Ken Ham's Blog, page 471

It's an Attack on the Son

On Monday, we posted my lead AiG Answers Update newsletter article for November. The article is entitled, "It's an Attack on the Son." I particular deal with those Christians who compromise billions of years (old universe/earth) with the Bible's clear teaching that God created the universe and everything in it in six literal days—just thousands of years ago.

In that article, I state the following:

Since Jesus is God, then God's Word (the Old and New Testaments of the Bible) is Jesus Christ's Word. Christ said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35). He also declared, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed" (John 8:31; see also John 5:24, 8:37, and Revelation 3:8). And Jesus clearly demonstrated that He accepted Genesis 1–11 as true literal history.3

What's the bottom line?  When Christian leaders deliberately reinterpret God's Word on the basis of man's fallible ideas (taken from outside the Bible), not only are they undermining the Word of God, they are actually (though unwittingly) conducting an attack on the Son of God!  This is very serious. Yes, when you compromise the Word of God, it is also an attack on the Son of God, whose Word it is.

I would encourage you to read the entire article if you haven't already done that. But I really want you to listen to a devotional that the AiG board chairman, Pastor Don Landis, gave to the staff in October, when he was present for a board of directors meeting. This devotional deals with the same basic topic and is very challenging. I urge you all to listen to this devotional:

Pastor Don Landis Devotional

Devotion

Not with your sword, nor with your bow … land for which you did not labor

(Joshua 24:12-13) And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with your sword, nor with your bow.  And I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you built not, and you dwell in them; of the vineyards and olive yards which you planted not do you eat.

Having a grateful spirit is to know that the Lord Jesus Christ has protected and provided for us; anxiety is to disagree, swell with pride, and say we did it all ourselves.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

American Humanists Launch Highly Public Anti-Christian Campaign

The American Humanist Association sent out a press release this week stating: "Humanists Launch Largest National Advertising Campaign Critical of Religious Scripture." They went on to state:

A national multimedia ad campaign – the largest, most extensive ever by a godless organization – launches today and will include a spot on NBC Dateline on Friday, November 12, as well as other television ads, that directly challenge biblical morality and fundamentalist Christianity. The campaign, sponsored by the American Humanist Association, also features ads in major national and regional newspapers and magazines demonstrating that secular humanist values are consistent with mainstream America and that fundamentalist religion has no right to claim the moral high ground.

They then give two specific examples (many more are on their website) of how they will conduct this campaign. I have further quoted from their press release below, and will then make relevant comments:

The ads juxtapose notable humanist quotes with passages from religious texts, including the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Quran. The ads then ask the audience to "Consider Humanism." One example is the following pairing: The Bible: "A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent." I Timothy 2 (New International Version) Humanism: "The rights of men and women should be equal and sacred—marriage should be a perfect partnership." Robert G. Ingersoll, in a letter dated April 13, 1878.

First of all, context is vital. And, of course, the humanists claim to have checked that (as you will note further on). But their humanist response to this text shows they do not understand (or are deliberately distorting, which is probably more the case) the full context. The section in 1 Timothy 2 is in the context of the church; it has nothing to do with the equality of man and woman, but is to do with roles in light of the spiritual headship of men in the church. Other passages of Scripture (such as Matthew 19 and Galatians 3:28) make it very clear that men and women are equal in personhood and in relationship to God. However, God has given each different roles.

Besides, from an atheistic perspective, why should anyone respect anyone anyway? Why shouldn't people decide they are superior to others if they want to? You see, when there is no absolute authority and man determines truth, then it is all relative. How inconsistent of these humanists to claim humanism gives a basis for equality of man and women, when the opposite is true. Only the Bible gives the true absolute basis for equality.

The press release continues:

Another pairing is: The Bible: "The people of Samaria must bear their guilt, because they have rebelled against their God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to the ground, their pregnant women ripped open." God, Hosea 13:16 (New International Version) Humanism: "I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own—a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty." Albert Einstein, column for The New York Times, Nov. 9, 1930.

How dare these secular humanists, who generally support the ripping up of millions of children in their mother's womb year after year (abortion), point such a finger at a Holy God as they have done here? And a group that does not believe in God—a group that therefore has no basis whatsoever to accuse anyone on moral grounds—dares to accuse God as they have done! By what absolute moral standard have they made their determinations, other than their own opinion? How inconsistent can they get?!

Now, what is the context of what Hosea is prophesying (predicting) about the future of Samaria? God is a Holy God, and as such, He has a right to turn people over to judgment. And who were those people? They were God's own chosen people in the northern ten tribes of Israel (called Samaria), whom God had graciously liberated from slavery in Egypt and lovingly cared for in the wilderness and brought into the Promised Land. But in spite of all God's blessings, they were a people who had turned to pagan idolatry (Baal worship) and even human sacrifice (Hosea 13:1–2). Those are the people to whom Hosea, a fellow Israelite, gave a prophecy that they would be destroyed in this way (a prophecy fulfilled by the invasion of the wicked Assyrians that the sovereign Lord used to judge His people).

But note, the secular humanists of today have supported the killing of millions of more children than were killed in Samaria—and they dare to accuse a Holy God the way they have? Given the worldview of these secular humanists, why does it even matter? Everyone is going to die anyway, and from the humanist perspective, life has no ultimate meaning and purpose—so when people die, that is the end of them. So why on earth does it matter to the humanist what happened in ancient Samaria?

The real question is: "Why is everyone going to die?" And it is only by understanding that man sinned against a Holy God (Genesis 3), and that death is a consequence of our sin, that we can ever understand why people die and why the Samarians were judged as they were.

The press release continues:

To see images and videos of the ads and find more information about the campaign please visit: http://www.considerhumanism.org "Humanist values are mainstream American values, and this campaign will help many people realize that they are already humanists and just did not know the term," said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. "Humanists believe in and value love, equality, peace, freedom and reason – values that are comparable to those of moderate and liberal religious people."

In addition to the television as on NBC, ads will also be displayed on cable channels. Print ads will appear in major newspapers, including USA Today, the Seattle Times, the Village Voice, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Independent Triangle, and the San Francisco Chronicle, and magazines, including Reason and The Progressive. Ads will also appear on Metro trains in Washington, D.C., on billboards on I-95 near Philadelphia and in Moscow, Idaho, and on buses in select cities.

"We want to reach people in every corner of the U.S., from all walks of life, to raise the flag for humanists and show others that they have more in common with us than with biblical literalists," said Speckhardt.

"It's important that people recognize that a literal reading of religious texts is completely out of touch with mainstream America," Speckhardt added. "Although religious texts can teach good lessons, they also advocate fear, intolerance, hate and ignorance. It's time for all moderate people to stand up against conservative religion's claim on a moral monopoly."

All quotes from religious texts were checked by scripture scholars to ensure accuracy, context and proper translation.

The Stiefel Freethought Foundation was the primary sponsor of the Consider Humanism campaign with a $150,000 donation. Another $50,000 was raised from supporters of the American Humanist Association for the launch of this campaign, bringing the total ad buy to $200,000 so far.

The American Humanist Association (www.americanhumanist.org) advocates for the rights and viewpoints of humanists. Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., its work is extended through over 140 local chapters and affiliates across America. Humanism is the idea that you can be good without a belief in God.

There is no doubt the secular humanists are becoming more aggressive in our culture—it is certainly a sign of the spiritual battle that is heating up day after day. Such a press release reinforces the need for God's people to stand on God's Word and call this nation back to the Word of God. One of the ways God's people can be involved in publicly standing for the Bible is to sponsor one of the billboards AiG has designed and can be found on the www.iamnotashamed.org website. Here are pictures of the billboards:

You can find out how to sponsor these billboards here.

I also ask you to pray for and support ministries like AiG that are dedicated to calling the church and lost sinners back to the authority of the Word of God and to Jesus Christ, who is the Author of that Word (from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21) and the Savior of the world as revealed in that Word.

Isn't it fascinating how these secular humanists spend so much money fighting against the God they don't believe exists and for what ultimate purpose? From their perspective, one day no one will know any of this life ever happened—the whole universe is meaningless, and it will all die out eventually. Why should they care at all? The reason they are so inconsistent is because they know there is a God. But as Romans 1:18–23 and 2:14–16 state, even though they know God exists and God's moral law is written on their hearts (which is why by and large they understand a moral code), they actively "suppress the truth in unrighteousness." They cover their ears, so to speak, yelling, "No, you are not real! No, I don't want to submit to You! No, I refuse to admit I am a sinner! No, I want to decide truth for myself!"

As they are our relatives (we are all one race, descended from Adam), humanists need our prayers. Their souls are doomed to eternity separated from God who is the source of all goodness and life. But our merciful and loving God wants to save them from that.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

For further study, please note these AiG links:

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2008/09/29/contradictions-introduction (This link demolishes the reason humanists try to bring up contradictions from a presuppositional perspective.)
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2008/04/14/evolution-challenge-of-morality (The secularists have a major problem with morality because they must actually "steal" from the Bible.)

Devotion

Called unto Him whom He would: and they came unto Him

(Mark 3:13) And he went up into a mountain, and called unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.

Every morning from the quiet place the Lord Jesus Christ calls us to meet with him, as Christians we respond to His call, and have our quiet time with Him.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Why Were They Banned?

Do most secularists believe in freedom of speech? Do they believe in tolerance? Well, from what I've read they claim they do, but in reality, many don't. We continually have problems with secularists spamming AiG's various websites. It would seem the people who do this cannot stand AiG getting information out to people. They must be so insecure in their own position that they will make personal attacks and do what they can to disrupt, and in the process, they show their extreme intolerance of people with whom they don't agree. This doesn't just happen to AiG, of course—it happens to many Christian sites.

Now when it comes to the origins issue, there are many chat rooms and forums that are set up for people to debate this topic. However, some secularists aren't content with that, as they just want to attack and disrupt Christian ministries.

When we first started the www.IamNotAshamed.org website, over a few nights some secularists left thousands of messages—thousands. They were spamming our site to try to totally disrupt it. We had to ban them.

Recently, we had some secularists begin leaving many messages on the Answers in Genesis Facebook page in response to our daily devotionals and articles—they were trying to debate Christianity in a section that is not constructed for that purpose. They had to be banned.

Recently, I started a Facebook page and also a Twitter page (www.facebook.com/aigkenham and www.twitter.com/aigkenham). Everyone knows such pages are for fans—people who like it. Well, one secularist (who was already banned from the AiG page) began making comment after comment on my Facebook page—personal attacks!  While they were being posted one after another (obviously another spamming attempt), we banned this person (and we have had to ban several others before this person too) who stated the following in the series of posts:

"Hey, it's the Hamster!How's it going Ham? Still cashing in by lying to the weak and desperate?

Still getting paid plenty for spreading ignorance?"
"How about NOT lying to people about science and scientific fact?Will that ever be an option for you?"
"Talk about selling ones soul to the devil … "
"But hey, anything for a buck huh?"

First of all, these are obviously personal attacks. Secondly, a Facebook page is not a place to debate.

Also interesting to note is that this person was so angry when he was banned, he did the following:

1. Sent an email to the AiG administrator stating the following:

Oh, and how about you step out of that little creationist-fort, and try debating people where you can't ban them.

And see how long you last when talking to someone with a functioning brain.

2.  He and along with other banned secularists started a Facebook page with my photograph called, "I believe we can find 1,000,000 people who accept Ken Ham is an ape." And of course, they and a few others began their name calling and mocking on that page, such as the following:

"'A new Subspecies of Ape discovered' is this one of those cases? And seeing as Humans are apes then if hes not an ape hes not going to be human."
"The picture's awesome, because he kinda resembles one of our cousins…"
"He's a Monkey too"

I suspect Facebook rules don't allow such personal attacks.

It is interesting to note that one of the banned people indicated on his public profile that he likes the Irish Skeptics Society page. Interestingly enough, it states, "The organization regularly sponsors lectures on a variety of topics including self-awareness, tolerance and evolution."

"Tolerance"—oh yes, just like these secularists and their disruptive spamming and intolerance of not only what I believe, but of me personally.

After being banned from AiG's page and my page, a couple of them then went to the Creation Museum page to begin the harassment, and they were banned from there also.

As I stated, there are places where these people can go and debate: there are numerous chat rooms, discussion boards, forums, etc. But because of their intolerance, they want to disrupt—not debate. They want to mock and name call. We certainly need to pray for them.

The AiG websites and Facebook pages are not meant as chat rooms or forums. We provide resources: resources in the form of articles, DVDs, books, videos, and so on for people to use. We are a resources equipping ministry.  We provide information these secularists don't want you to know.

It is fascinating to me (but totally consistent with what the Bible teaches about man's rebellious, sinful nature) that these secularists have so imposed their religion on public education, that most of the system teaches evolution as fact to millions of students. Many of the documentaries and science programs on television (Discovery Channel, Learning Channel, PBS, etc.) proclaim evolution/millions of years as fact. Secular science museums across the nation and around the world basically present evolution as true. Thousands of websites present evolution/millions of years as fact.  Thousands of publications (journals, magazines, books, etc.) present evolution/millions of years as true. And yet for all that, the secularists cannot stand one major Creation Museum, and the websites and resources AiG uses, to get out the truth concerning God's Word!

Let's pray that the Lord will allow AiG to have even more opportunities to spread the creation/gospel message in our culture.

Devotion

I shall live

(Psalm 119:144) give me understanding, and I shall live.

Life comes from knowing who the Lord Jesus Christ is: the King and Creator of the Universe and the Savior of lost men. Eternal Life is to know Him.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

In the Beginning Was Water

When one reads the history in Genesis chapter 1 as revealed to us by the God of creation, we find that when God created the earth on day one, it was covered with water. Therefore, we can conclude that water was present on earth from the beginning according to the Bible.

Now secular ideas about the origin of the universe have the earth being formed millions of years ago after the stars and the sun as a hot molten blob. That has been just one of many reasons I have given people to understand that secular ideas (like the big bang) are totally incompatible with the Bible.  I have had secularists mock me over the years for believing water was on earth at the beginning, but now some secularists are changing their minds. In New Scientist, we read the following:

IN THE beginning, there was water. Earth's life-sustaining liquid came from the dust from which the planet was born, a new look at these particles suggests, and not simply from collisions with objects that later crashed into the planet from space.

Here are some excerpts from the rest of the article:

The origin of the oceans has long been a mystery. Earth's birthplace in the dusty nebula around the young sun should have been hot enough to keep any water vaporised. So it seemed clear that the dust that coalesced to create Earth was bone dry, and that water somehow arrived later. . . .

Now, it seems that water may after all have been present in Earth's building blocks. . . .

According to the models, the dust grains should be able to hold onto water at temperatures up to 630 °C – high enough for them to have retained it during Earth's formation. . . .

As the planet coalesced from the dust, pressures and temperatures would have grown high enough to detach the water from the grains, freeing it up to become streams and oceans.

Fred Ciesla . . . says its results strengthen the argument that water was present in Earth's raw materials.

God's Word doesn't change, but evolutionary ideas and beliefs continually change. Yet nothing in operational science has ever contradicted the Bible's account of origins.

Devotion

Departed into a solitary place, and there prayed

(Mark 1:35) And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

Rather than sleeping it away, we capture the great value of the morning by rising up and departing into the solitary place to meet with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

West Virginia Conference

Yesterday, we returned from a conference in West Virgina. Dr. Georgia Purdom (a last-minute substitute for an ill Dr. David Menton), Todd Friel, and I spoke at the Civic Center Auditorium in Charleston. Then Todd and I spoke at two different churches on Sunday morning.

Here are some photographs from the church I spoke at Sunday morning (Mt. Vernon Baptist Church):

Senior Pastor, Dr. Jeff Johnson, and me.

Here are some photographs taken during the Saturday conference:

Todd Friel speaking on the gospel.

Dr. Georgia Purdom speaking on DNA and the design in a cell.

I was interviewed for the local FOX News channel.

Dr. Mike Riddle was our MC and local supporter who (with many others) spent many hours of hard work to make this event happen.

I heard many great testimonies, particularly of a large number of young people at the conference. A special testimony was that of a young boy, who after going to the car with his mother after the Sunday service, said something like, "After hearing that this morning, I want to be saved."  His mother brought him back into the church to speak with a pastor.

Favorite Photograph

My "favorite" photograph (if I can say that) was of the atheist demonstration against the AiG conference.  We had read the following last week from this website:

Answers in Genesis Creation Museum of Petersburg, KY CEO, Ken Ham will be a featured headline speaker at the "I am Not Ashamed" conference open to the public on Saturday, Nov. 6 at the Charleston Municipal Auditorium, starting at 9:00 AM. Events should continue on into mid afternoon. . . .

Plan 1:

We meet at Clendenin St. in Charleston on the public sidewalk on the side of the Civic Center across from the entrance to the Town Center Mall. There is no verbal sloganeering. We conduct ourselves as a dignified peaceful vigil. WE

WILL NOT OBSTRUCT ENTRANCES TO ANY FACILITY. WE WILL NOT OBSTRUCT EITHER VEHICULAR OR PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC. WE WILL RESTRICT OURSELVES TO PUBLIC SPACE ONLY.

Feel free to make your own signs, although some signs should be available. We are seeking sources for concise handout literature.

Plan 2: (our backup)

In the event that one or more of 2 things occur, we proceed with plan 2, which is we meet for a social counter-rally 3 blocks away at Capitol Roasters at Summers & Quarrier Sts. Bring your books on biology and science, and we will compare notes.

http://www.capitolroasters.com/

Plan 2 becomes active if

a) if by Wednesday Nov. 3, at midday, we do not have high confidence for good attendance.

b) moderate to heavy rain will drown out our planned outdoor event as agreed on in plan 1.

Well, here is the photograph of the "demonstration":

There was no rain, so I guess they did not have good attendance (though it did turn cold and maybe that put them off).

Devotion

Have you not read that which was spoken unto you by God

(Mathew 22:31-32) But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

Every word in the Bible is spoken to us by the Lord Jesus Christ to instruct us into correct beliefs and how to live in a world completely alienated from God.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Another Misleading Headline

Recently, I wrote a blog post about a misleading headline, which is typical of the way the media distorts stories (particularly in regard to the origins issue).  Well, another headline appeared recently: "Fossils Could Be Found by Next Mars Rover, Study Hints."

I have deleted words from the article to help you understand about this supposed evidence of possible fossils on Mars, and I have italicized certain words for emphasis:

Based on the geology of Mars's northern plains, the new study suggests . . . but also could have sustained . . .

However, even when Mars was supposedly wet, the planet likely didn't have a very thick atmosphere. Many scientists therefore think that if life as we know it evolved . . .

Mineral evidence on Mars suggests that surface water must have been . . .

Previous theories had suggested . . .

Groundwater appears to have come to the surface in this region for about two billion years, the study authors say . . .

The overall landscape suggests that . . . pressurized groundwater could have escaped . . .

The study team thinks the water must have come from an extensive underground aquifer that reached from the plains to higher elevations . . .

The new theory hints that oceans and lakes could have remained stable on Mars for perhaps thousands of years . . .

The stability of ponded water would also increase if covered by ice," he said.

And stable lakes might have allowed any underground creatures . . .

"We know that evolution and successful adaptations of life-forms to new environments are more likely to occur . . ." So gradual and long-lived groundwater emergence would have increased the chances of successful adaptations to the surface and near-surface environments." . . .

Based on this theory, it's possible . . .

And potential fossils—may exist . . .

Baker also agrees that Martian groundwater had the potential to support life. . . .

It could be evidence . . .

"To expect that Mars would have achieved something like the Cambrian explosion"—Earth's most intense burst of evolution—"would really be stretching it," he added.

"But to expect that Mars might have [microorganisms] similar to what was characteristic life for most of Earth's very early history is not too great of a stretch."

Well, you get the idea.  You may read the full article on the National Geographic website.

I trust this helps you understand how careful we should be when reading news headlines!

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

New for Christmas

We recently distributed a news release to the media that announced a special new CD-ROM that AiG is offering at Christmas. This evangelistic CD-ROM was the brainchild of a medical doctor in Scotland (and a great friend of the AiG ministry) who wanted to reach the Scottish people with the gospel, and now we're offering his wonderful resource through our channels. Here are excerpts from our news release—where you'll also learn how this CD-ROM will actually help fund evangelistic outreaches to Arabic-speaking people!

New for Christmas 2010, Answers in Genesis (AiG) has published a trivia game-like CD-ROM version of the traditional Advent Calendar for families to use throughout the month of December as they count down the days to Christmas morning. Interactive and colorful with kid-friendly facts and information, the "Advent Calendar Christmas Quiz" is sure to become a new family tradition.

Now available at www.answersingenesis.org, Amazon.com, and soon through Christian bookstores nationwide, the "Advent Calendar Christmas Quiz" CD-ROM retails for $9.99, but is available in bulk directly from AiG for as low as $1.49 each— perfect for churches to give to families as a way to encourage them to focus daily with their loved ones on what it means to anticipate Christ's birth.

"It's so easy to get over-busy with all the shopping, cooking, and parties each December that we fail to adequately emphasize to our own families the true meaning of Christmas," AiG president Ken Ham said. "This exciting CD-ROM informs children and adults with fun facts, songs, and true accounts of the origin of the traditions surrounding the holiday. It is sure to enrich your appreciation of Jesus as Creator and Savior!"

A different tradition or historical fact is covered for each of the 24 days of Advent. In addition to teaching about the history of Advent, the "Advent Calendar Christmas Quiz" provides information behind many other parts of Christmas celebrations, from the carols to the gifts to the food and decorations like mistletoe and poinsettia. Each day's fun fact is accompanied by a reading from the Bible, narrated in a Scottish brogue that kids will find enchanting. (The originator and co-producer of this unique CD-ROM is a medical doctor in Scotland, who hired a local professional to do the narration.) Appropriate carols and cheerful illustrations accompany each day's theme and Scripture readings.

"The birth of Jesus Christ at Bethlehem was the critical event in the fulfillment of God's plan for man's redemption," Ham explains. "Unfortunately the birth of the Christ-child is also one of the most-distorted events in history. This one-of-a-kind resource was designed by a physician who wanted a way to reach out to others in his large city of Glasgow and help them understand the truth behind the story – that Christ came into the world on the very first Christmas to restore mankind's relationship with the Creator."

In addition, the Scottish physician has dedicated all royalties from the sale of the "Advent Calendar Christmas Quiz" to continue to spread the message of God's love and forgiveness – specifically for use in translation and distribution of AiG's creation-gospel resources into Arabic, for Muslims and other Arabic speakers worldwide.

Don't Miss "Christmas Town" at the Creation Museum

We also shared with the media last week the following additional Christmas-related announcement:

As AiG provides this valuable Christmas resource, the Creation Museum is gearing up for another season of presenting the true meaning of Christmas through a live nativity display on the museum's grounds. "Christmas Town" (the first Christmas Town—Bethlehem), will provide a glimpse of the amazing events surrounding the wonder of Christ's birth through a nativity presentation, dazzling lights, and live dramas. Christmas Town has become an annual tradition for families in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region. (17,000 came in 2009)

Dramatic presentations include:

• The story of Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, and the joy she felt when she was told she would bear a child of promise;

• The temple guard, Hyam, whose life was transformed from shame to hope with his search for the "child born King of the Jews;" and

• The Magi, wise men who will share how and why they followed the star.

The museum's gardens will be transformed into a "Garden of Lights" featuring a breathtaking display of more than 60,000 Christmas lights. A first-century marketplace will make it easy to gather last-minute Christmas gifts and souvenirs, from authentic oil lamps and pottery to handmade scarves, hats, toys, and baskets.

In addition, the museum's acclaimed planetarium will present its special program, "The Christmas Star," about the mysterious star in the east that heralded the birth of Jesus and guided the wise men to Him. "Noah's Café" will serve beverages and snacks.

"Christmas Town" is open 6-8 p.m. ET, Dec. 10, 11, 17, 18, 27, 28, 31 and Jan. 1, and all outdoor events are free and open to the public. More information about these special Christmas events, plus details on purchasing tickets for the planetarium and museum, can be found at http://www.creationmuseum.org or by calling (888) 582-4253.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying

Ken

Typical Distortion

We have become accustomed to all sorts of secular bloggers (and even some Christian bloggers) misrepresenting the Creation Museum or Answers in Genesis. Here is just another terrible example. This person wrote the headline, "10 Creepiest Displays At The Creationist Museum," which links to AiG's Creation Museum.

What this person did was to feature 10 photographs supposedly from the Creation Museum. Well, six are from the Creation Museum, and then there are four that are not! I don't know where the other four came from—they totally misrepresent the museum—but it is just another example of those who don't tell the truth in their failed attempts at satire in attacking the Creation Museum. I cannot post the link due to the bad language and other content items on that website, but here are the four photos:

And of course there is no context given for the six photographs that are actually of exhibits at AiG's Creation Museum. Such context is important. For instance one of the photographs gives examples of death, pain, and catastrophe; however, what's not explained is  the context of the "Cave of Sorrows." This exhibit helps people understand that the death, pain, and catastrophe experienced in this world are the result of sin, and this is not how God made everything when He said the creation was "'very good."

Responding to an Old Earther

Wednesday, I responded to an old earther who graciously commented on one of my blogs. This blogger commented again yesterday, and I thought a little back and forth would actually be healthy in regard to discussing the issues of the age of the earth and Christians who believe in millions of years.  The blogger stated the following yesterday:

I have a strong desire that the unity we have in Christ will be stronger than our differences over secondary matters, however important those secondary matters might be to us. I really do believe that AiG is wrong in its interpretation of Scripture and its forcing of that interpretation on Earth history. I try to be careful in how I write about these matters on this blog, knowing that these are my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. I will be bold and blunt at times, but I hope to always do so in love.

And, sorry Ken, but I'm not on the verge of becoming a young-Earth creationist. Yes, I am fallible, and science is fallible. Our understanding of the Scriptures is also subject to human fallibility. As it says in the first chapter of the Westminster Confession of Faith:

All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all: yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded, and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them. [link]

The gospel is crystal clear in the Bible. Things like the age of the Earth, the extent and work of the flood, and limits on biological change, are not quite so easy to sort out.

In responding to some of the comments above, I would like to challenge people's thinking concerning Christians believing in millions of years:

The Bible in Genesis 3:18 states clearly that thorns would come forth because of the Curse (as a result of sin), yet there are many examples of thorns in the fossil record supposedly in existence millions of years before man and his Fall.
The Bible in Genesis 1:30 clearly declares that when God made the animals, they ate plants, yet there are many examples from the fossil record of animals eating other animals (bones found in stomachs, teeth marks on bones, etc.) supposedly millions of years before man (before sin).
The Bible in Genesis 1:31 states clearly that when God created everything, it was "very good."  If millions of years of fossils in the ground existed at that time, then God describes cancer, arthritis, and brain tumors as "very good," as such things exist in the fossil record supposedly millions of years before man.
Exodus 20:11 states the obvious interpretation of the days of creation; they were ordinary days (approx. 24 hours each): "In six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and all that in them is . . . " (Emphasis mine). In Genesis 1, each of the six days is qualified by evening, morning, and a number—contextually meaning they were six approximately 24-hour creation days, which is confirmed by the two leading Hebrew Lexicons (Brown Driver Briggs and Kohler Baumgartner). This is the basis for the seven-day week.

What I am saying is that if one starts with Scripture alone (as the Westminster confession would insist by the way), then believing in millions of years is in direct conflict with many of the plain statements of God's Word.

There are of course many other examples. Now, it is true that details about many things are not given in Scripture, which is why we build models on what Scripture clearly does states. Models are always subject to change, but the clear words of Scripture are not subject to change nor are they subject to our reinterpretation based on man's ideas from outside of God's Word.

You can read the old earther's blog post here: http://geochristian.wordpress.com/2010/11/03/the-geochristian-on-ken-hams-blog/

AiG Conference in West Virginia

Tomorrow and Sunday, I will be speaking in Charleston, West Virginia. You can obtain the conference details on the event page.

Devotion

Passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified

(Matthew 26:2) You know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.

We worship the Lord Jesus Christ because He came to be our final Passover Lamb and save us by his sinless blood that diverted the wrath of God from us to Him.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Intolerant People Opposing an AiG-backed Billboard

Many of you will be familiar with AiG's "I am not ashamed" campaign. As part of this campaign, AiG designed a number of billboards to let the Bible speak for itself as it touches on some of the major issues of the day.

Here are illustrations of the five billboards:

This week, our publicist received a phone call from a reporter enquiring about the billboards—particuarly the one that quotes Jesus in Mark 10, which states that God made marriage to be "male and female." Jesus also makes a similar statement in Matthew 19 where He quotes from Genesis 1:27 (i.e., God "made them male and female") when dealing with the issue of marriage. Well, an article appeared on the website of the Gainesville (Georgia) newspaper, The Georgia Voice, that began with this headline: "Gainesville, Ga., billboard demeans same-sex marriage."

It's all in the way you say things, isn't it? How about a headline that states, "Billboard quotes Bible on Marriage" or "Billboard quotes Jesus on Marriage"?

No,  a "gay activist" newspaper wouldn't want a positive message like that. Because of the obvious anti-Christian agenda, they show their intolerance for the Bible even in the headline.

Maybe we should have an article in response, something like, "Article demeans the Bible on marriage?" After all, the billboard message is just letting the Bible speak for itself.

Now, there are those who don't agree that marriage is to be only a man and a woman. And they are obviously free to believe this (even if we believe, based on the Bible, they are wrong). Of course, people who disagree usually call us intolerant, as they want us to allow all views in regard to marriage. But they themselves don't want to allow the view that marriage is to be only between a man and a woman, and it is God's Word that reveals to us the origin and meaning of marriage because God's Word is the absolute authority.

In fact, without the absolute authority of God's Word, why bother even talking about marriage? Why even insist on any form of marriage? It becomes just an opinion, so why not just a free-for-all in regard to such relationships?

What I find is that people who don't agree with what we believe concerning marriage and what the Bible teaches often become intolerant of us citizens, and intolerant of our right to hold that belief.

But it certainly is a sign of the times—concerning the spiritual state of this nation—when there is such negativity about our billboard quoting a positive message from the Bible.

The article continues with the following:

A billboard featuring an anti-gay message went up last month just off Georgia 53 and the Atlanta Highway between Flowery Branch and Gainesville, Ga.

GA Voice reader Emily Perkins-Henderson spotted the billboard late last month and sent us several photos of the anti-gay advertisement.

The billboard reads: "The Bible speaks for itself on marriage. God made them male and female – Mark 10:6."

The billboard goes onto say that it was "sponsored by joyous and generous people."

"It's an attack on equal marriage, and it's really disgusting," Perkins-Henderson said via e-mail. "I don't understand why there even needs to be such a billboard up when there are no initiatives regarding marriage in the state of Georgia."

First of all, the sponsoring of this billboard has nothing to do with making a political statement; it has to do with freedom of speech and a group of Christians sponsoring it to bring to the public's attention what the Bible states concerning marriage.

Atheists have billboards up across the nation telling people there is no God, so why is this same reporter not writing an article stating, "Atheist Billboards demean Christianity"?  Why is this reporter (and the person quoted above) not complaining about the anti-Christian message of the atheist billboards? No, they wouldn't do that, as they are tolerant of atheism but intolerant of Christians who quote God's Word in public!

You can read the rest of this intolerant, anti-Christian agenda-driven article on the newspaper's website.

Such an article is a good reminder that just because some different people have been recently elected to Congress and the Senate does not mean America's problems can be solved/dealt with.  It is not until America can say,"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" (another one of our billboards), that America will again receive the blessing of God as it has in the past.  America's problems are not just economic —they are spiritual!  This nation needs to return to the Creator God of the Bible—that's the solution for America.

Here's a very positive—and ironic—aspect to this article: an article in a gay-activist newspaper has shown a photograph of the billboard, a billboard that actually quotes a verse of Scripture! Thus everyone who reads this article will see (and hopefully read) this verse from the book of Mark. God's Word will not return to Him void and is "sharper than any two-edged sword" (Isaiah 55:11; Hebrews 4:12); "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). Let's pray that those who read this article will be convicted by God's Word as they read that verse given to us by a holy God.

I encourage you and your church (or perhaps even a group of business people) to band together and sponsor one of these attractive billboards in your community. We can make it easy for you to do this, which includes finding the billboard companies in your area, and producing and shipping the finished artwork.

As I close, consider these passages of Scripture as our devotional for today:

And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' 5 and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?" (Matthew 19:4-5)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:16–32)

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Do Old Earthers and Young Earthers Agree on Anything?

Recently, a blogger commented on my recent blog post about a religion professor at Butler University and his testimony of how he became a "born-again Christian."  Frankly, I saw little evidence in this professor's testimony that he in any way understands what a "born-again Christian" really means from a biblical perspective. At the same time, without knowing the professor, I want to be careful about commenting on what his walk with God might actually be.

The blogger—who commented positively on what I wrote—believes in an old earth and thus is not an AiG supporter. The blogger stated the following:

I believe the Earth is about 4.6 billion years old, and that the Bible doesn't say much one way or the other about biological evolution. I believe that young-Earth creationism is neither necessary Biblically nor valid scientifically.

Ken Ham is president of Answers in Genesis, and believes the Bible requires an approximately 6000-year old Earth and that most fossils were deposited during Noah's flood. He believes that to accept an old Earth is a compromise of Biblical truth.

But we are in agreement on something that is far more important than the age of the Earth or the extent of Noah's flood, and that is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ken Ham had a blog post yesterday (A Warning to the Contemporary Church) where he responded to a Christian critic whose testimony of how he came to be "born again" was rather ambiguous. [He then quotes the Bible verses I listed in regards to salvation] . . .

The gospel isn't "God gave me peace when I listened to a song." It is not a warm, fuzzy feeling.

The gospel is the good news that Christ died on the cross for our sins and that those who trust in Christ have a new relationship with God and will have eternal life in and with him for all eternity.

I don't know where this critic, a professor of New Testament Language and Literature at a liberal arts college, stands before God; only God knows. I would expect a New Testament professor who professes to be a Christian to be able to give a clear statement of faith, and he didn't. Ken Ham, on the other hand, gave a clear outline of the gospel.

Amen brother Ken Ham. Preach Christ and Christ alone as the way to God.

You can read the entire blog post.

Yes, old earthers and young earthers can agree in regard to the message of salvation, as this blogger and I do.

I decided to comment on this blog post for two reasons:

I appreciate reading an old earther quoting me in regard to salvation, understanding that I do not say, and have never said, that a person has to believe in a young earth to be a Christian. Salvation is conditioned upon faith in Christ—not what one believes about the age of the earth.  I have stated this clearly many times over the years. But sadly, I still read those who falsely claim we at AiG tie salvation to the age of the earth, which brings me to my second point.
We do not tie salvation to the age of the earth, but we do tie biblical authority to the age of the earth. Although this old earther I quoted above does not agree with us (well—not yet anyway ), nonetheless I stand by our insistence that to add millions of years into Scripture is to apply a hermeneutic whereby one is taking the fallible results of man's fallible dating methods to reinterpret the clear reading of God's Word (e.g., reinterpreting the days of creation, adding a a gap of time, or presenting the many other similar positions).

Yes, at Answers in Genesis, we are an evangelistic ministry. We proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.  However, we recognize that the gospel message comes from the Word of God, and if the Word is compromised, it can lead to (and has lead to) doubt that turns into unbelief. The results of such undermining of God's Word are set out clearly in our book, Already Gone, which I urge you all to read. You can find out more about Already Gone and why so many young people are leaving the church from the AiG website online bookstore.

Devotion

They continue with me…and have nothing to eat

(Matthew 15:32)  I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.

When we continue with the Lord Jesus Christ, daily in obedience listening to Him in His Word, making His work our work, then He takes care of our needs, food.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken