Ken Ham's Blog, page 433

Has Noah's Ark Really Been Found?

In recent months, there has been a claim that the remains of Noah's Ark were found on Mt. Ararat. For many reasons, AiG was extremely skeptical when the announcement was made. Since that time, AiG geologist Dr. Andrew Snelling has conducted research into one aspect of this supposed claim that the remains of the Ark were discovered and posted  an article on the AiG website. Well, there has been mixed reaction to this article by Dr. Snelling that dealt with the C-14 dating results of wood samples claimed to have come from the supposed discovery of the Ark on Mt. Ararat.

Requested by concerned Chinese pastors, the article presented the C-14 testing results that the Chinese-Turkish discovery team have failed to disclose publicly because three of the four samples gave modern ages that undermine their claim to have discovered the Ark. The article also set out why the 4,800 year age for one sample is not the radiocarbon age to be expected from pre-Flood wood.

His careful explanation of the details involved have drawn praise from those who accept the biblical account of the Flood as a literal, historic, and globe-encircling event. Sadly, criticism has come from those Christians who are committed to an old earth—and who therefore reject the testimony of Jesus who spoke of Noah, the Ark, and the Flood as real and a literal historic event (Matthew 24:38–39). Among detractors are a U.S. Chinese pastor and a U.S. teacher in a Christian school for missionary kids in Europe.

Dr. Snelling shared with me that "otherwise, thus far the perpetrators of the Ark claim have chosen to ignore the article, but we have been forewarned their response is coming. Making a stand for the truth is costly, both in the time involved and in the inevitable attacks on scientific and personal integrity."

Of course we would be thrilled if the remains of the Ark were actually found. But we also need to be sure that whatever we do is of the highest integrity—the highest professionalism and the highest quality research. That is why we decided to go public with this particular paper by Dr. Andrew Snelling.

Please in prayer about this matter.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Away to the UK

Popular AiG speaker Dr. Tommy Mitchell is soon going to the UK (United Kingdom) for a speaking tour. He sent me the following item to post about the upcoming UK events:

Answers in Genesis is an international ministry. It has been our desire to proclaim the message of biblical authority not only here in the United States but all over the world. For example, you may know Ken Ham recently participated in a major creation conference in Malaysia (where the response was tremendous, I might add).

As a part of our international outreach, we have been planning for a series of meetings in Northern Ireland. This has taken an enormous amount of time and effort on the part of our UK staff. Securing speaking venues, making travel arrangements, and shipping resources requires a lot of man-hours.

Now the planning has been done, the venues secured, and the time is almost here. This coming Wednesday, November 23, I will be off to the UK. I will fly to London and then on to Belfast where our UK staff will meet me to begin our ministry there. Here is the itinerary for the trip.

I will be speaking in churches, in schools, to youth groups, and at pastors' meetings. I look forward to a wonderful time of ministry as the Word of God is proclaimed and our Lord Jesus Christ is honored. Our staff tells me that there is great anticipation about the upcoming meetings, and that is very exciting to me.

My plans are to post numerous reports about the ministry in Northern Ireland during my time there. I plan to post both on my speaker blog and on my Facebook page. Please make a note to follow these posts daily.

I would covet your prayers as the time for this ministry draws closer. Pray not only for travel mercies but also for my physical strength during a very busy time of speaking. Pray mostly that the authority of God's Word would be proclaimed boldly, even through such a weak vessel as myself. Pray that many would come to know Christ through the preaching of His Word.

– Dr. Tommy Mitchell

Let's pray for Tommy as he speaks across the UK.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Begin with Begin

I thought it would be good to include one of the great emails we received this past week so you can praise the Lord with us for the way He impacts lives with AiG resources. This AiG supporter is using the new Begin book to begin with new believers!

I just finished you[r] and Bodie's "Begin" and ordered a case for our ministries around here.  Powerful and very well put together — very needed with new people and the gospel presentation   Thank you both very much — well done and Praise the Lord.  We give out many new [B]ibles, but new people are like a pup in a meat shop, they just don't know what to snap into first.

Also read your "Already Compromised" a couple months ago now and was just as impressed.  Page 134 states you and Greg [Hall] were both products of secular schools, but had to deal with the baggage.  Actually I have come from a church background where lots of baggage had to be discarded along the way — and oh my, I'm like Paul — I don't even want to look back — but just press on forward — what's ahead is too good to agonize over the past.

You can find out more about the Begin book at this link.

Thanks to the Lord for the encouraging feedback we receive each day.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Wow—What a Feature Article!

Just a few weeks ago, we welcomed Dr. Gerald Harris, editor of The Christian Index (www.christianindex.org) to Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum. The Christian Index is the state paper for Southern Baptists in Georgia, with many subscribers in other southeastern states.  I was privileged to be able to show Dr. Harris through the museum and AiG offices.  What a blessing to read the well-written article that was just published in The Christian Index!  When I saw the article, I exclaimed, "WOW!"

I wanted all of you to see this article, so it is posted below for you.

I do want to thank Dr. Gerald Harris for his high-quality journalism and for publishing this article, so many more people in Georgia and beyond will be aware of what I believe is one of the leading evangelistic facilities in America today—the Creation Museum! (Did you know that Atlanta is a 7-hour drive from the museum?)

Click on the image below to open the article.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

College Expo 2011

This past weekend we had our first College Expo in Legacy Hall at the Creation Museum. With 21 colleges and universities represented, hundreds of students were able to come to the Creation Museum on Friday and Saturday to meet with recruiters.

As we have found from the research done for the recently released book Already Compromised (on the rampant compromise existing in most Christian schools), it is important to do your homework when searching for colleges. Even many Christian schools have compromised biblical authority to allow for evolutionary/millions-of-years humanistic teaching concerning origins. So at AiG, we have sought to identify colleges and universities that testify they  hold to a biblical literal interpretation of God's Word and the six-day account of creation and a global worldwide Flood.  Of course AiG can't guarantee what every professor will teach in a classroom, but at least this is a start to help parents and students make the correct choice for a Christian college that stands on God's Word.

Students were glad to have the opportunity to meet with so many schools and their representatives in one place and also hear some of our excellent teachers over the weekend. Men like Dr. Terry Mortenson, Dr. Jason Lisle, Dr. David Menton, and my brother Steve gave special presentations, workshops, and question and answer sessions.

You can view a list of all the schools whose president has already informed AiG in writing of their agreement with AiG's statement of faith that is very specific regarding Genesis (not all such colleges were able to attend the expo this year) at www.creationcolleges.org.

The following photographs weren taken during the expo that will give you a bit of a feel of what it was like to be there:

The College Expo will be an annual event, so if you missed out this time, watch for our second annual College Expo coming next fall.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Worldwide Epidemic Threatens Church

Upwards of 1000 people attended various sessions at the All-Asian Creation Conference in Malaysia this week. Twenty countries were represented. It was amazing to meet people from Nepal, Italy, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, USA, England, the Philippines—and the list goes on.

After the first session Tuesday afternoon, most of the AiG resources were purchased in a matter of minutes. Some people literally ran back to the book tables so they wouldn't miss out. I must admit, I have never seen such hunger for the resources—it was truly amazing to watch. Many were disappointed they missed out on certain items.

I received many testimonies from people telling me how they are already using AiG resources in their countries. It is amazing how God has taken AiG material around the world. I really have not realized how much God is using AiG and the resources He has enabled us to produce to reach into places I have never heard of before. It is thrilling to hear testimonies of people who have been led to the Lord through them.

But something has stood out to me more than anything else at this conference, and it burdens me so deeply.

After I spoke a person came up to me and said, "Please bring a conference to Indonesia—most of the pastors there believe in evolution."

Then another person said, "Please come to my country—most of the pastors believe in evolution."

Then another said, "Please come to my country—most of the pastors there believe in evolution."

There were 20 countries represented at this conference, and I think I have now heard from people from nearly all of them pleading for a creation conference in their country. They have all have said to me something like, "most of the pastors—Christian leaders—seminary professors—believe in evolution and millions of years."

