What Have We Become?

I can't tell you how sad, and how angry, I was to watch multiple candidates in the New Hampshire Republican debate endorse making women sign up for Selective Service. What have we become? What are we that we, as a nation (even many of the leaders who most tout their Christian stands), are considering drafting women into the brutality and horror of war?

It strikes me that much of the crumbling in our society we see is in part stemming from a collapse of Godly men in the homes. Men who protect their wives and children. Men who train their children up in the Scriptures and God's ways. Men who open doors for ladies. Men who provide. Men who teach their daughters what a Godly man looks like, what appropriate touch is, and give them a model of the man they should look for. Men who teach their sons to love and cherish and honor and protect women. And now, it seems, that men can't even defend and protect this nation.

And before someone calls me sexist, let me just say that to do so is to level the same claim at God. He ordained the structure of the home. He ordained the roles of the Home. He told men to love and cherish their brides and to lift them as ones without spot or blemish. He died for His bride.

At West Point and in the Army I had the privilege of serving alongside many amazing women who volunteered to be there. Volunteered. But the inevitable result that anyone looking could see coming is now here. The push to be equal, equal, equal has now "drafted" in those who were not pushing. Daughters who don't want to kill, be killed, be captured (and everything that goes with it), see the horror of death thrust in their face won't have a choice. What have we become? Can we no longer even protect our women from that?

Based on some responses I got when I posted about this on Facebook, there is almost a smug "hey, women, you wanted to be equal so now lie in the bed you made" attitude. My response is this—not all women wanted this, but all women will be subject to this. And before you think in some perverse way you are "getting back" at feminists through this let me say that that line of thinking is akin to firebombing a city to get back at a few criminals in it.

I believe that how we view this goes directly to how we view Scripture and God. Do we believe He has ordained roles and different strengths for the different sexes? This isn't to say a women shouldn't (or can't defend herself). This isn't to say anything against women. But to make law a variance to God's structure is to say something different. It is to fly in the face of God and the truths and order He has given us.

I guess, though, what do we expect?!? We undermine the Scriptures. We rewrite God and our theology to fit what we approve of. We remove the idea that we are handcrafted, each uniquely, in God's image and we teach instead that we are all evolved animals. In that light, what does it matter? But to have men who claim to believe in God and the authority of Scripture believe this is good is grievous to me, and it scares me.

I can't—and won't—describe to you some of the things I've seen on the volunteer fire department. Images flash through my mind I'll probably never be able to forget this side of the grave. And I can't tell you how grateful I am that my wife and daughters don't have those images in their minds. That I could stand in a place so others don't have to. The thought of my daughters being drafted into an environment where that could be their exposure sickens me, and angers me. But, in light of the rejection of God and the Scriptures we are avalanching into in this nation, I guess it shouldn't surprise me . . .

It IS Very Important

Here is a good article that captures some of the many reasons why our belief in Genesis is far more important than many Christians realize. I have done a study on many atheists quotes about our faith and they often seem to get it better then we do that the foundation of the Gospel almost collapses when Genesis collapses. Obviously an article this short can't cover even close to all of the reasons why this matters, but it might give some good food for thought if you don't agree with a young earth interpretation of Genesis, and encourage and strengthen you if you do. It truly is not a periphery issue, not if we want to be able to share with others a true and consistent reason why they can trust other parts of Scripture (and hence trust the God who breathed it out). Anyway, I was blessed by it and thought I'd share it. Blessings to all of you, whether or not you agree with me :)   —Erick

http://creation.com/just-preach-gospel

Already in Place . . .

I have been fascinated in the road of study God has taken me down lately, which it seems He keeps centering on the church's early 1800s collapse from believing a literal six-day Genesis Creation to believing alternatives like a gap theory or that the "days" of Genesis mean much more than a literal day (despite God saying there was evening and there was morning for them). I thought you might be interested in a brief summary of what I've learned so far . . .

Shoshone Falls area of Idaho. One of many places we saw
on our trip that now attribute the terrain to a short duration
catastrophic flood event instead of a gradual carving out
over long periods of time.

If you'd ask most Christians when the collapse of Genesis belief occurred my guess is that many would say it began with Darwin. The reality is that well before Darwin uniformitarian geology was gaining strength. This basically says that the present is the key to the past (change is uniform) so therefore, since we see earth changing so slowly now, to arrive at where we are now at this rate of change would take vast periods of time. In opposition to them were catastrophists who believe that the earth's surface was explained by a major (or multiple major) catastrophe(s) . . . i.e. a global flood.

Over the early decades of the 1800s it appears the catastrophists were shut out as the dominate voice, with a few "Scriptural Geologists" trying to hold the gates closed, but Christian leader after Christian leader collapsing under the pressure and assumption that the latest geological "evidence" was true. So, scrambling to find a way to "preserve" the inspiration and truth of Scripture these other theories surfaced that tried to reconcile the two, giving room for vast periods of time and Scripture to still be true.

By the time Darwin published his On the Origin of Species book in 1859 the church had already, for the most part, caved to old earth theories—"reinterpreting" Scripture to fit "nature" instead of interpreting nature in light of Scripture. At this point in the early to mid-1800s it seems to me that it is mainly geology and the earth that seem to be discussed, but then, along comes Darwin—strongly influenced in old earth gradual change theory—who publishes a theory of life that has man evolving from primitive life forms over ages and ages of time.

"Oh no! What do we do? Man made in God's image from apes! Death before sin! Heaven forbid!" I can assume many cries like that went up from Christians based on many of the responses to Darwin's book I've read about . . . but, it is the church who'd already put in place from their pulpits the two primary tenets needed to believe in evolution across species (the earth is vast periods of time old, and Scripture doesn't mean what it clearly says it means and confirms in other places in Scripture), and who'd already set the precedent of reinterpreting Scripture to "science."

Well, now the church has to explain how and why the rest of Scripture and God's promises and the revelations of God's character and nature are true when they've already put themselves as the judge and jury in arbitrarily declaring parts of it true and parts not. And, they have to explain in a way that doesn't keep "reinterpreting" Scripture, how death entered through sin if there was death before sin, how a brutal and self-centered killing idea of survival of the fittest could possibly be declared "as good" by God, why Jesus' genealogy goes to Adam, how sin entered through "one man," and so on and so on and so on.

I actually find it stunning in the inconsistency of a church submitting God's Word to purported "science" in the origins and age of the earth issue, but then standing adamantly against that same "science" that equally declares impossible or "false" things like resurrection from the dead, virgin birth, multiplying of loaves and fishes, miraculous healings, parting of oceans, walking on water, demonic and angelic activity, Heaven, Hell, etc. Is it any wonder the world gives us so little credit when we are so inconsistent and arbitrary?

Anyway, I found that insight into the early/mid-1800s compromise fascinating and eye-opening as it sheds light on why, when Darwin pops up, we fell so fast. Maybe it interests you as well. I believe that this issue is tremendously critical as the foundation of our faith in the Bible, how we interpret the Bible, and the foundation of what we submit as the highest source of truth are at stake. And, despite what the media and everyone else tells us, a little research will reveal multitudes of Ph.D. and other scientists who believe the evidence supports a literal young-earth Creation as recorded in Genesis.

