Ken Ham's Blog, page 470

Misrepresentations of the "House of God"

My brother Steve and I have prepared a three-part web series on "Fallacies of the Modern Church: Barriers to equipping the saints." The ministry of Answers in Genesis is devoted to two big visions:

Calling the church to reclaim the foundations of our faith that are found in the Bible from the very first verse.
Equipping the church with answers to the attacks of our time using the authority of the Word of God.

Often we find that even though many churches and pastors desire to lead a church that stands upon the authority of God's Word, modern views of the church body, church buildings, and gatherings have actually become a barrier to equipping congregations in biblical authority.

This is a time when the secular culture is relentlessly saturating our televisions, schools, colleges, movies, and all other sorts of media with humanist indoctrination. And our churches are losing their best opportunities to equip families for this anti-biblical onslaught, as they are by and large not making the most of the little time they have in our Sunday gatherings.

In fact, our views of church buildings, gatherings, and even the terminologies and language we use have distorted understandings of our biblical responsibilities to equip saints to uphold biblical authority.

In an attempt to make sure the "House of God" is holy, many Christians have misrepresented what the House of God truly is and have placed a roadblock in front of the need for equipping the saints.

Please take the time over the next three days to read through this very important series and think about how you can reclaim a biblical understanding of the modern church.  Oh, and while you do this, why not check out a copy of our book In God We Trust.  The book has a couple of very important chapters to read on this very issue.

Go to part one on the AiG website.

Birthday Boy

I met a young boy (seen in the red-striped shirt in the photo) at the Creation Museum last week who wanted to come to the museum for his birthday! It is thrilling to hear of children who so want to learn the truths of God's Word.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

The Talented Crew

I thought you would all like to see a photograph of the AiG/Creation Museum staff taken recently as our work day began. (Most of the museum staff, though, are not in the photo because they work different shifts; e.g., many arrive later in the morning, others work on the weekends, etc., and so it's impossible to find a time when all staff are on-site at the same time).  How we praise the Lord for the talented crew He has brought together. They are so dedicated—so passionate for this ministry.  And they are so sacrificial with their time.

Please pray for them on a regular basis.

One Day to Go

Tomorrow through Wednesday, our front page web article will challenge you regarding your thinking about the role of the church.  Do you have a full biblical understanding of the church? Does your view of it prohibit people from being equipped to defend and grow in their faith?

In a series of what will be three articles entitled "Fallacies of the Modern Church: Barriers to equipping the saints," my brother Steve and I will be challenging people's thinking on the modern church and asking a couple of very important questions: Do we think biblically about the modern church? And does our thinking enhance or reduce the edification of the body?

Part one of this three part series begins tomorrow on the www.answersingenesis.org website.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

It's Coming

At the Creation Museum a couple of years ago, some of our staff asked if they could use our live nativity Christmas program (called Christmas Town) to challenge many long-held but incorrect views about the nativity.  I was thrilled we could do this.  All  Christians need to be challenged (like the Bereans in Acts 17) to see if what  they believe is in accord with Scripture.  Many people have been shocked to learn that many ideas they hold about the nativity (and the events surrounding it) do not line up with Scripture.  (By the way, I urge you to bring your family and friends to our Christmas Town event that begins soon—you can find out more from the Creation Museum website).

This past week, I addressed the AiG staff about another area where Christians can  hold ideas that do not line up with Scripture.  Many of our ideas (and some of the terminology we use) about the church are not correct.  In fact, we have found that many Christians (including many pastors) have an Old Testament "Temple view" instead of a New Testament view of the church.  This actually is hindering the church in equipping people.  God's people need to be challenged in this crucial area.

On Monday through to Wednesday this coming week, we will be bringing a three-part web series on "Fallacies of the Modern Church: Barriers to equipping the saints."  This series will challenge many people as to how they view the church, and how this relates to our desire to be thoroughly equipped with biblical answers to meet the skepticism of our time.  If you are concerned about the secular indoctrination that is taking place in our nation and how it has infiltrated churches and families, this series is for you.

So get ready to see aspects of the church in a biblical light and become passionate about equipping the saints.   And be prepared to be challenged.  We often don't like to give up old ideas—but we must judge what we believe against Scripture.  Look for this series on the front page of the www.answersingenesis.org website this week.

Fun-loving Staff

The guest services team at the Creation Museum is a talented and varied group.  All are dedicated in their service to the guests and are creative in their work.  A sense of humor is a valuable tool for them.  Brian Halpin is one of the seasoned veterans and leads our group in (what a museum staff member stated as) "the joyful spirit department."  Recently our petting zoo's camel (Gomer) who gives rides at the petting zoo was not feeling well and took a little break.  Brian, always ready with a joke, said if Gomer couldn't give folks a ride, then he would.  Well, that lead to some creativity among a few other staff and an idea was born.  The signage shown on display stands around the museum became a good place for a little fun on Brian.  The sign that normally is displayed to advertise camel rides was altered to show Brian's head in place of the camel's.  Of course it was taken down before guests arrived, but Brian and the guest service people had a good laugh.

As we work together, we bond as extended family—praying, worshiping, and growing together.  Just like families, we have fun together, too.  The next time you drop by the museum, do say hello to Brian and rib him about giving a camel ride.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying

Ken

Love and Evolution

Attorney Tony Biller (and AiG board member) has written a very interesting article on "Love and Evolution." It begins as follows:

We do not find comfort in—nor do we long for—struggle. Our humane spirit finds no joy in imposing death on others or in the killing of life simply for the pleasure of asserting our superiority. While nature is red in tooth and claw [as Tennyson declared], death and violence affect us negatively. If struggle is the fuel of the evolutionary engine, and evolution is our mother and creator, we should find some form of comfort in the struggle. Indeed, according to evolutionary theory, we are the result and pinnacle of millions of years of struggle and death carving out and forming life.

Further on in the article he writes:

The God of the Bible is love. God is love. Did love create us, or are we the byproduct of struggle and death? Of course, scripture speaks clearly on this. So too does our nature. Our hearts and souls long and fight for love. Unless we've been tragically broken, we find no solace in death or pain or brutality. Instead of being at peace with the alleged engines of evolution, our hearts and souls revolt and protest against death and struggle. We find our strongest motivations and comfort in love, which is close to an antecedent of the supposed creative forces of evolution. Perhaps the single greatest force in an individual's life, outside forces of nature, is the power of love.

Later Tony states:

Indeed, as Scripture teaches, love is a stronger force than death. In the body of Christ, love literally overcame the grave. Even in our common existence, we see evidence of love being a more compelling force than death. There is hardly a decent parent that would not immediately forfeit his or her life for their children. Every day, our service members give up their lives for each other and for their country. Firemen and police officers routinely put themselves in harm's way so that others may be safe, many regularly forfeiting their lives for others. This is mankind made in the image of God, an image of mankind that all decent humans hold dear to their hearts and celebrate. Such a selfless, sacrificing person and ethos, this imago dei, is antithetical to the theoretical man of evolution.

He ends the article by stating the following:

Love is the purest form of living. Love provides foundation and motivation to live. Love never fails and never ends. Love is eternal. We know love is not supposed to be temporary, corrupted, interrupted or conditional. Our soul was made to love and be loved. It was made for fellowship with the eternal God, who is perfect love. The soul aches in this fallen world under the curse, where love is betrayed and death interrupts, too often and without warning. Love made us for a better day, and not blind, violent forces of nature. Love created us. Love also offers to save and perfect us if we will let Him.

The above are just some excerpts. I would encourage you to read the entire article: http://sapphiresky.org/2010/11/14/lost-love/

It's Coming . . .

On Monday through Wednesday of this upcoming week, we will be bringing a three-part series on "Fallacies of the Modern Church: Barriers to Equipping the Saints." This series will present challenges about how we view the church and our responsibility to be thoroughly equipped with biblical answers to meet the skepticism of our time. If you are concerned about the secular indoctrination that is taking place in our nation, and how it has infiltrated churches and families, then this series is for you. Get ready to see the church in a biblical light and become passionate about equipping the saints.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

AiG Booklet Now in Urdu Language

Over the years, many AiG books, booklets, videos, and other resources have been translated into numerous languages (over 75 now). Here is the latest addition to our foreign language translations:

Urdu is spoken by 65 million people in Pakistan and five states in India. We praise the Lord that this is our first-ever publication in the Urdu language, and we pray it certainly will not be the last.

Here is a report from our AiG Worldwide director, Dr. David Crandall:

15,000 copies are being printed in Pakistan and will be distributed free of charge in that country. Pakistan is in the news a lot recently, and we are so pleased that AiG Worldwide has this translation available in their "heart language." Very little Christian literature is translated into Urdu, and we know this booklet will be a great blessing.

Dr. Crandall also said the following:

So many of these dear people face death and suffering everyday of their lives, and we pray that the booklet will bring answers and comfort to a hurting people group.

The translator of the booklet said the following:

This book really speaks to the Pakistan people and the many life problems they face. The Christian population will be greatly encouraged by AiG's booklet.

Diana Crandall, translation director, indicated that the contact with the translator was indeed of the Lord: to find a Christian in Pakistan who is a young-earth, six-literal-day creationist is quite amazing. In fact, because of the contact, the translator will be attending the AiG All Asian-Creation Conference in Malaysia in November, 2011.

Missionary to the UK

This past Monday, while in Georgia, I was able to meet with my good friend and missionary to the United Kingdom, Wyatt Gwin.

Wyatt is an American who pastored a church in London for 15 years. I met up with Wyatt many times during my speaking tours of the UK. In fact, he organized one of the first major AiG conferences in the UK many years ago.

The United Kingdom certainly needs the message of creation, gospel, and biblical authority. We are working with Wyatt on how we can help the AiG ministry in the UK reach out to that nation (and particularly the church where so many Christian leaders—even many of the theologically conservative ones—compromise with evolution, millions of  years, and so on). You can find out more about his ministry at this link:  http://www.emmanuelandassociates.org/

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Bible Bee Award-Winners Visit

The National Bible Bee competition finished last weekend in the Chicago area. This event is for young people who recite Bible verses from memory (plus learn biblical truths along the way) and is endorsed by our AiG ministry. After all, AiG is all about biblical authority.

On Monday, the second- and third-place winners in the junior category of the Bible Bee toured the Creation Museum with their families. In the first photo, you can see the Schlichter family of Texas. The daughter, Brittany, is holding her third place award.

Brittany is also the author of a book, which she presented to our staff to forward to me (I was speaking in Georgia at the time).

In the next photo, you can see the Floyd family from Pennsylvania. The daughter, Anna (age 14), holds her second-place award.

Congratulations, young ladies! And keep reading your Bible!

I encourage you to think about having your young person be a part of the Bible Bee next year. Regional competitions will be occurring all over the United States (perhaps 7,000 young people will participate in 2011), and the finals will be held in Texas in November of next year. See www.BibleBee.org for more information.

Every Christian Needs to Go

Here is a comment about the Creation Museum we came across recently:

Then we hit the road, in the middle of our 9-day visit, for Petersburg, KY. This was for our much-anticipated visit to the Creation Museum. The museum is a living ministry explosion! If an individual has never heard the gospel they will certainly be held accountable before God for being told the truth of His Word. It was so much more than "just dinosaurs." Although, the history of God's creation only validates His pristine architecture for our lives. Isn't it amazing we call Him Father and He calls us child? Every Christian needs to go. Bring non-believers too! As the museums advertising states "Prepare to believe!"

You can view the original blog post at this link.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Pastors Hear Conference Promotion in Tennessee

On February 13–14, 2011, AiG will be conducting a conference in Johnson City, Tennessee. Dr. Jason Lisle and I will be speaking. Last week, my brother Steve Ham and Chris Russell from our Outreach Division promoted the conference at a pastors' breakfast in Johnson City. Here is a photograph of Steve as he addressed over 150 pastors/Christian leaders from the area:

You can find out details about the conference on the AiG event page.

Georgia Conference

Here are some more photographs taken from the AiG conference at New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Georgia:

Anna—a nine-year-old girl who asked me how to answer the question, "could there be more than one God?"

A homeschool family who have visited the Creation Museum recently.

I am with a family who heard me speak a number of years ago—they are excited about AiG.

People at the church picking up Bible-affirming resources.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

The Gutenberg Press

Last week, Pastor Paul Crosson, an associate pastor at Tri-County Baptist Church in Ohio (Cincinnati area), visited the Creation Museum. He related more of the details as to how the Creation Museum obtained the replica of a Gutenberg Press for the biblical authority exhibit area.

Quite a number of years ago, a man named Glen Davis had a burden to build a replica of this famous printing press and use it as a witness at a secular festival. Another man called Bill Miller, a wood worker, built the press for him.  Glen eventually moved out of the area and the press was stored at Tri-County Baptist church for a number of years. Then when Pastor Paul Crosson was on a behind-the-scenes tour of the construction of the Creation Museum, the tour guide said something like, "one day we hope to get a replica of a Guttenburg Press for this area." Paul then told us about the one sitting at his church. The church then donated this to the Creation Museum. Since then, our talented artists have restored this press, and it is now a very classy exhibit in the biblical authority room.

Here are photographs of Paul Crosson and I standing in front of the press in the exhibit at the Creation Museum:

By the way, here is just a little information about such a press:

Johannes Gutenberg, a goldsmith and businessman from the mining town of Mainz in southern Germany, borrowed money to invent a technology that changed the world of printing. Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press with replaceable/moveable wooden or metal letters in 1436 (completed by 1440). This method of printing can be credited not only for a revolution in the production of books, but also for fostering rapid development in the sciences, arts and religion through the transmission of texts. (http://inventors.about.com/od/gstartinventors/a/Gutenberg.htm)

The Gutenberg Press was used to print Bibles, and was a form of "mass communication" of its day that made the Reformation possible—as God's Word was spread throughout Europe (and eventually the whole world).

We had a great response to the AiG conference in Georgia.  This evening, Dr. Lisle and I will give the final two presentations of this conference.

Here I am with Pastor Rhys Stenner of New Hope Baptist Church (with two locations) of Fayetteville, where Dr. Jason Lisle (shown in the pulpit) and I spoke this weekend:

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Special Little Visitor on Friday

I'm in Georgia this weekend, but before I left, I had the opportunity to meet Jada (four years old) inside the Creation Museum. She has been to our museum about 50 times! She lives about 25 minutes away, and usually comes with her uncle Brandon (he's a student of apologetics at Boyce College, and also teaches at a local Baptist church). Jada knows much of the museum's exhibits by memory, and even at her age (four), she can tell you something about carbon dating and how it has nothing to do with dating the earth to be very old! "Precocious" is the best word to describe her.

Here she is with me (along with staff member Ed Moore, far left, who knows Brandon and Jada through church, and Mark Looy at the far right).

I gave her some special presents as a way of saying "thank you" for coming to the museum so many times: a new Buddy Davis CD and a children's DVD of Buddy and me talking about dinosaurs.  Here is a photograph with Jada holding the CD and DVD:

Facebook Site Growning

My new personal Facebook site has over 3,000 followers in just over a week: www.facebook.com/aigkenham

In Georgia Today

This morning, I am speaking at New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Georgia. Our AiG conference with Dr. Jason Lisle and me begins this evening—with the final sessions tomorrow evening. Go to the AiG event page for details.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Bee in Chicago

I've written on this blog before about the National Bible Bee contest.  I am on its advisory board and am personally excited about promoting an event that encourages so many young people (over 6,000 this past year) to memorize and recite Scripture, and to learn Bible truths along the way.

Here's a report from AiG's Roger Patterson, whose daughter is at the national finals of the Bee competition this weekend in Illinois:

We are in Chicago for the finals of the National Bible Bee. Thursday night there was an opening ceremony with a processional and medal ceremony for the contestants, and Dr. Michael Farris (of the HSLDA) as the MC. There are 100 contestants from three age categories represented here. Back in August, thousands of students across the country competed in local bees to determine those who would advance to nationals this weekend in Chicago.

Our daughter Ally is competing in the primary division. Friday morning she competed in the preliminary round where all of the students will recite as many verses as they can in ten minutes (from a selected list) and then take a written exam. The top 15 contestants advance to the semi-finals, and then the top 5 move on to the final round. The semi-finals and finals will be broadcast over the internet later today [Saturday; at www.BibleBee.org].

You can find out more about the National Bible Bee at www.BibleBee.org and access the webcasts of the final rounds.

Our family encourages other families to consider participating in this great family discipleship program through Scripture memorization and Bible study.

– Roger Patterson (curriculum writer and editor, AiG)

We even have a booth at the Bible Bee there in Chicago; Roger and his children are shown here in the photo.



Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying

Ken