Ken Ham's Blog, page 475

Take Me Out to the Creation Museum

This Cincinnati/northern Kentucky area has baseball fever—the Cincinnati Reds, who play about 20–25 minutes from our Creation Museum, won their division and are heading for the playoffs this week. Over the past two years, we've had some Reds players visit the museum, but the largest group of players ever to tour was with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Here is a photo of them taken inside the museum's portico.  Third from the right is Kentucky native Brandon Webb. One of our staff members shared with me that Brandon earned one of the most prestigious awards in baseball—the Cy Young Award, which is given to the best pitcher in the league.  Brandon won it in 2005. He admitted to us that growing up, he rooted for the Reds.

Ian Kennedy, Barry Enright, Adam LaRoche, Blaine Boyer, Chaplain Mickey Weston of UPI, Brandon Webb, Stephen Drew, Jordan Norberto (left to right)

Mickey Weston (a baseball chaplain) played in the majors as a pitcher, mostly for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His baseball ministry can be reached through this website.

A Pastor Ham

Yesterday morning, I spoke at a Baptist church in western Cincinnati where our eldest son Nathan has been appointed as pastor. This was the day for the church to officially welcome Nathan and his family in their new position. Nathan is a computer programmer during the week, and now, in addition to his usual job, is pastoring this church with a burden to reach people in Cincinnati with the gospel.  I gave my testimony concerning my upbringing in Australia, and I told them how my father and mother taught me to stand on the authority of God's Word—and now Nathan (and the rest of our children) have had that legacy passed on to them.  Even if I say so myself, Nathan is a very good Bible teacher. Here is the church's website: http://www.harvestbaptistcincy.org/

Here are some photographs taken yesterday:

The sign outside the church

A sign welcoming the new pastor and his family

The congregation

Nathan introducing me

The both of us—father and son

Devotion

(Deuteronomy 22:1)  Thou shall not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shall in any case bring them again unto thy brother.

The Creator is the Lord Jesus Christ, and lost souls are His lost property—how important it is to actively search for His lost to bring the gospel to them.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Churches and Already Gone

Here is some more feedback from the pastors' conference ("Answers for Pastors") we held last month here in northern Kentucky (it was so successful, we may do many more):

I wanted to say "thank you" for the great resources and relevant information you offered at the Answers for Pastors conference! In particular, I appreciate the free copy of Already Gone. This book explains a lot about why so many young people are leaving the church.

My generation was a part of this alarming trend of "graduating" (i.e., leaving) church when we graduate high school. Already Gone confirmed my suspicions: We'd been taught in church what to believe, but not why we ought to believe it or how to defend it. Thank you for taking the initiative to research this crucial issue and for responding to it with presuppositional apologetic resources like Dr. Lisle's book Ultimate Proof of Creation.

I also thought you might like to hear about how Already Gone is affecting real-world change in a local church in West Virginia. After I gave my pastor a copy, he announced the very next Sunday morning  that it was one of the catalysts for a new series of in-depth Bible apologetics classes at the church, intended to train disciples who can teach their own Bible studies.

I believe God is using Answers in Genesis and the message of this book to call His Church back to authentic discipleship and presuppositional apologetics!

– Rev. Tony Breeden

See Rev. Breeden's website: www.CreationLetter.com

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Very Special Photo of New York City

While I was out on speaking ministry in New York State earlier this week, one of our AiG supporters came by our Creation Museum to drop off a very unusual and thought-provoking photo of New York City. Ed Van Dongen, a retired teacher from Michigan visited New York City in 2001, a few weeks before the Twin Towers were brought down by terrorists using hijacked planes as bombs.

The photo that Ed and his wife Sue are holding in the photo above was taken by Ed in 2000 very near the Statue of Liberty—from a ferry boat heading to Liberty Island, where the Statue stands. As he took the photo of the skyline of Manhattan, he wondered why the flag was at half mast, and so he asked one of the park rangers about it (the Statue of Liberty is considered a U.S. national park). The ranger indicated that a plane had crashed near Mount McKinley in Alaska, leading to the deaths of some national park employees, and so flags were being flown at half-mast in all the national parks throughout America. Little did Ed know that his photo would have some poignancy just over a year later on September 11, 2001. When Ed asked the park ranger when the flag would go back to full staff, he replied "the next day." Ed told us that "God put me in the right position at the right moment to get the photo."

The date of 9/11 stands out for me not only because of the obvious (it's one of the worst tragedies ever to hit the United States), but for another reason. I remember that just after I watched the second plane hit one of the Twin Towers on 9/11/01, I called the AiG office and said that I would be working on a commentary for our website that would help explain why horrible things—like terrorist acts—happen in a world where we believe God is in control. Within hours, we had a commentary posted to our website on the question of suffering, death, and a loving God. It was such a lengthy article, that we eventually turned it into a witnessing booklet—which we sell today, nine years later, entitled "Why is there Death & Suffering?"

By the way, here is a link to an excellent article written by Dr. Tommy Mitchell of our staff (he's a medical doctor who has seen many people suffer from accidents and health problems, and he has seen some deaths over the years). The article helps explain why we see death and suffering in this world. It's actually a chapter from our New Answers Book 1.

If you would like to order the witnessing booklet that came out of the 9/11 tragedy in 2001, you can go to our web bookstore at AnswersInGenesis.org/PublicStore/product/Why-Is-There-Death-Suffering,4240,228.aspx

This question of death occurring in God's creation popped up in my mind again recently, as I leaned that a dear friend and ministry colleague, Neal Brewer, passed away suddenly. Thankfully, his widow, Debbie, while grief-stricken, knows that in a fallen world, tragic things will happen, and she also realizes that her husband is in a far better place. See my blog posting about my good friend Neal at: AnswersInGenesis.org/articles/2010/09/29/in-memoriam

Today, I will be speaking at the memorial service in Georgia for my dear friend and colleague, Neal Brewer. Please pray for his widow, Debbie. She has asked me to summarize what's in our death and suffering booklet for those at the service.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying.

Ken

Nephilim?

In Genesis 6, we read about the giants (the Hebrew word is "Nephilim") that were in the world.  I thought of the Nephilim recently when we had a visit from our good friend Ray Comfort, head of Living Waters Ministries.

As I wrote last week on this blog, I was privileged to speak at the "Deeper Conference" here in northern Kentucky. Actor Kirk Cameron was one of the speakers, along with Todd Friel of "Wretched Radio" and Ray Comfort of Living Waters Ministries (plus other speakers).

Now, Ray is a "Kiwi" (meaning a person from New Zealand). Australians like me sometimes have a little fun at the expense of Kiwis (all good-natured, of course).

Ray visited the Creation Museum when he was in town, and we decided to have some fun with him. Here he is with two of our staff members, Tim Chaffey (6'9") and Roger Patterson (6'7"), and we joked with Ray about adding him to our staff basketball team. He was a good sport about it.  I'm sure you can see why I thought of the word Nephilim!

Ray's ministry can be reached through his website.

Best Decision We Could Have Made

You will be thrilled at this feedback about AiG's Vacation Bible School (VBS) program:

I wanted to let you know that our youth group used the AiG VBS program [Operation Space] this year and it was amazing.  We took the program with us to a Navajo Reservation in [Arizona], and at the time we were unsure how it would work with a different people group, but it ended up being the best decision we could have made.

Many of the children had no idea who Adam and Eve were, and the lessons, combined with the crafts and the small groups, allowed us to teach the children about the authority of God's word from the beginning to the end.

Having grown up in a church-going family, I have to say that this is the best VBS program that I have been a part of, worked in, or ran.  I would HIGHLY recommend AiG's VBS program to any church leader whether it is for their own VBS or for a missions trip.  Thank you for putting out such an excellent program.

You can find out more about AiG's 2011 VBS program on this website.

Devotion

I have not spoken in secret

(Isaiah 48:16)  Come you near unto me, hear you this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, has sent me.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Jehovah and Adonai of the Old Testament, but when the Father and Spirit sent Him to earth, He became a man to die for sins.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Honoring Donald Wildmon, Friend of AiG

For about ten years, Donald Wildmon's American Family Radio (AFR) network has carried our daily radio program, Answers … with Ken Ham. I deeply appreciate Don and his son, Tim Wildmon, as they have a real heart for the family and biblical authority and the need for apologetics teaching. Tim has been to our Creation Museum at least twice now, and he has broadcasted live for AFR from the museum lobby.

Last summer, Don nearly died after being bitten by a mosquito that carried a particularly deadly disease. He's still struggling in his recovery from the effects of that. Earlier this month at a "gala" event in Washington, D.C., Don Wildmon was honored as hundreds of Christian leaders from across America came to show their support. I wanted to be there personally but was unable to attend due to a previously scheduled speaking event; however, Dale Mason, who heads the media department that our radio program falls under, was there on my and AiG's behalf. Dale tells me that he and his wife Karen have been involved directly with AFA over the years, having written video reviews for the AFA magazine, done interviews related to a TV-themed book they wrote, and participated in various AFA-sponsored campaigns.

The photo below is of Don Wildmon with Dale after the banquet:

Dale told me that "the story behind Don and the ministry that the Lord has built through his servant-hearted efforts is really quite inspiring, and I encourage your blog readers to read it in detail on the AFA website. But the very short version is a story of obedience and activism. In the mid-1970s when Don was the pastor of a small church in Mississippi and raising several young children (he was in his late 30s at the time), he got so fed up with the unbiblical content that was increasingly taking over television, that he turned it off."

Dale continued, "Don encouraged his church to turn the TV off for a week. The media learned that this soft-spoken minister of a small-town church was planning a one-week TV fast, and they got up in arms. His challenge to his family and his church hit the local newspaper and radio, and that expanded to national attention. To make a 35-year story way too short, that led to the extremely influential ministry now known as the American Family Association (AFA)."

Don launched this ministry simply by encouraging his family and friends to take a 1-week TV fast, and today, the ministry has grown significantly as can be seen by following:

AFA has nearly two million members.
AFA has launched nearly 200 Christian radio stations (all of which carry our program, and they have interviewed me and others from AiG numerous times).
AFA runs a conservative 24/7 web news site known as www.OneNewsNow.com.
AFA has a monthly pro-family magazine with 170,000 subscribers. It's called the AFA Journal (which has carried numerous articles about our ministry).
AFA has a new website called the Homeschool Channel (for which we're co-producing content—I will tell you more about that soon).
AFA has caused hundreds of corporations to re-think the way they treat Christians and how they promote homosexual behavior.
AFA has launched scores of boycotts that have helped to guide corporate sponsors away from so much sex, violence and profanity.
And there is much more!

By the way, here's a tribute video to Don Wildmon that was shown at the gala in Washington this month. It encapsulates Don's life and ministry, and reminds us that God wants our obedience. It starts with each of us personally. If we make His Word the focal point of our lives, the ultimate authority, others can't help but be impacted. Take a look at this video.

Pastor's Thank You

Here is a short email we received about our recent very successful pastors' conference last week:

Thank you so much for your effort and gracious hospitality at the Answers for Pastors conference and at the Creation Museum.

I learned so much that deepens even more my appreciation of and trust in God's Word.  I have been encouraged and strengthened.

Thank you for allowing God to work through each of you.

Devotion

The Lord your God is he that goes with you, to fight

(Deuteronomy 20:3-4) And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, you approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be terrified because of them;  For the LORD your God is he that goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

We are not to overrate the devil, but we are to face obstacles with strength of heart and boldness knowing that it is the Lord Jesus Christ who has defeated him.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

In Memoriam

Here is a special prayer item that we shared with the AiG staff this morning, and which we now share with you.

It is a very sad day in the history of the AiG ministry—please read the all-staff email below about a dear friend and staff member:

FOR ALL STAFF—A SPECIAL URGENT MESSAGE

Dear AiG staff members,

This morning, Debbie Brewer called me from Georgia to tell me that "Neal is with Jesus."

Neal Brewer, a dear personal friend of many of us and a special friend of the AiG ministry (and a part-time employee in our Advancement Department), passed away unexpectedly last night from a heart attack.

Please pray for his wife Debbie—she is in utter shock, of course.  She knows Neal is with the Lord, but this is also a terrible blow to her.

This photo of Neal and Debbie was taken at an AiG event in Wyoming two years ago.

What a reminder to all of us about the brevity of life, and that at any time, any one of us could also be called home.  What a reminder of how important it is to tell people about the Savior—to proclaim the gospel to unbelievers.

Neal had a love for the AiG ministry because of our stand on the authority of the Word of the God and our emphasis on the gospel. Neal and Debbie, by the way, sponsored the animatronic sauropod dinosaur in the Main Hall of the Creation Museum.

They supported the AiG ministry in many other ways. Neal was first introduced to us through contact made by AiG speaker Carl Kerby.

We are so going to miss him.

Please pray for Neal's family and friends as they deal with his sudden death. We await information on his memorial service. Neal was 58.

Ken

Devotion

Precious

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints" (Psalm 116:15).

It is precious to the Lord when a Christian dies, as now they are in His presence—they did not suffer the second death (eternal separation from God), but are with Him and praising Him for eternity.  No more suffering in a sin-cursed universe.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

1,000 in Central New York

Around 1,000 people crammed into the auditorium in Farmington, in rural central New York, last night for the public meeting associated with a Calvary Chapel pastors' regional conference. I am one of the keynote speakers.

I received many great comments. One young man said he is a non-Christian and is tired of going to Christian meetings and hearing the same old stuff.  He said what he heard last night is the first time he had heard a Christian talk that gave answers and logical thinking. We had a great discussion, and I challenged him concerning his salvation.

Here are some photographs of the evening:

Two of the organizing pastors, Patrick Powell and Jeff Gallatin, with me.

The auditorium.

The auditorium.

Our volunteers (from the School of Ministry).

Pastor Ed Gaines (pastor of a Calvary Chapel in the Cincinnati area) and me.

People at the resource tables.

I was interviewed on a Christian radio station.

Pastor Patrick Powell was interviewing me.

I was presented with a wood carving of a platypus made by a talented wood carver.

Talking to people in the crowded lobby.

One of the video overflow rooms.

The main auditorium was filled.

Senior Pastor Scott Gallatin, Calvary Chapel Finger Lakes, and me.

Devotion

They changed their glory into the similitude of an ox

(Psalm 106:19-20)  They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image. Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eats grass.

We are made to glory in something; everyone has a glory of what they delight in and worship—our glory is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

A Flood of Memories

Last week, we had one of the great theologians of our time, Dr. John Whitcomb, speak to us at our staff chapel. Dr. Whitcomb, who was also a speaker at AiG's "Answers for Pastors" conference last week, is the co-author with the late Dr. Henry Morris of the classic book The Genesis Flood. We videotaped his chapel talk, and portions of his talk will pop up in a few places next year—the 50th anniversary of the publication of The Genesis Flood. That ground-breaking book reignited the creation...

Another Caleb

The Caleb described in the Bible (in the books of Joshua and Deuteronomy) was one of the great warriors of the faith who "wholly followed the Lord God."  Oh that there would be more Calebs in the world today!

I did meet another Caleb recently: a young Caleb who is zealous for following the Lord.

Caleb Elliott is a remarkable young man. Only at 13 years of age, he spent 2–3 years mowing lawns, pulling weeds, mulching, etc. to earn enough money ($1,000) to get a lifetime pass to our Creation...

New Residents at the Creation Museum

Two new sociable animals have moved into our petting zoo on the grounds of the Creation Museum. Coatimundis are ring-tailed creatures and members of the raccoon kind. I've been told that unlike their North American cousins, they are active during the day (mostly twilight—early morning and evening). Coatimundis are usually found in Central and South America, but their range does reach into Arizona as well.

Our zoo's coatimundis are actually two different species: a white nose coatimundi...