Note: Today it is fascinating how many geological sites (some of which we visited on our Fall "Creation Trip" up into Yellowstone) now attribute significant terrain features to massive interior seas that breached in the past and carved out stunning canyons and topography on their way to the major oceans. Of course none of these sites attribute any of that to the receding flood waters of Noah's flood, or mention that these interior seas likely formed during the flood and subsequent Ice Age, but it is interesting to see the word "catastrophe" returning in different forms in secular geologic theories since it was so "taboo" to even hint at it for so many decades and possibly give Creationists and "Flood people" any chance of credibility.

A Man's Joy

The girls photographing Trumpeter Swans in Yellowstone.

Psalm 111:2  Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.

I want to share two things about the trip I recently took which brought me tremendous joy. This doesn't take away from the joy of just being with my bride through this—away from phones, email, the fire department pager, etc. She is my best friend and my pal and she knows in complete security how much I treasured that time hanging out with her, and she understands what I am about to say (and rejoices with me in them)!

Abigail capturing a Yellowstone Geyser.

The first thing was to be able to see this land with the scales removed from my eyes. The last time I saw most of the land we traveled through I probably gave a nominal nod to God having created it, but I certainly didn't believe the Bible's account of how He did . . . and I found myself struggling to fully understand the land with the explanations given of evolution, millions of years of slow change, etc. I accepted it because "science" said it was true, but while the land was beautiful, I missed the most glorious part of it. This time, though, I was able to travel the land with a whole different pair of glasses. Instead of the old earth, uniformitarianism view of slow change at the rate of change we see today, I was able to see the land through the eyes of the Bible and (wow!) it changed everything!

Bethany photographing the
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

In preparation for what we call our "Creation Trip" I was privileged to talk with different people—some with degrees in geology, one with a Masters degree in atmospheric science, another with a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology—scientists and lay people with degrees who used to be old earth evolutionists and are now young earth Creationists. They were able to talk to me about the land we'd be traveling through and tell me what we should make a point to see and how we could see Biblical evidence in it. We also were able to get different guidebooks and geology books written from a young earth Creationist scientist perspective and read them as we traveled.

Abigail in the Tetons.

I can't tell you how amazing that was, and how the land I traveled through finally made sense! When you know what to look for and see it through the lens of a young earth, spoken Creation with age; followed by the curse of sin and a catastrophic global flood and the scaring of receding waters; followed by rupturing inland bodies of water; followed by a singular ice age; suddenly the land around you reads like a book. All of a sudden the scales were falling off and I could see clearly, and it was stunning. I was in awe of what I saw, in awe picturing the land through its different phases, and in frequent prayer and lifting of praises to the One to whom it all is attributed. It was an incredible joy and privilege, and I'll never be the same for it.

Abigail posing Mom by a T-Rex (I believe)
at the Museum of the Rockies.

The second thing that brought me tremendous joy that I want to share was to travel the land as a father and to simply take pictures of my girls taking pictures! Yes, I took pictures of scenery for pleasure and some times for maybe using later in teachings, but the most fun was watching them and capturing them seeing the land through their eyes. We had spent quite a bit of time teaching them photography as part of homeschool before the trip so they could make the most of it, and to see them using those skills and processing God's Creation was a father's joy. It was simply incredible to see their faces the first time they saw a grizzly, or a geyser, or the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, or found their first fossil, or . . .

Bethany photographing in the
John Day fossil area of Oregon.

I am reminded of Hebrews 11—God's New Testament Hall of Fame of faith. In it He lists praise after praise of His children who stood in faith. If we read the Old Testament each of them had faults and shortcomings, but on the other side of the cross He has washed those away and He simply delights in bragging on His kids. I thought of that as I stared at this incredible scenery . . . and found the greatest joy taking pictures of my girls taking pictures of it. It was truly a father's joy to share this with them and to see their eyes being opened to God, His Creation, His Creativity, and His evidence.

Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

I'll post a few more pictures of my girls taking pictures tomorrow for those who might enjoy them. Thanks for reading, sharing in my life, and caring. Blessings to all of you.   —Erick

. . . Suppress the Truth

A CNN online article says that they have discovered a massive canyon under Greenland's ice—a canyon that is half again as long as the Grand Canyon. And they say it must have been caused by an extensive river systems millions of years ago. Yet . . . they deny a global, Biblical flood and the erosion the receding waters would have caused.

Other news articles in recent years tell us scientists observing huge canyons on Mars speculate there was massive water erosion there long ago. Problem? Yes. There is no water found on Mars today! Yet, they will believe that, but on our earth which is around 70+% covered in water they can't believe in a global flood that is described in detail in the Bible which is being proven over and over to be an accurate record of history.

The flood of Noah is the defining force that explains the geology of the earth around us. Psalm 104 tells us:

He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved. You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. At your rebuke they fled; at the sound of your thunder they took to flight. The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them. You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth. (Psalm 104:5–9) [Note: Some people believe this describes Creation, but it must describe the flood instead, because it ends with the line, ". . . so that they [waters] might not again cover the earth" and they clearly did, according to the same Bible, once after Creation in the flood.]

1. The flood would have put tremendous seismic pressure on the earth's plates at over 8 lbs/gallon.
2. The upheaval and sediment transfer would have been massive!
3. As the mountains rose and valleys sank down the receding water would have caused massive erosion and canyon carving!
4. Tremendous amounts of dead, fossilized creatures, including sea animals, would be found in massive graveyards all covered together, on top of high mountains, etc. . . . which is exactly what we find today!
5. Then entire earth would be reshaped within a few years.

Apart from the flood—which gives massive change in a rapid time frame—and God having created already with age (as He did with Adam) the only other explanation for what we see in the geology and topography around us is a form of uniformitarianism (slow change over long time periods as we observe today and many assume has been happening from the start). So, maybe that is why so many resist the flood of Noah's day so vehemently, because without it then evolution and long periods of time must be the answer and that destroys Genesis, which begins the slide of the entire Bible, and ultimately God.

Romans 1:17–22 tells us:

. . . "The righteous shall live by faith." For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools . . .

It is so hard to see how far people go to deny God, and the explanations they cling to that allow them to continue to deny Him. I know that described me for so many years, and even in my early Christian years I tried to embrace a Theistic Evolution until God revealed Himself to me in deeper ways. How far will we go to deny God? Read this quote attributed to Professor Dawkins:

"Well, it could come about in the following way. It could be that at some earlier time, somewhere in the universe, a civilization evolved, probably by some kind of Darwinian means, probably to a very high level of technology, and designed a form of life that they seeded onto perhaps this planet. Now that is a possibility, and an intriguing possibility. And I suppose it’s possible that you might find evidence for that if you look at the details of biochemistry, molecular biology, you might find a signature of some sort of designer."

Wow! But it shouldn't surprise us if we've read Romans 1 in even a cursory fashion. This is the world. But we are not of the world when we are born again as new creations in Christ. We have a new identity, a new citizenship, and the Spirit of God living in us. Praise God for that, and may we know in our hearts that God's written Word is true, from the first words to the last. The same Bible that tells us God spoke it forth in 6 days is the same Bible that tells us He will never leave us or forsake us. The same Jesus that promises us eternal life is the same Jesus that quotes from Genesis and refers to Noah as if they are true, and whose line is given back to Adam. Does our stand on Genesis matter? Absolutely!

Friday at Noon

In a recent post I mentioned a film Mary Ann and I had just gotten on DVD that we were looking forward to watching. It is called Friday at Noon. Last night I got home from our fire department drill earlier than I expected and we curled up to watch it. I wanted to share my thoughts about it and the issues it brings up. (I am not profiting in any way from recommending it, other than maybe playing a small part in encouraging the family that produced it and in strengthening the faith and defense of anyone who might watch it on account of my recommendation.)

As I mentioned in my previous post, the movie explores the issue of how we define or determine right or wrong in the absence of a God. While this is an issue I have enjoyed discussing, and one that played a strong part in my conversion, it is one I have rarely seen handled in a fictional format. This movie does a wonderful job of it, taking a man grieving over the murder of his son by young men who were acting out the evolutionary implications of life and having him kidnap the daughter of the professor who taught them the theories they lived out and telling the dad he can save his daughter only by answering one question, "Why shouldn't I do evil to her?"

As the professor struggles to give answers beyond the shallow and not thought through surface answers most people would give he realizes how inadequate the canned answers are, and how few people actually think through the implications of what they claim they believe. I don't want to spoil the ending or the conclusion, but suffice to say that it would be a very strengthening film for older youth and for adults to watch to either strengthen their conviction in God and how we can defend his existence, or to challenge non-believers to see the horrible, logical, moral extensions of their atheism. The movie does a great job of systematically demolishing the intellectual arguments for morals that sound so good in the "hallowed" halls of academia, but, when carried to their logical conclusions, end in horrifying places.

Made by a homeschooling family and the church the father pastors, the film is surprisingly well done considering what I can only imagine was resources at their disposal that were nothing like what a feature film can throw at a production. Do you laugh at a few scenes and see a few places the "Hollywood" experts would pick apart and criticize? Yes. Of course. But I can tell you that if my family, or our fellowship, produced anything remotely close to this I would be very proud. I'd recommend you get a copy of this to show your friends, to initiate discussions, to strengthen yourself, and to encourage a family and church who are seeking to glorify God in all that they are and do. I would not let Bethany and Abigail watch it yet as we have shielded them from more violent or stark scenes and a little of the imagery might scare them right now, but it won't be long until I do and I would certainly encourage it for high school and above.

Foolish Brilliance

Bethany & Abigail beneath the shuttle.

Last week our family was blessed to be able to see the Space Shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. I can't effectively describe the awe and emotion Mary Ann and I felt when we entered the room and there it was, sitting about 10 feet off the ground. We just stood there. I felt almost choked up. There was something about seeing that massive craft, and the brilliance that it took to engineer that program, and to see the wear and tear on it, and to realize it had been in space over 25 times and it was only feet away. Simply hearing a guide describe the process of re-entry and landing in and of itself left me in awe, and that was just a tiny fraction of the thought and research and intelligence that went in to making that program possible (or sending men to the moon and back for that matter). Having watched many Shuttle launches on TV, and having read so much about it in displays before actually seeing it, just enhanced how moved I felt to be there. I was actually caught off guard by how much it affected me.

And then, in the gift shop, they have a mug for sale (I wish I'd thought to take a picture of it!) which shows, wrapping around it, the "evolution" of apes into neanderthals into men into men wearing space suits. It was a stunning contrast to see in that mug both a picture of the utter brilliance of man, and a reminder of the utter foolishness and lack of wisdom of man. It was one of those pictures that show so clearly that you can be very intelligent and not be very wise—that you can be very smart and still be very ignorant. Some times I am stunned that many of the same minds that can create a space program can believe that from nothing and by nothing something happened and from that something, accident upon accident upon accident billions of times over, all this ended up happening without any divine guidance or hand . . . including their own brilliant minds!

Our family at the shuttle exhibit.

Yet, I remember all to well the years of my life I was lost in my intellectual arrogance and pride, thinking myself smart when I was a fool—mocking God and Christians and the Bible. That mug, in a hall of science that showcased some of man's most brilliant moments, was a strong reminder to me, in a culture that almost worships college degrees and those scientist who believe in evolution, that we can have an amazing mind (we ARE made in God's image!), and still be fooled and foolish. Once again I find myself reminded that the "wisdom" of the world and the wisdom of God and His written Word and in conflict, and I must not be surprised when the world mocks what I believe . . . nor must I be ashamed of what I believe, or shrink back from it. Will following and believing God always require faith? Yes. But the more I look at the claims of evolution the more I realize that the faith required to believe in that dwarfs the faith I need to believe in God and His Word.

Maybe I should have bought that mug. Putting it in my office would be a strong reminder to me that while we are in this world, we are not of it. I should never be surprised when the world mocks and rejects my faith. To the contrary, I should probably be concerned about my walk and testimony when the world is too comfortable around me.

A Long, Long Time Ago . . . ???

I am pretty passionate about defending Genesis 1's account of Creation and the later descriptions of the flood of Noah as literal. I believe it there is no reason, scientific or otherwise, to doubt them—and I believe our stand on them is of tremendous importance. I believe that the Gospel (and our outlook on future judgment) hinges on the truth of Genesis 1 and the judgment of Noah's flood, and that there is no other true way to explain death as a wage of sin, or to trust either the Bible or Jesus' words (Who spoke of Creation and the flood as literal), without trusting in both as literal and true.

In my experience, the primary reason people start to doubt them or to try and compromise with them is because of an underlying assumption of vast periods of time being needed to create what we see around us and in space. Basically the two schools of belief divide along these lines—either slow change over long periods of time, or rapid change driven by major cataclysmic events (i.e. a global flood and the fountains of the deep opening up) over a short period of time. Our educational systems (including some Christian, of which I have friends in) have seemed to have bought, without question, that what we see is the result of vast periods of time and gradual change.

Unbiased science, however, does not support this—and yet we teach it and receive it as truth instead of just another belief system or theory. If you want evidence of massive geological change over short time look at a Creationist account of what happened at Mount St. Helens. It was that experience that turned my friend, Dr. Rick Oliver of Confound the Wise Ministries, from an avid anti-Christian with a PhD. in Evolutionary Biology into a Genesis defending scientist. What happened there in a very short time turned upside down the teaching of how much time is required for major geological change—and Mt. St. Helens was not a large volcano in terms of what is believed existed some time ago.

Look also at the errors in scientific dating methods and, even more importantly, the underlying assumptions that are made in the dating methods. Whether mechanical (carbon dating, etc.), or by association (strata dating, etc.), there are tremendous assumptions made that are embedded in a prior belief of vast periods of time. Then, with that prior belief, we develop dating that substantiates it. Then all these "educated" men and women come out touting eons of ages and we, as Christians, intimidated, try and come up with theories to mesh "science" and the Bible.

Simply look at the advances of man within the last 150 years and I think you'll see that man doesn't require a lot of time to advance rapidly. In 1903 the Wright Brothers took the first 12 seconds of powered flight. By the middle to end of the next decade planes were flying bombing runs and dogfighting in the sky, and within 66 years of their flight we were sending men to the moon and bringing them back. Many of you readers will remember the first home computers and the massive, room-filling more "advanced" computers of just a few decades ago . . . and now most people in America have, as a "necessity," phones and tablets that are tiny and yet vastly more powerful and all connected around the world with wireless technology. We fought the war of 1812 (and wars much later, including our Civil War) with sailing ships. Today, only 200 years after the war of 1812, and only 150 years after the Civil War, we have nuclear powered super carriers that can go over 25 years (yes, years!) without refueling, and are over three football fields long (the Enterprise is, according to Wikipedia, 1,123 feet long—almost four football fields!). Only one hundred and fifty years ago this coming November Richard Gatling patented his Gatling gun which would revolutionize warfare . . . and in only a little over 80 years after that, in 1945, war would be turned upside down forever by atomic bombs that would do to entire regions and cities what the Gatling gun did to an advancing small body of men.

We could go on and on in all fields—medicine, technology, science, etc.—but it is clear, man doesn't require long periods of time to rapidly advance, and nor does geology . . . especially when you add to Creation the realization that God probably created with an appearance of age, and that there was a massive global upheaval and flood from both within and above after that. We must, I believe, if we and our generations are going to remain and stand confident in the Bible and God, question why we ever doubt it and realize that we are buying into assumptions and theories that are laden with guesses, falsehoods, and bias. Let every man be a liar, God is still true, and He always will be.

As For Me and My House . . .

Yesterday there was a CNN blog by Eric Marrapodi called “Bill Nye slams creationism.” According to the blog Mr. Nye is, “a mechanical engineer and television personality best known for his program, ‘Bill Nye the Science Guy’.” In the blog the author quotes from an online video that Mr. Nye released for Big Think last Thursday and adds some thoughts of his own. Here are a few quotes from the article:

"Denial of evolution is unique to the United States," Nye begins . . .

Nye . . . said the United States has great capital in scientific knowledge and "when you have a portion of the population that doesn't believe in it, it holds everyone back."

"Your world becomes fantastically complicated if you don't believe in evolution,"

"I say to the grownups, if you want to deny evolution and live in your world, that's completely inconsistent with the world we observe, that's fine. But don't make your kids do it. Because we need them. We need scientifically literate voters and taxpayers for the future. We need engineers that can build stuff and solve problems," he said.

"In another couple centuries I'm sure that worldview won't even exist. There's no evidence for it. So . . ." Nye ends his video.

So, if Mr. Nye was your teacher, or your child’s teacher, or someone your neighbor listened to on TV or the internet, how would you respond?

In opposition to Mr. Nye’s “advice” or “plea” to grownups, Psalm 78:4 says, “We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.” ESV

So, we face a choice. It is not unlike Joshua's challenge to Israel before his death, recorded in Joshua 24:15, “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” ESV

Making the decision to serve the Lord and teach of His wondrous works which confound the wisdom of the wise, are you equipped to answer your children’s questions? Are you confident in your own position and can you supply answers to the doubts the enemy wants to plant in you? Do you know why you, and your family, can stand with your head up, unashamed, declaring the Genesis account to be true? What is your reply to the claim that believing in Creation is not believing in science?

These are important questions, not just intellectual debates for fun. These questions cut straight through Genesis to the entirety of the Bible itself, which ultimately affects our faith in God, the Gospel, and our worldview. Words and beliefs like Mr. Nye’s are what you and your family and coworkers and neighbors are facing in increasing waves.

Do you know what you believe and why you believe it? The answer you will give is more critical than you can imagine.

Jairus, Jericho, and Evolution

I was saddened to read of Biologos’ “Theology of Celebration” conference in March in which multiple pastors and scientist and theologians participated and dialogued about the evolutionary process being God’s method of Creation. Especially sad to me was to see names of people participating like Tim Keller, who is a dominate name in Christian circles, and who I am confident truly loves the Lord, and who I am sure just wants to be in truth and to serve Him faithfully with all his heart and life. I was happy to read though, that, according to Barna statistics read there, more than half of Protestant pastors still believe in a literal Genesis Creation, and fewer than one in five embrace the Biologos position.

It saddens me how many Christians seem to feel a need to try and make the Bible fit “science.” Even more sad to me is the dominance of the error-filled idea that science doesn’t fit the Bible. The voices of scientist out there who believe that the evidence, without pre-bias or assumptions, best fits the Genesis accounts of a young earth and a global flood are many, but they are not being heard and it is crippling to Christian’s faith in the Gospel and in the Bible. Add to it well known Christians lifting “science” above the Bible and altering the Bible to match the mainstream’s presentation of science, and it is hard, and often confusing to those who have trusted these men and women to shepherd them into truth.

I think of Jairus, whose daughter was dying, and who came to Jesus. While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." (Mark 5:35-37) Clearly God trumped all medical science and knowledge and wisdom here as He brought her back to life. What about the women with the issue of blood who, in faith, touched Jesus’ garment as He went with Jairus. With just a burst of His power she was healed of what all the doctors couldn’t do, though she’d spent all her money on them. Think of Joshua, breaking all military logic and knowledge, and trusting God and marching around a city and watching its walls fall down with a shout. Think about walking on water, calming storms, sticks turned in to snakes, demons occupying people, water coming from rocks, bread coming from Heaven . . .

In each and every case, what trumped what? Science and the wisdom of men and logic and “common sense” . . . or the power of God, within who galaxies find their origin? What did God require of those filled with fear and doubt and confusion? To trust Him. To trust His Word. To trust His character.

I shake my head that I once felt the need to make God fit in to science’s box, and I praise Him that He has set me free from that lie and put things in proper perspective for me—that He has showed me that God is God, and I (or science) am not. When man, and science, and the “wisdom of the world” come in to conflict with God and His Word, may I always choose the later. The sad thing is, that for those who believe they have to choose between science or believing God and His Word, the choice is really a false one. If they could only hear the true evidence, and see it free of bias and tarnish, they’d realize they don’t even have to choose. True science, and the evidence, support God’s Word and His account of Creation and the flood—and knowing that we can, in faith, stand on the rest of His Word and not just hope that the promises we've stake our lives on are literal, and not allegory!

A Religious Test for President?

A recent article on FOX News reported on Mitt Romney wanting Rick Perry to apologize for a pastor's comments about Mormonism being a cult. In the article it quoted Mitt as saying, "Gov. Perry selected an individual to introduce him, who then used religion as a basis for which he said he would endorse Gov. Perry, and as a reason to not support me," Romney said. "I would call upon Gov. Perry to repudiate the sentiment and the remarks made by that pastor."

There is a huge error, I believe, in Mitt's statement. While I do not believe our nation can, or should, have a religious test for offices as a law, I find it ignorant and irresponsible for people to say individuals should not use religion as a basis for personal voting choices and endorsements. To me this is just one more inroad of the enemy that has already so powerfully succeeded in blocking faith from life—to so many faith has become a thing for Sunday and heaven, whereas science and their own strength and capability are left to provide the "real" answers to "real" life.

We find so many who have bowed to science's words over God's Word, and so many who find themselves in a hollow gospel that saves Jesus for Heaven, but leaves them alone to walk through life on a day to day basis and deal with all of life's "stuff" on their own. Now we are told (or at least it is implied) that someone shouldn't use religion as a basis for endorsing and supporting a candidate (or not endorsing or supporting one). How sad! Do we realize that if everyone who proclaimed to be a Christian actually voted on their faith and not on their own definition or right and wrong, or on their own economic best interests, we'd have a majority every time? Already, it seems to me, too few people are voting (or caring about) God's values and priorities.

If we don't understand a candidates world view then how can we possibly understand what makes that candidate tick, or how they will vote on issues that aren't even on the table for discussion yet? How can we understand a candidate if we don't understand their attitude toward right and wrong, man's condition, good and evil, humans and the environment, etc.? If someone is true to their world view it will define everything they do! For people who believe in evolution, they will find themselves believing that in man the answer will eventually be found because we just keep getting better and better. On the other hand, a Creationist recognizes the fall and decay of man and the absolute necessity for God to move and man to move in partnership with Him. To the evolutionist we are equal to animals and plants, but to a Creationist we are clear that we are custodians of them and that they were given to us for us, but not as our equal. To an atheist there is no absolute standard of right and wrong and moral relativism is the rule. To a Christian God is the source of right and wrong. To an atheist there is no explanation for evil, but to a Christian we see evil as real and having a source, and we are careful in dealing with people ruled by it.

On and on we could list the issues that should be dramatically affected by our faith and world view. If we are true to it, and it isn't just a political expediency to woo a mass of voters, it will be the very definition of who we are, how we act, etc. It should be true for every individual, not just politicians, but in the case of those running for office it is, to me, sheer ignorance and foolishness to imply a candidates faith should not be an issue in individuals deciding who they will support. To the contrary, I wish more professing Christians actually voted the way they feel God's Word reveals God would feel on an issue.

Global Warming—Another Babel?

Note: This is a slightly modified version from the post that went out to email subscribers this morning. Because this issue is so sensitive I tried to explain a little better why I wrote it and what application I feel it has to what we might face as Christians.

As a Christian who tries to make my faith relevant in every area of life, and not just as a compartmentalized part of my life, I feel like I often have to confront the assumption by others (in error) that I don't care about the environment because I either don't esteem sciences' opinion as high as others do, or because I make values and pro-life a higher priority in my voting. I want to share some reflections on this, and maybe it will help others who face the same thing.

I read today that Al Gore plans on a 24-hour broadcast to defend man’s impact on global warming. I think about this topic now and then because it comes up so much. I am not a scientist, and I am sure I don't understand all the arguments, but I’ll share my struggle with this whole thing, and then close with a thought. I am not bashing on global warming believers in what I am about to say—I am sure they have sincere hearts and I can only wish more Christians shared their passion for a cause. I just can't, at this point, buy what they are saying when I really think about it. I obviously can't personally verify the numbers I am using, but I have tried to find websites that seemed solid. So, here is how I think about it all:

Depending on what internet site you look at, anywhere from 70–75% of the earth’s surface is covered by water. That leaves only 25–30% covered by land.

One web site said that 70% of the world’s land mass is covered by vegetation. So, that means 17.5–21% (70% of 25% and 30%) of the world is vegetated. This means only 7.5–9% of the world is land that is not covered in vegetation.

According to one web site, half the earth’s landmass is unihabitable for one geographic reason or another. So now you are down to anywhere from 12.5–15% of the earth is even inhabitable.

So, of the 7.5–9% of the earth that is land not covered in vegetation, or of the 12.5–15% of the earth that is even inhabitable, what percent is covered by industrial, emissions producing people, buildings, and vehicles? I couldn’t find the figures, but I’ll bet it is tiny! I know I have flown over the United States many times and I am awed by the percent of the land below me that is uninhabited, or sparsely and agriculturally inhabited. One web site I did find says the U.S. Census Bureau qualifies “developed land” as land with 30 or more residents per square mile. According to that qualification, as of 2000 only 5.4% of the United States is considered developed! And we are a developed country!

So, take that fractional percent of the earth's water and land surface that is populated by emission producing, pollution producing people and facilities. Set that aside for a moment and consider that a conservative estimate of the thickness of the critical portions of our atmosphere is 29 miles thick. (The stratosphere is, I understand, the area of our atmosphere where the ozone is contained and it is from 11 miles above the surface to 29–31 miles.) If we take all of the atmosphere it is hard to know where it ends because it fades off into space, but different web sites put it at many hundreds of miles thick.

I can’t even do that math, but if you picture the critical atmosphere of 30 miles thick, spread that thick above every part of the earths surface (almost 197,000,000 square miles according to multiple web sites), that is a lot of atmosphere! Thirty miles thick over close to 200 million square miles! And the tiny percent of the earth that actually produces emissions (and many of those are heavily regulated) is supposed to be affecting that so much that it is altering the earth’s climates?

As I said earlier, I am not a scientist, but that just doesn’t make sense to me. And, honestly, I get tired of it being implied that I don’t care about the earth or the environment because I don’t buy global warming. Our family loves the outdoors. We live where we do, for one reason, because of the wide open spaces, the clear skies, the clean air, the wildlife, the stars, etc. We police after ourselves, and others, when we are in the wilds. We fish. We camp. We compost. We conserve water. We recycle. We believe God made us custodians of the earth, but we also believe He made the earth for us and not the other way around. I guess if you believe evolution then you believe Mother Nature is your equal, but if you believe Creation you know man is God’s shining Creation, made in His image, and given the earth for stewardship and use.

Frankly, the global warming argument strikes me as another tower of Babel. While I am not saying global warming believers are arrogant, I do believe that the extension of what they are saying, laid out as I have tried to do, is another sign of man’s arrogance (intentional or unintentional). To me it is inherently arrogant to think that we are so mighty that this fractional percent of people and factories can affect the earth’s climate on a global scale. I do believe sin affected it—I believe the whole earth groans under sin’s curse. And, I believe we can locally affect it and destroy its air and streams and land. But the claim of global warming is, too me, at this point, not something I can believe. Maybe I just don’t give us enough credit. I just know that there are, to me, much bigger issue at work and that we live in a world that desperately needs to know the love of the God that made them in His image and loves them beyond measure. This is, to me, the crisis that should energize us all, and I don't think it means we have to not care about the earth and be custodians of it, but we remember it is not our equal, it is for us and not us for it, and that it will pass away one day while human spirits will live eternally. I don't like having to choose sometimes in candidates that don't meet all of my viewpoints on things, but when I have to choose I will choose pro-life, family values, and a Christian with a solid, Biblical world view (and witness) every time.

A Sure Foundation

This afternoon we were all having lunch out on our screen porch and the girls were sharing with me what they’ve learned about science today. Abigail gave me a pretty good 6-year-old’s definition of it, and then Bethany told me about the scientific method in which you ultimately form a hypothesis, test it, repeat it repeatedly, and then form a law or theory around your observations and results.

Naturally (at least in our house), the conversation turned to the theory of evolution. I shared how multiple of those components of even forming a decent theory that is justifiable are missing for evolution across species. One, you can’t observe it. Two, it can’t be replicated or created. Throw in there that there is no evidence for it and you have, at best, a very weak theory.

Bethany then asked about Creation and all of us talked about how it is a theory as well (at least it is presented as one, though we believe it is far from a theory, but rather fact). One major difference, however, between the two is that the evidence supports Creation—take, as just one piece, the multitude of creatures with mechanisms in place that would have caused the creature to die out and not reproduce if those mechanisms were at any point short of completely developed.

As we talked it struck me that there is another huge difference between the two “theories.” Creation has a primary source account of it from the One who not only observed it, but did it. We have the written record from the One who created it all and who told us how He did it. So, in the end, in addition to the overwhelming evidence for Creation, it comes down to the Bible and our view of it. Is it His Word or not? If it is, who are we to doubt or twist it or to try to conform it to man’s opinions? And, if it is not His Word, then we have far bigger problems than evolution or Creation. Thank God that He gives us every reason to believe His written Word is true, and for the revelation it gives us of His heart, His character, and His promises. It is a sure foundation on which to build our lives.

The Zoo & Creation . . .

California Condor Wing Span. Incredible!

The Gorilla came up to the window and sat down.

How sad children are taught apes are their relatives
when God has fearfully and wonderfully made them.

Lunch by the Elephants.

Cool!

Our family was blessed last week to get a tour of the Santa Barbara Zoo led by a Creationist (Russ McGlenn). Our homeschool group set it up and it was a wonderful and refreshing change to be part of a group glorifying God through the animals (and nature) instead of trying to make us believe we are their relatives (and they are equal to us). Here are some pictures to share with you of our day. He is truly evident in Creation, and His amazing design truly can give us confidence that He can handle the details of our life!

Who is Uncomprehending?

Note: This is a long post, but I believe it is a critical one. Between this topic, the other firestorm topic these days of whether or not hell is real, and the U.N. debating if Mother Earth should have the same rights as people, the attacks on our faith these days are huge and we must be equipped to strengthen the faith of one another and ourselves. (And, yes, I finally gave in to the fact Winter is gone, and changed my masthead to a Spring one . . . email subscribers, you'll have to go to the blog to see it.)

On April 10th, 2011, Karl W. Giberson wrote a post that appeared in the CNN religion blogs, about how Jesus would believe in evolution. By Tuesday morning, April 19th, it had generated over 3,400 comments and it had over 8,300 people recommending it via Facebook. Whether it is someone saying that hell might not be forever, or someone saying you can be a Christian and reject the Bible’s words, it is amazing to me how many people will jump at anything that will help them feel “right,” or “justified,” in rejecting a complete surrender to the Bible as the written word of God, and to Jesus as both our Savior and Lord. Needless to say, this article has created a firestorm of articles, comments, rebuttals, defenses, etc.

According to the editor of the CNN page, “Karl W. Giberson, Ph.D., is vice president of The BioLogos Foundation and is the author or coauthor of seven books, including The Language of Science and Faith.” It is my understanding that the BioLogos Foundation is a group of scientists, etc., promoting theistic evolution, or the belief in evolution married with the belief in the Christian God. (I have put a link below to the article by Karl Giberson.)

Giberson’s article begins, “Jesus once famously said, ‘I am the Truth.’ Christianity at its best embodies this provocative idea and has long been committed to preserving, expanding and sharing truth.” He then goes on to talk about how scientists, many Christian, have "proven" evolution and some different “evidences” of that. After that he says, “Anyone who values truth must take these ideas seriously, for they have been established as true beyond any reasonable doubt. . . . Christians must come to welcome - rather than fear - the ideas of evolution. Truths about Nature are sacred, for they speak of our Creator. Such truths constitute ‘God’s second book’ for Christians to read alongside the Bible.”

About Genesis he says, “While Genesis contains wonderful insights into the relationship between God and the creation, it simply does not contain scientific ideas about the origin of the universe, the age of the earth or the development of life.” Earlier in the article he referred to Genesis as, “. . . a story that began as an oral tradition for a wandering tribe of Jews thousands of years ago.”

Giberson does not address the multitude of scientists who don’t believe in evolution, nor does he address all of the evidence for Creation, nor the suppression of scientists and teachers who believe in Creation (as documented in the video Expelled). He doesn’t talk about how things like love and self-sacrifice, etc. “evolve,” nor the explanation for the clearly evident spirit-world. In all fairness to him, a blog is not a place to be able to cover very much, but, unless I missed it, these things were not even referenced or alluded to in any credible form. Additionally, there is no reference to how a Christian deals with the irreconcilable differences between the Gospel and theistic evolution (I’ve posted on this before, and I will do so again in the near future). He does make two other quotes worth noting, which I’ll post here, and then I’ll close with a couple of thoughts:

“To suppose, as the so-called young earth creationists do, that God dictated modern scientific ideas to ancient and uncomprehending scribes is to distort the biblical message beyond recognition. Modern science was not in the worldview of the biblical authors and it is not in the Bible.”

“We are often asked to think about what Jesus would do, if he lived among us today. Who would Jesus vote for? What car would he drive? To these questions we should add ‘What would Jesus believe about origins?’ And the answer? Jesus would believe evolution, of course. He cares for the Truth.”

It is amazing to me how Christians, who believe in a God who can create a universe, struggle so much to believe His word about how He did it, and how quickly we feel like we must find some explanation that preserves “evidence” some scientist claims to have found. These scientists reject, without apology or attempt to preserve, our foundation of truth (the Bible), and yet we find ourselves trying to find a “theory” that meshes us and them. Is it any wonder that Jesus asked, in Luke 18:8, “. . .  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”  Why do we seem, at times, to give those scientists so much more credence than all the scientists who believe in the Bible and its account?

To me, it is utter error for Giberson to say, “To suppose . . . that God dictated modern scientific ideas to ancient and uncomprehending scribes is to distort the biblical message beyond recognition.” To those who hold his view, the scribes of old were uncomprehending. Well, in most areas, aren’t we all? How many of us understand, first hand, how much of how anything really works? Rather, we learn it from someone, and the wisdom of that someone makes us either comprehending or uncomprehending—depending on whether our teacher is right or wrong. So, if God is right, and His written word is true, it would, in fact, make those who reject it uncomprehending . . . and those who they claim to be uncomprehending are, actually, the ones of true understanding because they believed God.

Did you ever notice how much the Bible foresaw the attacks on our faith? There is no way to attribute it to simply “uncomprehending” scribes who would have believed it if God only said it once. They could have never foreseen the type of attack our faith and Genesis would undergo thousands of years later. Yet, the Bible clearly did foresee it. Look carefully at its wording, with an eye to see how it addresses what only God could have know we would be challenged by today.

1)    In Gen 1:5 it says, “And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.” Six times this is repeated, once for each day of work. A clear statement against the theory that a day is longer than a real day. Why, without foreseeing today’s attacks, would that statement and repetition be necessary?

2)    Ten times in Genesis 1 it talks about plants and seeds created, “according to its kind.” Why this repetition? Why this detail? Might it not be to help equip believers like us with assurance against the theories that say one kind evolves into another?

3)    In Genesis 1:26 it says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’” Later, the Jesus whom Giberson says would believe in evolution says, in Matthew 19:4, “. . . Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female,” and, later, in Mark 10:6, Jesus says, “But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.'”

There is no way to reconcile God’s account of Creation with what some scientists are proposing happened. But, it is to me, as if God foresaw these “theories” that would attack our and our children’s faith today, and He worded His written word with such repetition that we could, in no way, convince ourselves He didn’t mean what He said. The repetition of things in Genesis and elsewhere is so strong, it is as if God saw words like Giberson’s who writes in the blog, “Evolution does not contradict the Bible unless you force an unreasonable interpretation on that ancient book,” and then wrote in His repetition to not give you any room to interpret His word any other way . . . to not be able to come up with a “more reasonable” interpretation and still believe the Bible. So, realizing God meant what He said, we are faced with a choice, and either one requires faith. The question is, who do you have your most faith in—scientists whose theories and ideas change year to year, or God who created a universe, gave you life, died on a cross for you, and is forever faithful?

Giberson Article

Does it Matter?

Note: I don't normally post links to the teachings I give at True Life Christian Fellowship in my blog. If anyone is ever interested, there is a link in the "About Me" page (above) to our church's page where you can download recent teachings if you are interested. This Sunday, however, is an exception.

This photo is recorded to be of Ota Benga, a man from the Congo put on exhibit in a zoo in the early 1900s. He later committed suicide. I could not find copyright information about this picture. If I have violated any copyright in using it please let me know and I will promptly remove it.

This morning for our Family Service in which we keep 3rd-grade and older in I taught on Theistic Evolution, which, in a nutshell, is a "compromise" position in which a Creator is acknowledged, but then it is believed that He used evolution to bring life to its current place. In my mind this is one of the most dangerous places a Christian can fall in to—and possibly the most likely place for Christians to turn to who don't want to completely reject their faith or the Bible, but who hold man's view above God's Word (whether or not they recognize that they do). I believe that this trap is one that our youth will be especially prone to fall in to as they are bombarded with the false "facts" of evolution, but don't want to completely reject Jesus.

This morning's teaching was directed completely to the Christian, and it dealt with the theological problems of Theistic Evolution (I have already taught for many prior Family Services on the vast wealth of scientific evidence giving legitimate basis for us having a faith-based belief in Creation and a literal interpretation of Genesis 1 and 2). The questions I raise in this teaching would have no effect on a non-Christian as they come from the problems a belief in Theistic Evolution causes with the Gospel and the rest of the Bible, which they don't accept anyway.

I highly encourage you to listen to this teaching. I believe the questions it raises are very important, and any Christian needs to be equipped to present them to another, or answer them on their own. I conclude the teaching with the question, "Does it matter?" and I share what, to me, was staggering and shocking information on the American Eugenics movement which, stemming out of evolution, forcibly sterilized 60,000+ Americans and did not end until 1963 (20,000 were in California alone)! I was introduced to this in the Creation-based movie on the Gallapagos called The Mysterious Island, and with further research found myself stunned at what went on in our nation's recent history—actions that the Nazis later used to try and justify their actions at the Nuremburg war crimes trials!

I can not stress this point enough—what we believe matters! The logical extensions of evolution verses Creation head to polar opposites with no middle ground to meet in. Please consider listening to this teaching. I believe it will bless and equip you. God bless you all. Thanks for reading. May you have a wonderful, Spirit-filled week in which His love and peace and presence and joy are tangible to you, and you rest in them like you never have before.

Mp3 audio (35 minutes) of Theistic Evolution: Does it Matter?

Note: In the teaching I mention that Aborigines were put in zoos. Actually, correcting that, the most famous case of a human zoo that I am aware of was a person from Congo. But, the horrific treatment of Aborigines and other humans, as well as forcible sterilizations and prohibitions against marriage between certain people that were done under the framework of evolution and Eugenics, is well documented and easily discovered with a cursory Google search.

What Came First, the Chicken, the Egg . . . or God?

Foxnews.com recently posted an article titled, "Chicken-and-Egg Mystery Finally Cracked." In that article it says, "British scientists believe they have found the answer to an ages-old question: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Scientists cracked the puzzle after discovering that the formation of eggs is possible only thanks to a protein found in chicken's ovaries. That means eggs have to be formed in chickens first."

The article then talks in specific about the protein they found (ovocledidin-17, or OC-17), and then continues, "They used a supercomputer to zoom in on the formation of an egg and realized the protein is vital in kick-starting the crystallization process. It works by converting calcium carbonate into the calcite crystals that make up the egg shell. Dr Colin Freeman, from Sheffield University's Department of Engineering Materials, said 'it had long been suspected that the egg came first—but now we have the scientific proof that shows that in fact the chicken came first.' "

Hmmm. Kind of sounds a little like Gen 1:24-25 in which God records Creation and says: And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [boldface added by me]

If you read my blog with any regularity you know that I hound on the fact that we must be convinced of the truth of God's Word, cover to cover, word to word, idea to idea, promise to promise. I equate the devil's efforts to undermine our confidence in God's Word to splitting wood by hand. If you have a large round and you want to take it apart you don't put the wedge in the strongest, toughest part or the core of the round. You look for the cracks and weak points, put the wedge there, and then split toward the strongest points.

Likewise, the devil is like that. He doesn't care how he gets you to begin to doubt God's Word. Likely it won't be with John 3:16, but rather with Genesis chapters 1 and 2, or with the account of Noah's Ark and the flood, or with a promise of God you don't see manifested in your life. However he gets in ("Did God really say . . ."), it will probably be a weak spot in your faith, and from there he will gradually erode your confidence in God's Word back to God's love or the Gospel itself, and probably at a time you most need to know it is true in your heart.

Genesis 1 and 2 are one of the greatest entry points of doubt for our youth in America. From elementary school on they are taught faulty science in contradiction to it, and they are made to feel like fools for believing in it as they get in to higher education. Once they doubt it, they begin to doubt the rest, and soon they doubt the relevance of God at all in their life—causing an exodus from the church among young people. (For a fascinating and sad look at this read Already Gone by Ken Ham and Britt Beemer.)

One of the saddest parts of this is that there is no reason for it. If you have studied scientific defenses of Genesis, or read my posts about our visit by Dr. Rick Oliver from Confound the Wise Ministries (see links below), you will know that science is only further and further coming to find evidence for God's account of Creation—it's just that they aren't allowed to talk about it. I will never forget a kind man in our area, who is very sharp, once telling me that he found it hard to believe he could have an intelligent conversation with me since I believed in the literal Creation account of Genesis. I understand his comment because the word of the scientific evidence (in all fields of science) confirming Creation is having trouble getting to those not already convinced of Genesis.

But . . . then . . . we get articles about chickens and eggs . . . and for those of us willing to recognize it as such, we see, once again, how true God's Word is, has been, and always will be.

Links to Posts about visits with Dr. Rick Oliver:
A Blessed Time: Part I (May 12, 2010)
A Blessed Time: Part II (May 14, 2010)
Fossils, Fishing, and Faith (May 21, 2009)

Rick and Susan's Ministry: Confound the Wise

A Blessed Time . . . Part II

A few years ago I had a chance to take a walk along the path beside Morro Rock, in Morro Bay, California. (In 2008 I got to go on a helicopter ride around Morro Rock and I have included a picture of it that I took then.) I remember reading the posted "official" informational signs which talk about millions (or maybe billions, I don't quite remember that exactly) of years and asking God something to the effect of, "Why, when You knew of the amazing scientific advances your creation (man) would be making, and You knew how old those advances would date your work, did You create all this such a short time ago while knowing we would date it in such direct opposition to Your Word?"

I can remember so clearly the thought I had, which I believe was God speaking to me, which said, basically, "Because faith will always be required. I have created it such that there is no middle ground (theistic evolution which says that God started it but evolution took it from there). Man's word/wisdom and My Word/wisdom will stand in such opposition that each and every man (generic "man") will be required to choose who, or what, he will believe and stake his life on."

It was one of those moments that spoke to me so clearly and powerfully because I had been thinking a lot about faith in that season and suddenly I knew that God would require each of us to choose. In this day and season of attack on our faith, man's "wisdom" and God's Word stand so diametrically opposed when it comes to the Creation chapters of Genesis that we are truly forced to decide which we shall believe—and that is a decision about where we will put our faith.

I found our visit with Rick and Susan Oliver (A Blessed Time) to be very refreshing for many reasons—one of them being Rick's repeated returning to the fact that either stand, evolution and an old earth, or Creation and a young earth, require faith.

If we are honest with the evidence and present it all, the evidence for intelligent design is overwhelming. When we observe phenomena such as occurred at Mount St. Helens 30 years ago this month we realize that the foundations of evolutionary theory that require us to embrace long, long ages are faulty. Long time is not required, just powerful forces being applied to the land (i.e. a global flood with the deep opening up, subsequent volcanic activity, and the overwhelming weight alone of the water covering the earth's surface). To the contrary, Rick shares a time when he asked a room of 600 scientists for ONE instance of empirical evidence for evolution (according to one dictionary, the word "empirical" denotes information gained by means of observation, experience, or experiment). They could not give him one.

Can we prove that God created the world, and that He did it in six days not too long ago? No. Can evolutionists prove that there has been any evolution across kinds? No. They are both beliefs and both require faith. But, when we get past the bias and the censoring, when we lay all the evidence out and examine it, God's Word stands as a testimony of Creation that has a tremendous scientific base for believing it. Unfortunately, most of our children are not able to hear about the full scope of evidence and the latest developments in math and science that are undermining evolution's pillars, and strengthening the pillars of Creation.

Does this matter? Is this important? Yes! More than we may even realize! The societal, cultural, and ultimately eternal implications of the two theories are staggering. The value of life, the meaning of life, the purpose of life, the existence of God, the nature of God, and eternal life itself are foundationaly and radically different with each theory. It is absolutely critical, beyond measure, that we believe God's Word to be true as we stake our life (now and forever) on it, and the early chapters of Genesis have been one of the dominate places Satan has attacked our confidence in God's Word over these last centuries.

We are in a war for our faith and for the eternal souls of our children and neighbors, and evolution is one of the primary swords of the enemy. If we doubt Genesis 1:1 today, what else in the Bible will we or our children doubt tomorrow? The thing is, there is no reason to doubt the Genesis account. We just need to be aware of the full scope of evidence out there and we will see that it is, indeed, truly worthy of our full faith and commitment.

A Blessed Time . . .

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.

Science, or Opinion?

I recently received the daily email from The Berean Call and it had some excerpts from an Institute of Creation Research (ICR) article about scientists who are criticizing a Montana museum for its portrayal of dinosaurs having been wiped out in the global flood of Noah. The entire article is well worth reading (it is found at: http://www.icr.org/article/5004/), but I will post the first three paragraphs here, and then share about a part of personal history I share with the story, which is probably why it attracted my attention.

Paleontologists Target Montana Dinosaur Museum
by Brian Thomas, M.S. *

The Glendive Dinosaur and Fossil Museum, which opened its doors earlier this year, boasts Montana’s second-largest set of displayed dinosaur remains. The record is still held by the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman. Both are located in Montana near a rich cache of world-famous fossils. The Glendive Museum stands apart, however, in that it presents dinosaurs as having been drowned and their remains preserved in the massive worldwide flood described in the Bible. This view has prompted reactionary comments from mainstream scientists.

Widely known dinosaur expert Jack Horner told the Billings Gazette, “It's not a science museum at all. It's not a pseudo-science museum. It's just not science…There's nothing scientific about it.” He also stated, “You can't have a debate about science and opinion.” Horner did not specify which artifacts in the museum were not scientific, nor what was unscientific about them.

The museum’s founder and director Otis E. Kline, Jr., presented two rationally testable models to the Gazette for how certain marine fossils were transported inland: “There's two ways these fossils could get to Kansas….The evolutionary way says there was an inland sea that came from the Gulf of Mexico. But the biblical creation way says it was the flood of Noah's day.”

This article attracted my attention more than most other Creation/evolution articles because, in the early 1990s, Mary Ann and I spent about five weeks living in a tepee on the Montana badlands outside of Choteau, leading tours for the Museum of the Rockies (mentioned in the article) at a dinosaur dig site led by Jack Horner (quoted in the article). This famous site is the home of Egg Mountain as well a fossil-laden “badlands” and a massive band of dinosaur bones found in incredible density over a large swath of land. If you watch any modern dinosaur specials you will probably find them quoting, or at least mentioning, Jack Horner, Egg Mountain, and this region. (Interestingly—and I can’t swear on its truth—we were told while there that Michael Creighton’s idea for Jurassic Park supposedly began one night around a fire pit at the sight during a casual discussion of how DNA from a dinosaur might be preserved.) The four pictures posted with this blog entry are two different ones of a bearded "me" leading tours there; some carnivore dinosaur teeth still in matrix (rock) which we found; and Art, a friend of ours who came to visit us, with Mary Ann and I in front of the tepees we lived in at the camp.

While living and working at the site Mary Ann and I were privileged to meet Jack Horner as well as many other wonderful men and women working there who sincerely loved what they were doing and believed the current teaching of Paleontology’s leaders wholeheartedly. They were a special group of people and our hearts will always hold a tender spot for them and for our time spent there.

At the time we worked at the site I was not a Christian, but I was well into my journey through the apologetics and trying to come to my conclusions about evolution, Creation, the Bible, Jesus, etc. Interestingly, it was Jack Horner who unwittingly played a part in my eventually coming down on the side of Creation and a young earth, leading to a belief in the Bible.

One day Mary Ann and I were privileged to take a walk through the badlands on a tour led by Jack for the staff. We got to hear him talk about a paper he was publishing and to ask him questions. One of the things he talked about was his theory of how species X (my name) transitioned into species Z (also my name). If my memory serves me correctly, they had many articulated skeletons (the bones were found together, in the animal’s shape) of both species X and Z. Struggling to understand the whole evolution versus creation thing, I asked him if we had any articulated fossil skeletons of species “Y,” which would have been the transitional species between the two.

As I remember it (understand, I am going back almost 20 years in my memory here and could well have some things wrong), he said that we really didn’t. “Why not?,” I asked. He surmised that an interior seaway which paleontologists believe covered much of the central United States back then expanded and contracted over millions of years. He theorized that species X lived on the plains when the sea was small, and was pushed into the pockets of the Rockies when the sea expanded. In those compressed pockets, he theorized, evolution was accelerated, and when the sea later receded it was species Z that emerged onto the plains. In my recollection, he thought that the reason we don’t have articulated fossils of species Y was because of both the upheaval of the mountains which would have disrupted them, and the washes down from the mountains that would have disrupted and scattered any skeletons found there.

I remember hearing that and really struggling to accept it as I began to see just how many leaps of faith (and “theories”) were required to believe the concept of evolution. I know that Jack was sincere in his ideas and fully committed to them. He hungered for truth like I did. I truly like Jack Horner (though he wouldn’t remember me from anyone else), and I truly was honored to be a part of the camp and the work. I’d welcome him to my screen porch for a cup of coffee in a heartbeat! But, it strikes me that what he shared with me in those hills was, simply, opinion—an opinion he had given a lot of thought to, and believed in, but still an opinion. Which is why, I guess, I was so struck the other day with the quote above which is attributed to him about the museum, “You can't have a debate about science and opinion.” I have now, years later, come to believe that there is more evidence for a global flood of Noah’s day, and for a young earth, then there is against it—and I can see that even then God’s Spirit was at work in me as I struggled to embrace what I would later come to believe was not true.