Creation or evolution is true. Today Rick and Susan are seeing tremendous fruit in their ministry as hearts are refreshed and equipped and turned back to God and His Word as people are fully equipped and come to realize that God's Word is true, defendable, and literal. As Rick says, "I am not here to bash scientists. I am a scientist." From that place he then shares the full scope of evidence out there and, I can assure you, it is overwhelmingly in favor of Creation. In fact, were the full truth to be told, evolution is on its last legs as pillar after pillar of its tenets are crumbling under the application of math and the latest scientific advances. (I encourage you to check out Rick's web site for blogs from the road and lists of places he is speaking. You would be truly blessed to meet him and Susan, who is, herself, an amazing woman of God with so much to offer.)
I can not express how wonderful it was to share our home with the Olivers. It is so refreshing to be reminded of how true God's Word is, and it is just wonderful to be surrounded with Godly fellowship (not to mention their appreciation of our strong coffee!). My folks were even here for the first evening the Olivers were, and we were able to enjoy a bountiful BBQ in a day early celebration of Mother's Day for Mary Ann, my mom, and Susan. That evening we were able to watch one of Rick's DVDs with him right there to expand on it for us, and Sunday morning he shared with our fellowship what our fellowship's support has meant to them and some of the fruit of their ministry. We again fellowshiped Sunday afternoon and evening, and Monday morning we got our own, private homeschool class with Rick! Monday evening we invited one and all to come to our home for a time of visiting with Rick and Susan and of asking questions, and 18 of us (representing three churches) gathered in our living room for over three hours listening to Rick share, asking questions, and just enjoying this couple. They pulled out Tuesday morning on the next leg of their journey, sharing at churches in California, Oregon, and Washington in the coming weeks ahead. They left refreshed, and we remain here refreshed—it was a wonderful time for all.
I will try and blog in the next few days about some of the things I learned, or was reminded of, that affected me, but for now I wanted to share a slice of our life with you and encourage you to check out their ministry.
Note: If you ever doubt the level of opposition to God's message as declared in His Word, you may want to read the May 12 blog post by Albert Mohler, All Roads Lead to Heaven? — Kathleen Parker Does Theology.
I checked their calendar and they are not speaking in Grants Pass or anywhere in Oregon. Bummer.
ReplyDeleteKeep checking, or even contact them (there is a contact form on their web page). I know that when they left here they were making calls to a location in Oregon they have spoken at before to let them know that they were passing through. They are picking up new engagements regularly, so maybe just asking them is the most up to date approach. I hope that it works for you to go. If not, they have a 4-part DVD series available of Rick teaching, and a new series is scheduled to come out soon.
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