Friends, disbelief in the book of Genesis is a worldwide epidemic. Satan has used millions of years and evolution to permeate the church around the world. What a mission field we now have to the church. And in particular, what a mission field we have to reach the "shepherds," the Christian leaders and pastors around the world to call them out of compromise and back to the authority of the Word of God.

I think this one conference has made me realize even more than ever how the pagan religion of millions of years and evolution has so permeated the church around the world! What a mess! And sadly, countries like the USA and England have sent missionaries around the world teaching this compromise message because they were trained in compromised colleges and seminaries.

This makes me more burdened than ever to challenge these compromising church leaders.

And you know what else this conference in Asia has shown me? There is a real hunger among the people—hunger for the truth. It is a hunger for answers. When people who do have a respect for God's Word are given answers and taught the importance of not undermining biblical authority in Genesis, they get it. They really get it! And then they are set on fire to go back to their country and be a missionary for creation evangelism.

Here are some photos taken at the All-Asian Creation Conference in Malaysia this week.

There are also many people talking about establishing creation apologetics ministry in their countries with a close association with AiG. The fascinating thing is that many of the creation organizations already in existence or those wanting to start such are headed by scientists. This is another worldwide phenomenon—scientists telling people the Bible is true in Genesis while many of the theologians are saying it is not!

Please pray for the Lord to open more doors so we can deal with this compromise epidemic that is undermining God's Word worldwide.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

We're off to Nashville—for a Bible Bee!

The Creation Museum will be heading to Nashville very soon, and from November 17–20 we will be there to support and speak at the 2011 National Bible Bee and Family Discipleship Celebration. The three winning young people—who have memorized huge chunks of Scripture—in the three age categories will receive some very special items from the Museum and AiG.

Everyone is invited to attend this family-friendly event. As I wrote before on this blog, the Bible Bee will be full of God-honoring activities and speakers—and fun! Of course, there will also be the National Bible Bee Finals competition.

Our museum will have a booth there, and AiG staff member, Roger Patterson, will once again represent us.

The National Bible Bee is designed to promote family discipleship—especially with family Bible studies. To that end, Roger will present many workshop sessions that will share about our upcoming "Answers Bible Curriculum," which can be used by churches and families to study the Bible and defend the Christian faith. (By the way, for information about the ABC curriculum, visit www.AnswersBibleCurriculum.com. The curriculum is expected to ship mid-2012 for use beginning in the fall of 2012).

Be sure to also read my blog post—which includes photos—of last year's Bee in Chicago.

I am pleased to be on the advisory board for the Bible Bee and happy to support an outreach to help young people learn more about God's Word.

You can discover more at www.BibleBee.org.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

All-Asian Creation Conference Started Yesterday in Malaysia

Yesterday, I gave keynote talks (as other speakers, such as Dr. Andy Macintosh from the UK) at what the organizers in Malaysia are calling a very needed ground-breaking "All-Asian Creation Conference."

Just as we find in the USA, Australia, UK, Europe, etc., evolution and millions-of-years teaching have not only permeated the culture as a whole but have also permeated the church. The church in Malaysia suffers from the same basic problem we see everywhere we go—most of the leaders (pastors, Christian academics/professors at Christian institutions, and so on) have adopted millions of years and evolution into God's Word.

From what I can ascertain, the BioLogos group (an extremely liberal group theologically,  founded in the USA by Dr. Francis Collins)—along with the sad compromising teaching of Hugh Ross—has saturated the church.

However, the conference that began yesterday will challenge these Asian church leaders to return to the authority of the Word of God. Many more than expected have registered for the conference—hundreds of Christians, including many pastors and other Christian leaders, will be challenged concerning taking God at His Word beginning in Genesis.

Christians here have told me that the average person in the church considers Genesis as not important, or that what one believes about Genesis has nothing to do with the gospel, and so on. Well, they are about to be challenged.

Apparently about 10 percent of the population in Asia are Christians, which is a higher percentage than Australia or England. If God's people begin standing against this compromise starting in Malaysia, we believe it could really mobilize the church in a big way.

The night before the conference, we met with the local organizers and a number of volunteers who flew from America to help with this conference.

The following is a photograph of the group that met the night before the start of the conference for prayer and set up:

The local organizers went to considerable trouble to have a number of teaching signs made, and it is thrilling to see the way the Lord is using AiG material to get the message out around the world. See the following photos:

The following is a photo of the notebook that is being given to every participant:

The local organizers had a special t-shirt made, and this t-shirt certainly will be a conversation starter. Check out the photo below:

800 chairs were set out last night. Organizers originally hoped for 400 people for this three-day conference, but over 600 have registered so far, coming from over 20 countries. Also, an additional 200 is expected to come for the evening programs. For a country like Malaysia, this is tremendous.

We are in Subang, which is something of a sister city of Kuala Lumpur, the nation's capital. As we looked out of our hotel window last night, we then prayed that God would use this conference to reach many for Him and to help bring reformation to the church as the hundreds of Christian leaders are challenged to return to the authority of God's Word beginning in Genesis:

Please pray for this three-day conference in Malaysia.

IncrediWorld

Our staff had an "incredible" time last week learning all about IncrediWorld—Amazement Park, our next Vacation Bible School (VBS) program!

The main writers for this apologetics and evangelistic VBS program for 2012 is a husband-and-wife team, Randy and Barb. Ohio residents, they drove to our northern Kentucky offices last week and brought their enthusiasm and passion for VBS with them as they gave our entire staff a preview of next year's VBS.

They shared the important teaching points of IncrediWorld and some of what the people from our test churches (see the photo above of an Ohio church and a huge group of young people who turned out to test the VBS program) have had to say about this exciting program to reach youth nationwide next year:

I was very moved by how the four-year-olds  in my room were so excited how Jesus died for THEM! I also thought it was interesting to see how much they absorbed through the week. By the last day they knew what days God created what things, and they were asking and answering very "big" questions!  – B.D.

I felt the kids loved every moment! There was so much hands-on, exciting info. They loved "ganging up" on Dr. Ino-It-All, had tons of fun with the bird beaks, and loved all the teaching games. I was so blessed by VBS this year!  My family and I are living proof of how God uses VBS to save His children. That's how we started coming to the church, and now, as a result, one day we'll be in His presence because of it! I am eternally grateful for VBS. Words cannot do justice for my appreciation!  – D.H.

This is absolutely the best VBS material I have ever used! The utilization of Scripture was penetrating to the hearts of the workers and the kids. As a VBS teacher, I learned so much more about God, the Bible, and Creation through this material. I am now better equipped in engaging non-believers about God being the Creator of the heavens and the earth. It helped answer the dinosaur questions I had in my own mind. I t was exciting to teach and the kids absolutely loved it.

On dinosaur day, we were quizzing the kids about dinosaurs. One question we asked them was, "What did dinosaurs eat when they were first created?" One first-grader shot up his hand and then gave us an animated response of how dinosaurs "only ate flesh and bones, and tore all the other animals apart!" But after reviewing Scripture and learning how God originally made all humans and animals to only eat plants, the same little boy raised his hand. He said, "Is it okay if I change my answer, now that I know what God really did?" And I think that's what this VBS did. It helped a lot of people "change their answer."

On Gospel Day, we had four decisions for Christ, just from one class of twenty kids. One student asked us, "So, can I tell God where I want my ride to end before I die, even if I'm not nine yet?" We said, "Yes, yes, you can!"

Overall, I found the information in this kit very helpful and want to use it in further discussions I'm having with different family members and friends. This VBS material was not only educational, but also fascinating.  – M.D.

This material has surpassed even the previous years' materials. Hard to believe that is even possible. Each day fits so beautifully with the next that there is zero gap. We are addressing points of information in which these children are interested and are presenting it to them in a way that is very accessible. Fantastic! – K.M.

That's what our VBS programs are all about: presenting the gospel and encouraging children to always look to the Bible for answers to the questions it touches on. We're excited about IncrediWorld because it teaches children to know that God is the true Creator of our incredible world—it was not evolutionary processes over millions of years. They'll also learn that God's original "very good" world was changed after Adam sinned, and that because of our sin, we need a Savior to provide a way for us to spend eternity in heaven with God. They'll find out that Savior is the Creator—Jesus Christ (Colossians 1)! And, they'll learn the truth about some of God's most incredible creatures—dinosaurs!

Thousands of churches used AiG's VBS program this last year. More and more churches are using these programs each year as they are so full of teaching—based on the authority of Scripture, with an apologetics component and evangelistic emphasis. There really is nothing like AiG VBS programs on the market.

You can preorder your IncrediWorld starter or super-starter kit right now. Just visit our online bookstore for ordering information, and check out our VBS website at AnswersVBS.com/2012.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Evangelism—That's What It's All About

Many who have visited the Creation Museum have told us how pleasantly surprised they were at the evangelistic nature of the Creation Museum. In fact, the entire AiG ministry and the coming Ark Encounter are all directed to an evangelistic emphasis. As I often say, "there is no point in just converting people to be creationists—creationists will end up separated from God for ever like an atheist, if they don't trust in the Lord for salvation." We have received many exciting testimonies of people being saved as a result of the AiG and Creation Museum ministries. The following testimony was received last week from a ministry friend—we rejoice, and we know the angels rejoice in Heaven:

Last spring we had eleven kids from our local neighborhood just show up at our church on their own. Representing four families, they are all related by kin or marriage, and came to us distraught by their parents' goings on.  They are all also un-churched. We immediately started teaching them basic apologetics using AiG materials. Then, during the course of AiG's "Gold Rush" Vacation Bible School (VBS) program, three of them made professions of faith!

The kids have become quite an attachment to our church, and a source of great blessing — and often concern [because of ongoing issues with parents] The oldest is a 12-year-old boy who is continually bringing a new friend or cousin because our "church is so cool". (Which we aren't, but he is!)

Following VBS, we shifted into the "Answers for Kids" curriculum, which they love. It is so very rich in sound doctrine. Even though they seemed to be lapping up what we were teaching them, it was evident that their negligible biblical background gave them only a few "pegs" on which to hang everything they were learning. So we organized a trip to the Creation Museum, and, in order to maximize the experience, we scheduled it for the Sunday and Monday of Labor Day weekend, with a campout on Sunday night.

At the campground we met a Christian couple who are actually living there. The husband is a finish carpenter by trade and his wife is disabled. As a result of the economy, they have lost their home and shop and are reduced, materially, to their camper and pick-up truck. They were thrilled with our plans for taking the kids to the museum, and I offered to leave our guest passes with them on our way home on Monday. They had never been, and such a trip is a definite luxury for their budget.

Although they were timid about accepting the use of our passes, by the time we stopped back by on Monday evening, Terry had a gleam in his eye as he had pondered using the passes to take lost people he knew. Long story short, in the three weeks they kept the passes, they took 23 people to the museum, and three of those received Christ!

I praise God for AiG and the Creation Museum and all the related resources that enable people to effectively share the gospel. I pray for you and Ken and the  ministries regularly. May God ever prosper and protect you.

– D.B., Kentucky

In Malaysia

Today Mally and I arrived in Malaysia where I will speak at the All-Asian Creation Conference. Please be in prayer as I give keynote addresses to hundreds of Christian leaders from across Asia on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Feedback from New Zealand

We are so encouraged by the feedback we receive from around the world. We received the following email from New Zealand recently:

I just want to thank you for all the work that you have done over the years. My wife and I homeschool. We live in Rarotonga (Cook Islands) and so it can be a bit isolated. We really appreciate your articles and blogs in those times.

You have motivated us so much in the last couple of years with your strong stance on the Bible and on Creation. We love it. The DVDs your ministry produces are wonderful and they assist my wife, myself, and also our daughter. We all especially love the astronomy topics and we all think Dr Jason Lisle is excellent too.

Your work is very encouraging and I always look forward to you[r] blog …

One day I hope to take my family up to the US to visit the Creation Museum. That will be a privilege and a highlight for us — especially being able to show my daughter the connection of the Word with the visualisation of what the museum offers.

God bless you and your ministry.

– N.C.  New Zealand

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken