Answers in Genesis: Upholding the Authority of the Bible from the Very First Verse

We have always said that one of the priorities of the AiG ministry is to reach the church. In my more than 30 years’ experience in the biblical creation apologetics ministry, I have found that the majority of church leaders (and seminary and Bible profs)—and the majority of people in the churches—will not take a stand on Genesis 1–11 as they should. Sadly, this has led to an undermining of biblical authority in this nation (and around the world).

During the summer break, a young man who is a student at Master’s College (one of the few Christian colleges that stands on the authority of God’s Word in Genesis as they should) obtained a job teaching children at a local church northwest of Los Angeles. However, when he mentioned the creation/evolution issue to the children, he found the church leadership were not happy. There were a number of confrontations, and eventually he had to leave his position.

I met this young man (Lee Anderson) at a conference in California. After he gave me an account of what happened, I told him if he could visit the Creation Museum, I would have him speak to the AiG staff concerning his sad encounter at this church. This week Lee was able to visit with us and yesterday spoke to the AiG staff.

Lee is a very well spoken young man and certainly showed the AiG staff he had received excellent training at Master’s College. His account of what happened is a reminder to all of us for the need to reach the church as a priority concerning the vital importance of biblical creation apologetics. I have included an audio file of his presentation to the staff, and I encourage you to listen to it.

After Lee gave his presentation, I gave a report to the staff on my recent ministry trips.

Security Luncheon

Yesterday, AiG hosted a luncheon at the Creation Museum for a security organization. One of AiG’s security staff (Trevor Abdon) was the main presenter. Trevor spoke on why there is the need for security at the Creation Museum and how we developed the security department—what our security staff are trained to do etc. It went very well, and after his presentation, Trevor took most of those in attendance on a tour of the museum. The group enjoyed a wonderful meal served by our good friend Clancy from Famous Dave’s BBQ. I have included photographs of Trevor as he spoke and as he met with people afterward.

Devotion

Spare them

(1 Samuel 28:3)  Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city.

(1 Samuel 31:6)  So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

God’s timing for when we should die & leave this earth to be with Him is perfect, and sometimes He takes His servants home to spare them from a coming disaster.

Thanks for stopping  by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Dr. David Crandall, Director of AiG Wordwide, is thrilled to announce AiG’s first ever Ministry-Medical Team off to the field.

Please be in prayer as our Saipan Ministry-Medical Team prepares to leave the Cincinnati Airport on September 12. This is the very first such team that AiG WorldWide has sent to the mission field. Dr. Tommy Mitchell and his doctor wife Elizabeth, along with staff member Laura Perrien, will represent WorldWide in Saipan for 16 days of medical ministry and teaching ministry. The Mitchells will use their medical skills to treat pastors from China who have never seen a doctor, and local clinics will be organized to meet the needs of the local people and teach them the truths of God’s Word. Laura will assist the team in organization and in minor medical areas along with Dr./Mrs. Mitchell. She will also teach English as a second language and teach both in the Christian school and college.

Dr. Mitchell will speak to all of the international students daily at Eucon University and speak at the church fellowship on several occasions.

The footprint of WorldWide continues to increase its global impact with the message of biblical authority and creation presented through this unique ministry of medicine and outreach.

Heritage Bank Visits AiG

AiG has been thrilled at the relationship developed with a local community bank, Heritage Bank. The godly board of directors stepped in to help AiG last year in some very special ways (a real answer to prayer) to enable the Creation Museum to open on time. Since then, AiG has had an ongoing, developing relationship with this bank that is unique in the friendly service it offers customers. Whether one has $100 or $1,000,000 in the bank—all customers are treated in the same way.

Heritage Bank representatives, including the chairman of the board, visited AiG yesterday at our request to explain their banking services to staff. It was also a time where I could personally thank the bank in front of the staff for the tremendous ways they have helped support the mission of AiG.

When you visit the Creation Museum, you will find a Heritage Bank ATM in the front portico.

Devotion

Based only on

(Joshua 21:45)  There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.

That we will have a good future in Heaven is not based on our fears or questions, but, only on the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus Christ to keep His promise.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

Quite a number of our staff have been “procreationists” over the years, as they are blessed with bringing a child into the world.

This past week, staff from one of our departments had a special party for long-time staff member Stacia. Stacia works in the curriculum area and is one of our highly valued writers. She graduated from Clearwater Christian College in Florida and came to work at AiG in the Answers Department. With the knowledge and experience she gained over the years, she eventually became one of our talented curriculum writers.

Stacia will still do contract work  for AiG as she becomes a full-time mom at home—so, she will still be an important member of our team.

At the same party, staff also said goodbye to Sarah, a summer intern who is going back to school. I have included a photo of Sarah with two staff members, Laura and Ingrid (Sarah is on the right, with Laura on the left and Ingrid in the middle).

Babies Born at AiG

Here is a photograph of the proud father:

Here is a photograph of the mother with the two babies (well, chicks):

At the Cove

I have included two photographs taken while I was at the Billy Graham Association’s “The Cove” retreat center (North Carolina) to speak this past weekend. The first is of Mally and me relaxing at the log cabin in between talks. The second is of the center where the talks were held.

Devotion

Way out

(1 Samuel 24:4–6)  And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily. And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt. And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD’S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.

The way out from the depression that comes after we know we did something wrong is not to forget it and go on, but it is to confess it openly & do the opposite.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

An article by a columnist for The New York Times appeared this past weekend. The writer stated:

When the dog days of summer come to an end, one thing we can be sure of is that the school year that follows will see more fights over the teaching of evolution and whether intelligent design, or even Biblical accounts of creation, have a place in America’s science classrooms. In these arguments, evolution is treated as an abstract subject that deals with the age of the earth or how fish first flopped onto land. It’s discussed as though it were an optional, quaint and largely irrelevant part of biology. And a common consequence of the arguments is that evolution gets dropped from the curriculum entirely.

This is a travesty. It is also dangerous.

Evolution should be taught—indeed, it should be central to beginning biology classes—for at least three reasons. . . .

Now, I have reprinted below, with comments I have added, some of the supposed startling and convincing evidences for Darwinian evolution—read carefully:

The second reason for teaching evolution is that the subject is immediately relevant here and now. The impact we are having on the planet is causing other organisms to evolve—and fast. And I’m not talking just about the obvious examples: widespread resistance to pesticides among insects; the evolution of drug resistance in the agents of disease, from malaria to tuberculosis; the possibility that, say, the virus that causes bird flu will evolve into a form that spreads easily from person to person. The impact we are having is much broader.

Comment: we have heard this same old argument so many times—it gets tiring. There are a number of articles on drug resistance in bacteria on AiG’s website.

For instance, we are causing animals to evolve just by hunting them. The North Atlantic cod fishery has caused the evolution of cod that mature smaller and younger than they did 40 years ago. Fishing for grayling in Norwegian lakes has caused a similar pattern in these fish. Human trophy hunting for bighorn rams has caused the population to evolve into one of smaller-horn rams. (All of which, incidentally, is in line with evolutionary predictions.)

So, we still have cod, and we still have bighorn rams! Such a change in the population has nothing to do with molecules-to-man evolution. To claim this is evidence for evolution is ridiculous! I refer you to articles on AiG’s website about natural selection/speciation.

Conversely, hunting animals to extinction may cause evolution in their former prey species. Experiments on guppies have shown that, without predators, these fish evolve more brightly colored scales, mature later, bunch together in shoals less and lose their ability to suddenly swim away from something. Such changes can happen in fewer than five generations. If you then reintroduce some predators, the population typically goes extinct.

And guppies are still guppies! The writer does not understand natural selection nor what is happening in the examples she has given above! She needs a basic course in genetics! You can read the entire article at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/opinion/13judson.html

AiG’s Evolution Exposed in NYT Article

In another New York Times article on the teaching of evolution in schools this past weekend, one of AiG’s books received an interesting mention. The article is a very sad one as it illustrates how young minds are being brainwashed into believing evolution—the students don’t even know the right questions to ask. However, those that have AiG’s books hopefully will read and understand the answers to what is being taught. In the article we read:

The discovery that a copy of “Evolution Exposed,” published by the creationist organization Answers in Genesis, was circulating among the class did not raise his flagging spirits. The book lists each reference to evolution in the biology textbook Mr. Campbell uses and offers an explanation for why it is wrong.

Where the textbook states, for example, that “Homo sapiens appeared in Africa 200,000 years ago based on fossil and DNA evidence,” “Exposed” counters that “The fossil evidence of hominids (alleged human ancestors) is extremely limited.” A pastor at a local church, Mr. Campbell learned, had given a copy of “Exposed” to every graduating senior the previous year.

AiG has published two books now that are being used to reach high school and college students:

1. Evolution Exposed: Biology—every mention of evolution in the four main biology texts used in the public schools in America is listed, and answers with article links are given

.2. Evolution Exposed: Earth Science—every mention of millions of years/evolution in the three main geology texts used in the public schools in America is listed, and answers with article links are given.

You can obtain copies of both books from AiG’s online bookstore.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

It was thrilling to receive exciting feedback from India since our recent visit and our speaking outreaches (and videotapings). There is no doubt the AiG message is for the whole world:

The general feedback I got from the participants is excellent. The subject is of great interest to many. There is a definite desire in many to know more and more. Our organisers and myself honestly never expected such response. We were amazed at the turn out of invitees during such downpour of rain with floods on roads and many colonies. Even transport was a serious problem those days . In fact, the Chief minister of the State cancelled several public programs that day. Some leaders gave me a wake-up call second day morning to check whether the programme would exist at all because of down pour all the night. God gave us confidence — God controlled everything.

Your speaking was par excellent with depth & clarity — inspiring to all sections. We have to make future plans how AIG would like to go about in India. The ministry has so much potential. Kindly inform me if you require any assistance. May God bless you & the family of Aig in a special way and lead you more global.

HOME FROM ‘THE COVE’

Mally and I are home today after my speaking at “The Cove”—a ministry of the Billy Graham association in North Carolina. One pastor at the conference told me that the AiG ministry had totally “invigorated” him. He said it has made such a difference in his own life and the life of his church.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying.

Ken

This weekend, Mally and I are at the Billy Graham Retreat Center in North Carolina, called “The Cove.” I am the conference speaker for this weekend. This is one of the most beautiful places we have ever stayed. I have included two photographs taken on the back deck of the log cabin we are staying in.

I spoke once Friday night, then will give two presentations plus a question time today—then Sunday morning. Please be in prayer for this time.

BEAUTIFUL PHOTOGRAPHS

I just had to include two photographs taken at the Creation Museum this week—I just continually praise God for what He has done with the museum and grounds.

REALLY FELT BLESSED

We received this from a supporter after Dr. Jason Lisle and I spoke at a Colorado Springs conference recently:

Thanks again so much for your ministry. On Sunday, we had our youth pastor and senior pastor watch the ‘flood initiation’ video [it’s shown in the Creation Museum] and they loved it. Lexie was VERY determined to get Ken’s autograph for her dad from the moment we got to the seminar. Your materials are first rate (amen!) and you were both easy to listen to and understand and we really felt blessed. God bless you and your families!

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying

Ken

For the last week we have watched and listened to information about the Russian invasion of the small country of Georgia. We watched TV with a sickening feeling when we heard that thousands of people had been killed. The news reports continued to tell of the thousands of refugees that have fled from their homes away from the fighting.

When we hear a news report like this from a country such a long way from our homes, it is hard for us to visualize the suffering, the paralyzing fear, the sorrow, and the uncertainty that these people are facing right now. However, the reality of this war and the reality of the refugee camps came to AiG today when Diana Crandall, Answers WorldWide Translation Coordinator, received a phone call directly from a refugee camp in Georgia. Diana’s first response was to ask the caller if she was safe at this time and she responded, “The bombing has stopped but the Russians are still here.”

The request from this missionary worker was for permission to translate our booklet, “Why Is There Death and Suffering” and Dr. Tommy Mitchell’s booklet “Why Does God’s Creation Include Death and Suffering?” into the Georgian language for immediate publication and distribution. The missionary worker spoke with such compassion for the Georgian people and stated that these books/booklets were exactly what these people needed. Many people in these camps have lost family members and close friends to the Russian invaders.

Diana assured her that we would fast-track this request so that the books and booklets could be available as quickly as possible. Answers WorldWide will attempt to raise the funds for immediate translation and printing. What a great open door to the suffering people of Georgia, as AiG once again gets the call to minister in another country of the world.

Please be in prayer that God will provide $10,000 right away to meet this urgent need for translation and printing. Please also be much in prayer for this very special missionary and her fellow missionaries that are ministering to these hurting people in Georgia. I don’t normally ask for funds in this blog, but for such an urgent request, if any of you reading this blog would like to contribute to this project, please donate through the AiG website or call AiG customer service at 1-800-778-3390.

Dragon Nears Completion

Sometime in the next month or so, the new sculptured dragon will be moved to its permanent location in the museum’s Dragon Hall bookstore. I have included a photograph to give you a sneak preview of what the dragon will look like.

More Staff Training

I mentioned in a previous blog that “retired” local businessman Ron Beshear is volunteering to help AiG with staff training as we all at the ministry endeavor to work as unto the Lord and give the best service we can to our supporters/visitors. I have included three photographs of Ron taken at the Thursday staff meeting as he interacted with various staff members.

Devotion

The great secret

(Judges 13:18) And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?

It is our privilege and duty to reveal the great secret that the name of God is the Lord Jesus Christ, hid in the Old Testament & still is not known to many today.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken

People love the Creation Museum presentations with Dr. David Menton as he uses his new microscope that works through a computer to show slides on a screen, or even video of live creatures under the microscope!

I’ve included some photographs of Dr. Menton conducting one of his special workshops.

CATNDOG THEOLOGY?

I had the opportunity to show a special guest around AiG and the Museum yesterday. Dr. Gerald Robinson is a VP and Speaker for an organization that encourages people to get involved in missions. I found out that I spoke at a church in Australia when Gerald pastored the church—that was over 22 years ago!—when I had brown hair!! What a small world. You can find out more about Gerald’s ministry (called CatnDogTheology) at www.CatnDogTheology.com.

I have included a photograph of Gerald and myself taken in my office.

SPECIAL VOLUNTEER AND SUPPORTER

We praise the Lord for all the volunteer help and support we receive at AiG. Today, a local resident and ‘retired’ business man, Ron Beshear spoke to the staff. He is a strong AiG advocate and supporter and is helping to train the AiG staff based on his wealth of experience in customer service etc. Thanks so much to people like Ron who help contribute towards making the entire AiG ministry as professions/first class as possible.

I have included a photograph of Ron during one of his staff presentations.

DEVOTION

This life is in His Son

(1Sam 4:3) And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.
(1Jo 5:11-12) And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Not by a church, nor by a catechism, nor by a doctrine, nor by a sacrament, but, only by one person, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself saves us & gives us eternal life.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying

Ken

This week we received a letter from a 12 year old (from Texas) who just loves Answers magazine. I thought you would enjoy reading his actual letter pasted in below:

Answers magazine is, as this 12 year old puts it, “a family friendly” magazine. In fact, there is even a mini children’s magazine in the middle of each issue. There is no other publication on the market for the whole family that teaches people how to defend the Christian faith in today’s world, equipping people with answers to the skeptical questions of the day, helping all ages to build a Christian worldview, and showing people how to more effectively proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The next issue has an article on global warming—to coincide with the release of our new co-produced video on global warming (which you can pre-order through our website).

Vatican Astronomer Says Genesis Poetry

A recent MSNBC article on a Vatican astronomer stated:

Brother Guy Consolmagno occupies a small space of heaven. A Jesuit brother and astronomer for the Vatican Observatory, he works at the observatory’s headquarters at the pope’s summer palace in Castel Gandolfo, a 45-minute train ride from Rome. . . .

The article later on—quoting Guy Consolmagno—stated:

“A hundred years ago we didn’t understand the Big Bang,” he says. “Now that we have the understanding of a universe that is big and expanding and changing, we can ask philosophical questions we would not have known to ask, like ‘What does it mean to have multiverses?’ These are wonderful questions. Science isn’t going to answer them, but science, by telling us what is there, causes us to ask these questions. It makes us go back to the seven days of creation—which is poetry, beautiful poetry, with a lesson underneath it—and say, ‘Oh, the seventh day is God resting as a way of reminding us that God doesn’t do everything.’ God built this universe but gave you and me the freedom to make choices within the universe.”

You can read the entire article at:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26274906/

Kids Play Creation Museum

You will enjoy this testimony from a family who has visited the Creation Museum:

Our family has come to visit a couple of times. We absolutely love the planetarium. It is one of our favorite things about the museum. What we love is how much we learn every time we visit it. Each time we come home from the museum, our children, ages 10 and 7, come right home and put on their own Creation Museum with their animals. They set up the dinosaur exhibit, the planetarium, the tree frogs, the Garden of  Eden, and they use our tickets to admit their animals.

They will play and play this. They have hanging planets in their closets, and they take the animals into the dark as their planets are glowing and repeat all of the things they have learned from the planetarium. It is wonderful to sit outside and listen in on all that they know now—from a Biblical perspective. It brings our hearts such joy! Thank you so much for all of the hard work you do to make it a top-notch museum.

Devotion

Troubles

(1 Samuel 6:9)  And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us: it was a chance that happened to us.

We are bent to not want to face our sins and to quickly claim that our troubles came from random chance rather than to consider God may want our repentance.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying

Ken

Our Creation Museum is becoming well known not only for its high-tech exhibits, superb videos, and excellent speakers, but also for its beautiful botanical gardens right across the lake from the museum.

Ron Wilson is a local Natorp’s-affiliated gardener with a radio program on WKRC-AM on the weekend—and he has regular features on WKRC-TV (Cincinnati) during some of their news broadcasts. His Saturday radio program is also on XM satellite radio. In his recent online newsletter, he commented:

This week I visited the gardens at the Creation Museum in N.Ky. My good friend Tim Schmitt, aka Mo Hotta [I’ll have to ask Tim what that means when I get back to the office later today!], horticulturist extraordinaire and Director of the Grounds, took me on a tour of the gardens (which surround a gorgeous lake), and it is simply wonderful! Even if you don’t visit the museum (which you should go see), the gardens are well worth the trip. And, the gardens will be expanding over the next few years, so it will be exciting to see the gardens grow in size and maturity. Nice job, Mo!

The Museum’s Beautiful Grounds

Here are a couple of photos taken recently at the museum grounds, including one showing a long trail of cars entering the museum property and passing our botanical gardens to their right. On some Saturdays through the summer, we have been blessed with over 3,000 visitors and full parking lots. Now that school is starting and the price of gas remains high, please pray for good attendance through the fall.

In another photo, you can see how we have added bridge lighting along our beautiful nature trail.

Proud of AiG

From a recent visitor to AiG/Creation Museum:

Ultimately, from our 70-something down to my 7-year-old, all had a wonderful time and remarked very favorably about the various aspects of the day. There was no weak or substandard part of the day. The presentations, planetarium, gardens, behind-the-scenes, and lunch were worth the long drive to get there! I was, once again, proud of AiG!

Church “Profoundly Impacted” by AiG VBS Program

Another comment from a ministry friend:

We used your VBS curriculum at Damascus Friends Church and were profoundly impacted. We have a medium-sized church, and we had between 155 and 162 kids each day—and we know of 23 that accepted Christ that week. Our workers, leaders, and teachers were all impacted by it! The parents couldn’t believe what the kids learned and remembered! It was powerful; so many curricula are so watered down they help no one! But this took the issues head on!

We are ecstatic to hear that you are working on a curriculum for next year, and we want you to know, Satan will try and stop you—but DON’T STOP! We are praying for you all, and right now, especially the writers! It is necessary to have this type of curriculum, especially in today’s culture! We thank you and praise God for your dedication and are recommending you to everyone serious about God’s Kingdom!

Leaving the Tropical Storm/Hurricane Behind

We left Florida this morning as Tropical Storm Fay (almost a hurricane) hit south Florida. We had tremendous responses from the ministry in Jacksonville (in the northern part of the state) at the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville. Last night one man told me AiG was instrumental in his salvation. Many told me they were coming to the Creation Museum—some people decided to change their vacation plans to come to the Creation Museum! For many people in northern Florida, they could get to the museum in one long day of driving—about 750 miles away.

Devotion

Best friend

(Romans 5:8)  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

The best friend is the one who knows the worst about you and loves you just the same; there is only one friend like that and Jesus is His name.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken